Papal Bull“Spes Non Confundit"
"(Hope does not disappoint)”
Some excerpts from Paragraph 1
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For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the “door” of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as “our hope”.
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In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.
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May the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. God’s wordhelps us find reasons for that hope.
Some excerpts from Paragraph 2
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Hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
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The Church of Rome was not founded by Paul, yet he felt impelled to hasten there in order to bring to everyone the Gospel of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead, a message of hope that fulfils the ancient promises, leads to glory and, grounded in love, does not disappoint.
Some excerpts from Paragraph 3
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Hope is born of love and based on the love springing from the pierced heart of Jesus upon the cross.
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The Holy Spirit illumines all believers with the light of hope. He keeps that light burning, like an ever-burning lamp, to sustain and invigorate our lives. Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God’s love.
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As Saint Augustine observes: “Whatever our state in life, we cannot live without these three dispositions of the soul, namely, to believe, to hope and to love.”
Some excerpts from Paragraph 4
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Saint Paul is a realist. He knows that life has its joys and sorrows, that love is tested amid trials, and that hope can falter in the face of suffering. Even so, he can write: “We boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3-4).
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Beyond the darkness, we glimpse a light: we come to realize that evangelization is sustained by the power flowing from Christ’s cross and resurrection. In this way, we learn to practice a virtue closely linked to hope, namely patience.
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A renewed appreciation of the value of patience could only prove beneficial for ourselves and for others. Saint Paul often speaks of patience in the context of our need for perseverance and confident trust in God’s promises.