Pope Francis at Wednesday Mass: build bridges, not walls

Evangelization is not proselytizing. This was the focus of Pope Francis’ remarks to faithful gathered for Mass on Wednesday morning in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence in the Vatican. The Pope reiterated that the Christian who wants to proclaim the Gospel must dialogue with everyone, knowing that no one owns the truth, because the truth is received by the encounter with Jesus.

Pope Francis stressed the courageous attitude of Paul St Paul at the Areopagus, when, in speaking to the Athenian crowd, he sought to build bridges to proclaim the Gospel. The Pope called Paul’s attitude one that “seeks dialogue” and is “closer to the heart” of the listener. The Pope said that this is the reason why St Paul was a real pontifex: a “builder of bridges” and not of walls. The Pope went on to say that this makes us think of the attitude that a Christian ought always to have.

“A Christian,” said Pope Francis, “must proclaim Jesus Christ in such a way that He be accepted: received, not refused – and Paul knows that he has to sow the Gospel message. He knows that the proclamation of Jesus Christ is not easy, but that it does not depend on him. He must do everything possible, but the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the proclamation of the truth, depends on the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us in today's Gospel: ‘When He shall come, the Spirit of truth, shall guide you into all the truth.’ Paul does not say to the Athenians: ‘This is the encyclopedia of truth. Study this and you have the truth, the truth.’ No! The truth does not enter into an encyclopedia. The truth is an encounter - it is a meeting with Supreme Truth: Jesus, the great truth. No one owns the truth. The we receive the truth when we meet [it].

But why did Paul act as he did? First, the Pope said, because “this is the way” of Jesus who “spoke with everyone” with sinners, publicans, teachers of the law. Paul, therefore, “follows the attitude of Jesus”:

“The Christian who would bring the Gospel must go down this road: [must] listen to everyone! But now is a good time in the life of the Church: the last 50 or 60 years have been a good time - for I remember when as a child one would hear in Catholic families, in my family, ‘No, we cannot go to their house, because they are not married in the Church, eh!’. It was as an exclusion. No, you could not go! Neither could we go to [the houses of] socialists or atheists. Now, thank God, people do not says such things, right? [Such an attitude] was a defense of the faith, but it was one of walls: the LORD made bridges. First: Paul has this attitude, because it was the attitude of Jesus. Second, Paul is aware that he must evangelize, not proselytize.

Citing his predecessor, Pope Benedict, Francis went on to say that the Church “does not grow by means of proselytizing," but “by attraction, by witnessing, by preaching,” and Paul had this attitude: proclamation does not make proselytization – and he succeeds, because, “he did not doubt his Lord.” The Pope warned that, “Christians who are afraid to build bridges and prefer to build walls are Christians who are not sure of their faith, not sure of Jesus Christ.” The Pope exhorted Christians to do as Paul did and begin to “build bridges and to move forward”:

"Paul teaches us this journey of evangelization, because Jesus did, because he is well aware that evangelization is not proselytizing: it is because he is sure of Jesus Christ and does not need to justify himself [or] to seek reasons to justify himself. When the Church loses this apostolic courage, she becomes a stalled Church, a tidy Church a nice, a Church that is nice to look at, but that is without fertility, because she has lost the courage to go to the outskirts, where there are many people who are victims of idolatry, worldliness of weak thought, [of] so many things. Let us today ask St Paul to give us this apostolic courage, this spiritual fervor, so that we might be confident. ‘But Father,’ [you might say], ‘we might make mistakes…’ ... ‘[Well, what of it,’ I might respond], ‘Get on with you: if you make a mistake, you get up and go forward: that is the way. Those who do not walk in order not to err, make a the more serious mistake.

Wednesday morning’s Mass was concelebrated by the President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio. In the congregation were a group of employees of the General Services of the Governorate of Vatican City State, the Vatican tribunal chancery, and the Vatican floreria, which cares for the furniture and decoration of Vatican buildings.

This is great. Teach the Gospel; do not forcibly attempt to convert people to your way of thinking (or blow them up, but I digress). Teach the truth and let others make their choices. Do it kindly and not in an accusatory fashion. Relate to people, help them, understand their problems and show them there are all of the answers in the universe in Christ.

Freedom to choose is a gift from the Lord. Evangalization requires compassion and tact, not beating over the heads...people run away from that. I would. It doesn't mean to accept wrong behaviours, but to point out why such behaviors are wrong. Don't be arrogant, uncharitable, and hypocritical about it. Christ has shown us by his own actions.

Some people will always take offense, but so be it. Pray they eventually open their hearts.

Originally, “proselytize” simply meant to encourage conversion, and “proselyte” meant a convert. I suppose there’s nothing wrong with giving it a different meaning, but I don’t think we’re yet at the point where the word (used neutrally in the Bible) is universally recognized as indicating something categorically bad.

I remember when as a child one would hear in Catholic families, in my family, ‘No, we cannot go to their house, because they are not married in the Church, eh!’. It was as an exclusion. No, you could not go! Neither could we go to [the houses of] socialists or atheists. Now, thank God, people do not says such things, right? [Such an attitude] was a defense of the faith, but it was one of walls: the LORD made bridges.

I do not intend this as criticism of the Holy Father as I am sure he is not intending to give the opposite message but do note that sound parenting does require controlling who your children have contact with, who your children see you associating with, etc... This is not to say that they should be kept in a bubble. But it is very necessary and completely appropriate to put thought into who children spend time around and for how long & often, and in what context.

I agree that parents have a responsibility to guide their children’s associations, but I understand that religious separatism could be very rigorous “back in the day” ... things like, “You’ll go to Hell if you go into a Protestant church,” for any reason.

My own parents aren’t “married in the Church”: they’re Protestants. Would cutting them off from their grandchildren simply for that reason be a good decision? “Surely not!” Pope Francis would say.

**The Pope reiterated that the Christian who wants to proclaim the Gospel must dialogue with everyone, knowing that no one owns the truth, because the truth is received by the encounter with Jesus.**

Amen!

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