God can’t forgive 2 things: A priest or pastor attached to money and who mistreats people

  If there’s anyone who targets the wrong practices in the Catholic church, it’s Pope Francis himself who’s in the forefront of reformation.

  According to Vatican Radio, he made it amply clear last week that people will forgive a weak priest or pastoral minister, but they will not forgive a greedy one or one who mistreats people. He doesn't end there. He also advises laity to point out corruption and business in the church without any fear or consternation.   

 The people of God can forgive their priests, when they are weak; when they slip on a sin ... the people know how to forgive them. But there are two things that the people of God cannot forgive: a priest attached to money and a priest who mistreats people. This they cannot forgive!    

Jesus "is not angry". It is the Wrath of God, zeal for the House of God because you cannot serve two masters, either you worship the living God, or your worship money,  Pope said at a Mass as he marked the feast of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary last week. That said, majority of priests are good and serve the Lord with all their heart and might. But there’re some black sheep among them also. I think what Pope said is also true for protestant pastors as well. A pastor should not use church to make money and conduct business.

 Why does Jesus have an issue with money? Because redemption is free; it is God’s free gift, He comes to brings us the all-encompassing gratuity of God’s love. So when the Church or churches start doing business, then it is said that -- salvation is not so free. This is why Jesus takes the whip to hand to carry out this act of the purification of the Temple, Vatican Radio said quoting Pope.

  Soon after Pope Francis was ordained priest many years ago, he was with a group of college students and one couple wanted to get married. They went to a parish, but they wanted a wedding ceremony with the Mass. And, the parish secretary there said: “No, no, you cannot. Why can’t we have a Mass? If the Council always recommends people to have a ceremony with the Mass.”

  “No, you cannot, because it can’t last more than 20 minutes,” the secretary said.

 “But why?” the couple asked.

  “Because there are other slots (in the timetable for ceremonies),” he said.

  “But, we want the Mass,” the couple said.

 “So you will have to pay for two slots,” the parish secretary said.

  So in order to have a wedding ceremony with the Mass had to pay two slots. This is the sin of scandal, Pope Francis said.

  It is scandalous when the Temple, the House of God, becomes a place of business, as in the case of that wedding, the church was being rented out.

 "People are good. People went to the Temple and did not look at these things, they sought God and prayed but they had to change their money into coins to make offers. The people of God did not go to the Temple for these people, for those who were selling things, they went because it was the Temple of God," Pope said. But there was corruption that scandalized the people.

 How often when we enter a church do we see, even today, signs of business? Do we see a price list hanging there for baptism, blessings, Mass intentions? People are scandalized.

  We should have the courage to point out corruption and business in the church. "When those who are in the Temple – be they priests, lay people, secretaries, but who manage the Temple, who ministry of the Temple - become businessmen, people are scandalized. And we are responsible for this. The laity too! Everyone,” Pope says.

  A church should not be a place to conduct business. If we see this in our parishes, we should have the courage to say these things to the parish priest, he said. It is scandalous when the Temple, the House of God, becomes a place of business, as in the case of that wedding: the church was being rented out”.