Posted on 09/01/2013 7:03:45 AM PDT by NotYourAverageDhimmi
Extremely unfortunate gesture. Couldn’t be worse guidance to the faithful.
He is part of a church after all.
What “stupid stuff” has he specifically said?
“...this pope (sic) is behaving in a blasphemous manner.”
_________________________
How? How do you define “blasphemy?”
I also agree with Mrs. Don-o’s fine analysis. Additionally, I happen to think that this Pope’s background has had a huge influence as well. He was raised in an area of Argentina in the days when people were far more formal (in many cases...they still are). It has been part of the culture there for a very long time. I am sure that his bow was showing deference for her position as well as demonstrating the respect that should be given to women.
I see a great deal of criticism of this Pope from people who don’t seem the least bit Christian in their opinions...whether they call themselves liberal or conservative...or even (sadly) Catholic.
Thanks for posting this, by the way.
In this case, also, you've got a couple hundred thousand, maybe as many as a million uprooted, violently exiled Middle Eastern Christians looking desperately for an ally and a safe haven, and the Pope using diplomacy to scramble for their sheer survival.
All this the EneMedia ignores as it points and tweets, "Pope bows to Arab Queen!" "Oh, that protocol-tweaking Frankie!" "Bet he kisses the next one --- if she's as hot as this one."
People react as if the publicity around the pope is generated, framed and labeled by him personally --- him and his corps of press-handlers --- when actually, all the initiative, and all the molding and pinching, comes from AP, Reuters, and in this case the Daily Mail, a British tabloid, fer Pete's sake.
As an example, I'm sure they cover Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, as a darling and perfectly normal young mum with an adorable baby; but if she falls out of favor, every word out of her mouth will abruptly start sounding like blue-blooded bitchery, her photos will inexplicably start revealing moles and jowls, and she'll eventually be morphed into a British Paula Deen.
My advice: don't form opinions bases on media memes.
And ---especially for your fellow Christians --- always, always give the presumption of innocence and the benefit of the doubt.
I came to the Faith as an adult in 2008, and what I know
of history and rules could fit in a thimble. John Paul II
and my immense admiration of him really brought me to the Church. I greatly admired and was inspired by Benedict as well.
I cannot put my finger on it, but I just do not feel much
of anything, good or bad really, toward Francis, except an
ill-defined sense of dread. I feel disappointed, but am willing to wait and see.
Thank you, rusty. He’s really acting exactly like he did for all those years in Buenos Aires: as Padre Jorge, the bishop in the raincoat, who quietly gave his seat to a tired abuela on a city bus.
meh....much ado about nothing.
More MSM media stroking the fires of anti-Catholicism.
He is part of a church after all.
I see what you did there.
Without the Jordanian royals' support, these Assyrian Orthodox and Chaldean Catholic refugees are dead meat.
This is so much more serious than the FReeper LoFo refrain of "Poopy Ol' Pope bows to ragheads."
perhaps you mean knave.
Spelling is important if you want to make a point. Homonyms are a lot of fun.
Very well said. The Pope is the Head of the Church here on earth, but he is also a Head of State, a diplomat, and must keep that in mind when dealing with matters of state. The state of Christianity in the Middle East is tenuous, as the Pope well knows, and showing respect to other Middle Easter heads of state, who are trying to help, and their wives, goes a long way in the diplomacy department.
Thanks for that link. I KNEW I’d seen Popes ‘bowing’ when greeting other heads of state, or higher ups in various governments before. Seems it’s simply a gesture of respect, rather than one of supplication, as some here have seemed to interpret it.
A man his age is probably long past the days of making foolish mistakes. He very likely knew exactly what the expected benefits were when he bowed to the lady.
I was taught to always pay respect to a man’s wife when you go begging for his favor. I half think he’s flirting with the king’s young wife fully knowing how much influence she has in the king’s castle after business hours.
OK, pretty obviously the patriarchs, prophets, and kings knew about the commandment not to bow down and worship anything or anybody but God. But here they are bowing, kneeling, and prostrating, even to pagans (Hittite, Egyptian and Moabite) and God is not offended. Why?
Because the commandment clearly forbids bowing and worshipping a creature as the Creator; it does not forbid kneeling or bowing (to king, prophet, father, husband or brother) as a form of honor.
And as you can see, it was a very common, customary, form of honor.
As 21st century Americans, we do not live in a society with a rich culture of courtesy and honor.
That's why we do not evaluate it fairly. It is not abominable. It is the universal gesture of courtly behavior.
Remember --- this is almost better ---the woman at Jacob's well? Remember how the Apostles got their tefillin all in a wad because of the undignified way their rabbi, Jesus, was relating to her in public? A Samaritan and a woman?
Showing public respect to a queen from a Hashemite kingdom where women are still, in some ways, like property? I have to smile at your use to the term "a cavalier manner". It's the exact, precise opposite: not cavalier, but chivalrous. Chivalry which springs from the heart of Christ.
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