Pope Francis has advised hairdressers and beauty practitioners to stop gossiping when on duty.
The pope made this known when he entertained an audience of beauticians whom he urge not to be drawn into the urge to gossip when they have customers in their salon.
“Practice your profession in a Christian style, treating customers with kindness and courtesy, offering them a good word and encouragement,” he said.
“And avoid succumbing to the temptation of chatter which is easily associated with your field of work,” he added.
The Pope who opened a hairdressing salon in the Vatican for the homeless people of Rome in 2015 also advised the audience to follow their patron saint Martino de Porres (1579-1639), who was a barber-surgeon canonized in 1966 by his predecessor Paul VI.
Much like Porres, whose job covered haircuts, amputations, and bloodletting, “each of you, in your professional work, can always act with righteousness, thus making a positive contribution to the common good of society,” Pope Francis said.