Spiritual Exercises of the Curia: The first death - Vatican News

 Spiritual Exercises of the Curia: The end will be the beginning

The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, delivers the first reflection of the 2025 Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia, which is focused on the theme: “The End will be the beginning.” Here is a summary:

By Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap

The faith of the Church, founded on the resurrection of Christ, has always offered the world the hope of life beyond death. Over time, however, this promise has faded and today it is not so much contested as ignored. In the face of this indifference, believers are called to rediscover the value and beauty of eternal life, restoring its true meaning. This task is even more urgent in this Holy Year of the Jubilee and during the deep suffering the Holy Father is experiencing.

The journey of spiritual exercises on eternal life we wish to embark on is inspired by the Christian Revelation. We begin by drawing on some concise passages from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), which provides an accessible summary of theological thought. The CCC presents death not as an end but as a passage to eternal life, in communion with Christ. This concept is rooted in the Letter to the Romans, where St. Paul affirms that through baptism we are united to the death and resurrection of Christ, thus gaining access to new life.

According to the Catechism, death is the moment when the Particular Judgement takes place, evaluating the acceptance or rejection of God's grace. However, salvation is not reserved only for those who have formally known Christ: the Second Vatican Council acknowledges that those who sincerely seek God by following their conscience may also attain eternal life. The CCC emphasizes that the Final Judgment is not based merely on external acts but on the love lived out, echoing the thought of St. John of the Cross: “At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.”

The ultimate destiny of humanity consists of three possibilities: Paradise, eternal damnation (Hell), and final purification (Purgatory). Paradise represents the complete fulfillment of the human being, an eternal communion with Christ in which each person finds their true identity. Hell, on the other hand, is described as the definitive separation from God, yet the Church has never declared with certainty that anyone has been condemned there. Finally, the Purgatory is seen as a process of purification for those who, though in God's grace, are not yet ready for heaven. Perhaps it is in this last "destiny" that we find the originality of Christian Revelation. The possibility of a final "moment" of purification is an opportunity to fully come to terms with God's infinite love.

The Church's reflection on the eternity of life is not meant to instill fear but to nourish hope, emphasizing that our destiny depends on the freedom with which we choose to live in love. True purification does not consist in becoming perfect but in fully accepting ourselves in the light of God's love, overcoming the illusion that we must be "something else" to deserve salvation.

We are often obsessed with the need to be perfect, yet the Gospel teaches us that true "imperfection" is not fragility but the lack of love. We can consider the Purgatory as the final opportunity to free ourselves from the fear of not being up to it, to accept with serenity who we are, transforming it into a space of relationship and communion with others. Purgatory can be understood as the "moment" in which we finally stop trying to prove something to God and simply allow ourselves to be loved.

Eternity, then, is not just a future reward but a reality that begins here, in the measure in which we learn to live in love and communion with Christ. Ultimately, our destiny is not written in fear but in hope. Death is not a defeat but the moment when we will finally see the face of God and discover that the end… was only the beginning.

The Hope of Eternal Life

Spiritual Exercises 2025 of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia

1. The End Will Be the Beginning

(Sunday, March 9, 5:00 PM)

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Spiritual Exercises of the Curia: The end of all judgment The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, delivers the second reflection of the 2025 Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia, which is focused on the theme: “The end of all judgment.” Here is a summary: By Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap The parable of the Final Judgment, narrated in the Gospel of Matthew and depicted in Michelangelo’s famous fresco, is commonly interpreted as a call to charity. However, a closer analysis reveals a surprising perspective: it is not a judgment in the traditional sense but rather a declaration that unveils the reality already lived by each person. The criterion for entering the Kingdom is not religious affiliation but concrete love for the least of our brothers and sisters, who, in the Gospel perspective, represent Christ’s disciples. The primary responsibility of Christians is not merely to do good but to enable others to do so. Moreover, the parable overturns the common understanding of judgment: both the righteous and the wicked express astonishment at the King’s words, indicating that the good done among them was carried out in all naturally and without excessive attention. This suggests that access to eternal life does not depend on moral performance but on the ability to live in love without calculation. The Catechism states that, at the end of time, the Kingdom of God will be fully revealed, transforming humanity and the cosmos into “new heavens and a new earth” (CCC 1042-1044). This hope is rooted in Christ’s promise, calling us to live even now with this perspective—not with performance anxiety, but with the trust that God Himself will transform our humanity into His image and likeness, according to the plan of love that has existed from the beginning. Jesus proclaimed eternal life not as a distant future reality but as a condition already accessible to those who listen to His word and believe in the Father (John 5:24). The Gospel invites us to recognize that eternal life has already begun; it is manifested in the way we live and love, opening ourselves to the transforming presence of God. The true surprise of the Final Judgment will be discovering that God had no expectations of us other than recognizing ourselves fully as His children, already immersed in His eternity. The Hope of Eternal Life Spiritual Exercises 2025 of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia 2. The End of All Judgment (Monday, March 10, 9:00 AM)

