教宗方濟各: 祈求神父和主教不要被金錢和虛榮所誘惑

by FLL Editorial Team
2013-05-15

priest-collar教宗方濟各週三早上的彌撒的講道中鼓勵信眾為神父和主教祈禱,祈求他們不要被金錢和虛榮所誘惑,應服侍天主的子民。

教宗的講道由宗徒大事錄聖保祿對厄弗所教會的長老的規勸開始,聖保祿叫他們對自己和信眾留心,要提防「凶暴的豺狼」進入羊群中間。教宗形容這是新約中最出色的篇章之一。他說:「主教和神父要為人服務,去保守天主的子民。」當主教保護信眾,就會跟人建立良好的關係,就如聖保祿對信眾一樣,是嗎? 當神父這樣做時,他給我們愛,一份團結的愛,教會變得團結。

教宗說:「我們〔主教和神父〕需要你們的祈禱,因為即使主教和神父都會受誘惑。」主教和神父應該恆常祈禱,宣揚復活的基督,勇敢地傳揚救恩的訊息。他說:「我們是人,也是罪人。我們也受誘惑。」

「聖奧思定在講論厄則克爾先知時提及兩個引誘:財富,可以變成貪婪和虛榮。他說:『當主教或神父為了自己而利用信眾,整個情況就改變了:不是主教和神父為人服務,而是從他們中奪取。』聖奧思定說:『他把羊的肉拿去吃,他利用羊;他作交易,戀棧金錢;他變得貪心,甚至買賣聖職。』」

教宗有這樣的觀察:「當一位神父或主教追求金錢,人們不喜歡他—這是一個前兆。」聖保祿提醒我們他用雙手工作,「他沒有銀行戶口,他工作,當一位主教或神父走在虛榮的道路,這對教會造成極大的傷害,他最終會變得可笑:他愛誇耀,他愛受注目—人們不喜歡的!」

教宗再次說:「為我們祈禱!祈求我們可以安貧、謙遜、和善、為人服務。」

On Wednesday morning, Pope Francis encourage people to pray for priests and bishops in his homily, that they might not give in to the temptations of money and vanity, but serve the people of God.

Pope Francis' homily took its starting point from the passage in the Acts of the Apostles, in which Paul exhorts the elders of the Church of Ephesus to watch over themselves and all the flock, to be attentive shepherds, and guard against the “ravenous wolves” that would feed on the fold. “One of the ‘most beautiful pages of the New Testament',” said Pope Francis. Bishops and priests, he explained, are at the service of others, to preserve, build and defend the people of God. "When the bishop does this, there is a good relationship with the people, such as Paul the bishop did with his people, no? And when the priest [builds] that good relationship with the people, it gives us a love: a love [unites] them, a true love, and the Church becomes united."

“We [bishops and priests] need your prayers,” he said, “for, even the bishop and the priest may be tempted.” Bishops and priests should pray much, proclaim Jesus Christ Risen, and “boldly preach the message of salvation.” However, he said, “We are men and we are sinners,” and, “we are tempted.”.

"St. Augustine, commenting on the prophet Ezekiel, speaks of two [temptations]: wealth, which can become greed, and vanity. He says, ‘When the bishop, the priest takes advantage of the sheep for himself, the dynamic changes: it is not the priest, the bishop, for the people - but the priest and the bishop who take from the people.' St. Augustine says, ‘He takes the meat from the sheep to eat [it], he takes advantage; he makes deals and is attached to money; he becomes greedy and even sometimes practices simony.$0"2$

The Pope observes, “when a priest, a bishop goes after money, the people do not love him – and that's a sign. But he ends badly.” St. Paul reminds us that he worked with his hands. “He did not have a bank account, he worked, and when a bishop, a priest goes on the road to vanity, he enters into the spirit of careerism – and this hurts the Church very much – [and] ends up being ridiculous: he boasts, he is pleased to be seen, all powerful – and the people do not like that!”

“Pray for us,” the Pope repeated, “that we might be poor, that we might be humble, meek, in the service of the people.”

資料來源 Source:
Pope Francis at Mass: bishops and priests need prayers of faithful

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