(See related) Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco agrees with Pope Francis that sacraments must never be traded for money, a spokesman for the head of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) said Friday in attempt to avert controversy. "The cardinal's words were intended to reiterate the pope's belief that there must be no commerce in sacred things," said Monsignor Domenico Pompili. Bagnasco, who is also the archbishop of Genoa, earlier denied the pope's allegations that churches in many dioceses explicitly put their sacraments up for sale, even posting price lists. "Sacraments are not paid for in any way," Bagnasco said. "The faithful are free to make offerings to contribute to the material needs of the Church". His comments came after Pope Francis warned during morning Mass that the Church cannot be run like a business and price lists for weddings and baptisms creates scandal.
In his homily at St. Martha's House, the Vatican guest house where Francis lives, the pope referred to the story of Jesus driving the merchants out of the Temple as illustrating the need to keep commerce away from the Church.
"I think of how our attitude can scandalize people with unpriestly habits in the Temple: the scandal of doing business, the scandal of worldliness," said Francis.
"How often when we enter a church - even today - do we see a price list hanging there for baptism, blessings, Mass intentions," he said.
"And people are scandalized".
In his response, Bagnasco went on to say no priest would refuse a sacrament for lack of money. "We can always do better in making everyone understand that there can be no commerce with sacred things - no material compensation," the leader of Italy's bishops said. Meanwhile, late in the afternoon President Giorgio Napolitano met for 80 minutes with Pope Francis at St. Martha's House.
The visit came as a surprise to outsiders, as it had not been announced beforehand.
The "strictly private" meeting was "cordial," said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.
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