“Be careful that there’s not someone a bit quick and too cunning that tells you that you must pay. No!” You don’t pay for salvation.
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“The door is Jesus, and Jesus is free!” the pope told crowds gathered Wednesday (Dec. 16) for his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square.
Noting that the start of the Holy Year coincides with the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, the pope said that the council highlighted this “mystery of communion” among the churches worldwide. “The door is Jesus, and Jesus is free!”
Born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, His Holiness is the 266th and current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
During the year-long celebrations that began last week and are one of the most important events in the 1.2 billion-member Church, the faithful will make pilgrimages to Rome and other religious sites around the world, mostly local cathedrals.
In his discourse, Pope Francis urged the Ambassadors to work together to promote a culture of solidarity in our world that can help counteract the globalization of indifference which, he said, is unfortunately “one of the negative trends of our times”.
To underscore that the Church should show additional concern for the poor this year, he has taken the tradition beyond houses of worship and will open a symbolic “holy door” at a Rome homeless shelter on Friday. “(Jesus) himself spoke of those that enter not as they must, and simply says that they are thieves and bandits.
The Italian authorities are also on the lookout for fraudsters: On Monday, officials seized thousands of fake papal blessings.
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Universal: That all may experience the mercy of God, who never tires of forgiving.
