Pope laments current "culture of insults," church propaganda

Cardinals shelter from the sun during a Pentecost Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, June 9, 2019. The Pentecost Mass is celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis celebrates a Pentecost Mass in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, June 9, 2019. The Pentecost Mass is celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has lamented what he calls today's "culture of insults" in the world.

In his homily during Pentecost Mass Sunday in St. Peter's Square, Francis also decried that "the more we use social media, the less social we are becoming."

He warned of the temptation to cling to "our little group, to the things and people we like," saying it's only a "small step from a nest to a sect, even within the church."

The pope said that "nowadays it is fashionable to hurl adjectives" in what's tantamount to "a culture of insults." He recommended responding to "to malice with goodness."

Francis also said the Catholic church risks becoming a mere organization with propaganda as its mission instead of a mission to foster joy and harmony.

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