JoAnna Wahlund:
…or so you’d think if you got all your information about Catholicism from blog comboxes.
Not surprisingly, Pope Francis has been in the news lately. The media jumped on his offhand comments about homosexuals, breathlessly reported on a letter he wrote to an atheist, and made much hay over an interview given by the Vatican’s new Secretary of State (the media was apparently under the impression that Pope Francis is a very clever ventriloquist, and he was the one talking while the new Secretary’s mouth was moving – at least, that’s what they reported).
A common refrain I’m observing in the comboxes of various Catholic bloggers lately, when said blogger discusses one of these media reports, goes something like this:
“The Pope needs to stop making remarks like this! They’re too easily misunderstood! No one should have to write an article after the fact explaining what the Pope actually said/meant. The Pope needs to deliberate for hours on end before so much as opening his mouth! Every word must be crafted with the utmost perfection so that the media doesn’t get the wrong idea!” etc., etc.
And, my favorite:
“This kind of thing never happened when Benedict XVI/John Paul II was Pope!”
To these people, I respond:
Really? That’s some pretty amazing selective memory you have going on there. Granted, I’ve only been Catholic for the last ten years, but I remember:
The Condom Kerfuffle, in which the MSM proclaimed that Pope Benedict said condoms were perfectly okay for everyone to use (when he actually said that in certain situations, the use of a condom could indicate that someone was trying to act in a moral fashion by not spreading disease, and that trying to act morally could be a good first step on the road to repentance).
Pope Benedict’s speech at the University of Regensburg, in which (according to the media) the Pope said that Mohammed was evil incarnate and all Muslims were going to hell. (The Pope later explained that his words had been misunderstood by Muslims.)
The publication of Benedict’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate, in which the MSM announced that the Pope attacked capitalism as always evil in any circumstance and wholeheartedly supported the Occupy Wall Street movement.
The motu proprio Summorum Pontificum was, according to the media, Pope Benedict’s last ditch attempt to revive a dying church by resurrecting a dead language.
John Paul II’s release of Dominus Iesus in 2000 spawned dozens of newspaper headlines (one of which I remember seeing in my college newspaper) proclaiming that “the Pope says non-Catholics aren’t really Christians!”
In Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, John Paul II stated unequivocally, “Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren […] I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful” (emphasis mine). Seems pretty straightforward, but the MSM headlines in response? “Pope’s words about women’s ordination spark debate” or similar.
I’m sure I could list hundreds of examples dating back decades, if not centuries, about how the media flagrantly and deliberately misrepresents a pope’s statements, leading to a need for the Vatican et al to issue a clarification. This is not a new phenomenon. The media does not exist to tell the truth – it exists to make people rich.
I was born and raised a Roman Catholic. My grandmother was a daughter of Isabella, and my grandfather a grand poo-bah in the Knights of Columbus. It is ingrained. I grew up believing a priest was the right hand of God and that nuns were the brides of Christ. However it has been proven they are just like you and I, human with weaknesses. My belief was crushed. However after getting over the emotions brought on by the many scandals, I decided that I do not need a third party to pray , to talk and to discuss things with God. I have a close connection with God and it is between him and I. I don’t need the mortal man or woman that is no better than I.
What would help to eliminate these scandals? Allow the priests and nuns to marry.
@enchanted:
Which makes your claim of being “born and raised Catholic” questionable.
Ummmmm. I never knew a priest that claimed to be better than anyone in his congregation. Again, your creds are questionable.
Perhaps we should insist that the Jesuits, and other orders trying to fill their ranks, not accept homosexuals. And perhaps you should read Paul.
Now, if you want to keep your relationship with God personal, without any input from a particular faith, that is your First Amendment right. I doubt that you will find any faith that is willing to accommodate your personal opinions.
I am not exactly sure how allowing someone to marry that has a preference for little boys is going to stop him from diddling little boys? But I am confused by a lot of things like that…
I read what the Pope actually said about abortion and homosexuals and birth control.
It seemed to me (never a Catholic) that he was hoping Catholics would be admonished to hate the SIN as opposed to the sinner.
There have been Catholics calling for the excommunication of individuals who believe against church doctrine.
Well, be consistent and excommunicate ALL or NONE of them!
Just wanting Pelosi turned out and other high profile Catholics seems petty.
Sure, she is for abortion in words.
But others are actually HAVING abortions!
If the Confessional absolves the person committing the act, why not also the person merely advocating the act?
I thought he made some sense.
The office of “Pope” is a joke as long as abortion promoting “Catholics” are not excommunicated. Just my observation as one who does not ascribe to any form of middle eastern mythology.
