VATICAN - Pope warns priests "not to grow weary of being merciful,” asks them to forgive, not condemn in the confessional [AN]

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Francis ordained 19 new priests today, telling them to be an example "because the example builds”. He urged them not to hurry when they deliver their sermons, nor be boring; never “refuse Baptism to anyone who asks,” and “always keep in mind the example of the Good Shepherd, who came not to be served but to serve; not to stay in his comfort, but to go out to seek and save what was lost.”

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Our good Holy Father must have had hard cases like me in mind when he said this to those new priests. I imagine my confessor often gets weary of hearing me repeat the same sins over and over!
 
christofirst said:
Our good Holy Father must have had hard cases like me in mind when he said this to those new priests. I imagine my confessor often gets weary of hearing me repeat the same sins over and over!
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Take heart, the frequent addition of new kinds of sins would be evidence of a spiritual decline.
 
Is this really a problem? Honestly. Have you ever been in a confessional where the priest “condemned” you? I’ve never experienced anything but mercy in the confessional. Why does this pope seem to bring up issues that aren’t problems? The press makes hay when he says things like this because it confirms their prejudices against the Church and it opens the Church up to scandal. What is he thinking? I’ve met plenty of priests who are way out of line in a lot of areas, but I’ve never met a priest in a confessional who was not open to granting pardon, absolution and remission for my sins.
 
Hazen_Pingree said:
Is this really a problem? Honestly. Have you ever been in a confessional where the priest “condemned” you? I’ve never experienced anything but mercy in the confessional. Why does this pope seem to bring up issues that aren’t problems? The press makes hay when he says things like this because it confirms their prejudices against the Church and it opens the Church up to scandal. What is he thinking? I’ve met plenty of priests who are way out of line in a lot of areas, but I’ve never met a priest in a confessional who was not open to granting pardon, absolution and remission for my sins.
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You don’t know what conditions are like in Argentina. Maybe the pope has heard a lot about priests who withhold absolution without good reason.
 
Hazen_Pingree said:
Is this really a problem? Honestly. Have you ever been in a confessional where the priest “condemned” you? I’ve never experienced anything but mercy in the confessional. Why does this pope seem to bring up issues that aren’t problems? The press makes hay when he says things like this because it confirms their prejudices against the Church and it opens the Church up to scandal. What is he thinking? I’ve met plenty of priests who are way out of line in a lot of areas, but I’ve never met a priest in a confessional who was not open to granting pardon, absolution and remission for my sins.
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You beat me to this!
 
Argentina is not the only Church in the world. The pope represents all Catholics, not just Argentinian Catholics. If this is happening in Argentina, then he should say so. He brings scandal to the Church by suggesting (by inference) otherwise.
 
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Hazen_Pingree said:
Argentina is not the only Church in the world. The pope represents all Catholics, not just Argentinian Catholics. If this is happening in Argentina, then he should say so. He brings scandal to the Church by suggesting (by inference) otherwise.
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He doesn’t suggest or imply otherwise. Telling priests not to do evil does not imply that most or all do.
 
dmar198 said:
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He doesn’t suggest or imply otherwise. Telling priests not to do evil does not imply that most or all do.
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Alright. So, according to your take, he’s telling all priests everywhere not to do evil, and in doing so, there can be found no implication? Please. That’s absurd.

The pope is responsible for his public statements. If some priests are doing evil, wouldn’t it be proper to address those priests in private? To publicly suggest that all priest are doing evil is to suggest that the Church herself is evil.

If the pope wants the press to understand that some priests do evil things like condemn people in confessionals (which I think is utter nonsense), he needs to use language that imparts that distinction, otherwise, he will be interpreted as saying that all priests are doing evil. Implication regarding content occurs when our language is not precise. He’s the pope. He has a responsibility to use his words carefully.
 
Typical of bits and pieces taken out of context. The reality is a homily exhorting new priests before they go out into active ministry. Is this any different than exhorting any new doctor for instance, to “do no harm” in a commencement ceremony? When I got my pilot’s licence, I was exhorted to be humble, keep learning, not be too proud to turn back in bad weather, etc. It didn’t mean all pilots do the opposite, but a sufficient number do so to make the warning meaningful.

The actual translated text I read from the article says:
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis ordained 19 new priests today in St Peter’s Basilica. In his address, he told them “not to grow weary of being merciful” because in the confessional "you are to going to forgive, not condemn! Imitate the Father who never gets tired of forgiving.”
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He is NOT saying that priests generally condemn in the confessional. He also speaks about baptism:
n his address, the pope offered a lot of advice. “In Baptism, unite the new faithful to the People of God. Never refuse Baptism to anyone who asks!
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He had the direct experience in his archdiocese of having to discipline priests for refusing baptism to the children of single mothers who wanted to raise their child as a Catholic, thereby imputing the mistake of the mother on the child.

There is nothing wrong with the Holy Father exhorting his new troops in Christ before sending them off in ministry, and reminding them that they are accountable to God. This happens in almost all professions in some form or another.

Nothing to see here folks, move on.
 
Hazen_Pingree said:
…He’s the pope. He has a responsibility to use his words carefully.
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Quite honestly, the Pope gave sound advice to newly ordained priests.

The press will twist his words regardless of what comes out of his mouth.
 
Hazen_Pingree said:
Alright. So, according to your take, he’s telling all priests everywhere not to do evil, and in doing so, there can be found no implication? Please. That’s absurd.

The pope is responsible for his public statements. If some priests are doing evil, wouldn’t it be proper to address those priests in private? To publicly suggest that all priest are doing evil is to suggest that the Church herself is evil.

If the pope wants the press to understand that some priests do evil things like condemn people in confessionals (which I think is utter nonsense), he needs to use language that imparts that distinction, otherwise, he will be interpreted as saying that all priests are doing evil. Implication regarding content occurs when our language is not precise. He’s the pope. He has a responsibility to use his words carefully.
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School teachers have to take courses telling them not to beat children. It does not imply that most or all do, and it would be unreasonable to infer that if you heard someone telling teachers not to beat children. Just because the media will say stupid things about the pope is no reason to change me teachers not to beat children. Just because the media will say stupid things about the pope is no reason for him to change his message. I don’t think he cares what the media says because he keeps telling us not to listen to them.
 
To all:

I take back what I wrote. I missed the context of the speech. The pope clearly has a right to address his newly ordained priests with his concerns regarding the performance of their duties as priests. Please accept my apology.

Hazen P
 
Has there been a trend lately of priests condemning those who go to confession as the title of this article suggests? Never heard of this before. More to the point, why does the press only emphasize one thing among many. Now this portion of the article, I would hope, would be heard by all clerical ears…😉
**Make sure that “your sermons are not boring; **that your own homilies reach people’s hearts because they come from your heart, because what you are saying is truly what you have in your heart.
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dmar198 said:
School teachers have to take courses telling them not to beat children. It does not imply that most or all do, and it would be unreasonable to infer that if you heard someone telling teachers not to beat children. Just because the media will say stupid things about the pope is no reason to change me teachers not to beat children. Just because the media will say stupid things about the pope is no reason for him to change his message. I don’t think he cares what the media says because he keeps telling us not to listen to them.
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The Pope has never said not to listen to the media. On the contrary, the Pope is saying that what the media reports is accurate and “fanatics” or traditonalists, keep blaming the media for supposedly twisting his words, when they are not. He is saying these are his thoughts, “not what the media says I think”, i.e. Not the media’s thoughts. He has addressed that quite clearly, to say the media is always lying is on par with conspiracy theories.
 
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