A commentator on one of my blog posts says I've presented an unbalanced picture of the new Holy Father and I probably have because I know little to nothing about him except what I've read in the past few days. But in the interests of balance I'll present this view of Pope Francis' work in Argentina. It does give one pause. And I would say, it also gives one great reason to pray.
The Horror! A Buenos Aires journalist describes Bergoglio
But as the first comment following the article said, "Mastai-Ferretti was a freemason before becoming Pope Pius IX. Point? All this despair is pure folly."
Agreed! Count two ten and say a novena for Holy Mother Church and our new holy father.
For as devout as many of those commentors at Rorate claim to be, they certainly lack trust in God. Even if things were to get worse in the Church, we should never despair. Look at the Catholic faithful that went underground during feudal Japan. They had no church, no sacraments, nothing. All they had was the ability to baptize (which can be done by lay people in extreme circumstances) and the rosary, and they kept the faith.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I find it very disheartening and embarrassing that there is so much ire thrown towards the Pope and am appalled at how unchristian some people are acting in this whole affair, some even attacking Benedict for abdicating, blaming everything on him. I suspect there's quite a bit of spiritual pride involved in all of this, and perhaps we need to look at Pope Francis' humility as an example.
I agree. It's very disheartening. I think of Chesterton who was so wise and always spoke the truth with charity and wit. We could use some of that about now.
ReplyDeleteWell, at the end of hte day, the Pope is the Pope and we're not. Concerns and reservatoins are pointless because what is required of us is obedience, pure and simple. We preached that under John Paul II and Benedict, we will now live it under Francis regardless whether we agree with him or not
ReplyDeleteI've been reading "National Catholic Register" and big pulpit.com for news about the new Pope. There's so much to read...
ReplyDeleteOf interest to readers, here's another first. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I will be attending to the Pope's installment next week. Wow, it's wonderful to see someone of his stature from the Orthodox Church come for the first time since the Middle Ages!
silly to close your eyes like ostriches. And why disparage anyone's love for and devotion to God because you don't like their comments?...accusing them of pride when a mirror might show an unpleasant picture. Rorate has been doing good reporting. Don't hate the messenger. There is great cause for concern.
ReplyDeletehttp://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/03/popes-greatest-friend-and-most.html
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/03/leonardo-boff-pope-francis-is-much-more.html
http://eponymousflower.blogspot.com/
He is our Pope (though he refuses to use the title...instead using "Bishop of Rome" almost exclusively to emphasize an equality...troubling), so I pray for him and give him my loyalty. I will wait; I will watch; and I will pray.
and Mary Ann, one other thing (whether you publish this or not, I needed you to see it) I was alarmed that our new Pope in the 2 public Masses he's said (and others as Archbishop (google "Pinocchio Mass") he WON'T genuflect before Our Lord after the Consecration as priests are REQUIRED to do (even though he is apparently quite physically able (look at the :36 mark in the linked video). In the name of all that is good and holy, why?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/9935615/Pope-Francis-appears-for-first-angelus.html
Benedect, though he could no longer walk the length of St. Peters genuflected. He had difficulty, and had to pull himself up, but he knew before Whom he stood (knelt)...true humility.
Susan,
ReplyDeleteThe hysteria I'm seeing from some people scares me more than what I see happening in the church. Scripture tells us there will be a short time that the perpetual sacrifice will cease. Could that be in our day? Possibly. I'm not altogether convinced that we're not living through the events described in the Apocalypse. The world certainly is wicked enough.
Some things need to happen before the triumph. That's not to say I will stop praying and living my life for God or hope for the worst. It's a scary thing, but God tells us not to fear, these things must happen, but He will be here with us. Besides, the greatest saints will come from that time. We should take heart from that knowledge.
Stressing and freaking out isn't going to do anything to change things. If people are that worried, why are we talking so much and not praying? Some days I really wish the internet had never been created. For as much good as it brings, it also does so much damage. I have not closed my eyes to these things, but that doesn't mean I'm going to fearmonger; we get enough of that in the MSM.
Now is the time for God's Mercy, and we all need to be better instruments of it.
ReplyDeleteChudah,
I'm neither stressing nor freaking out. I'm stating the obvious fact the there are obvious causes for concern; and keeping one's eyes shut tightly and rah-rahing is neither holy nor wise. There is much need for prayer. In charity, I hope that we will all enter into the last days of Lent with a renewed commitment to the holy disciplines. Jesus is still in the boat and He is still in charge, no matter how big the waves and the wind get, but don't close your eyes and check your reasoning and common sense at the door...we're called to stay alert. 'so I tell you watch...and pray.'
