God cannot be solitary because God is love, Pope tells conference participants

February 26, 2016

"God does not simply have the desire or capacity to love; God is love," Pope Francis said in a February 26 address. "Charity is his essence; it is his nature."

Speaking to participants in a converence marking the 10th anniversary of Deus Caritas Est, the encyclical of Benedict XVI, the Pope remarked that because God is love, He is "not solitary; He cannot be alone: He cannot be closed in on Himself, because He is communion."

Pope Francis went on to suggest that the current Jubilee Year offers a chance "to return to this beating heart of our life and our witness, to the center of the proclamation of faith." Calling attention to the importance that Pope Benedict placed on charitable work, as a reflection of God's love, the Holy Father said: "How I wish that everyone in the Church-- every institution, every activity-- would show that God loves man!"

The two-day conference on Deus Caritas Est was organized by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the charitable arm of the Holy See.

 

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Further information:

• Benedict XVI's first encyclical, "Deus caritas est", remains timely (VIS)
• God's love is the 'beating heart' of the Church, Pope Francis says (CNA)