Pope Warns Against Turning Faith into 'Mere Habit'

Pope Leo XIV called on Catholics on Sunday to avoid the temptation of reducing their faith to a mere habit or becoming entrenched in their religious convictions. During the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer, the pontiff urged the faithful not to "lock themselves into their religious convictions and certainties." He stressed that faith is not a one-time acquisition but a dynamic process demanding constant renewal and a deeper engagement with its message. "Faith is not given once and for all," Pope Leo XIV stated, emphasizing the need to overcome the inertia of believing "we already know everything."

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Faith is not given once and for all, but requires continuous renewal to deepen its message and renew life decisions.

The Pope cautioned against settling for inherited notions or clichés about Christianity, even if passed down with good intentions. He highlighted Jesus' call for a personal response, urging believers to seek a close relationship with Christ and allow themselves to be transformed by this friendship. This personal encounter, he explained, may necessitate venturing onto "uncharted paths and making different decisions than we had imagined."

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Sometimes, regarding the Christian faith, we settle for 'what is said,' for clichés, for what has been passed down to us, perhaps even with good intentions; but Jesus calls us to a personal response, to know him closely, to let ourselves be transformed by friendship with him.

This call for openness to change, Pope Leo XIV concluded, applies broadly. It should guide personal journeys, the evolution of the Church, and pastoral decisions. He suggested that sometimes, the Church's approach is hindered by a reluctance to move beyond traditional methods, a mindset of "following as we have always done."

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This encounter may require traveling uncharted paths and making different decisions than we had imagined.