Christmas is a charade:Pope says atrocities such as Paris massacre have made festivities...

Daily Mail (UK) ^ | November 20, 2015 | Nick Enoch

[QT3.14]

Full title: 'Christmas is a charade': Pope says atrocities such as Paris massacre have made festivities meaningless in a world which has chosen 'war and hate'... The Pope has called Christmas a 'charade' during a sermon in which he reflected on recent atrocities around the world. Among the acts of inhumanity he denounced were the Paris attacks, which left 129 dead, and the bombing of a Russian airliner over Egypt, which killed all 224 people on board. Christmas festivities will seem empty in a world which has chosen 'war and hate', Pope Francis said yesterday at the Vatican.

[namvolunteer]

I’m still laughing 10 minutes later. “That’s the spirit, Frank.”

[Rockingham]

Contrast the words of Pope Francis with those of Pope Pius XII during an especially grim and desperate year of war:

Pope Pius XII -- Christmas Message of 1942.

My Dear Children of the Whole World:

"As the Holy Christmas Season comes round each year, the message of Jesus, Who is light in the midst of darkness, echoes once more from the Crib of Bethlehem in the ears of Christians and re-echoes in their hearts with an ever new freshness of joy and piety. It is a message which lights up with heavenly truth a world that is plunged in darkness by fatal errors. It infuses exuberant and trustful joy into mankind, torn by the anxiety of deep, bitter sorrow. It proclaims liberty to the sons of Adam, shackled with the chains of sin and guilt. It promises mercy, love, peace to the countless hosts of those in suffering and tribulation who see their happiness Shattered and their efforts broken in the tempestuous strife and hate of our stormy days. . . ."

I am hard put to imagine any good reason why Pope Francis could not rouse himself from his dark mood to affirm the essential Christian teaching that even in worst of times in our broken and sin-fouled world, Christ is our light and that in celebrating His birth with joy, we defy evil and deride its cruel power and painful victories against us as temporary things. The joy of Christmas is a way of showing our faith that Christ and his followers will triumph over evil -- and the Pope -- every Pope -- should make that known at Christmas instead of calling it "a charade."

[SaraJohnson]

The date we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, is not a charade no matter what the Muslims are doing for Satan. Satan does not diminish out Jesus’ birth.

This pope is surely strange.

[fingers_crossed]

All the wars have been started and continued by the privileged elite that the pope likes to hob-nob with. It is average citizens and their children that are ordered to go here or there and kill the people the elites have decided must be killed and defeated.

It is the average citizen that is really left with the horrible consequences of wars. Many times these consequences will impact several generations in families.

So excuse us Mr.Pope if we still try to find a little sliver of time to find peace and joy with our families and friends. Even though most governments and corporations now seem to be determined to ensure the time for that peace and joy is as little as possible.

After the holidays you can go back to telling us how bad and thoughtless we are.

[livius]

He shouldn’t be allowed out in public without his mouth taped shut.

Personally, I think there may be something wring with him mentally, because at least half of what he says makes no sense. I also think that’s he’s not a very smart man and he fills in for his lack of understanding with emotionalism and sentimentality - which don’t make any sense at any time.

[Hieronymus]

I also think that’s he’s not a very smart man and he fills in for his lack of understanding with emotionalism and sentimentality - which don’t make any sense at any time.

---

There are different kinds of smart. I’m sure he has some of them, but he doesn’t have many of them,and one of the ones he seems to lack is a realization of his limitations. That isn’t so bad if one is in a position where one isn’t pushed beyond one’s strengths too much, but I think that going froms Buenos Aries to Rome is a big change.

[SkyPilot]

The Pope has called Christmas a 'charade'

Sure Jorge.

Are you going to explain this contradiction?

MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCIS TO MUSLIMS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD FOR THE END OF RAMADAN ('ID AL-FITR)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

To Muslims throughout the World

It gives me great pleasure to greet you as you celebrate ‘Id al-Fitr’, so concluding the month of Ramadan, dedicated mainly to fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

It is a tradition by now that, on this occasion, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sends you a message of good wishes, together with a proposed theme for common reflection. This year, the first of my Pontificate, I have decided to sign this traditional message myself and to send it to you, dear friends, as an expression of esteem and friendship for all Muslims, especially those who are religious leaders.

