Pope Francis Tells New Cardinals to Avoid Flashy Parties

Jan 24, 2015 04:30 AM EST

(Photo : Reuters) Pope Francis greets cardinals at the end of a mass for the beatification of former pope Paul VI in St. Peter's square at the Vatican October 19, 2014. Former pope Paul VI who led the Roman Catholic Church during one of its most turbulent modern periods and enshrined its opposition to contraception, will be beatified by Pope Francis at the Vatican. Beatification is the last step before sainthood. The late pope's move towards canonization was made possible when the Vatican recognised a miracle concerning a pregnant woman in California whose child was at risk of dying. After praying to Paul VI, the child survived. REUTERS/Tony Gentile (VATICAN - Tags: RELIGION)

Pope Francis does not only eschew living in luxurious mansions or palatial homes, he also wants the 20 new cardinals to likewise adopt simple living by even avoiding flashy parties.

He wrote to the 20, who will be formally installed in February at the Vatican, in a letter published on Friday in the official Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. Those types of "ostentatious festivities" hit a person "worse than grappa on an empty stomach," the pontiff wrote, quotes AP.

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Some of the new cardinals are from countries which would have cardinals for the first time such as Tonga, Myanmar and Cape Verde, while many are from poor or developing nations like Thailand, Mozambique and Panama.

The exhortation to avoid expensive parties is timely since most of the cardinals, after their ordination, would usually be feted by their dioceses with lavish celebrations paid for by rich parishioners. Pope Francis did not ban the upcoming cardinals from attending those welcome parties, but reminded them to accept the invitation "with humility."

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church, which counts about 2 billion members, acknowledges that "Maintaining humility in service isn't easy if you consider being a cardinal as a prize, as the culmination of a career or a superior power."

More than just pontificate, Pope Francis has lived those words by personal example and action. After he was elected pope in March 2013, he opted to live in a home for bishops instead of the official papal residence. A few months later, he transferred a bishop in Germany, known as the "bling-bling" bishop, for his lifestyle emulating that of the rich and famous people.

Also, as part of his push for simpler but more meaningful lives, Pope Francis also encouraged families to talk more and use technology wisely and not to be dominated by it. That was the gist of his yearly message for World Communications Day, reports Time.

The exhortation applies not only to young people who are fond of selfies, texting and spending a lot of time online, but also covers parents, who as the primary educators of their kids and should not leave the young "to their own devices."