Posted on 03/29/2013 11:34:24 AM PDT by NYer
2013-03-28 L’Osservatore Romano
Speaking poorly of someone else is equivalent to selling them. Like Judas, who sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. And it was precisely by drawing inspiration from the Gospel passage from Matthew which foretells the betrayal of Judas Iscariot that Pope Francis – in his brief Homily at the Mass he celebrated on Wednesday morning, 27 March, in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae – put people on guard against gossip with an explicit invitation: “Never speak poorly of other people”.
Present at the celebration, as has now become a tradition, were several Vatican employees including a group from the Office of Papal Charities and a group from the Vatican Telephone Service, accompanied respectively by Archbishop Guido Pozzo, Almoner of His Holiness, and Fr Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, Director of Telecommunications, both of whom concelebrated.
The Pope wanted to leave them a thought on the action of Judas, one of Jesus' friends, who did not hesitate to sell him to the chief priests. “Jesus was like a commodity; he was sold. He was sold at that moment”, the Pope emphasized, “and also very frequently sold in the market of history, in the market of life, in the market of our lives. When we opt for thirty pieces of silver, we set Jesus aside”.
When we visit an acquaintance and the conversation turns into gossip, into back-stabbing and the person at the centre of our babbling “becomes a commodity. I do not know why”, the Pope said further, “but there is some arcane pleasure in scandalmongering”. We begin with kind words, “but then comes the gossip. And we begin to tear the other person to pieces”. And it is then that we must remember that every time we behave like this, “we are doing what Judas did”; when he went to the chief priests to sell Jesus, his heart was closed, he had no understanding, no love and no friendship. Thus Pope Francis took up one of his favourite themes, forgiveness. “We think of and ask for forgiveness”, because what we do to the other, to our friend, “we do to Jesus. Because Jesus is in this friend”. And if we realize that our gossiping can hurt someone, “let us pray the Lord, let us speak to the Lord about this, for the good of the other: Lord, help him”. So it must not be me, he therefore concluded, “who does justice with my own tongue. Let us ask the Lord for this grace”.
At the end of the celebration, the Holy Father remained in prayer at the back of the chapel. He then waited at the door for everyone who had come, to greet them one by one: for everyone a word, a smile, an encouragement and good wishes for Easter, now at hand.
Ping!
How do I describe Democrats?
Never is a mighty big word.
The Pope is stoopid.
Then how will he discuss islamism?
Is he the Pope of the “Church of Political Correctness” now?
Too late.
Love your tag line; fully agree.
“How do I describe Democrats?”
As fellow Americans, of the opposition party.
the way Reagan, Lincoln or Ike would have
The Pope has never met John “old moss back” McCain.
If he ever does he might make an exception.
“How do I describe Democrats?”
They’re ‘some kind of people’..
0bama and the Democrats are really something special.
No, he isn’t.
“Don unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
No, he isn’t.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
He’s talking about gossip. If people would actually read the article...
Does that means gays too.
Pope Francis and Cardinal Dolan are dedicated religious men.The “can’t we all just get along” attitude is a little tiring. Many would appreciate them taking on the devil in the fight against abortion homosexual marriage and hypocritical politicians. What Cuomo, Obama, Pelosi, Biden etc. are doing to Christian religions needs to be addressed.
Reacting within days to the statements, speaking through a spokesman to Newsweek Argentina, then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio declared his "unhappiness" with the statements, made at the University of Regensburg in Germany, and encouraged many of his subordinates with the Church to do the same. ..............
"Pope Benedict's statement don't reflect my own opinions", the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires declared. "These statements will serve to destroy in 20 seconds the careful construction of a relationship with Islam that Pope John Paul II built over the last twenty years".
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