Monday 20 October 2014

God of Surprises

An unfortunate salute

“And since it is a journey of human beings, with the consolations there were also moments of desolation, of tensions and temptations, of which a few possibilities could be mentioned: 
One, a temptation to hostile inflexibility, that is, wanting to close oneself within the written word, (the letter) and not allowing oneself to be surprised by God, by the God of surprises, (the spirit); within the law, within the certitude of what we know and not of what we still need to learn and to achieve.  
From the time of Christ, it is the temptation of the zealous, of the scrupulous, of the solicitous and of the so-called – today – “traditionalists” and also of the intellectuals.”

In his speech at the close of the Synod it is true that Francis talked of other temptations, but it is noteworthy that 'traditionalists' were first in the line of fire. So I guess that before the 'liberals and progressives' (Cardinals Kasper, Madriaga, Schoenborn etc) are punished, we can assume Cardinals Mueller and Napier as well as the already demoted Burke will be first for the chop.

The various temptations put forward by Pope Francis aside from one set, have always been temptations for the Church. It is only in the reign of Francis that to hold fast to the Magisterium of Holy Mother Church, to defend with one's speech the Church's teaching, as Cardinal Burke has done, on the Sacrament of Marriage and the institution of the family, that it has been posited, by the Pope himself, that to do so is a 'temptation'. The Church, in her teachings and her law has never been 'flexible' with sin. It has always shown leniency to repentant sinners.

In his condemnation of the 'temptation' to uphold marriage, the moral law, and the sanctity of marriage, presumably Pope Francis is also rather annoyed with Jesus Christ Who said, "Anyone who puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery" and Who said to the woman caught in adultery, "Go and sin no more." O Lord Jesus Christ! Such a rigorist! I don't know how You cope in Francis's Church, Lord! I really don't!

If you read the Gospels. you will notice the Pharisees didn't 
like Our Lord's message on marriage either.
Presumably, once Francis has purged the episcopate and Roman Curia of liberals, progressives and traditionalists, and the other tempted persons, he will be there, all alone, because he alone can embody the Holy Faith of Christ! Nobody else gets it but him! Yet from the current occupant of the Chair of Peter has been not one word - no, not one - defending the Church's discipline, law and total silence on preserving the Blessed Sacrament from sacrilege.

That said, even His Holiness would have been shocked by the 'God of Surprises', Who inspired a revolt against his 'cunning plan' to dismantle the teaching and discipline of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church in one season. Watch out, Your Holiness, for while this is no threat from me, there are more surprises in store for anyone who thinks he knows better than Jesus Christ our Lord and God and certainly for anyone who thinks the Church's teaching can be destroyed by human hands!

I do apologise in advance for what will seem offensive words against the Vicar of Christ on Earth, but where, exactly where, is the apology that is owed to Catholic priests, bishops, cardinals, laity, families who feel betrayed that Pope Francis so obviously sided with and endeavoured to orchestrate the success of, those 'tempted' to dump Christ's teaching in the nearest refuse bin in Vatican City? What astonishing 'cleircalism'! How on Earth can someone who constantly complains about the vice of 'clericalism' issue diatribes against bishops and priests concerning this vice, against those who saw or at least perceived that he, the Pope, believed himself fit to impose his subjective will, contrary to the law of Christ, upon the entire Church around the entire globe? Exactly what kind of shrewd, manipulative and bullying clericalism is it that attempts to withhold from ordinary Catholics in the pews those exchanges which took place in the Synod?

14 comments:

Tantumblogo said...

That last bit matches my own thoughts. Sadly, tragically, in spite of the rebuke he received at the Synod, it seems Pope Francis still maintains, steadfastly, that he and he alone possesses the "divine light" to know, understand, and present the mind of the Church. I have maintained hope that the Synod might reveal to Pope Francis that he seems to hold many beliefs counter to those we have received from the Apostles and Fathers, but that does not seem to be the case. Few men in their late 70s are capable of much change. It would take a moral miracle for such to occur.

