Let's defend the Truth

A)  The text of the speech by J.M.Bergoglio:

“Here is the statement saying that «salvation cannot be bought, nor sold. It is given, it is free». And since «we cannot be saved by ourselves, salvation is a gift, totally free». As St. Paul writes, salvation cannot be bought with «the blood of bulls and goats». … Therefore, «the model of this path of salvation is God himself, his Son, whom did not esteem his being equal to God as an inalienable good – Paul says so – but that annihilated himself and obeyed unto death, a death on a cross»” (Homily, Domus Sanctae Marthae, March 25, 2014)

“He (the Lord) «forces that heart, that soul to believe that there is gratuity» in him, that his gift «is free, that salvation cannot be bought: it is a great gift». God’s love, in fact, is «the greatest gift». Yet we …… are scared and «think that holiness is done with our things and we become a little bit Pelagian». Instead, «salvation is free», although we obstinately reply: «Lord, I don’t understand, but tell me: who is going to pay this feast for everyone? Will I pay for it? ». We don’t realize that, as made noticed by Paul in his Letter to the Philippians (2, 5-11), all this «is free, because Jesus Christ, though in the form of God, did not consider it a privilege, but “he emptied himself taking the form of a servant. He humiliated himself”». (Jesus) «paid for the feast by his humiliation unto death, a death on the Cross». This is the «great gratuity» of God. «… When we look at the Crucifix, we say: “This is the entrance to the feast. Yes, Lord, I am a sinner, I have many things, but I look at you and I go to the feast of the Father. I trust in you. I won’t remain disappointed, because you have paid for everything». Therefore, «the Church asks us not to be afraid of the gratuity of God», which may seem «a madness. But Paul says: “The Cross of Christ is madness for the world: they cannot comprehend it. But it is he who paid so that everything is free for us»” (Homily, Domus Sanctae Marthae, November 4, 2014)

“In this holy Church the Lord chooses some people to make holiness seen better, to show that it is He who sanctifies; that no one is sanctified by himself; that there is not a course to become a saint; that being holy is not the same as being a fakir or else. Rather, holiness is a gift of Jesus to his Church; and to show this He chooses people in whom we clearly see his sanctifying work” (Homily, Domus Sanctae Marthae, May 9, 2014)

B) References to Scriptures:

“Speak to the whole community of Israelites and say: “Be holy, for I, Yahweh your God, am holy” (Lev 19:2)

“Sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am Yahweh your God” (Lev 20:7)

“Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mat 5:48)

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mat 16:24-25)

“It makes me happy to be suffering for you now, and in my own body to make up all the hardships that still have to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church” (Col 1:24)

“Make your own the mind of Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped” (Col 1:24)

C) Comment:

The Lord wants us all saved, but salvation must be gained: it can never be a gift.

To be saved, we must first purify ourselves. In a message revealed to Giuseppina Norcia, Jesus says: “Purification works on three dimensions: the body, the soul and the spirit; and on three faculties: the mind, the will and the unifying faculty”. So the purification requires our complete willingness to annihilate our “self” so that God’s Spirit can, in totality and perfection, dwell in us. God calls, and the children that receive His Call, must answer “yes”, following the teachings of Christ, if they want to be saved, so that their Call may bear fruit and not appearance.

Bergoglio, quoting St. Paul, manipulates the Sacred Scripture using a different term from the original one, thus altering not only the text but also the original meaning.

Bergoglio speaks of “inalienable good” when instead St. Paul speaks of “jealous treasure”.

Jesus never considered His equality with God an “inalienable good” (as stated by Bergoglio), but He did not consider it a “jealous treasure” (as St. Paul says).

Saying that “not to consider an inalienable good”, means that that good is alienable: therefore, one can renounce to that good. Which could mean and lead to believe that Jesus Christ considers an alienable good His divinity. Christ could never renounce to His divine nature. To affirm this, could lead to deny and to make deny the divine nature of Christ, Man God.

The two natures, both human and divine, consist and coexist in Christ.

So, as St. Paul correctly says, Christ has not considered “a jealous treasure His divinity” (therefore confirming and not denying it), but He has wanted to share It.

Christ became like us so that we, unclothing ourselves of our humanity, cancelling our “self” and totality incarnating His true teachings, we can become like Him, human and divine.