Burke: “There is a strong sense that the Church is like a ship without a helm”

[Lormar]

Dear all, here is my choice of Cardinal Burke’s words
“We need to set aside the reason for this disorientation because we have not lost our bearings”

How does that sound?

Please,let us all understand that we are a family together in this ship. We are different, we make mistakes,but let us not feed division. We may have our preferences, and rescuing what is positive is always a choice.Let us help each other.

God bless you all. Sincerely.

That’s my Gracie.

 

[on_the_hill]

As a conservative and a Catholic I am at a loss at to just what exactly it is that Francis has done or said that differs from his predecessors?

I’ll oversimplify my opinion: I think Pope Francis is re-branding the same product to reach a wider audience.

 

[Mulligan2]

A lot of people in the Church share the concerns of Cardinal Burke. The intent is not to be divisive. I, for one, am very relieved and thankful to hear this expressed.

Would it also be fair to say that there are a lot of people who do not share those same concerns?

 

[1newcatholic]

I’ll oversimplify my opinion: I think Pope Francis is re-branding the same product to reach a wider audience.

That is a pretty good analogy–the substance hasn’t really changed, but the emphasis and presentation seems to have shifted.

In answer to an earlier question, what has Pope Francis done differently… Isn’t the Vatican finally prosecuting a child-molesting priest? Didn’t he radically overhaul the Vatican bank? Doesn’t he ride around in a Popemobile of a different style? What papal apartment does he stay in? What messages does he send with his ordinary, daily choices?

I like Pope Francis. I made the decision to become Catholic under Pope Benedict; Pope Francis was like… a gift straight from heaven.

Same gospel substance–different presentation.

 

[Emily2014]

Pope Francis urged us to follow The Beatitudes. If we all consciously tried to do so, this internal high-level sniping would cease. Pope Francis has been chosen and blessed by God to lead us. We should unquestioningly follow him as best we can. If we presume to imply that he is wrong, do we presume then to question Jesus?

As has been obvious in previous threads, I can’t pretend to agree with many of the Church’s teachings about sin, but revere Pope Francis, whose humility and emphasis upon love is inspirational. May God bless and protect him.

 

[LongingSoul]

As a conservative and a Catholic I am at a loss at to just what exactly it is that Francis has done or said that differs from his predecessors?

I’m with you. If anything, I feel a sense of excitement and optimism. We have over the last few years, become shackled by limited language and theology in addressing modern problems that are new to our age. I am really looking forward to what our wonderful, holy, intelligent Church teachers can give birth too in the labour of intense, open and honest exploration! My real concern is for the faith of my children and grandchildren to come. I have found a real frustration at the limited language and theology that while adequate for a more theistic age… are ready for a new examination.

My two staples of faith are in Jesus promise that He will be with the Church until the end of days … and that like new birth, transition is painful and traumatic as per Jesus words in Matthew 10:34-42…

**“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[c]
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.**

** “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”**

 

[PTL]

Would it also be fair to say that there are a lot of people who do not share those same concerns?

You miss the point. The point is there are many who have the concerns and their concerns count and must be addressed.

 

[Peebo]

Would it also be fair to say that there are a lot of people who do not share those same concerns?

It would be very fair…maybe some Catholics need reminding that Jesus Christ chose Peter and his successors to lead his church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit…are these people implying that Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit maybe got it wrong because they don’t agree with our present Vicar of Christ…Pope Francis…saying that the church is like a ship without a helm is verging on heresy

 

[Digitonomy]

Pope Francis urged us to follow The Beatitudes. If we all consciously tried to do so, this internal high-level sniping would cease. Pope Francis has been chosen and blessed by God to lead us. We should unquestioningly follow him as best we can. If we presume to imply that he is wrong, do we presume then to question Jesus?

I have to take issue with this almost-deification of the pope. Francis or any pope could very well turn out to be terribly misguided or sinful like a number of popes in history. As Vicar of Christ, we owe him obedience unless his instruction is clearly wrong - which we are assured will not be so only in the area of faith and morals. However, we are not required to suspend our reasoning or to have no opinion about ways that the pope is carrying out his mandate to lead us.

I think that Cardinal Burke has not only a right but an OBLIGATION to speak up if he feels that there is an issue that needs addressing.

Yes, but he has a lot of leeway in how he does so. By choosing a high-profile interview with a Spanish magazine to share his perception, he surely knew (or should have known) how the media would seize on his words and portray them as criticism of Francis’s leadership. It’s one thing to have disagreements with your boss over policy, but it’s not appropriate to openly undermine him.

 

[LongingSoul]

I have to take issue with this almost-deification of the pope. Francis or any pope could very well turn out to be terribly misguided or sinful like a number of popes in history. As Vicar of Christ, we owe him obedience unless his instruction is clearly wrong - which we are assured will not be so only in the area of faith and morals. However, we are not required to suspend our reasoning or to have no opinion about ways that the pope is carrying out his mandate to lead us.

We have a high degree of protection from the Holy Spirit when we listen to the Pope speak to us. The Catechism states after addressing the infallibility of the Pope speaking on doctrine…

892 Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a “definitive manner,” they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the faithful "are to adhere to it with religious assent"422 which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.

We have to discern quite carefully and honesty where our confidence to reject or question his words is coming from.

 

[LongingSoul]

What do you mean?
The quote in the title matches his quote in the article exactly.

.

It’s a tactic called quote mining where a quote is isolated out of its context to make it sound as if the quote miners view is actually the authors view. The words in context read thus…

*Many have expressed their concerns to me. At this very critical moment, there is a strong sense that the Church is like a ship without a helm, whatever the reason for this may be; now, it is more important than ever to examine our faith, have a healthy spiritual leader and give powerful witness to the faith.”

“I fully respect the Petrine ministry and I do not wish it to seem like I am speaking out against the Pope. I would like to be a master of the faith, with all my weaknesses, telling a truth that many currently perceive. They are feeling a bit sea sick because they feel the Church’s ship has lost its bearings. **We need to set aside the reason for this disorientation because we have not lost our bearings. **We have the enduring tradition of the Church, its teachings, the liturgy, its morality. The catechism remains the same.”*​

So for example I could headline the article…

Crd. Burke says **“We need to set aside the reason for this disorientation because we have not lost our bearings.” **

… and it actually sounds like Cardinal Burke is reassuring people (which is true), rather than stirring up their insecurities.

Tricky hey!