Through the narrow door

· At the Angelus the Pope reminds everyone that life is not a video game or a soap opera, and prays for the victims of the brutal attack in Turkey ·

Pope Francis expressed his sorrow over the brutal massacre that occurred Saturday night, in which over 50 people were killed — including many children — during a wedding celebration in Gaziantep, Turkey. “I received the sad news of the murderous attack that struck our dear Turkey yesterday”, he said to the many faithful who were gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Angelus on Sunday, 21 August. He invited them to pray “for the victims, for the dead and injured”, invoking from the Lord, “the gift of peace for all”.

Before reciting the Marian prayer, the Pope commented on the Gospel passage from the Sunday liturgy — taken from Luke (13:22-30) — and he particularly focused on the image of the “narrow door” which Jesus uses to represent “the path that leads to salvation”. It is a way which, the Pope explained, “leads us to communion with the Father, where we find love, understanding and protection”.

“But why is this door narrow?” Pope Francis asked. Certainly “not because it is oppressive” — he responded — but “because it asks us to restrain and limit our pride and our fear, in order to open ourselves to Him with humble and trusting hearts, acknowledging that we are sinners and in need of his forgiveness”.

This is, therefore, a narrow door for restraining our pride and our fear, and it is open because God “always accepts everyone, without distinction”. Even if, the Pope said, the Lord will “shut the door” at a certain point. In fact, he “is good and loves us”, but “our life is not a video game or a television soap opera; our life is serious and our goal to achieve is important: eternal salvation”.