In a message tweeted earlier this morning on Pope Francis’ twitter account, @Pontifex, the pontiff asked only one thing on the occasion of his anniversary: “Pray for me.”
We need to pray for him, lots. He’s getting way too much praise, both from inside and from outside the Church.
When it comes from outside, it is problematic, because non-Catholics are basically clapping at their misunderstanding, at their personal, counterfeit Pope Francis, and when they realize he’s the guardian of the Catholic faith of the centuries, they will turn against him quickly (it takes only 7 chapters to go from Hosanna to Crucifige).
When it comes from inside, it is problematic, because Catholics should give praise to the Father, not to men. Praise given to men is a temptation to vainglory. Praise given to saints is torture. A generalized atmosphere of praise also stops healthy criticism from reaching the Holy Father, and he may find himself surrounded by a great cloud of yesmen rather than by a great cloud of witnesses.
Peter had the nerve to take the Lord to a corner and say: “God forbid, this will never happen to you, don’t say such things”. Of course, the Lord rebuked him “because he thought like men and not like God”. But Christ was pleased by Peter’s being humble and brave enough to speak up. Paul, too, was brave enough to face Peter in fraternal correction when needed, and Peter - our first Pope, let’s not forget it - was blessed by Paul’s correction and ceased a behavior that was not in accordance with the infallible teaching he himself had received from Christ and given the entire Church (namely, the freedom to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles without risk of becoming impure as per the old precepts).
While criticizing the Pope isn’t healthy, I find it quite amusing that everyone is so into praising the Holy Father and at the same time surveys are showing that a large number (a majority??) of Catholics don’t attend Holy Mass on Sunday and don’t uphold the most sacred teachings of Holy Church on matters of morals. If they are clapping to the Pope because he makes them feel better about being lax about following the teachings of the Church, they really don’t know what they are doing…the merciful Pope, like the merciful Jesus, does not erase the fact that the Faith is a two-edged sword piercing between flesh and soul, and that disobedience leads to be cut off from the body of Christ.
St. Faustina reminds us in her diary that the Lord said:
“before the day of justice I am sending the day of mercy…My mercy … It is a sign for the end times. After it will come the Day of Justice…Tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near. I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of sinners. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation.”
She also recalls the words of the Blessed Virgin:
“You have to speak to the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him who will come, not as a merciful Savior, but as a just Judge. Oh how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The angels tremble before it.”
Before wearing a “Who am I to judge?” shirt, remember that our Lord, who said “I judge no one”, also said: “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.” And Peter does reminds us that “the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
