2011-12-09 15:32:04

Church should fear sin of members more than persecution, Pope says


(December, 09, 2011) The Church should fear the sin of its own members more than hatred against Christians, Pope Benedict XVI said on Friday, December 8th, the feast of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. While the Church has suffered from persecution throughout its history, it "is supported by the light and strength of God" and will always end up victorious, he said. Overcoming trials and outside threats shows how the Christian community "is the presence, the guarantee of God's love against all ideologies of hatred and selfishness." "The only danger the church can and should fear is the sin of her members," the Pope said as he observed a Dec. 8th tradition by travelling to downtown Rome to place a floral wreathe at the foot of a tall column topped by a statue of the Immaculate Conception in the Spanish Square. The Catholic Church’s dogma of the Immaculate Conception, promulgated on Dec. 8, 1854, teaches that Mary was preserved by God from the stain of original sin at the time of her own conception, in view of the merits of her Son, Jesus. The December 8th feast is a holiday both in Italy in the Vatican, when thousands throng the streets of Rome for Christmas shopping. Pope Benedict also greeted and blessed several infirm and their caregivers. He told the crowds gathered for the event that Mary is "free from every stain of sin and the Church is holy, but at the same time is marked by our sins." For that reason, Christians often turn to Mary for help and encouragement in living a truly Christian life, he said. She also gives hope, "which we really need, especially at this very difficult time for Italy, Europe and different parts of the world." "Mary helps us see that there is a light beyond the blanket of fog that seems to envelop reality," he said.







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