The Holy Father warned the faithful to not conform to the “globalization of hegemonic uniformity” that comes from the spirit of worldliness during his daily Mass at Casa Santa Marta this morning.
Recalling the first reading from the first book of Maccabees, Pope Francis highlighted “perverse roots” of worldliness that were exemplified by those who broke the Law of the Covenant. They abandoned their own traditions in favor of those of the Gentiles in order to enthusiastically “negotiate” their beliefs which the Pope called “a spirit of adolescent progressivism.”
“They believe that to go forward in any type of choice was better than to remain in the habits of fidelity,” he said, adding that they negotiated the faithfulness of God to His people.
“This is called apostasy, adultery.” They are not, in fact, negotiating a few values; they negotiate the very essence of their being: that faithfulness of the Lord.”
The Holy Father stressed in his homily that this apostasy is a fruit of the devil, who wants the move the people of God towards this spirit of worldliness. This spirit, in turn, progresses. The people begin to pick up the habits of the pagans, and ultimately, the King orders everyone to abandon their customs under pain of death.
“It is not the beautiful globalization of unity of all Nations, each one with their own customs, instead it is the globalization of hegemonic uniformity, it is the single thought. And this sole thought is the fruit of worldliness,” the Pope said.
“But, Father,” the Holy Father continued, “does this happen today? Yes. Because the spirit of worldliness exists, even today it takes is with this desire to be progressive on the single thought. If one was found with the Book of the Covenant and if anyone obeyed that Law, the King’s sentence would condemn him to death: and this we have read in the newspapers, this month. These people have negotiated the faithfulness to their Lord; these people, moved by the spirit of the world, have negotiated their own identity, they have negotiated their belonging to a people, a people that God loves so much, that God wants as His people.”
In today’s world, the Holy Father stated that the thought that all must be the same, that one must be “more normal” is brought forward by this adolescent progressivism. Referring to the readings account that those who did not follow the Law were condemned to death, the Holy Father stated that it is something done even in today’s modern world.
“But do you this that today this is not done, human sacrifices?” he asked. “So many are done, so many! And there are laws that protect them.”
However, despite the unfaithfulness in the world, Pope Francis said that God continues to be faithful and forgives those who are repentant.
“With the spirit of the children of the Church, we pray to the Lord so that in his goodness, in his faithfulness, He saves us from this worldly spirit that negotiates everything,” the Pope concluded. “That he protects and makes us move forward, as He made his people go forward in the desert, taking them by the hand, like a father takes his child. In the Lord’s hands we are safe.” (J.A.E.)
