Pope Francis: There are many Pharisees today - as in the time of Jesus

Source: Vatican Radio

Pope Francis warned against doctrinal rigorism during his homily at morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Friday. He said that just as in the time of Jesus, today there are pastors who "close the doors of the Church to those who wish to enter."

The Holy Father said: "Three months ago, in a country, in a city, a mother wanted to baptize her newly born son, but she was married civilly to a divorced man. The priest said, 'Yes, yes. Baptize the baby. But your husband is divorced, so he cannot be present at the ceremony.' This is happening today. The Pharisees, or Doctors of the Law, are not people of the past, even today there are many of them. That is why we shepherds need prayers."

The Pope explained that those who act like the Pharisees of Jesus' time must rediscover the meaning of God's mercy.

The full text follows:

"This leads us to understand the revelation of God, to understand God's heart, to understand God's salvation - the key to knowledge - we can say it is very neglected. One forgets the gratuity of salvation; forgetting the closeness of God and forgetting God's mercy. And those who forget the gift of salvation, the closeness of God, and the mercy of God, have had the key to knowledge taken away.

"For them, God is the one who has made the Law. But this is not the God of revelation. The God of revelation is a God who has begun to walk with us from Abraham to Jesus Christ. A God who walks with His people. And when you lose this close relationship with the Lord, you fall into this dull mindset that believes in the self-sufficiency of salvation with the fulfillment of the law. The closeness of God.

"I have heard several times of parish priests who did not baptize the children of the mothers because they were not born into canonical marriages. They closed the door, scandalizing the People of God. Why? Because the heart of these parish priests had lost the key to knowledge. Three months ago, in a country, in a city, a mother wanted to baptize her newly born son, but she was married civilly to a divorced man. The priest said, 'Yes, yes. Baptize the baby. But your husband is divorced. So he cannot be present at the ceremony.' This is happening today. The Pharisees, or Doctors of the Law, are not people of the past, even today there are many of them. That is why we shepherds need prayers. Pray that we do not lose the key to knowledge and do not close the door to ourselves and the people who want to enter."