Phil Lawler has a disquieting ability to pay close attention to what Pope Francis says:
The observation that many churches, which until a few years ago were necessary, are now no longer thus, due to a lack of faithful and clergy, or a different distribution of the population between cities and rural areas, should be welcomed in the Church not with anxiety, but as a sign of the times that invites us to reflection and requires us to adapt.
Those are the words of Pope Francis, as reported by the Vatican press office. The emphasis is mine.
If some day I arrive in a hospital emergency room bleeding profusely from gaping wounds, I’d like to think that the doctors would respond to (not exactly “welcome”) my arrival “with anxiety.” Because anxiety would be warranted.
Go here to read the rest. As Pope Francis leads the Church into spiritual bankruptcy he seems to be adopting a What, Me Worry? philosophy from Mad Magazine. The “solution” of Pope Francis seems to be to to have the Church embrace the political sacred cows of the chattering classes of the Left, and to soft pedal or deep six the teachings those chattering classes object to. Been there, done that by most of the main line Protestant churches in the West, and the result is empty pews and membership dwindling to extinction. PopeWatch guesses that for Pope Francis all this are features and not bugs.
“It’s better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life rather than to live a double life.”
-Pope Francis on homosexual priesthood.
I truly hope and pray that he means what he said.
So often his words and actions don’t support each other.
A duplicity that empties Churches. (?)
The old, do what I say not what I do, just doesn’t work.
Now we wait until February to see if these recent words of his will be smothered or echoed.
God help us all.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/02/gay-people-should-not-join-catholic-clergy-pope-francis-says
“It’s better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life rather than..”
He’ll soon say something totally contradictory in the days ahead, just to mix things up. Confusion reigns with this pope, in his mind “a mental mess” is the remedy for moral rigidity otherwise known as moral certainty. They’ll be none of that, just “surprises” that keep us off balance. Things are so much better that way…. for the surprise-er.
If the only parishes growing are those offering the EF, I bet that’d cause some anxiety in certain quarters.
PF’s “What, me, worry?” (=Apres moi, le deluge.”) approach yields so many benefits. Pope Lio reigns.
It makes “a mess” (“hacer un lio”) and shakes up those “rigid guys”. You can prevent independent trad groups from taking over those sanctuaries by demo’ing them. It’s the sign of the times, bro.
And now you can flip more closed Catholic churches into mosques, like they did in Buffalo, or as with the historic St. Ignatius Church in Amsterdam, or in so many places, where the dead ashes of post-V2 Catholicism are all that remains anyway.
Cool mess, Pope Lio!
David WS
One has to question whether it is “confusion” or deliberate ambiguity, which as Pius VI informed us, is designed to allow for error and would enter God’s church from time to time.
The purpose of deliberate ambiguity is to cause confusion–the enemy of truth.
I think it’s just a personality aspect of Jorge Bergoglio. I’m not sure that the elevator goes to the top floor with him anymore..if it has at all.
It’s been said before, that we are experiencing a chastisement of sorts and that we are deserving of the leadership we have. How many have given up on the faith all together?
How many have become slaves to secular God’s and bowing down to the great God Entertainment with his son Self Gratification? Rounding out the unholy trinity with
the Spirit of Financial Superiority.
A love for that trinity has taken hold.
Praying and fasting for our salvation and then those of others and our enemies as well. This is what will bring back a clergy clean and holy.
Bishop’s and prelates worthy of the office. A Holy Pope.
It starts with us.
“Forgive me Father for I have sinned…”
Is pope Francis misleading us?I’m really offended by his name calling.His hate of capitalist.The money for the vatican charity come from the capitalist, Why he doesn’t ask communist China for aid to the poor and for his charity,You never ear him critisizing communist.