“Those who give in to this vice are far from God, and the correction of this evil requires time and effort, more than any other battle to which the Christian is called.”
Pope Francis related the vice of pride to that of vainglory, the topic of last week’s general audience, cautioning: “If vainglory is a disease of the human self, it is still a childish disease when compared to the havoc pride is capable of.”
Pride is “evil,” the Holy Father said, and is of a greater magnitude than vainglory, as it arises from “the absurd claim to be like God.”
Referencing the monastic tradition of antiquity and Dante Alighieri’s epic The Divine Comedy, the pope noted that there is a “sequence of evils,” or hierarchy, of vices, starting with gluttony and culminating in pride.
Highlighting the effects of pride in everyday life, the pope noted it “ruins human relationships” and foments division instead of promoting fraternal solidarity.
The pope profiled the “proud man” as one who has an inflated sense of self and his place in the world, adding that he is “one who frets about being recognized as greater than others, always wants to see his own merits recognized, and despises others, deeming them inferior to himself.”
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