Pope Francis Warns of Pride saying "Salvation comes through humility, the true remedy for every act of pride."

POPE FRANCIS at the GENERAL AUDIENCE
in the Vatican's Saint Peter's Square - Wednesday, 6 March 2024
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Cycle of Catechesis. Vices and Virtues. 10. Pride

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In our catechetical journey on the vices and virtues, today we come to the last of the vices: pride. The ancient Greeks defined it with a word that could be translated “excessive splendor.” Indeed, pride is self-exaltation, conceit, vanity. The term also appears in that series of vices that Jesus lists to explain that evil always comes from the heart of man (cf. Mark 7:22). The proud man is one who thinks he is much more than he really is; one who frets about being recognized as greater than others, always wants to see his own merits recognized, and despises others, deeming them inferior to himself.

From this first description, we see how the vice of pride is very close to that of vainglory, which we presented last time. However, if vainglory is a disease of the human self, it is still a childish disease when compared to the havoc pride is capable of. In analyzing the follies of man, the monks of antiquity recognized a certain order in the sequence of evils: one begins with the grossest sins, such as gluttony, and arrives at the more disturbing monsters.

Of all vices, pride is the great queen. It is no accident that, in the Divine Comedy, Dante places it in the very first level of purgatory: those who give in to this vice are far from God, and the correction of this evil requires time and effort, more than any other battle to which the Christian is called.

In fact, within this evil lies the radical sin, the absurd claim to be like God. The sin of our first parents, recounted in the book of Genesis, is for all intents and purposes a sin of pride. The tempter tells them, “when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (Gen. 3:5). Writers on spirituality are especially attentive in describing the consequences of pride in everyday life, to illustrate how it ruins human relationships, to point out how this evil poisons that feeling of fraternity that should instead unite men.

Here then is the long list of symptoms that reveal a person's succumbing to the vice of pride. It is an evil with an obvious physical appearance: the proud man is haughty, he has a “stiff neck,” that is, he has a stiff neck that does not bend. He is a man easily led to scornful judgment: with no reason, he passes irrevocable judgments on others, who seem to him hopelessly inept and incapable. In his haughtiness, he forgets that Jesus in the Gospels assigned us very few moral precepts, but on one of them he was uncompromising: never judge. You realize that you are dealing with a proud person when, on offering him a little constructive criticism, or making a completely harmless remark, he reacts in an exaggerated manner, as if someone had offended his majesty: he goes into a rage, shouts, interrupts relations with others in a resentful manner.

There is little one can do with a person suffering from pride. It is impossible to talk to them, much less correct them, because ultimately they are no longer present to themself. One just has to be patient with them, because one day their edifice will collapse. An Italian proverb goes, “Pride goes on horseback and comes back on foot.” In the Gospels, Jesus deals with a lot of proud people, and He often went to expose this vice even in people who hid it very well. Peter flaunts his full-throated faithfulness: “Even if everyone forsakes you, I will not!” (cf. Mt 26:33). Instead, he will soon be like the others, fearful in the face of death that he did not imagine could be so close. And so the second Peter, the one who no longer lifts his chin but weeps salty tears, will be healed by Jesus and will finally be fit to bear the burden of the Church. Before he flaunted a presumption that was better not flaunted; now he is a faithful disciple whom, as a parable says, the master can put “in charge of all his possessions” (Luke 12:44).

Salvation comes through humility, the true remedy for every act of pride. In the Magnificat, Mary sings of the God who by His power scatters the proud in the sick thoughts of their hearts. It is useless to steal anything from God, as the proud hope to do, because after all He wants to give us everything. This is why the apostle James, to his community wounded by infighting originating in pride, writes, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6).

So, dear brothers and sisters, let us take advantage of this Lent to fight against our pride.

