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Pope Leo IV is certainly a man with a history of reaching out to people with love. His missionary work in Peru bears witness to that.
It is by love that we are to be known as disciples of Jesus. I like to recall an incident in the life of St Catherine of Sienna. She wrote a book about her dialogue with God the Father. The Father said to her that she could not love him as he loved her. She loved for all that he had done, but he had loved her simply out of love.
However, the Father then said that when you love your neighbour you are loving as I the Father love. Love them simply out of love. Jesus said as the Father loved me, I have loved you. Love one another as I have loved you. We are to love as the Father did.
In the light of recent papal events, I was reminded of the story of Celestine V. He was the pope before Benedict XVI who resigned. The conclave has been getting a lot of reporting recently and it is interesting to see how long it can take.
- Bishop David Walker
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