José Maria C.S. André
Pope Francis often warns us about the dangers of the devil. On Wednesday of last week, before the crowd of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, he has been, once again, very specific:
— “Nowadays we are witnessing a strange phenomenon regarding the devil. At a certain cultural level, it is held that he simply does not exist. He would be a symbol of the collective subconscious, or alienation; in short, a metaphor. But ‘the cleverest ruse of the devil is to persuade you he does not exist!’, as someone wrote. He is astute!”
The whole audience focused on this topic, warning people of the risk they run. In our time the danger is at its highest.
— “(…) Our technological and secularized world is teeming with magicians, occultism, spiritualism, astrologers, sellers of spells and amulets, and unfortunately with real satanic sects.”
Pope Benedict XVI said that one of the great values of Christian missions was to free pagan cultures from irrational fears and witchcraft. Instead of fearing wicked occult powers, people opened up to scientific knowledge, to a world full of beauty and meaning, and understood that it is the loving project of a God full of goodness.
Unfortunately, the Christian proclamation, which freed so many peoples from despotic spells, has lost strength in Western society and the devil has entered again. Pope Francis said at the audience:
— “Driven out the door, the devil has re-entered, one might say, through the window. Driven out of faith, he re-enters with superstition. And if you are superstitious, you are unconsciously conversing with the devil. One does not converse with the devil!”
The devil does well with Christians with mediocre lives, because he draws them away from God without them realizing it. With the saints, this soft strategy doesn’t work:
— “It is in the life of the saints, precisely there, that the devil is forced to come out into the open, to place himself ‘against the light’. All the saints (…) testify to their struggle with this obscure reality, and one cannot honestly assume that they were all deluded or mere victims of the prejudices of their time.”
The weakness of the instincts partly explains human wickedness, but there are certain abysses of pure cruelty that seem to go beyond disordered inclinations and can only be understood by satanic hatred against God and man. Francis said:
— “(…) The devil is present and working in certain extreme and ‘inhuman’ forms of evil and wickedness that we see around us.”
Although it is difficult to define exactly, says the Pope, “where diabolical action ends, and our own evil begins”. That is why, he says, “the strongest proof of Satan’s existence is the saints”, the struggle they put up not to fall prey to diabolical seductions.
Pray, invoke Our Lady, be vigilant so that you don’t fall into temptation… “Give no occasion to the devil!” —the Pope exhorts, quoting St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
Unfortunately, many in our society gave up fighting, delay Confession and don’t even realize that the devil is sneaking into their soul and taking up residence.
On Sunday, October 6, the Pope will pray the Rosary before the image of Our Lady of Peace in the Basilica of St. Mary Major. Monday, October 7, will be a day of fasting and prayer for peace, requested by the Bishop of Jerusalem and called by the Pope together with all the Bishops of Europe.
Whatever happens, we are in God’s hands, and He always has the last word, but we are on the brink of a universal disaster. Against unbridled hatred, prayer and fasting are needed more than ever.
(Image: Pope Francis prays the rosary before the image of St. Mary of Peace in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Rome.)
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