Pope Francis on the "Heresy" of 'Either this, Or Nothing"

Edit: Oh, where have we heard this before?

Francis in Santa Marta: the healthy realism of the Catholic Church against hypocrisy and false idealism. The damage of the counter-testimony. The liberation from captivity in the cages of the rigidity of the law. 

By Armin Schwibach

Rome (kath.net/as) "If your righteousness is not far greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven": Pope Francis held forth in his homily at Mass in the chapel of the Vatican guest house "Domus Sanctae Marthae" on Thursday for the tenth week of Ordinary Time on the admonition of Jesus in the Gospel of the day (Mt 5:20 to 26) for a "far greater justice" to then focus on the importance of Christian realism.

The people are starting to falter, because those who taught the law, were not coherent in their witness of life. Jesus, therefore, urges the overcoming of this and to go higher. So he imagines the example of the first commandment of love of God and neighbor and underlines: "Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; and whoever says to his brother, Thou fool, shall be liable to the law, and the High Council; but who says to him: Thou wicked fool, deserves the fires of Hell."(v.22).

It will do good to hear this, especially in our time, said the Pope, in which we have become accustomed to disqualify others, and employ a very "creative" vocabulary to insult the other. This is a sin, that is, to kill, because it means to beat the soul of the brother, his dignity." Often, said Francis with bitter irony, we have used many swear words "with, 'much', 'love', but we say them to the other."

Regarding the presence of children at Mass, the Pope urged people not to get excited, because: "the sermon" of children in the church is more beautiful than that of the priest, more beautiful than the Bishop and than the Pope." So one should let his child, the child who is the voice of innocence, do all good.

Jesus called upon these disoriented people to look up and go forward. Then Francis emphasized how much damage was being caused to the people by the "counter-testimony" of Christians:

"How often do we hear these things in the Church: how many times! Well, these priests there, this man, this woman of Catholic Action, this bishop, this pope says: So you have to act,' and he or she does the opposite! This is the scandal that hurts the people and it prevents the people of God from growing, that it continues. That doesn't free. Also at that time that people had seen the rigidity of the scribes and Pharisees, and when a prophet came who gave them a little joy, they pursued him and killed him: there was no place for the prophet. And Jesus says to them, 'You have killed the prophets, you have persecuted the prophets: those who brought fresh air.'

The generosity, the holiness that Jesus asks of us, "consists in going out, but always to the heights, in the heights. Going out, in the heights." This means the exemption from the rigidity of the law and of idealism that would do no good. Jesus "knows us well. He knows our nature." He exhorts us to reach an agreement, if there is conflict with the other.

Jesus teaches us also a "healthy realism". Many times it is impossible to reach perfection, "but do at least what you can, you agree":

"This healthy realism of the Catholic Church: The Catholic Church never teaches an 'either this - or nothing,' an 'either this - or that.' The Church says, 'both AND.' 'Be complete: be reconciled to thy brother. Do not insult him. [You Pelagians!] Love him. If there is a problem, then at least study and come to an agreement, so that no war breaks out.' This is the healthy realism of Catholicism. An, 'either that or nothing' is not Catholic: that is not Catholic. This is heretical. Jesus always understands he will accompany us, he gives us the ideal, he accompanies us toward the ideal, he frees us from this captivity in the cage of the rigidity of the law and tells us, 'Well, go up to the point as far as you can make it.' And he understands us well. This is our Lord, this is what he tells us."

The Lord does not require us to be hypocrites: "not to go and praise God with the same tongue with which one has previously offended the brother." "Do what you can," said the Pope, "is the admonition of Jesus, at least avoid war among you, come to agreement":

"And allow me to tell you that with a word that might seem odd: the is the tiny holiness of negotiation. 'Well, I can not do everything, but I want to do everything, I will agree with you, then we at least won't offend each other mutually, then we won't make war and live in peace.' Jesus is a great! He frees us from our misery. Also from that idealism which is not Catholic. Let us ask the Lord to teach us first to emerge from any rigidity, but so we can move up to worship and praise God. And He will teach us to reconcile us with one another. And also that we agree to the point, that we are able to.".

Link to kath.net... Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com AMDG