How is what Pope Francis and Vatican officials did different from Solomon and his wives' gods?

[Rubee]

Seriously, what’s the moral difference in bringing into the temple or allowing to be brought in and venerated on its grounds, a pagan god and Solomon’s actions? God punished Solomon for allowing his wives and concubines to erect temples to their cultural gods inside Israel. Why would he be ok with them being worshipped on Vatican grounds or kept, not just in Israel but inside the church itself?

 

[Babaganoush]

Because, like, accompaniment, and like, the other.

 

[Aquinas11]

Well Pope Francis said there was no “idolatrous intention” with them in the Church, so I suppose that is a distinction that could be made, but I think its not a strong one since as you point out there definitely was idolatry going on the grounds at that ceremony. And if they were not brought into the Church for purposes of idolatry, what was the purpose of brining them into the Church? The whole thing doesn’t make sense to me.

 

[Neithan]

I think it is a strong distinction. Whereas Pope Francis may have been negligent here (I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt), he did not have idolatrous intention like Solomon did. He spontaneously got up and prayed the Our Father so my hunch is he felt like he needed to make the purpose of worship clear.