Pope Francis: 'Not afraid to admit mistakes' in Angelus

Pope: Let us build a humbler, more welcoming Church

Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo XIV recalled the two contrasting figures from the day’s Gospel reading: the Pharisee, confident in his own righteousness, and the tax collector, conscious of his sin.

The Pope was speaking just after the Jubilee Mass dedicated to synodal teams and participatory bodies on Sunday, and before his weekly recitation of the Marian prayer of the Angelus

The prayer of the Pharisee, Pope Leo said, which is focused on boasting and spiritual pride, “reflects a strict observance of the Law, certainly, but one poor in love, built on ‘giving’ and ‘having,’ on debts and credits, and lacking mercy.”

In contrast, the prayer of the tax collector reveals a heart open to grace: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Humility: the path of truth and healing

In his Angelus reflection, Pope Leo emphasized the courage of the tax collector, who dares to stand before God despite his past and reputation.

“He does not lock himself in his own world; he does not resign himself to the evil he has done,” the Pope explained. “He leaves the places where he is feared, safe, protected by the power he holds over others. He comes to the Temple alone, without an escort, even at the cost of harsh looks and sharp judgments, and he presents himself before the Lord, standing back, with his head bowed.”

The Holy Father also explained that “it is not by displaying one’s merits that one is saved, nor by hiding one’s faults, but by presenting oneself honestly, as we are, before God, before ourselves, and before others.”

Quoting Saint Augustine, the Pope compared the Pharisee to a sick person who hides his wounds out of pride, and the tax collector to one who humbly exposes his injuries in order to be healed: “We are not surprised that this tax collector, who was not ashamed to show his sickness, went home healed.”

“Let us not be afraid to acknowledge our mistakes”

The Pope further encouraged the faithful, following the example of the tax collector, not to fear recognizing their weaknesses: “Let us not be afraid to acknowledge our mistakes, to lay them bare by taking responsibility for them and entrusting them to God’s mercy.”

This path of humility, Pope Leo concluded, allows for both inner healing and the growth of God’s Kingdom: “which does not belong to the proud, but to the humble.”