Pope Francis

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATHEOS

By FRANCES D’EMILIO

VATICAN CITY (AP)— Pope Francis advised against making the pursuit of money, a career or success the basis for one’s whole life, urging in his Epiphany remarks to also resist “inclinations toward arrogance, the thirst for power and for riches.”

During a homily at Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis said people “often make do” with having “health, a little money and a bit of entertainment.” He urged people to help the poor and others in need of assistance, giving freely without expecting anything in return.

Many Christians observe Epiphany to recall the three wise men who followed a star to find the baby Jesus. Francis suggested asking “what star we have chosen to follow in our lives?”

“Some stars may be bright, but do not point the way. So it is with success, money, career, honors and pleasures, when these become our lives,” the pope said, adding that path won’t ensure peace and joy.

Later, during an appearance from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, Francis urged tens of thousands of faithful gathered below not to be indifferent to Jesus.

“Instead of conducting themselves in coherence with their own Christian faith, they follow the principles of the world, which lead to satisfying the inclinations toward arrogance, the thirst for power and for riches,” Francis said. He prayed instead that “the world makes progress down the path of justice and of peace.”

In Istanbul, the Greek Orthodox Christian community celebrated Epiphany with the traditional blessing of the waters.

The ceremony consists of a cross being tossed into the water to be retrieved by swimmers.

In many places in Europe, Epiphany is a day where children receive gifts or enjoy special entertainment. Rome’s Piazza Navona is famed for a holiday market with many toy stalls. Children believe the Befana witch on a broom brings the well-behaved toys, while those who haven’t behaved get lumps of charcoal.

For crowd control and security, visitors this year to Piazza Navona patiently underwent metal detector checks and authorities limited those entering the vast oval space to no more than 12,000 at a time.

On city sidewalks throughout Spain, parents and their children came out to enjoy the day. On Epiphany eve Friday, streets across Spain were packed with families watching Epiphany parades with decorative floats, camels, clowns and jugglers. Some performers tossed candy to the crowds.

In recent years, security for Epiphany and other holidays has been tightened in Madrid and Barcelona amid fears of potential terror attacks, with large vehicles banned from streets near the parades.