Despite the slowness, the infidelity, the errors and sins it

Hear the humble yet thunderous words of Pope Francis: “Despite the slowness, the infidelity, the errors and sins it committed and might still commit against its members, the Church, trust me, has no other meaning and goal but to live and witness Jesus.” These words are no easy defense, no denial of failings, but a confession filled with both sorrow and hope. For here the Pope acknowledges the sins of the Church, the wounds it has caused, and yet proclaims its deeper essence: that beyond all shadows, its true mission is singular—to witness Jesus.

The first part of the saying confronts reality. The Church is not spotless in her history. She has been slow to act when swiftness was needed, unfaithful when fidelity was demanded, and at times has caused wounds even to her own children. From the Inquisition to the scandals of our own age, the Church has stumbled in ways that caused many to doubt her voice. Pope Francis does not hide these truths; he lays them bare, for denial would be deception, but confession is the path to healing.

Yet he goes further: despite these failings, the meaning and goal of the Church remains unshaken. Like Israel wandering through the desert, grumbling and sinning, yet still chosen to carry the covenant, so too the Church, though imperfect, carries within her the sacred mission entrusted by Christ. Her failures are human, but her essence is divine. She was not founded to glorify herself, but to reflect the light of Jesus, even through the cracked vessel of human weakness.

History provides us with luminous examples. Consider Francis of Assisi, who in a time of corruption and wealth within the Church, rose in radical simplicity to live the Gospel. He did not abandon the Church because of her errors, but sought to call her back to her mission of witnessing Christ. Or think of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who, amid criticism and misunderstanding, chose to see Christ in the poorest of the poor. Through such lives we see that while the Church may stumble, her saints keep alive the flame of her true purpose: to live and bear witness to Jesus.

The paradox is clear: the Church is at once sinful and holy, wounded yet life-giving, flawed yet chosen. It is made of men who err, but built on a cornerstone who does not fail. To reject her entirely for her sins would be to abandon the well where water still flows, though its walls be cracked. To embrace her blindly without acknowledging her wounds would be folly. The true path, as Francis teaches, is to hold both truths together: to grieve her failings, but to cling to her mission of Christ.

The lesson is deep: do not let the failings of men blind you to the truth of God. If priests falter, if leaders stumble, if institutions sin, remember that Christ is greater than His servants. The Church exists not for herself, but to be the vessel of His presence. Your faith, then, must be rooted not in the perfection of people, but in the eternal witness of Jesus. And if you belong to the Church, your duty is not only to receive, but to purify—to live more fully the mission she proclaims.

Practically, this means two things. First, be honest: do not deny the sins of the Church, but confront them with courage, for only truth can heal. Second, live as a witness yourself. Do not wait for institutions to embody Christ—begin with your own life. Love the poor. Forgive your enemies. Carry peace into conflict. In doing so, you help the Church return to her truest self, for she is not only clergy or hierarchy—she is you, and all who follow Christ.

So I say to you, O children of tomorrow: remember Pope Francis’ words. The Church is flawed, but her purpose is eternal. Do not let her errors make you despair, nor let her sins turn you away from Jesus. Rather, let them move you to become the witness she is called to be. For in the end, though the Church limps through history, her destiny is not her own glory, but to live and proclaim the glory of Christ. And if you too live this mission, then the light of Jesus will shine, even through the cracks of human weakness, and the world will see hope again.