Building upon the notion of virtue as an integral, and innate, characteristic that enables humans to differentiate between good and evil, the pope noted that “it is not an improvised or somewhat random good that falls from heaven sporadically” but “a goodness that stems from a slow maturation of the person, to the point of becoming an inner characteristic.”
The Holy Father pointed to the saints, arguing that they should not be thought of as “the exceptions of humanity” or “a sort of restricted circle of champions who live beyond the limits of our species” but as “those who become themselves fully, who fulfill the vocation proper to every man or woman.”
“Therefore,” the pope continued, “the exercise of the virtues is the fruit of long germination, requiring effort and even suffering.”
The Holy Father also stressed the importance of developing virtuous actions and attitudes against the backdrop of what he characterized as “these dramatic times of ours in which we often have to come to terms with the worst of humanity.”
“In a distorted world, we must remember the form in which we were shaped, the image of God that is forever imprinted upon us,” Francis continued.
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