At his General Audience, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on St. Paul's letter to the Galatians. He began by clarifying that his reflections aren't just his own invented ideas.
POPE FRANCIS
'This is not something new, this explanation, not something I invented. This (letter) we are studying is what St. Paul says to the Galatians in a very serious conflict. It is also the Word of God because it is in the Bible. This is not something someone just invented. No.'
The Pope is referring to the danger the Galatians faced of reducing the faith to a strict adherence to precepts, without giving importance to the gratuitous salvation granted by Christ.
He warns Christians today to be wary of people who propose rigid forms of practicing the faith.
POPE FRANCIS
'They propose a rigid religiosity, the rigidity that takes away from us that freedom in the Spirit that Christ's redemption gives us. Beware of the rigidity they propose to you. Be wary. Because behind every inflexibility there is something bad, which is not the Spirit of God.'
The Pope invited Christians to use St. Paul's teachings as a guide to help them reflect on how they live out the faith.
CT
VM
