“You can follow thousands of catechism courses, thousands of spirituality courses, thousands of yoga or zen courses and all these things. But none of this will be able to give you the freedom as a child (of God). Only the Holy Spirit can prompt your heart to say ‘Father.’ - Pope Francis, 9 January 2015
As we move closer to the Schimod on the Family 2015, I expect more homilies like this. Before the vine is planted the ground needs to be prepared. Papal homilies seem to be the rotavator. The placement of the Catechism of the Catholic Church - that which the Pope is well-placed and well-advised to teach - alongside yoga and zen courses is a little unfortunate, isn't it?
So here we go again and I cannot believe I am saying it. Yes, we can all know the truths of the Holy Faith and be horrible people (sorry Savaronola! Mea culpa!) - who do not love God and our neighbour. Still, knowing the truths of the Holy Faith is not the cause of people being horrible to other people and not loving God and this is something that needs saying.
Those who have been, perhaps miraculously (since good teachers of the Faith who promote the Catechism are not everywhere nowadays), educated in the Catholic Faith should not be characterised as 'closed in on themselves'. They simply believe what the Church teaches and has always taught. People can, of course, know the truth of the Faith and be nasty, or very sinful, but people can also be ignorant of the truth and be nasty and very sinful. You can know the truth and be at emnity with God and you can be ignorant of it and be at emnity with God, but at least some knowledge of the truth can save you, because only the ignorant and foolish 'perish for lack of knowledge'. After all, the Catechism teaches us to love God and our neighbour. If we don't, at least we can repent. One wonders, because it is quoted so little by His Holiness, how familiar Pope Francis is with the Catechism. Personally, I dread to think.
This is yet another homily from His Holiness that deliberately sets laws or Law, against Christ. This is a running motif that is becoming a little tired. Does His Holiness, as all priests are called to do, not pray his Divine Office, I wonder? The reason I ask is because I am often reminded how much the Psalms speak of God's law, precepts, decrees, judgments, commandments. All those 'nasty' words that the Pope seems to think represent the unhelpful and cruel limitation of human freedom. Was King David closed in on himself? Was he a religious narcissist because he 'loved the law of the Lord'? Jesus Christ came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Was the Lord Jesus Christ a 'religious narcissist'?
Your hands, Lord, made and shaped me:
give me understanding and I will learn your commands.
Those who fear you will see me and rejoice in you
because I have put all my trust in your word.
I know, O Lord, that your decrees are just,
and that you were right to lay me low.
Give me your loving kindness and console me,
as you have promised to your servant.
Pour out your mercies on me, and I shall live,
because your law is my delight.
Bring confusion upon the proud,
for they attack me with lies;
but I shall devote myself to your commandments.
May those who fear you turn towards me,
those who know your precepts.
In the light of your judgments may my heart shine pure:
let me not be ashamed.
Oh, silly King David! What were you on about!? Haven't you got the Holy Spirit or something?! You're obviously obsessed with laws and precepts! Don't you realise that the Holy Spirit sets you freeeeeee from such petty concerns! This recurrent papal juxtaposition of law on the one hand and Christian faith on the other is an absurd and fabricated dichotomy, a scurrilous caricature perhaps worthy of Charlie Hebdo.
The Holy Spirit comes to make us more like the obedient Son of the Father, Jesus Christ. He enables those who believe in Jesus Christ to internalise that which was once external, written on tablets of stone.
The Holy Spirit comes to our aid to help us to co-operate with God. To live the commandments of Christ is salvific. To 'meditate on the law of the Lord' is good. And, while we are on the subject, the Church teaches (probably in the Catechism somewhere) that the Psalms are inspired by the very Person of the Most Holy Trinity that Pope Francis seems determined to drive as a wedge between the Christian life and law, be it Divine, natural, or ecclesiastical. To obey God is good and holy.
To disobey God, while we are all guilty to some degree, in matters great or small, is not good and is not holy. It is a sin. That is what sin is. Sin is the disobedience of God and His Law. To honour and fear Him is to live in freedom. Sin and disobedience, is slavery. There is no contradiction between living the commandments, upholding and teaching the commandments and loving God and neighbour, in the power of the Holy Spirit, because the love of God and neighbour is the Law of God. We are given grace to love God and our neighbour and in so doing we are intent - though sorrowfully not unceasingly and successfully so - upon keeping his commandments. Hence our need for Jesus who as Saviour fulfilled the whole Law.
