Pope Francis warned the 17 bishops he had just elevated to the office of cardinal to beware of the virus of polarization that leads people to target others of different races, nationalities or faiths. He specifically asked them to be on guard against such evils creeping into the Church. “We are not immune to this,” he said.
From CBS News:
Pope Francis warned against what he called a “virus of polarization” and hostility in the world targeting people of different nationalities, races or beliefs, as he led a ceremony Saturday giving the Roman Catholic Church 17 new cardinals from six continents.
Francis used his homily to also caution the new “princes of the church,” as cardinals are sometimes called, to guard against animosity creeping into the church as well, saying “we are not immune from this.”
The pope spoke of “our pitiful hearts that tend to judge, divide, oppose and condemn” and cautioned somberly against those who “raise walls, build barriers and label people.”
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