Pope Francis reminds people not to judge

Pope Francis, during morning mass on Monday, reminded Catholics that they should not judge other people because judgment is God's alone.

"Look in the mirror, but not to put on makeup to hide the wrinkles. No, no, no, that's not the advice!" the pope said, according to Radio Vaticana. "Look in the mirror to look at yourself as you are."

He then recited part of Luke 6:41-42, saying, "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye and do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or, how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' while the log is still in your eye?"

He said that judgment belongs to God and that on the Day of Judgment, Christians would want God to look upon them with kindnes, and He "will forget the many bad things we have done in life." He reminded those present that if they do not want to be judged, then they should not judge, and if they judge others constantly, then "with the same measure you shall be judged."

He also mentioned how the serpent persuaded Adam and Eve to partake of the fruit because if they did, they would be "like Him," and they did eat it because they "wanted to take the place of God."

"For this, being judgmental is very ugly," he said. "Judgment belongs only to God, to Him alone."

He explained that it is for people to love, to understand, and to pray for others when they see that things are not good. He urged his listeners to speak kindly of others so that they may learn from their mistakes.

"But never judge. Never," he said. "And this is hypocrisy, if we judge."

He explained that people's judgment is not true judgment because it lacks mercy, but God judges with mercy.

"Let us think today about what the Lord says to us," he said, enumerating three things. "Do not judge, lest you be judged; the measure... by which we judge will be the same that will be used for us; and, third, let us look in the mirror before judging."

He then said that if one finds himself saying things like "but this fellow does this, that fellow does that," then they should pause, look into the mirror and think, "I'll be a hypocrite if I put myself in the place of God and, also, my judgement is poor judgment."

In the subject of judging people, the pope said in a 2003 interview with The New York Times that it is not his place to give judgment on priests for their sexual orientation, saying, "If someone is gay and he searches the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"

Pope Francis delivered the sermon at the Vatican, his last mass with a homily at the Santa Marta guesthouse prior to the summer break.