With every rosary on the beginning 3 Hail Mary's , my first is always for Pope Francis, second is for Pope Benedict, third is for all priests, cardinals, bishops, nuns and true faithful to help change the world.
I think the words of Cardinal Burke speak volumes about Francis: "The Holy Father, it seems to me, wishes to pare back every conceivable obstacle people may have invented to prevent themselves from responding to Jesus Christ’s universal call to holiness. We all know individuals who say things like: “Oh, I stopped going to Church because of the Church’s teaching on divorce”, or “I could never be Catholic because of the Church’s teaching on abortion or on homosexuality”. The Holy Father is asking them to put aside these obstacles and to welcome Christ, without any excuse, into their lives. Once they come to understand the immeasurable love of Christ, alive for us in the Church, they will be able to resolve whatever has been troubling them about the Church, His Mystical Body, and her teaching. The Pontificate of Pope Francis should therefore be seen as a radical call to redouble our efforts for the new evangelization. Radical in the sense that, in our dialogue with others and with the world, we must start with the beginning, Christ’s call to life in Him." http://www.osservatoreromano.va/en/news/popes-radical-call-new-evangelization#.Uwgi3TK9KSO
Miker said...Once they come to understand the immeasurable love of Christ, alive for us in the Church, they will be able to resolve whatever has been troubling them about the Church, His Mystical Body, and her teaching. And just how will they resolve their issues, such as divorce and homosexuality Miker? Through clear Catholic teaching ? Where will that be coming from? Pope Francis? The Bishops?
I think this Pope is unlike any before any history. I have found it hard to understand him myself but now I do I think a little better. In South America there is a very strong Pentecostal/ Charismatic tradition. Perhaps I am mistaken but the Holy Father seems to me to be very Charismatic in his spirtuality . I wonder would anyone else agree? It is many years since I attended a Charismatic prayer meeting. I enjoyed them but I never got into it in any big way. But if I am right it would explain so much about his style and the road down which he is leading the Church. It means he is very spontaneous ad Spirit Driven. What he does and says comes directly from the heart so to speak, kind of off the cuff. I would say he is a very great saint. TO me he appear to have come through the Dark Night of the Soul and out the other side Not many folks can say this. I suspect he went through the most appalling suffering. I also believe h has been specially chosen by God for these very difficult times. I trust him completely though he often looses me. But since I am not a Charismatic I suppose this is to be expected. . I would really love to meet him. Perhaps in heaven. But yes I trust him, he is a saint and chosen by God. What else could we ask for?
The Pentecostals like him, which is so interesting: http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/fi...al-thoughts-on-francis-and-the-gospel-of-joy/ Prayers being offered for the then Cardinal Bergolio (kneeling) by Raniero Cantalamessa who has been so important to the Catholic Charismatic movement and by Norberto Saracco, a Pentecostal who directs the Facultad Internacional de Educación Teológica in Buenos Aires.
Not to surprising however, as many in the Charismatic Catholic movement are not that far from Protestantism themselves. There are sound charismatics, like Ralph Martin, but I fear the greater amount of charismatics are not dogmatic in their Catholic faith. At least this is my experience.
Funnily enough the Holiest man I ever met in my life was a Charismatic, a Cistercian Monk Brother Francis. He had been a taxi driver for many years. I understand he died a very hard death , blind and paralysed. One thing I recall about him was how open to the Holy Spirit he was. Nothing could surprise him.
I was involved in the renewal movement for a number of years and one great gift I recommend to all is praise of God. In paradise we will always be praising God. We can praise Him with our lips or praise Him in our hearts. God deserves all of our praises! Never underestimate the power of praise.
As a rather shy Englishman, I have always been ill at ease with the Charismatics. All that arm waving makes me cringe! Yet I have come to realise that the Charismatics are an important element in the Church especially with regard to evangelisation. As to whether Pope Francis can be described as Charismatic, I don't know but he certainly approves of the Catholic Charismatic renewal. But, for me, the beauty of this new little video of Pope Francis addressing the Pentecostals is simply that he believes and treats them as brothers. As brothers in any good family, he wants to be close to them and wants them to be close to him.
