VATICAN CITY — The power of God’s name is manifested in the lives of people who live their faith in an authentic way, while it is taken in vain by those who live in hypocrisy, Pope Francis said.
By adhering to the commandment to not take the name of the Lord in vain, Christians can show the beauty of baptism and the Eucharist, as well as “the sublime union there is between our body and the body of Christ; He in us and us in Him,” the pope said Aug. 22 at his weekly general audience.
“If there were more Christians who would take upon themselves the name of God without falsehood, practicing the first request of the Our Father — ‘hallowed be thy name’ — the proclamation of the Church would be heard more and become more credible,” he said.
Continuing his series of talks on the Ten Commandments, the pope turned to the Second Commandment, which he said is correctly interpreted as “an invitation to not offend the name of God and use it inappropriately.”
Recalling its Hebrew and Greek translations, Pope Francis said the Second Commandment means not taking upon one’s self the name of God “in a way that is devoid of content” and shrouded in hypocrisy, formalities and lies.
The commandment, he said, is a reminder for Christians of their baptism and the call “to live out our daily actions in a real and heartfelt communion with God, that is, in His love.”
However, Christians may also succumb to the temptation of “taking upon themselves the name of God in a hypocritical way” and “living a false relationship with God.”
A sincere relationship with God, the pope explained, is seen not only in the lives of the saints, but also in the lives of the “saints next door,” especially “parents who give their children the example of a coherent, simple, honest and generous life.”
The Second Commandment, he said, “is precisely the invitation to a relationship with God without hypocrisy, to a relationship in which we entrust Him with all that we are.”
— Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service
Extremism cannot be fought with extreme language, intolerance, pope says
VATICAN CITY — Catholic legislators must defend religious freedom around the globe, but they must take care to ensure they don’t fall into the trap of showing disrespect toward or intolerance of other religions while doing so, Pope Francis said.
The pope met Aug. 22 with participants in the annual meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network and the group’s “freedom summit.”
According to the group’s website, the network began in 2010 “as an independent and nonpartisan international initiative to bring together practicing Catholics and other Christians in elected office on a regular basis for faith formation, education and fellowship.”
Pope Francis told participants that the Christian politician is called “to try, with humility and courage, to be a witness” to Christian values and to propose and support legislation in line with a Christian vision of society and of the human person.
The situation of Christians and other religious minorities in some parts of the world has “tragically worsened” due to “intolerant, aggressive and violent positions” even in countries that claim to recognize the freedom of religion, he said.
While defending religious freedom is part of the obligation to promote the common good, Pope Francis cautioned the legislators about the rhetoric and actions they use to do so. There is “the real danger of combating extremism and intolerance with just as much extremism and intolerance, including in attitudes and words,” he said.
— Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service