Psst! This is What Pope Francis Said. . . .

Evidently, Pope Francis offers daily homilies just like an ordinary priest does. Rebecca Hamilton reported yesterday on a homily about gossip. That may seem quite trivial, given all of the bigger issues at stake, but, as usual, with this Pope, there is more to this than meets the eye.

Visit: PopeFrancis: The Struggle to Reject Gossip

Truth be told, I'm like most people—a real sucker for a bit of juicy inside information about people. The more "secret" and the more negative it is, the more exciting it seems. It makes one feel superior. A real insider who is above such flaws as reported. But, as Ms. Hamilton points out that when gossip goes beyond "idle chit-chat," it can be very harmful. Gossip can get people focused on a person's faults and can results in group judgments that may be quite unfair. This can be especially true if the gossip continues for a period of time.

Obviously, if false, negative information is spread, it can create bad impressions. However, even if something is true, is it really our business or our concern? Does it really affect our lives if a certain person has problems that have nothing to do with us? Why would we really prefer to focus on a flaw that is not so terribly important in an otherwise good person? Maybe that person is not a great cook or a great fixer of household items. Maybe that person is illiterate. Maybe that person is not perfect in organizing things in his or her life. Maybe that person bickers with his or her spouse or children. Maybe that person . . . . And yet, that person might be a sympathetic friend when one needs a good ear to hear one's troubles. That person might have a great sense of humor. That person might be a lot of fun to be with. That person might be very kind.

Pope Francis says:

When we prefer to gossip, gossip about others, criticize others—these are everyday things that happen to everyone, including me—these are the temptations of the evil one who does not want the Spirit to come to us and bring about peace and meekness in the Christian community. 

Notably, he does not exempt himself from the temptation. He is not lecturing us from on high. Rather, he is exposing his own weakness and sharing his wisdom about how to handle the problem.

He concludes that we don't have any business judging other people. That is up to G-d. He advises us to keep our nasty thoughts to ourselves. If it is necessary to bring information about someone to other parties who might be able to help the person, that is O.K., but, he cautions us not to spread such talk about indiscriminately. 

Gossip may be deliciously tempting, but the resulting stomachache (or headache) won't just affect the gossiper—it will spread indigestion and head pains far and wide. It's not worth it. 

Why dirty ourselves with other people's dirt? Like Pope Francis, we can rise above that nastiness, and everyone will be the better for it. Looks like I had better discipline my own tongue.