Rigidity hides a 'double life'

(ANSA) - Vatican City, October 24 - Underneath rigidity there is always a double life and inflexible people are not free, the pope said during Mass at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican on Monday.
    "Rigid people...are slaves to the law," Francis said.
    Instead "the Law is not designed to make us slaves but to make us free, to make us children (of God)," he continued.
    "There is always something hiding behind rigidity in a person's life. Rigidity is not a gift of God, Meekness yes; kindness yes; compassion yes; forgiveness yes. But rigidity no," the pope insisted, adding that inflexible people suffer as a result. "They appear to be good people, because they follow the Law; but underneath there is something that makes them not good: either they are bad, hypocritical, or they are sick. They suffer!" he said.