In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis spoke about the destructive power of scandal and of living a double life. He went even further to say that many Christians today live in this way and thus scandalize others.
POPE FRANCIS
'Scandal is saying one thing and doing another; it is a double life, a double life. A double life in everything: â??I am very Catholic, I always go to Mass, I belong to this association and that one; but my life is not Christian, I donâ??t pay my workers a just wage, I exploit people, I am dirty in my business, I launder moneyâ?¦â?? A double life. And so many Christians are like this.â?
He concluded asking Christians to look inside and not put off conversion 'until tomorrow.â? He asked that they refer to the Gospel and see just how strict the Lord is on this point.
EXCERPTS OF PAPAL HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'Scandal is saying one thing and doing another; it is a double life, a double life. A totally double life: â??I am very Catholic, I always go to Mass, I belong to this association and that one; but my life is not Christian, I donâ??t pay my workers a just wage, I exploit people, I am dirty in my business, I launder moneyâ?¦â?? A double life. And so many Christians are like this, and these people scandalize others. How many times have we heard â?? all of us, around the neighbourhood and elsewhere â?? â??but to be a Catholic like that, itâ??s better to be an atheist.â?? It is that, scandal. You destroy. You beat down. And this happens every day, itâ??s enough to see the news on TV, or to read the papers. In the papers there are so many scandals, and there is also the great publicity of the scandals. And with the scandals there is destruction.â?
Jesus talks, in the Gospel, about those who commit scandal, without saying the world â??scandal,â?? but itâ??s understood: But you will arrive in heaven and you will knock at the gate: â??Here I am, Lord!â?? â?? â??But donâ??t you remember? I went to Church, I was close to you, I belong to this association, I did thisâ?¦ Donâ??t you remember all the offerings I made?â?? â??Yes, I remember. The offerings, I remember them: All dirty. All stolen from the poor. I donâ??t know you.â?? That will be Jesusâ?? response to these scandalous people who live a double life.
'It would be good for all of us, each one of us, today, to consider if there is something of a double life within us, of appearing just, of seeming to be good believers, good Catholics, but underneath doing something else; if there is something of a double life, if there is an excessive confidence: â??But, sure, the Lord will eventually forgive everything, but Iâ??ll keep going as I have beenâ?¦â?? If there is something saying, 'Sure, this is not going well, I will convert, but not today: tomorrow.â?? Letâ??s think about that. And let us profit from the Word of the Lord and consider the fact that on this point, the Lord is very strict. Scandal destroys.â?
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