Oh Brother!
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How do you solve a problem like Pope Francis?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Pope Francis?
A flibbertijibbet? A will-o'-the wisp? A clown?
Many a thing you know you'd like to tell him;
Many a thing he ought to understand.
But how do you make him stay
And listen to all you say?
How do you keep a wave upon the sand?
Points of clarification: the above image is meant to highlight the confusion developing in the wake of the Holy Father's recent comments; and apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein.
This not a hit piece on the Holy Father. No disrespect is intended toward his person. There is no call for his removal. Rather, this post is a lighthearted commentary on the fact that, at times, this most recent time being among them, his mouth too often runneth over. More precisely, the Holy Father should know well by now that his words are prone to extraction, conversion (for ill or for good) and amplification, and he should be well enough aware that he should exercise a prudent silence at times when there is little or no guarantee that his comments will be rendered fairly and accurately without being lacquered with an editorial bias by journalists, for lack of a better word, who are no friends of the Church.
The pope is called by God to strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32). He is a brother to all bishops. He is spiritual father to us all. We all stand to benefit from fraternal correction now and then. Saint Peter was corrected, rightly so, by Saint Paul, not on a matter of doctrine, but on a matter of practice (Galatians 2:11-14).
I will not pretend that I am in any way superior in virtue to the Holy Father. Most days pass having me wishing I had said or done something different and better. That is not scrupulosity expressing itself. To be Catholic is to have an honest sense of one's capacity to commit sins great and small, mortal and venial. A daily examination of conscience is as essential to Christian living as brushing one's teeth is to oral hygiene and overall health. To be Catholic is to trust in the mercy of God and to rely on God for the grace to overcome sinful habits so as to live in the freedom Jesus purchased for us through His death on the Cross.
Galatians 3:13-15
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree”— that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
There are plenty of qualified orthodox pundits weighing in on Pope Francis' sideways comments. The gist of things is that a pope's personal opinions, no matter how elevated or mundane, are subject to critical assessment and are in no way binding on the rest of us, especially when said comments risk contradicting the constant teaching of the Church.
Jorge Bergoglio has been cast in an epic play, not some cheap documentary inflicting misery upon the flock of Christ. His is the part of Peter; the script has been written by the Holy Ghost.
Once again, we take a step back - though we should be stepping forward to promote the mission of the Church - to make a collective face-palm, sigh, to catch our breath, and call on the Holy Ghost to send us good and holy teachers who, like Martha and Mary, clean things up and help us choose the better part. Pray for Pope Francis and all bishops, priests and deacons.
One of the hallmarks of a disciple of Christ is constant vigilance, someone confident in the truth and eager to extend charity even to those who persist in making themselves our enemies. So then, let us fast, pray, and weep tears of repentance. Pray the rosary and ask God to visit His Church with a purifying fire.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
UPDATE: Catholics Pray for Clarity in St. Peter’s Square After Pope Francis’ Civil Unions Remarks
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