The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera launches excerpts from Don Marco Pozza’s new interview with Pope Francis, in which he explores how doubts and crises of faith lead us deeper into the mystery of God.
The Vatican News
“Of Vices and Virtues” (published by Rizzoli) is the title of Don Marco Pozza’s new interview book with Pope Francis, to be released on March 2.
Several parts of the book were published on Sunday by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Anger and aggression
In one part of the interview, the Pope describes anger and the path to healing from anger.
“[Anger] it is a storm whose purpose is to destroy. An example is the aggression that takes place among young people. (…) Bullying occurs when, instead of trying to understand one’s own identity, the identity of others is diminished and attacked. When there are episodes of aggression and aggression in groups of young people, schools and neighbors, we see the poverty of the aggressor’s identity. The only way to “cure” aggression is to share, to live together, to dialogue, to listen to others and to take time apart, because only time can build a relationship. ”
God’s cleansing wrath
Pope Francis continues to consider the wrath of God.
He remembers that “divine wrath” is directed against evil, not of those who come from human weakness, but of evil of satanic inspiration. (…) God’s wrath seeks to bring justice and “cleanse.” to God, according to the Bible ”.
The pope explains that the flood, according to some experts, is “a mythical story”. But, according to archaeologists, it is instead “a historical event because traces of a flood have been found in their excavations.” Pope Francis warns against neglecting creation, saying we risk a new “flood.”
Prudence in government
Turning to the subject of prudence, the Pope calls it “the virtue of government.”
“It is impossible to govern without prudence. On the contrary, anyone who rules without prudence rules badly. They do bad things and make bad decisions, which always destroy people. “
But prudence in government, he notes, “sometimes has to be unbalanced in order to make decisions that bring about change.”
Faith and doubt
Finally, Pope Francis talks about the faith tested by doubts.
“The devil casts doubt on us, and then life happens along with its tragedies:“ Why does God allow this? “But a faith without a doubt cannot advance. (…) The thought of being abandoned by God is an experience of faith that many saints have lived, along with many people today who feel abandoned by God, but do not lose their faith. They are careful to watch over the gift: “At this moment I feel nothing, but I keep the gift of faith. The Christian who has never gone through these moods lacks something, because it means that they have been satisfied with less. Crises of faith are not failures against faith. On the contrary, they reveal the need and desire to enter more fully into the depths of God’s mystery. A faith without these trials makes me doubt that it is the true faith. “