Pope Francis again issued warning on Friday against the dangers of Devil and the seduction of worldliness that allows demons to enter “quietly”, reports Vatican Radio.
“The Pope said the Lord asks us be watchful in order not to enter into temptation. This is why a Christians have to be awake, watchful and careful like a sentinel. Jesus was not narrating a parable but was stating a truth, i.e when the unclean spirit comes out of a man, he roams about in abandoned places looking for refuge and not finding any, decides to return to where he came from, where the freed man lives. Hence the demon decides to bring in "seven other spirits worse than him.” Pope Francis emphasized the word “worse”, saying it has much force in the passage because the demons enter quietly.
“The devil slowly changes our criteria to lead us to worldliness. It camouflages our way of acting, which we hardly notice. And so, the man, freed from the demon, becomes a bad man, a man burdened by worldliness. And that's exactly what the devil wants – worldliness, the Pope stressed.”
Adding,
“It means stopping for a while to examine my life, whether I am a Christian, whether I educate my children, whether my life is Christian or worldly?” And one understands this, as Paul points out, by looking at Christ crucified. One understands where worldliness lies and is destroyed before the Lord's cross. The Crucifix saves us from the charms and seductions that lead us to worldliness.”
Pope Francis has often been the target of Conservative and right leaning thinkers, criticizing the 80 year old head of the Roman Catholic Church for his perceived liberalism.
On issues such as illegal immigration, the Church has a noted left leaning stance. Pope Francis regularly advocates for open borders and seems to present a quasi-globalist world view.
Earlier this year, Pope Francis criticized Donald Trump for not being pro-life enough because of the Republican president’s stance towards the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
"The President of the United States presents himself as pro-life and if he is a good pro-lifer, he understands that family is the cradle of life and its unity must be protected," Pope Francis said.
The pope did acknowledge that he was not familiar with the specifics of the DACA program but said, "I think this law comes not from parliament but from the executive. If that is so, I am hopeful that it will be re-thought."
This led former White House Chief Strategist to tell 60 Minutes that the Church needs illegal immigration in order to maintain weekly attendance in Mass.
“This is not doctrine. This is not doctrine at all. I totally respect the pope and I totally respect the Catholic bishops and cardinals on doctrine. This is not about doctrine. This is about the sovereignty of a nation. And in that regard, they’re just another guy with an opinion.”
Pope Francis’s main concern however is the work of the Devil. He has regularly issued warnings during homilies and other public appearances. In 2013, Pope Francis told a crowd of 600,000 young people the deceptive nature of the Devil.
“Friends: the devil is a con artist. He makes promises after promise, but he never delivers. He'll never really do anything he says. He doesn't make good on his promises. He makes you want things which he can't give, whether you get them or not. He makes you put your hopes in things which will never make you happy.”
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