POPE Francis has sparked further in the Catholic Church by telling a congregation in Ecuador that God had called upon to revise the most sacred of texts of Christianity the Ten Commandments.
Currently on a three-nation tour of South America, the pope flagged off his trip in Ecuador holding his first mass in the coastal city of Guayaquil attended by over 1m people. Delivering the mass in Spanish, the Pope also spoke about the importance of family in modern society, stressing that he had added two new commandments to the original 10 to reflect the need for change.
In his most controversial comment, Pope Francis said God had instructed him to revise the Ten Commandments, adding that 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. Given to the Israelites by God himself on 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. Also, the family needs to be helped and strengthened, lest we lose our proper sense of the services which society as a whole provides.”
According to the pope, the Fourth Commandment, which advocates that proper respect be shown towards one’s parents, has been re-worded 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. He added that 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 idolisation and the glorification of one’s self over God. Using the Kardashians, a highly publicised 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. He added that upon completion, they will be unveiled to the world in Saint Peter’s Square following an internationally televised mass.
