Heaven is not a fairytale land nor an enchanted garden, Pope Francis said at his general audience Wednesday.
"Paradise is not a fairy tale, nor is it an enchanted garden," Francis told a big crowd in a sunny but windy St Peter's Square. "Paradise is an embrace with God, it is infinite Love, it is a place we enter thanks to Jesus, who died on the cross for us.
"Where there is Jesus, there is mercy and happiness; without Him there is the cold and darkness", he said.
If we believe this, the pope said, we stop being afraid of death and we can hope to leave this world in a serene and trusting way.
In other remarks, Francis said the good thief in the Bible "reminds us of our condition in front of God".
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