Interview With Pope Francis In America Magazine

[Apteka]

It was a private meeting with a group of religious. It was another off-the-cuff remark. He mentioned how when he was first elected he received a spiritual bouquet from a group. 3000 or so rosaries. He did not like it. It disturbed him that they counted. He wished they had just said "we're praying for you" instead. 

A spiritual bouquet is a traditional practice; many people are brought up on them. Of course we can say "I'm praying for you," but when people want to make a present of prayer they like to give it a form and a shape. It comforts them to have something to give. The point of the 3000 rosaries was not to count them, but to say " look at our present, Holy Father. Look at how many people love you and pray for you." This seemed obvious to me, but it was not to Papa.  I understand he was making a theological point. But its important to remember the little people right? Think of the sensibilities of people with simple faith and take care not to injure them.

I think it is in these small private moments that we measure up as people -- not by what we say in interviews or what we do before cameras. I tell myself: well, if people heard how I act in private every day they might think badly of me too and how unfair I would find that!  But I can't help it. I think of the bouquet  episode whenever some act of humility is reported. I wonder how many of the people who prayed the 3000 rosaries heard about it. It makes me feel rotten.

 

 

ETA - srry i didn't see ur edit

 

That is an unfortunate story, goes to show that being "nice" can be a charade.

[KnightofChrist]

Each one of us is invited to recognize in the fragile human being the face of the Lord, who, in his human flesh, experienced the indifference and loneliness to which we often condemn the poorest, either in the developing nations or in the developed societies. Each child that is unborn, but is unjustly condemned to be aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ, bears the face of the Lord, who, even before he was born, and then as soon as he was born experienced the rejection of the world. And also each old person and - I spoke of the child, let us also speak of the elderly, another point! And each old person, even if infirm or at the end of his days, bears the face of Christ. They cannot be discarded, as the "culture of waste" proposes! They cannot be discarded!

 

- Franciscus

September 20, 2013, Meeting with Catholic Gynecologists (Italian)
 
Source: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-strong-words-against.html

Edited September 20, 2013 by KnightofChrist

[Brother Adam]

A Catholic faith reduced to mere baggage, to a collection of rules and prohibitions, to fragmented devotional practices, to selective and partial adherence to the truths of faith, to occasional participation in some sacraments, to the repetition of doctrinal principles, to bland or nervous moralizing, that does not convert the life of the baptized would not withstand the trials of time. . . . We must all start again from Christ, recognizing [with Pope Benedict XVI] that “being Christian is . . . the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.”

[Apotheoun]

Agreed, for the moral life is not mere baggage. That said, the faith must be seen holistically (as the Greek word Catholic - kata holos - implies), but that means giving weight to everything that heals man, which necessarily includes moral reformation (metanoia). As the Lord said in His first recorded words in the Gospel of Mark, "The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel."

Edited September 20, 2013 by Apotheoun

[dUSt]

Agreed, for the moral life is not mere baggage. That said, the faith must be seen holistically (as the Greek word Catholic - kata holos - implies), but that means giving weight to everything that heals man, which necessarily includes moral reformation (metanoia). As the Lord said in His first recorded words in the Gospel of Mark, "The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel."

 

I think your issues should be taken up with CNN, The New York Times, and all of the other media outlets for not writing holistic headlines.

[Apotheoun]

I think your issues should be taken up with CNN, The New York Times, and all of the other media outlets for not writing holistic headlines.

I haven't read any of their articles. I just read the America Magazine interview.

[Seven77]

Each one of us is invited to recognize in the fragile human being the face of the Lord, who, in his human flesh, experienced the indifference and loneliness to which we often condemn the poorest, either in the developing nations or in the developed societies. Each child that is unborn, but is unjustly condemned to be aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ, bears the face of the Lord, who, even before he was born, and then as soon as he was born experienced the rejection of the world. And also each old person and - I spoke of the child, let us also speak of the elderly, another point! And each old person, even if infirm or at the end of his days, bears the face of Christ. They cannot be discarded, as the "culture of waste" proposes! They cannot be discarded!

