Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has said that sins of the flesh such as cheating, fornication and adultery, are not the most serious.
According to Reuters news agency, Pope Francis told reporters on the papal plane from Greece to Italy that “sins of the flesh are not the most serious.”
The Pope, aged 84, listed pride and hatred among the most serious sins.
Francis’ comments on the seriousness of sins of the flesh come on the heels of the resignation of Michel Aupetit, the archbishop of Paris, over an affair with a woman, meaning he had broken the vow of celibacy.
Archbishop Aupetit denied the claims against him, and apologized for the damage these had caused the church.
According to Pope Francis, while, if proven to be true, what Archbishop Aupetit engaged in was “a failing against the sixth commandment [You shall not commit adultery],” it was “not a total one.”
Francis added: “There is sin there but not the worst kind.”
The Pope said he wouldn’t condemn Archbishop Aupetit.
“He was condemned but by whom? By public opinion, by gossip… He could no longer govern,” he said.
“I accepted the resignation of Aupetit not on the altar of truth but on the altar of hypocrisy.” the Pope said.
