POPE FRANCIS: ‘THERE CAN BE NO DIALOGUE WITH THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD’

By Michael W. Chapman

(CNSNews.com) – In his May 4 homily, Pope Francis stressed that Christians must follow Jesus and not listen to the deceptive “dialogue” of “the prince of this world,” the Devil, adding, “There can be no dialogue with the prince of this world: let this be clear!”

Pope Francis made his remarks during the Saturday Mass at the Saint Martha House, which is next to St. Peter’s basilica at the Vatican. As excerpted on Vatican Radio, the Pope said that “the spirit of the world hates” and that Christ “redeemed us from the power of the world, from the power of the Devil, from the power of the prince of this world.”

The origin of the hate we experience in this world, said the Pope, stems from the fact “that we are saved. It is that prince who does not want that we should have been saved, who hates.”

“There can be no dialogue with the prince of this world: Let this be clear!” said Pope Francis. “Today, dialogue is necessary among us humans, it is necessary for peace. … But with that prince, it is impossible to dialogue.”

The Pope continued, “’Only look,’ he will say, ‘just do this one small little scam … it is a small matter, nothing really.’ And so he begins to lead us on a road that is slightly off. This is a pious lie: ‘Do it, do it, do it, there is no problem,’ and it begins little by little, always – no?”

“Then [he says], ‘But … you’re good, you’re a good person – you [get away with] it,’” the Pope said. “It is flattering – and he softens us by flattery, and then we fall into the trap.”