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Pope Francis told the public that any priest who devotes himself to the “secular” is no better than a “pagan.”
The Roman pontiff told the audience in his sermon on Thursday that “idolatry” is a constant problem among Christians, though not always easily recognizable. The pope argued that “spiritual earthliness,” “pragmatism,” and “functionalism” continued to dilute and corrupt both the clergy and the laity.
“A space of hidden idolatry opens up wherever it exists spiritual earthlinesswhich is “a proposal for life, culture, culture of the ephemeral, of appearance, of cosmetics,” said Pope Francis. He added: “The secular priest is nothing more than a clericalized pagan.”
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The pope explained that the “spiritual secular” is a form of “triumphalism, triumphalism without the cross.”
Pope Francis was greeted by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on arrival at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens, Greece, Saturday, December 4, 2021. (AP Photo / Thanassis Stavrakis)
“Jesus prayed to the Father to protect us from this culture of worldly culture. This temptation of glory without the cross is contrary to the very person of the Lord, it is contrary to Jesus, “said Pope Francis.
The pope also criticized the focus on numbers and figures, saying: “Those who value this hidden idol can be recognized by their love for statistics, numbers that can depersonalize any discussion and attract the majority as the final criterion for recognition; this is not good. This cannot be the only method or criterion for the Church of Christ. “
The latest case of idolatry that the pope mentioned involved “more enthusiasm on the road map than on the road.”
Pope Francis emphasized that an overly functional worldview is forcing the clergy and the faithful to strive for efficiency and functioning instead of hope.
“Functionalist thinking has a short arm for mystery; it aims at efficiency. “Little by little, this idol replaces the presence of the Father in us,” he said.
Pope Francis greets and blesses the children, assisted by the Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary in the Vatican in Paul VI Hall. (Stefano Constantino / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)
Pope Francis was ridiculed by camps on both sides of the cultural rift for his audiences with various politicians.
Last year, the pontiff met with President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Both Biden and Pelosi are proud of their Catholic faith, despite vocal support for a number of policies that contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Both politicians say the pope is friendly and supportive, without mentioning disputes over such issues.
The pope has repeatedly spoken out against gender theory and transsexuality, calling it sinful and the corruption of youth.
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“Young people need to be helped to accept their own body as it was created, because thinking that we enjoy absolute power over our own bodies becomes, often subtly, thinking that we enjoy absolute power over creation. “The pope said in 2015.
He also compared abortion to hiring a “killer” and said the practice was a form of murder.
“Abortion is more than a problem – abortion is murder,” the pope said in September. “Whoever has an abortion kills.”
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