In church, love includes calling each to responsibility, pope says

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy - The community life of the church must be motivated by love, which includes humbly calling each other to responsibility, Pope Benedict XVI said.

The notion of "fraternal correction," he said, "is not a reaction to an offense suffered, but is motivated by love."

Addressing pilgrims gathered in Castel Gandolfo Sept. 4 for the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Benedict discussed the day's Gospel reading about how to handle a member of the community who does wrong.

Jesus said a church member should first point out the problem in private and, if that does not bring a change, approach the person again with two witnesses. If that does not work, take the matter before the community. If the person still does not acknowledge the error, "one must help him perceive the detachment from the community that he himself provoked, separating himself from the communion of the church," the pope said.

"All of this indicates that there is co-responsibility in the journey of the Christian life: Each person, aware of his or her own limits and defects, is called to accept fraternal correction and help others with this particular service," he said.

In the second part of the day's Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," and that what they pray for will be granted.

Pope Benedict said, "Personal prayer certainly is important, in fact, it's indispensable, but the Lord assures his presence in the community that -- even if very small -- is united and unanimous."

The Gospel reminds the church of the importance of love and community "both in fraternal correction, which requires much humility and simplicity of heart, as well as in prayer so that it rises to God from a community truly united in Christ," he said.