Pope Francis too busy cleaning house to attend gala concert in his honor

Pope Francis flexed his papal muscles yesterday by skipping a concert where he was to be the guest of honor. Instead of being entertained, he spent his time working and said that bishops should not have "the mentality of a prince."

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) - The classical concert was scheduled in March, before his election, but he was still to be the guest of honor. However instead of performing for the Holy Father, the musicians played before a great white, empty chair.

Minutes before the start of the concert, a spokesperson entered and told the crowd that an "urgent commitment that cannot be postponed" detained Pope Francis and was preventing him from attending.

The crowd was assured that health was not the reason for the no-show.

The actual reason is that Pope Francis was working and he does not care much for concerts and other entertainments. The day before, he admonished this bishops to be "close to the people" and not to have "the mentality of a prince."

Meanwhile, it is believed that Pope Francis was spending his time working on new appointments for the Curia.

The Curia needs change since this is where scandal appears to have rooted within the Vatican, although details remain murky. Pope Francis has dedicated his first months in office to reorganizing the Curia to operate in a manner he feels is most consistent with the mission of the Church.

These changes are expected to occur within the next few months.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis continues to eschew the limelight and privilege of the papacy, being far more contented to live a simple life of labor and love. He continues to reside in a Vatican guesthouse, eats his meals in a common area, and does not use a private chapel for Mass.

Pope Francis is something of a maverick, but he is decidedly what the Church needs. Clearly, the Cardinals of the Church listened to the voice of God and Francis was elected for a reason. His most recent no-show wasn't a publicity stunt, but rather a genuine sign of how hard he is working for all of us.

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