Pope Francis is continuing his efforts to make the Catholic Church a "poor church for the poor" by condemning those inside the organization that he called "climbers and profiteers," The Guardian reported.

Speaking during a Sunday morning mass at his Vatican residence, The Pope lashed out those who use the church for personal gain.

"People who follow Jesus for money, try to profit from the parish, the diocese, the Christian community, the hospital, the college," he said, according to The Guardian.

"We have known a lot of good Catholics, good Christians … And then we discover that they have been carrying out somewhat shady dealings. They were real profiteers and they made a lot of money. They presented themselves as benefactors but they took a lot of money and not always clean money."

The remarks come on the heels of an announcement earlier this year that two former Vatican bank executives will go on trial for money laundering.

Accused in the case are Paolo Cipriani, the former director general of the bank formally known as the Institute for Religious Works, and his deputy Massimo Tull. Authorities seized 23 million euros, or $32 million, according to Agence France-Presse.

They resigned last year after Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, the senior Vatican accountant, was arrested in Italy for suspicious cash transfers.

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