--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It also happens to me that when I meet a…" description: "\"It also happens to me that when I meet a clericalist, I suddenly become anti-clerical. Clericalism should not have anything to do with Christianity. St..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/pope-francis-85_believer_it-also-happens-to-me-that-when-i-meet-a_2541705.jpg" --- # It also happens to me that when I meet a clericalist, I… ![“It also happens to me that when I meet a clericalist, I suddenly become anti-clerical. Clericalism should not have anything to do with Christianity. St. Paul, who was the first to speak to the Gentiles, the pagans, to believers in other religions, was the first to teach us that.” quote by Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/pope-francis-85_believer_it-also-happens-to-me-that-when-i-meet-a_2541705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/pope-francis-85_believer_it-also-happens-to-me-that-when-i-meet-a_2541705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10e/pope-francis-85_believer_it-also-happens-to-me-that-when-i-meet-a_2541705.jpg) > “It also happens to me that when I meet a clericalist, I suddenly become anti-clerical. Clericalism should not have anything to do with Christianity. St. Paul, who was the first to speak to the Gentiles, the pagans, to believers in other religions, was the first to teach us that.” [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clericalism, when conflated with Christianity, distorts the faith’s inclusive message; true Christianity welcomes all. **In simple terms:** Clericalism should not define Christianity. Key Takeaway Separate institutional practices from core faith. Themes religion institutional critique inclusivity Mood hopeful serious Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - church leadership - interfaith events - faith education - policy statements Key Concepts Christian doctrine ecumenism interfaith dialogue Questions to Reflect On - How can believers maintain faith while challenging clericalism? - What examples show inclusive Christianity? A Different Perspective Institutional resistance may impede reform. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believer/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Clericalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clericalism/) [Pagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pagan/) ## Related quotes > [I want to see the church get closer to the people. I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-want-to-see-the-church-get-closer-to-the-people-i-want-to-get-rid/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I tell priests to flee from clericalism because clericalism distances people. May they flee from clericalism and I add: it's a plague in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-tell-priests-to-flee-from-clericalism-because-clericalism-distances/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“...‘Beetles, black beetles’ – his father had a really passionate feeling about the clergy. Mumbo-jumbery was another of his favourite words. An atheist and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/beetles-black-beetles-his-father-had-a-really-passionate-feeling/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [I always like to associate with a lot of priests because it makes me understand anti-clerical things so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/i-always-like-to-associate-with-a-lot-of-priests-because-it-makes-me/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [“If freedom once required a secular critique of religion, it can also require a religious critique of the secular.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/if-freedom-once-required-a-secular-critique-of-religion-it-can-also/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [Clericalism: the habitual confusion between that which is of Caesar, and that of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giulio-andreotti/clericalism-the-habitual-confusion-between-that-which-is-of-caesar/) [Giulio Andreotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giulio-andreotti/) > [Clericalism is a form of elitism in which some are viewed as having special rights and privileges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blase-j-cupich/clericalism-is-a-form-of-elitism-in-which-some-are-viewed-as-having/) [Blase J. 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It is Israel who has brought us the message that God is one, and that God is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyman-abbott/we-gentiles-owe-our-life-to-israel-it-is-israel-who-has-brought-us/) [Lyman Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyman-abbott/) > [I am neither Jew nor Gentile, Mahomedan nor Theist; I am but a member of the human family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/i-am-neither-jew-nor-gentile-mahomedan-nor-theist-i-am-but-a-member/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [Others of them employ outward marks ... They style themselves Gnostics. They also possess images, some of them painted and others formed from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irenaeus-of-lyons/others-of-them-employ-outward-marks-they-style-themselves-gnostics/) [Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irenaeus-of-lyons/) ## More by Pope Francis > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Most people nowadays would not consider love as related in any way to truth. Love is seen as an experience associated with the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/most-people-nowadays-would-not-consider-love-as-related-in-any-way-to/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-family-remains-the-basic-unit-of-society-and-the-first-school-in/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Listen to Jesus and follow him. 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Please join me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-pray-every-day-for-all-who-are-suffering-in-iraq-please-join-me/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I entrust this Twenty-second World Day of the Sick to the intercession of Mary. I ask her to help the sick to bear their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-entrust-this-twenty-second-world-day-of-the-sick-to-the/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Certain realities in life are only seen through eyes that are cleansed through our tears. Let us learn how to weep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/certain-realities-in-life-are-only-seen-through-eyes-that-are/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) [Explore all 1,479 Pope Francis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## More Believer quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [God has given believers the responsibility of spreading the Gospel to all the world, and we need to use all at our disposal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-epp/god-has-given-believers-the-responsibility-of-spreading-the-gospel-to/) [Theodore Epp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-epp/) > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [Oh, I'm a great believer in the power of the pause. Radio is a bit brasher now. My style was slower. I just used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-wogan/oh-i-m-a-great-believer-in-the-power-of-the-pause-radio-is-a-bit/) [Terry Wogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-wogan/) > [Jesus taught that the mark of the Christian is the observable love shown among all true believers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/jesus-taught-that-the-mark-of-the-christian-is-the-observable-love/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [I'm a great believer in people and their untapped potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-bester/i-m-a-great-believer-in-people-and-their-untapped-potential/) [Alfred Bester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-bester/) > [Revival is the Spirit's passion within the believer to know and to obey the total will of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/revival-is-the-spirit-s-passion-within-the-believer-to-know-and-to/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [I'm not a great believer in awards-of course the fact that I've never won one has nothing to do with it at all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/i-m-not-a-great-believer-in-awards-of-course-the-fact-that-i-ve-never/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [Intuitionists think that there are cases in which, say, some identity statement between real numbers is neither true nor false, even though we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-f-heck/intuitionists-think-that-there-are-cases-in-which-say-some-identity/) [Richard F. 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