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shelby_sun
Guest
I hope people realize the Pope is not be defiant or disrespectful of the way things were done before, he is simply living his Jesuit style life as much as he can while trying to lead the Church. People cannot expect him to completely change who he is. The Cardinals knew what he was like and what he stood for when the elected him, so must have thought this is what the church needs right now.
I am thrilled with our new Pope and the decisions he has made. For those who are unhappy, I just have to say you have had your time of a ornate, fancy church with all its tradition for a long time, so now hopefully we can have a simpler, purer church for a while.
I am thrilled with our new Pope and the decisions he has made. For those who are unhappy, I just have to say you have had your time of a ornate, fancy church with all its tradition for a long time, so now hopefully we can have a simpler, purer church for a while.
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ProdglArchitect
Guest
What’s wrong with teh ornate church? All of the “ornateness” of the church was developed in order to glorify God. Something beautiful begets something beautiful. Why shouldn’t we honor the most beautiful thing in existence with our best attempts at beauty?I hope people realize the Pope is not be defiant or disrespectful of the way things were done before, he is simply living his Jesuit style life as much as he can while trying to lead the Church. People cannot expect him to completely change who he is. The Cardinals knew what he was like and what he stood for when the elected him, so must have thought this is what the church needs right now.
I am thrilled with our new Pope and the decisions he has made. For those who are unhappy, I just have to say you have had your time of a ornate, fancy church with all its tradition for a long time, so now hopefully we can have a simpler, purer church for a while.
That being said, I am quite impressed with our new Pope’s humility and desire to live as austere of a life he can, even as our Pope.
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Mrs_Sally
Guest
This article reads more like opinion than news. I think journalists (like almost everyone else) are projecting there own vision on the pope.
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aemcpa
Guest
False dichotomy ftwI hope people realize the Pope is not be defiant or disrespectful of the way things were done before, he is simply living his Jesuit style life as much as he can while trying to lead the Church. People cannot expect him to completely change who he is. The Cardinals knew what he was like and what he stood for when the elected him, so must have thought this is what the church needs right now.
I am thrilled with our new Pope and the decisions he has made. For those who are unhappy, I just have to say you have had your time of a ornate, fancy church with all its tradition for a long time, so now hopefully we can have a simpler, purer church for a while.
Where do you get the notion that “ornate and fancy” is incompatible with “simple and pure”? That is not in Scripture or tradition. And why is “simple and pure” more virtuous?
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Iron_Donkey
Guest
Yup, and I hope and suspect they were right.
Ditto, in so far as I have an opinion.
This is the part that I think is problematic. Neither the ornate nor less ornate approach is inherently better than the other, and neither is more pure either. Ideally, there shouldn’t be a conflict, with people who prefer one going that way while learning and being balanced by the people who lean the other way.For those who are unhappy, I just have to say you have had your time of a ornate, fancy church with all its tradition for a long time, so now hopefully we can have a simpler, purer church for a while.
For example, I tend to prefer the more ornate. I think that putting on our best and making things as beautiful as possible for the purpose of worshiping the Lord is a good thing. This has the advantage in emphasizing that we should put all of our effort into glorifying God - But there are dangers, of focusing on the ornateness above what the ornateness is designed to glorify, and of forgetting to focus on the neighbor.
Others prefer a more outwardly simple approach - still glorifying God, but not putting as much effort into the outward appearance, and saving our effort to focus on the poor. This has the advantage of focusing on the poor (which, as Jesus is very clear about, is essential), but the dangers of forgetting and not putting any effort into how we worship God and of disdaining the material aspect of our existence, and of losing forgetting explicit worship of God entirely in our efforts to devote more and more time to the poor.
Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages, neither is more pure the than the other, and people tend to gravitate to whichever they mesh with best. None of us have any business being disappointed with anyone, especially a Pope, for having a different preference than we do in this area.
In fact, there are many such areas where there are two good, compatible, but different areas that different people feel drawn to. The simple and the ornate. Logical theology and prayerful meditative spirituality. Etc. If we ever make it one versus the other, than we’re doing it wrong - they are really complementary. The simple can help keep the people who like the ornate Churches and vestments from forgetting the poor, the ornate can help keep the people who like the simple from forgetting that we must put forth all our effort to worship God in all things. The spiritual can help keep the theological from accidentally turning God into a complex math problem, the theological can help keep the spiritual grounded in truth.
So we’ll keep our fancy Church with all its tradition, but hopefully Pope Francis will help us to remember that the fanciness is not the point for its own sake. And that’s good. But I do suggest that examine what the side you feel less drawn to has to offer. It does exist for a reason.
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Tampa_Dave
Guest
Well said.
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FreciaMarie
Guest
I concur.
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Lucky7
Guest
I’m still trying ot figure out why those who are for a "simpler"and “purer” church always include traditions in their comments.I hope people realize the Pope is not be defiant or disrespectful of the way things were done before, he is simply living his Jesuit style life as much as he can while trying to lead the Church. People cannot expect him to completely change who he is. The Cardinals knew what he was like and what he stood for when the elected him, so must have thought this is what the church needs right now.
I am thrilled with our new Pope and the decisions he has made. For those who are unhappy, I just have to say you have had your time of a ornate, fancy church with all its tradition for a long time, so now hopefully we can have a simpler, purer church for a while.
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Robert_Bay
Guest
opinion
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