Faith is never a purely private matter, Pope tells audience
CWN - October 31, 2012
Christian faith is never an entirely private matter, Pope Benedict XVI told his weekly public audience on October 31.
"Certainly, the act of faith is an eminently personal act,” the Holy Father said, adding that an act of faith is “something which happens in the most intimate depths of my being.” But it cannot be regarded as private because faith is “the fruit of a relationship,” an acceptance of Jesus Christ.
Moreover, the Pope continued, “I cannot construct my personal faith in a private dialogue with Jesus, because faith is given to me by God through a believing community which is the Church.” He reminded his audience of the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Believing is an ecclesial act. The Church's faith precedes, engenders, supports and nourishes our faith.”
The Church exists to support and spread the faith, the Pope said. He called attention to the fact that in the Acts of the Apostles, the members of the young Christian community are referred to as “saints.” The Pope observed: “Certainly, not all of them had the qualities necessary to be declared saints by the Church.” Still, by virtue of their faith, they were “called to become a point of reference for all the others,” bringing others to faith as well.
“This also holds true for us,” the Pope told his audience. Every Christian is called to bear witness to the faith, to participate in the work of evangelization. "The tendency, so widespread today, to relegate the faith to the private sphere, contradicts its very nature,” the Pope concluded.
Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.
|
An appeal from our founder, Dr. Jeffrey Mirus: Dear reader: If you found the information on this page helpful in your pursuit of a better Catholic life, please support our work with a donation. Your donation will help us reach five million Truth-seeking readers worldwide this year. Thank you! |
Easter Campaign: Progress toward our Spring 2013 goal ($25,154 to go):
$80,000.00
$54,845.55
31%
69%
|
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
