Pope Francis on Thursday invited worshippers to stay "calm" when children are a bit noisy during Mass as theirs is "the voice of innocence that benefits all of us".
In his sermon during Mass at the Santa Marta guesthouse excerpts of which were broadcast by Vatican Radio, the pontiff said children should be allowed to be noisy, "because a child's sermon in church is much more beautiful than that of a priest, of a bishop and a pope".
The pontiff also called on members of the Church to be coherent and practice what they preach.
"How many times in the Church we hear certain things: how many times! 'But that priest, that man, that woman from Catholic Action, that bishop, that pope say: 'You must do this!' and they do the opposite.
This is the scandal that wounds people and does not let God's people grow and move forward".
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