ROME (CNS) – The sin committed most frequently in Christian parishes and groups is bad-mouthing and backstabbing each other, which not only divides the community, it drives away people who come seeking God, Pope Francis said.
“Truly, this pains me to the core. It’s as if we were throwing stones among ourselves, one against the other. And the devil enjoys it; it’s a carnival for the devil,” he told parishioners in his homily during an evening Mass at a parish on the outskirts of Rome May 21.
Pope Francis told parishioners at the church of San Pier Damiani how important their use of language was. As baptized members of the church, every Christian has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, he said.
People must continue to pray for and safeguard that gift, which includes using a “special language,” not Latin, he said, but something else. “It is a language of tenderness and respect” that is also mirrored in one’s behavior.
“It is so awful to see these people who call themselves Christians, but they are filled with bitterness” or anger, he said in a homily that was off-the-cuff.