Pope points to "fortitude" to oppose "all dark forces in world"

Vatican City, Apr 10 (EFE).- (Camera: Daniel Cáceres) Pope Francis pointed out the virtue of fortitude to oppose "all the dark forces in the world" such as wars or violence, during his catechesis for Wednesday's general audience held in St. Peter's Square.

For Francis, "fortitude is a fundamental virtue because it takes seriously the challenge of evil in the world".

FOOTAGE OF THIS WEDNESDAY'S GENERAL AUDIENCE IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE AND SOUNDBITES OF POPE FRANCIS.

TRANSLATION:

1) Fortitude is often associated by scholastic authors with what the ancients called the "irascible appetite". The thought of the ancients did not imagine a human being without passions: he would be a stone. And the passions themselves are not necessarily the residue of sin; but they must be educated, directed, purified with the water of Baptism, or rather, with the fire of the Holy Spirit. A Christian without courage, who does not bend his own strength to the good, who does not disturb anyone, is a useless Christian. Let us think about this.

2) The ancients - both Greek philosophers and Christian theologians - recognised in the virtue of fortitude a twofold development, one passive and the other active. The first is directed inwards within ourselves. There are inner enemies that we have to overcome, which go by the name of anxiety, anguish, fear, guilt: all forces that stir in our innermost selves and that in some situations paralyse us. How many fighters succumb even before the challenge begins! Fortitude is first and foremost a victory against ourselves. Most of the fears that arise within us are unreal, and do not come true at all.

3) Fortitude is a fundamental virtue because it takes seriously the challenge of evil in the world. Some pretend it does not exist, that all is well.