Pope Francis marks Assisi visit with call for church to shun worldliness
During visit to Assisi where Saint Francis lived in 12th century, pontiff says worldliness leads to vanity, arrogance and pride
Reuters in Assisi
theguardian.com, Friday 4 October 2013 07.41 EDT
The Roman Catholic church, from the lowliest priest to the pontiff himself, must strip itself of all vanity, arrogance and pride and humbly serve the poorest members of society, Pope Francis has said.
The pope’s appeal, made in the central Italian town of Assisi where his namesake Saint Francis lived in the 12th century, comes amid a drive by Francis to turn around a church plagued by financial and sexual abuse scandals.
Saint Francis is revered by Catholics and many other Christians for his simple values, poverty and love of nature, qualities the Argentinian-born Francis has made the keynote of his papacy since his election in March.
“This is a good occasion to invite the church to strip itself of worldliness,” he said in a room that marks the spot where Saint Francis stripped naked as a young man, renounced his wealthy family and set out to serve the poor.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/04/pope-francis-assisi-church-worldliness