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Spiritual Exercises of the Curia: The end of all judgment The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, delivers the second reflection of the 2025 Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia, which is focused on the theme: “The end of all judgment.” Here is a summary: By Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap The parable of the Final Judgment, narrated in the Gospel of Matthew and depicted in Michelangelo’s famous fresco, is commonly interpreted as a call to charity. However, a closer analysis reveals a surprising perspective: it is not a judgment in the traditional sense but rather a declaration that unveils the reality already lived by each person. The criterion for entering the Kingdom is not religious affiliation but concrete love for the least of our brothers and sisters, who, in the Gospel perspective, represent Christ’s disciples. The primary responsibility of Christians is not merely to do good but to enable others to do so. Moreover, the parable overturns the common understanding of judgment: both the righteous and the wicked express astonishment at the King’s words, indicating that the good done among them was carried out in all naturally and without excessive attention. This suggests that access to eternal life does not depend on moral performance but on the ability to live in love without calculation. The Catechism states that, at the end of time, the Kingdom of God will be fully revealed, transforming humanity and the cosmos into “new heavens and a new earth” (CCC 1042-1044). This hope is rooted in Christ’s promise, calling us to live even now with this perspective—not with performance anxiety, but with the trust that God Himself will transform our humanity into His image and likeness, according to the plan of love that has existed from the beginning. Jesus proclaimed eternal life not as a distant future reality but as a condition already accessible to those who listen to His word and believe in the Father (John 5:24). The Gospel invites us to recognize that eternal life has already begun; it is manifested in the way we live and love, opening ourselves to the transforming presence of God. The true surprise of the Final Judgment will be discovering that God had no expectations of us other than recognizing ourselves fully as His children, already immersed in His eternity. The Hope of Eternal Life Spiritual Exercises 2025 of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia 2. The End of All Judgment (Monday, March 10, 9:00 AM)

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The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, delivers the fifth in his series of reflections for the 2025 Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia. You can read a summary of the reflection, entitled ‘Dying or Living?’ below.

By Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap

The real challenge of our journey is not just passing through death but recognizing that eternal life begins here and now. We often deceive ourselves into believing that there are only two categories of people: the living and the dead. The Gospel of John, through the resurrection of Lazarus, challenges this view: the truly dead are not only those who stop breathing but also those trapped by fear, shame, and control. Lazarus, wrapped in burial cloths that restrict his every movement, represents all of us when we allow ourselves to be suffocated by expectations and rigid patterns, losing touch with our inner freedom.

Martha and Mary, confronted with their brother’s death, express a conditional faith: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." (John 11:21). This mindset reflects the idea of a God who should always intervene to spare us pain. But Jesus did not come to eliminate suffering—He came to transform it: “I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). The real question, then, is not whether we will die, but whether we are truly living now, in trust in Christ and His word.

This challenge also appears in the story of the woman with a hemorrhage, who had been suffering for twelve years yet dared to touch Jesus’ cloak in search of healing (Mark 5:25-34). Her condition represents all of humanity: we seek remedies, we seek life, but we often rely on false idols that leave us empty. Only contact with Christ can bring true healing—not just physical but inner healing as well: the ability to trust and to feel welcomed.

Jesus tells her: “Daughter, your faith has saved you (Mark 5:34), showing that salvation is not an external intervention of God but is expressed in our ability to open ourselves to His presence. The same applies to confession and every experience of reconciliation: a mere formal act is not enough—our hearts must rediscover trust in a God who truly wants us to live.

The sign of Lazarus and the healing of the woman with a hemorrhage confront us with a radical question: are we the dying, waiting for the end, or the living, who have already begun to experience resurrection? Eternal life is not just a future reward but a reality we can choose now—by living with freedom, hope, and trust in the God who calls us to fullness.

Spiritual Exercises of the Curia: The first death - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2025-03/spiritual-exercises-of-the-curia-the-first-death.html

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2025 Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia,

Why do we struggle to recognize that eternal life has already begun? The Bible suggests that from the very beginning, human beings have been insensitive and hostile to God's action. The prophets of the Old Testament denounced the people's inability to notice the "new things" that God was accomplishing, while Jesus himself, seeing the lack of understanding in his listeners, spoke in parables. This was not to simplify his message but to highlight the hardness of the human heart, which is closed to the possibility of a full life.

The New Testament describes this condition with a paradoxical statement: we are already dead, but we do not realize it. Death is not only the final event of life (biological death) but also a reality we already experience—through our self-enclosure that prevents us from perceiving life as something eternal that God wants to give us. Genesis narrates this loss of sensitivity through what tradition has called the "original sin": instead of receiving life as a gift, humanity seeks to control it, exceeding the limit set by God. The result is not the autonomy promised by the snake, but a sense of shame and disorientation.

