12/07/2015
GUAYAQUIL, Ec. – Pope Francis
kicked off the start of a three- nation trip across South America today with his first mass, with over a million Ecuadorians in
attendance, in the coastal city of Guayaquil. Delivering the mass in Spanish, the Pope spoke about the importance of family in modern society, saying, “It needs to be helped and strengthened, lest we lose our proper sense of the services which society as a whole
provides.” During his sermon, Pope
Francis announced to
Christians around the
world that God had called
upon him, instructing him
“to revise the most sacred of texts, the Ten
Commandments.” Given to
the Israelites by God
himself at Mount Sinai, the
Commandments include
instructions for worship and list several prohibited
practices. Pope Francis said Christians
around the world are
“faced with ever-
increasing temptations
brought on by the evils of
modern society.” The Pope said the updated
Commandments reflect
the changing times and
include some minor
rewording of the existing
rules as well as the addition of two new
Commandments. The Fourth
Commandment, which
advocates that proper
respect be shown towards
one’s parents, has been
reworded in order to include children raised by
same-sex parents. Pope
Francis said the Seventh
Commandment,
prohibiting adultery and,
among other things, homosexuality, has been
removed entirely, as
instructed by God, in order
to extend “God’s grace to
all His children.” Addressing the inclusion
of the new
Commandments, which
bring the total number to
eleven, Pope Francis
praised the rapid growth of technology in the
digital age but said
“progress comes at a
price.” The new Fifth
Commandment, which
replaces the prohibition of adultery, forbids all
aspects of genetic
engineering and bans the
consumption of
genetically modified
foods. Lastly, the Eleventh
Commandment disallows
personal idolization and
the glorification of one’s
self over God. Using the
Kardashians, a highly publicized celebrity
family, as an example,
Pope Francis said, “Selfies
are an abomination in the
eyes of our Lord.” A spokesman for the
Vatican, Father Federico
Lombardi, said the Eleven
Commandments are
currently being etched
into marble by an Italian sculptor and, upon
completion, will be
unveiled to the world in
Saint Peter’s Square
following an
internationally televised mass.
