Pope: Judge Not Your Neighbour

(March 22, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI warned the faithful this Lent against judging others, and to be more aware of the mercy and forgiveness of Christ. The Pope said this Sunday in a reflection on the Gospel episode in which Jesus saved an adulterous woman from being condemned to death. He delivered his comments before praying the midday Angelus with the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square. He recounted how the Pharisees sought to test Jesus by bringing to him "a woman caught in adultery, for which the Mosaic Law prescribes stoning." "The scene is full of drama," the Holy Father explained. "The woman's life and Jesus' own life depended on his words. The hypocritical accusers, in fact, pretended to entrust him with the judgment while in reality they want to accuse and judge him. But Jesus knows what is in every man's heart, he wants to condemn sin but save the sinner, and unmask hypocrisy," he said. Pope Benedict XVI recalled how Jesus then "bent down and started writing with his finger on the ground. Then, Jesus the lawgiver, justice incarnate gave his judgment: 'Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to cast a stone at her.' These words were full of the disarming power of the truth, which made the wall of hypocrisy crumble and opened consciences to a greater justice, that of love,” the Pontiff reflected. He assured the woman: "Neither do I condemn you; go and from now on do not sin any more." The Pontiff added: "God wants only good and life for us. He ensures the health of our soul and frees us from evil with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Pope then concluded with the words: "We learn from the Lord Jesus not to judge and not to condemn others, to be uncompromising with sin, starting from our own and lenient with people."