If you love me, keep my commandments.
This is basic Christianity and, incredibly, Pope Francis does not teach it. Presumably, if we do not love Jesus we do not keep His commandments and believe that the Holy Spirit simply makes us 'free' to live with disregard for the laws of the Church and of God and that way lies perdition, a broad road that leads to Hell. There are a host of new insults in today's homily but I'll leave updating the insults book until later. Don't let your Catechism gather dust on a shelf. Why not take it out and read it because (after two years in the Chair of Peter) it would appear this Pope, sadly, is not going to educate you on the contents.
39 comments:
Thank you for this sane and grounded analysis of what the 'bishop of Rome' is doing. His theme of false dichotomies is apparent. Please keep editorials like this coming. God has graced you with a fine and clear mind. Use it to help us all. Peace to you.
I agree with Barbara Jensen in the previous comment that -the bishop of Rome-is promoting a theme of false dichotomies.He is a disgrace that reflects the failures of the last fifty years or vatican 11 .Why dont the curia get rid of him and promote a Catholic to the Papacy?Philip Johnson.
Nicely put, Bones.
Bones,
I sympathise with the Holy Father. He is responsible for a Church which is in a God-awful, utter, post-Vat II mess, such as he in his youth could not have conceivably imagined.
So what does one, or rather, he, do?
Now different people, or popes, would react in different ways. I suspect that when faced with such a shambles and regardless of theological or other qualifications, he, anyone, would react instinctively, intuitively, with gut feeling - and with a little advice from the Holy Ghost.
Whether he will get it right, time alone will tell.
One thing is sure however. Matthew 7:16. “By their fruits you will know them”.
If for instance the liberal/Relativists get their way at the next session of the Synod, or even a fudge, holding nominally to doctrine but allowing those in a state of Mortal Sin e.g. those who are divorced and remarried, or engaged in the grave depravity of homosexual acts, to Sacrilegiously receive the Body Blood Soul and Divinity of Christ under the outward appearance of bread and wine, then we will know he has made a further mess of things.
In this event the “silent schism” will become open and rather noisy. The Church will almost certainly split in a new Relativist Reformation and some future pope(s) will have to take over and sort out the even greater resulting mess.
The Holy Father is denigrating the Catechism itself. He is making the perfectly valid point that the busyness of 'thousands of ... courses' (not just catechetical, and some probably actually harmful) is no substitute for waiting upon the Holy Spirit: 'Because you are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying: Abba, Father.' {Galatians 4.6]
I absolutely agree Bones! I love my Catechism. I just have to read it and find the Holy Spirit tangible in the beautiful words laws and teachings- the richness, the depth. It's insepeperable from the Church, Christ's body. It describes Him. It's like reading a love letter. So exciting, so warm.
I do not think it would be nice to oust the Pope. It would be nice if Pope Francis taught us the Faith taught by his predecessors. Is that too much to ask?
Sorry - my comment should read 'The Holy Father is NOT denigrating the Catechism ...'
I am sorry but to lump the CCC with Zen and Yoga is stupid. We must forget his past history he was a Tango Instructor a bounced and a Chemist so this supposedly I think made him I'll prepared for this job. Unlike Burke who is younger and in better health he is also up to the job while it seems to me Francis is just not. He means well but that's not enuff
You quote Pope Francis saying that it is the Holy Ghost that leads men to called God "Father".
This true.
Think of the words of the great Hymn - Veni Creator.
Jesuits have to meditate daily. One way of meditating is to take phrases from the Pater Noster and mediate on them. Here the Holy Father is saying something about Prayer.
I think it was St Ignatius of Loyola who described meditating on the two words "Pater Noster" and said there was some much for him to mediate on those two words.
It follows that if we truly believe that God is Pater Noster, truly Our Father, we will be inspired by the Holy Ghost to lead lives of Charity.
Why are you criticising Pope Francis for such pure doctrine. Is God not your Father?
