In latest interview, Pope Francis reveals top 10 secrets to happiness

[christofirst]

What is his message? Be nice? Respect nature? Help teenagers get jobs?

Nice, yes, if nice means showing other people respect, meeting them where they are, so that they can see the reasons for our faith. Aggressive proselytizing tends to drive people away, and we are here to save souls, not to be part of some exclusive club, right?

Respect nature, yes! The Church has long called us to be good stewards of this Earth God has provided, and we need to take this seriously. I have heard an upcoming encyclical will be about caring for the environment, and with so much resistance from economic interests, it is a timely topic.

The youth need jobs because they represent the future. A future without hope of providing for self and family is a grim future indeed. Rest assured, the pope’s 10 secrets for happiness are not meant to replace the 10 Commandments or the Beatitudes. This latest message from the pope is but one way ( or 10 ways) of putting these precepts into practice.

 

[Stylteralmaldo]

Pope Francis…His style…

You hit the nail right on the head. I think mostly some people don’t like Pope Francis’ style.

St. Pope John Paul II had a very transcending style that reached millions. It’s one reason many call him (and rightfully do so in my opinion) St. Pope John Paul II the Great.

There are some that didn’t care for Pope Benedict XVI’s style.

But I’ve got to tell you, the message of all three have been very similar and consistent. What has been different is how the three of them have conveyed that message.

 

[JohnPaul]

The major moral issues of our day are:

• Vocational crisis
• Poor Mass attendance
• Disbelief in the Eucharist
• Divorce
• Porn
• Contraception
• Illegitimacy
• Abortion
• Gay unions

From Pope Francis we get:

• anti-mafia
• teenage unemployment
• environmentalism
• don’t gossip

He is the Walter Mondale of popes …milk toast. St. JP2 was the Ronald Reagan … no pale pastels.

History will be the final judge of Pope Francis … the early signs are not good in my judgement.

As Trostky said, you may not want war, but war wants you. What is Pope Francis’ response to the culture war? Live and let live?

The day the world hates Pope Francis is the day I will respect him and his moral courage.

 

[Seamus_L]

I’m not trying to offend anyone, but I don’t know any other way to say it. I find the top 10 list disappointing. I’d never know it came from the head of the Catholic Church.

 

[sallybutler]

What is his message? Be nice? Respect nature? Help teenagers get jobs?

I think his message is practice what we preach.

Be nice. Or as I was taught, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Seeing someone who has joy as a result of their faith will provide a fertile ground for the Holy Spirit to work with.

Respect nature. Nature is God’s creation. That alone is reason enough to take care of it.

Help teenagers get jobs. Teenagers, along with all humans, do better when they have work. After all, idle hands are the devil’s workshop.

He also said to honor the Sabbath, stop looking for the negative, give more to others than you take, stay calm and trust God.These are actually very hard things to do.

 

[JohnPaul]

I think his message is practice what we preach.

Be nice. Or as I was taught, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Seeing someone who has joy as a result of their faith will provide a fertile ground for the Holy Spirit to work with.

Respect nature. Nature is God’s creation. That alone is reason enough to take care of it.

Help teenagers get jobs. Teenagers, along with all humans, do better when they have work. After all, idle hands are the devil’s workshop.

He also said to honor the Sabbath, stop looking for the negative, give more to others than you take, stay calm and trust God.These are actually very hard things to do.

He said, “Sunday is for family”; not “honor the Sabbath”. Perhaps he did not want to sound too religious.

He also did not mention God in the article as you stated,

The rest of the topics you mentioned could just have been easily espoused by an atheist.

 

[MacQ]

I don’t think we need the Pope to give secular advice on how to be happy. There are plenty of Oprahs and self-help guides for that. He’s the Pope. I happen to think that being a good Catholic is the secret to happiness.

You kinda contradicted yourself there. If the secret to happiness is being a good catholic, then why wouldn’t the Pope be the ultimate expert on that? As opposed to Oprah.

 

[MacQ]

The major moral issues of our day are:

• Vocational crisis
• Poor Mass attendance
• Disbelief in the Eucharist
• Divorce
• Porn
• Contraception
• Illegitimacy
• Abortion
• Gay unions

From Pope Francis we get:

• anti-mafia
• teenage unemployment
• environmentalism
• don’t gossip

He is the Walter Mondale of popes …milk toast. St. JP2 was the Ronald Reagan … no pale pastels.

History will be the final judge of Pope Francis … the early signs are not good in my judgement.

As Trostky said, you may not want war, but war wants you. What is Pope Francis’ response to the culture war? Live and let live?

The day the world hates Pope Francis is the day I will respect him and his moral courage.

Yes…that will benefit the Church and mankind greatly if the Pope manages to become hated.
Not.

 

[MacQ]

I will say flat-out that I do not like Pope Francis.

He simply refuses to take on the major moral issues of the day. ‘Live and let live’? Seriously? Is that all we get from the Vicar of Christ? I could read that in People magazine.

‘Dignified jobs for young people’? What is the special expertise of the church in coping with teenage unemployment?

I can be happy if I respect and take care of nature?

And the worst thing we can do is proselytize. Wrong Pope Francis. The worst thing we can do is be neutral in the culture war.

We would never get this kind of wishy-washy nonsense from St. Pope John Paul II. He became great by defending the truths of the church and his refusal to change moral truth to accommodate an immoral age.

Predictably, the world loves Pope Francis. Didn’t Jesus say the world will hate us though?

