But don't want to pray for the Pope or his intentions ...
Fr. Z tackles the question here:
ASK FATHER: How to “pray for the Pope’s intentions” if I don’t like them or him?Yeah. Read his response there.
I'm no expert, but I wouldn't worry too much about gaining any sort of indulgence with that attitude. It seems to me the proper disposition to receive a plenary indulgence maybe more or less lacking if a person is governed by such animosity. I may be wrong of course, and only God knows the soul.
I just think charity should be the guide here. You don't have to like someone to pray for them - in fact we are told to pray for our enemies - not that the Successor of Peter is our enemy. The counsel that one doesn't pray for the person of the Pope but for his intentions seems to me to be much broader than limiting one's prayer to those intentions the Holy Father designates. As Fr. Z makes clear at the end of his response, there are traditional general intentions, which he lists:
1. Exaltatio S. Matris Ecclesiae (Triumph/elevation/stablity/growth of Holy Mother Church)Fr. Z also mentions praying for those intentions the Pope designates in accord with God's will. For a Catholic, one would expect that to be a given, the proper disposition necessary. One doesn't have to know the intentions of the Vicar of Christ to pray for him or his intentions. Praying for the head of the Church is prayer for the Church - it is our duty, it is God's will.
2. Extirpatio haeresum (Extirpation/rooting out of heresies),
3. Propagatio fidei (Propagation/expansion/spreading of the Faith)
4. Conversio peccatorum (Conversion of sinners),
5. Pax inter principes christianos (Peace between christian rulers).
Something is off with that sort of miserly attitude towards the Pope. I don't get it. Jesus taught us how to pray, and we pray for the coming of the Kingdom, and that the Father's will be done. It seems to me the Holy Father's intentions are necessarily summarized in that prayer.
Anyone devoted to Our Lady would know that she has asked those who pray the Rosary to pray for the Pope - she never said 'pray for his intentions' - she asked the children at Fatima to pray for the Holy Father. She did not differentiate. Just saying.
Preach it, brother. I read the article yesterday, and I am with you on this. I cannot remember the Scripture quote, but it was something to the effect of, "What merit is there in praying for people you like? Truly Christian people pray for those they don't like!" This is badly paraphrased, but that is the gist of it.
ReplyDeleteWe are put on this earth to serve God and get each other to heaven.
God bless all here, and let's all pray for His Holiness today, even if it is a quick Hail Mary - Susan, ofs
All our social and political institutions are collapsing from the inside. Social media is like the angry crowd who screamed for Jesus's crucification and freed Barabas. I will,pray for the Pope who sees and understands this.
ReplyDeleteEver since I read that there are folks who actually pray for Papa Francis's death, I do my best to remember him in daily prayer.
DeleteI learned about these types from Deacon Greg and Father Dwight.
I still can't wrap my head around that type of prayer.
Anyway, viva il Papa!
All this hoopla over Pope Francis has made me wonder what the “conservatives” of the day thought about Pope Saint John XXIII? I am not old enough to have any memory of him so he is just one of the popes of history to me, but perhaps there is someone who reads this block that could enlighten me. I would imagine people thought what he had “done to the church“ was just horrible… And here we are now in 2017 venerating him as one of the good popes and a saint!
ReplyDeleteBlog not block!
ReplyDeleteI was 9 years old when Pius XII died and Pope John was elected. Everyone seemed to love him, never heard criticism, only great expectation. The actual changes didn't happen until after his death of course. But some of the changes or liturgical reforms began with Pius XII who has been criticized for that as well. I just don't think there was any liturgical dissent prevalent back then until the Council advanced and The Wanderer began publishing reports from periti who accompanied the bishops. Generally - at least in my limited experience, nuns and priests and lay people were thrilled with VII. I do remember Paul VI being constantly criticized by libs and conservatives however. Then the spurious private revelations about him fed into the narrative of 'the work of the devil will infiltrate even to the highest levels' and so on. Cardinals in the curia were suspect of this and that - all very much like today. Today it's almost mainstream because of social media.
DeleteI should keep my mouth shut. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteI pray for the salvation and sanctification of everyone - my friends, family, the Holy Father, my enemies. That's also the wonderful part about being consecrated to Mary - you give it all to Mama and she sorts it all out - after all she has a much better handle on what's really happening. Or as they say in AA....KISS (keep it simple stupid!)
ReplyDeleteUh...by "stupid" I am not referring to anyone that blogs or posts here! It's just a general term!
DeleteWaaah! Angela said I'm stupid/s
DeleteNo no! I didn't!!!!
Deletewhy are folks upset about not liking the pope, or about others who do not like the pope? I’m pretty certain liking the pope is not a precept of the church.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a matter of liking or disliking him. You are right - neither is it a precept of the Church.
DeleteIt would be nice if the pope could ban the time change every Fall and Spring....what??
ReplyDeleteNo one would pay any attention. :)
DeleteWe should stsr5 a petition!
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ReplyDeleteSo, the point is the Pope cannot be trusted in matters of faith and morals. The whole group that proclaims there has not been a ligitimate Pope since Prius XII or Pius the X or maybe Peter get on thei bandwagon and make a lot of noise, throw a lot of mud and post anonymously on the web and then disappear. Some have alligence to some guy in North Dakota or somewhere who calls himself Pope Michael. He may have died so I do not know if they have held a conclave yet or not. Anyway, I used to like excentric people with different beliefs but now all we get are angry conspiracy wackos who have nothing better to do then disparage good people. When they turn up at soup kitchens, hospices and homeless shelters to help out then I might think they are following the Gospel. Until then I will try and remember them in my prayers as the lost sheep and goats that Jesus warned us about.
ReplyDeleteI did read a list of the Pope’s intentions a ways back, didn’t particularly take to it but hey, the first Catholic prayer I was taught was the Rosary and at the beginning I learned to say an Our Father “For the Pope and the Pope’s intentions”, no reason to ever change that. Why I think that regardless of whether you think the Pope is having harmful or positive effects it’s your duty to pray for him! He needs your prayers, the Pope always needs our prayers. And as for his intentions, God knows how best to apply your prayer. While it’s bad (for you) to pray for the success of something contrary to faith and morals...this clearly doesn’t fall into that category. If it bothers you, stop reading the list of intentions and keep praying for the Pope, God’s got it all in hand. There’s a lot of room for praying under the Catholic umbrella. If hand-wringing has got you all twisted up, just don’t ever ever stop praying, least of all for the Pope.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteOne half hour of reading Scripture along with the standard requirements also attains a plenary per the Enchiridion for Indulgences.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable. It's worse than dealing with Protestants.............
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