Pope Francis' general audience featured a surprise guest

[leonhardprintz]

Perhaps it didn’t occur to you that the Pope’s words and actions echo this exact passage?

I get it that you want to read that passage into what happened. I won’t stop you from doing so. I still think this obsession people have with Pope Francis and kids is silly. He is not the first pope to kiss a baby, or be kind to children.

As for what happened here it was just disruption, either by neglect or by intention. I suspect neglectful attention. I’m glad the Pope deflates the embarrasement for the mother, but I don’t think it should be encouraged at all.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

This might not have occured to you before, but the two situations weren’t at all the same.

hmm lets compare

Children going to Jesus and no doubt to play around Him.

Child going to Vicar of Christ on earth, Jesus’s man on earth, to play around him.

And in both cases, those guarding and minding Jesus and the Pope, were being given the run around by the said children.

Granted we don’t know if the children in Jesus time tried to play with those surrounding him,

but apart from that, what are the differences? I am sure some of those children had disabilities as well. Their parents took them to meet Jesus.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

I get it that you want to read that passage into what happened. I won’t stop you from doing so. I still think this obsession people have with Pope Francis and kids is silly. He is not the first pope to kiss a baby, or be kind to children.

It doesn’t take much effort considering the Holy Father paraphrased Luke 18 during the incident!

I don’t think anyone here has mentioned being obsessed with Pope Francis and children. All of the popes of recent memory had a renowned love for children.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

I still think this obsession people have with Pope Francis and kids is silly.

Great question, why are people obsessed with Pope Francis, the Holy Father, quite simply because
Holy Father Pope Francis represents God on earth.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Let us please be reasonable here.
One child rushes in while the Pope is speaking and people are listening: okay, happens from time to time, whether or not parents encouraged it, the Pope dealt with it in good grace, the newspapers got a good story, everything is fine.

This does not mean we want to see a kid, or worse yet multiple kids, rushing the Pope while he is speaking every time there’s an audience or a speech, any more than we want to see kids rolling on the floor in front of the pulpit when the Bishop or even a priest is preaching his Sunday homily, and justify it by saying, “Jesus said let the little children come unto me.”

I have seen the Pope after he finishes speaking go over to the sections where the groups of people with disabilities or other people who are invited to sit closely to the Pope, such as school groups, other special groups etc. and there he interacts with them personally, talks to them, gives blessings etc just like Jesus would have done. There is a time and place for everything.

 

[leonhardprintz]

Great question, why are people obsessed with Pope Francis, the Holy Father, quite simply because
Holy Father Pope Francis represents God on earth.

Nice strawman you’re burning. I asked why people are obsessed with all these “Pope Francis and children” situations.

I did not ask why Catholics pay respects to the Holy Father.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

as one thing was an informal session, and the other is a formal session.

Oh come on, how do you know what formality consisted of 2000 years ago in Jewish society in the Middle East.

allusion

or did you mean illusion?

The formal settings Christ was in, say when reading the Torah, or the Easter meal had no children running around like that.

We have no idea who was around when Jesus was reading Torah in different settings, there was no Easter meal, it was Passover, in three Gospels, and before Passover in one Gospel. We have no idea who was there apart from the 12. There would be people serving, disciples, etc

Its not just a special secret religion for a dedicated few.

It became quite a secret religion for the first few centuries, due to the persecutions.

But the idea that there’s something particularly wonderful about the situation is pure sentimental nonsense.

Haven’t you read what Holy Father Pope Francis said about the situation? He would disagree with you , and in fact he has, in his statements.

Its just a kid already baptised.

we are not ‘just’ anything

only with warm, flimsy, feelings in your belly,

Thats an insulting , uncharitable statement . One if I had said, would see me banned from CAF. One in days gone by I would have flagged. You have some evolving to do my friend, in learning discourse without denigrade . Its a journey you are on, one we all go one.

But I will call it sentimental nonsense.

You are free to call it what you want.

 

[leonhardprintz]

May God bless you Roseeurekacross, I can see this situation means something special to you it doesn’t to me. I won’t be carrying on a discussion with you. I doubt it’ll be more fruitful given your responses.

