Here is a Teaching that is New...
Has anyone ever heard previous papal teaching suggesting that when the Lord appears to be angry with his disciples that He was only 'pretending'?
It is a strange thing for the Vicar of Christ to say and opens up a range of questions regarding when Our Lord was being serious with His disciples and when He was 'pretending'.
My understanding of Church's understanding of the Gospel accounts of the Lord Jesus and His interaction with His Apostles and disciples was that there was no pretense in Him. There was nothing fake, deceitful or anything that could be interpreted as 'pretense' in the Lord Jesus Christ. Not before all ages, no then, not now, not ever.
I do wish the Holy Father would take more care over his homilies. Even the notion of the Lord Jesus 'pretending' or 'faking' anything would lead faithful Catholics loyal to His Holiness to say, 'Here is a teaching that is new...'
For if the Lord 'pretended' to be angry at times in His ministry on Earth, what else would He have 'pretended' to His Apostles and disciples?
Comments
The temptation to refashion Christ into the image of one's own making is not only misguided but dangerous.
There is a "way from this post of knowing exactly what the Holy Father said and the context in which he said it": click the link in the post.
BTW, did you ever read some of the sermons Cardinal Bergoglio gave when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires?
Neither a cardinal nor a pope can invent his own magisterium.
'In the Gospel Jesus is not angry but he does seem to be (il faisait semblant) when His disciples are not understanding Him.'
Perhaps a Spanish reader can confirm that this was indeed the original meaning. We must not presume that an English translation of the Pope's words is correct and start panicking!
'the first and the greatest of the commandments, and the one that best identifies us as Christ’s disciples: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you”' Evangelii Gaudium 161
Compare that with;
'“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’Matthew 22:36-37
When a Pope, in an apostolic exhortation, demonstrates his ignorance of the greatest commandment shouldn't the faithful rise up and oppose him?
Jonathan criticises the Pope's quote as being inaccurate and seems to have failed to notice that he was actually quoting from St John's Gospel (reference given in EG St John 15.12)
'This is my commandment, that you should love one another, as I have loved you.'
So the Holy Father is NOT 'demonstrating his ignorance' but quoting directly from St John here.
No, you are wrong, I didn't say the quote was inaccurate. Pope Francis is not simply quoting John. He introduces that quote as being the first and greatest commandment when it is not. The quote is accurate but his description is not.
It is a serious and telling mistake that Francis thinks love of neighbour is the greatest commandment rather than love of God. It ought to jar very strongly with the sense of the faithful.
“In the Gospel, Jesus DOES become angry, but pretends to when the disciples do not understand him."
http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-intelligence-is-a-gift
As this sentence makes no sense at all, I think it is more likely that defective reporting is what is happening here.
IF the original reports were accurate I would be tempted to ask the Holy Father how he knew that Jesus was not just joking around when He said: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock..."???
However, I am sure Pope Francis does not believe that Our Lord was "pretending" on the road to Emmaus so will refrain from such impertinence.