Pope Francis gave an
unusual insight into his relationship with his bible in the
preface to a new version of the Holy Scriptures for young people
published by Civiltà Cattolica (Catholic Civilization) on
Thursday.
"I love my old bible, the one that has accompanied me for
half my life," Francis wrote.
The pope said his bible may be "old" and "worn" but he
wouldn't give it away "for anything in the world".
"It has seen my joy, it has been wet with my tears: it is
my priceless treasure," he explained.
Francis then set out his thoughts on how the bible should
be approached.
It is a "book like fire" that is meant to "be held and read
often, every day, alone or in company", he wrote.
"You play sport and go shopping together - why (...) not
also read the bible together, in groups of two, three or four?"
Francis asked.
"Don't read it superficially, as if it were a comic book"
Francis exhorted his young readers, adding that he prays with
his bible sitting down "because it hurts to kneel".
"Sometimes I fall asleep, but it doesn't matter," he
continued.
"I'm like a son close to his father, and this is what
counts," the pope wrote.
"I want to tell you how I read my old bible: often I take
it and read it for a bit, then I put it to one side and...
listen at the deepest level to what (the Lord) is saying to me,"
Francis continued.
"Sometimes he doesn't say anything: and so I don't hear
anything, just emptiness, emptiness, emptiness, but I remain
there patiently and wait for him like that, reading and
praying."
The pope also spent a few words reminding young people of
the risk run by Christians in some parts of the world for even
possessing a bible.
"Today Christians are persecuted more than in the early
Church: why?" wrote the pope.
"They are persecuted because they carry a cross and bear
witness to Christ; they are condemned because they possess a
bible," Francis continued.
"Evidently the bible is an extremely dangerous book, so
dangerous that in some counties those who have a copy are
treated as if they were hiding hand grenades!" he wrote.
Francis also explained that the bible is not just a
collection of fictional stories, as this would invalidate the
sacrifice of the many Christians who underwent persecution in
its name.
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