Pope Francis pledged on Sunday to forge ahead with reforms within the Church, while decrying “deplorable” leaks over uncontrolled spending by the Vatican.
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Pope Francis said he is filled with so much joy when nuns and priests tell him about their decades of humble service, for example, as a missionary in the Amazon or as health care providers in Africa or for the disabled.
“Jesus today tells us that the measure for judging is not quantity, but fullness”, the pope said.
Underlining the importance of caring for the poor – who know well the suffering and face of Christ, the pope asked God to protect the church in Italy from all forms of power, facades and money.
Exploring those two themes further, Pope Francis insisted that Christians must not remain “shut up within structures that give a false sense of security, within rules that make us harsh judges”. And how many priests, bishops we have seen like this.
After making a brief stop in the nearby city of Prato, Francis paid a visit to the baptistery of the Florence cathedral, before meeting with the thousands gathered inside.
The pope will also discuss climate change when he meets with diplomats at the United Nations Environment Program headquarters in the Gigiri area of Nairobi, which will come a few days before the United Nations climate change conference in Paris, said Esipisu.
“Therefore I thank you and ask you to continue to pray for the Pope and for the church, without losing peace, but moving forward with faith and hope”, he added.
Standing at a lectern beneath a stunning painted dome ceiling representing the Last Judgment, the pope said the beatitudes indicate whether the church is following its mission or is only thinking of protecting its own interests.
Christians are called to go out and serve others, not live a sheltered, comfortable life just serving themselves, Pope Francis said in a homily.
They met with Pope Francis Tuesday during his daytrip to the city.
Pope Francis said that he would like to see an Italian Church that is “restless…always closer to the abandoned, to the forgotten, to the imperfect”.
While in Prato, Francis venerated the “Girdle of Thomas”, a piece of cloth believed to be the sacred belt (Sacra Cintola) of the Virgin Mary.
The 2013 fire broke out at night in the clothing factory where the five men and two women were sleeping.
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“The life of every community requires that we fight the cancer of corruption, the cancer of human and labor exploitation and the poison of illegality”, he said to applause from the crowd, which was dotted by Chinese flags and banners.
