“The Church that evangelizes in order to evangelize itself is a Church that, guided by the Holy Spirit, is called to follow a demanding path, a path of conversion and renewal,” Pope Francis said during a catechesis at Wednesday’s audience delivered at the Cathedral of St. Peter and dedicated to apostolic zeal, Avvenire reports, citing Rador.

“It also involves the ability to change ways of understanding, avoiding shelters in areas protected by logic or ‘this is how it has always been done,'” the Pontiff warned: “These are shelters that make the Church sick. The church must move forward, must constantly grow to remain young,” he added.

“This Church is completely directed to God, so it participates in His plan of salvation for humanity, and at the same time it is completely directed to humanity,” he continued:

“The Church must be a Church that engages in dialogue with the modern world, that weaves fraternal relations, that generates meeting places, implementing good practices of hospitality, acceptance, recognition and integration of others and that takes care of the common home that is creation. “.

“If the Church does not evangelize, it remains a museum exhibit, instead it is constantly renewed by evangelization itself.” “We must realize that the recipients of evangelization are not only others, those who practice another faith or do not practice it, but also ourselves, believers in Christ and active members of God’s people,” Pope Francis said.

“And we must convert daily”: “Accepting the Word of God and changing our lives daily, this is the only way to evangelize the heart.” “To give this witness, the Church must also begin with evangelization,” the Pontiff said.

“The church is God’s people, immersed in the world and often tempted by idols, it needs constant proclamation of God’s great works. This means, in a word, that it always needs evangelization, prayer and feeling the power of the Holy Spirit, which changes the heart.”

“You are not credible simply by preaching a doctrine or an ideology: a person is credible when there is harmony between what he believes and what he lives, how he believes and how he lives.” “Many Christians say they believe, but they live something else, as if they are not Christians,” Francis condemned again: “And this is hypocrisy.

The opposite of testimony is hypocrisy.” Testimony, the Supreme Pontiff reminded, “includes recognized faith, that is, convinced and clear attachment to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who created us and redeemed us out of love. A faith that changes us, that changes our relationships, the criteria and values ​​that determine our choices.”

“Each of us is called to answer the three fundamental questions formulated by Paul VI: “Do you believe what you preach? Do you live what you believe? Announce that you live? This means harmony,” concluded Pope Francis.