Be detached from riches in order to follow Christ, Pope says in Angelus address

October 12, 2015

Pope Francis warned of the dangers of attachment to money in his October 11 Sunday Angelus address.

Commenting on the day’s Gospel reading at Mass (Mk. 10:17-30), the Pope reflected on the rich young man and said that “this youth has a heart divided between two lords: God and money, and he goes away sad. This shows us that faith and attachment to riches cannot coexist.”

“The youth did not allow himself to be conquered by the loving gaze of Jesus and thus he wasn’t able to change,” he continued. “Only in welcoming with humble gratitude the Lord’s love do we free ourselves from the seduction of idols and the blindness of our illusions. Money, pleasure and success dazzle, but later they disappoint: they promise life but cause death. The Lord asks of us a detachment from these false riches to enter into true life, a full life, that is authentic and luminous.”

Following his Angelus address, the Pope decried the terrorist attack in Ankara, Turkey, and noted that October 13 is the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction.

“Unfortunately, we must recognize that the effects of such calamities are frequently aggravated by humanity’s lack of care for the environment,” Pope Francis said to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “I unite myself with all those who, in efforts to be well-prepared, are committed to the protection of our common home, to promote a global and local culture of the reduction of disasters and of a greater resilience against them, harmonizing new knowledge with traditional, and with special attention to the most vulnerable populations.”

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• Angelus Domini 2015.10.11 (Vatican YouTube)
• Le parole del Papa alla recita dell’Angelus (Holy See Press Office)
• Zenit translation