{"id":9253,"date":"2014-12-19T16:38:00","date_gmt":"2014-12-19T16:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/pope-warns-against-sterile-egoism-rooted-in-a-desire-for-power-47984\/"},"modified":"2014-12-19T16:38:00","modified_gmt":"2014-12-19T16:38:00","slug":"pope-warns-against-sterile-egoism-rooted-in-a-desire-for-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/12\/pope-warns-against-sterile-egoism-rooted-in-a-desire-for-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope warns against sterile egoism rooted in a desire for power"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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Vatican City, Dec 19, 2014 \/ 09:38 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Pope Francis cautioned Christians against an egoism that excludes the need for God in his homily at Mass on Friday, saying this attitude renders our lives sterile and prevents the Church from bearing fruit.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThis too makes me think of our mother Church and of so much sterility within our Mother Church,\u201d the Pope told those present in the Vatican\u2019s Saint Martha guesthouse chapel Dec. 19.<\/p>\n

\tHe noted that when too much emphasis is placed on our ability to choose to be good by following the commandments unaided by grace, \u201cthat pelagianism that all of us carry within our bones\u201d grows, and the Church \u201cbecomes sterile.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe roots of this sterile pelagianism \u2013 the belief that original sin did not damage human nature, and that man is still able to choose the good without divine assistance \u2013 come \u201cfrom egoism (and) from power,\u201d the Roman Pontiff continued, lamenting that there is \u201cso much sterility within the people of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tPope Francis centered his reflections on the day\u2019s readings taken from Judges and the Gospel of Luke, which recount the birth of Samson and the announcement of Elizabeth\u2019s pregnancy with John the Baptist.<\/p>\n

\tHe referred to how both women had been infertile, but miraculously received children through the intervention of God.<\/p>\n

\tSince there are so many stories recounted in the Bible of women who found themselves in the same situation, it\u2019s obvious that the Church wants us to reflect on the topic of sterility, the Pope said.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cFrom sterility, the Lord is able to restart a new lineage, a new life. And that is the message of today: when humanity is exhausted and can no longer go forward, grace comes, the Son comes and Salvation comes. And that exhausted Creation gives way to a new creation,\u201d the Roman Pontiff continued.<\/p>\n

\tWith Christmas only a few days away, the message we get from these readings is about a second, new creation that comes when the world is exhausted, he said.<\/p>\n

\tThe Bishop of Rome pointed out how both Elizabeth and the mother of Samson were able to give birth because of the action of the Holy Spirit. The message this sends, he said, is that we must be open to God because there is nothing we can do on our own.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThis makes me think of our mother Church and of so much sterility within our Mother Church,\u201d the Pope said, and noted that when she thinks she can act without God, \u201c(the Church) believes she is capable of giving birth, (but) no, she can\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

\tOnly when the Church opens to the newness of God and the strength of the Holy Spirit is she able to become a mother, he observed, noting that whenever she tells herself it is impossible to go on, the Holy Spirit comes to her aid.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWhen the Church believes she can do everything, that she can take charge of the consciences of the people, walk along the road of the Pharisees, of the Sadducees, along the road of hypocrisy, the Church is sterile,\u201d he said, and encouraged those present to pray for the Church.<\/p>\n

\tHe prayed that during the season of Christmas, the Church would be open to the gift of God, and that she would let herself \u201cbe surprised\u201d by the Holy Spirit so that she can become a mother.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cMany times I think that in some places the Church is more like an entrepreneur than a mother,\u201d the Roman Pontiff noted, and concluded by praying that the Lord would give the Church the \u201cgrace of fertility,\u201d so that she can become a mother who follows the example of Mary.
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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Vatican City, Dec 19, 2014 \/ 09:38 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis cautioned Christians against an egoism that excludes the need for God in his homily at Mass on Friday, saying this attitude renders our lives sterile and prevents the Church from bear…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\nPope warns against sterile egoism rooted in a desire for power<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vatican City, Dec 19, 2014 \/ 09:38 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis cautioned Christians against an egoism that excludes the need for God in his homily at Mass on Friday, saying this attitude renders our lives sterile and prevents the Church from bear...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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