Quote of the Day

“But of what must the Church despoil herself?“ She must despoil herself today of a very grave danger, which threatens every person in the Church, [which threatens] all: the danger of worldliness. A Christian cannot coexist with the spirit of the world; worldliness that leads us to vanity, to arrogance, to pride. And this is an idol, it’s not God. It’s an idol! And idolatry is the strongest sin!

When the media speaks of the Church, they believe that the Church is the priests, the Sisters, the Bishops, the Cardinals and the Pope. But the Church is all of us, as I said. And all of us must despoil ourselves of this worldliness: the contrary spirit to the spirit of the Beatitudes, the spirit contrary to the spirit of Jesus. Worldliness does evil to us. It’s so sad to meet a worldly Christian, certain – according to him – of that security that gives him faith and certain of the security that the world gives him. One cannot work on both sides. The Church – all of us – must despoil herself of worldliness, which leads her to vanity, pride, which is idolatry.

--Pope Francis, Assisi, Italy, October 4, 2013