As you all know, when the Cardinals elected me as Bishop of Rome and Universal Pastor of the Catholic Church, I chose the name of “Francis”, a very famous saint who loved God and every human being deeply, to the point of being called “universal brother”. He loved, helped and served the needy, the sick and the poor; he also cared greatly for creation.

I am aware that family and social dimensions enjoy a particular prominence for Muslims during this period, and it is worth noting that there are certain parallels in each of these areas with Christian faith and practice.

This year, the theme on which I would like to reflect with you and with all who will read this message is one that concerns both Muslims and Christians: Promoting Mutual Respect through Education.

This year’s theme is intended to underline the importance of education in the way we understand each other, built upon the foundation of mutual respect. “Respect” means an attitude of kindness towards people for whom we have consideration and esteem. “Mutual” means that this is not a one-way process, but something shared by both sides.

What we are called to respect in each person is first of all his life, his physical integrity, his dignity and the rights deriving from that dignity, his reputation, his property, his ethnic and cultural identity, his ideas and his political choices. We are therefore called to think, speak and write respectfully of the other, not only in his presence, but always and everywhere, avoiding unfair criticism or defamation. Families, schools, religious teaching and all forms of media have a role to play in achieving this goal.

Turning to mutual respect in interreligious relations, especially between Christians and Muslims, we are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values. Particular respect is due to religious leaders and to places of worship. How painful are attacks on one or other of these!

It is clear that, when we show respect for the religion of our neighbours or when we offer them our good wishes on the occasion of a religious celebration, we simply seek to share their joy, without making reference to the content of their religious convictions.

Regarding the education of Muslim and Christian youth, we have to bring up our young people to think and speak respectfully of other religions and their followers, and to avoid ridiculing or denigrating their convictions and practices.

We all know that mutual respect is fundamental in any human relationship, especially among people who profess religious belief. In this way, sincere and lasting friendship can grow.

When I received the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See on 22 March 2013, I said: “It is not possible to establish true links with God, while ignoring other people. Hence it is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions, and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam. At the Mass marking the beginning of my ministry, I greatly appreciated the presence of so many civil and religious leaders from the Islamic world.” With these words, I wished to emphasize once more the great importance of dialogue and cooperation among believers, in particular Christians and Muslims, and the need for it to be enhanced.

With these sentiments, I reiterate my hope that all Christians and Muslims may be true promoters of mutual respect and friendship, in particular through education.

Finally, I send you my prayerful good wishes, that your lives may glorify the Almighty and give joy to those around you.

Happy Feast to you all!

From the Vatican, 10 July 2013 FRANCIS

[NativeSon]

He's a populist commie d-bag just like Mr. dopey jug ears.

Just spouting out crap to be hip & cool whilst never forgetting to kick what is righteous in head.

[livius]

He’s crafty, which is not the same thing as intelligent...and he’s also not very well educated theologically, or any other way, for that matter. Plus he has a really unattractive crude streak and he plays to the crowd. I guess that may be the effect of Argentinian political models.

Our first populist pope.

[mouse1]

Is the pope catholic??

[Twinkie]

Christ has NOT chosen “war and hate”. Muslim “followers”
can just go POUND SAND!! Blame the REAL perpetrators!

As for me, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

[VinL]

Oh my. Despair is not the province of a Pontiff. Respectfully, in the darkest of times, it is all the more reason to remind folks of the Glory of Christmas. Perhaps, at least, this “common man Pope” should take some leisure time and watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” and the “Miracle on 34th Street” and try to buck up, before casting the message of doom and gloom.

“With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

The World hasn't chosen hate. The followers of a seventh-century pedophile have chosen hate.

There's a difference.

[Hieronymus]

He is certainly crafty, which is a certain kind of intellegince. The things I find most troubling is I don’t see much in the prudence or wisdom department. Fortunately, it is up to the Holy Spirit to decide when enough is enough rather than me, so I don’t have to think about it too much.

[I want the USA back]

And pissonna you too, pope.

[HomerBohn]

I say without equivocation that it is Bergoglio who is the charade! A communist imitating a Christian Catholic.

[CodeToad]

So, muslims commit hate so this pope says we Christians should bag Christmas.

This pope is Satan. Everything he say sand does is about denouncing Christianity.