The devil can appear in a cultured and educated manner, attempting to attack the church with clichés. Let me explain. During neighborhood festivals, I often offer a guided tour of the parish church.

Rarely does a parishioner join the group. Rather, the few attendees are curious onlookers who wish to learn more about the most emblematic building in the area.

The day of the visit coincided with the Eucharist being celebrated by a group of pilgrims from the Diocese of Las Vegas. This happens to us often, since Sabadell, near Barcelona, ​​has luxury hotels at better prices than the big city. Pilgrimage groups often request the use of the church to celebrate Mass.

The thing is, those on the cultural tour of the temple momentarily believed that the English-like language was the church’s own. One of them even said he didn’t understand any Latin. He was surprised that there were Catholics in the US. I pointed out that the priest was Indian, and he was even more surprised.

As if to justify himself, he claimed that the church was the last remarkable building in the neighborhood he hadn’t yet seen. He’d never been inside. I warmly welcomed him and encouraged him to ask if anything was unclear. He didn’t take kindly to the friendly reception. From what he later said, he’d come prepared for a confrontation. The only question he asked was in front of the altar of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. A beautiful 17th-century image, with an altar dedicated to this Marian devotion. He asked me about the meaning of the lower panel, which depicts purgatory. I gave a brief lesson on prayer and spoke to them about the need to pray for those souls who cannot pray for themselves. The Virgin Mary intercedes, and we entrust the souls in purgatory to her. This didn’t sit well with our visitor. He wanted to start a discussion about evil, where there is no redemption for any wicked person. Moreover, he said that good and evil exist in the world, referring to the Zoroastrian gods.

He was clearly so disappointed in me that he asked if I was a priest, despite my having introduced myself as such and the other parishioners knowing me as the parish priest. He questioned why I wasn’t dressed as a priest. I should mention that I was wearing my usual clerical shirt. But what really upset him was when I told him I was volunteering, since, having worked as a civilian, I now received a pension sufficient to live on without needing the bishop’s assistance. This further enraged him, and he kept asking if I was an ordained priest. I repeated the date and place several times. He left, unwilling to be attacked and condemned by the Church.

Apparently, the “bad guys” are always like that. This stance, typical of religions that advocate predestination, clashes with the redemptive love of Christ. According to these Manichean philosophies, the “bad guys” must be annihilated.

We have recently seen evangelical, or Protestant, pastors praying for and supporting the American president’s stance on the war against Palestine. Perhaps this was a response to the words of Pope Leo XIV, who condemned the war. During his recent trip to the homeland of Saint Augustine, the Pope stated: “The heart of our Father is not with the wicked, the arrogant, or the proud,” but with the “little and humble.” The American president responded by accusing him of “being in favor of crime” because the war is justified by the necessary “cleansing” of the wicked, and the Pope opposes this massacre.

The rise of racist ideologies is highlighting the defense of comforts, in the face of the immigrant who is considered guilty of all evils.

We encounter young people who think this way, regardless of their socioeconomic status. There is no redemption for the other. Like the gentleman we visited, who disapproved of praying for the souls in purgatory. For many, religion must be the justification for this social “cleansing.” Cast out the devil, live in the truth. It is not right to expel those who work in poor conditions, earning low wages and serving a population that needs their labor. Even American business owners have protested Trump’s immigration policy.

The Pope said it last year at Pentecost. “The Spirit opens borders even between peoples. At Pentecost, the Apostles spoke the languages ​​of those they encountered, and the chaos of Babel was finally calmed by the harmony generated by the Spirit. Differences, when the divine Breath unites our hearts and allows us to see in the other the face of a brother, are not a cause for division and conflict, but a common heritage from which we can all benefit, and which sets us all on the path, together, in fraternity.”

“The Spirit breaks down borders and tears down the walls of indifference and hatred, because it “teaches us everything” and “reminds us of the words of Jesus” (cf. Jn 14:26); and, therefore, the first thing it teaches, reminds us of, and imprints on our hearts is the commandment of love, which the Lord has placed at the center and at the summit of everything. And where there is love, there is no room for prejudice.”

And in his homily for Pentecost this year, he said: “He, the risen one, says: ‘Whose sins are forgiven you?’ ( Jn  20:23). With these words, Jesus entrusts us with a divine work, because only God can forgive sins (cf.  Mk  2:7). This authority is given under the sign of universal reconciliation: the Lord pours out the Spirit of peace from the beginning to the end of history, because he excludes no one.”

It’s no wonder that utilitarian spiritualities are more successful in achieving personal well-being. These spiritualities advocate for the annihilation of those considered sinners. At the same time, they reduce religious practice to mental massages that deny reality and promote shrewd thinking to avoid involvement in the world’s problems. The prototype of the religious leader is closer to a coach than a saint. The result is the generation of impoverished people without dignity.

Fortunately, Jesus continues to call for the generous offering of one’s life, in communion with him.

We will be paying close attention to the Holy Father’s journey, which fulfills Pope Francis’ wish to visit the Canary Islands, a refuge for so many human beings who take to the sea, risking their lives, in search of a better world.

These gestures will surely be criticized, but coming from the devil, we will consider them a compliment.