CHRISTIANS who cannot find the time to pray alone every day are idolaters, Italian bishops said in a special statement this week.
The bishops were elaborating on Pope John Paul II's own reminder to pray in two recent addresses. They condemned the tendency to move towards communal prayer sessions in parishes, which they described as "inadequate".
"Individual prayer is essential for the Christian," the bishops said at their episcopal conference. Those who had no time for it were "idolaters" who were no longer masters of their own time.
The Italian bishops also urged Christians to reflect on the number of hours they spend watching television, even those Christians who regularly attend community prayer sessions.