The Pope's big interview

[AndyP2010]

americamagazine.org/pope-interview

There is much to think about here and it should be read in full. Also I think we need to remember that this is a Jesuit speaking to another Jesuit. There is stuff here that might not be understandable to someone who isn’t a religious and some it only by Jesuits. I will quote a bit about how this came to be.

Editor’s Note: This interview with Pope Francis took place over the course of three meetings during August 2013 in Rome. The interview was conducted in person by Antonio Spadaro, S.J., editor in chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, the Italian Jesuit journal. Father Spadaro conducted the interview on behalf of La Civiltà Cattolica, America and several other major Jesuit journals around the world. The editorial teams at each of the journals prepared questions and sent them to Father Spadaro, who then consolidated and organized them. The interview was conducted in Italian. After the Italian text was officially approved, America commissioned a team of five independent experts to translate it into English. America is solely responsible for the accuracy of this translation. This interview is copyrighted by America Press and cannot be used, except for brief quotations, without written permission.

He is the Pope of Mercy

 

[kozlosap]

A true blessing to the Church!

 

[Celtic_Maiden]

americamagazine.org/pope-interview

There is much to think about here and it should be read in full. Also I think we need to remember that this is a Jesuit speaking to another Jesuit. There is stuff here that might not be understandable to someone who isn’t a religious and some it only by Jesuits. I will quote a bit about how this came to be.

He is the Pope of Mercy

This is how the Papers in England treated the matter, and it was on the BBC and they made such a fuss about it, everything in the negative they will report, but nothing on the positive.

Pope Francis has said the Catholic Church is too focused on preaching about abortion, gay people and contraception and needs to become more merciful.

]He warned that the Church’s moral structure could “fall like a house of cards” unless it changed

The Pope used the first major interview of his papacy to explain comments he made in July about homosexuality.

He told a Jesuit magazine the Church must show balance and “heal wounds”.

The pontiff used the 12,000-word interview with La Civilta Cattolica to set out his priorities as Pope, acknowledge his own shortcomings and open up about his cultural interests

 

[KrazyKat]

There is another ongoing thread on this that already has #348 posts !

Many pros and cons and heated opinions.

Pope Francis has everyone talking !

 

[coachkfan1]

I am very tired of people trying to blame the secular media for the things that Pope Francis has said in interviews. What he has said, he has said. And frankly, I am now at the point where I have to say that I am VERY uncomfortable with the way the Holy Father has been wording some of his answers. Saying that we are too focused on abortion and the sanctity of marraige??? I am not going to rehash some of the other things that he has said. Certainly the man is is intelligent enough to know how the press and the rest if the non Catholic world will take these statements. I hear liberalism and relativism creeping into certain statements. I am a convert who struggled between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. I pray that Pope Francis papacy will be reassuring to me that I have made the right decision.

 

[OraLabora]

I am very tired of people trying to blame the secular media for the things that Pope Francis has said in interviews. What he has said, he has said. And frankly, I am now at the point where I have to say that I am VERY uncomfortable with the way the Holy Father has been wording some of his answers. Saying that we are too focused on abortion and the sanctity of marraige??? I am not going to rehash some of the other things that he has said. Certainly the man is is intelligent enough to know how the press and the rest if the non Catholic world will take these statements. I hear liberalism and relativism creeping into certain statements. I am a convert who struggled between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. I pray that Pope Francis papacy will be reassuring to me that I have made the right decision.

It’s neither liberalism or conservatism. His message is a reminder a critical message from Jesus: that of Divine Mercy. It’s too often left out of doctrinal discussions. We focus on the evil of abortion… and truly it is an evil… but leave out the fact that often there is a very frightened young woman involved, subjected to pressure from the would-be father, her parents, society at large, her economic condition, and her own self-doubt about her worthiness to be a mother.

He is, in short, saying that forgiveness is there for everyone who asks for it. It is, ironically, a very Catholic message, and doctrinally, a very orthodox one. But one all too often forgotten.

 

[Petaro]

I don’t believe the Pope is doing anything other than suggesting a change of emphasis from judgement to forgiveness, as our Christ exhorts and offers from the OT to the New. This pope is all for the poor, the disadvantaged and the alienated. He is a good and holy man and our leader. Follow him in humility and learn from the Church rather than do what the liberals do and want to change it. AMDG

 

[zab]

It’s neither liberalism or conservatism. His message is a reminder a critical message from Jesus: that of Divine Mercy. It’s too often left out of doctrinal discussions. We focus on the evil of abortion… and truly it is an evil… but leave out the fact that often there is a very frightened young woman involved, subjected to pressure from the would-be father, her parents, society at large, her economic condition, and her own self-doubt about her worthiness to be a mother.

He is, in short, saying that forgiveness is there for everyone who asks for it. It is, ironically, a very Catholic message, and doctrinally, a very orthodox one. But one all too often forgotten.

Thank you. This is what I got from reading the interview, too.

 

[sodak]

I don’t believe the Pope is doing anything other than suggesting a change of emphasis from judgement to forgiveness, as our Christ exhorts and offers from the OT to the New. This pope is all for the poor, the disadvantaged and the alienated. He is a good and holy man and our leader. Follow him in humility and learn from the Church rather than do what the liberals do and want to change it. AMDG

You are certainly correct. My concern is that people pick and choose what they want to hear. Many are concerned with corporal acts of mercy (which are good, of course), but saving the sinner from eternal damnation is better. Leading all people to Christ should be the focus.

