00:00Hello dear brothers and sisters! I am very happy to be with you again through this medium to continue sharing our faith.
00:09This time we have a very interesting question from Laura in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, and she writes to us and tells us
00:17Father, I have friends who belong to evangelical or Protestant sects, and although I believe they are right in some of the things they say
00:28The idea that Catholics shouldn't worship images is a misconception. I know we don't worship them, but we respect and venerate them, because of the good examples they have given us.
00:38In other respects I feel unable to refute their arguments, such as when they say that
00:44Why does the Pope live in the Vatican surrounded by luxury, when there is so much misery in the world?
00:50Or where in the Bible does it say that the Pope is authorized to canonize other people?
00:56I imagine this is because of the biblical quote that says
01:00Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, but I'm not sure that's the reason.
01:07Or that purgatory does not exist and that we go to heaven or hell; if we are not evangelicals we go directly to hell.
01:15In short, these are somewhat uncomfortable situations, since I feel that religion, instead of uniting us, is separating us.
01:24Although I often don't pay attention or respond to what people say so as not to speak ill of the disunity,
01:31At other times I feel that I cannot remain silent in the face of repeated attacks on the church and even more so on my faith.
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02:02To be part of this great work of evangelization, we would appreciate any contribution that comes from your heart.
02:09And we remind you that this and many more teachings, in addition to courses and podcasts,
02:15You can find them at our Online Evangelization Center, www.evangelizacion.mx.
02:24Let's continue with our teaching today with Father Ernesto María Caro.
02:28Well, my dear Laura, to begin with, I applaud your attitude and especially your desire to learn and know.
02:37so that, as the apostle Saint Peter says, you can give an account of your faith to everyone who asks you about it.
02:45Although I have already given some answers to this at another time, we will gladly revisit some of these topics.
02:51In this way you will know the truth and the solidity that sustains the church in its arguments and in its faith.
02:58One of the issues that concerns Catholics and non-Catholics alike is the apparent wealth of the Vatican.
03:06I wanted to express it in this way, as if it were apparent, because that's how it is.
03:09The Vatican as a historical place is extremely rich, but it belongs to humanity.
03:15Can you imagine the impact it would have if one day the image of Michelangelo's Pietà
03:20that is on display in St. Peter's Basilica is no longer there because it was sold to a collection.
03:26Nobody has or could have rights over it, as it is the heritage of humanity.
03:32It's an image that could surely be worth millions of dollars, money that could help many poor people.
03:39But the problem is that this and many other things are part of humanity's heritage.
03:44The Pope really lives a very austere life.
03:47We see it in the way they dress.
03:50I have had the pleasure of being with him at his house, which is a beautiful house.
03:54It is a palace built in the 16th century, but it is also the property of humanity.
04:00He eats from ordinary plates like everyone else, and his room is extremely modest.
04:06In particular, Pope Saint John Paul II, during his pontificate, sold some of the things that are not part of humanity's heritage.
04:15but personal gifts and he established different aid associations for the poorest.
04:22Just to give you an idea of the Holy Father's concern for the poor,
04:25In 2004, the Pope distributed $6,271,000 to the various institutions he created.
04:35The first thing we should do is invite anyone who criticizes this aspect of the church,
04:40It is so that I know her well, from the inside, so as not to have false ideas and make wrong judgments.
04:48Now, on the subject of canonization, we must first understand what it means to be canonized.
04:54Well, let's start by saying that the word canon means measure, or better yet, standard or model.
05:02Now, the goal of the Christian, according to the word of the Lord, is to become holy.
05:09It says in Matthew 5:48, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
05:14To achieve this goal, there are different paths, which are models for men and for women,
05:20who came to live this great Christian ideal.
05:24Among them are some who distinguished themselves exceptionally and who can therefore be taken as role models.
05:32as an example, as a canon, since by following his steps and examples in a concrete way,
05:38The desired holiness will be achieved.
05:40In this regard, Saint Paul says, be imitators of me, as I am of Jesus Christ.
05:46In this way, the church proposes to the people some models of holiness who, being models,
05:53That is, canonical, they are known as canonical saints.
05:58To this end, the church conducts an extremely thorough investigation into the life and virtues of the person presumed to be a saint.
06:05in order to investigate whether they are truly canonical and can be presented as a model.
06:12Once their life of holiness has been verified, God is asked to confirm that this person can be taken as a model.
06:20The proof that God gives is the performance of two miracles through the intercession of that person.
06:26Once this happens, the church declares that such a person can be taken as a role model.
06:38It is therefore not a biblical question, but an ecclesiastical one, in which the church does not define anything.
06:45but merely states as truth something that is obvious to everyone.
06:49Such a person is truly holy and can be taken as a model.
06:56because Saint Paul is a true follower of Christ.
07:00Well, our time is up and we'll continue answering Laura's question.
07:05and providing more answers for all our separated brethren,
07:09so that the strength of our faith may be clear.
07:13Until then, blessings.
07:19Thank you!
