At the first Sunday Angelus of August, Pope Francis warned Christians against the “idolatrous temptation” of the faith.
POPE FRANCIS
“It drives us to seek God for our own use, to solve our problems, for our own interests. But in this way faith remains superficial and even, if I may say so, faith remains mystical: we look for God to feed us and then forget about Him when we are satisfied.”
The Pope says that a faith which is motivated by one's own needs and desires risks being empty, and that by welcoming Jesus into our lives we can develop a faith that goes beyond self-interest.
POPE FRANCIS
“The Lord wants a loving relationship with us: prior to the things we receive and do, we must love Him. There is a relationship with Him that goes beyond the logic of interest and calculation.”
After praying the Angelus, the Pope greeted the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square from around the world. He singled out a group from Peru to bless them after the election of their new president, Pedro Castillo.
POPE FRANCIS
“I greet you, Peruvians, who have a new President. May the Lord bless your country always!”
There were also many Slovak flags present in St. Peter's Square at the Angelus, as pilgrims from Slovakia prepare to receive Pope Francis in their country next month.
JM