 

[floresco]

I am very tired of people trying to blame the secular media for the things that Pope Francis has said in interviews.

I am very tired of people trying to blame Pope Francis for the things that the media has made up about what he has said.

 

[AndyP2010]

I realized that after the last blow up that the Pope isn’t going to change the way he speaks. Also that the media will twist his words to suite their story. People will eventually figure out that the media is screwing with them and those who are serious about their faith will start reading the full context.

About what he actually says this clearly is in line with “The Divine Mercy” as well as the Gospel. “The Divine Mercy” has been huge around my parish right now and the words of the Pope will be seen as confirmation of that message.

“How are we treating the people of God? I dream of a church that is a mother and shepherdess. The church’s ministers must be merciful, take responsibility for the people and accompany them like the good Samaritan, who washes, cleans and raises up his neighbor. This is pure Gospel. God is greater than sin. The structural and organizational reforms are secondary—that is, they come afterward. The first reform must be the attitude. The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk through the dark night with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people’s night, into the darkness, but without getting lost. The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials. The bishops, particularly, must be able to support the movements of God among their people with patience, so that no one is left behind. But they must also be able to accompany the flock that has a flair for finding new paths.

“Instead of being just a church that welcomes and receives by keeping the doors open, let us try also to be a church that finds new roads, that is able to step outside itself and go to those who do not attend Mass, to those who have quit or are indifferent. The ones who quit sometimes do it for reasons that, if properly understood and assessed, can lead to a return. But that takes audacity and courage.”

“audacity and courage” I love that.

 

[AndyP2010]

My biggest take away on this is that it reads so much like instructions to Priest and Bishops on how he expects them to behave. Considering how this interview came about and how it was propagated I almost feel as if the Society of Jesus just got unleashed. I would love the see what brother Jay has to say, especially about the following.

“Religious men and women are prophets,” says the pope. “They are those who have chosen a following of Jesus that imitates his life in obedience to the Father, poverty, community life and chastity. In this sense, the vows cannot end up being caricatures; otherwise, for example, community life becomes hell, and chastity becomes a way of life for unfruitful bachelors. The vow of chastity must be a vow of fruitfulness. In the church, the religious are called to be prophets in particular by demonstrating how Jesus lived on this earth, and to proclaim how the kingdom of God will be in its perfection. A religious must never give up prophecy. This does not mean opposing the hierarchical part of the church, although the prophetic function and the hierarchical structure do not coincide. I am talking about a proposal that is always positive, but it should not cause timidity. Let us think about what so many great saints, monks and religious men and women have done, from St. Anthony the Abbot onward. Being prophets may sometimes imply making waves. I do not know how to put it… Prophecy makes noise, uproar, some say ‘a mess.’ But in reality, the charism of religious people is like yeast: prophecy announces the spirit of the Gospel.”

 

[johnmann]

There are those saying the pope is reversing church teaching and there are those saying he’s not saying anything new. I think they’re both wrong. Sure, he isn’t contradicting any Church teaching and he says as much. But some of us too often forget that being right isn’t always right. Emphasis and tone matter too. People are more receptive to the truth when it’s presented in a loving manner. He’s teaching us all a very important lesson here.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Pope Francis has said the Catholic Church is too focused on preaching about abortion, gay people and contraception and needs to become more merciful.

Which line are you talking about? I saw the line where he said those weren’t the only issues, but not that there is too much of a “focus” on those issues. *We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.*Now, I presume his last sentence is an exaggeration intended to remind us that there are other important dogmas, because I do not believe he is unaware of clergy who have spoken out against divorce, fornication, totalitarianism, selfishness, or spoken of the value of families, spouses, good education, etc…

 

[MarcoPolo]

There are those saying the pope is reversing church teaching and there are those saying he’s not saying anything new. I think they’re both wrong. Sure, he isn’t contradicting any Church teaching and he says as much. But some of us too often forget that being right isn’t always right. Emphasis and tone matter too. People are more receptive to the truth when it’s presented in a loving manner. He’s teaching us all a very important lesson here.

You ever read this article about how liberal the Pope is? The whole article…
10 Quotes That Prove the Pope is A Liberal

 

[MarcoPolo]

I hear liberalism and relativism creeping into certain statements.

Could you identify a statement of Pope Francis’ that is against church teaching or approaching that status so that we might examine it?

 

[JustPink]

Oh boy. What’s the “controversy” this time?

Oh yeah, none. Again. The Holy Father is not saying anything against Church teaching. He’s merely changing the focus a little bit from “these are rules” to seeing the person and having mercy.

Quite honestly, this is something our Church desperately needs right now.

 

[janeway529]

It’s time Catholics and the world learned about Ignatian Spirituality.

 

[Brendan]

Oh boy. What’s the “controversy” this time?

Oh yeah, none. Again. The Holy Father is not saying anything against Church teaching. He’s merely changing the focus a little bit from “these are rules” to seeing the person and having mercy.

.

And even that focus hasn’t really changed. The ‘rules’ remain the same, and for those who violate them, God’s Mercy is available for those who ask for it.

That has been the case under every single Pope since Peter

 

[agnes_therese]

Oh boy. What’s the “controversy” this time?

Oh yeah, none. Again. The Holy Father is not saying anything against Church teaching. He’s merely changing the focus a little bit from “these are rules” to seeing the person and having mercy.

Quite honestly, this is something our Church desperately needs right now.

He’s saying “live and preach the Gospel first.” I worry about anyone who’s disturbed by that.