The cure for hypocrisy? Saying «the truth before God», Pope Francis answered at the Mass he celebrated on October 15, 2019, in the chapel of the Maison Sainte-Marthe.
«There is an attitude that the Lord does not tolerate: hypocrisy,» that is, «to appear to be another,» the pope said in his homily reported by Vatican News. «From the outside, you are perfect, or rather starched by the correction, but inside you are something else. «
«The hypocritical attitude,» he continued, «comes from the great liar, the devil.» He is the «great hypocrite,» and the hypocrites are his «heirs.» «Hypocrisy is the language of the devil, it is the language of evil that enters our heart and is sown by the devil … Jesus loves to expose hypocrisy. He knows that it is this hypocritical attitude that will lead him to death because the hypocrite does not think about using lawful means or not, he continues: slander? «Slander»; the false testimony? «Look for a false witness». «
To the attention of those who think they are free from hypocrisy, the pope warned: «The hypocritical language … is common, it is every day. To appear in a way and to be something else. In the struggle for power, for example, cravings, jealousies make you look a certain way but inside there is the poison to kill, because hypocrisy always kills, sooner or later it kills. «
The cure for hypocrisy? Say «the truth before God. And accuse oneself. «We must learn to accuse ourselves:» I did this, I think that, badly … I am jealous, I would like to destroy this one … «, all that is in us, to say it before God. It is a spiritual exercise that is not common, which is not usual, but try to do it: to accuse ourselves, to see ourselves in sin, in hypocrisy, in the wickedness that is in our hearts … and say to the Lord, «But look, Lord, how am I!», And say it with humility. «
«A Christian who does not know how to accuse himself is not a good Christian,» concluded the pope.
