Pope urges priests to preach on uncomfortable topics

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Pope urges priests to preach on uncomfortable topics

Rome, Italy, Mar 11, 2011 / 04:44 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Priests must not preach “Christianity ‘a la carte’” and should be willing to approach even uncomfortable aspects of the Gospel, Pope Benedict said in a meeting with priests this week.

In a meeting with priests and religious from the Diocese of Rome on March 10, the Pope led a Scripture meditation as the “pastor of the pastors.”

He based the meditation - called a “lectio divina” (sacred reading) - on a chapter from the Acts of the Apostles in which St. Paul leaves the faithful in Ephesus with instructions on how to continue preaching the Gospel after his departure.

Paul’s advice to be humble and vigilant in preaching the faith, to make themselves completely available in service to Christ and the Church, and prayerful as they protect their “flocks” are all relevant characteristics of priests nearly 2,000 years later, said the Pope.

He implored priests to show “full-time” fidelity to their vocation as priests, “being with Christ and being ambassadors of Christ.”

The Pope also called on priests today not to shrink from proclaiming “the entire plan of God.”

“This is important,” said the Pope. “The Apostle does not preach Christianity ‘a la carte,’ according to his own tastes, he does not preach a Gospel according to his own preferred theological ideas; he does not take away from the commitment to announce the entire will of God, even when uncomfortable, nor the themes he may least like personally.

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My parish priest definitely fits the bill! He never shies away from the truth. 🙂
 
I know a priest who is not afraid of the ‘hard’ homilies.

His motto: Christ came to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.

:cool:
 
I love our Pope. He isnt asking the priests to do anything he wouldnt do himself. Benedict is no stranger to talking openly about uncomfortable topics. He has always striken me as a tough cookie who refuses to be bullied by anyone who would wish to silence him, but I also get the impression its always taken all of his courage and his will power to remain persistant in his teachings of the Bible and his opinions. I love that expression, “Christianity a la carte,” lol! But joking aside, alot of people do seem to go for Christianity a la carte these days because its the safest option to make your own interpretations of the Gospel when thats not what Jesus wants us to do at all. He wants us to listen to what he had to say, not what we think he ought to have said just so it suits us and thats the message Papa Benny is getting across. He is a shining example to our priests all over the world and they should take inspiration from him.
 
Amen to that, Holy Father! 👍 Way to go!

I know several priests who are not afraid to ‘tell it like it is’!
 
Brendan said:
I know a priest who is not afraid of the ‘hard’ homilies.

His motto: Christ came to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.

:cool:
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May i just say that I absolutely love your priest’s motto! 👍 I’ll try to remember that one. 😉
 
We have witnessed the death of a good Pope, are we witnessing the rise of a great one?
 
I hope and pray that priests will obey what the Pope has urged them to do and preach on the more uncomfortable topics. To be honest with you, I would like to see a homily on birth control. I don’t believe I have yet seen such a homily. I am not sure that I have even seen an entire homily devoted to abortion except for maybe one time. I have only been a Catholic since 2006 though so maybe I just haven’t had enough time to see and hear such homilies.
 
In my whole life I have only heard one priest tell the truth on the evils of contraception, abortion, and homosexuality. Every other priest simply has no backbone to speak of.
 
In conservative Lutheran parishes, those topics come up in the pulpit anytime the lectionary readings warant them. Even contraception is becoming a topic we’re dealing with more often.

Peace be with you.
Jason1776 said:
In my whole life I have only heard one priest tell the truth on the evils of contraception, abortion, and homosexuality. Every other priest simply has no backbone to speak of.
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Hallelujah!

Edited: Ok, so now I’ve read the whole article and I see nowhere stated what the Pope specifically wants addressed that is not being addressed. I would love this more if he did that. This urging is entirely too vague.
 
I would like an explanation of what these “uncomfortable topics” are. For instance I know many priests avoid topics regarding sexual sin in their homily because their are always children present at the Mass. Is this the type of thing he is addressing, or is avoiding those topics for that reason acceptable?
 
I think this is a good thing. However, I think there is a tendency in this thread right now for people to think “Good, the Pope wants priests to give the [whoevers] the what-for!”, and that’s a little bit pharasaical. We all should have to squirm in our seats a little bit; that’s his point.
 
Lujack said:
I think this is a good thing. However, I think there is a tendency in this thread right now for people to think “Good, the Pope wants priests to give the [whoevers] the what-for!”, and that’s a little bit pharasaical. We all should have to squirm in our seats a little bit; that’s his point.
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I think you make assumptions about those who have posted to this thread.
 
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