Those who urge the view that Pope Francis is not the Pope are, in this relativistic age, entitled to their view, however contrary to the facts; the irony is that in a less relativistic era such as the one they profess to prefer, their view would have quickly landed them in trouble; the Inquisition was not hot on individual Catholics explaining why in their view the Pope was not the Pope.
The Church is the people of God on a journey, it is not just the clergy, or the bishops, or the Pope; this Pope, like his two immediate predecessors, never forgets that. If, sometimes, on its long journey through time and space, the Church has not always seemed like that, then it is good to be reminded that it is so. When Francis said that: the thing the Church needs today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful’, he was not saying that was the fulness of the faith, or that other things were not also important, he was doing that thing real leaders do – he was stating a priority for the moment. Unless the Church can reach out, to its own members and the world, it is failing to fulfil the Great Commission given by Jesus. There may be those who disagree with his statement that: ‘the Church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules’; but none, I hope, would disagree with the statement that: ‘the most important thing is the first proclamation; Jesus Christ has saved you.’
The literal-minded can read that as an heretical statement, but no one surveying Francis’ record can doubt he is what he claims to be, a loyal son of the Church. He means what Jesus meant – salvation is offered to all; I can see why some Calvinists might disagree, not why any Catholic would. If anyone doubts that the Church ‘needs new roads’ to reach those ‘who do not attend Mass’ and to ‘those who have quit or are indifferent’, then I can only wonder why? The Church is not here to minister to the saved sheep alone, it has to go out there and find the lost ones. If people do not know Christ, they will not be open, he has said to the moral teaching of the Church. Here, from abortion to ‘gay marriage’ and contraception, he has said little, and that is because these things are settled; he is not changing his views, nor can he, any more than the Church can. Francis is not concerned to say what is obvious; he is concerned with what is not obvious to the outsider – which is that the Church is a Missionary Church and exists to bring souls to the Lord.
Like any missionary, Francis is emphasising the proclamation of the good news; only when men have received that are they open to God. He seeks to find, he says:
‘new balance, otherwise even the moral edifice of the Church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the fragrance and freshness of the Gospel. The proposal of the Gospel must be more simple, profound, radiant. It is from this proposition that the moral consequences then flow.’
This was the message of Peter and Paul, and it is the message of the Church throughout eternity; the salt must not lose its savour. Benedict XVI is a great theologian and was a great Pope, but he feared that the in the future the Church would become smaller. In that he reflected the perspective of a European. Francis comes from a part of the world where the Church is still growing, and he brings with him the confidence that it can grow – even in Europe. Much as I admire Benedict, on this issue, I prefer the optimism of the Evangelist in Francis.
All Along the Watchtower 
Reblogged this on U.S. Constitutional Free Press.
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I would that I could have your optimism, C. I, like Benedict, already see a diminished Church where less that 25% of US Catholics actually attend Mass each week; and far fewer yet, avail themselves of the Sacrament of Confession. Like, Chesterton said, “Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.” And the theological confusion of liberation theology has inundated South America, so I would have some reservations, though the numbers look good on paper, as to their Catholicity.
My problem, so far, with Pope Francis is that he seems to only be looking for the ‘lost sheep’ that are at his left hand and is chasing off those separated sheep at his right hand; e.g. the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.
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I shared your concern, SF about “Liberation Theology”. i no longer do, when I analyzed his document (Was it Evangelium Gaudium? not sure of the name) that was not what I found. What I found was a sensible statement, it differs from what you or I (or C) would have written because it comes from a tradition not of the common law, or even really European stability.
I disagree with some of what he says, of course, but basically he’s right. And he’s especially right in that we will not prevail on morality with our strong members, we must evangelize, and not each other, we need a proportion of those who do not know Christ, in any way.
And that goes to why the Jews are not our enemy, they may not be Christians (and they aren’t) but they are our mother religion with many of the same beliefs. A very useful ally in this world, and not an enemy we should make for transient reasons. For the rest, I’m comfortable with God sorting it out.
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I in no way want the Jews to be anything more than our allies in this world and in a largely shared morality. As to the liberation theology statement I made, it was not directed at the Pope but at the flourishing masses of people who are dominated by this thinking in Central and South America. I have a hard time counting them among Catholics just as I do with the ones who have mixed their African or Indian Religions with Catholicism. There is much work to be done to bring them into full agreement with the Catholic Church.
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That’s much the way I see them, and I suspect the way they see us as well, so that’s rational.
That’s a problem with worldwide religions, yours and mine as well. It pays to remember though, that a lot of our tertiary stuff came from the aboriginal north europeans, not to mention the Romans and Greeks. It happens, if the basics are right, I don’t see it as too much of a problem. Get the basics right, and we’ll be fine, I think.
