Pope urges opening the heart to love rather than complaining

By Robin Gomes

Pope Francis has written a preface to a reprint of popular Italian book on fighting the bad habit of complaining, a favourite topic with the upbeat 81-year old Argentinian pontiff.

Authored by psychologist and psychotherapist Salvo Noè, the book, entitled "Vietato Lamentarsi" (Complaining not Allowed), will be shortly released by the Edizione San Paolo publisher.   The Pope’s preface appeared in Thursday’s edition of Italy’s popular magazine, “Famiglia Cristiana” of St. Paul Edition.

Love opens eyes, heart

“Because of many inner wounds, our time is marked by uncertainty and fragility,” writes Pope Francis in the preface published in Italy’s popular magazine, “Famiglia Cristiana” by St. Paul Edition.  “By faith we believe we are and will always be the children of God despite sin and incoherence.” 

The fundamental choice, the Pope points out, is "not to allow ourselves be dominated by sadness for the injustice suffered and for the afflictions that are part of life,” but to “improve the situation” starting from “our heart, from our relationships” because, he says, “love opens the eyes” and an “embrace opens the heart.”

Enough brooding

The Pope says brooding doesn't help.   The solution instead lies in “appreciating ourselves because we are loved and allowing ourselves to be pulled out of the abyss of wounds and regrets by the hand of the Lord.”  The Holy Father thus encourages “opting for life, looking out for the neighbour, welcoming each day as an occasion for donating, fighting to remove lamenting from life, poison from judgements, unrest from our thoughts, gossip from our encounters and resentment from the heart.”

The second edition of "Vietato Lamentarsi" will be previewed on Sunday in Milan and will be out in bookshops on 26 March.