Bryan
I do not accept this man as pope because he has made it clear that he does not accept it himself. He is Bishop of Rome, only one of thousands of bishops. He should never have verbally accepted the position and has proved by his actions that he never did accept it in his heart. I await the future election of a valid pope.
I apologize for this somewhat late post but I have always been taught that God the Father must be worshipped not only in spirit but in Truth.
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."… John 4:24
And those who would play the non-judgemental Pilate in these times, here is what Jesus had to say about Truth:
“Jesus said to him, I am the way; I am truth and life; nobody can come to the Father, except through me.” John 14:6
Immediately before ascending to heaven Jesus addressed His disciples thus:
“But Jesus came near and spoke to them; All authority in heaven and on earth, he said, has been given to me; you, therefore, must go out, making disciples of all nations, and baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all the commandments which I have given you. And behold I am with you all through the days that are coming, until the consummation of the world.” Matthew 28:18-20
Now when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles on Pentecost, Peter did not equivocate about The Truth and The Light which is Jesus when he burst forth from the upper room to address the assembled masses of Jerusalem:
“Let it be known, then, beyond doubt, to all the house of Israel, that God has made him Master and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:36
Finally, I would point out what Jesus said of the fate of those who were too embarassed to proclaim Him God and to acknowledge His Truth:
“If anyone is ashamed of acknowledging me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed to acknowledge him, when he comes in his glory, with his Father and the holy angels to glorify him. “ Luke 9:26
Just had to get that off my chest, Bones. You've written a marvellous piece.
Perhaps Bergoglio's made up religion has something to do with Rampolla?
https://fromrome.wordpress.com/2015/01/10/team-bergoglio-and-the-legacy-of-cardinal-mariano-rampolla-del-tindaro/
The problem IMO is why these private homilies are issued by the vatican press, magazines, radio and so on, this is not Magisterium,these are off the cuff opinions of a 'priest' not too much catholic, my parish priest could do it much better, but remember it's the same guy who said that God is not catholic..... P.S. I'll never be Charlie, never. God bless+
'The Holy Father is NOT denigrating the Catechism ...'
No, he's just trying to steer a moderate line between studying the unchanging truths of the Church, and blithely ignoring them entirely in favour of an intuited conviction of 'what the Holy Spirit tells me'.
(Wasn't there a 16th century movement that did that? Began with a 'P'.)
'What is the Catechism if not the memory of God?' Yes, same Pope,http://protectthepope.com/?p=8489.
I think I know what he means, that attending a course or reading a book (even the Catechism, which in fact few Catholics ever look at) won't make you a good or,hate this word, 'spiritual person. It is wearying trying to work out what he means on any particular day though. So mostly I don't bother & stick with his lucid predecessor.
Has God raised Pope Francis to make Catholics aware of the difficulties of Pastor Aeternus ?
yes keep praying for the pope.... remember St Padre Pio and many other saints never encouraged insults against clergy. Although clarification of the truth is most necessary let us not cross that line into sinful negative conversation
exactly it's all right there in the Bible forget our own personal comment it's right there in the Bible Jesus' own words........Amen !!!!!! thank you for that post
What a nightmare this pope is.
LAM
The Holy Father is engaging in planned ambiguity that is meant to create confusion about the faith so that he can then attempt to exert his strong need to control that was clearly manifested in his support of the heterodox views against sacred doctrine of Kasper on marriage and the eucharist and Forte on human sexuality and marriage.
Also, his insistence that issues on homosexuality rejected in Synod One be brought into Synod Two is an example of this lack of respect and control compulsion. Correction is needed.
The Bergoglio problem is called obedience. For a no obedient person the laws are like chains to strangling his freedom. Saint Faustina Kowalska said "The Devil can be hidden even under the cloak of humility, but do not know wear the cloak of obedience"
The Bergoglio problem is called obedience. For a no obedient person the laws are like chains to strangling his freedom. Saint Faustina Kowalska said "The Devil can be hidden even under the cloak of humility, but do not know wear the cloak of obedience"
I was watching this video due to Roe V Wade anniversary upcoming and was shocked at 17:45 to hear that JOE BIDEN attacked Clarence Thomas in 1991 for claiming Natural Law took precedence over STATE law.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL_u0C9U6Sk
More links:
https://www.google.com/#q=thomas+biden+%27natural+law%27
Team Bergoglio is following a well defined plan that has been laid out for decades. Many people think the pro-abortion politicians like Brennan, Cuomo, Pelosi, Biden, Kennedy, Panetta were (are) operating outside of the Church--when in fact they are operating in accord with principles perverse Team Bergoglio clerics tell them lead to heaven(!) i.e. they haven't been obsessing about abortion for decades!