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I would hope so as well, NEO.
But when I look at something like Voodoo, for an example, we have been at it for a long time and it has no signs of disappearing. Many adherents have baptismal records in the Catholic Church and are counted as Catholic: nothing could be further from the truth. So it is with Liberation Theology and other off-shoots or conglomerate faiths in the Southern Hemisphere. Much work is needed but it seems we are long way from weaning them off of these ideas.
I hope that you are right, though. Perhaps there is some point when we will all worship the same God in spirit and truth. All we really know is that in the end (even if there is only 1 believer left) Christ wins the war – something that gives us great hope and reason for joy. 🙂
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I know, I’m concerned as well but, it takes someone who knows more than I do. But they exist, and hopefully will do the right thing.
Yep, he does, and there’s likely to be more than one, in any case 🙂
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I hope so though Christ’s question about whether He would find any faith in the world when He returned leads one to think that it is not a sure thing. 🙂
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True but I guess we’ll have to trust Him on that one 🙂
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Always. 🙂
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🙂
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We have to guard against supposing that when our churches were full, they were full of orthodox fervent Catholics; that would be like the old Soviets supposing that because membership of the party was high, there were lots of communists in Russia.
I don’t know enough about the Friars to comment, but F may indeed be relying on us to stay faithful while he brings the prodigals home; we must try not to act like the elder brother. Yes, I am optimistic. This is Christ’s Church, and if we act on the defensive, there we shall stay. If we imitate the Apostles, we may be martyred, but the Church will grow.
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I actually believe all you say about supposing a fervent Catholicity at any point in time: save for those led and then fed to the lions.
I really don’t know how much the Pope is involved the Friars debacle but it is public enough that if he wanted, he could certainly put a stop to it.
As to optimism: my optimism is from the standpoint that the teachings of the saints is still here and their lessons are still available to anyone who wants to avail themselves of it. So I am submissive to the Church though I wince often at what I see. So whether it increases or it decreases I am happy and satisfied with what She has given me for my spiritual edification and that I have enough of that to keep me busy the rest of my life no matter what befalls her from this point forward. A type of optimism, though perhaps not the same type that you possess?
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I think we have to subject our judgment to that of the Church. If we think it is wrong, we need to think why we should be right. If we persist, then the Church is not the Church, and if we have been wrong in thinking it was, why are we right in thinking it wrong?
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It seems to me that the Church has not always done the right thing in the past and that I need not expect that it must always do so at every turn. All I expect is that the teaching is constantly right. I have no such expectation for the practice of the faith. That is why I persist in the faith to which I intend to persevere and to be obedient.
As to the hushing of good orthodox Catholics and the Friars, I do not have to like it and of course I don’t. But they are obedient to the wishes of the Vatican and I would hope that I would be as well.
My only explanation for the liberalization of the Church or for a dumbing down of the Church and the ensuing banality that we encounter is that of the economy of souls. If somehow, more souls are to be won to Christ by the present methods then the leadership has somehow succeeded where others in the past might have failed. Though Benedict was a throwback from such thoughts and not quite so popular for his apparent traditional leadership.
History will be the ultimate judge of these things. I neither nod my head in approval nor dismiss the possibility that there is a light which our Pope sees that is illumining his path which we (members of the Church) now trod. I merely pray for him and the Church and hope and pray he knows what he is doing and where he is taking us as I am sure those that were recently silenced do as well.
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A wise attitude. As no one died and made me Pope, I reckon you have it about right. The Church is not there to make old, or young, conservatives comfortable, it is there to save souls. So, I am uncomfortable, but if more souls are saved, that is a price I pay with gratitude to my saviour.
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Well said and if far less words than I used. Agreed. 🙂
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You expressed it admirably. I joined the Church because it is Christ’s Church. I am bound by oath to believe all it believes. Is this sometimes hard? Yes. So what do I do, quit because I feel uncomfortable? If so, then shame on me.
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That is so. It isn’t like I am the first or the last person that has suffered through hard times and areas of dispute within the Church. In fact, I should glory in the fact that Christ deems me worthy to suffer with His Church.
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That is the view I try to take. We must not think we are in Oprah and that this is all about how we ‘feel’!
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If it was, I can tell you right now that I would not be a Catholic. This is not a warm and fuzzy for everybody but spiritual combat for those with courage – or in my case those who don’t know any better or are too stupid to avoid the fray. 🙂
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It would have been easier to have remained a High Anglican – altar rails, communion on the tongue, kneeling, etc. Comfort. But, and this is the only resemblance, like Newman I found that was not the Church, and this is; that being so, I take the rough road – and learn to like it 🙂
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Yes you have to ‘man-up’ as they say. 🙂
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I agree. My own comfort means nothing.
