Tuesday 11 March 2014

My Hope for Francis and The Synod -short update

The hard-hitting, down-the-line blogger Mundabor has a piece on Pope Francis in which he says we should remind Pope Francis of his words:

“There has been, throughout history of the people, this temptation: to chop a piece off the Faith”, the temptation to be a bit “like everyone else does”, the temptation “not to be so very rigid”. “But when we start to cut down the Faith, to negotiate Faith, a little like selling it to the highest bidder”, he stressed, “we take the path of apostasy, of disloyalty to the Lord.”

Those words of Francis are sound and give one hope for the outcome of the Synod, but in light of recent statements by Francis on civil unions which do not provide absolute clarity, and in light of the clarifications by Fr Roscia which clarify nothing for me, Mundabors advice would be well taken those who advise Francis. Personally, my hope is that Francis will repeat these words at the Synod in order to prevent it drifting from pastoral care of the immortal soul to the devil-inspired focus on the emotional life; the kind of ‘pastoral care’ that says “We don’t want to see people in pain, so let’s find a way around their problem”, rather than “We don’t want to see people in pain, but we must keep them from eternal pains by solving their problem in line with the Truth”. The former attitude puts souls into lived conflict with the Christ (Who is Truth); the latter attitude seeks to help souls live in union with Christ through whatever cross we must carry. Conflict with Christ will not save souls; carrying the cross will.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you, Father, for going into this so well and in such detail, in the present post and the preceding ones. Other priestly bloggers are also expressing their deep concerns. It’s a comfort to know that one is not alone.

    It is not uncommon to say of a ruler that he has been badly advised, in order to deflect criticism away from him. I don’t want to criticise, but in this ominous time it seems sensible to look at the ruler, in this case, the Pope.

    There was a silly song which included the line, “You can tell a man that boozes by the company he chooses”. I’m certainly not accusing the Pope of drunkenness! But one of my concerns is the company Pope Francis chooses: those he has praised and who seem to have great influence over him, even from beyond the grave. I think of the late Cardinal Martini, and of Cardinals Kasper and Maradiaga. I’m sure I don’t need to go into detail.

    Like many others, I am sending up a great many prayers, both for the Pope himself, and for an outcome of the synod that does not deceive people’s consciences.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Dorothy.
      Many people seem to be expressing the same thoughts as yourself on the blogosphere. Our prayers are certainly needed at this time.
      God bless

      Delete

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