Vatican City, Dec 26, 2017 / 07:24 am
On Tuesday Pope Francis said there is a strong link between the death of St. Stephen, the Church's first martyr, and the birth of Christ, who came to offer message that is often uncomfortable and calls us to convert.
"Jesus' message is uncomfortable and inconvenient for us, because it challenges worldly religious power and provokes consciences," the Pope said Dec. 26, adding that after his coming, "it's necessary to convert, to change mentality, to renounce thinking like before...to convert."
Speaking to pilgrims present in St. Peter's Square during his Angelus address for the feast of St. Stephen, which is celebrated the day after Christmas, the Pope noted how it might seem like there is no relation between Jesus' birth and Stephan's death, however, "there is a strong link."
When he preached, Stephen put the leaders of the people "into crisis," Francis said, because "he firmly believed and professed the new presence of God among men."