MISSION: Church must eschew ideology, & claims to 'own' the Word - Pope

Church must eschew ideology, claims to 'own' the Word, Pope tells congregation

CWN - June 24, 2013

In his homily at a morning Mass on June 24, Pope Francis said that St. John the Baptist—whose birth the Church was celebrating that day—lived only to proclaim Jesus Christ.

"That is John's vocation: he negates himself," the Pope said. His life ended in darkness, imprisonment, and finally a grisly martyrdom, the Pontiff noted. In this respect, he said, St. John is a model for the Church.

"The Church exists to proclaim, to be the voice of a Word, her husband, who is the Word. The Church exists to proclaim this Word until martyrdom," the Pope explained. Like John the Baptist, the Church should always serve the Word, never claiming ownership of the Word, never indulging in ideology, only bringing people to Christ.

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• Pope at Mass: John the Baptist a model for the Church (Vatican Radio)