The tongue is like an ‘atomic bomb,’ says Francis.
During his visit to Viterbo’s Saint Crispin parish on March 3, Pope Francis preached on the manifold dangers when one criticizes others, forgetting one’s own shortcomings.[/tweetit] He said “Speaking ill of others, you start a war.” The pontiff equated the human tongue to an atomic bomb when it came to destruction. He made these observations during the Roman church’s gospel reading on Sunday where he read out from the Bible how Jesus requested those who followed him to remove the beam out of their own before taking it from others. The pope preached to the faithful that it is much more vital to be aware of personal faults than nitpicking the supposed faults of others.
Pope Francis Warns About the Dangers of Gossip[/tweetthis]
Francis also had a homily for those who think they have no faults. One should discover their faults now rather than in purgatory. He continued in this vein, lamenting that people are specialists on the matter of locating faults present in others but not within themselves. The pontiff warned this goes back to the beginning of original sin, and speaking ill of others “sows discord, sows enmity, sows evil.” This is the reason Jesus said that before one speaks badly of others, a person should take a mirror to see one’s reflection.
"Gossip does not solve anything. It makes things worse. It leads you to war"
– Pope Francis— M. Ashaq Malik (@ashaqraza) March 4, 2019
During his homily, he referenced Lent's arrival, which starts on March 6. He advised those who follow Lent to utilize this time to reflect on how they will treat others. The pontiff assured that if Catholics reach Easter after they improve in this subject, then Christ’s Resurrection will be much greater and beautiful among the faithful.