Bologna, Italy, Oct 1, 2017 / 12:59 pm
In his homily on Sunday, Pope Francis encouraged the faithful to be sinners on a journey, always working towards conversion and repentance, rather than "sitting sinners" who are closed off to the Lord.
His reflection was based on the parable in the Gospel of Matthew, in which Jesus asks the people about two sons - one who initially refuses to do his father's will but then does it anyway, and one who says he will do his father's will but then does not.
"...there is a big difference between the first child, who is lazy, and the second, who is hypocritical," the Pope said.
Pope Francis gave his homily at Mass on Sunday during his day trip to the northern Italian cities of Bologna and Cesena. During the trip, he met with various groups including religious, workers, students and migrants.