Holy Spirit creates ‘new people’ with a ‘new heart,’ Pope preaches at Pentecost Mass

June 05, 2017

Pope Francis celebrated Mass for the Solemnity of Pentecost in St. Peter’s Square on June 4.

In his homily, the Pope emphasized that “in the first reading, the Spirit makes of the disciples a new people; in the Gospel, he creates in the disciples a new heart.”

“The same Spirit creates diversity and unity, and in this way forms a new, diverse and unified people: the universal Church,” he said, as he warned against becoming “Christians of the ‘right’ or the ‘left,’ before being on the side of Jesus, unbending guardians of the past or the avant-garde of the future before being humble and grateful children of the Church.”

Turning to the theme of the “new heart,” Pope Francis spoke of forgiveness.

“The Spirit is the first gift of the risen Lord, and is given above all for the forgiveness of sins,” he preached. “Here we see the beginning of the Church, the glue that holds us together, the cement that binds the bricks of the house: forgiveness.”

 

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Further information:

• 2017.06.04 Mass of Pentecost and Regina Coeli (YouTube Vatican)
• Holy Mass for the Solemnity of Pentecost, 04.06.2017 (Holy See Press Office)