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Archbishop Chaput Leads Mass Of Renewal In Philadelphia

By Mark Abrams

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia's Archbishop called on priests during a mass of renewal on Holy Thursday to shake off worldly distractions and re-focus on the core mission of the church.

Archbishop Charles Chaput referred to the warning of the new Pope Francis, who spoke at his Holy Thursday Mass in the Vatican about a church, that has become too worldly and too self-focused.

Chaput urged the hundreds of priests attending the special Mass at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul to join him and the pope in recommitting themselves to spreading the message of Jesus. Chaput also referred to the years of turmoil in the archdiocese triggered by the clergy abuse scandal...

"Perhaps the humiliation that we've experienced over the last several years has been in some sense a way that God has called us out of that wordly church to be a humbler church that can once again become an evangelizing church," he said.

Chaput says from that pain comes a grace that calls the clergy to holiness and renewal. He led the priests in re-dedicating themselves to their ministry.

And the archbishop asked the hundreds of people, including groups of school children, to join him in prayer for their priests.

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