Francis: “A Rich Church is an Old, Lifeless Church”

La Stampa-Vatican Insider ^ | 6/11/13 | Vatican Insider Staff

[marshmallow]

This was Francis’ main message in this morning’s homily for the mass in St. Martha’s House, as reported by “Vatican Radio”. After the mass he tweeted: “We must not be afraid of solidarity; rather let us make all we have and are available to God.”

If the focus is on making the Church “rich”, then the Church will grow “old” and “lifeless” the Pope said in this morning’s mass in St. Martha’s House, which he co-celebrated with Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller. Priests and staff from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith also attended. The Pope urged faithful to proclaim the Gospel with “simplicity” and “freely”. He reiterated the Church is not an NGO and underlined that poverty “is one of the signs of this gratuity."

“St. Peter did not have a bank account, and when he had to pay taxes, the Lord sent him to the sea to catch fish and find the money in the fish, to pay,” Pope Francis said, recalling the style of the primitive Church.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Well, Jesus Perez is a graduate student in Public Health here. Bright kid, nice kid. His mother is horrified that he dresses like a bum. Long story. Kinda Franciscan -— but at least he doesn’t go naked!