Pope tells priests: practice what you preach
April 15, 2013 08:27
Pope Francis has told priests to practice what they preach, saying the church's credibility was on the line.
During a Mass to formally take possession of one of the Vatican basilicas in Rome, Francis said ordinary Catholics need to "see in our actions what they hear from our lips."
Francis has made himself an example of a more humble and frugal church by refusing many of the trappings of the papacy, living in the Vatican hotel rather than the Apostolic Palace and wearing a simple white cassock of the papacy rather than
fancy vestments and capes for formal occasions that his
predecessors wore.
"Inconsistency on the part of pastors and the faithful between what they say and what they do, between word and
manner of life, is undermining the church's credibility," he said.
Toward that end, Francis yesterday took the first step toward following through on calls from cardinals that the Vatican be more responsive to the needs of the church on the ground, creating a group of eight cardinals from around the globe to advise him on running the church and reforming the Vatican bureaucracy.
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