Thank you Dolours. You sound genuinly pleased to have me here. I think the great thing is that we may disagree but still have good discussions.
I have reserved myself to accept "off the cuff remarks" from Pope Francis as being ordained by God for our times. I have given much thought and prayer as to why. Why has God given his Church a Pope of 'confused commentary' and not clarity? Interestingly enough, I have not read one prophecy, alleged or approved, that has given the slightest indication of a bad pope, until the moment of the false prophet (which Pope Francis is not). Approved and alleged prophecy speaks often of bad Cardinals, Bishops and Priest, but only tells us to pray for the Pope. Much prophecy speaks of confusion within the Church, but does not mention it coming from our Pope. I guess this is a mystery that must remain. I am a black and white person, so for someone like me, grey is not preferred. So I will just stick to what I have been doing and that is praying for Pope Francis every night in our rosary.
Its not on thread but yes I have a vague recollection of this but may I be too young to be clear. Of course, from your profile I see you enjoy far greater seniority than me. Was the greeting nanoo nanoo with a V finger signal? If so nanoo nanoo to you, Sir. (Respect for my elders)
I agree. I used to think satan would drag people to hell. Now it seems like he doesn't have to... they are doing cannonballs into the lake of fire like its a cool dip on a hot July day!
At La Salette Our Lady spoke of two, 'Weak Popes', as far as I remember. Francis Hit With Tranquilizer Dart By Swiss Guard Seconds After Putting Down Scripted Statement To Speak Off-Cuff September 22, 2015 by Admin Filed under Vatican 33 Comments Photo: AndrewHermez Pope Francis was hit with a tranquilizer dart this afternoon just moments after putting down a scripted speech to speak off-the-cuff with reporters on his flight to the U.S., officials are reporting. In a 80-minute briefing to the media, a lighthearted Pope Francis began to speak “very candidly,” when the head of the Pope’s security team, reportedly realizing the havoc the off-the-cuff remark might have on the rest of the U.S. trip, discreetly glanced at another member of the security team and nodded. That’s when, one witness reported, the Holy Father was struck in the neck with the dart and “went down like a ton of bricks.” “Pope Francis had just seconds earlier mentioned the words ‘do not judge;’ that’s when it happened,” said a reporter on the papal flight. “He immediately stopped talking, felt the dart in his neck, and just dropped.” Another witness reported seeing a number of officials quickly whisking the Pope’s limp body away to private section of the plane. The dart was removed shortly thereafter, and the groggy Pontiff awoke and found himself shackled to a post away from the media for the remainder of the trip. Martha Hoffer http://www.eyeofthetiber.com/2015/0...ng-down-scripted-statement-to-speak-off-cuff/
My two cents... Jesus did not sin but disappointed his parents when they were searching frantically (I'm assuming as any parent who lost their child would) for him only to find him preaching to the elders. I'm assuming he apologized for running off; hence asked his parents for forgiveness. Then again, I might be wrong.
That scenario is well covered in this article, .... "Well," I will be told, "Maybe Francis doesn't mean to ascribe any sin at all to our Lord. We should assume he means that the 'forgiveness' Jesus sought was the kind you ask for when you've made a completely innocent mistake that has unintentionally turned out to harm somebody else". Sorry, but that won't work either. In the first place, if that's what Pope Francis really meant, couldn't he have said so clearly? Is it really expecting too much of the Vicar of Christ to say that he should be more sensitive to the fundamental revealed truth that his Lord and Master is "without sin?" (cf. Heb. 4:15, 2 Cor. 5: 21, and many other biblical texts)? Sensitive enough, that is, to anticipate that certain words might well be taken to cast doubt on this revealed truth and so scandalize the faithful? Sensitive enough, therefore, to either not use those words at all or carefully explain the orthodox sense in which he's using them? Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the above whitewash won't wash in any case. If the Pope had in mind a completely innocent mistake on the part of the Child Jesus, he could scarcely have called it an "escapade" - a word Webster's dictionary defines as "a reckless adventure or prank". Recklessness is always at least a venial sin against the cardinal virtue of prudence. Finally, the context also makes the whitewash quite implausible. For Francis goes on in the very next sentence to liken this imagined forgiveness-seeking on the part of Jesus to that which takes place in our own homes and families: forgiveness-seeking, that is, which is occasioned by our sins. He says, "Moments like these become part of the pilgrimage of each family; the Lord transforms the moments into opportunities to grow, to ask for and to receive forgiveness, to show love and obedience. In the Year of Mercy, every Christian family can become a privileged place on this pilgrimage for experiencing the joy of forgiveness." http://remnantnewspaper.com/web/ind...eeds-mercy-a-troubling-homily-by-pope-francis