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Special Greetings

I extend a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from Wales, Denmark, Switzerland, Indonesia and the United States of America. Upon all of you and upon your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

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

In particular I greet the faithful of Scalea, accompanied by the Bishop Mons. Stefano Rega, who are celebrating the jubilee of the consecration of the Church of the Holy Trinity. I affectionately welcome the students, together with their formators, of the Interdiocesan Seminary of Pisa and the former students of the Pontifical Lithuanian College of San Casimir in Rome, who give thanks to the Lord for the seventy-five years of the foundation of the Institute: may you increasingly conform the your life to Christ the Good Shepherd and be joyful heralds of the Gospel.

Finally, my thoughts go to the young people, the sick, the elderly and the newlyweds. In these days of Lent, continue with courage in your commitment to free yourself from everything that masks your life to return wholeheartedly to God, who loves us with eternal love.

Once again, brothers and sisters, I renew my invitation to pray for the populations suffering the horror of war in Ukraine and in the Holy Land, as well as in other parts of the world. Let's pray for peace! Let us ask the Lord for the gift of peace!

My blessing to all.
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Liebe Brüder und Schwestern deutscher Sprache, die Fastenzeit ist eine gute Gelegenheit, uns unsere Schwäche und Begrenztheit einzugestehen. Schreiten wir vertrauensvoll voran, denn der Herr beschenkt die Demütigen mit seiner Gnade.

[Cari fratelli e sorelle di lingua tedesca, la Quaresima è un tempo propizio per riconoscere la nostra debolezza e i nostri limiti. Procediamo fiduciosi perché il Signore ricolma gli umili della sua grazia.]

Saludo cordialmente a los peregrinos de lengua española. Pidamos a María que nos ayude a proclamar con nuestra vida el Magníficat, para poder ser testigos de la alegría del Evangelio con humildad y sencillez de corazón. Que Jesús los bendiga. Muchas gracias.

Caros peregrinos de língua portuguesa, sede bem-vindos. Particularmente durante este mês, convido cada um de vós a fixar o olhar em São José. A sua humildade e o seu silêncio ajudar-nos-ão a combater contra a tentação da soberba. Deus vos abençoe!

[Cari pellegrini di lingua portoghese, benvenuti! Particolarmente in questo mese, invito ciascuno di voi a rivolgere lo sguardo verso San Giuseppe. La sua umiltà e il suo silenzio ci aiuteranno a combattere contro la tentazione della superbia. Dio vi benedica!]

أُحيِّي المُؤمِنِينَ النَّاطِقِينَ باللُغَةِ العَرَبِيَّة، وخاصَّةً شبيبةَ كاريتاس لبنان. في مسيرةِ الزَّمنِ الأربعينيّ، المَسِيحيُّ مَدعُوٌ إلى أنْ يُقاوِمَ الكِبرِياءَ بالتَّواضُع، الَّذي هو العِلاجُ الحَقِيقيُّ لكلِّ شكلٍ مِن أشكالِ تمجيدِ الذَّات، والغرور، والمجدِ الباطل. بارَكَكُم الرَّبُّ جَميعًا وَحَماكُم دائِمًا مِن كُلِّ شَرّ!

[Saluto i fedeli di lingua araba, in particolare i giovani della Caritas del Libano. Nel cammino quaresimale, il cristiano è chiamato a lottare contro la superbia con l’umiltà, vero rimedio ad ogni forma di autoesaltazione, presunzione e vanità. Il Signore benedica tutti e vi protegga da ogni male‎‎‎‏!]

Serdecznie pozdrawiam pielgrzymów polskich, w szczególności delegację z Podkarpacia, przybyłą w związku z 80. rocznicą śmierci błogosławionej rodziny Ulmów. Z tej okazji odbędzie się w Ogrodach Watykańskich uroczystość posadzenia jabłoni, zaszczepionej przez błogosławionego Józefa Ulmę. Wszystkim z serca błogosławię.

[Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini polacchi, in particolare la delegazione di Podkarpacie, venuta in occasione dell’80° anniversario dalla morte della beata famiglia Ulma. Per la ricorrenza, nei Giardini Vaticani si terrà una cerimonia per la piantumazione del melo innestato dal beato Józef Ulma. Benedico tutti di cuore.]