“The interview was given to the Jesuits, a Catholic religious community. I’m sure you are not suggesting the Jesuits are not catholics.”
Was the interview a private one with Jesuits, or translated and meant for public publication? Who was the REAL audience? And how did the REAL audience react?
It is silly to suggest the Pope gave this interview, for public publication around the world, for Jesuits only. The intended audience was the world, and the world reacted predictably. If the Pope didn’t predict the reaction, he is stupid. If he did, then he is damaging the cause of Christianity, and cutting off Christians around the world who are under attack for believing and preaching traditional Christian morality - and the need for repentance.
I’m a baptist, but that means my values are under attack. Real attack. It is increasingly likely that I could lose a job, lose a business or face some other punishment for refusing to say homosexuality is OK. But too many supposedly Christian churches have watered down what it means to convert, and made it a question of feeling good about yourself instead of first rejecting what you are and are going to be unless God invades your life. We see large churches fill the pews with calls to become friends with God, without first recognizing that we are born enemies of God and God-haters.
Frankly, I don’t need what has long been a pretty reliable ally going wobbly, and suggesting evil is...well, not so bad.
The Gospel includes:
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
That isn’t quite the ‘we need to see God in the face next to us’ preaching that marks the ‘seeker churches’ and now the Catholic church. If Christians don’t take sin seriously, why should the world?
If Jesus discussed Hell, shouldn’t we?
Mr Rogers, as a Catholic, I agree with you. His remarks smack of the nitwit. As remarked in this section also, his real-life experience is in a Perot-dominated Argentina. He did not have to cut his teeth on a Nazi and then Communist dominated society like Pope John Paul II, nor did he have to bear up under the Nazis as did Benedict XVI.
He comes across as nothing more than a pussified Jesuit. As an aside, we had a pro-life conference a couple of years ago here in San Diego, and Father Mitch Pacwa, a Jesuit and an excellent priest, was a speaker. The master of ceremonies introduced him as “Father Mitch Pacwa, a Jesuit AND a practicing Catholic.” The joke was lost on no one, including the good Father.
When announcing his world day of prayer, I thought, “OK, this is very good.” Then I read his remarks preceding this day of prayer. Something to the effect of ‘I want peace, I want it with all my heart!’ And so on ... peace is good, war is bad. Thanks for the insight there, Francis.
Meanwhile, one pronouncement after another of his has to be ‘explained’ after the fact. 1 Corinthians 14:8 “Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?”
From the Eddie Griffin Bible study:
So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.
I don’t know if you heard about this, but within a few hours of Pope Benedict’s resignation, lightning struck the Vatican twice, and when he went to Castel Gandalfo it was struck by an earthquake.
Video here at about the 8:20 mark:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmW3WLfbYNM
So maybe, probably, Pope Benedict XVI made a HUGE mistake and now we are saddled with a much-lesser light guiding the Church.
Catholics at all times are to pray for the Pope, as Christians are supposed to pray for their leaders. It’s just that at certain times it is easier than others.