Vatican City, May 28, 2013 / 15:08 pm
Faithful Christians will always face difficulties, said Pope Francis on Tuesday, warning that a worldly, career-based approach to faith avoids the suffering and persecution inherent in following Christ.
"Many Christians, tempted by the spirit of the world, think that following Jesus is good because it can become a career, they can get ahead," the Pope said.
"When a Christian has no difficulties in life – when everything is fine, everything is beautiful – something is wrong."
He suggested this temptation is common for a Christian who is "a great friend of the spirit of the world, of worldliness."
"You cannot remove the cross from the path of Jesus, it is always there," he added.