"Hello, It's the Pope": Francis Calls Student

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An Italian article worth quoting and reflecting upon.
I thought a lot about this [phone call] and I asked myself: are these gestures what we need?
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God forbid that I appear like I wish to give lessons to the Pope. I speak as a faithful, poor sinner, and I just wish to make some reflections.
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We live in a moment of exceptional difficulty. The attack to the Church and to the very foundations of coexistence is furious and continuous.
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We are close to a general moral collapse and to fully realize it the first target is the Catholic Church, custodian of the Truth.
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In this tragic situation, we need - and we always need it, but now more than ever - an Authority to guide us. I said Authority, not friend.
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We are soldiers of Christ, having received the Sacrament of Confirmation. But a soldier, in order to fight, needs a Commander that is such even in the exterior signs of his authority. When in my youth I was a sergeant, I had a great commander, a colonel of the Third Regiment of the Bersaglieri to whom I was honored to belong. Before him I stood at attention. He was a man that had every care for his subordinates, but who rightfully pretended that the roles be clearly distinguished. He had on his shoulders the straps of a colonel, I had on my arm the golden V of a sergeant. He was a commander of great human qualities and great military capacity. I would have been disappointed if he had given me excessive confidence, because what I expected from him, and what I received, was for him to be a guide for the inferior role I covered.
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In life we face daily a reality that becomes more and more enemy of goodness and justice. It is the squalid reality that we see every day, sick with impiety, egoism, inhumanity, the unavoidable fruits of when we think we do not need God.
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In this tragic daily reality, where is the Authority that guides us, that gives us the appropriate indications to fight for Good? Good cannot come other than from the Catholic Church outside of which there is no salvation, and the Authority to which we turn to be guided is the Pope, Vicar of Christ, the sole authority in the world that has been entirely and fully given legitimacy to guide man, because it was instituted by Christ Himself: “You are Peter.”
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R_C said:
An Italian article worth quoting and reflecting upon.
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This strikes me as a traditionalist Catholic site. Traditionalist Catholics are for the most part not a big fans of the current Pope’s style. The whole article seems to miss the point of where Francis is taking the Church. Francis doesn’t want us to have a reactionary stance toward the world. He wants the Church to be open to it.

As for the call itself, I find it funny. Especially because he apparently called earlier the day and another family member had no idea who they were talking to.
 
illinidiva said:
This strikes me as a traditionalist Catholic site. Traditionalist Catholics are for the most part not a big fans of the current Pope’s style. The whole article seems to miss the point of where Francis is taking the Church. Francis doesn’t want us to have a reactionary stance toward the world. He wants the Church to be open to it.
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Traditionalist is a peculiar label, inasmuch as the divine revelation is composed of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, thus making all Catholics since day 1, in a sense, “traditionalists”. I know what you mean, yet I believe to be one of them and I am fascinated by our reigning Pontiff.

Now, the whole article is making a very specific point in itself, with no intent to criticize anyone or anything. It is an argument for the need we have today of authority to guide us. The kind of authority that made Peter once say: “Where would we go? Only you have words of eternal life”. I found it to be “a voice in the desert”, so to speak, so I translated it and posted it here as a contribution for thought. That doesn’t mean I agree with all the author says, and I am aware that the Holy Father is guided by the Spirit of truth. God bless his leadership that has drawn so much positive attention even from many who, although not being in the Church, harbor in their heart God’s law and are open to the Good News.
 
The way i was taught when i asked a relitive about who the pope is she said ’ we have a earthly father , a spiritual father and our heavenly Father’ we are so blessed to have Pope Francis as our spiritual father and guide further into our faith.
God Bless every one,
Mary
 
R_C said:
An Italian article worth quoting and reflecting upon.
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One gesture is worth a million sermons, sounds like the decrys of people who wanted the children of Fatima, Lourdes etc; to be silent, the decry of the evil one…
 
Pope Francis is touching many hearts through these charming gestures. May he win many souls for Christ!
 
See, now this is why I always answer my phone even when I do not recognize the number. I always think. “Gee, it might be the Pope.” but no, it is just another solicitor or bill collector. Sigh.

I hope if HH Francis calls me it is when I am having a good day.
 
To be honest, if I picked up the phone, and someone on the other line said that it is the pope, I probably wouldn’t immediately believe them. 😃
 
bben15 said:
To be honest, if I picked up the phone, and someone on the other line said that it is the pope, I probably wouldn’t immediately believe them. 😃
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The former priest at our parish picked up the phone and the person at the other end said with a strong Italian accent that he was a representative of Pope Benedict and was asking our pastor if he would take the assignment as Bishop of Bismark, North Dakota. At first our pastor didn’t know whether to believe the call or think it was some prank:shrug: Turned out it was NO prank!:eek:
 
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