Catechesis of the Pope: hypocrisy endangers the unity of the Church

Sofia Lobos – Vatican City

On Wednesday August 25, Pope Francis presided over his general audience in the Paul VI room of the Vatican, dedicating the sixth catechesis on the letter of the apostle Saint Paul to the Galatians in which he condemns hypocrisy.

Pablo admits to having corrected Cephas, that is to say Pedro, in front of the community of Antioch, because his behavior was not always coherent and thus brought into play the relationship between the Law and freedom.

Pedro’s behavior divided the community

“Without wanting to, Pedro, with this way of acting, was in fact creating an unfair division in the community”, explains the Holy Father, highlighting certain episodes that Paul quotes about what had happened in Antioch years before:

In this sense, the Pope underlines that this act is considered serious in the eyes of Paul, “also because Peter was imitated by other disciples, the first of all Barnabas, who with Paul had precisely evangelized the Galatians“and uses a term that gets to the bottom of his reaction: hypocrisy (cfr Girl 2.13) since the keeping of the Law by Christians has led to this hypocritical behavior which the apostle tries to combat with strength and conviction.

The virus of hypocrisy spreads easily

The Pontiff emphasizes that hypocrisy is the fear of speaking the truth.

In addition, Francis recalls that in the Bible there are different examples in which hypocrisy is fought, something that Jesus also tolerated because he leads us away from the truth, leading us on the path of lies and truth. iniquity.

The hypocrite lives with a mask on the face

Likewise, the Bishop of Rome points out that the hypocrite is a person who pretends, flatters and deceives because he lives with a mask on his face and does not have the courage to face the truth:

And in this regard, the Holy Father recalls that there are many situations in which hypocrisy can be verified since it is often hidden in the workplace, “where it is a matter of pretending to be friends. with colleagues as competition leads to hit them. the back “.

“Also in politics where it is not uncommon to find hypocrites living a divide between the public and the private”, says Francisco, adding that hypocrisy in the Church is particularly detestable.

And so as not to be hypocritical, the Pope concludes by inviting everyone to never forget the Lord’s words: “Let your language be: ‘yes, yes’; ‘nerd’; since what happens here comes from the Evil One ”(Mountain 5.37).

Below, we share the synthesis of the Pope’s catechesis delivered in Spanish:

Dear brothers and sisters :

In the Letter to the Galatians, Paul mentions a correction he made to Cephas – that is, to Peter – before the community of Antioch. He had reproached him for his behavior because, to avoid criticism, he differentiated between Christians who came from Judaism and those who came from paganism, and this attitude unfairly divided the community. By this observation, Saint Paul wants to warn the Galatian Christians that one of the dangers in the fulfillment of the Law is hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy is the fear of telling the truth openly, it is pretending or pretending to look good in the eyes of others. In the Bible, there are several examples in which this attitude is opposed, such as the testimony of old Eleazar, who remained faithful even knowing that his own life was in danger. Jesus also condemns hypocrisy and reproaches those who are righteous on the outside, but inside they are full of selfishness and lies.

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I cordially greet the Spanish-speaking faithful. Let us ask the Lord to help us to be coherent, to allow ourselves to be confronted and to fight with courage all that takes us away from the truth and the faith that we profess. Only in this way can we be authentic builders of unity and brotherhood. God bless you. Thank you so much.

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General Audience of the Pope