Attachment to wealth is "idolatry" that splits families and causes wars, Pope Francis said on Monday.
"Attachment to wealth is idolatry," the pontiff stated as he celebrated mass at the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta residence where he lives.
Jesus was not "against wealth itself, but we cannot "have two masters" and worship God and money, he stated.
"Think of how many families we know who have fallen out, who don't speak to each other, who hate each other over an inheritance," he said.
In such cases, money "destroys" as it is more important than the family's love - between children, brothers and sisters and parents, Francis said.
"Money is also the cause of wars, and lies behind the arms traffickers and those who profit from war," he noted.
"Be careful to avoid greed: it's dangerous...If you are attached to wealth, the more you have the more you want," Francis warned recalling the parable of the rich but foolish farmer who chose to hoard his grain.
In an address to mark the United Nations' World Food Day last week, Francis deplored inequality of wealth and urged nations to redress it.
"Can we really conceive of a society in which the world's resources are concentrated in the hands of a few?" the pontiff asked.
