Your dad is in hell.
That's not exactly what the feedback online has been - but it's pretty close. Many Catholics wanted a by the book, strict catechetical-theological answer for the young boy. The little boy who asked the Pope about the eternal salvation of his father who died an atheist, has riled the enemies of the Holy Father once again. You see it expressed in com-boxes on social media and in the snarky headlines on at least one Catholic 'news' aggregate. Avoid those who are always judging and condemning.
"In the light of eternity the soul sees things as they really are." - S. Elizabeth of the Trinity.
"Many Catholics wanted a by the book, strict catechetical-theological answer for the young boy."
ReplyDeleteWhy am I not surprised?
I watched the video of the little boy crying. He was given hope and love but I also hope he was encouraged to pray for his beloved father. I will pray too for the little boy and his papa.
Thanks Papa Francis for the compassion you have shown this child. May he never forget how merciful our Lord Jesus is!
Exactly. God wants us to be obedient to His Will. But what is to stop God, the most compassionate, the most merciful, from granting Heaven to an unbeliever because of the tears of his small son?
ReplyDeleteSometimes people who second-guess the motives of others need to focus more on their own failings, especially when encouragement such as this only comforts, and not harms, the distressed.
I know that sounds confusing, but hopefully you understand.
God bless and protect Pope Francis, this child, his father, and all here - Susan, ofs
Amen!
DeleteByzantine church teaches that our prayers are effective, even to move those in hell to purgatory and eventually to heaven.
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I'm wrong but I was taught it is a sin to speculate on who is in hell - and that includes Judas and Hitler.
ReplyDeleteWe condemn no one to be sure. But we also don't canonise people, unless they've lived a life of heroic virtue and miracles have been brought about through their intercession. There is no contradiction here.
DeleteWas anybody actually surprised by this reaction? I was quite surprised I didn’t hear it even sooner!
ReplyDeleteGiven the context, the answer was pretty good. Consoling for the young lad. But perhaps a focus on the mercy of God and the need for prayer and penance, instead of ransacking the old man's life for things that God might find half decent. Never easy answering these things on the spot.
ReplyDeleteIt's times like this I half wish Larry David was pope (-;
I had what I consider to have been a very solid Catholic education in an era of traditional liturgy and theology. I was taught that we must work to form our conscience and to follow it as best we can, that the church is a human institution divinely inspired that still makes mistakes, that no one can say if someone is damned to hell as last second conversations happen, that God is merciful and forgiving. So, the Pope's response is just what I would expect from a Catholic priest anywhere. Don't you just love him and our Christian faith?
ReplyDeleteThe most vile take on this is those lunatic fringe individuals (*cough*Verecchio*cough*) who are calling this "child abuse".
ReplyDeleteI'd invite all those fools to send their children to summer camp with Kevin Sloniker as counsellor. Don't Google him unless you want (a) some brain bleach, and (b) a "red pill" [to use the idiom of the day] about the SSPX.