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One need only say the Sorrowful Mysteries to see true suffering.
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Indeed. We are uncomfortable, and live in such comfortable circumstances we mistake it for suffering.
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Aye. The princess with a pea beneath the mattress.
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That, alas, is us.
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Have a good sleep, C. Check for any peas. 🙂
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Will do 🙂
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Jesus is the Good Shepherd. His father is the Holy Father, the Almight God.
Many shall come in my name saying…I am Christ.
Jesus said…I am the door. No man come to the father but by me.
All others are thieves and robbers and come to steal and destroy.
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Door (Latin: Dora.) A sign of poor workmanship in the construction of a wall, a door is a wooden or polystyrene rectangle (or, less commonly, an oblong) used to cover a large gap or hole which is a common occurrence even in the modern age of computer generated house design. It is also famously known as that which a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of, it is also known as the wall [edit]. As of 1234 BC, it was estimated that about 112% of [all] doors led to Narnia.
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Yeah , sure.
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you do realize i’m on moderation right now so everything i say has been approved of by boss-lady, right?
now do you really want to be a clown toward good sister jess and her friends?
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No, i dont want to clown good sister Jess or her friends. What has that to do with you being moderated? if anyone needs it, its you. I guess you were good enough to check yourself into rehab.
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>>>>>What has that to do with you being moderated?
because if everything i say is moderated by aunt jessica, then you would mock her by mocking me. now we wouldn’t to get me upset now would we? there is a sense of protection and power in being moderated–why i requested it in the first place 😉
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It is an interesting time we are in. There is s lot of new optimism that the new Pope has brought to Catholics. Protestants as well are happy to see the new optimism generated. Liberation theology cane on strong and was not able to address all the concerns or created. But u think there is a new question in the ear of Christians Catholic and protestant. How can we get God sbs the church back into the public eye?
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If we do not bring the message to the people, they will perish.
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I have become entirely worn out – this past year – with the Benedict v. Francis polemics on Catholic blogs, so it is both interesting and exasperating to see the issue presented on an Anglican blog. To be honest, we now need to move beyond the polemics. There is a new Pope. The Benedict Emeritus who we relied on is no longer in the driving seat, and as much as we may dislike the style, Francis is forging ahead and dictating the pace. If only he was dictating the “pace” as his namesake did in the 13th century. “Pace e bene” – Peace and all Good.
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Wise words. If we stop hurling muck at each other we might get somewhere.
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I can’t look at him without thinking ‘Stan Laurel’, is than another decade in purgatory?
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Good man, Stan 🙂
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Another fine mess you’ve gotten me into, Ollie.
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🙂
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On a mountain in Virginia stands a lonesome pine
Just below , is the cabin home of a little girl of mine .
Her name is June and very , very soon she’ll belong to me
For I know she’s waiting there for me ‘neath that lone pine tree .
In the blue ridge mountains of Virginia , on the trail of the lonesome pine,
In the pale moonshine , our hearts entwine
Where she carved her name and I carved mine
Oh June , like the mountains I’m blue
Like the pine I am lonesome for you
In the blue ridge mountains of virginia
On the trail of the lonesome pine
—-
See what we can do when the Yanks and the Brits get together, unstoppable.
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Indeed so, my friend.
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While I am sadly distant removed from this one who leads the Catholic Church, being one of those P’s if you will, I am very accepting of his motivation to demonstrate grace before the nations. It is what we are lacking; all of us.
We will no longer bring congregants to our churches by preaching fire and brimstone. We may as well let it go. That is for a time far removed, if it was even for real then. We must instead become the body of Christ that looks to the prostitute and says, “neither do I condemn thee,” and to the woman with with her perfume, “your sins are forgiven.”
The Gospel is Good News. It is not a message of condemnation, but of hope. We, poverty stricken beggars who have only by grace found bread, can only offer the same to the hungry. Grace that is greater than all my sin.
I pray this Pope continues to be the most gracious demonstrator of Jesus’ love to all people; people that our Savior came and died for. Blessings
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That, I think, is a counsel of wisdom and Christian love.
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Well the Catholic Church is a massive ocean, here we are a puddle, but it is a good puddle with 38 different nationalities, 5 priests, a very small number of the people english speaking mostly could be described as California cafeteria Catholics. most of the 1200 people are solid, and that is remarkable considering the poor catechist they have received. This is called the most atheist nation in Europe, if that fact can be celebrated, it maybe. I think the Church will survive until the ending of the age. With the news that the NHS is using aborted babies as fuel to heat their facilities, if God does not drop a rock on us, we may choke on our vomit enough so we pick ourselves up. The shades of gray are disappearing and black and white is growing. That growth is either hope or destruction.
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