On why the Pope's words are so consoling to so many.
Because we hunger and thirst for love and acceptance, to be recognized, acknowledged, affirmed in our humanity, our existence. The Pope does that - he says God does that - he tells us God looks upon us with love.
I talked to a friend last week, right after the Pope's interview. My friend is an old man, and he is not Catholic, not religious. He was crying as he tried to tell me how he felt after hearing news reports on what the Holy Father said in the interview. He struggled to repeat what the Pope said here:
In Buenos Aires I used to receive letters from homosexual persons who are ‘socially wounded’ because they tell me that they feel like the church has always condemned them. But the church does not want to do this.
“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. Here we enter into the mystery of the human being. In life, God accompanies persons, and we must accompany them, starting from their situation. It is necessary to accompany them with mercy. When that happens, the Holy Spirit inspires the priest to say the right thing..." - A Big Heart Open to GodAnd he repeated, "... I've always felt so condemned ..."
The Pope's words opened my friend's heart to the Church, to the Gospel.
Catholic bloggers and media - please stop criticizing the Pope, please stop dissecting, dismantling, tearing apart what he said. Please stop ridiculing mainstream media for how they report on what the Pope said. Please stop putting obstacles in the way of people who do not have a sophisticated understanding of theology and catechesis...
The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently. Proclamation in a missionary style focuses on the essentials, on the necessary things: this is also what fascinates and attracts more, what makes the heart burn, as it did for the disciples at Emmaus. - Pope FrancisDo not stifle the Holy Spirit.
I found a short prayer written by Father Pedro Arrupe the Jesuit Superior in the 70s and 80s.
ReplyDeleteTeach me to listen, O God, to those nearest me, my family, my friends, my co-workers. Help me to be aware that no matter what words I hear, the message is, “Accept the person I am. Listen to me. Teach me to listen, my caring God, to those far from me– the whisper of the hopeless, the plea of the forgotten, the cry of the anguished. Teach me to listen, O God my Father, to myself. Help me to be less afraid to trust the voice inside — in the deepest part of me. Teach me to listen, Holy Spirit, for your voice — in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and doubt, in noise and in silence. Teach me, Lord, to listen. Amen.
I found a short prayer written by Father Pedro Arrupe the Jesuit Superior in the 70s and 80s.
ReplyDeleteTeach me to listen, O God, to those nearest me, my family, my friends, my co-workers. Help me to be aware that no matter what words I hear, the message is, “Accept the person I am. Listen to me. Teach me to listen, my caring God, to those far from me– the whisper of the hopeless, the plea of the forgotten, the cry of the anguished. Teach me to listen, O God my Father, to myself. Help me to be less afraid to trust the voice inside — in the deepest part of me. Teach me to listen, Holy Spirit, for your voice — in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and doubt, in noise and in silence. Teach me, Lord, to listen. Amen.
Thanks Rick - that is a beautiful prayer.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Pope Francis' impact can be judged right now, but only down the road. Will those who are enamored with him and the Church because of him truly return to Christ? Will they repent? The full face of Christ is not just His meekness and mercy but also His intensity and insistence on our conversion and love of Him.
ReplyDeletePutting obstacles may also work both ways: because of the way the Pope has been expressing himself, some have mistaken his remarks for acceptance of sin, which can lead others who are trying to understand Catholic teaching into confusion.
ReplyDeleteExcellent and clear, Terry, thanks yet again.
ReplyDeleteATDP... God does NOT put obstacles in the way of his love. That’s the devil’s role, but he’s a loser. he sows the seeds of confusion, not God. Jesus came across this problem with some of his followers, notably Peter who tried to persuade him not to head for Jerusalem. And he got short shrift from Jesus for doing so.
ReplyDeleteNeither should it be a matter of ‘judging’ Francis’ impact. There’s nothing to judge unless we want to be like the man who couldn’t understand whey Jesus allowed a woman to kiss and shed tears over his feet.
Seeing the full face of Christ is seeing him in others, so that should be enough for all of us to be getting on with for the rest of our lives.
His glory fill ALL heaven AND earth!
I did not say God puts obstacles. The comment was in response to the original post: "Please stop putting obstacles in the way of people who do not have a sophisticated ...".
Delete"Judging" an impact also works both ways, doesn't it? Isn't exclaiming all the good that Pope Francis is doing a "judgment"?
And I didn’t say you did say God puts obstacles... And, no, it’s not a judgment, it’s a fact. Good is of good, and we know that only the Father is good. It’s more than a fact. It’s Truth. But not everyone is able to recognise or accept the Truth.
DeleteHow can we expect wounded people to heal if we keep hitting them? That, I believe, is what our Holy Father is telling us. The only ones that Our Lord ever attacked in any way when He was here on earth were the Pharisees for their proud, judgmental and unforgiving attitudes. He never attacked "sinners."
ReplyDeleteWords from Msgr. Pope some time ago resonate:
ReplyDelete"Just about any time you find a mention of a large crowd fasten your seat belts and prepare for a hard teaching. Jesus didn’t trust the big crowds who were often out for the goodies. They were looking for miracles, multiplied and free bread, physical healings and a fiery sermon. So upon sensing a large crowd the texts says, rather provocatively, that Jesus turned to address them. He then gives a series of “hard sayings” which seem almost designed to thin the ranks and to distinguish true disciples from the “lip service” crowd."
