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Pope Francis: Beware of idolatry and hypocrisy
Radio Vaticana ^ | 10-16-2013

Posted on 10/15/2013 6:52:31 AM PDT by markomalley

Idolatry and hypocrisy do not spare even the Christian life. Pope Francis put us on guard against both these vices in his homily at this morning’s Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. In order not to give in to the dangers of these sins, he said, it is necessary to put into practice the commandments of love of God and love of neighbour.

Once again, the liturgy of the Mass elicits from Pope Francis a reflection on the traps that punctuate the life of faith: To become an apostle of one’s own ideas, or a devotee of one’s own well-being, rather than that of God; speaking ill about someone because he does not conform to certain formalities, forgetting that the “new” commandment of Christianity is love of neighbour without ifs and buts. From the words of St. Paul, the Pope goes on to condemn the sin of idolatry, that of people who – as the Apostle says – “for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give Him thanks” preferring to worship “the creature rather than the creator.” It is an idolatry, the Pope said, that “stifles the truth of the Faith” in which “is revealed the righteousness of God”:

“But since we all have need to worship – because we have the imprint of God within us – when we do not worship God, we worship creatures. And this is the passage from faith to idolatry. These people, idolaters, have no excuse: because having known God, they have neither glorified nor worshipped Him as God. And what is the way of idolatry? He says clearly: ‘they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.’ The selfishness of their own thoughts, the omnipotent thought, that which I think is true: I think the truth, I make the truth with my thought.”

The critics of Saint Paul, two thousand years ago, went to the idolaters who prostrated themselves before reptiles, birds, and four-legged creatures. And here, Pope Francis immediately responds to the objection that this problem doesn’t arise, because no one goes around worshipping statues. It’s not so, the Pope replied: idolatry has found new forms and fashions:

“Even today, there are so many idols, and even today there are so many idolaters, so many who think they are wise. But even among us, among Christians, eh? I’m not speaking about them, I respect them, those who aren’t Christians. But among us – we’re speaking within the family – they think they’re wise, they know everything... They’ve become foolish and exchange the glory of the incorruptible God with an image: myself, my ideas, my comforts . . . Today, all of us – I go ahead, eh! It’s not only something historic – even today, along the way there are idols, even a step forward . . . We all have within ourselves some hidden idol. We can ask ourselves, in the sight of God: what is my hidden idol? What takes the place of God?”

If Saint Paul calls the idolaters foolish, in the day’s Gospel Jesus says the same thing about the hypocrites, in the person of the Pharisees who are scandalized because the Master hadn’t washed as was the norm before sitting down at table. “You Pharisees!” Jesus replied. “Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.” And He adds, “But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

“Jesus counsels: don’t look at appearances, go by the truth. The plate is the plate, but what is important is what’s on the plate: the meal. But if you are vain, if you are a careerist, if you are ambitious, if you are a person that always puts himself forward or likes to advance yourself, because you think you are perfect, give a little bit of alms and that will heal your hypocrisy. This is the way of the Lord: it is to worship God, to love God above all things and to love your neighbour. It’s so simple, but so difficult! This can only be done with grace. Let us ask for this grace”.


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1 posted on 10/15/2013 6:52:31 AM PDT by markomalley
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To: markomalley

More blathering by the new pope who busily promotes the new religion promulgated by Vatican II.


2 posted on 10/15/2013 6:54:51 AM PDT by IbJensen (Liberals are like Slinkies, good for nothing, but you smile as you push them down the stairs.)
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To: IbJensen

Pope Francis might be righting the wrong that Paul created nearly 2000 years ago. Back to Christ and away from the Pauline religion.


3 posted on 10/15/2013 7:47:42 AM PDT by ARA
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To: ARA

I don’t think that Paul had any intention of joining the leftists that pedestalize homosexuals and their behavior in flagrant disregard of scripture, The Ten Commandments and the tenets that served the Roman Catholic Church well for many centuries.


4 posted on 10/15/2013 7:50:17 AM PDT by IbJensen (Liberals are like Slinkies, good for nothing, but you smile as you push them down the stairs.)
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To: IbJensen

More blathering by the new pope who busily promotes the new religion promulgated by Vatican II.

2 posted on 10/15/2013 9:54:51 AM by IbJensen

Jesus!, My Jesus! IS that YOU?!


5 posted on 10/15/2013 8:12:36 AM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: markomalley

Idolatry is always the problem. We think the real God isn’t good enough for us.


6 posted on 10/15/2013 8:15:42 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("The heart of the matter is God's love. It always has been. It always will be."~Abp. Chaput)
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To: ARA
Pope Francis might be righting the wrong that Paul created nearly 2000 years ago. Back to Christ and away from the Pauline religion.

I think you are exactly right.
7 posted on 10/15/2013 8:16:22 AM PDT by ZX12R (Never forget the heroes of Benghazi, who were abandoned to their deaths by Obama)
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BEWARE of Pope Francis


8 posted on 10/15/2013 8:23:11 AM PDT by Sophia777
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To: ARA

Paul taught the same faith as Jesus. Even Protestants get this: http://carm.org/questions/other-questions/did-jesus-and-paul-teach-same-thing


9 posted on 10/15/2013 9:08:37 AM PDT by vladimir998
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To: vladimir998

No. Paul taught Paul’s version of Christianity. Why were the Jerusalem church and Rome at great odds? Because of Paul’s teachings.


