Pope Francis:

Temptations (cont.)

No to spiritual worldlinessFrom The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii

gaudium) nn. 93-94, by Pope Francis

Gregorio Borgia/AP

Pope Boniface VIII

93. Spiritual

worldliness, which

hides behind the

appearance of piety

and even love for the

Church, consists in

seeking not the Lord’s

glory but human glory

and personal well-

being. It is what the

Lord reprimanded the

Pharisees for: “How

can you believe, who

receive glory from

one another and do

not seek the glory

that comes from the

only God?” (Jn 5:44).

It is a subtle way of

seeking one’s “own

interests, not those of

Jesus Christ” (Phil

2:21). Pauline.org

It takes on many forms, depending on the kinds of persons and groups into

which it seeps. Since it is based on carefully cultivated appearances, it is not

always linked to outward sin; from without, everything appears as it should be.

But if it were to seep into the Church, “it would be infinitely more disastrous than

any other worldliness which is simply moral”.

Pauline.org

94. This worldliness

can be fuelled in

two deeply

interrelated ways.

One is the attraction

of gnosticism,* a

purely subjective

faith whose only

interest is a certain

experience or a set

of ideas and bits of

information which

are meant to

console and

enlighten, but which

ultimately keep one

imprisoned in his or

her own thoughts

and feelings.

*Program definition: a heresy underlying a spectrum of heresies, which claims that liberating knowledge and salvation

derive from an intuited, subjective experience of God. Accordingly, since matter is considered evil, God did not become

incarnate in Christ, and salvation is attained by escaping the material and corporeal in one’s nature and in the world.

Pauline.org

The other is the self-absorbed

promethean neopelagianism* of those

who ultimately trust only in their own

powers and feel superior to others

because they observe certain rules or

remain intransigently faithful to a

particular Catholic style from the past.

A supposed soundness of doctrine or

discipline leads instead to a

narcissistic and authoritarian elitism,

whereby instead of evangelizing, one

analyzes and classifies others, and

instead of opening the door to grace,

one exhausts his or her energies in

inspecting and verifying.

* Program definition: a re-emerging belief that one can

know and choose good over evil without the help of

grace. Francis uses the term to describe persons whose

narrow, outdated religiosity in effect leads them to trust

more in external observance than in the grace of God

and to judge others on the basis of such observance.

He labels neopelagians as conceitedly imaginative.

Pauline.org

In neither case is

one really

concerned about

Jesus Christ or

others. These are

manifestations of an

anthropocentric

immanentism.* It is

impossible to think

that a genuine

evangelizing thrust

could emerge from

these adulterated

forms of

Christianity. http://bit.ly/18B5RDK

* Program definition: an outlook centered on the human person that concerns itself with his or her temporal interests

and destiny at the expense of the transcendent.Pauline.org

For reflection & prayer

Which form of “spiritual worldliness” to I tend toward: self-styled religious

experience, or life according to the rules? What is the good in each? What

is the danger in each for me?

Lord, too often “religious” people are called hypocrites by those who find it a

fitting label, a handy excuse for not participating in the life of a sinful

Church. Their self-righteousness blinds them to the flowering of holiness

that grows alongside the weeds. When I look at myself, I admit that I see

some truth to their accusation. Thank you for the life of grace in me!

“Cleanse me of my hidden faults!” (Ps. 19:12)