That a Pope is so admired by so many is not an immediate indicator to me of anything positive. It is not either than the Church is for some elite class. We are wounded sinners - not just wounded, and not just sinners. That there are "few" disciples means, I believe, that few come to accept both and live in that tension.
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ReplyDeleteThank you Terry for your comments. So many opinions, so much speculation, assertions, putting words in Papa Francis's mouth...like you said before, "toxic blogs" now, "toxic commentary" on all fronts. But regardless of all of it, the interview will stand the test of time and will shine like a beacon for those of us who hunger for truth and for an affirmation of Jesus's love for each one of us.
DeleteI reflected on this yesterday and will try to be brief:
In the aftermath of the interview, it occurred to me that the beautiful parable of the Prodigal Son was to be found among the many reactions of said interview.
What I mean is this, the Holy Father, in affirming God's love for each of us, without condemning us, we are like the prodigal son, who after sowing our oats and left empty and without meaning as a result, we hear the small, inner call of the Holy Spirit to "come back home." Our heart's are stirred and pierced with the truth of our folly but done with so much love, we cannot but respond to the Lover's call to return. We run back, we are embraced with love and compassion, we see ourselves small and sinful, we weep and repent and are forgiven. The Father loves us! Jesus rejoices! They toss our sins over their beloved shoulders and have forgotten them! Now! Now, we are emboldened in being loved and forgiven, right where we are, to embrace our cross, to carry it with joy and to SIN NO MORE! We do so with great hope and with love and trust because we have been loved first and NOT JUDGED FIRST!
Now, to end this...after our return home, after our conversion, our "brother" has witnessed all of this, after "having toiled" in the Father's fields for so long...he is angry and upset. He has misunderstood the Father's actions of love towards his wayward brother..."he got off easy."
"Why, when I have worked so hard, my father has never given me anything? I followed the rules, I did everything he said. I never complained once!"
What I have read on other blogs about folks complaining about "how they worked in certain ministries for so long" and now after so long, they are supposed to stop because the Holy Father has said we are to "recognize, acknowledge, affirm those who do not agree with us?"
Well, I see the "other brother" angry and upset, challenged and uncomfortable...I see those same folks doing the same thing.
I hope what I tried to say makes sense...just my take anyway and I will pray for us all...for our ongoing conversion.
Parable of the Papal Interview.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.patheos.com/blogs/egregioustwaddle/2013/09/the-parable-of-the-papal-interview.html
The sadness about the situation of the elder brother was his refusal to go inside his Father’s House to join in the celebration. He just wasn’t prepared to forgive his brother for being the wastrel, or even forgive his father for the mercy shown.
ReplyDeleteThe Father pleaded with him to come inside but he chose instead to remain outside the Kingdom of Heaven.
An unforgiving heart will never find its way into heaven.
Amen and, again, Amen!
DeleteThank you, Terry! It deeply saddens me that there are Catholics who are picking apart what Francis says and does, some even questioning his orthodoxy and saying that the next conclave cannot come quickly enough.
ReplyDeleteThere isn't one of us who, when we meet God, will ask for justice (I obeyed all the laws, my Lord); every single one of us will ask for mercy. To say that being merciful is a soft option is absolute nonsense; receiving mercy instead of condemnation can be an experience of profound conversion.
Amen! It was for me and continues to be, thanks be to God. Now, I too, must be merciful towards others. In all honesty, that is my cross as I struggle and pray for such grace each and every day.
DeleteThat sound like the good thief’s confession on the cross – and we know what happened to him! :)
DeleteThinking of Mary, the other perspective...
ReplyDeleteIf the Church has the fullness of Truth, then there is never reason enough to leave. The "six-verse processional dirge to the poor sound system to the inane homilies to the complete lack of community" are hardships, not reasons to lose one's religion.
No matter how bad the experience Mass or the priest, Jesus is present in the Eucharist. It is disheartening to have to suffer these things, but these complaints strike me as self-indulgent to a degree.
There is no getting around the fact that faith is necessary to preserve.
"I can’t do this anymore."
ReplyDeleteAnne Rice essentially said the same thing years ago:
"It’s simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group."
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/kathyschiffer/2013/09/hollywood-popefest-chris-rock-calls-francis-the-greatest-man-alive/
ReplyDeleteWhat does ATDP stand for?
ReplyDeleteYes indeed:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2013/09/francis-our-jesuit-pope
I don't know what you mean. It means nothing then?
ReplyDeleteAnother:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.remnantnewspaper.com/Archives/2013-0915-ferrara-francis-the-awesome.htm
I'd comment there if I could: when a deacon of the Church implicitly gives credence to what Poust wrote it amounts to scandal. It's amazing when the rubber meets the road how much sentimentalism poisons the Faith.
ReplyDeleteRelated: http://canonlawblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/avoid-mary-deturris-pousts-bad-advice/
The front page of a paper in a major American city this morning reads: "Lib? or just Glib? Pope sounds liberal but might just be changing the topic."
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to argue that we should not be vigilant in trying to explain what the Pope *actually* (we think...) means when some, even though they tend to be sensationalist, appear themselves to be unsure about what he means.
This is very good: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/359142/popes-news-carl-anderson
ReplyDeleteIt touches on "On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons" too.
I removed the link to the Deturris-Poust post. I'm not sure what I was thinking.
ReplyDeleteI think we live in a confusing, difficult era. So much happening, so much to make sense of.
DeleteYou strike me as true salt. Your witness is not unnoticed.