Gaudete et Exsultate

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Rut-roh. LifeSiteNews will likely have a meltdown over this gem.

The Pope has many talents, but chiefly among them seems to be his ability to troll certain Catholic groups, lol.
 
QContinuum said:
The Pope has many talents, but chiefly among them seems to be his ability to troll certain Catholic groups, lol.
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Really? Since you must have read the entire document already to be able to say that, please do share – which Catholic groups is he “trolling” in this Exhortation?
 
The ones that typically react most strongly to his exhortations?
 
QContinuum said:
The ones that typically react most strongly to his exhortations?
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That’s not an answer. If you’re going to say that he’s trolling, you need to be specific. Which
groups is he trolling in this document? I’m reading it, but I haven’t seen any trolling.
 
Perhaps you might want to dial back on the defensiveness. My post was said in jest.

But if you read it again, I noted LifeSiteNews won’t be likely to approve. It is easy to extrapolate that its readership would be an example of one such group.
 
It may have been jest, but with as many people as there are on CAF who seem to despise Pope Francis, it really wasn’t funny. I’ll stick to the original thread on this document.
 
If you read my recent post on the LifeSiteNews thread, you will see I am not an enemy of Pope Francis, and that I certainly don’t agree with the constant attacks on him.

My tongue-in-cheek criticism in my first post was not directed so much towards Pope Francis, as it is to some of his flock who cannot hide their contempt. It’s obvious in how they assume the very worst of his intentions.

I’m not Catholic, but I do follow these things.
 
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QContinuum said:
My post was said in jest.
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I thought is was a little funny…

This Pope is a lot like Jesus in that he is often baited by some in the Church with Yes/No questions and, like Jesus, he has not taken the bait. Those who have a lust for black/white, yes or no answers, will be disappointed… Unfortunately, they will likely continue with the vitriol they have been directing toward the Pontiff… how unfortunate considering the beauty of this Pope’s teaching
 
I’m reading it as we speak.

I’m up to paragraph #78, and all I have to say is: WOW. I can literally feel the Holy Spirit emanating from the Popes voice as I read - this document is PACKED with patristic, scriptural, and traditional quotes.

A truly inspired and inspiring document of the Magisterium.
 
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QContinuum said:
The Pope has many talents, but chiefly among them seems to be his ability to troll certain Catholic groups, lol.
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The Pope is not “trolling.” He is teaching and shepherding the flock of Christ in his role as Supreme Teacher and Chief Pastor of the Church.

You may want to consider editing that comment if you don’t want to cause trouble.
 
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GEE #62

"May the Lord set the Church free from these new forms of gnosticism and pelagianism that weigh her down and block her progress along the path to holiness! These aberrations take various shapes, according to the temperament and character of each person. So I encourage everyone to reflect and discern before God whether they may be present in their lives."

I’m glad he said that - I’ve noticed in myself a tendency to want to embrace these neo-Gnostic and Pelagian concepts, and it’s a battle to pull myself back and realize everything is by God’s Grace and I’m no holier or smarter or pious than anybody else.

Our Holy Father Pope Francis really is a good and gentle shepherd, gently guiding us back into the paths of charity and humility, and calling us to continual conversion and increase in holiness.

Instead of wanting to fight against our Chief Pastor, we should try to understand what he is saying and submit to his authority with meekness and trust. And I firmly believe the things said in GEE are said by St. Peter himself, and by Jesus and the Holy Spirit Himself.
 
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GEE #82

"Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who plot revenge”. He calls “blessed” those who forgive and do so “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22). We need to think of ourselves as an army of the forgiven. All of us have been looked upon with divine compassion. If we approach the Lord with sincerity and listen carefully, there may well be times when we hear his reproach: “Should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Mt 18:33).

Seeing and acting with mercy: that is holiness."

The words of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
 
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I like the Pope, even though I don’t agree with everything he says. I do agree with godisgood77 that, as Jesus was very good at annoying his detractors, so is Francis. I find it funny that he has that kind of effect on certain people. It isn’t meant as a disparaging statement on the Pope at all.
 
Here’s another excellent passage.

GEE #98

“If I encounter a person sleeping outdoors on a cold night, I can view him or her as an annoyance, an idler, an obstacle in my path, a troubling sight, a problem for politicians to sort out, or even a piece of refuse cluttering a public space. Or I can respond with faith and charity, and see in this person a human being with a dignity identical to my own, a creature infinitely loved by the Father, an image of God, a brother or sister redeemed by Jesus Christ. That is what it is to be a Christian! Can holiness somehow be understood apart from this lively recognition of the dignity of each human being?”
 
For those who pro-life issues are very important.

GEE #101b

“Our defence of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.”
 
Spyridon said:
Equally sacred,
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These two little words stood out to me. They remind me of Cardinal Bernardin’s Seamless Garment of Life idea, the Consistent Life Ethic. I’ve always been sympathetic to that idea, even though many of us want one life issue, abortion, to eclipse all the others. Pope Francis is apparently again discouraging that single-issue notion, to his credit (the way I see it).
 
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Spyridon said:
I’m glad he said that - I’ve noticed in myself a tendency to want to embrace these neo-Gnostic and Pelagian concepts, and it’s a battle to pull myself back and realize everything is by God’s Grace and I’m no holier or smarter or pious than anybody else.
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I’ve heard it simply explained that the new Gnosticism is believing that what we know, our knowledge, is more important than what we do, particularly in regards to how we engage with and treat others. I can see this in myself too, feeling complacent and righteous with the intellectual aspects of my faith, but reluctant to actually reach out to accept and to help others.

The new Pelagianism, I’ve heard, is believing I can do it all, including attaining salvation, by my own efforts. This can be likened to envisioning myself in complete control and in the driver’s seat with God in the back seat, as it were, or not even in the car at all! This isn’t quite such an issue for me, I think, because of the many ways I fall short in life and miss the mark so often. I am therefore aware, thankfully I guess, of my continual need for God’s grace and mercy!
 
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I’ve just started reading it. This paragraph struck me:
  1. “Each in his or her own way” the Council says. We should not grow discouraged before examples of holiness that appear unattainable. There are some testimonies that may prove helpful and inspiring, but that we are not meant to copy, for that could even lead us astray from the one specific path that the Lord has in mind for us. The important thing is that each believer discern his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts (cf. 1 Cor 12:7), rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them. We are all called to be witnesses, but there are many actual ways of bearing witness.[11] Indeed, when the great mystic, Saint John of the Cross, wrote his Spiritual Canticle, he preferred to avoid hard and fast rules for all. He explained that his verses were composed so that everyone could benefit from them “in his or her own way”.[12] For God’s life is communicated “to some in one way and to others in another”.[13]
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This is a good reminder. So often holiness seems impossible. “I could never be another Mother Teresa” or whatever other saint you choose. But God isn’t calling me to be Mother Teresa. He’s calling me to be me and to bring his kingdom to life.
 
GEE #115

Very appropriate to CAF:

“Christians too can be caught up in networks of verbal violence through the internet and the various forums of digital communication. Even in Catholic media, limits can be overstepped, defamation and slander can become commonplace, and all ethical standards and respect for the good name of others can be abandoned. The result is a dangerous dichotomy, since things can be said there that would be unacceptable in public discourse, and people look to compensate for their own discontent by lashing out at others. It is striking that at times, in claiming to uphold the other commandments, they completely ignore the eighth, which forbids bearing false witness or lying, and ruthlessly vilify others. Here we see how the unguarded tongue, set on fire by hell, sets all things ablaze (cf. Jas 3:6).”
 
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