Pope Francis again spoke out against gossip in religious communities. There are communities in which the members “skin each other with their tongues,” Francis explained, according to Kathpress, during a meeting with nuns at the Vatican on Saturday. The head of the church described gossip as a “great evil” and “scourge of consecrated life”. This applies to both women’s and men’s orders.
This scourge is like a woodworm “gradually destroying coexistence and the strength of community life,” declared Francis, himself a Jesuit.
“Bite the Tongue”
However, he knows a good remedy for “babble”: “Bite your tongue, because then your tongue will swell and you will not be able to speak,” said the head of the church.
“Please, no chatter”
He urged the nuns, if they had problems with another person, to either go to their superior or say it straight to that person’s face.
“Please, no gossip – it destroys both community and spiritual life,” Francis said emphatically. The women religious were the Brigittes and Comboni Missionaries who are in Rome for their respective general chapters.
Since the beginning of his pontificate, Francis has repeatedly spoken out against “lobberish” for religious, but also for cardinals. At the entrance of the Apostolic Palace he had hung an icon of the “Vergine del silenzio”. The “Our Lady of the Silence” reminds us of silence and secrecy with her right index finger on her mouth.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
