Pope Francis on Thursday, February 16, warned against those who use the Scriptures “with bad dispositions or for petty interests.”
Meeting with an ecumenical delegation of the United Bible Societies, the pontiff expressed support for efforts to translate the Sacred Scripture into many languages.
The United Bible Societies has translated the Bible into the mother tongues of over half of the world’s population and is seeking to help people gain access to the Sacred Scripture.
Pope Francis lent his support for the efforts of the global fellowship, which was founded in 1946 and operates in over 240 countries and territories.
In his reflection during the meeting, the pope said that after Pentecost, the Apostles “spread the ‘kerygma,’ explained the meaning of the Scriptures in light of the mystery of Jesus Christ.”
He said they also warned against those who use it for personal or selfish ends.
The pontiff said that like today’s Christians, the early Church encountered many difficulties in proclaiming the Gospel to “a world which is often deaf to the voice of God.”
He said that the early Church lived the Word of God in their very depths, and then brought the Scriptures to the far corners of the world when persecutions broke out against them.
“Persecutions become opportunities to spread the Word, never to forget it,” said Pope Francis.
He cited the example of the deacon Philip (later known as Philip the Evangelist) as an emblematic case.
When persecutions heated up against the followers of Christ, Philip traveled to Samaria and preached the Lord to the sick, bringing great joy to the city.
Philip’s preaching also highlighted two different ways in which people receive the Word.
Simon the Magician, for example, sought to use the Scriptures for monetary gain, while the Ethiopian welcomed God’s Word, received baptism, and carried on his way as a good Christian.
Pope Francis said that in present times, Christians are forced to flee their homelands, carrying the Word with them.
“They conserve their faith as a treasure that gives meaning to the difficult, sometimes terrible circumstances they face,” he said.
“Embracing the cross of Christ, they venerate the Word of God that ‘endures forever,’” added the pontiff.
Pope Francis thanked the United Bible Societies for their work to assist in the spread of God’s Word.
“The distribution of the Bible by publishing texts in various languages and distributing them to different continents is a laudable work,” he said. – from a Vatican News report
