News Vatican The estimated reading time is 3 minutes Vatican dismisses worries about Pope’s eyesight after Lisbon problems Elise Ann Allen August 5, 2023 at 12:01 pm FÁTIMA – After Pope Francis set aside a prepared speech in Lisbon on Friday morning, citing problems with his eyesight amid poor lighting, concern over the pontiff’s vision has grown after he skipped two other speeches, including a highly-anticipated message on Saturday morning in Fátima. During a visit to a charitable centre in Lisbon, the Pope delivered the first couple of paragraphs of his prepared speech but then set it aside, telling the small gathering that the lighting made it difficult for him to read, and promising that the text would be made public. On Saturday morning, however, a Vatican spokesman said that there was no cause for alarm. “The Pope always addresses the people he meets firstly as a shepherd, and speaks accordingly,” said spokesman Matteo Bruni. “The problem with his sight yesterday morning was due to the lighting, which produced a reflection on his glasses,” Bruni said, adding there was no problem with the pontiff’s eyesight. Anticipation was high ahead of the Pope’s visit to the Marian shrine in Fátima Saturday morning, with many observers expecting him to deliver a message of peace amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, after praying the rosary with sick young people and prisoners, Pope Francis again delivered the first few lines of his prepared speech but then deviated, instead offering attendees a brief, off-the-cuff reflection on the Blessed Virgin Mary. He also skipped his prepared prayer at the end of the rosary, asking attendees to join him in the Ave Maria. Concern over the Pope’s health has increased in recent months following two hospital stays this year; one for a serious bout of bronchitis and the other for a surgery to repair an abdominal hernia. The 86-year-old pontiff also suffers from chronic sciatica and knee pain which for over a year has often confined him to a wheelchair. Last year he had surgery to repair cataracts, but it is unclear if that is what is creating difficulty for the pope in delivering his prepared speeches in Portugal.
Despite the questions about his vision, the Pope otherwise has seemed resilient so far during a fairly grueling itinerary in Portugal, clearly alert and his voice strong during his public addresses. In his unprepared remarks in Fátima, he reflected on the Virgin going “in haste” to visit her cousin Elizabeth after finding out they were both pregnant, calling her “Our Lady of Haste” and saying that she also hurries to be close to each person. “She accompanies the life of Jesus, and she does not hide after the resurrection,” he said, saying that Our Lady accompanies the Church as it grows and always “points to Jesus.” “Mary in her life does nothing but point to Jesus, do what he tells you, follow Jesus. She welcomes us and points to Jesus, and she does it in a hurry,” he said. Pope Francis asked those present to look at the famous statue of Our Lady of Fátima in the shrine’s outdoor chapel, where the rosary was prayed, and to reflect silently in their hearts on what she is telling them, offering her their worries, concerns, motivations and interests. “We feel the presence of the mother; that she points to Jesus, and that she asks him to do what we ask. Our Lady of Haste,” he said, closing his remarks. Pope Francis is expected to deliver a prepared speech to young people during a prayer vigil on Saturday evening. https://catholicherald.co.uk/vatican-dismisses-worries-about-popes-eyesight-after-lisbon-problems/
He has already afflicted me with Pope Francis, which was far, far worse, the most wicked Pope in 2,000 years.. Long, long, long past time to call a spade a spade. https://catholicherald.co.uk/priest...-in-latest-broadside-against-traditionalists/ Priests must play soccer, not preach dogma, says Pope in broadside against traditionalists Rome – Pope Francis has attacked the “corruption” of restorationist movements within the Church and said the Second Vatican Council has not yet been fully implemented. In his latest surprise media interview, with a Spanish language outlet that appeared at the same time he’s in Lisbon celebrating World Youth Day, the Argentine Pontiff hit out at the “prophets of confusion” undermining the mission of the Church. He said people with “right-wing” ideologies were the most dangerous faction in the Church and he called for a generation of priests who played soccer instead of going into communities to preach . “We need normal seminarians, with their problems, who play soccer, and who don’t go to the neighbourhoods to dogmatise,” Pope Francis said. Describing himself as “a stone in the shoe” for people who are opposed to his ecclesiastical and political vision, the Pope told Vida Nueva that he did not feel the time is ripe for a Third Vatican Council, in part because “Vatican II still has not been implemented”. The Holy Father also condemned ideological movements in the Church which, he said, “dress up in a restorationist air, with a lot of apparent mystique, but also a lot of corruption”. Francis also expressed frustration that he was unable to reform the Church as much as he would have preferred. His reform efforts to date in the Church have revealed “a certain impotence” in that there’s only so far “over the limit” it’s possible to go, he told the magazine, admitting that “I have not yet dared to put an end to the culture of a [royal] court in the Curia”. Referring to criticism he’s received for gestures such as regularly meeting transgender persons at his Wednesday audience, Francis cited the example of Jesus in the Gospels, who spent a large amount of time in dialogue with people who weren’t necessarily his followers. “The first time they came and saw me, they left crying, saying I had given them a hand, a kiss, as if I had done something exceptional for them,” he said. “But they are children of God! He still loves you just the way you are. Jesus teaches us not to set limits.” On international affairs, Francis said he is a determined opponent of imperialism in all forms, especially in Latin America. “Imperialism is very strong, and America is the victim of empires of all kinds,” the Pope said, without citing any specific empire He said that the answer is to focus on the people as “protagonists of their own destiny,” though not on populism. “I speak badly of any empire, of whatever sort,” the Pope said. “For this reason, I know that I am a stone in the shoe for more than one when I report these situations, so they have to somehow drive away the pain of the stone.” In respect of World Youth Day, the Pope said that any pastoral approach driven by ideology, “of the left, the right or the centre … is sick from the beginning, and hurts the young.” “Right now, groups linked in some way to right-wing ideologies are perhaps the most dangerous,” Francis said. “I fear intellectual youth groups, those who summon young people to reflect and then they fill them with weird ideas,” he said.