Let us pray for our Holy Father.

Long-Skirts said...

the Holy Father also says:

“He is newness. The Gospel is newness. Revelation is newness.”

NEWNESS

The one true bride another Pope
The Catholic faith, it makes him mope
Another season, another reason
For makin’ newness

He says that God, He likes surprises
So make a mess, then he surmises
I’m really humble, I’d like to rumble
And make some newness

Picture the dome of Rome
Where couples will dance and sing
A Synod of froth and foam
Think what a year can bring

He will not judge, tradition’s fudge
True Catholic souls, to outskirts budge
But he’s so humble, so do not grumble
You vill like newness!

ebemeezer said...

"the zealous, of the scrupulous, of the solicitous and of the so-called – today – “traditionalists” and also of the intellectuals."

I never know what he is saying but here I surmise it is,
"They are all against me, the bastards"

gemoftheocean said...

IT's disturbing to me that the once rhetorical question "Is the pope Catholic" no longer merely a rhetorical question, but an actual question.

Annie said...

A poster at LSN said it well:

"Read Pope Francis' words. Twice he basically names himself the new Jesus. He is all but saying he will 'surprise' us, and that's perfectly okay because Jesus 'surprised' the Jews (his choice of word). So because Jesus upended the Jewish laws, the pope thinks he can upend Jesus' laws two thousand years later? Wouldn't that mean he presumes himself to be, in effect, the new Jesus? Are we listening to the pope or Obama? I can't tell the difference anymore.

Furthermore, he invokes, in perfect homosexualist fashion, the Big Lie that 'everyone is already for it':

PF: 'This attitude (of Cardinal Burke et al.) is quite different from that of the people of God, who understand and accept salvation brought to them through Jesus.'

That's the pope's thinly veiled roundabout way of telling the Catholic faithful who understand the truth that they are 'on the wrong side of history'. What about the majority of readers of LSN and similar publications around the world, are they not 'the people of God'? What gall

Anonymous said...

Thank you Bones. You say what we all think and so well. Keep up the good work.

Deacon Augustine said...

"One, a temptation to hostile inflexibility, that is, wanting to close oneself within the written word, (the letter) and not allowing oneself to be surprised by God, by the God of surprises, (the spirit);"

If he would only read the full Gospels he would realize that Jesus has already taught us the "spirit" behind the law against adultery. "Anybody who looks at a woman lustfully is already guilty of adultery in his heart." Our Lord is much more of a "rigorist" than any of the synod fathers who opposed the Pope. I suppose we should be thankful that we now have a Pope who can put God right about a thing or two.

Unknown said...

How I so enjoy reading this blog and eating pop corn while ("whilst" in Brit speak) working a slow paced night shift job. Thanks Bonester for helping me stay awake.

Seattle Kim

Anonymous said...

Leaders today don't think they are doing their job unless they are changing something: the past was bad and intolerant but don't worry, elect me and the future will be perfect and smiley. But the Church is the Pillar of Truth; and to imagine that it can be improved upon by new "policies" is just human vanity.

Unknown said...

Yes, Gem, agreed. Just this week my husband jokingly said, "Is the pope Catholic?" After seeing my brow furrowed with uncertainty he amended that to, "Is the pope Jesuit?"

Jose Denis said...

I can not agree with you more! John Paul's New Evangelization must start with evangelizing the current occupant of Peter's Chair!

David Volk said...

The same thought occurred to me, ...sadly

M. Prodigal said...

An interesting take:

See what you think about this article:
http://www.davidlgray.info/blog/2014/10/pope-francis-barack-obama-the-rise-of-the-beta-male/

Martina Katholik said...

I guess Pope Francis was referring to this horrible book:

Tributes for God of Surprises author, Gerard Hughes SJ

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/1365/0/tributes-for-god-of-surprises-author-gerard-hughes-sj

http://books.google.de/books?id=fAi6BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT10&dq=god+of+surprises&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-RxdVLKXBoOuOJXMgNAL&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=god%20of%20surprises&f=false

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