“Who am I to judge them if they’re seeking the Lord in good faith?”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Perhaps his comment ought to have been, “Who am I to judge them if they’ve publicly repented and are by all appearances seeking to amend their ways and to recompense those whom they have harmed?”
Have in fact these public figures whose actions were “a stumbling block to these little ones” and who “would be better off if a millstone were tied around their neck and they were cast into the sea than that they should cause one of these little ones to stumble”, have these public figures publicly repented of their crimes as they ought to have? And, have they by all appearances done everything they can to recompense those whom they have harmed?
After all, Paul stated that “Let not many of you be teachers, for you shall incur a greater judgment.”
“...if they’re seeking the Lord in good faith?” can be easily interpreted as “just kind of trying a little harder”, which doesn’t compare with Jesus’ manly command “be ye holy...”
Vague speech just doesn’t do for a Pontiff. Clear speech helps insure that one is not placing a stumblig block in front of the little ones.
I recall a “Catholic” (pro-abortion, of course) state legislator who said he was voting for gay marriage BECAUSE Pope Francis had said “Who am I to judge.”
After the “can’t be obsessed about abortion” remark, a therapist wrote about a patient who dropped him—He was too “conservative.”—saying, “I’m a Nancy Pelosi, Pope Francis kind of Catholic.”
His behavior during the synod was in no way reassuring. Every time he put his finger on the scale—which was daily—it was on the Kasper side.