In his homily at Casa Santa Marta on November 25, Pope Francis spoke about corruption as a form of blasphemy, living as if there is no God, but only material goods. He said this type of arrogance and worldliness will be destroyed in the final judgement, just as the Tower of Babel was destroyed.

“The Gospel passage concludes with this voice: ‘When these signs begin to happen’ – namely the destruction of pride and vanity and all this – ‘stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand, that is, you are invited to the wedding of the Lamb’. May the Lord give us grace, to prepare ourselves and to listen to that voice saying ‘Come, come, come faithful servant – sinner but faithful – come to the wedding feast of your Lord’.”

Pope Francis called Christians out of pride and vanity to a spirit of service and grace, preparing for the coming of the Lord.

“Corruption is a blasphemous way of living, it’s the language of Babylon and worldly living. Corruption is a form of blasphemy where there is no God, but only the gods of money and well-being through the exploitation of others. Yet this worldliness which seduces the powerful will be torn down, just as we hear the victory cry of the angel, in the reading from Revelation, announcing the fall of Babylon with its empire of vanity, pride and evil.”