Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera releases excerpts from Don Marco Pozza’s new book-long interview with Pope Francis, in which he explores how doubts and crises of faith lead us deeper into the mystery of God.
By Vatican News
“Of Vices and Virtues” (published by Rizzoli) is the title of Don Marco Pozza’s new book interview with Pope Francis, due out on March 2.
Several parts of the book were published by the Italian newspaper on Sunday Corriere della Sera
Anger and bullying
In part of the interview, the Pope describes anger and the way to healing anger.
[Anger] is a storm with the aim of destroying. An example is the bullying that occurs among young people. (…) Bullying occurs when, instead of understanding one’s own identity, one belittles and attacks the identity of others. When attacks of aggression and bullying occur in youth groups, schools and among neighbors, we see the poverty of the aggressor’s identity. The only way to “heal” from bullying is to share, live together, engage in dialogue, listen to others and take time apart, because only time can build a relationship. “
God’s cleansing wrath
Pope Francis goes on to consider God’s wrath.
He reminds that divine wrath is “against evil, not against that which proceeds from human weakness, but against evil of satanic inspiration…. The wrath of God seeks to bring and ‘cleanse’ righteousness. is the result of God’s wrath, according to the Bible. “
The Pope explains that according to some experts the flood is “a mythical story”. But instead, according to archaeologists, it is “a historical event because their excavations have revealed traces of a flood.” Pope Francis warns against taking care of creation, saying that we risk another “flood”.
Caution when driving
As for prudence, the Pope calls it “the virtue of government.”
“It is impossible to rule without caution. On the contrary, he who rules without prudence rules badly. They do bad things and make bad decisions, which always destroy people. “
But government caution, he notes, “sometimes has to be unbalanced to make decisions that will bring about change.”
Believe and doubt
Finally, Pope Francis speaks of faith tested by doubts.
“The devil doubts us, then life happens along with his 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 experienced by many Saints, as well as many who today feel forsaken by God but do not lose their faith. They watch over the gift: “Right now I don’t feel anything, but I watch over the gift of faith. The Christian who has never gone through these states of mind is missing something, because it means that he has settled for less. Crises of faith are not failures against faith. On the contrary, they reveal the need and desire to more fully enter the depths of the mystery of God. Faith without these trials causes me to doubt that it is true faith. “