The devil is real and spreads hatred and death because he is jealous of Jesus, according to Pope Francis.
The pope made the comments while celebrating Mass in the chapel at his Casa Santa Marta residence on Nov. 12, reported CNS.
Quoting the Book of Wisdom, he said: “God formed us to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made us. But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world.”
“Some people say, ‘But, Father, the devil doesn’t exist,'” the pope told the congregation. “But the word of God is clear.”
The devil’s jealousy is the catalyst of all his attempts to set people against and kill each another. He starts by stoking “envy and competition” instead of peace and harmony, he said.
Some will say, “‘But, Father, I don’t destroy anyone.’ No? And your gossiping? When you speak ill of another? You destroy that person,” the pope said.
Others might say, “I’ve been baptized. I’m a practicing Catholic, how’s it possible that I could become an assassin?”
It is because “we have war inside of us,” the pope said.
He said Cain and Abel were brothers, but one killed the other out of jealousy and envy.
Today’s news is full of stories involving death and destruction due to hatred or people’s selfishness, the pope told the congregation
“Behind the scenes, there is someone moving us to do these things. It’s what we call temptation,” he said.
“Someone touches your heart to make you follow the wrong path, someone who sows destruction in our hearts, who sows hatred.”
Pope Francis questioned why so much money is spent on weapons and warfare instead of humanitarian assistance to prevent children dying of hunger or to provide people with health care and a decent education.
He called on those at the Mass to fight the devil and not play the game “of the envious one, the great liar, the sower of hate.”