Pope: The Church should not be a servant of money, but cultivate trust in God who gives

Pope Francis issued a warning at the Angelus commenting on the Gospel passage of the widow's offering. Appeal for the people of the Horn of Africa suffering because of war. May the example of the martyrs help Christians to remain faithful to their vocation.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Jesus invites us to "liberate the sacred from the bonds of money", following the example of the widow who is not afraid to give all that she has "because she trusts in God's plenty," Pope Francis reminded the faithful at this Sunday's Angelus in St Peter's Square.

Commenting on the passage proposed by the liturgy today, the Pope noted that "the Gospel places before us a stark contrast: the rich, who give their surplus to be seen, and a poor woman who, without appearing, offers all the little she has. Two symbols of human behavoir".

In this way he warns against the sin of "living the faith in duplicity": Jesus invites us to "beware of hypocrites, that is, to be careful not to base our lives on the cult of appearance, of outward show, on the exaggerated care of our own image and, above all, not to bend the faith to our own interests".

Those scribes," said Francis, "used religion to take care of their business, abusing their authority and exploiting the poor. This is the evil of "clericalism, this being above the humble, exploiting them, 'beating down on them' them, feeling perfect".

But," the Pope added, "it is a warning for all times and for everyone, Church and society: never take advantage of one's role to crush others, never make money on the skin of the weakest. Let us ask ourselves: in what we say and do, do we wish to be appreciated and gratified, or do we wish to render a service to God and neighbour, especially the weakest?".

But Jesus also points out the way to heal from this illness, inviting us to look at the poor widow. He denounces "the exploitation of this woman who, in order to make the offering, must return home deprived of even the little she has to live on". He recalls the importance of "freeing the sacred from bonds with money" which is "a master we must not serve".

At the same time, however, he shows the greatness of the example of this widow who nevertheless throws everything she has into the treasury. "She has nothing left," commented Francis, "but she finds her everything in God. She is not afraid of losing the little she has, because she trusts in God's abundance, and this abundance of God multiplies the joy of those who give".

This woman "does not go to the temple to clear her conscience, she does not pray to be seen, she does not flaunt her faith, but she gives with her heart, with generosity and gratuitousness. Her coins express a life dedicated to God with sincerity, a faith that does not live on appearances but on unconditional trust. Let us learn from her".

After the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Francis launched an appeal for the region of the Horn of Africa, in particular for Ethiopia, shaken for more than a year by a conflict that has caused many victims and a serious humanitarian crisis: "I invite everyone to pray for those populations so harshly tried, and I renew my appeal that fraternal harmony and the peaceful path of dialogue may prevail".

The Pontiff then also recalled the victims of the fire caused by the explosion of a fuel depot in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Finally, recalling the three Capuchin friars martyred during the Spanish Civil War and beatified yesterday in Manresa, he hoped that "their example will help Christians today to remain faithful to their vocation, even in moments of trial".

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