Pope Francis has urged Catholic priests to be vigilant against spiritual groups that fuel political divisions during a one-day visit to Corsica, France. The pontiff warned against spirituality that seeks self-aggrandizement and fuels polemics, narrow-mindedness, divisions, and exclusivist attitudes. He called for the Church’s pastors to be vigilant, exercise discernment, and be constantly attentive to popular forms of religiosity.
Corsica, like much of France, has a long history of lay Catholic associations, known as confraternities, which usually focus on spiritual matters but sometimes play a role in local politics. Francis will spend about nine hours in Ajaccio, Corsica’s capital, and will meet French President Emmanuel Macron. Corsica, the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean, is one of France’s poorest regions, with 81% of its population being Catholic.