10 posted on 10/15/2013 11:11:43 AM PDT by ARA
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To: If You Want It Fixed - Fix It

Oh, no. You again?

Furnishing computers to inmates in asylums should be banned.


11 posted on 10/15/2013 1:07:43 PM PDT by IbJensen (Liberals are like Slinkies, good for nothing, but you smile as you push them down the stairs.)
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To: markomalley
"Pope Francis: Beware of idolatry and hypocrisy"

The Irony of a Maryidolater
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3078718/posts?page=1

12 posted on 10/15/2013 4:43:15 PM PDT by haffast (Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all. -Abe Lincoln)
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“Even today, there are so many idols, and even today there are so many idolaters, so many who think they are wise. But even among us, among Christians, eh? I’m not speaking about them, I respect them, those who aren’t Christians.”

So Pope Francis respects non-Christian idolaters? It’s just Christians whom he chastises for idol worshipping. How uncharitable he is to non-Christians; no wonder he calls proselytism nonsense.


13 posted on 10/15/2013 6:26:03 PM PDT by ebb tide
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To: haffast

In front of Fatima statue, Pope Francis entrusts the world to Mary

By Francis X Rocca on Monday, 14 October 2013

“Many in the crowd held small replicas of the crowned statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which had arrived in Rome the previous afternoon on a flight from Lisbon.

An Italian air force helicopter transported the statue, inside an ivory-coloured triangular container resembling a musical instrument case, to Vatican City. The statue was then brought to the residence of retired Pope Benedict XVI at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, where he briefly venerated the statue in the monastery’s small chapel. Afterwards, Pope Francis welcomed the statue at the Vatican guesthouse where he lives.”
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/10/14/in-front-of-fatima-statue-pope-francis-entrusts-the-world-to-mary/


14 posted on 10/15/2013 7:09:57 PM PDT by haffast (Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all. -Abe Lincoln)
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To: ARA
No. Paul taught Paul’s version of Christianity. Why were the Jerusalem church and Rome at great odds? Because of Paul’s teachings.

And thank God for that...You think Jesus and Rome were not at odds???

But I do agree that Paul's teaching is definitely at odds with your religion...

15 posted on 10/15/2013 7:57:45 PM PDT by Iscool
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To: ARA
Pope Francis might be righting the wrong that Paul created nearly 2000 years ago. Back to Christ and away from the Pauline religion.

Do you believe the Holy Spirit (who inspired the gospel writers) was at odds with the Holy Spirit (who inspired the Apostle Paul to write his epistles)?

16 posted on 10/15/2013 8:09:13 PM PDT by Alex Murphy (Just a common, ordinary, simple savior of America's destiny.)
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To: markomalley
What a post by the pope...

Pope Francis: Beware of idolatry and hypocrisy (as he bows down and prays to Mary)

Now that's rich...

“for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give Him thanks” preferring to worship “the creature rather than the creator.”

Worship the creature Mary...Talk about self condemnation...

“But since we all have need to worship – because we have the imprint of God within us – when we do not worship God, we worship creatures.
The critics of Saint Paul, two thousand years ago, went to the idolaters who prostrated themselves before reptiles, birds, and four-legged creatures.
And goddesses such as Diana...

If Saint Paul calls the idolaters foolish, in the day’s Gospel Jesus says the same thing about the hypocrites, in the person of the Pharisees who are scandalized because the Master hadn’t washed as was the norm before sitting down at table.

“You Pharisees!” Jesus replied. “Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.” And He adds, “But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

“Jesus counsels: don’t look at appearances, go by the truth. The plate is the plate, but what is important is what’s on the plate: the meal. But if you are vain, if you are a careerist, if you are ambitious, if you are a person that always puts himself forward or likes to advance yourself, because you think you are perfect, give a little bit of alms and that will heal your hypocrisy.

What a complete perversion of the Scriptures by the top dog of the Catholic Church...

Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Mar 7:10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
Mar 7:11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
Mar 7:12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
Mar 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

A Corbin: A small gift to the church which replaces the obligation of the person to take care of and support his parents...

Luk 11:39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
Luk 11:40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
Luk 11:41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. Luk 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

You pope claims that Jesus says giving alms (money to your Church) will relieve you of your sins...Totally outrageous...Jesus in the relevant scriptures is condemning giving alms (penance) to relieve you of your sin...Amazing...

17 posted on 10/15/2013 8:47:44 PM PDT by Iscool
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To: Iscool

18 posted on 10/15/2013 8:49:18 PM PDT by narses (... unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.)
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To: Iscool

This from a church that uses beads and statues in place of God.


19 posted on 10/15/2013 8:50:12 PM PDT by GeronL
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To: narses

I think you ought to send that graphic to your pope, and yourself...


20 posted on 10/15/2013 8:52:39 PM PDT by Iscool
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