Pope Francis again blasts moral legalism by religious leaders

[gilliam]

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Francis has criticized those who care more about the letter of the law than people’s individual situations, continuing to assert the overarching theme of the landmark apostolic exhortation on the family he issued last week.

Speaking during his homily at Mass on Monday (April 11), Francis warned Catholics against such behavior by recalling the day’s scripture reading from the Acts of the Apostles in which Stephen is accused of blasphemy by religious leaders of the day.

“Their hearts, closed to God’s truth, clutch only at the truth of the Law, taking it by ‘the letter,’ and do not find outlets other than in lies, false witness and death,” Francis said, according to the report by Vatican Radio.

The pontiff criticized such an approach as being the wrong response to repentant people: “The heart is closed to God’s Word, it is closed to truth, and it is closed to God’s messenger who brings the prophecy so that God’s people may go forward.”

Francis cited witch hunts of past centuries and St. Joan of Arc, who was burnt at the stake in 15th-century France, as victims of such a merciless stance.

“History tells us of many people who were judged and killed, although they were innocent: judged according to the Word of God, against the Word of God,” he said.

cruxnow.com/church/2016/04/11/pope-francis-again-blasts-moral-legalism-by-religious-leaders/

 

[gilliam]

More on the homily here
en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/04/11/pope_francis_warns_against_those_who_judge_with_closed_hea/1221870

 

[Pulvis]

"Pope Francis said: "It hurts when I read that small passage from the Gospel of Matthew, when Judas, who has repented, goes to the priests and says: ‘I have sinned’ and wants to give … and gives them the coins. ‘Who cares! - they say to him: it’s none of our business!’ They closed their hearts before this poor, repentant man, who did not know what to do. And he went and hanged himself. And what did they do when Judas hanged himself? They spoke amongst themselves and said: 'Is he a poor man? No! These coins are the price of blood, they must not enter the temple… and they referred to this rule and to that… The doctors of the letter. "

The life of a person did not matter to them, the Pope observed, they did not care about Judas’ repentance.

The Gospel, he continued, says that Judas came back repentant. But all that mattered to them “were the laws, so many words and things they had built”.

This – he said - shows the hardness of their hearts. It’s the foolishness of their hearts that could not withstand the wisdom of Stephen’s truth so they go to look for false witnesses to judge him."
en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/04/11/pope_francis_warns_against_those_who_judge_with_closed_hea/1221870

 

[SWolf]

"Pope Francis said: "It hurts when I read that small passage from the Gospel of Matthew, when Judas, who has repented, goes to the priests and says: ‘I have sinned’ and wants to give … and gives them the coins. ‘Who cares! - they say to him: it’s none of our business!’ They closed their hearts before this poor, repentant man, who did not know what to do. And he went and hanged himself. And what did they do when Judas hanged himself? They spoke amongst themselves and said: 'Is he a poor man? No! These coins are the price of blood, they must not enter the temple… and they referred to this rule and to that… The doctors of the letter. "

The life of a person did not matter to them, the Pope observed, they did not care about Judas’ repentance.

The Gospel, he continued, says that Judas came back repentant. But all that mattered to them “were the laws, so many words and things they had built”.

This – he said - shows the hardness of their hearts. It’s the foolishness of their hearts that could not withstand the wisdom of Stephen’s truth so they go to look for false witnesses to judge him."
en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/04/11/pope_francis_warns_against_those_who_judge_with_closed_hea/1221870

That’s a unique interpretation.

 

[peter26]

The letter of the law in this case only a doctrine that has existed for 2,000 years and was taught by Jesus himself. Or maybe its more of a “living doctrine”. That evolves into whatever you want it to.

 

[JosieN]

"Pope Francis said: "It hurts when I read that small passage from the Gospel of Matthew, when Judas, who has repented, goes to the priests and says: ‘I have sinned’ and wants to give … and gives them the coins. ‘Who cares! - they say to him: it’s none of our business!’ They closed their hearts before this poor, repentant man, who did not know what to do. And he went and hanged himself. And what did they do when Judas hanged himself? They spoke amongst themselves and said: 'Is he a poor man? No! These coins are the price of blood, they must not enter the temple… and they referred to this rule and to that… The doctors of the letter. "

The life of a person did not matter to them, the Pope observed, they did not care about Judas’ repentance.

