Second Vatican Coun cil

In a recent homily Pope Francis spoke words which will bring joy to all who see the Holy Spirit at work in the continuing implementation of the Second Vatican Council. Indeed, the Holy Father spoke of work still incomplete fifty years on – because there is a desire to ‘tame the Holy Spirit’.  Reflecting on the first reading at Mass which includes Stephen’s accusation that his persecutors were resisting the Holy Spirit, the Pope said, “The Holy Spirit upsets us because it moves us, it makes us walk, it pushes the Church forward,” He warned that we want “to calm down the Holy Spirit, we want to tame it and this is wrong.”  He pointed Catholics to the strength of God which is the Holy Spirit himself, who gives us th strength to go forward. Yet many find this ‘going forward’ upsetting and prefer the comfort of the familiar. The Pope described the Council as “a beautiful work of the Holy Spirit,” but he was also clear that not everything has yet been done which the Holy Spirit asked of the Church during the Council. “We don’t want to change and what’s more there are those who wish to turn the clock back.” This, he went on, “is called stubbornness and wanting to tame the Holy Spirit.” Pope Francis exhorted Catholics not to resist in their personal lives the pressure of the Spirit to take a more evangelical path. ‘Submit to the Holy Spirit which comes from within us and makes go forward along the path of holiness.”