Pope: God does not want the world to be governed by religious laws

On July 28, 2022, Pope Francis said during a Mass at St Anne de Beaupré Church in Quebec City that God does not want the world to be governed by religious laws, reports the “Religion News Service”.

The Pope told Canadian clergy and the faithful that "God does not want to make decisions for us or oppress us with a sacred power exercised in a world governed by religious laws".

"No! He created us to be free, and He asks us to be mature and responsible persons in life and in society," the pontiff stressed. 

“God seems to have disappeared from the horizon, and his word no longer seems a compass guiding our lives, our basic decisions, our human and social relationships,” he added.

Instead of trying to impose religion on the state or lamenting the bygone times when clergy swayed political power, the pope said, “secularization demands we reflect on the changes in society that have influenced the way in which people think about and organize their lives.” It’s not the faith that is suffering a crisis, he continued, “but some of the forms and ways in which we present it.”

The “Religion News Service” stressed that the Pope made the statement amid a debate in the USA about the role of religion in government and the state. 

As reported, the Vatican believes that LGBT families should be under the protection of the Church.

Read also

Priests and laity of Rivne Eparchy donate blood for children with cancer

In Rivne, the UOC clergy and laity have donated blood for children undergoing treatment for cancer.

Kyiv seminary students meet with People’s Artist Larisa Kadochnikova

Students of Kyiv’s theological schools spoke with the legend of Ukrainian cinema, who shared her memories of filming "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors".

Bancheny Monastery reports provocation

The UOC monastery in Bancheny has reported a provocation by unidentified individuals.

Romanian Church to hold joint prayer for peace in Ukraine

On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, special prayers for an end to the hostility will be offered in all churches of the Romanian Patriarchate, both in the country and abroad.

Armenian bishops call on authorities to stop Church persecution

At a meeting in Austria, hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church reaffirmed their faithfulness to Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians and called on the authorities to stop the persecution of the clergy.

Italian media: Ukrainian authorities persecute the country’s largest confession

The Italian outlet L’Identità reported on mass searches, the arrests of clergy, and the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which it describes as the largest Church in Ukraine.