Pope Francis wants Church to be poor, and for the poor

[Luigi_Daniele]

Than I can safely assume he will not empty Vatican coffers or sell St. Peter’s Basilica and donate the proceeds to the poor?

Hahahaha. I hope not.

 

[ProVobis]

Does throwing out some bird seed count?

 

[Megan7]

reuters.com/article/2013/03/16/us-pope-poor-idUSBRE92F05P20130316

This all looks very encouraging. Clealy a thoughful man who is determined to do things his way:

*While the formal voting continued, the pope recalled: “I thought of wars … and Francis (of Assisi) is the man of peace, and that is how the name entered my heart, Francis of Assisi, for me he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects others.”

It was the latest indication that the pope wanted the worldwide Church to take on an austere style.

On the night he was elected he shunned the papal limousine and travelled on a bus with other cardinals. He went to the Church-run hotel where he had been staying before the conclave and insisted on paying the bill.

Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, has also urged Argentines not to make costly trips to Rome to see him but to give the money to the poor instead.

RESPECT NATURE

St. Francis of Assisi, who died in 1226, renounced his family’s fortune for a life of charity and poverty and is also revered by environmentalists because he loved nature and preached to animals.*"*Right now, we don’t have a very good relation with creation," the pope said.

He said that Catholics should remember that Jesus, not the pope, was the centre of the Church. At the end of his address, switching from Italian into Spanish, he also made a gesture to non-believers and members of other religions.

“I told you I would willingly give you a blessing. Since many of you do not belong to the Catholic Church and others are non-believers, from the bottom of my heart I give this silent blessing to each and every one of you, respecting the conscience of each one of you but knowing that each one of you is a child of God. May God bless all of you,” he said*

Thanks for the thread.

 

[epan]

I am very favorably impressed by that article. This sounds like an auspices beginning of a new papacy. What a breath of new life after so many decades of suffering imposed upon itself by the Church. This man seems obviously holy, in stark contrast to the past.

 

[Dawnia]

Than I can safely assume he will not empty Vatican coffers or sell St. Peter’s Basilica and donate the proceeds to the poor?

Wait so there’s not gonna be a Vatican garage sale?

Guess I won’t be snagging any of the books from the Vatican library at 3 for $1.

 

[Tampa_Dave]

Wait so there’s not gonna be a Vatican garage sale?

Guess I won’t be snagging any of the books from the Vatican library at 3 for $1.

Some of this talk about a “poor Church” is discomforting, but I don’t believe he plans on liquidating Vatican assets. I have no idea what Pope Francis will do. I’m patiently waiting to see what he does. Right now, I’m as neutral on this papacy as one can possibly be. Either way, Pope Francis is the leader of my Church. He leads, I follow.

 

[Lucky7]

Some of this talk about a “poor Church” is discomforting, but I don’t believe he plans on liquidating Vatican assets. I have no idea what Pope Francis will do. I’m patiently waiting to see what he does. Right now, I’m as neutral on this papacy as one can possibly be. Either way, Pope Francis is the leader of my Church. He leads, I follow.

Right there with ya Dave.

 

[Tampa_Dave]

Right there with ya Dave.

Glad to see another realist, Lucky. Pope Francis may turn out to be the greatest pontiff since St. Peter first held the office. But he has only been Pope Francis for mere days. Most of us never heard of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio before his election, yet some CA posters are already equating him to St. Francis of Assisi! I say let’s give Pope Francis some time, a little room, and patiently see where he’s taking the Church before we disparage his legacy or nominate him for eternal sainthood.

 

[Lucky7]

Glad to see another realist, Lucky. Pope Francis may turn out to be the greatest pontiff since St. Peter first held the office. But he has only been Pope Francis for mere days. Most of us never heard of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio before his election, yet some CA posters are already** equating him to St. Francis of Assisi**! I say let’s give Pope Francis some time, a little room, and patiently see where he’s taking the Church before we disparage his legacy or nominate him for eternal sainthood.

I worry that these folks could be in for real disappointment. Not that I think our Pope will definitely disappoint us, but that whenever we have such high hopes in anything it’s rare that they are met. I prefer to remain grounded.

 

[Tampa_Dave]

I worry that these folks could be in for real disappointment. Not that I think our Pope will definitely disappoint us, but that whenever we have such high hopes in anything it’s rare that they are met. I prefer to remain grounded.

‘Grounded’ is an excellent word choice. Patience, my friends. Give Pope Francis time to create his own legacy.

 

[Lucky7]

‘Grounded’ is an excellent word choice. Patience, my friends. Give Pope Francis time to create his own legacy.

Thanks. I think the other thing I think of when I see the liberal and progressive Catholics (not necessarily on this site) rallying behind him is…Palm Sunday.

