Hypocrisy hurts the Church, says Pope

(June 19, 2013) Hypocrisy is bad for the Church. Hypocrites with their boastings bring people on a dead-end street, and moralists with a lot of precepts but without any goodness are also bad for the Church. Pope Francis said this at Mass on Wednesday held at Santa Marta Residence in the Vatican. Referring to a passage from St. Matthew concerning Scribes and Pharisees, the Pope showed the contrast between the two. He said the Pharisees boasted in their prayers and almsgiving, but this is not what Jesus wants. Instead, Jesus wants a Christian to be discreet, not show off. But it does not end here, continued Pope Francis. "In today's Gospel, he observed ,the Lord speaks of fasting, prayer and almsgiving: the three pillars of mercy which the Church proposes to all of us during Lent. But even along this path there are hypocrites, who make a show when fasting, giving alms and in praying.
Instead, the Pope pointed to another character in the Gospel: the publican who prayed with humble simplicity, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am a sinner.” This, the Pope said, “is the prayer we should say every day, knowing that we are sinners.” And this prayer, he assured will help us to follow the right road. The Pope concluded saying we all have the grace that comes from Jesus Christ to take the road opposed to hypocrisy .
The Holy Father concelebrated Mass with Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, the prefect and secretary of the Congregation for Bishops; and with Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia and Bishop Jean Lafitte, the president and secretary of the Pontifical Council of the Family. Members of the Congregation of Bishops and of the Pontifical Council of the Family participated at the Mass.
Source: Sedoc