Pope Francis News and Quotes: Catholic Church Leader Says People of God Can't Forgive 'Scandalous' Priests Who Make Money Off Church
The Pope recently condemned priests who have turned the church into a business and are attached to money.
The Christian Times reported that Pope Francis said, on Friday, that those priests mistreat peopl,e and God cannot forgive them.
He specifically referred to the charges by the churches, often itemized for each and every aspect of a sacrament, including weddings, baptisms, blessings and other services.
"It is interesting: the people of God can forgive their priests, when they are weak; when they slip on a sin, the people know how to forgive them," he said. "But there are two things that the people of God cannot forgive: a priest attached to money and a priest who mistreats people. This they cannot forgive. It is scandalous."
He cited an example from the Bible and explained that engaging in business inside a templeias not allowed since it is a holy place.
An example of the greed of churches which the Pope shared involved a young couple who went to their parish asking for a wedding during a Mass. Tather than being allowed a single ceremony, however, they were told to pay for two time slots -- the Mass and wedding ceremony.
"It is scandalous when the Temple, the House of God, becomes a place of business, as in the case of that wedding: the church was being rented out," he said, adding that it symbolizes salvation having a price, rather than being free as it should be.
The Vatican has also engaged in business transactions in order to raise money for charity, but the items involved in the raffle were given as gifts to the Pontiff who in turn sold them. Items sold to raise the donation money include a four-wheel-drive Fiat Panda. Other items on the list of 43, whose winners will be announced on Jan. 8, included a Homero Ortega-brand hat, bicycles and an espresso coffee machine.
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