The translation errors are a red herring. Even when translated correctly they are still problematic.
For instance :
Here’s another whopper: “The Son of God became incarnate in the souls of men to instill the feeling of brotherhood.” Um, the Son of God did not become incarnate in souls. He became incarnate in human nature, in his own human flesh and blood. The Italian is " Il Figlio di Dio si è incarnato per infondere nell’anima degli uomini il sentimento della fratellanza": “The Son of God became incarnate to infuse into the soul of men [could say “the human soul”] the feeling of brotherhood.”
Because the translation wasn’t accurate, does not mean the accurate translation has any more meaning.
The latter sentence in itself is absurd as well… “feeling of brotherhood”
That is recycled 1960’s theology, emphasis on man. “Brotherhood” also is related to some of the Masonic notions that crept in that time , even into the Church.
I am bothered by certain fellow Catholics who think they have to spin on behalf of the Pope. Let the interviews rest on their own merit. If they have none, then no amount of spin, will support them. Errors will fade in time, if Truth is professed more boldly.
True love for the Pope, is the desire for him to exercise his office well, acknowledging we are under the Pope, the only way we can exercise any of our strengths to correct him , at least interceding on behalf of him, is to appeal to those who are higher than him … to Jesus and Mary, St Peter and past Popes who have become Saints.
Another problem.
Just call these interviews problematic and be done with it.
For one who is firm in his faith, he is not going to be bothered by the Pope. What he will be bothered by are the sheep who are more easily lost and swayed by the Pope’s behavior or informal speaking.
To say “he isn’t preaching” is not accurate. We all preach regardless of how we use our words. We preach in our actions, in our conversations, how much more does the man in the office of the Pope.
He isn’t confined to just taking the hat off , where can exercise his authority , 2 percent of the time he is the Pope.
We can have men who do the job poorly. Yet we have Catholics doing a disservice, by saying the Pope always does his job well as a person, in its human leadership as opposed to its divine assistance through the Holy Spirit. If that were true, we would never had had the abuses that arose and fell and consequential natures that occurred like the Protestant Reformation. That is not obedience or fealty to the Pope, that is creating a Cult of personality around him.
We don’t have to criticize him or question him, for example I don’t see how anyone should be suspicious of his governorship duties of reforming the Cardinals. It’s up to the Pope!
But because of this understanding of hierarchy , we don’t abuse that as part of the body of the Church, we dont’ have to laud him when he is making mistakes in his person. We pray for him instead.
In the interview he laughs off the notion of converting someone. Then later the interviewr, who seems to be more interested on the subject of conversion (for who knows why? Grace? )
Q. Your Holiness, you said that you have no intention of trying to convert me and I do not think you would succeed.
A. “We cannot know that,
but I don’t have any such intention.”
I wish he said , “who knows where the power of prayer can lead one”
True love is willing the good for the beloved.
I know we live in a Pluralistic society, but to be indifferent like that? Whether or not the Pope has that in his heart, is unknown, but any Catholic or non-Catholic reading that will think that is the attitude to keep having. We’ve been having that. That our faith is a private endeavor.
The Truth is the pearl of great price! I would hope on prayers on behalf of people who I know or barely even know that they may come to know Christ some day, not be left in their errors. They would be damned.
To be overly pessimistic is false , to have a perpetual optimism and trying to constantly sell that to lay Catholics is false. To be realistic is to be Catholic because it calls for one to be constantly vigilant acknowledging that man in this world, is a wayfarer.
“Life is a warfare” - St. Ignatius of Loyola
It is not every century that a Pope resigns. There was definitely spiritual warfare going on… This has significance in the transition between Pope Francis and Pope Benedict. I’m sure Pope Francis is in more ardent need of prayers given his background and possible formation.
I believe we can have weaker or stronger popes.
Laity can fail when they think the Pope is always right in his humanity too, that is to say that the Church will never suffer or undergo stormy seas. That Christ was too great to undergo his passion, as a man.
Out of obedience as laity, it’s our duty to recognize where our place is, when we speak.
