Monday 12 March 2007

Bad events & Moral evil

It was a great joy to welcome Fr Richard to the University chaplaincy last night to preach the homily at the evening Mass. He highlighted the difference in yesterday's Gospel reading between bad events - comparing the September 11th destruction of the twin towers to the bad events described by Jesus in the Gospel - which do not destroy human solidarity, and moral evil, which is truly destructive of all that is human.

The Holy Father also spoke on this Gospel in his Angelus address. He said that it indicated that we need constant conversion:

This is, therefore, the point to which Jesus wished to lead those who were listening to him: the need for conversion. He does not present it in moralistic, but rather in realistic terms, as the only appropriate response to events that put human certainties in crisis. In the face of certain misfortunes, he advises, it is no good to blame the victims. What is truly wise, rather, consists in allowing oneself to be questioned by the precariousness of existence and to adopt an attitude of responsibility: to do penance and improve our lives...In short, conversion overcomes evil at its root, which is sin, though it cannot always avoid its consequences.

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