Pope: Benefactors of the Church who steal from the State and the poor, are "corrupt", painted “rot”
Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - Pope: Benefactors of the Church who steal from the State and the poor, are "corrupt", painted "rot". Pope Francis once again condemned those who lead a "double life", "pretending to be Christian" and wounding the Church at Mass this morning at Casa Santa Marta . The Pope was inspired by today's Gospel , where Jesus asks us to forgive seven times a day . Jesus "never tires of forgiving", but Francis showed, in this Gospel passage he also says "woe unto him through whom scandals occur" and adds that "it would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin".
As reported by Vatican Radio, the
Pope pointed out that Jesus does not speak of sin, but of scandal. But
what's the difference "between sin and scandal?". "The
difference is that those who sin, repent and seek forgiveness, they feel weak, they
feel themselves to be God's children and so humble themselves and seek
salvation from Jesus. But those others
who cause scandal? They do not repent.
They continue to sin, but pretend to be Christian: A double life. A Christian
with a double life is a bad, very bad thing.
'But I'm a benefactor of the Church! I put my hand in my pocket and give
to the Church'. But with your other hand, you steal: from the state, the poor
... you steal. This is unjust. This is leading a double life. And this
deserves - Jesus says, not me - that a millstone be put around their neck and
they be thrown into the sea. There is nothing about forgiveness, here. "
And
this "because this person deceives" and "where there is deceit,
there is no room for the Spirit of God. This is the difference between being sinful
and corrupt". People
who "lead a double life are corrupt". People
who sin are different, because they do not want to sin but are weak and they "go
to the Lord" and ask for forgiveness": The Lord loves these people!
He accompanies them, is with them".
"And
we must call ourselves sinners, yes, everyone here, eh , we all are. Corrupt,
no. The corrupt are stuck in a state of self-sufficiency, they do not know what
humility is. Jesus said of these corrupt: '
They have the beauty of whitewashed tombs ' , which look beautiful on the
outside , but inside are full of dead bones and rottenness . And a Christian
who claims to be Christian, but does not live as a Christian , is one of these
corrupt .
[...] We all know someone who is in this situation and how much they wound the
Church! Corrupt Christians, corrupt priests ... how much bad they do the Church
, because they do not live according to the spirit of the Gospel, but the
spirit of the world".
St.
Paul , the Pope recalled, clearly says in his Letter to the Romans : "Do
not align yourselves to this world." Indeed,
the "original text is stronger" because it says "do not become part of
the patterns of this world, living according to the parameters of this
world." Patterns
that "this worldliness forces you to lead a double life". "Painted
rot: this is the life of the corrupt . And Jesus did not simply say: ' sinners
' to them, he called them, ' hypocrites'. And that's a great, that one, is not it? And if he wrongs you seven times in
one day and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,' you should forgive
him'. This is what He does with sinners . He never
gets tired of forgiving, only under the condition that you do not want to lead this
double life,
that you go to Him repentant : ' Forgive me, Lord , I am a sinner ! ' . ' But ,
go on, go on : I know .' This is the Lord. Let us ask today for the grace of
the Holy Spirit to keep us from all deceit, let us ask for the grace to
recognize ourselves as sinners, we are sinners. Sinners, yes. Corrupt , no. "
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