“We need normal seminarians, with their problems..' Pope Francis. The problem with other Seminarians being I suppose that they don't have problems. Presumably then having problems is a good thing. It is a very,very wicked and evil Pope we have. There can be no doubt about it. Very,very wicked and evil. ..and scheming and plotting like crazy. and a totally nasty and unpleasant piece of work to boot. I would not turn my back on him for a second.
God does not love us the way we are. This is patent nonsense. Do you think for a moment God loves a serial killer the way he is or a pedophile or a pervert?
PRAY PRAY PRAY and leave it at the foot of the Cross, and Mother's hands. This is way beyond us. Mercy & conversion
Please take my response in charity and as one truly seeking to try and understand tge mystery of God’s love. Ultimately, I can’t comprehend Gods love. But I think the answer lies somewhere in tgat God loves each person because we are all made in His image and likeness. And God is love. But God loves us so much and is such a “gentleman” that he gives us freedom to choose and we often choose horrible things and we separate our selves from his love. I don’t think he stops his love… we do it ourselves. He of course is “heartbroken” and does not want this. And, yes, since he is a God of Justice, he does not condone or accept these choices. But, he continually seeks our repentance. So, in my humanness, I see these horrible people and can condemn (I do it often) and yet God still does love them and seeks their conversion. It’s a mystery I suppose. I often think of St Monica who for over 30 years saw her son, Augustine as one very much like these people… an awful, sinful, and debaucheress man. Yet he converted and became one of greatest saints. And through her suffering Monica herself became a great saint. In my humanness, I know I will still very much judge others, but I pray somehow God give me grace to do less of that and pray for conversion of those who appear lost. Peace.
Yes God's love is unconditional in the sense that all are given a chance to repent, the love of God is a free gift. He is the Prodigal Father who loves His children. And yes this is a difficult topic and I too do not understand fully the mystery of God's love. The problem I have is with the statement God loves us 'the way we are'. If that is the case there is no need to repent. God is infinite goodness. He loves His own goodness and, because He is just, He wills for Himself that which is His due. Included in this will is that His creatures honor this goodness, too. If God loves what is good, He must also hate that absence of goodness we call evil. The Apostle tells us, “Let love be without dissimulation. Hating that which is evil, cleaving to that which is good” (Romans 12:9). He here enjoins us to imitate God Himself (St Marmion) So God desires all His creatures to be holy as he is holy. God hates evil and evil-doers are enemies of God. Psalm 11v5 The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. James 4v4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. As for poor old Judas our Lord said, 'It would be better for him if he had not been born'.
The whole premise of "just the way you are" seems a bit like "I'm okay, you're okay" that hideous pop psychology of the 70's. The better way of expressing it might be this meme: " God meets you where you are at but loves you too much to leave you there"
Does a wife love a wife-beater the way he is? No. She wants her husband to stop beating her first. Does a husband love his alcoholic wife the way she is continually drunk? No, he wants her to stop drinking. Did Jesus love Judas the way he was? No, because he said it would have been better that he had never been born. He loved Judas as a friend but did not love him the way he was, as a thief and a betrayer.
Not speaking ill of the Pope, just observing him the way he is. I think he Will try to broker some kind of peace with Russia because he LIKES being in the limelight. What better person to talk peace than the Pope? It will give him lots of media coverage, and make him look like a rock star. People will love it. And now the talk of war is ramping up . . .it is getting very tense. Therefore, I would hedge a bet he will stop in Moscow, and the events that will transpire will come out after the event. Just my thoughts on it. Wait and see . . .
It seems like that will definitely happen at some point, but I'm not so sure it's now. Neither side is interested in talking peace now, I think it needs to get much worse first, like literally om the brink of nuclear war, and only then will the pope finally be allowed to "save the world"...or so it will seem.
My tuppence worth 'God pities us the way we are and longs for our conversion'. Yes that is love. God is love.
