If in my life I fail completely to heed others, solely out of a desire to be 'devout' and to perform my 'religious duties', then my relationship with God will also grow arid. It becomes merely 'proper', but loveless.
Pope Benedict XviRead
Wherever politics tries to be redemptive, it is promising too much. Where it wishes to do the work of God, it becomes not divine, but demonic.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Politics should not claim to fulfill divine roles, as it often leads to disillusionment.
This quote by Pope Benedict XVI highlights the dangers of political power when it oversteps its boundaries by attempting to fulfill a divine or redemptive purpose. It suggests that when politics seeks to assume roles meant for God, it risks becoming corrupt and harmful, indicating a moral failing rather than a virtuous pursuit.
Themes
PoliticsRedemptionDivineCorruptionMorality
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be referenced in a political debate to emphasize the limits of governmental power.
More from Pope Benedict Xvi
All quotes βThe life of the community, both domestically and internationally, clearly demonstrates that respect for rights, and the guarantees that follow from them, are measures of the common good that serve to evaluate the relationship between justice and injustice, development and poverty, security and conflict.
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If you follow the will of God, you know that in spite of all the terrible things that happen to you, you will never lose a final refuge. You know that the foundation of the world is love, so that even when no human being can or will help you, you may go on, trusting in the One that loves you.
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I am consoled by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and how to act, even with insufficient tools.
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Faith is above all a personal, intimate encounter with Jesus, and to experience [His] closeness, [His] friendship, [His] Love; only in this way does one learn to know [Him] ever more, and to love and follow [Him] ever more. May this happen to each one of us.
Pope Benedict XviRead
Do not be afraid of seeming different and being criticized for what might seem to be losing or out of fashion; your peers but adults too, especially those who seem more distant from the mindset and values of the Gospel, are crying out to see someone who dares to live according to the fullness of humanity revealed by Jesus Christ.
Pope Benedict XviRead
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We must remember that the people of all the States are entitled to all the privileges and immunities of the citizen of the several States. We should bear this in mind, and act in such a way as to say nothing insulting or irritating. I would inculcate this idea, so that we may not, like Pharisees, set ourselves up to be better than other people.
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Spirituality is not some external goal that one must seek, but a part of the divine core of each of us, which we must reveal.
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