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RELIGION

Pope urges church unity, blames divisions on work of devil

Associated Press
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VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis is calling for unity in the Catholic Church and blamed its divisions on the devil.

It was the second time in as many days that Francis has warned about the destructive work of the devil after making headlines recently by seemingly denying the existence of hell.

Francis made the comments during a Mass he celebrated Tuesday along with 550 "missionaries of mercy," the army of priests he formed during his 2015-2016 Jubilee of Mercy to highlight the sacrament of reconciliation around the globe.

In his homily, Francis said the church and the world need mercy today "so that the unity desired by God in Christ prevails over the negative action of the devil."

Francis has been accused by some conservatives of dividing the church with his mercy-over-morals priorities.