This first "inner death" manifests in our constant attempts to cover our vulnerabilities with images, roles, and successes, rather than confronting the deep emptiness within us. Yet, in the Bible, God does not seem alarmed by this condition: His first reaction is to seek out humanity, asking, "Where are you?" (Gen 3:9). This indicates that inner death is not the end, but the starting point for a journey of salvation.

This logic also appears in the story of Cain and Abel: God does not intervene to prevent fratricide, but He protects Cain from his own guilt. This shows that our "first death" is not an inescapable fate but an opportunity to rediscover eternal life as a present reality, not just a future one. Jesus himself invites us to interpret life's tragedies as opportunities for conversion, not as signs of condemnation (Lk 13:4-5).

God views our inner death not as a defeat, but as the starting point for a new existence. The real obstacle to eternal life is not biological death, but our inability to recognize that we are already immersed in a reality that transcends time—if only we choose to live it with trust and openness to God.

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Spiritual Exercises of the Curia: The second death

The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, delivers the fourth in his series of reflections for the 2025 Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia. You can read a summary of the reflection, entitled 'The second death', below.

By Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap

The Bible describes human history as a tension between the promise of eternal life and the reality of death. Israel, with its loyalty and disloyalty, incarnates this struggle, constantly searching for the promised land. Saint Paul speaks of humanity as dying, but alive (2 Cor 6:9), giving expression to the paradox of existence.

The Prophet Ezechiel describes this condition with his vision of the valley of dry bones (Ez 37): Israel appears as an open-air cemetery, without life or hope. God orders the prophet to speak to the bones, which then re-assemble themselves and clothe themselves again in flesh, but remain without life until the Spirit blows on them.

The Prophet's vision does not just describe the Israelites’ return from exile, but it reflects the human condition: often, we exist without really living. The dry bones symbolise the “first death”, interior death, which is manifested in fear, apathy and the loss of hope. This is what happened to Adam and Eve after they sinned: their body was alive, but separated from God.

Only God’s Spirit can give us authentic life once more. However, there is also a “second death”, often understood to mean eternal damnation, but which can also be seen as biological death. Those who have already overcome the first death – fear, egoism, and the illusion of control – can face the second without terror. Saint Francis of Assisi makes this point in the Canticle of Brother Sun, praising those who embrace death in God.

Revelation affirms that “the victor shall not be harmed by the second death” (Rev 2:11): whoever lives in faith and hope can pass through it without being crushed by it. Ezechiel’s vision teaches us that the resurrection has already begun: God does not wait for us to die to give us eternal life, but offers it to us already in the present, if we welcome his Spirit. The real question is: do we want to remain dry bones, or allow ourselves to be reanimated by true life?

Delivered Tuesday 11th March, 9am.

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Spiritual Exercises of the Curia: Dying or living?

By Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap

The path of salvation is revealed as a spiritual rebirth, illustrated in the Gospel of John through the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus. Jesus states that in order to see the Kingdom of God, one must be “born from above,” a concept that confounds Nicodemus and highlights the necessity of a profound and radical transformation. This change is not easy and often provokes fear, as it requires letting go of certainties and deeply rooted habits.

Jesus explains that this rebirth happens through water and the Spirit—not as a biological return to infancy but as a new openness to the action of the Spirit. Many fear change and cling to past experiences, but true rebirth involves trusting in God and allowing oneself to be led toward unexplored horizons. This journey recalls the Exodus of Israel in the desert, where the people feared death but found salvation by turning their gaze to a sign given by God. Today, the sign of salvation is Christ lifted up on the Cross.

Baptism symbolizes this new life—not as an immediate and visible change but as the beginning of a transformative journey. However, throughout history, the effectiveness of baptism has weakened, often becoming more of a cultural rite than a conscious choice of faith. This has led to a crisis within the Church, in which Christian life appears distant and abstract to many.

Jesus calls for a radical choice: placing the relationship with Him above every other bond—not as a rejection of love for others but as the recognition that true life is found only in God. This requires the courage to “lose one’s life” in the biological and psychological sense, in order to rediscover it in the eternal dimension.

Finally, Jesus uses the metaphor of childbirth to explain that spiritual rebirth is a painful yet necessary passage. Each person is called to emerge from their own “wombs” of origin to embrace the fullness of eternal life. Saint Francis is an example of someone who abandoned all security to fully embrace new life in Christ.

Ultimately, true rebirth is not an illusion but a reality accessible to those who allow themselves to be transformed by the Spirit, already living the promise of eternity in the present moment.

Delivered Wednesday 12th March, 9am.