Something to Hide, Your Holiness?

Pope Francis has been giving advice on how to deal with annoying people. The quote this week was:

“Immediately we think: How long will I have to endure the laments, gossip, petitions or arrogance of this person?”

With regard to laments, here is a lament, wherein Pope Francis laments the rigidity of those young people who attend the Extraordinary Form of the Mass...:

"Sometimes I found myself confronted with a very strict person, with an attitude of rigidity. And I ask myself: Why so much rigidity? Dig, dig, this rigidity always hides something, insecurity or even something else. Rigidity is defensive. True love is not rigid." (Message: I hereby lament the attitude that I perceive of these people who I now go on to denigrate.)

With regard to gossip, here is gossip, wherein Pope Francis gossips about the rigidity of those young people (though they need not be young) who attend and love the Extraordinary Form of the Mass...

"Sometimes I found myself confronted with a very strict person, with an attitude of rigidity. And I ask myself: Why so much rigidity? Dig, dig, this rigidity always hides something, insecurity or even something else. Rigidity is defensive. True love is not rigid."  Message: I hereby gossip about the attitude that I perceive of these people who I now go on to denigrate.

With regard to petitions, here is a petition, wherein Pope Francis petitions those young people (though they need not be young) who attend and love the Extraordinary Form of the Mass...

"Sometimes I found myself confronted with a very strict person, with an attitude of rigidity. And I ask myself: Why so much rigidity? Dig, dig, this rigidity always hides something, insecurity or even something else. Rigidity is defensive. True love is not rigid." Message: I hereby petition the young people (though they need not be young) to change their attitude, people who I now go on to denigrate.

With regard to arrogance, here is arrogance, wherein Pope Francis arrogantly asserts in defiance of a great deal of love for Christ and His Church, as well as much long-suffering in the face of a Pope so arrogant that he doesn't answer mail from his own concerned Cardinals on key points of Christian doctrine...

"Sometimes I found myself confronted with a very strict person, with an attitude of rigidity. And I ask myself: Why so much rigidity? Dig, dig, this rigidity always hides something, insecurity or even something else. Rigidity is defensive. True love is not rigid."  Message: I hereby display my arrogance towards the young people (though they need not be young) who I now go on to denigrate.

According to the news report, Pope Francis commented with words to the effect that 'when it comes to putting up with annoying people, one must remember how many times others have endured their own annoying habits'.

Now there's something we can all agree with!

The saddest thing of all, of course, is that when it comes to 'rigidity', there's none so rigid as a man who finds himself ushered into a corner, who is so frozen in the situation he has created for himself that he cannot answer his mail, for fear that he should either undo his entire nearly four year work of creating unnecessary confusion and ambiguity over a matter of morality, or begin a process whereby Successors of the Apostles are forced to eventually declare him an obstinate material heretic.

The man who cannot even answer his mail, he is the strict man, he is the defensive man, he is the insecure man, he is the man who could be hiding 'something else'. True love, in your words, in your opinion, Your Holiness, is not rigid, so then, take a leaf out of your own book and follow your own advice. Show true love, be a spiritual Father to your Cardinals who have shown such concern for the flock of Christ and for your spiritual welfare as well.

So show true love and answer them. For they represent not merely themselves, but Christ, Whose divine law they uphold and proclaim. They also represent the body of the Faithful, clergy, religious and lay people, a staggering number who indeed petitioned you, more than once to issue a word of clarity on precisely the matters contained within the letter of the four Cardinals. Otherwise, the Cardinals - and there are more I am sure than four, will have to follow your own advice:

'Dig, dig, this rigidity always hides something'.

Your Holiness, do not hide, lest your people think you have something to hide.

Do the right thing.

Be honest.

Stop hiding.

Declare yourself a Catholic, one who professes the perennial teaching of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, or confirm what many suspect you are, going by your own behaviour:

An apostate: a sworn enemy of Jesus Christ and His Church.

For in this matter, for a man in your position, there simply are no shades of grey.

And if you need help answering any of the questions, there's a man who lives down the road who can help you.