24-Oct-13 - Pope Francis warns faithful not to be 'rosewater Christians' [EWTN]

[EWTN_News]

ROME, ITALY, October 24 (CNA/EWTN News) .- In his daily homily, Pope Francis focused on the fact that we have been “re-created” in Christ, urging those in attendance to take t…

Full article…

 

[sacredheart777]

It is worth reading and so important to uphold the life of holiness and to be taken seriously specially to those clergy who knows they have chosen the wrong bath of life in creating chaos in the Church, death and sickness.However there is always room to turn back to God, to repent from their evil life.
This is part of the new culture of death which Pope Paul II spoke about but rather differently in his encyclical.
Therefore the Church must be strong in faith and also to do justice to the concern clergy and the faithful as well but not to ignore this new culture of chaos and death. Even the Church cannot be naive or even watch and do nothing. The Church, Pope, nuncio and especially Bishops must be vigilant and courageous at all times; to observe and to act as the Church is facing this phenomena especially in my local Diocese. A Bishop who is naive and ignorant to such problems for me is becoming responsible due to his failure in dealing with the problem.
I hope for a true conversion on those concern regarding this new culture of chaos and death.

 

[Robyn_p]

EWTN:

Emphasizing the fact that we are often weak and that we commit sins through our imperfections, the Pope urged that this is a path to sanctification if we do not “get used” to living in that state.

He cautioned that if a person has the attitude that "‘I believe in Jesus Christ, but I live the way I want to’ Oh, no, that will not sanctify, that is wrong! It is a contradiction!"

“If, however, you say, ‘I, even I am a sinner, I am weak,’ and if you go always to the Lord and say: ‘But, Lord, You have the strength, give me faith! You can make me clean,’ (and if) you let yourself be healed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation - yes, even our imperfections are used along the way of sanctification.”

I love how all his homilies challenge. It’s easy for me to get lax and not really let Jesus truly change me. The popes right, that’s a contradiction. I can’t be half way, it’s all or nothing.

I wish all those who still think Francis is somehow softening the gospel and catering to the world would read this. :yup:

 

[SaintAugustine]

I love how all his homilies challenge. It’s easy for me to get lax and not really let Jesus truly change me. The popes right, that’s a contradiction. I can’t be half way, it’s all or nothing.

I wish all those who still think Francis is somehow softening the gospel and catering to the world would read this. :yup:

Agreed. I think that is where the confusion comes with some Catholics. Pope Francis says to emphasize mercy and forgiveness, rather than focus on rules and laws. He doesn’t say ignore the rules and laws. In fact, just the opposite, as you just quoted. We are to do our best to emulate Jesus Christ and come to him humbly for forgiveness when we fall short.

It’s really “just”* the Gospel message that Christ Himself delivered. Rather than just follow the letter of the law, we have to change our hearts.
Matthew 5:

Teaching about the Law.
17

• “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
  18
  Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.m
  19
  Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.*
  20
  I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
  Teaching about Anger.*
  21
  “*You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,n ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’
  22
• But I say to you, whoever is angry* with his brother will be liable to judgment,o and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.**
  23
  Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you,p
  24
  leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
  25
  Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.q Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.
  26
  Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.
  Teaching about Adultery.
  27
• “You have heard that it was said,r ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
  28
  But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
  29
• If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.s It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
  30
  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.
  Teaching about Divorce.

*(I put that in quotes because I don’t want people to think I am downplaying the Gospel)

 

[seekerz]

I wish all those who still think Francis is somehow softening the gospel and catering to the world would read this. :yup:

Strange how preaching love is sometimes seen as ‘softness’. What is more demanding than love?

 

[SaintAugustine]

Strange how preaching love is sometimes seen as ‘softness’. What is more demanding than love?

Very true! …but that isn’t what the poster said.

Robyn referred to “softening the Gospel” - not to the Pope as “being soft.” There is a difference. “Softening the Gospel” means diluting the message. A lot of Catholics, when they hear Pope Francis say “we don’t always have to talk about x” translate that to “x isn’t important, so don’t worry about it.” That would be “softening the Gospel,” and it is not what Pope Francis is all about.

 

[seekerz]

Very true! …but that isn’t what the poster said.

Robyn referred to “softening the Gospel” - not to the Pope as “being soft.” There is a difference. “Softening the Gospel” means diluting the message. A lot of Catholics, when they hear Pope Francis say “we don’t always have to talk about x” translate that to “x isn’t important, so don’t worry about it.” That would be “softening the Gospel,” and it is not what Pope Francis is all about.

I do not see a equivalence between watering down and softening, but I suppose the poster knows what she meant. By hardness, I understand a focus on wielding a ‘big stick’ and by softness, a reluctance to focus on the tough truths and requirements of following Christ.

Many comments I have seen about Pope Francis have scoffed at his “love approach” as being soft, and that’s where I disagree. There is nothing ‘soft’ about love - love is many things, but true love is anything but soft - it demands passionate commitment of the highest order; it just doesn’t start out by flattening the uninitiated like a ton of bricks with its demands.

 

[SaintAugustine]

I do not see a equivalence between watering down and softening, but I suppose the poster knows what she meant. By hardness, I understand a focus on wielding a ‘big stick’ and by softness, a reluctance to focus on the tough truths and requirements of following Christ.

Many comments I have seen about Pope Francis have scoffed at his “love approach” as being soft, and that’s where I disagree. There is nothing ‘soft’ about love - love is many things, but true love is anything but soft - it demands passionate commitment of the highest order; it just doesn’t start out by flattening the uninitiated like a ton of bricks with its demands.

You missed my point entirely. Preaching love is neither “being soft” nor “softening the Gospels.” First, you misinterpreted Robyn, and now you are misinterpreting me. My point was that you are right, but your us of “softness” was unrelated to Robyn’s use of “softness.”

 

[Robyn_p]

I do not see a equivalence between watering down and softening, but I suppose the poster knows what she meant. By hardness, I understand a focus on wielding a ‘big stick’ and by softness, a reluctance to focus on the tough truths and requirements of following Christ.

Many comments I have seen about Pope Francis have scoffed at his “love approach” as being soft, and that’s where I disagree. There is nothing ‘soft’ about love - love is many things, but true love is anything but soft - it demands passionate commitment of the highest order; it just doesn’t start out by flattening the uninitiated like a ton of bricks with its demands.

You missed my point entirely. Preaching love is neither “being soft” nor “softening the Gospels.” First, you misinterpreted Robyn, and now you are misinterpreting me. My point was that you are right, but your us of “softness” was unrelated to Robyn’s use of “softness.”

Haha hey guys guys calm down :slapfight::coolinoff:

Maybe the term “watering down the Gospel” would have captured better what I was trying to say but either way, my point was simply that Pope Francis is a strong, faithful Christian leader who wants us to follow Christ entirely.

 

[SaintAugustine]

Haha hey guys guys calm down :slapfight::coolinoff:

Maybe the term “watering down the Gospel” would have captured better what I was trying to say but either way, my point was simply that Pope Francis is a strong, faithful Christian leader who wants us to follow Christ entirely.