Francis condemns corruption and the thirst for power

Francisco while blessing the palms

Pope Francis celebrated the mass of Palm Sunday, that initiates the rites of Holy week, a day after meeting with his predecessor, the Emeritus Pope Benedicto XVI. During the homily, Francis condemned “the thirst for power and corruption”.

“We need to look around us: how many wounds inflicts the evil to mankind!” Wars, violence, economic conflicts that afflict the weakest;  the thirst for money, power, corruption, divisions, crimes against human life and creation”, said the Supreme Pontiff after commemorating the week of the passion and death of Jesus.

Boasting  once more of  his spontaneity and simplicity Francisco recalled what he learned in his childhood about greed. “My grandmother used to say, children and grave clothes have no pockets, a reference to the saying that nothing material can be taken  to the other world.”

After the ceremony, the Supreme Pontiff traveled the square in his modern “Popemobile”, where he caressed the children and waved to the nearly 250,000 parishioners assembled there.