Jesus is found only through the Church, Pope says
April 23, 2013
Pope Francis said that “it is not possible to find Jesus outside the Church,” in his homily at a Mass on April 23.
For his name day on the feast of St. George, the Pope (who was born Jorge Bergoglio) was joined for the Eucharistic celebration by the cardinals who were present in Rome. The Mass was offered in the Pauline Chapel at the Vatican.
In his homily the Pope said that being Christian is not a matter of holding an “identity card.” Rather, he said, it means “belonging to the Church, because all of these belonged to the Church, the Mother Church.” Insisting on the necessity of the Church, he quoted Pope Paul VI: “Wanting to live with Jesus without the Church, following Jesus outside of the Church, loving Jesus without the Church, is an absurd dichotomy."
The Pope also warned against thinking of the Church only as a source of consolation. If that is the case, he said, “it will be a superficial consolation, not that of the Lord: a human consolation.”
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Posted by: Bernadette -
Apr. 24, 2013 1:29 PM ET USA
This is interesting in light of what the "shepherds" have said in England with regard to the non-necessity of raising a Catholic royal child Catholic! I wish the Pope had been specific when he spoke of "the Church." It is the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church. It is the True Church. All others are "ecclesial communities." Too often "the Church" is referred to as just one of many Christian churches. I hope the Pope means the Catholic Church. Watch out for "Indifferentism"!
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Posted by: jacquebquique5708 -
Apr. 24, 2013 10:42 AM ET USA
So, when is he going to make the American Church "clean up its room"?
