I’m alarmed by the tenor of this thread. The Pope gives his weekly talk about how Jesus forgave the sinful woman while the scribes and Pharisees murmur against her, illustrating his remark by saying that we as Christians need to remember that we are all sinners, that we are all in need of mercy, and that we need to extend that mercy to others.
I believe it’s an invitation for all of us to reflect on our attitudes and search our consciences thoroughly for the times when we have acted like the Elder Brother from the parable of the Prodigal Son, or the Pharisee in the parable of the Publican.
If you feel that the Pope is speaking directly to you, maybe your defensiveness means that something has hit a little too close to home and needs to be reflected on and prayed about. How else can we grow if the Holy Spirit doesn’t prick our consciences from time to time?
As for criticizing the Pope and pointing out that St. Paul and St. Catherine of Siena corrected their popes- what are you saying? Are you a St. Paul or a Saint Catherine? Really? Besides the fact that they always tried to help guide the popes with charity, they lived in different times. Since Jesus told this very same Saint Catherine that no one was to criticize and judge His priests, that judgement of them was for Him alone, it worries me that people feel free to lambast Pope Francis. I urge you all to take his comments with a grain of salt, remembering that he promised to help the poor, the marginalized, the weak, and the despised, just like St. Francis before him and Jesus before that. Why are you scandalized when his homilies and talks do just that?
Pray very much for our Pope. His ability to be ruled and guided by the Holy Spirit rests on the strength of our prayers. If you feel he is lacking as a ruler, what prayers and sacrifices are you making on his behalf to God? Are you fasting non-stop like St. Catherine did, or enduring beatings and whippings like St. Paul? Until you have offered up sufferings, prayers, and alms on behalf of a person you do not like very much, you haven’t loved as Jesus has loved- with complete generosity and selflessness.