Pope to Priests: Those who waste their energy in vanity do so much harm to the Church
Pope Francis explained just why priests must always renew their relationship with Jesus. As he celebrated Mass with a group of Italian priests, he explained that those who don't take care of their faith, risk becoming so called 'greasy.'
POPE FRANCIS
"We are anointed by the Spirit and when a priest distances himself from Jesus Christ he can lose this anointing. He essentially already has it... but still he loses it. Instead of being anointed with Holy oil, he ends up being "greasy.” These "greasy” priests cause so much harm to the Church! Those who put their energies into artificial things, into vanity, or in a specific attitude and 'cute' type of language.”
The Pope added that in the end vanity leads to idolatry. He also added that a true relationship with Christ breaks away all those risks.
SUMMARY OF POPE'S MASS
"We are united through the Spirit and when a priest distances himself from Jesus Christ, instead of being annointed [unto], he ends up becoming unctuous [untuoso]”. "How much unctuous priests harm the Church! Those who place importance and power in artificial things, in vanities, those who have an affected attitude and way of speaking. How many times do we hear with dismay: but this is a priest?; he seems more like a butterfly because he is always fluttering about vanities and he does not have a relationship with Jesus Christ: he has lost the annointing; he is unctuous”.
"We are good priests if we go to Jesus Christ, if we seek the Lord in prayer: the prayer of intercession, the prayer of adoration. If instead we distance ourselves from Jesus Christ, we have to compensate for this with other worldly attitudes. But the priest adores Jesus Christ, the priest speaks with Jesus Christ, the priest seeks Jesus Christ and allows himself to be sought by Jesus Christ. This is the centre of our lives. If we do not have this, we lose everthing! And then what shall we give to the people?”
"We have asked that the mysetery which we celebrate, the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ among us, might increase each day. We asked for this grace: that our relationship with Jesus Christ ... might grow in us”.
"It is beautiful to find priests who have given their lives as priests. Priests of whom the people say: But yes, he has a bit of a temper, he’s got this and that, but he is a priest! And the people have a nose about these things! Instead, when the people see ‘idolatrous’ priests, to say it in a word, who instead of having Jesus have their little idols - some are devotees of the god of Narcissus - they say: poor things! It is a relationship with Jesus Christ that saves us from worldliness and from the idolatry that makes us unctuous.
Source: Vatican Radio