Catholics must be active in politics, no matter how ‘dirty,’ pope says
VATICAN CITY — Catholics must get involved in politics, even if it may be “dirty,” frustrating and fraught with failure, Pope Francis said.
Given today’s “throwaway” culture and so many problems unfolding in the world, “Do I as a Catholic watch from my balcony? No, you can’t watch from the balcony. Get right in there!” he said.
John Manson pauses while casting his ballot on Election Day, Nov. 4, at Renfroe Middle School in Decatur, Ga. (CNS photo | Erik S. Lesser, EPA)
The pope made his comments April 30 during an informal question-and-answer session with members of Italy’s Christian Life Community and the Student Missionary League — groups inspired by Ignatian spirituality. As a Jesuit priest, Pope Francis served as a national assistant to the Christian Life Community in Argentina in the late 1970s.
Pope Francis set aside his prepared text and instead took questions from four people in the audience, warning them at one point that it could be dangerous.
“When you ask me these questions, the danger — danger for the pope, too, you know — is believing that I can answer all your questions. The only one who can answer every question is the Lord. My job is simply to listen and say what comes to me from within. But (it is) insufficient and too little,” he said.
One man asked how to keep strong the link between faith in Jesus and the responsibility of building a more just and caring world.
Christians have a duty to work for the common good in the world of politics, the pope said, adding that that does not mean forming a Catholic political party.
“That is not the way. The church is the community of Christians who adore the Father, follow the way of the Son and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is not a political party,” he said.
However, individual Catholics must get involved and “embroiled” in politics, he said, because it is one of the “highest forms of charity” since it seeks the common good.
Yet, it isn’t easy, especially when there is so much corruption, he said. “It’s a kind of martyrdom” where one carries the cross of the ideal of the common good every day “without letting yourself be corrupted” or discouraged in the midst of failure.
It is hard to be in the middle of it all “without getting your hands or heart a little dirty,” he said. “Ask the Lord to help you not sin, but if you get your hands dirty, ask for forgiveness and keep going;” don’t get discouraged.
Related Posts:
- Election Day: Get out, vote
- Pope calls for global defense of Christians facing persecution
- Preparing for Election Day
- Pope: Take up God’s offer to face life’s problems with his love, wisdom
- Vatican: Pope didn’t change church teaching in call to Argentine woman
The post Catholics must be active in politics, no matter how ‘dirty,’ pope says appeared first on The Compass.
