Pope Francis lamented today that families fight over inheritances and denounced greed as "an illness" for society, since it is behind the war and inequalities, he said during the Sunday Angelus prayer.
"How many brothers and sisters, how many members of the same family unfortunately quarrel, and perhaps no longer speak to each other, because of heredity!"lamented the pontiff when reviewing the Gospel from the window of the Apostolic Palace before dozens of faithful.
Francis defined greed as "unbridled ambition for possessions" and how "a disease that destroys peoplebecause the hunger for possessions is addictive" and converts them into "servants of money".
But, warned, it is also a "dangerous disease" for society: "Because of him, today we have reached other paradoxes, an injustice like never before in history, where a few have a lot and many have little or nothing."lament.
And asked: "Let’s also think about wars and conflicts: the desire for resources and wealth is almost always involved. How many interests are behind a war! Undoubtedly, one of them is the arms trade, a scandal to which we cannot and should not resign ourselves".
The Argentine pontiff explained that behind this phenomenon there is not only "a few powerful or certain economic systems" but greed hides "what is in everyone’s heart".
"Let us ask ourselves: how is my detachment from possessions, from riches? Do I complain about what I lack or am I satisfied with what I have? Am I tempted, in the name of money and opportunity, to sacrifice relationships and time for others?"he questioned.
Because, in his opinion, material goods, money and wealth "can become a cult, a true idolatry".
"Use of riches yes; serving wealth is not: it is idolatry, it is offending God. Brothers, sisters, accumulating material goods is not enough to live well, because – Jesus repeats – life does not depend on what one possesses"he concluded.