Pope warns against corruption of greed

(AGI) Vatican City, June 19 - If man is driven by the urge toaccumulate, wealth will invade the heart, which will "end upcorrupted", said Pope Francis on Friday in his homily deliveredat the Domus Santa Marta, warning of the risks run by thewealthy if they keep it all for themselves. "The Lord blesses aperson who has wealth, he makes him an administrator of thoseriches for the common good," the Pope continued. Unlikestatues, wealth is not static, the pope said. "Wealth tends togrow, move and find a place in man's life and heart. ... Forwhere your treasure is, there also will your heart be, said thePope quoting the words of Jesus. "Do not store up foryourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy,and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures inheaven." Of course, Francis recognised, "the root" cause ofaccumulation "is a desire for security. Yet, the risk of doingit only for oneself and becoming slaves is very high.""Eventually, wealth does not give security forever. Indeed, itcuts down one's dignity." And since it is "within the family"that this happens, it results in "so many divided families."Such "ambition that destroys and corrupts is also at the rootof wars. There are so many wars in our world nowadays becauseof greed for power and wealth. We can think of the war in ourown hearts. Take care to guard against all greed, said theLord. Because greed advances, advances, advances ... It is likea flight of steps, the door opens and enter: vanity. It ends inpride whence come all the vices, all.They are steps but theopening step is greed, the desire to accumulate wealth." ForPope Francis although "accumulating is a human trait" and"doing things and maintaining domain over the world is also amission. An everyday struggle is sound management of theearth's riches, so that they are directed heavenward, andbecome heavenly riches". When "the Lord blesses a personwho has wealth, he makes him an administrator of those richesfor the common good and for the benefit of everybody, not justfor that person," the Pope continued. However, "it is not easyto become an honest administrator because there is always thattemptation of greed, of becoming important. Our world teachesus this and it takes us along that road." The Pope thusrecommends the rich to "think about others and realise thatwhat I own is for the benefit of others and nothing that I havenow can be taken with me. But if I, as an administrator, usewhat the Lord gave me for the common good, this sanctifies me;it will make me a saint." Thus, "it is fine to accumulateriches, it is fine to accumulate treasures but only those thathave value, let us say, in 'the handbag of Heaven'. That iswhere we should be storing them up!" .