Newsflash for ya: The world does hate us.
Jesus didn’t say go out there and act like jerks to seal the deal. (You seem to be helping that along if your posts are any indication)
Pope Francis is acting as Jesus would do…that’s what Popes do.
I reckon Pope Francis will draw more people to Jesus than you or any of our bible bashing bretheren will.
You seem to be judging the Pope as you would some politician…I think you may be suffering from political addiction overload. Having noticed how many posts you’ve made on this topic, and how wee’-wee’d up you are about it.

 

[JohnPaul]

Yes…that will benefit the Church and mankind greatly if the Pope manages to become hated.
Not.

Isn’t it a warning sign to you that Jesus told his follows that the world will hate them, yet Pope Francis is the secular world’s darling?

 

[JohnPaul]

MacQ:

I reckon Pope Francis will draw more people to Jesus than you or any of our bible bashing bretheren will.

Wtf? Bible-bashing brethren? You don’t know me.

 

[MacQ]

This is the direct quote from the pope in the article:

“We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes: ‘I am talking with you in order to persuade you,’ No. Each person dialogues, starting with his and her own identity. The church grows by attraction, not proselytizing,” the pope said.

The pope is very clear:

1. Witness is what inspires others to be attracted to the faith.
2. An important part of Witness is communicating – a dialogue in which two people share and listen
3. Proselytism is talking** at **the person, not to the person or engaging with
   the person.
4. Attraction is what people see and hear. In other words, what do people see and hear when they look at Catholics? If they act no differently than others in the world, why is it necessary for anyone to consider the Church?

People will interpret what they want to interpret. What the pope says is clearly in line with the Church’s approach to evangelization.

EXCELLENT.
THanks for putting it so well.

 

[JohnPaul]

You kinda contradicted yourself there. If the secret to happiness is being a good catholic, then why wouldn’t the Pope be the ultimate expert on that? As opposed to Oprah.

The point is that the article could just have been written by Oprah, an atheist or any secularist. There is nothing distinctively Christian about it.

He could at least toss in a few Bible verses for heaven’s sake!

 

[MtnDwellar]

You kinda contradicted yourself there. If the secret to happiness is being a good catholic, then why wouldn’t the Pope be the ultimate expert on that? As opposed to Oprah.

I didn’t contradict myself. The point, as indicated by a previous poster, is that I think the Pope should sound more like a Catholic and less like Oprah.

 

[RosslynV]

The good Reverend from a Baptist Church could of come up with the same list.

Wish the Pope was more catholic!

True happiness comes from being in love with Jesus, receiving Communion, prayer/ devotion…–not mentioned.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I didn’t contradict myself. The point, as indicated by a previous poster, is that I think the Pope should sound more like a Catholic and less like Oprah.

So you want him to keep preaching to the choir. Here I thought you guys keep whining about how Oprah and the New Agers keep stealing congregations away.

No when Pope Francis is turning himself to the Catholic version of it, y’all suddenly whining about that?

Is there anything that will satisfy?

 

[Teelynn]

He said that because he’s not only talking to Catholic/Christians. The article doesn’t even mention God. He was just saying how everyone can live happier lives.

? ‘Happier Lives’…Seems strange to me that the leader of the Christian world wouldn’t include God, but? Sometimes with some of his statements, I’m not understanding this Pope. Then again, he is from Argentina which is a completely different culture than here in the States, or in the Western World at large. I do think that in general, the Vatican needs to clarify some of the things he says. I guess I just worry that in the pursuit of drawing the world in, the Church will be tempted to jump into the drowning waters with the world. If you think about it, it is a temptation, and a RISK. Very tricky pursuit. Much prayer for this Pope needed as with all of our Popes.

 

[Teelynn]

I must agree that neither the Pope’s own words or reason would seem to suggest he would be giving advice for happiness to “just the secular folks” of the world, as if the happiness found in Catholicism, the Truth, did not apply or was unobtainable for them.

I mean, Pope Francis doesn’t (and shouldn’t) have to cater to the news media, but what I’ve observed so far are my non-Catholic friends rejoicing that the Pope “said” that “they shouldn’t be converted” and then reprimand Catholics when they try, and my Catholic friends are upset that the name Jesus wasn’t mentioned in the Top 10 Secrets to Happiness. It’s seems both sides are being confused by this. I just wish our Holy Father would be more concise with his words, and realize the impact they have on such a socially connected world.

‘Possibly’ you’ve hit the nail on the head.

 

[Teelynn]

I see it this way: I do think he is trying to reel the world in, or at least as many as possible, and once that’s done, he will incorporate the truth of Jesus in the Catholic Church. At least that’s what I see going on. I guess time will tell. Pray for him. SO CRUCIAL in this day we are living especially.

 

[SurfingTheTiber]

I think what’s important to remember is that each Pope approaches the truths of the Catholic Church with their own style which includes, among other things, context and style. JP and Benedict XVI (my favorite) both lived in the context of Europeans who had lived through WW II and the rise of Communism, and both were diocesan priests. Additionally, and perhaps most significantly, both are pre-Vatican II ordinands. Pope Francis is from Argentina which is a very different context than Europe from 1970-2013, he’s a Jesuit, and was ordained post Vatican II.

Personally, I like Benedict XVI’s style which is not only direct but intectually challenging and still available to us through his writings. But I also appreciate Pope Francis’ style which is very much in the vein of Matthew 10:16 (“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.") He knows that sometimes you hit issues head on, sometimes you hit issues on an angle, and sometimes you don’t hit the issue as presented at all because it’s not the real issue but a diversion.