--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At this time of crisis we cannot be…" description: "\"At this time of crisis we cannot be concerned solely with ourselves, withdrawing into loneliness, discouragement and a sense of powerlessness in the fa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/pope-francis-85_church_at-this-time-of-crisis-we-cannot-be-conc_1221189.png" --- # At this time of crisis we cannot be concerned solely with… ![“At this time of crisis we cannot be concerned solely with ourselves, withdrawing into loneliness, discouragement and a sense of powerlessness in the face of problems. Please do not withdraw into yourselves! This is a danger: we shut ourselves up in the parish, with our friends, within the…” quote by Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/pope-francis-85_church_at-this-time-of-crisis-we-cannot-be-conc_1221189.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/pope-francis-85_church_at-this-time-of-crisis-we-cannot-be-conc_1221189.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2c/pope-francis-85_church_at-this-time-of-crisis-we-cannot-be-conc_1221189.png) > “At this time of crisis we cannot be concerned solely with ourselves, withdrawing into loneliness, discouragement and a sense of powerlessness in the face of problems. Please do not withdraw into yourselves! This is a danger: we shut ourselves up in the parish, with our friends, within the movement, with the like-minded... but do you know what happens? When the Church becomes closed, she becomes an ailing Church, she falls ill! That is a danger. . . .A Church closed in on herself is the same, a sick Church.” [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns that isolation and self‑absorption weaken the Church, urging communal engagement to stay healthy and vibrant. **In simple terms:** Isolation harms the community; stay connected. Key Takeaway Engage with others, avoid withdrawing. Themes community faith solidarity responsibility health Mood concerned hopeful Type advisory spiritual When to use this quote - parish meetings - social activism - interfaith dialogue - volunteering - support groups Key Concepts Ecclesiology social cohesion spiritual vitality Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance personal reflection with community involvement? - What risks arise when a group becomes too insular? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on community can suppress individual needs and dissent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Discouragement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discouragement/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Missions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missions/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Powerlessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerlessness/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Times of crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-of-crisis/) ## Related quotes > [The best remedy for a sick church is to put it on a missionary diet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livingstone/the-best-remedy-for-a-sick-church-is-to-put-it-on-a-missionary-diet/) [David Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livingstone/) > [I don't know how you feel, but I'm pretty sick of church people. 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Whatever we are doing will always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thaddeus-golas/whatever-we-have-done-in-withdrawing-from-full-consciousness-of-the/) [Thaddeus Golas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thaddeus-golas/) > [Humility sets us free to do what is really good, by showing us our illusions and withdrawing our will from what was only an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/humility-sets-us-free-to-do-what-is-really-good-by-showing-us-our/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If you overcome your fear to ask someone for a date, a raise, or help with a project, that is an act of self-assertiveness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/if-you-overcome-your-fear-to-ask-someone-for-a-date-a-raise-or-help/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [We fill the hands and nurseries of our children with all manner of dolls, drums and horses, withdrawing their eyes from the plain face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-fill-the-hands-and-nurseries-of-our-children-with-all-manner-of/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Pope Francis > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Most people nowadays would not consider love as related in any way to truth. 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Please join me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-pray-every-day-for-all-who-are-suffering-in-iraq-please-join-me/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I entrust this Twenty-second World Day of the Sick to the intercession of Mary. I ask her to help the sick to bear their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-entrust-this-twenty-second-world-day-of-the-sick-to-the/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Certain realities in life are only seen through eyes that are cleansed through our tears. Let us learn how to weep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/certain-realities-in-life-are-only-seen-through-eyes-that-are/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) [Explore all 1,479 Pope Francis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. 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