Pope Francis has spoken out about Christianity and suggested that rigid, conservative Catholics are contributing to the “minefield of misunderstanding and hatred.

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As the Pope warned in his Christmas speech, following and interpreting the religion in a rigid way can lead to encouraging hatred and experiencing a backlash from the public.

In recent years, the Catholic Church had been facing major blows not only because of dozens of exposed child abuse cases but also due to financial scandals among other setbacks.

As for Pope Francis, he has been challenged by plenty of conservative Catholics after his ‘modern’ suggestions such as his calls for married men to be allowed to become priests.

Recently, the Pope also sparked a controversial debate after he was pictured with a ‘pagan’ statue during his trip to the Amazon.

“Today we are no longer the only ones that produce culture, no longer the first nor the most listened to. The faith in Europe and in much of the West is no longer an obvious presumption but is often denied, derided, marginalized and ridiculed,” the Pope said in the Paul VI Hall, Vatican City, while addressing prominent figures and asking them to embrace changes.

“Here we have to beware of the temptation of assuming a rigid outlook. Rigidity that is born from fear of change and ends up disseminating stakes and obstacles in the ground of the common good, turning it into a minefield of misunderstanding and hatred.”

As Pope Francis went on to claim, rigid people are often the ones who have “imbalances” or problems of their own to hide.

“Rigidity and imbalance fuel one another in a vicious circle. And these days, the temptation to rigidity has become so apparent,” he added.

As experts have suggested, the Pope’s message was clearly aimed at conservative Catholics who remain stiff in their opposition towards the modern way of handling issues.

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