My experience tells me that under normal circumstances, one must be solid in Church doctrine to be charismatic in the true sense. Few are. Few charismatics accept the fullness of the Church's teachings, especially on moral issues, yet will assume that if you are 'in the spirit' it is no problem not accepting Church doctrine. It reminds me that one can be to dogmatic and smother the spirit, or to 'in the spirit' and smother the truths of the faith. Both are essential, or we risk being/remaining in sanctifying grace.
There has always been a kind of tension between the organisational Church and the mystical. For it to be fruitful it has to balanced. Hopefully the Holy Father is aware of this. But if the Church is to enter a period of intense Persecution, the organised Church will in a sense die and only the mystical, the persecuted remnant will survive in the new Catacombs. This being so and I believe it is, the Holy Fathers election and actions appear to take on the role of prophecy. He appears to assisting us in the transition to what is to come. If the Church were to attempt to survive as it is it would simply be eradicated. In a way it is a bit like a cocoon and a butterfly. We are changing into a butterfly so we can fly away from those who would kill us. Anyhow this is how I at least read things. "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler."—Psalm 91:3.
I know this is a long video, but it puts the Popes words in context. Interesting introductory remarks by Bishop Tony Palmer
Padraig. I was chopping wood the other day that I had left in the shed a good time ago. It was so dry it splinted perfectly every time I struck it and was perfect for the fire. And it came to me what Jesus prophecised in Luke 23 'for if they do these things in the green tree, what wil be done in the dry'? We at the end of this age are perfect dry wood for the fire of persecution and martyrdom. When they pin us to the collar they will not ask whether we are charismatic or dogmatic, Catholic or protestant. The blood of Christian martyrs is always red.
Wow! Just read Mark Mallett's latest blog. It is about Christian unity. The spirit is at work. I pray we all remain open to what the Spirit is saying at the end ofthis age. http://www.markmallett.com/blog/the-coming-wave-of-unity/#more-13867 A personal thought on unity. I believe unity will come in reverse order to the schisms. First the Othodox will come on board (schism about 1000 years ago) and then protestants (schism about 500 years ago). All the work of God not man.
I recently heard from someone who was there that a large group of Protestants in the UK Pentecostal's I believe were praying for Pope Francis because of a Mafia hit out on him. They were taking it very serious. Due to the amount of people in Italy heeding Francis's words the mafia are loosing ground. So daily prayers for Francis are needed very much.
That is very interesting, Indy. What is unclear is why protestants (i.e. people who are against The Pope) in the UK or anywhere might be praying for his protection. Some slight cognitive dissonance there. This sounds like one of the many urban myths circulating these days to cause increasing fear. The Mafia have been losing ground anyway in Italy over the past decade due to better intelligence. I am sure Pope Francis is fulfilling the prophesy of Jesus "that they may be one". Let us weigh and discern prophesy carefully so that we can remain focused on the truth. There are a lot of rumours and falsehoods doing the rounds at the moment.
Well someone, a Catholic in Galway Ireland told me recently that they were at a protestant gathering of some sort in Whales recently where they were praying for Pope Francis' protection from the mafia. Even if there is misinformation there somewhere the bottom line is we need to keep the prayers going for our Pope. I also believe a lot of UK protestants are really warming to Pope Francis. On the mafia the top three mafias in Italy its estimated grossed around 180 billion last year as per Irish TG4 TV documentary. They are very powerful.
According to the Catholic Encylopedia and my teachers, your dad was quite right: 'Both matter and form of heresy admit of degrees which find expression in the following technical formula of theology and canon law. Pertinacious adhesion to a doctrine contradictory to a point of faith clearly defined by the Church is heresy pure and simple,........' Just like your dad, I was taught that non-Catholic Christians are heretics (as, of course, are many Catholics). I had thought that this man was an Anglican 'bishop'. I now discover that he is: Tony Palmer (a “bishop” and founder of the Ark Community, which describes itself as an “an internet-based, Inter-denominational Christian Convergent Community,drawing our spirituality from the ‘Early Church’”). Oh, come on! He is a 'self-styled' bishop not even an Anglican 'bishop'. I hope to wake up soon.
