Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 4:05am

PopeWatch: Murmuring

The Pope warns us against murmuring:

 

In fact, Pope Francis said, Jesus’ witness caused people to murmur. The Pharisees, the scribes, the doctors of the law complained about Him, saying, “He welcomes sinners, and eats with them.”  They did not say, “Look, this man seems to be good because he seeks to convert sinners.” This, the Pope continued, is an attitude that consists in always making negative comments “to destroy the one bearing witness.” This sin of complaining about others, he said, is a part of daily life, in big and small ways. In our own lives, we can find ourselves murmuring “because we don’t like something or other”; and instead of dialoguing, or “trying to resolve a conflict situation, we secretly complain, always in a low voice, because there is no courage to speak clearly.”

And so it happens, he said, even in smaller societies, “in parishes.” “How often is there murmuring in parishes?” he asked, pointing out that whenever “I don’t like the testimony, or there is a person that I don’t like, murmuring immediately breaks out.”

And in dioceses? ‘Infra-diocesan’ conflicts… Internal conflict within the diocese. You know this. And also in politics. And this is bad. When a government is not honest, it seeks to soil its opponents with murmuring. There’s always defamation, slander, always looking for something [to criticize]. And you know dictatorial governments well, because you have experienced it. What makes a dictatorial government? Taking control first of the means of communication with a law, and from there, it begins to murmur, to belittle everyone that is a danger to the government. Murmuring is our daily bread, at the level of persons, of the family, the parish, the diocese, the social level.

 

Go here to read the rest.  Translation of the above:  Pope Francis to his critics:  Shut up, because Christ!  Pope Francis has a great deal of contempt for the flock he purports to lead.

 

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Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Friday, November 9, AD 2018 5:10am

People are no longer murmuring. In fact, they are shouting, e.g., Vigano. But Pope Francis doesn’t like the message, that a chief shepherd like him can be the problem.

Philip Nachazel
Philip Nachazel
Friday, November 9, AD 2018 5:27am

Agreed with Lucius.
A representative of Christ and another Christ are two different things. He can’t distinguish between the two. I believe he thinks he is both.

We have only one Christ.

As for me and my family are concerned, we will follow the True Lamb of God and continue to pray for the conversion of Francis.

MikeS
MikeS
Friday, November 9, AD 2018 7:32am

This whole Pope Francis quote sounds like he’s murmuring.

David Spaulding
David Spaulding
Friday, November 9, AD 2018 7:59am

Broadly speaking, taking the message out of this context, His Holiness is absolutely correct.

I am reminded of the William Goldman quote “We are men of action. Lies to not become us.” – Westley in “The Princess Bride”

It seems that modernity presents two options: speak recklessly or murmur deceitfully. An honest man should speak clearly, directly, and fearlessly. That is really hard to do and something I need to work on at work because it is a habit that folks proclaim good but punish ruthlessly.

Morenowthanever
Morenowthanever
Friday, November 9, AD 2018 8:26am

I have been accused of many things but murmuring?
I doubt very much anyone needs to ask what is wrong with the greatest institution that ever existed on earth which by some secular estimations is about to collapse with moral filth and its “leader” is worried about “murmuring”.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Friday, November 9, AD 2018 8:55am

@ Dave Spaulding: however correct the Pope’s literal words may be, Vigano (and many others) are neither speaking recklessly nor murmuring deceitfully. With all due respect to the high office of the Pontificate, those of things which this Pope has done repeatedly.

David Spaulding
David Spaulding
Friday, November 9, AD 2018 8:58am

Agreed, Lucius. I am salvaging something useful from the lesson. We are in a decidedly Novus Ordo parish so I am long accustomed to gleaning from homilies. 🙂

Philip Nachazel
Philip Nachazel
Friday, November 9, AD 2018 11:18am

Trying to cut to the quick;

Less ambiguity = less murmuring

Let his Holiness try that on for size.

David Spaulding
David Spaulding
Friday, November 9, AD 2018 12:10pm

Well said, Philip Nachazel.

Mary De Voe
Saturday, November 10, AD 2018 1:46am

Pope Francis calls everything that he does not want hear “murmuring.”

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