 

- Franciscus

September 20, 2013, Meeting with Catholic Gynecologists (Italian)
 
Source: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-strong-words-against.html

 

I wonder why the NY Times and Huffington Post haven't picked up on this yet.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Seven77

[PhuturePriest]

I haven't read any of their articles. I just read the America Magazine interview.

 

Is this clear enough for you by the Pope today?

 

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-condemns-abortion-in-strongest-pro-life-comments-to-date-day-after-con

[Nihil Obstat]

Is this clear enough for you by the Pope today?

 

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-condemns-abortion-in-strongest-pro-life-comments-to-date-day-after-con

You act like he has not already seen it. :P

[PhuturePriest]

You act like he has not already seen it. :P

 

I didn't know he had. I just quickly scrolled to see if anyone posted any links on this page and when I saw there weren't I just posted it. People need to use links instead of copying and pasting. :P

[Nihil Obstat]

I didn't know he had. I just quickly scrolled to see if anyone posted any links on this page and when I saw there weren't I just posted it. People need to use links instead of copying and pasting. :P

The cool people are all friends with Apo on Facebook. :|

[PhuturePriest]

The cool people are all friends with Apo on Facebook. :|

 

Link me up, bro. How do I join this cool person club without a link?

[Apotheoun]

The cool people are all friends with Apo on Facebook. :|

Yeah, I saw it already on Brother Adam's (and several other peoples) Facebook timelines.

[Ash Wednesday]

I can understand a lot of the concerns and confusion with regards to Francis' overall style and tone and how he is interpreted. But I think the sex abuse scandals have caused far greater scandal and harm to the health of the church than anything Francis has ever done or said.

The Church will never be "of the world" of course, but right now, people in general see the abuse crimes and hypocrisy, and that makes it even that much harder for people to grasp the sexual teachings of a church that is often (wrongly) perceived as insincere, hypocritical, short sighted and detached. In light of what's gone on, Francis can bring a great deal of good to the table in helping people understand the gospel and mission of the Church in a broader sense, that the Church isn't some dusty institution with sexual hangups that can't keep her own house clean. He also comes across as a very simple and sincere, holy man, and in that respect is just what the doctor ordered.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Ash Wednesday

[Norseman82]

Here is an email I received from a friend of mine: 

 

Friends,

Most of you have probably heard the news of Pope Francis' recent interview with America Magazine, a Jesuit publication.

Here it is: http://www.americamagazine.org/pope-interview

I read it although it is pretty lengthy. 

Some of the things he says in the interview I strongly agree with, namely, the need to engage and to heal the wounds of those who are in a state of opposition to Gospel values, particularly on the sexuality dimension.  The encounter with Jesus Christ should be central. 

I agree we can't just condemn abortion, contraception, and homosexuality in the abstract.  We do have to go to these people and show them the love of Christ and the gentle invitation to his divine Mercy. 

However, I was also troubled by some of Francis' remarks.  He seems to be saying we need to tone down our opposition to these things, as if abortion and the deconstruction of the family aren't issues of critical importance not only for the Catholic Church but for civilization. 

Also, in the face of things like the HHS mandate, what are we supposed to do?  How are we supposed to NOT take a vigorously defensive stances to such developments? 

I think the pro-life and family movements are very compassionate and understanding.  There is a personal and a political dimension to each of the movements.  Things get nasty in the political realm.  That's just the way it is. 

 

Additionally, here in Illinois, we are the next battleground for the proponents of same-sex marriage, so these remarks could not havce come at a worse time. 

 

Also, did not Our Lady say at Fatime that it is the sexual sins that send more people to hell than any other types of sins?  And did not some apologist (it may have been Jason Evert) state that the main reason that young people leave the Church is the onset of pre-marital sexual sctivity?

 

When the enemy is at the bridge, we need to shore up our defenses, not divert them elsewhere.  If we let the enemy cross this bridge, there will only be more disaster (unless you have a trap ready once the bridge is crossed, in which case you'd better pray and make sure your gamble works). 

Edited September 20, 2013 by Norseman82