[{{{type}}}] {{{reason}}}
{{/data.error.root_cause}}{{texts.summary}} {{#options.result.rssIcon}} RSS {{/options.result.rssIcon}}
{{/texts.summary}} {{#data.hits.hits}}
{{{_source.title}}} {{#_source.showPrice}} {{{_source.displayPrice}}} {{/_source.showPrice}}
{{#_source.showLink}} {{/_source.showLink}} {{#_source.showDate}}{{{_source.displayDate}}}
{{/_source.showDate}}{{{_source.description}}}
{{#_source.additionalInfo}}{{#_source.additionalFields}} {{#title}} {{{label}}}: {{{title}}} {{/title}} {{/_source.additionalFields}}
{{/_source.additionalInfo}}
adore Him in the Spirit of truth.a 21And day and night Jn 4:24 let us direct praises and prayers to Him, saying: Our Father, Who art in heaven Ps 32:4 [Vulgate, Ps 31:4] Mt 6:9 ... for we should pray always and not become weary. Lk 18:1
22We must, of course, confess all our sins to a priest and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ from him.b 23Whoever does not eat His flesh and drink His blood cannot enter the kingdom of God. Jn 6:54 Jn 6:57 Jn 3:5 24But let him eat and drink worthily because anyone who receives unworthily, not distinguishing, that is, not discerning, the Body of the Lord, eats and drinks judgment on himself. 1 Cor 11:29
25In addition, let us produce worthy fruits of penance. Lk 3:8
26And let us love our neighbors as ourselves. Mt 22:39 27And if anyone does not want to love them as himself, let him at least not do them any harm, but let him do good.
28Let whoever has received the power of judging others pass judgment with mercy, as they would wish to receive mercy from the Lord. 29For judgment will be without mercy for those who have not shown mercy. Jas 2:13
30Let us, therefore, have charity and humility and give alms because it washes the stains of our sins from our souls. Tb 4:11 Tb 12:9 31For, although people lose everything they leave behind in this world, they, nevertheless, carry with them the rewards of charity and the alms they have given for which they will receive a reward and a fitting repayment from the Lord.
32We must also fast and abstain from vices and sins and from an excess of food and drink and be Catholics. Sir 3:32 c
33We must also frequently visit churches and venerate and revere the clergy not so much for themselves, if they are sinners, but because of their office and administration of the most holy Body and Blood of Christ which they sacrifice upon the altar, receive and administer to others. 34And let all of us know for certain that no one can be saved except through the holy words and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which the clergy pronounce, proclaim and minister.
- This passage begins a series of ten commands, all of which contain the word debere, and explanations of what is implied in each command.
- This emphasis of the role of the priest m y well be directed against the Waldensians who embraced the principle that their system of life made them the real depositories of the Gospel and gave them the right to preach. The confession of sins to a priest, and the reception of the Eucharist, became primary concerns of the IV Lateran Council, canon 21, cf. infra, ER XX, p. 7, b.
- In this and the following verses, Francis addresses abuses found in the Cathars and the Waldensians who maintained that fasting and abstaining should be practiced because of a dualistic concept of the world which sees the body and material things as evil. The penitents should fast and abstain according to the directives of the Church. The insistence on being Catholic also reflects a concern of the IV Lateran Council which addressed the theme in its first three canons, cf. infra ER XIX, p. 77, a.
Epistola ad fideles (Recensio posterior), Fontes Franciscani, p. 81-82
20Omnes enim, qui adorant eum, in spiritu veritatis oportet eum adorare. 21Et dicamus ei laudes et orationes die ac nocte dicendo: Pater noster, qui es in caelis, quia oportet nos semper orare et non deficere.
22Debemus siquidem confiteri sacerdoti omnia peccata nostra; et recipiamus corpus et sanguinem Domini nostri Jesu Christi ab eo. 23Qui non manducat carnem suam et non bibit sanguinem b suum, non potest introire in regnum Dei. 24Digne tamen manducet et bibat, quia qui indigne recipit iudicium sibi manducat et bibit, non diiudicans corpus Domini, id est non discernit.
25Faciamus insuper fructus dignos poenitentiae.
26Et diligamus proximos sicut nos ipsos 27Et si quis non vult eos amare sicut se ipsum, saltim non inferat eis mala, sed faciat bona.
28Qui autem potestatem iudicandi alios receperunt iudicium cum misericordia exerceant, sicut ipsi volunt a Domino misericordiam obtinere. 29Iudicium enim sine misericordia erit illis qui non fecerint misericordiam.
30Habeamus itaque caritatem et humilitatem; et faciamus eleemosynas, quia ipsa lavat animas a sordibus peccatorum. 31Homines enim omnia perdunt, quae in hoc saeculo relinquunt; secum tamen portant caritatis mercedem et eleemosynas, quas fecerunt, de quibus habebunt a Domino praemium et dignam remunerationem.
32Debemus etiam ieiunare et abstinere a vitiis et peccatis et a superfluitate ciborum et potus et esse catholici.
33Debemus etiam ecclesias visitare frequenter et venerari clericos et revereri, non tantum propter eos, si sint peccatores, sed propter officium et administrationem sanctissimi corporis et sanguinis Christi, quod sacrificant in altari et recipiunt et aliis administrant. 34Et firmiter sciamus omnes, quia nemo salvari potest, nisi per sancta verba et sanguinem Domini nostri Jesu Christi, quae clerici dicunt, annuntiant et ministrant.