Pope Francis says "Lent begins today...Let us pray for these brothers and sisters who suffer because of war...intensifying prayer, above all to ask for peace in the world." FULL TEXT

POPE FRANCIS at the GENERAL AUDIENCE
in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall on Wednesday, 14 February 2024
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The following text includes parts that were not read out loud, but should be considered as such.
Cycle of Catechesis. Vices and Virtues. 8. Acedia
Dear brothers and sisters,
Among all the capital sins there is one that is often overlooked, perhaps because of its name, which is often incomprehensible to many: I am talking about acedia. Therefore, in the list of vices, the term acedia is often substituted by another, much more commonly used: sloth, or laziness. In reality, laziness is an effect more than a cause. When a person is idle, indolent, apathetic, we say he is lazy. But as the wisdom of the ancient desert fathers teaches us, often the root of this laziness is acedia, which from its Greek origin literally means a “lack of care”.

It is a very dangerous temptation, which one must not joke about. It is as though those who fall victim to it are crushed by a desire for death: they feel disgust at everything; the relationship with God becomes boring to them; and even the holiest acts, those that in the past warmed their hearts, now appear entirely useless to them. A person begins to regret the passing of time, and the youth that is irretrievably behind them.

Acedia is defined as the “noonday demon”: it grips us in the middle of the day, when fatigue is at its peak and the hours ahead of us seem monotonous, impossible to live. In a famous description, the monk Evagrius represents this temptation thus: "The eye of the slothful person is continually fixed on the windows, and in his mind he fantasizes about visitors [...] When he reads, the slothful person often yawns and is easily overcome by sleep, wrinkles his eyes, rubs his hands and, withdrawing his eyes from the book, stares at the wall; then turning them back to the book, he reads a little more [...]; finally, bowing his head, he places the book underneath it, and falls into a light sleep, until hunger awakens him and urges him to attend to his needs"; in conclusion, "the slothful man does not do God's work with solicitude" [1].

Contemporary readers perceive in these descriptions something that closely recalls the evil of depression, both from a psychological and a philosophical point of view. Indeed, for those who are gripped by acedia, life loses its significance, prayer becomes boring, and every battle seems meaningless. If in youth we nurtured passions, now they seem illogical, dreams that did not make us happy. So, we let ourselves go, and distraction, thoughtlessness, seem to be the only ways out: one would like to be numb, to have a completely empty mind… It is a little like dying in advance, and it is ugly.

Faced with this vice, which we recognize to be very dangerous, the masters of spirituality envisage various remedies. I would like to note one that to me seems most important, and which I would call the patience of faith. Although in the clutches of acedia, man’s desire is to be “elsewhere”, to escape from reality, one must instead have the courage to remain and to welcome God’s presence in the “here and now”, in the situation as it is. The monks say that for them the cell is the best teacher of life, because it is the place that concretely and daily speaks to you of your love story with the Lord. The demon of acedia wants precisely to destroy this simple joy of the here and now, this grateful wonder of reality; it wants to make you believe that it is all in vain, that nothing has meaning, that it is not worth taking care of anything or anyone. In life we meet slothful people, people about whom we say, “He is boring!”, and we do not like to be with them; people who even have an attitude of boredom that is infectious. This is acedia.

How many people, in the grip of acedia, stirred by a faceless restlessness, have stupidly abandoned the good life they had embarked upon! The battle of acedia is a decisive one, that must be won at all costs. And it is a battle that did not spare even the saints, because in many of their diaries there are some pages that confide terrible moments, of genuine nights of the faith, when everything appears dark. These saints teach us to get through the night in patience, accepting the poverty of faith. They recommended, under the oppression of sloth, to maintain a smaller measure of commitment, to set goals more within reach, but at the same time to endure and persevere by leaning on Jesus, who never abandons us in temptation.

Faith, tormented by the test of acedia, does not lose its value. On the contrary, it is the true faith, the very human faith, which despite everything, despite the darkness that blinds it, still humbly believes. It is that faith that remains in the heart, like embers beneath the ashes. It always remains. And if one of us falls prey to this vice, or to the temptation of acedia, try to look within and fan the embers of faith; that is how we keep going.
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[1] Evagrius Ponticus, The Eight Spirits of Evil, 14.
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Special Greetings

I extend a cordial welcome to the Italian-speaking pilgrims.

In particular, to the students of the Marconi High School in Pescara, the "Aldo Moro" Institute in Sutri and the "Gianna Beretta Molla" school in Corbetta. I affectionately greet the children guests of the National Cancer Institute of Milan, accompanied by their families and healthcare workers. I gratefully welcome the members of the “Motor Terapia” Association of Lecce, who help people with different motor abilities.

