>>>ANSA/ Pope berates corrupt Christians living ‘double life’

Posted on 12 November 2013 by admin

>>>ANSA/ Pope berates corrupt Christians living ‘double life'” src=”http://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/wpid-5ad88f2c43e01b4a235a381a9c85ee32.jpg”> (By Sandra Cordon) (ANSA) – Vatican City, November 11 – Pope Francis used his international pulpit on Monday to condemn corruption and greed, and Christians who lead a “double life” by appearing sincere on the surface to disguise deception and dishonesty. <P>In a homily during Mass at St. Martha’s House, the guesthouse inside the Vatican where the pope lives, he condemned individuals who appear to give to the Church with one hand, but with the other hand steal from the State and deprive the poor.</P><P>Such a person is deceitful, and “where there is deceit, the Spirit of God cannot be,” said Francis. They can inflict great damage because of their “double life” which is too often caused by worldliness, or a love of the things of the world, he added, quoting from the gospel.</P><P>“And Jesus says: It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea,” said Francis.</P><P>The pope contrasted sinners, who are capable of repentance and reform, with the corrupt who he said are too worldly and proud to seek forgiveness.</P><P>The pope added that Jesus compared such corrupt individuals with tombs that have been painted white – so these may appear fresh and clean on the outside, but inside are filled with dead bones and rot. “We should all call ourselves sinners”, Francis said, but those who are corrupt do not understand humility and cannot repent. “Today we ask the grace of the Holy Spirit who runs away from every deception, ask for the grace to recognize ourselves as sinners, (for) we are sinners. “Sinners, yes. Corrupt, no”.</P><P>These remarks follow the pope’s condemnation last week of corruption and the harm it inflicts on the poor and vulnerable in society.</P><P>And they build on a broader approach taken by the reform-minded Jesuit from Argentina.</P><P>Since his election in March, Francis has been taking steps to address the alleged Vatican dysfunction, cronyism and corruption exposed by the Vatileaks case, ringing the changes at the scandal-plagued Vatican bank and openly saying he had to contend with competing factions including a gay lobby.</P><P>Francis has taken particular aim at the injustices of the modern globalised economy and lamented the suffering of migrants, especially the large numbers who die while trying to reach a better life in Europe – often, landing first by boat in southern Italy.</P><P>In remarks on Friday and again on Monday, the pope directed his indignation at graft and corruption so apparent in modern life, citing among other things white-collar criminals and the corrupt, whose gains often kept within the family.</P><P>“Those who take kickbacks have lost their dignity and give their children dirty bread”.</P><P>Corruption, the pope added, was as “habit-forming” as a drug and said he would pray “that the Lord may change the hearts of those who worship the kickback god”.</P><P>The pontiff also warned that parents who feed their children on the proceeds of bribery and corruption are “starving them” of dignity, “because dishonest work robs us of our dignity”.</P></p> <p><a href=View the original article here

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