The pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica to commence the General Assembly of Caritas Internationalis.
Around 164 Caritas representatives from all over the world have come to Rome. The motto for their meetings is “One human family, one common home.”
In his homily, Pope Francis asked people to avoid the temptation of efficiency. This is to think the Church is doing well if everything is under control.
POPE FRANCIS
“Jesus does not want the Church to be a perfect model that takes pleasure in its own organization and is capable of defending its good name. Poor are those local Churches that are so anxious about organization, about plans to have everything clear, everything distributed. It makes me suffer. Jesus did not live like this, but on the way, without fearing the shocks of life.”
In order to avoid this type of attitude and to live in charity, the pope offered three pieces of advice: to listen with humility, to work together and to live in a spirit of renunciation.
POPE FRANCIS
“True faith purifies us from attachments. To follow the Lord we need to walk fast and to walk fast we need to lighten up, even if it costs. As a Church we are not called to corporate commitments but to evangelical leaps. In purifying ourselves, in reforming ourselves, we have to avoid the “gattopardismo”, this is to pretend to change something when in reality nothing has changed.”
The pope said when care for the other grows, interest in oneself decreases. It is a path that leads to humility. He invited everyone to serve those most in need above any other interest or project.
POPE FRANCIS
“Humility is born when, instead of speaking, one listens; when one stops being at the center.”
“If we do not look directly at them, we end up always looking at ourselves; and to make them instruments of our affirmation. This is how we use others.”
Finally, Pope Francis insisted doing acts of charity creates communion. For this reason, he stressed one cannot do good without loving one's neighbor.