Then came Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

 

[Bklynguy]

‘Grounded’ is an excellent word choice. Patience, my friends. Give Pope Francis time to create his own legacy.

I agree. I have high hopes, but we should give him a chance before we start making a bunch of assumptions.

…And I agree…Go Tribe!

 

[Dawnia]

Some of this talk about a “poor Church” is discomforting, but I don’t believe he plans on liquidating Vatican assets. I have no idea what Pope Francis will do. I’m patiently waiting to see what he does. Right now, I’m as neutral on this papacy as one can possibly be. Either way, Pope Francis is the leader of my Church. He leads, I follow.

I think Pope Francis is an interesting guy. I imagine there are going to be many people who think they know how the Pope is going to lead who will be sorely disappointed. As long as where he is leading us to is Heaven…I’m good.

 

[EmperorNapoleon]

Some of this talk about a “poor Church” is discomforting, but I don’t believe he plans on liquidating Vatican assets. I have no idea what Pope Francis will do. I’m patiently waiting to see what he does. Right now, I’m as neutral on this papacy as one can possibly be. Either way, Pope Francis is the leader of my Church. He leads, I follow.

Pope Francis strikes me as a man who understands that, at least the appearance of, hypocrisy turns people off to whatever it is you’re trying to tell them. I certainly wouldn’t be inclined to listen to a man standing before me in silk robes trimmed with gold, luxurious velvet and fur cascading off his shoulders, and dripping with jewels tell me that I need to be more humble. With that in mind, I think he may rid the Vatican of some its assets. Why does the Church need luxury resorts, sports centers, and strip malls? The Vatican currently owns 20-25%of all residential and commercial properties, mostly as a result of bequeathment, in Italy and I don’t envision a man like Pope Francis as being inclined to maintain this money-making enterprise. Profits are not the mission of the Church. I see loads of worldly reform happening in the future.

 

[LilyM]

He did.
However, he was the one doing the charity. He didn’t ask his fellow citizens to be taxed, so that he could use the money to serve the poor.

Well, St Francis DID sell off goods from his father’s shop and distribute the proceeds of said sale to the poor, much against his father’s will - hence the confrontation between father and son in front of the Bishop - who, from memory, ended up taking Francis’ part rather than his father’s.

 

[kotim]

What you will see is a big change in the way he deals with other hierarchy within the church. The mere fact that the Orthodox like never before of recent centuries are coming along to his day is indicative of where they believe he stands on things.

Without a doubt he will speak and lead more on the conservativeness of the church when it comes to doctrine etc and that for me is a good thing.

The church will but more heads against governments in coming years. For all those who are of a more liberal standing, he will also give to them because a man who continually runs with the poor is more understanding of their predicament.

Their will be a lot of bishops who are going to get more of a comeuppance from this pope and I think it is a good thing.

 

[Dawnia]

Their will be a lot of bishops who are going to get more of a comeuppance from this pope and I think it is a good thing.

I gather it’s going to be more than just the Bishops.

“To those who are now promising to fix all your problems, I say, **‘Go and fix yourself.’ **. . . Have a change of heart. Get to confession, before you need it even more! The current crisis will not be improved by magicians from outside the country and nor will [improvement] come from the golden mouth of our politicians, so accustomed to making incredible promises.”

 

[Elizabeth502]

I don’t like how the articles talk about the ‘contrast with Benedict’ as if the last pope was somehow worse than our new pope. I don’t like those comparisons at all. Each pope has his own callings and things they want to focus on. Just because Pope Benedict didn’t do these simple things that Pope Francis is doing, that doesn’t make him a ‘bad’ pope. Pope Benedict was a fine pope and the comparisons are unfair.

Agree. Very uncharitable, in very bad taste, and not something (I’m sure!) Pope Francis, or any Pope, would approve of!

I also hate reading the comments after these articles. So many bitter and angry people hating on the church.

Perhaps it will help if some of the well-meaning posters opening threads with such articles would not afford these articles so much attention. (As if we didn’t know about the hating!)

Myself, I’d prefer to stay in the non-combative mode that Pope Francis is emulating. himself.

 

[_Abyssinia]

Pope Francis probably means a Church for the spirtually poor as in, ‘blessed are the poor in spirit,’ from the Beatititudes as well as for those who are materially poor

 

[porthos11]

Pope Francis probably means a Church for the spirtually poor as in, ‘blessed are the poor in spirit,’ from the Beatititudes as well as for those who are materially poor

I sure hope this is it, after all, the Church’s “wealth” is for everyone, which is why the Church should hold on to them. The Church can be poor without being improverished.

Besides, if the Church becomes impoverished, then she could no longer help the poor anymore now can she. After all:

Nemo dat quod non habet, in nomine Patris…