Posted on 09/28/2014 9:45:22 AM PDT by marshmallow
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With so much spiritual, social and moral suffering in the world, the church has "no right" to stay locked up in an ivory tower, engaging in "byzantine" philosophical reflection, Pope Francis told members of the Focolare movement.
"We have to go out! So that -- I've said this before -- the church seems like a field hospital," where the first order of the day "is heal the wounds, not measure people's cholesterol. That comes later. Got it?" he said to applause.
The pope met at the Vatican with 500 people from 136 countries; they were attending the Focolare general assembly in Rome Sept. 1-28.
During the assembly, members re-elected Italian Maria Voce for a second six-year-term as president, and elected Spaniard Jesus Moran Cepedano as the new co-president.
In his audience with members of the movement Sept. 26, Pope Francis said the new evangelization must go out to everyone, "starting with the poorest and excluded," so they, too, may experience "hope, brotherhood and joy in humanity's journey toward unity."
Focolare members, like all Catholics, can contribute to "this new season of evangelization" by being creative in the ways it brings God's word to the world.
This work demands "contemplation, going out, and formation," he said
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnews.com ...
Any ideas about what this phrase means? Is he referring to the study of theology? Philosophy? Doctrine?
Is he saying that theology and philosophy are getting in the way of the Church's mission? Close down the theology departments and convert the faculty into missionaries? Too many academics, not enough pastors? Burn the works of Aquinas?
Mumbo jumbo gobbly gook that doesn’t mean anything.
Here I thought we were supposed to preach the Gospel..........
Sadly, Pope Francis is very anti-intellectual. But what people are actually looking for is not just emotion, but a rational foundation for their lives.
Nobody has been talking about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin for about 7 centuries now, so he’s fighting a straw man. But on the other hand, everybody wants to know the question they asked of Jesus, “how should I live?” Theology clarifies the purpose of your life and helps establish the conditions that would be most helpful in getting towards that goal.
I fear the Pope is in the “it’s nice to be nice” category. In Spanish, the phrase “pensamiento debil” (literally, weak thought) sums up Vatican II theology, and it’s unfortunate that this Pope, at a time when we have probably never had more need of a clear and profound theological/philosophical approach to the questions of human existence, just blows the whole thing off.
Actually, that's a Byzantine inspired comment:
"The Church is a hospital, and not a courtroom, for souls. She does not condemn on behalf of sins, but grants remission of sins." + John Chrysostomos
Obama would be proud.
The Roman Catholic Pope encouraging me to drop some of my spiritual baggage.
Thats rich!
“starting with the poorest and excluded,” “
Who, exactly, is “excluded”? Sounds like a screaming bleeding heart liberal.
So are you saying that you do not believe in evangelization? It’s the command given at the end of the Mass.
“Ete misa est.”
“Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.”
“Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”
“Go forth, the Mass is ended.”
To which the congregation replies, “Thanks be to God.”
THE FIRST WORD OF JESUS in the Gospel was “come”; the last word of Jesus was “go.” ~Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
EVANGELIZATION
Zealous proclamation of the Gospel in order to bring others to Christ and his Church. In the words of Pope Paul VI, "Evangelizing means to bring the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new, 'Now I am making the whole of creation new' (Revelation 21:5). But there is no new humanity if there are not first of all new persons renewed by baptism, and by lives lived according to the Gospel" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 18). Evangelization, therefore, includes three distinctive elements: 1. interior conversion to Christ and his Church; 2. affecting not only the individual person but the whole culture; and 3. as a result, changing this culture and its institutions to make them Christian and Catholic. (Etym. Latin evangelium; from Greek euangelion, good news, reward for bringing good news, from euangelos, bringing good news: eu-, good, + angelos, messenger.)
All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.
I have never heard this Pope discuss, sin or salvation. Apparently we aren’t supposed to be concerned with such old fashioned concepts, now the enemy is poverty, unemployment, war and hunger.
And exactly how did you come to that conclusion from my post?
Actually I believe in that “solemn nonsense” Francis calls proselytism.
Just more of the false unity Pius XI warned us about in Mortalium Animos.
That is exactly what the pope is saying...leave the dogmatic liturgical mumbo jumbo at home and tell folks of the gospel of grace.
The undeserved, unmerited, free gift of forgiveness and restoration that comes through the sacrifice made on the cross......IT IS FINISHED! Jesus paid the price for the sin of the world. God's wrath and fury was poured out upon HIS son. It is finished, we do not have to face God's wrath.
From the Eastern Christian tradition.
That is why in Catholic Churches, the cross has the body of Jesus on it as a REMINDER of that finished work.
AMEN!
The catholic church needs to do a lil better job TEACHING this truth.
It's too bad that Pope Francis doesn't believe in, nor preach, that command, which to him is "solemn nonsense". He didn't preach it to the Jews in Buenos Aries, nor did he preach it the muslims at Lampedusa, nor the visiting evangelicals in Rome.
Yes, I think that's exactly what he is saying.
Ha! See? We do think alike. :-)
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