Pope Francis News: Pontiff Slams Hypocritical Catholics, Suggests Atheism Is Better Than Living Immoral Christian Life

If you’re a Catholic leading a hypocritical life you are less moral than someone who doesn't believe in God, Pope Francis suggested in a Thursday morning sermon.

"What is 'scandal?'" he asked during the homily according to a Vatican Radio Transcript. "Scandal is saying one thing and doing another; it is a double life."

Francis made the remarks during the improvised sermon at his residence the Casa Santa Marta, and denounced practicing Catholics that "exploited people” or “laundered money.”

“And so many Christians are like this, and these people scandalize others. How many times have we heard – all of us, around the neighborhood and elsewhere – ‘but to be a Catholic like that, it’s better to be an atheist.’”

Nearly a couple months into his 2013 election, Francis had expressed that Christians should accept atheists so long as they did good.

His most recent remarks followed a mass in which the theme was bringing scandal and destruction by leading a double life. Francis read from the Gospel of Mark where Jesus speaks of wrongdoing. He later described a scenario of a failing company led by a selfish Catholic.

Francis has encouraged strong, moralistic leadership in the past and recently attributed a threat of peace to poor communication. “Wars start inside our heart, when I am not able to open myself to other, to respect others, to dialogue with others, that is how war begins,” he said during an improvised speech to students and faculty at a public university in Rome last Friday.