Susan, I have not watched your link yet as there is no blue link on it that goes through, and the www address is very long, and I do not have the time to put it in now. Never-the-less, although Pope Francis looks very healthy, he only has one lung. The other one was taken out in his younger years. Perhaps that affects his ability to kneel. If someone knows whether that affects his kneeling or not, please let us know to clear up that issue.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteThere is another video from within hours of the Mass where he is shown descending into a kneeling position with apparent ease and getting up from the kneeling position with equal ease...both actions unassisted. It appears that bowing instead of genuflecting after the consecration is a longstanding pattern for the Bishop of Rome, even though my understanding of the GIRM is that it is a requirement. Don't really see how on earth having one lung would have anything to do with the matter (particularly when, as stated, he knelt and rose with ease within hours of the Mass.)
and as to entering URL's....it's much easier (and more accurate) to cut and paste them than to try to enter them by hand.
Anonymous at 7:52 PM on March 20th I saw the Holy Father Francis kneeling at a kneeler and get up with ease. Is that to which you are referring. If so it is much easier to get up off a kneeler where one can push oneself up on the top of the kneeler than on the top of an altar. An altar is much higher and it is not as easy to push oneslef back up at an altar. The Holy Father did bow deeply at the Consecration of the Mass showing hie respect that I saw. I know about this because I have had top reconstruction from the stomach, and I sometimes kneel on the floor during Mass if there are no kneelers, but that is only if I have a chair in front of me and in back of me with which I can push myself back up. How old are you, Anonymous? I am seventy. It is much harder for most people to do these things as they age for various reasons.
ReplyDeleteChudah, did you say "perhaps we need to look at Pope Francis' humility as an example"? Yeap, that's what all these people who are representing themselves as "charitable" people say. "Humility. You should look at the Pope's humility." Just read what ignorant, mis-functional "humility" does here:
ReplyDelete"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/9960168/Pope-washes-feet-of-young-Muslim-woman-prisoner-in-unprecedented-twist-on-Maundy-Thursday.html"
I am not from this country, but time like this, we need well informed participation in the Church. Do not close your eyes in the name of "love". Jesus said 'WATCH' and pray. What about obedience? True obedience is explained in the Bible: "THEN Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not."
Follow the infallible teachings from the Peter's seat but you'd better WATCH what this liberal Pope is doing in public, and get well ready to explain to your fellow Catholics and non-Catholics why in the whole world he wanted to break the tradition and to wash a muslim woman's foot on Maundy Thursday.
Welll, here we are in January 2017 and the observations made about Pope Francis within his first three days as Vicar of Christ not only hold true but are almost prophetic.
ReplyDeleteA much-photographed "exhibition of humility" and going against tradition within his first 24 hours as pope is not exactly heartwarming. Even if he is a sincere reformer it was gauche and premature so soon after his election. And I do pray it was a valid election, for we now know there were shadowy forces involved in getting him elected after the first attempts by a cadre of anti-orthodoxy Cardinals failed ( when JPII and Benedict were elected.) We now know he fires clergy who disagree,his explosive anger and large ego lead to his (witnessed) temper tantrums, sidesteps protocols, likes to shake things up, does things his way, enjoys his populism and celebrity, is a darling of the world, confuses us on purpose, insults the traditional faithful, refers to parents of large families as rabbits, dismisses devotional prayer except of course for his favorite one, forbids "proselytizing" as he refers to missionary conversions, refuses to answer valid questions which were presented by Cardinals through the required protocol, places himself above normal Vatican procedures, is a member of the URI, was photographed giving the Freemason sign ( see National Geographic Magazine,) has a checkered past in Argentina concerning liberation theology, his childhood and young life are fuzzy,
he champions the poor ad nauseum above other believers (divisive,)he never mentions saving souls, he is focused on jobs and politics which are not his realm, he attempts to change Gospel teaching with some of his ill- prepared remarks and also with his "Letters." .... I am going to stop here for the sake of brevity and fairness. Now I will try to name some positive attributes: he consents to wear the traditional white.
Methinks he wants to radically change the teachings of Jesus Christ to his personal liberal interpretation. He is of the world and wants to change the Church to be of today's trendy world. An Orthodox Catholic