Pope Francis Says No to ‘Dirty Money’ Donated to Church
Pope Francis has distinguished himself as a progressive thinker in the Catholic Church and he recently dismissed the ill-gotten alms from individuals who are simply trying to sate their guilty conscience by donating a small slice of their wealth to the Church.
According to a transcript from Aleteia, the Pope spoke for the underprivileged sector of the community as he said, "I think of some of the benefactors of the Church who come with the offering: 'Take this offering for the Church.' It is the fruit of the blood of so many people who have been exploited, abused, and enslaved with poorly paid work."
"I will say to these people: 'Please, take back your check and burn it!'" Francis explained passionately to his General Audience on Wednesday, according to a report from Breitbart.
With the Lenten season ongoing, the Pope encouraged almsgiving, although he added that it's important to keep in mind to donate money with a "pure heart." His rhetoric came after an Isaiah reading that explained God's dissatisfaction and disapproval at the sacrifices that are tainted with the blood of other people.
"The people of God, the Church, doesn't need blood money; it needs hearts that are open to God's mercy," Pope Francis concluded in the Aleteia report. "We have to approach God with hands that have been washed, by avoiding evil and practicing good and justice."
It's not unusual for the religious leader to be outspoken about his beliefs. After his much-publicized visit to Mexico, where he prayed with a wide variety of people, Pope Francis talked about United States Republican candidate Donald Trump, a report from Yahoo revealed.
"Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian," he said about Trump's anti-immigrant sentiment. Francis added that he won't "meddle" but that Trump's words show that he's "not a Christian."
Pope Francis continues to visit various countries around the world. His next stop will be Pakistan, according to a recent report from Indian Express. The last time the head of the Vatican went to the country was during Pope John Paul II's visit in 1981.
Now, Pope Francis is gearing up for his own trip there within the year after being invited by Ports and Shipping Minister Kamran Michael and Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yusuf. He also offered prayers to the country and all of the Pakistani people who have become victims to widespread terrorism. Only 1.6 percent of Pakistan are Christians, but it's still a considerably large group of 2.8 million people.