One if I had said, would see me banned from CAF.

No matter what you said to me, I’ll never want to see you banned.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Nice strawman you’re burning.

A great go to reply is the ‘oh you are pulling out the straw man’ on CAF

I asked why people are obsessed with all these “Pope Francis and children” situations.

Why is anyone obsessed with anything about Pope Francis , the Holy Father? Because he is God’s representative on earth. Same question , same answer.

I did not ask why Catholics pay respects to the Holy Father.

You don’t need to ask, now do you?

 

[Roseeurekacross]

I won’t be carrying on a discussion with you. I doubt it’ll be more fruitful given your responses.

well until you can carry on discourse free of insult and denigration, i totally understand why .

My prayers are with you on your journey.

 

[Joe_5859]

Indeed. My son is 9 and has autism and he would totally go running up there and there wouldn’t be a whole lot I could do about it.

 

[twf]

Yes, the Pope is God’s representative (as is every bishop, though the Bishop of Rome especially), but I think this has more to do with 21st century celebrity culture than anything else. Before modern social media, do you think anyone heard or cared what the Pope in distant Rome was doing day to day?
There’s nothing wrong with people oooohing and aaaahing over the antics of a child and the Pope’s response… but let’s not kid ourselves… this story would be pretty much the same if a little child had ran up to the Queen’s throne or across a stage where the American President was giving a speech. Celebrity culture not Catholic culture per se…

 

[Joe_5859]

Here’s the video of the incident (starting at 30:50).

Watching this, the boy behaves exactly as my son does—who is also non-verbal and has autism.

I’d be mortified if this happened to me. But at least the family got to meet the pope.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

My son would have been running around flapping his hands and giggling uncontrollably.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Yes, people cared a great deal. And about the Church. There were means of communication, slower, but effective. Just ask King Henry the 4th…

For me, it’s not about what a cute kid, cute antics, it’s about the reflection that came out of it. And how our leader, Holy Father, responded to the situation.

 

[tad]

We had a toddler and her grandmother show up at daily mass for a while. The kid would get a little bored and would run around the church. My fellow parishioners are very nice, so no one seemed upset about it. This all came to an end one morning when she climbed into the sanctuary during the consecration and indulged her natural fascination with the brightly colored stained glass. Father then swooped over, deftly picked her up and carried her back over to grandma. They haven’t been back.

Later, after we were having a conversation about bring the bells back to mass one of the parishioners asked what we should have done in that situation. Unfortunately, I had to go to work and missed father’s answer. I would have loved to see it.

 

[Sarcelle]

I think the kid was more drawn to the colorful uniform of the Swiss Guard.

 

[Rob2]

With all that has been in the media about bishops , priests and children , this incident is a breath of fresh air .

I thank God that Pope Francis had this surprise guest , and that the world was able to see a child so much at ease with Pope , bishops and priests .

The world needs to see this .

It brings to mind the words of the prophet Isaiah , " A little child will lead them " . (Isaiah 11:6) .

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[Tis_Bearself]

Later, after we were having a conversation about bring the bells back to mass one of the parishioners asked what we should have done in that situation. Unfortunately, I had to go to work and missed father’s answer. I would have loved to see it.

I would think if the kid is heading for the sanctuary during the consecration, or is even running around during the consecration, it is time for the parent to pick the child up or take her out to the vestibule. I understand toddlers wandering around during the homily or even the Liturgy of the Word, but there are simply times when we need to concentrate on prayer. If the parent wasn’t nearby when the child approached the sanctuary, I would have expected an usher to gather up the child and return her to her parents so Father wouldn’t have to interrupt the consecration to do it.

You give people an inch and they unfortunately take a mile.

 

[Mary888]

The kid is mute. Maybe he has some inner drama and that is why he interacts in an awkward way. The Pope the Cardinal next to him and the security did not care except to enjoy the child, why is everyone here so up tight about it?
I read this news in my local news, in a non Catholic EO country and the whole story was about how cute the kid was and how nice and natural the Pope reaction.