The Gospel, he continued, says that Judas came back repentant. But all that mattered to them “were the laws, so many words and things they had built”.

This – he said - shows the hardness of their hearts. It’s the foolishness of their hearts that could not withstand the wisdom of Stephen’s truth so they go to look for false witnesses to judge him."
en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/04/11/pope_francis_warns_against_those_who_judge_with_closed_hea/1221870

What about the hardness of Judas’s heart when he brought the soldiers to meet Jesus? What about poor Jesus, was He not the one they crucified because of Judas’s betrayal? Why did Judas go to the priests with the coins and ask for forgiveness, wasn’t it Jesus who was betrayed? Who can listen to this and not be confused?

 

[PatrickC]

What about the hardness of Judas’s heart when he brought the soldiers to meet Jesus? What about poor Jesus, was He not the one they crucified because of Judas’s betrayal? Why did Judas go to the priests with the coins and ask for forgiveness, wasn’t it Jesus who was betrayed? Who can listen to this and not be confused?

Ever been repentant and gone to the priest to ask God for forgiveness and absolution from the priest rather that ask forgiveness from the person you wronged? Just a thought

 

[Robert_Sock]

I wonder what the pope thinks about the many Jews who live by every letter of the law, but are very humanitarian? They also teach that their members can rather easily cut themselves off from God, but they teach that all Jews will eventually be saved. Practicing Jew are a relatively small group, and I believe that a more stringent set of rules is necessary for their cohesion. They also teach that ALL Jews will eventually be saved.

 

[Kaninchen]

I wonder what the pope thinks about the many Jews who live by every letter of the law, but are very humanitarian? They also teach that their members can rather easily cut themselves off from God, but they teach that all Jews will eventually be saved. Practicing Jew are a relatively small group, and I believe that a more stringent set of rules is necessary for their cohesion. They also teach that ALL Jews will eventually be saved.

What is it you think that we think we’re being ‘saved’ from?

 

[Robert_Sock]

What is it you think that we think we’re being ‘saved’ from?

We do not necessarily believe that all Christians will be save, as some will possibly spend eternity in hell.

 

[Kaninchen]

We do not necessarily believe that all Christians will be save, as some will possibly spend eternity in hell.

No, I was asking what you thought ‘saved’ meant in a Jewish context. ‘Saved’ from what?

Christians often assume that Judaism ‘works’ in a similar way to Christianity, the point is that it doesn’t. There is no equivalent to the Christian concept of personal ‘salvation’.

 

[Robert_Sock]

No, I was asking what you thought ‘saved’ meant in a Jewish context. ‘Saved’ from what?

Christians often assume that Judaism ‘works’ in a similar way to Christianity, the point is that it doesn’t. There is no equivalent to the Christian concept of personal ‘salvation’.

Oh, sorry! All Jews are said to have a part in the World-to-Come. They are similar to Catholics in that they believe a purgatory.

 

[Kaninchen]

Oh, sorry! All Jews are said to have a part in the World-to-Come.

Well, we can have hope for the World to Come - that’s not just Jews, by the way, we don’t think non-Jews are disadvantaged.

They are similar to Catholics in that they believe a purgatory.

But not in eternal damnation - no endless suffering in ‘Hell’.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Well, we can have hope for the World to Come - that’s not just Jews, by the way, we don’t think non-Jews are disadvantaged.

In the Tanya, which is four books which Chabad is based, it’s said that all righteous Christians will have a part in the World-to-Come.

But not in eternal damnation - no endless suffering in ‘Hell’.

chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/516993/jewish/Im-scared-of-going-to-hell.htm

The above link contains the Jewish notion of purgatory, and is an interesting read.

 

[JosieN]

Ever been repentant and gone to the priest to ask God for forgiveness and absolution from the priest rather that ask forgiveness from the person you wronged? Just a thought

How would a priest at the time of Jesus Christ be able to forgive someone like Judas of his sin against Jesus, Jesus is the Son of God, and there was no power given to the priests at that time to forgive sins. They did not even believe He was God’s Son. We can confess our sins to a priest because we are Catholic and believe if we confess our sins to a priest he can forgive us. The priest was given the power to forgive sins from Christ Himself. because of His sacrifice on the cross. Is this not correct?