Pope: Remorse, consciousness of a wrong done, is the path to forgiveness

A remorseful conscience is not "just a simple reminder of something", but a "wound". "A wound that we have when we have done wrong in our life, it hurts." It is therefore "a grace to feel our conscience pricking us, telling us something". "I am remorseful about this, I have a guilty conscience because I did this, concrete; concreteness. And this is the true humility before God and God is moved by this concreteness. "

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Do not be afraid of a remorseful conscience, of telling the truth, confessing our sins in their concreteness, which is the path to forgiveness, said Pope Francis at Mass this morning at Casa Santa Marta, commenting on the Gospel of Luke, which tells of Herod's reaction to Christ's preaching.

Francis recalled how some associate Jesus with John the Baptist and Elijah, others identified him with a prophet. Herod did not know "what to think" but "felt something inside" that "was not a curiosity" it was "a remorse in his soul", "in his heart": he tried to see Jesus "to calm himself". He wanted to see miracles accomplished by Christ, but Jesus - in the Pope's words - did not "preform for him" and so he handed him over to Pilate: and Jesus paid, with death. So he covered "a crime with another", "a remorseful conscience with another crime," like "killing out of fear".

A remorseful conscience is therefore not "a simple reminder", but a "wound". " A wound that we have when we have done wrong in our life, it hurts. But it is a hidden wound, you cannot see it; you do not see it even because you ae used to it and have become anesthetized to it. It's there, some touch it, but the wound is inside. And when that  wound hurts, we feel remorse. Not only do I know I have done evil but I feel it: I feel it in my heart, I feel it in my body, in my soul, I feel it in my life. And there's the temptation to cover this so as not to feel it anymore. "

It is therefore "a grace to feel our conscience pricking us, telling us something". On the other hand, "none of us is a saint" and we are all led to the "sins of others" and not ours, perhaps by sharing those who suffer in war or because of "dictators who kill people." "We must - allow me the word - to 'baptize' the wound, we must name it. Where is your wound. 'How do I remove it father?' - 'First of all pray: Lord, have pity on me that I am a sinner.' The Lord listens to your prayer. Then look at your life. 'If I do not see how and where the pain is, where it comes from, its symptom, how can I do that?' - 'Ask someone to help you out; get the wound out in the open and name it. I have this remorse because I did this, concrete; concreteness. And this is the true humility before God and God is moved by this concreteness. "

That concreteness which, Francis pointed out, is expressed by confessing children. A concreteness of saying what has been done to get "to the truth". "So it heals." "Learn the science, the wisdom of self-accusation. I accuse myself, I feel the pain of my wound, I do everything to know where this symptom comes from and then I accuse myself. Do not be afraid of a remorseful conscience: it is a symptom of salvation. Be afraid to cover it up, to dissimulate it or hide it ... Be clear. And so the Lord heals us. " The final prayer was for the Lord to give us the grace "to have that courage to accuse ourselves" to walk on the path of forgiveness.