My question is on this forum how is it helping, bashing him and calling him out? We all understand this isn't a good papacy..... Is it helping Pope Francis?
Jesus called King Herod, ' That fox' jJesus called the Pharisees, ' Whited Sepulchres' and 'Hypocrites', The question is was it nice of Jesus to refer to them like this?Was he helping these poor people? Why did He do it? It certainly wasn't nice.cWhy did He bash them this way? Horrible. Even worse He took a whip to the money changers in the Temple and physically assaulted them in a way that was even illegal. Did this help them? Why bashing poor people like this a nice thing to be up to?Is it really helpful? That would be my question to people on the forum? Was it nice calling people out like this? Is bashing the poor Pope over the head going to accomplish anything?
They accused Padre Pio of the exact same thing in the confessional with his penitents when they ran out screaming. Of not being nice and giving them a good old fashioned bashing.
But Padraig, Pope Francis isnt reading this forum and we aren't Jesus. My question is how is it helping him directly? When Jesus preformed those acts and words people were in front of him and he shocked them. Which is what he wanted. Throwing words out here, go no where. I am all for correcting errors to individuals who might be confused on Church teaching and even working on pastoral level in our home parishes. Taking a priest aside privately etc. Anyway, I will leave it at that for now.
Phronsie, I understand your reconsideration. Your sensitivity toward Sanctus on a different thread reveals your heart of gold. To love, pray, and support one another in our needs is part and parcel of MOG's identity because of the beautiful gift of compassion. This is why Jesus invited us: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Jesus reveals Himself as a true shepherd caring for His flock. On the other hand, there was a time when Jesus severely rebuked the spiritual elders of Israel: Matthew 23:13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. Concerning this admonition of Christ reveals His concern for the flock being led off the cliff. Many of us on MOG are similarly concerned to see the Synodal Way being used as a means of watering down the Truth of Christ and His Church. The term of accompaniment has been been reduced at times to a means of walking together while compromising the truth. Pope Francis is an advocate of this approach which grieves me. I have a member of my extended family who has same-sex attraction; he is living a chaste life according to the teaching of the Church. He is a hero. This shows me that any steps to allow and promote unchaste relationships among the gay community is a farce. In this situation, the outcome of the Synod is of upmost importance. Let us pray for the Holy Father; to me he appears to be backing the Fr. James Martin compromise. If true, this would truly be an evil and an insult to God, His Holy Church, and my beloved relative. Peace and joy in wherever the Lord leads you.
It will not change Pope Francis. Correct. I don't believe he is a member of the Forum. When Jesus spoke openly of the evil of King Herod as John the Baptist did before him, I doubt if Herod was present either. Nevertheless Jesus and John the Baptist did so anyway. Why? To alert people of a deceptive evil. Carmelite there is no need to leave a dialogue like this when it is under way. I am not seeking to win an argument, merely to get to the truth. I would encourage you to state your case. Not to do a vanishing act.
If I was to state the one Great Diabolical Deception of this present age it is this. That being nice is to be loving and that to offend is to be sinful. Not at all, put the boot in as hard as you can and as often as you can when it is called for. I myself quite enjoy doing so and if ever a man needed the boot put into hard and regular it is Pope Francis. I know of no man needs it more.
The only reason I do not put the boot into Pope Francis harder and more regular is that it puts up my blood pressure and even thinking about the man upsets me too much. I see no reason whatsoever why I should be nice about a totally wicked and nasty old man who happens to be Pope
Padraig, I just get very tired when I hear that people fall into "nicety"just because they refuse blast others. Tired because, I uphold all the teachings of the Church and call out errors when its needed in charity. I just refuse to name call and won't. My battle is an invisible, a spiritual one and I am very aware of the war we are fighting. I am on the front lines in a very different way. I have seen more change in people close to me by this approach. I believe it's the clergy job to reprimand Pope Francis. Which I hear them doing in some circles. He has an awesome responsibility and I shudder at that thought. But have we ever consider that the Lord is allowing his blindness for a greater good right now? To show forth Gods endless mercy in the future.
Every soul is different and is called by God to a different calling. Each of us are imbued with differing charisms and graces. Like the colours of the rainbow. like the birds we see in the trees. Like all the difference we see in nature around us. So it is with souls. From my earliest years I have been called to battle Satan directly. I am a battle soul. Few souls are called to do this. I do as I am biddened. Nevertheless, and I tell you this directly, you are very, very much mistaken. This is not a time for holding back, quite the contrary.
I do believe I am following the path He has set for me, Padraig. I am a contemplative and listen quietly to His direction.
Perhaps. I think the main trouble with dialogue in the Church and the world at the moment is the deception of being nice and not offending. I believe at the opening of St Teresa of Avila's story of her life she comments that she wished she might have been a man so she could fight the Protestants with her sword. We've lost this fire. We would just say of St Teresa that she was not nice.
The problem in the Church at the moment is not that people are speaking out, but quite the contrary, that they are not.
StTeresa a superb contemplative longed Todo more actively as did St Therese ofLiseaux a Patron Saint of Missionaries, bith whilst contemplative well knew the need for speaking out and doing things.
Well must say the rosary and off to bed. I have been in Spiritual Marriage now, the seventh Mansion, since I was 29 years old. About 39 years now. I am a Contemplative. It never stopped me saying what needed to be said. My life is a constant prayer. Also a great sinner. But I am contemplative too. I have never seen prayer as somehow being in contradiction to action. To speaking out against great evil.
I understand; in fact, I think that the path of prayer and contemplation can save families. There are people who are not moved by our appeals for change and conversion and with regard to faith, nor if we showed the evidence of eucharistic miracles would they believe; in that case, contemplative prayer becomes a light at the end of the tunnel.
This is what I have felt about this whole PF situation. I have suspected for awhile that you have been tasked with crying out warnings like Ezekiel's Watchman on the Wall. It is your path. Not an easy one at all. But as Our Lord told Ezekiel--if you cry out a warning and they ignore it then I do not hold you responsible. (I paraphrase but thats the general sense) Each of us has to do as our conscience bids and go to prayer every step of the way. My dear friend who died a few years ago and was IMO a saint was fearless in calling out priests and bishops and politicians. She had faced down Nazis and Communists and was courageous in calling out the grievous omissions and commissions of churchmen and politicians. I remember her saying to a group of us in 2016--"if you vote for Hilary Clinton you will go to Hell right along with her!" She was not from the Church of Nice. She had suffered for the Faith. Her family was martyred for their faith. Mother Angelica was the same. She too had holy boldness.
Can you imagine what state the Church would be in now (in the hands of Pope Francis) if there were no pushback at all? The pushback From Pope Benedict when he was alive, the Dubia Cardinals, and the 'backward' American Conservative Catholics and people like Padraig?
