tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-641832955811669058.post4790213005559722252..comments2023-10-05T10:29:39.439+01:00Comments on Catholic Collar And Tie: Lessons from the Saga of Pope Francis and CLARAndrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049074568745678686noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-641832955811669058.post-55697547850730913902014-02-19T19:28:04.134+00:002014-02-19T19:28:04.134+00:00Thank you Thomas, for a well considered comment.
F...Thank you Thomas, for a well considered comment.<br />Francis does appear to need direction in how to enter into the office and be lost beneath it. Unfortunately so much that he does to show that he sees himself as insignificant just brings him more and more attention, and is therefore counter productive.<br />As for the marriage issues, you are spot on: his is a serious matter, and many sound Catholics harbour worries that the leaders of today's Church have forgotten that we are bound by our past Doctrinal teaching -which we believe to be from the mind of the God is is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews).<br />God bless you and yours.Fr Dicksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11702725497183621855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-641832955811669058.post-12224825878261167832014-02-19T17:37:39.884+00:002014-02-19T17:37:39.884+00:00Given that most people don't read official doc...Given that most people don't read official documents and the media fails to undrstand them, the Church's teaching gets filtered to much of the laity by people who don't understand or believe in it. Pope Francis doesn't seem to be very adept in responding to questions in interviews or realize the possible implications of what he says, as he is no longer Archbishop of Buenos Aires who used to travel in the subway. He recently called the Argentine Ambassador to ask that his pasport be renewed, apparently not wanting to travel with a Vatican diplomatic passport. Supposedly that would bring him down to the level of ordinary folk. However, how many Argentines can just make a call to the ambassador and ask that his passport be renewed. Likewise travelling in a little car on arriving at Rio de Janeiro and getting the car going down the wrong street is another example of such efforts of his to be ordinary. However, just like a President, he cannot avoid being "handled" by security personnel, or else he could imprduently put himself in danger and also put such personnel in danger. Besides, it seems to be to be a greater manifestaiton of humility and simplicity to listen to others such as experts in security and do what they recommend. With a year into the job, I would expect that he would have learned that he has to fit himself into the office and that requires much humillity and simplicity. <br />The matter is not oly gestures, but he has also mentioned the Orthodox example of granting divorce thatks what the calle "oikonomia". His remarks plus the quesionnaire sent to to bishops conferences have sparked off what seems to be a sterile debate regarding allowing divorced and remarried to receive holy communion. As a result we have Cardinals attacking one another. Cardinal Madariaga of Honduras, chair of the commission for the reform of the Vatican, has accused Archbishop (soon to be Cardinal) Muller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and a theological heavyweght, of lack of flexibility. Madariaga seems to suggest that doctrine can go on one track and "pastoral" on another, an impossible kind of schyzophrenia. . Of course, nobody mentions why there seem to be so many invalid marriages. Why do the bishops who promote the reception of holy communion by divorced and remarried not begin by tightening up the system of preparation for marriage and make sure that those who enter into it know what it means, and what commitments they are undertaking? It is simply impossible for the Church to conform its doctrine to the tastes of every epoch. It has never done it, nor did Jesus who preferred that the apostles leave him than change his teaching on the Eucharist. Likewise St. Paul in the Letter to the Galatians. The fact that the Orthodox have divorce is a betrayal of the clear and undeniable teachinng of Jesus in the Gospel and one of the consequences of their schism from Rome. So, it is not prudent to raise false expectations. This already happened years prior to the publiication of Humanae Viitae with nefarious consequences. Henry VIIIĀ“s attempt to get Rome to declare invalid his marriage to Catherine of Aragon provoked a schism and the los of England for the Church. This is a serious matter.Thomas J. Henniganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17629842557160726719noreply@blogger.com