Let's defend the Truth

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

“QUESTION: On the flight from Sri Lanka you used the image of the gesture that this poor man Gasbarri might have deserved if he insulted your mother, he would have deserved a punch. Your words were not well understood by everyone in the world and seemed to perhaps justify the use of violence in the face of provocation. Could you explain a little better what you meant to say?
Answer of Bergoglio: «In theory, we can say that a violent reaction in the face of an offense or a provocation is not a good thing, one shouldn’t do it. In theory, we can say what the Gospel says, that we should turn the other cheek. In theory, we can say that we have freedom of expression, and that’s important. In theory, we all agree. But we are human and there’s prudence, which is a virtue of human coexistence. I cannot constantly insult, provoke a person continuously, because I risk making him angry, and I risk receiving an unjust reaction, one that is not just. But that’s human. For this reason I say that freedom of expression must take into account the human reality and for this reason it must be prudent. It’s a way of saying that one must be well-behaved, prudent. Prudence is the human virtue that regulates our relationships. I can go so far, I cannot go further, and there, beyond that no…. What I wanted to say is that in theory, we all agree: there is freedom of expression, a violent aggression is not good, it’s always bad. We all agree, but in practice, let us stop a little because we are human and we risk provoking others. For this reason freedom must be accompanied by prudence. That’s what I wanted to say.»” (Answer of Bergoglio to the question of Valentina Alazraki (Spanish-speaking group) apostolic journey to Sri Lanka and the Philippines (12-19 January 2015) in-flight press conference from the Philippines to Rome – Papal Flight Monday, January 19, 2015)

B) References to Scriptures:

“But even if we ourselves or an angel from heaven preaches to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let God’s curse be on him” (Gal 1:8)

“I repeat again what we declared before: anyone who preaches to you a gospel other than the one you were first given is to be under God’s curse” (Gal 1:9)

“People we did not defer to for one moment, or the truth of the gospel preached to you might have been compromised” (Gal 2:5)

“When I saw, though, that their behaviour was not true to the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of all of them, ‘Since you, though you are a Jew, live like the gentiles and not like the Jews, how can you compel the gentiles to live like the Jews?’” (Gal 2:14)

“News of this hope reached you not long ago through the word of truth, the gospel” (Col 1:5b)

C) Comment:

The Gospel is Truth. There is not a theoretical truth and a practical truth. Truth cannot be divided to our own use or convenience. Whoever does so, is anathema, says St. Paul.

Amen.