I like how you have witnessed that prophesy only refers to bad prelates and does not incriminate the Pope but asks that we pray for him. I too do not deal in grey but in yes snd no. Jesuitical spirituality is focused on our personal relationship with God. If I rely overmuch on other people's relationship with God to the neglect of our own then I risk missing the fullness of God's particulsr love that is reserved only for me and that requires my particular response. If I do not know this love how can I repond appropriately? This, I think, is why faith gives the more abundant life. Knowledge does away with the need for faith and it is faith that is more pleasing to God precisely because it is less demanding. Faith is humble in the face of God. It is faith not knowkege that God asks of us because God knows that it is only through faith that we can know Him better or even know Him at all. Faith does not demand certainty but takes love on trust. Even as human beings we aporeciate being given the benefit of the doubt. That benefit is faith. We know how important trust is to a loving and faithful relationship. We are told with Thomas, "Doubt no longer but believe" We are not told "Doubt no longer but know." "That they may believe" in the One sent by God is the work of God in which we are asked to play our part. Pooe Francis has told no lies. Pope Frsncis has not contradicted truth. Has he made pronouncments that seem too open ended? Perhaps. But the key word is 'seem' . In these open ends is found the freedom by which we may exercise our faith and come to the fullness of love. Amoris Laetitiae. It is not a license to sin but a way to test our sincerity of faith, our level of committment. This is the terrible freedom we command and it contains the potential to save or condemn. It is easy to demonstrate the sincerity of our faith by following the exampke of Pope Francis in his pastoral pattern of life: the corporal and spiritual works of mercy carried out within our observation of the 10 commandments and the commandments of the church. Essentially we know what is right and wrong. It is written in our Catholic hearts. We just have to learn to pay better strention. The pope may not always tell us exactly what to do or tell us how to think. We are adults. We have put away childish things. He usually gives us a fair idea if just how far we can and should go. Like Mother Theresa when asked how much we should give replied "Until it hurts." That is different for each of us. But we know what it means when we try to put it into practise. He is quite clear in these directions and the only confusion that arises is in those who think they know better. Just as God does not expect us to know everything about Him so we should not expect to know everything about the pope. He tells us enough to keep us on the road to heaven. He is true to his word and his word is true. Like any good parent he must often feel he could do better but that is not our call. We are not loved equally but we are loved sufficiently. Even when this time of mercy flows into the time of justice when we reap the tribulation we have sown, the Holy Father, whoever he may be, will be our Shepherd. There is talk of an unholy father occupying the chair of Peter but that is in the future. Even his harshest critics here have not accused Pope Francis of being this. He is the one given power by God and Salvation is in His hands. The whole direction of the Church since Vatican II has been to ephasise relationship rather than regulation in our religion. Both are needed but Jesus tells us we are no longer bound by the Law but freed by the Spirit. The direction of the Church since its foundation has never changed: crucifixion, resurrection, ascension. This is and always has been the direction in which we follow. We are owned by Christ alone. Our allegiance is to Christ alone but His allegiance is to his Church, protected from error by His Holy Spirit. He is there with His crook and His staff in the person of the pope. With these He gives us comfort and with these no evil will we fear. To those who demand absolute clarity in everything I suggest it may be time to grow up. No offence. Its only a suggestion. (Oops too long again - Feel free to criticise and instruct me - I am not the snapping turtle that Padraig thinks I am - but I do ask thst you respond from your heart and in your own words and not with long screeds from some other source, Thank you)
Brian May I please ask what this is all about and where it is from? Also it is very difficult to read in this format. Can it be changed? Thank you Viv Allenby Freeman
A little gallows humor some brave soul posted on Facebook to illustrate how silly apologizing to such unrepentant sinners really has become.
Full first name was Vivienne. I did not like it. Not masculine enough. Viv is not much better but retained in loving memory. And no I am not transgender, Padraig. That could have been quite offensive.
I read and reread that very long post and have not got a clue what it actually means. No offense. I do not want to read it again because I figure life's too short. I will try to take stab at it though in shorter form. The reason why no one can understand the Pope is because he is a Jesuit and Jesuits do not make meaningful statements that people can understand because of their sprituality, which is non directive. They kinda gesture in the general direction and you have to figure it out for yourself. Kinda like a sign language. Or Indian smoke signals. But you can take it to mean what you want it to mean like Modern Art. Because it was never intended to have meaning in the first place. Am I close?