We have all read and heard the stories of the first martyrs of the Church, of which there were many. Here, where the Vatican now stands, there is a cemetery and many who had been executed are buried here; digging, you find the graves. But even today there are many martyrs all over the world: many, perhaps more than at the beginning. There are many persecuted for their faith. And today I take the liberty of greeting in a special way a "living martyr", Cardinal Simoni. He, as a priest, as a Bishop, lived 28 years in prison, in the prisons of communist Albania, perhaps the cruelest persecution. And he continues to bear witness. And like him, many, many, many. He is now 95 years old and continues to work for the Church without being discouraged. Dear brother, I thank you for your testimony. Thank you.

Finally, my thoughts are with the young, the elderly, the sick and the newlyweds. Lent begins today, let us prepare ourselves to use this time as an opportunity for conversion and interior renewal in listening to the Word of God, in caring for our brothers and sisters who need it most. And let us never forget the tormented Ukraine, Palestine and Israel which suffer so much. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters who suffer because of war. Let us move forward in the conversion process, in listening to the Word of God, in caring for our brothers and sisters in need and let us move forward in intensifying prayer, above all to ask for peace in the world.

My blessing to all of you!

I extend a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from England, Wales, Nigeria, Korea and the United States of America. As we begin this season of Lent, I invoke upon all of you the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

Je salue cordialement les pèlerins de langue française venus de Belgique et de France, en particulier le groupe de jeunes du Diocèse de Créteil, accompagné par leur Évêque. Je vous invite, au début de ce Carême, à combattre le vice de l’acédie par l’enthousiasme de la foi, confiants dans la présence puissante de Jésus en nous. Que Dieu vous bénisse !

[I extend a warm welcome to the French-speaking pilgrims who have come from Belgium and France, in particular the group of young people from the Diocese of Créteil, accompanied by their Bishop. I invite you, at the beginning of this Lent, to fight the vice of sloth with the enthusiasm of faith, confident in the powerful presence of Jesus within us. God bless you all!]

Einen herzlichen Gruß richte ich an die Pilger deutscher Sprache, besonders an die Ministranten aus der Diözese Bozen-Brixen, die von ihrem Bischof Mons. Ivo Muser begleitet werden. In der Fastenzeit, in die wir heute eintreten, sind wer aufgerufen, uns von den schlechten Gewohnheiten abzuwenden, um wieder neu in Einklang mit Gott und den Mitmenschen zu leben. Der Herr begleite uns mit seiner Gnade di lui auf diesem Weg.

[I extend a cordial greeting to the German-speaking pilgrims, in particular to the altar boys of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone, accompanied by their Bishop Monsignor Ivo Muser. In the Lent that we begin today we are called to convert from vices to return to a life in harmony with God and with our brothers. May the grace of the Lord accompany us on this journey!]

Saludo cordialmente a los peregrinos de lengua española. Hoy, Miércoles de ceniza, comenzamos la Cuaresma. Los invito durante este tiempo a acompañar a Jesús en el desierto con la oración, el ayuno y la limosna, dando testimonio de la fe con alegría y humildad. Que Dios los bendiga y la Virgen Santa los cuide. Muchas gracias

I cordially greet the pilgrims of the Spanish language. Today, Ash Wednesday, we start Lent. I invite you during this time to accompany Jesus in the desert with prayer, help and kindness, bearing witness to your faith with joy and humility. May God bless him and the Holy Virgin guard him. Much thanks.

Saúdo cordialmente os fiéis de língua portuguesa. Começamos hoje o nosso caminho quaresmal até a Páscoa. Somos chamados ao deserto. Através das práticas do jejum, da esmola e da oração, Jesus nos convida à conversão. Que Deus nos acompanhe e nos abençoe nesta caminhada!

[I cordially greet the Portuguese-speaking faithful. Today we begin our Lenten journey towards Easter. We are called to the desert. Through the practices of fasting, almsgiving and prayer, Jesus invites us to conversion. May God accompany us and bless us on this journey!]

أُحيِّي المُؤمِنِينَ النَّاطِقِينَ باللُغَةِ العربِيَّة. معَ بدايةِ الزَّمنِ الأربعينيّ، أتمنَّى لكم جميعًا أنْ يكونَ زمنَ توبةٍ حقيقيّ وتجدُّدٍ داخلِيّ في الايمانِ والرَّجاءِ والمحبَّة. Let's go!

[I greet the Arabic-speaking faithful. At the beginning of Lent, I would like to wish you all that it will be a time of true conversion and interior renewal in faith, hope and charity. May the Lord bless you all and protect you "always from all evil"!]

Serdecznie pozdrawiam Polaków. Polacy dają się dziś słyszeć! In the following post, we will find out what we were looking for in the area we were looking for in the UK. If you wish to do so, you won't have to worry about anything. Modlitwa, post i jałmużna niech będą drogą budowania pokoju. Z serca błogosławię wam i waszym rodzinom!

[I cordially greet the Poles. The Poles make themselves heard! For the beginning of Lent, a fundraiser to help Ukraine is being held today in all the churches of your country. In the face of so many wars, let us not close our hearts to those in need. May prayer, fasting and almsgiving be the way to build peace. From my heart, I bless you and your families!]