Pope says popular piety is a great heritage of the Church
(April 08, 2011) Popular piety is a great heritage of the Church that deepens the
faith life of Catholics, but one must watch out against certain wayward forms of piety
that create confusion and harm in the Church. Pope Benedict XVI made the remark
on Friday while addressing participants in the plenary session of the Vatican’s Pontifical
Commission for Latin America that discussed the theme: “The impact of popular piety
in the process of evangelization of Latin America." The Pope noted the rich and
profound popular religiosity that characterizes the faith life of the Latin American
people, saying when in line and properly guided they create a fruitful encounter with
God, an intense veneration of the Blessed Sacrament, an endearing devotion to the
Virgin Mary, a growing affection for the Successor of Peter and an awareness of belonging
to the Church. Popular piety, he further explained, serves to evangelize, to communicate
the faith, to bring the faithful to the sacraments, to strengthen the bonds of friendship,
family and community, and to increase solidarity and the exercise of charity. “At
the same time it must be closely linked with the liturgy, which can not be replaced
by any other religious expression,” the Pope stressed, adding, “the liturgy and popular
piety are two forms of worship which are in mutual and fruitful relationship with
each other. “Liturgy must be the benchmark for "clearly and carefully guiding the
longings of prayer and charismatic life," Pope Benedict added.