The world needs more forgiveness – Pope Francis

[webfact]

The world needs more forgiveness – Pope Francis

 

Pope visits Assisi for ceremony

 

ASSISI: -- The pope says the world needs more forgiveness as he visited the birthplace of the Franciscan order in Assisi. Francis made a brief visit to the central Italian town for the 800th anniversary of the “Pardon of Assisi”.

 

The ceremony was inaugurated by St Francis to absolve the sins of the poor.

 

The 79-year-old pontiff prayed in a small church that his papal namesake had repaired with his own hands in the early 13th century.

He took his name in homage to the saint.

 

St. Francis was born the son of a prosperous cloth merchant but renounced his wealth to help the poor.

 

Welcomed by pilgrims

Arriving from Rome via helicopter, the pope was welcomed by thousands of people who had waited in the summer heat to welcome him.

He went into the tiny chapel to pray.

 

Francis then abandoned the planned programme to hear the confessions of 19 people, including four scouts.

What the Pope said

 

In his speech, the pope urged the faithful to ask St.Francis to intercede and help them become more forgiving.

He said it was “clearer that the path of forgiveness can truly renew the Church and the world.”

 

“To offer today’s world the witness of mercy is a task from which none of us can feel exempted. The world needs forgiveness; too many people are caught up in resentment and harbour hatred, because they are incapable of forgiving.”

 

“They ruin their own lives and the lives of those around them, rather than finding the joy of serenity and peace.”

 

Tight security

Security was tight around the pope’s brief afternoon trip to the central Italian town.

 

The visit took place a day after Italian police announced they had increased security around the Vatican and religious sites in Rome.

 

Police placed a three-ringed security perimeter around the basilica of St Mary of the Angels in the lower part of Assisi.

 

Thousands of visitors were checked two or three times as they approached the basilica.

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-08-05

[zydeco]

More security for him.  Less security for the peons who must live with his dear little refugees taking over their cities and towns.

[ddavidovsky]

What the world needs is more rational thinking - for example, that blanket forgiveness is a moral hazard and only encourages people to carry on sinning.

[Baerboxer]

Forgiveness - like all those victims, male and female, of the sick Catholic priest pedos and sadistic nutty nuns who abused and made life hell for so many young people. That's a great idea from the man who now heads that organization. Let's relieve poverty as long as the Catholic Church remains vastly wealthy. 

More pearls of wisdom from one of the most corrupt organizations known to man.

[thaibeachlovers]

He could start by living according to the ideals of Christ- sell all that the church has and give it all to the poor. He could also aplogise to the native peoples of South America and the victims of the Inquisition.

I'm not holding my breath.