Holy Spirit guides both calls for change and for unity in Church, Pope tells congregation

May 08, 2015

The Holy Spirit stirs up calls for change in the Church, but also ensures that disagreements can be resolved, Pope Francis said in his homily at morning Mass on May 8.

Reflecting on the day’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, about the Council of Jerusalem, the Pope remarked that the leaders of the early Church aired their differences and settled them amicably, relying on the guidance of the Spirit.

That debate, the Pope said, pitted St. Paul against other disciples who were committed to upholding Jewish practices. “How do they resolve this problem?” he asked. “They hold a meeting and each person gives his opinion, his views. They discuss this issue but like brothers and sisters and not like enemies.”

This open debate, coupled with the desire to maintain unity, is “the work of the Holy Spirit,” the Holy Father said.

The Pope remarked that the Holy Spirit guards against a complacent approach, in which there are no disagreements, and also against an argumentative approach, in which the Church is constantly roiled by discord.

 

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Further information:

• Pope: the Church is about unity, not forming lobbies to win (Vatican Radio)