Pope Francis has criticized priests and laypeople who turn their parishes into a "business" by charging for baptisms, blessings, and Mass intentions.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines reported on its news website that the pope said in a homily last Friday that the practice is scandalous.

 

“It is interesting: 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,” Pope Francis is quoted in the report as saying.

 

“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! It is scandalous.”

 

The Pope also observed how many parishes have a price list readily available for services offered by the Church. 

 

“I think of how our attitude can scandalize people with unpriestly habits in the Temple: The scandal of doing business, the scandal of worldliness,” the pope said. — Bianca Rose Dabu/JDS, GMA News