Pope Francis warns many Catholics 'have one foot out the door.' Are YOU one of them?!

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
6/6/2014 (3 years ago)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)

Pope Francis had tough love for lukewarm Catholics during his morning Mass on Friday, warning that those who do not adhere to Church teaching have already started to exit the Church.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "Many people say they belong to the Church," Pope Francis said, but they have "only one foot inside," he warned. Pope Francis was speaking about Catholics who pick and choose doctrine and interpret things according to their personal preferences are not full Catholics.

The homily was inspired by the Gospel of John 17:20-26 which said there would be unity as opposed to division between Disciples of Christ. Pope Francis warned however that there are three kinds of Catholics who use the Church as a "rental property" as opposed to a church.

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"For these people, the Church is not a home," he said.

Pope Francis spoke about "uniformists," "alternativists" and "businessists."

Uniformists are rigid and they confuse the teachings of Christ with their "own doctrine of uniformity." They allow no room for diversity. "They are rigid! They do not have that freedom the Holy Spirit gives," he explained. That attitude of rigidity distances them from the Church and the teachings of Christ.

The alternativists interpret Church doctrine to fit their preferences and according to Pope Francis they have "a partial belonging to the Church. These too have one foot outside the Church." These believers were "renting" the Church in his words.

Finally, Pope Francis criticized businessists, Christians who use the Church for personal profit without entering "into the heart of the Church." "We have all seen them in parish or diocesan communities and religious congregations; they are some of the benefactors of the church. They strut around proud of being benefactors, but in the end, under the table, make their deals," he said.

Instead, Christians must enter into the Church and lone one another with 'their whole heart." Doing so sometimes means putting aside personal preferences and interpretations and opening one's heart to the true Gospel message.

By becoming "docile" we open ourselves to the spirit and docility is "a virtue that saves us."

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For those who have Responsibility in Economic Matters. That economists may have the courage to reject any economy of exclusion and know how to open new paths.