We must not believe the Evil One when he tells us that there is nothing we can do in the face of violence, injustice and sin.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 24, 2013
Pope Francis does not shy away from talking about the devil, and people have started to notice. This comes as no surprise since Jesuits are trained early on in formation to be attentive to the movements of the Spirits of Light and Darkness, the Good Spirit and the “enemy of human nature.” Drawing on his years of experience as novice master, religious superior, and pastor, Francis called attention to the subtle activities of the devil, the dark spirit of pessimism, division and despair, in several exhortations. These talks of the devil or the “Evil One” can be confusing and jarring to the modern ear. Just ask our friends on Twitter:
@pontifex By evil one do you mean Simon Cowell?
— tomtivnan (@tomtivnan) March 24, 2013
@toymachinesh @pontifex Who is the devil — Nikhil (@Nicky_here) March 24, 2013
“I’ve heard some priests say the devil is only a metaphor for evil and not something real.” — Megan Chruszczyk (@MCruzyk) May 21, 2013
I believe that’s called Schizophrenia RT @sicilianinheels: A devil on one shoulder