Pope says peace of elderly and joy of children are true marks of Church

September 30, 2013 - It is not perfect organization and efficiency that mark the presence of God in the Church, but ‘peace and joy’. Pope Francis made the observation at Mass Monday morning at the Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. Commenting on the Gospel passage where Christ’s disciples were arguing about who among them was the greatest, the Pope said, Jesus points to a child saying the least among them was the greatest. Reflecting on the Old Testament reading from the Book Zechariah, the Pope said the signs of the presence of God is not “a good organization” nor “a government that is all clean and perfect’, but rather the elderly who sit in the square and children who play. The Pope spoke about the danger of discarding the elderly and the children, recalling the stern warning of Jesus to those who scandalize one of these little ones. “A people that does not care for its elderly and children does not have a future, because it will not have memory and promise” the Pope said, lamenting they are often set aside.
Commenting on Christ’s disciples, the Pope said they wanted an efficient Church without problems, which is a temptation of a performing and well-organized Church, but without memory and without promise, it becomes a Church of power struggle , of jealousies and many other things, when one lacks memory and promise. Hence, the Pope continued, the vitality of the Church does not depend on documents and meetings to plan and do things well, which are necessary but they are not the signs of the presence of God. Playing makes us thing of joy – the joy of the Lord; and the elderly, sitting tranquil with sticks in hand reminds us of peace, the Pope said, adding, peace and joy, are the realm of the Church. (Source: Vatican)