Pope
Francis in a sermon today in Rome said, Christians who exploit people,
lead a double life and get involved in "dirty business," scandalize the
church,In fact, it might be better just to be an atheist, and so many
Christians are like this, and these people scandalize others, but to be a
Catholic like that, it's better to be an atheist. It is that, scandal.
You destroy. You beat down, he said.
According
to Vatican Radio. Examples of such scandals abound, the Pope said,
adding that they destroy the church and the guilty Christian from
within.
He
imagines a wealthy Christian knocking at the gates of heaven and
saying, "Here I am, Lord! I went to Church, I was close to you, I belong
to this association, I did this. Don't you remember all the offerings I
made?" To which Jesus may reply, according to the Pope: "Yes, I
remember. The offerings, I remember them: All dirty. All stolen from the
poor. I don't know you.' That will be Jesus' response to these
scandalous people who live a double life."
Thursday's
sermon is far from the first time Francis has targeted Christian
hypocrites. In a sermon last February, the outspoken pope called out the
"fakeness" of some Christians, who talk piously, but do nothing to help
others.
"To be a
Christian means to do the will of God and on the last day because all of
us we will have one that day what shall the Lord ask us? Will He say:
'What you have said about me?' No. He shall ask us about the things we
did." It isn't the first time the Pope has mentioned atheists, either.
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