The Heavy Cross of the Papacy

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My mind has had this recurring thought all day long:

The current situation of these Muslims being angry at the Pope for remarks which they’ve taken completely out of context and decided to freak out over seems to me a sober lesson in how much we should pray for the Holy Father, pay attention to him, be grateful for him, etc.

This must be a bit or more than a bit like the painful road set before the feet of the Ven. Pius XII, of happy memory and may he rest in everlasting peace. Those who think he should have done more to help and protect the Jews would do well to think on the events of the last two days or so. Should he have denounced Nazism at ever opportunity, pointed out that Hitler was an anti-Christ every time he spoke, etc? Or should he have tried to work to save as many as he could (and did) and hope that the evil beast could be shamed into decency or put down? He had to have known that whatever he did, whatever choice he made (he was a brilliant diplomat), countless people would die.

Isn’t the Holy Father faced with this same cross in this instance? These people are going to do what they’re going to do, regardless of what he says. A remark taken out of context has resulted in five churches being attacked in Gaza (are they all in Gaza? Can’t remember) and it may well get worse (giving the lie, of course, to the claim that Islam is a religion of peace:rolleyes: ). We should remember this burden he carries and offer our prayers for him constantly.
 
I have been thinking the exact same thing today. With the entire world watching what your saying, and the anti-Catholic sentiment in so much of the world, it must be a remarkable burden. I agree we need to be constantly praying for our Holy Father. I wish I could just tell him that we are with him and have faith in him.
 
Again, another person in agreement with you on this. He has been in my thoughts and prayers almost continuously throughout today. I dearly love this Pope.
 
Well, I doubt the Pope reads it himself, but I am sure someone in the Vatican does, so here is the Pope’s email address: benedictxvi@vatican.va . If you want, email them and let them know that we stand with our Pope and he is in our prayers.
 
I sent the Pope a message to let him know that I am praying for him and that I am grateful for his courage and faith.

I found this prayer at daily-word-of-life.com/catholic_prayers.htm , if anyone would like to use it:

Prayer for the Pope
Let us pray for our Most Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. May the Lord preserve him and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. Amen
 
I sent the Pope a message to let him know that I am praying for him and that I am grateful for his courage and faith.
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How do you send the Pope a message?
 
JKirkLVNV said:
My mind has had this recurring thought all day long:

The current situation of these Muslims being angry at the Pope for remarks which they’ve taken completely out of context and decided to freak out over seems to me a sober lesson in how much we should pray for the Holy Father, pay attention to him, be grateful for him, etc.

This must be a bit or more than a bit like the painful road set before the feet of the Ven. Pius XII, of happy memory and may he rest in everlasting peace. Those who think he should have done more to help and protect the Jews would do well to think on the events of the last two days or so. Should he have denounced Nazism at ever opportunity, pointed out that Hitler was an anti-Christ every time he spoke, etc? Or should he have tried to work to save as many as he could (and did) and hope that the evil beast could be shamed into decency or put down? He had to have known that whatever he did, whatever choice he made (he was a brilliant diplomat), countless people would die.

Isn’t the Holy Father faced with this same cross in this instance? These people are going to do what they’re going to do, regardless of what he says. A remark taken out of context has resulted in five churches being attacked in Gaza (are they all in Gaza? Can’t remember) and it may well get worse (giving the lie, of course, to the claim that Islam is a religion of peace:rolleyes: ). We should remember this burden he carries and offer our prayers for him constantly.
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The thing that gets me is how so many are asking if he should apologize for the uttering that quote. As if he had not weighed the effect of his words beforehand.

I think his apology (Greek sense) should be “I said it and I meant it.”
 
Thank you for reminding me to pray for this holy man. I almost never think to do the best thing first.
 
I am reminded of Venerable Jacinta Marto’s devotion to the Pope.
Jacinta had two visions of the Holy Father. Once, when the three shepherd children were near the well behind Lucia’s house, Jacinta called out. “Didn’t you see the Holy Father? I don’t know how it happened, but I saw the Holy Father in a large house, kneeling in front of a small table, his face in his hands. Some were throwing stones at him and others were cursing at him and saying bad words. Poor little Holy Father! We have to pray much for him.”
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catholic.net/rcc/Periodicals/Faith/0304-96/popes.html
 
Hello JKirkLVNV:

Actually, I think in some manner you can apply Jacinta’s words to nearly every pope. I vaguely remember once hearing that her words applied symbolically to Pope Paul VI based on the grief he was given by dissenting Bishops and theologians over Humanae Vitae.

That said, I also remember reading that indeed the Third Secret of Fatima was revealed precisely because Pope John Paul II believed it applied to himself, and that he had been spared by Our Lady of Fatima. (I almost added “Saint” in front of his name …) 🙂

In any case, prayers for Pope Benedict XVI are all to the good!

~~ the phoenix
 
JKirkLVNV said:
I pray we have already seen the fufillment of the prophecy that the Holy Father would be stricken down in the near martyrdom of HH Pope John Paul the Great, of happy memory.
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I recalled the Third Fatima Prophesy earlier. I too hope and pray that it was already fullfilled, but I have a nagging feeling that it was not.

After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’. And we saw in an immense light that is God: ‘something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it’ a Bishop dressed in White, ‘we had the impression that it was the Holy Father’. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God.
 
The AP reported today:

“Palestinian Muslims hurled firebombs and opened fire at five churches in the West Bank and Gaza Strip Saturday to protest the Pope’s comments, sparking concerns of a rift between Palestinian Muslims and Christians.”

The pope has relayed the truth.
 
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