I was born and raised Catholic, from a long like of Marian Catholics, educated by Benedictine Nuns in the Catholic schools of New Orleans (pre-Vatican II) – this Pope is old school – and he is teaching 21st century Catholics what it truly means to be Catholic as opposed to teabagger gold-Crucifix worshippers…the simple fact is that the teabagger wing of the Church would sacrifice Jesus Christ if He came back to earth to save us, once again…and the acceptance of any of you as to my Catholic roots has promptly been filed in the circular file…I have yet to meet a teabagger Catholic who prays the Rosary daily (and grew up doing the same), who goes to confession weekly, or who actually contributes funds to their local parish for the poor…all mouth, and absolutely zero substance…I worry that some nut-job teabagger so-called Catholic gun nut will try to shoot this Pope – I pray for him and his safety daily, just as I pray that some nut-job teabagger gun-nut racist does not try to kill our president…bigots sit front and center in the pews on Sunday and then put on their white robes when the sun goes down – spare me – I saw you people in my youth here in Mississippi – dumb as dirt – these people are all simply dumb as dirt!
@KAREN, first allow me to say that I just don’t know what color of crazy to paint you! You very remarks prove that you are neither Catholic or Christian. Calling folks sexual deviants and sadistic murders, that you don’t know, is not the first step to reaching those gates – just not getting that good christian tingle. I do see some similarities in the folks that espouse the wonders of Marxism or Socialism while wearing Prada or diving a Bentley. But honestly, after the teabagger references, we could tell everything after that would be a load of BS. You, are one messed up, evil person. Now, please turn that cheek and go away, you have obviously crossed into another state of reality, making charges as you did, and need to seek professional help.
I think that it is people like you that are more dangerous to Jesus than any other. It is quite obvious that your hate is so all consuming that you are unable to form a rational thought and put that forward, if Jesus dies a 2nd time, it is at your hand.
Circular file, Rob; circular file…
@KAREN:
Not being a Catholic, or for that matter religious at all, I can only comment on the fact that the Church chose an amazing person for their leader. His life exemplifies one that I would personally aspire to. That is unlike yourself Karen. Your hate-filled diatribe reeks of the ego centrism so common in the silly socialist culture.
The hackneyed stereotypes you are so fond of using are typical of the unthinking left of today. I hope you have a good life, but I fear that will be unlikely if you remain immersed in the self righteous culture of nonsense you have so proudly put on display here.
@Rob in Katy:
@DaNang67:
It is quite clear that the only god Karen worships is Hate. What a lunatic.
@KAREN:
So you fear some homosexual will try to shoot this Pope because “teabaging” is a sexual practice of homosexuals, Karen.
Hardly a Christian attitude on your part.
It always seems that the liberals most wicked and hateful thoughts are always directed outward toward those that actually have morals. I cannot tell you how many times in my 55 years, the person that is most vocal about worrying about another’s action is usually the one that needs watching: the HOA board member that doesn’t trust the Treasurer and guilts the HOA into electing them – a year later that person is gone with the HOA funds. You have a President that harps on others about being war mongers and then goes and invades several countries. The President that harps on others about not being Transparent, but we can’t find out one thing about his past OR Benghazi – funny how that works out…
The actual words of Pope Francis are now available to read for yourself.
Before getting all hot and bothered, see what the guy actually said.
The lame-stream Media are interested in only one thing: controversy.
The real controversy has not been commented upon: the replacement of rule by Curia and Canon Law with a return to the pastoral and caring role of the Church.
Francis truly intends to get back to basics. For him, basics are not theological distinctions concerning the modern version of angels dancing on the head of a pin. Pastoral care is unknown to the LSM, thus they are unable to comment on it.
Ubi carits et amor, Deus ibi est.
Or, as the Apostle Paul put it:
1 Corinthians 2:13-15 Easy-to-Read Version.
I’m glad I read this post and comments. Until I did I had the new pope pictured as a homosexual abortioner socialist. Now it seems as if he might actually be a true leader of Catholics. Isn’t it strange how the LSM can distort the impressions of persons that they don’t like?
@enchanted: I agree! After all, people who are married (teachers, coaches, married Protestant clergy, etc.) NEVER abuse children.
Oh wait…
Pope Frances is not a politician. He believes God loves sinners as well as those who try not to sin. The Pope is the latest in the succession of the leader of Christ’s Church. Christ appointed Peter head of the Church prior to his Ascension. Christ’s Church has been continued through Apostolic Succession from Peter to ultimately Pope Frances. Pope Frances gets his authority directly from Christ through this process of succession. Pope Frances is a simple man who uses simple language so he can communicate with the masses of uneducated people. What is happening is that those Catholics who want the church to change (John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi and any Catholic who wants the church to be more liberal) interpret what he says to mean what they want. Pope Frances is going to continue to stress the fundamentals of the church but he will continue to reach out to those who want the change. He believes Christ will leave no one behind, so why should he. Church doctrine teaches that God will judge. So, we mortals likely need to consider the consequences of our individual life choices instead of worrying about the choices of others.