The Pope: “The worst gossip of Covid are the words of the Devil”

A call not to fall for gossip, in the Church and in all communities. Pope Francis, this morning during the Angelus, called everyone to “make an effort” against the talk. “Gossip closes the heart of the community – said the Pontiff. The great charlatan is the Devil, who is always saying bad things about others. Because he is a liar who tries to disunite the Church, alienate the brothers and not do community”. . Let’s make an effort not to chat. Chatter is a worse plague than Covid. Let’s make an effort: let’s not talk. “

The Pope, speaking spontaneously, commented that “when we see another brother or sister slip away, the first thing we do is tell the others, chat.” “How many times have we also had the experience of being picked up”, explained the Pontiff, “and perhaps at first we get angry, but then we are grateful because it is a gesture of help and recovery.” Now, the opposite of this “pedagogy of recovery” is what is usually done: catch and walk counting the four winds. Also from the methodological point of view, the exact opposite of the Pauline prescription. The community is informed, but not because it takes on the problem: to judge. And not to be chorally invested with a necessary and comprehensive intervention, but to express private judgments that, notoriously, are severe and rarely dictated by generosity ”.

Gossip, the Pope reiterated, “closes the unity of the Church”, empties it of being a community. The devil tries to disunite the Church through a combination (falsehood and gossip) that, unfortunately, is very fascinating to everyone, including Christians. Please – the Pope asks, but it does not seem to be an exhortation for the sheep of the flock but also for the shepherds – let’s make an effort not to chat ”.