Pope Francis - A religious leader for the times

Pope Francis trashes the 'prosperity gospel': Pompous Christians are ugly pagans (Click on this heading to read more)

By Eric W. Dolan
Wednesday, December 18, 2013 11:25 EST

At his weekly General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis urged Christians to imitate Jesus Christ by being humble and "small among the small."

"It is an ugly thing," he said, according to Vatican Radio, "when you see a Christian who doesn't want to humble himself, who doesn't want to serve, a Christian who struts about everywhere: it's ugly, eh? That is not a Christian: that's a pagan!"

He warned Christians against placing themselves above others and called on the faithful to be in solidarity with the poor.

"Jesus Himself reminds us: He who has fed, welcomed, visited, loved one of the smallest and poorest of people, has done it for the Son of God," the pope said.