Pope Francis at Angelus: ‘It’s evil not to do good!’

By Devin Watkins

Pope Francis prayed the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday with tens of thousands of pilgrims, including a large group of young Italians to whom the Pope spoke on Saturday evening.

In his address ahead of the Angelus, the Holy Father said it is not enough simply not to do evil. But to be a good Christian, he said, “we must also adhere to goodness and do good.”

The Pope was reflecting on the day’s Second Reading, in which St. Paul tells the faithful not to sadden the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30-5:2).

'Do you do good?'

Pope Francis said saddening the Spirit means not living according to the promises made at our Baptism, which are to renounce evil and adhere to good.

“Many times we hear some saying, ‘I don't hurt anyone.’ That’s fine,” the Pope said. “But do you do good?”

Pope Francis said many people “do not do evil, but neither do they do any good”. These people pass their lives “in indifference, apathy, and lukewarmness."

He said this attitude of simply not doing evil is contrary to the Gospel and the nature of young people. And he gave them a simple formula for life:

“It’s good not to do evil. But it’s evil not to do good!”

Oppose evil

The Holy Father said Christians must forgive and not hate; pray for our enemies and not hold a grudge; bring peace and not cause division. Above all, he said we must “interrupt others when we hear them speaking badly of someone else” and not just refrain from bad-mouthing others.

Pope Francis said evil spreads “where there are no bold Christians to oppose it with goodness.”

“If we do not oppose evil, we feed it with our silence.”