(Vatican Radio) A the heart of the Pope’s message during his Angelus address on Sunday
was not to remain blind in one’s soul. Pope Francis was referring to the day’s
Gospel reading from John where it is written that Jesus gives sight to the blind man
and thus sees the light of Christ. The Holy Father compared the man blind from
birth and whose sight is restored, to "those who supposedly have sight but continue
to remain blind in their soul". The Pope went on to say that "While the blind
man gradually approaches the light, on the contrary the doctors of the law slip ever
deeper into inner blindness. Locked in their arrogance, he continued, they believe
they already have the light, and so do not open themselves to the truth of Jesus.
They do everything to deny the evidence.” The Holy Father noted that “our life
is sometimes similar to that of the blind man who opened to the light of God and His
grace. But, sometimes, unfortunately, he said, it is also like that of the doctors
of law, in that, there is judgment of others. But Pope Francis stressed, we are
invited to open ourselves to the light of Christ to bear fruit in our lives, to eliminate
behaviour that is not Christian, to walk firmly on the path of holiness. In off
the cuff remarks the Pope invited the faithful to read this chapter of the Gospel
of John “so,he said, “we can see if our heart is open or closed toward God and neighbour?” Following
the recitation of the Marian prayer, the Holy Father greeted Italian soldiers who
have made a pilgrimage on foot from Loreto to Rome praying for a peaceful and just
resolution of conflicts". The Pope remarked, "This is very good. Jesus in the beatitudes
says that “blessed are those who work for peace". Listen to Lydia O'Kane's report