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1302301.htm
We'll said Bryan... Clearly the Pope is teaching the true Catholic faith. It is quite sad to see so many show so little respect to the Holy Father.
May God bless Pope Francis with continued strength.
I am very sorry for you Steven. I hope you will give up these silly notions
I am sick to death of this Argentinian numpty.
To place the Catechism at the same level with the pagan zen and yoga is an insult to the Catechism.
And an insult to the Holy Spirit.
Lord have mercy!
LAM
Please delete my previous post which in retrospect is too strong.
Thank you.
Bonester--I just discovered this article on a site I occasionally visit. It states that Francis will be baptizing children of unwed mothers, homosexuals and transvestites today on the feast of the baptism of The Lord---the last day of the Christmas season in the Vatican 2 Catholic Church. If true, would that possibly qualify as MDM's prophecy? IDK. Maybe. Who knows.
http://popefrancisthedestroyer.blogspot.com/2015/01/pope-francis-to-baptize-babies-of.html?m=1
Seattle Kim
@ Seattle Kim (posted as 'Unknown')
I went to the link you'd given and (other than the garish headline of this Blogger)the body of the blog does not corroborate the accusation. It says:
"The 12 male and 21 females are children of Vatican employees." Nothing more damning than that.
BTW I read that Elton John has publicly called for Francis to be named a saint while decrying those nasty types who oppose Francis' works.:
SHOWBIZ link:
http://www.showbiz411.com/2014/10/29/elton-john-tells-crowd-of-stars-and-donors-pope-francis-is-my-hero
Liam---Yeah I know---it wasn't substantiated. It's a crude site. If it's true, the blogosphere will ring with the news.
He did however baptize the child of an unwed couple last year and made no requirement for penance or a marriage ceremony.
Seattle Kim
Saint Vincent of Lerins;
For it has always been the case in the Church, that the more a man is under the influence of religion, so much the more prompt is he to oppose innovations
Pope Francis is an strident and determined enemy of Tradition and at some point even the most pertinacious papolatrist will become ashamed of his ultramontanism.
This papacy will not end well
In this fevered atmos, you'd hope that His Holiness or the Holy See PR/Comms team would be switched-on this week to be alert enough to those who may devilishly try and engineer selfies/photo-contrivances featuring Francis and a "Je Suis Charlie" banner for their own ends. Because I know he wouldn't be naive enough to actually agree to a deliberately styled photo-opp, say with him holding up a "Je Suis Charlie" tee-shirt or some such gimmick, which could then be used to inadvertently give the impression that he approves of Church and Holy Trinity bashing. But I'm sure that Francis would be jungle-smart enough to think anything like that through and be on guard.
Actually, thinking about it, scrap that. I'm really not that sure at all! Oh well, no point worrying over something that might not happen, I suppose. True enough, but there's the big problem for us all as we watch the unfolding of this eye-popping papacy: i.e. genuine fear, on any given day, about what His Holiness might say or do next.
It really, really shouldn't be like this - and I never imagined in my life that it ever would be.
St Peter - pray for us.
I pray for Pope Francis. I really do! I pray that he keeps his mouth shut and ceases causing such discord in the Church.
JARay - When I pray the mystery of the Visitation, I ask Zacharia, who was silenced for his unbelief, to pray with me that those who express their unbelief (even if subtly) will be also be silenced. In the case of one ex-Bishop for whom I prayed by name, it appears to have worked and so I am persevering. Perhaps others will join me.
I saw a headline this evening in a Paris newsagents which read 'Pope Francis has three years in which to reform the Church.' I didn't buy it as it appeared to be a sort of celebrity magazine for young people but it made me wonder where they got the quote from!
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