Pope to church benefactors: We don’t need your blood money
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Version 0 of 1. VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has a message for church benefactors: The church doesn’t want your money if it comes from exploited workers. Francis railed against employers who mistreat and underpay their workers during his general audience Wednesday. It’s a theme the Jesuit pope has frequently emphasized, denouncing how the wealthy exploit the poor and working class for their own profit, often subjecting workers to slave-like conditions. Francis told the crowd in a sunny St. Peter’s Square that when he thinks about church benefactors who offer donations that are “fruit of the blood” of exploited workers, he tells them: “Please, take your checks back and burn them.” He added: “The people of God and the church don’t need dirty money. They need hearts that are open to the mercy of God.” Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |