I had not even heard of this event until you brought it to my attention, and thank you for doing so, and I hope I didn’t offend you with my hasty previous responses. After looking at this issue, I still think your use of title Pope in lower case and in quotations is disrespectful. Regarding the blessing of the Pachamama statue, My understanding is that “The Pope used the Amazon Synod to spread the message of inclusivity. The Pope used symbols of the indigenous people to further this message during the Synod, and Pachamama statues were a powerful means to do that. Several statues of Pachamama were used in various ceremonies in the Vatican during the synod. One such event was what was called a ‘pagan ceremony’ where Pachamama statues were blessed in Vatican Gardens.”
So so far as I can tell, Pope Francis was essentially evangelizing Jesus to the Aztec heathens and part of what he did was to bless their idol, which as you know, is simply a piece of stone. So the idea that Pope Francis was desecrating anything is not in line with the teachings of St. Paul where he addresses the burning issue of Christians eating meat sacrificed to idols, where he said that those who had strong feelings about such should not make a big deal of eating such meat or not eating such meat because of how their words might affect other newer/weaker Christians. So I encourage you to consider how your words condemning Pope Francis for blessing an empty piece of stone might give aid and comfort to the enemies of God. Pope Francis may have made a mistake but his intentions were good. read 1 Corinthians 8:4-20 “So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.”
Thank you for your thoughtful response here and I get the point you’re trying to make (see pertinent part of your post below). However, I do not agree with that point due to my discernment kicking in re: this pope.
I have observed this pope from the beginning and this is not, by any means, the only thing I have to offer as an indictment of his intentions and character. I also know how he got the gig. It was the Lavender Mafia in the Vatican that arranged for Ratzinger to step down (virtually unheard of in the history of the papacy, since Ratzinger is still alive)... and arranged for ‘this pope’ to be chosen. There’s a very good reason why they did that and I urge you to look further into it and more closely inspect the circumstances and the political stances that this pope has taken.
As for that “empty piece of stone” part... that’s what all false idols are made of. Empty being the pertinent term, that is. It’s the symbolism of their “god” that they worship or pray to that God rejects and warns about. This is such an important issue to God that He included it as the second commandment in the Ten Commandments: 2 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments.
I strongly believe that God gives us discernment (if we ask Him for it) for just such matters as this... and I also believe it is possible that this pope is the “last pope”...ie the false prophet spoken of in Bible prophecy. Time will only tell if I am right, which I hope I’m not... since that would mean that our time on earth is quickly coming to an end.
Again, thanks for reaching out in a civil manner. It’s the only way that we, as humans, as believers and as FR patriots, will be able to ‘come together’ in brotherhood and in unity to stand up to the evil in this world that we’re observing and experiencing.
Ref. (just one.. there are many others) for my comment re: the Lavender Mafia and this pope:
https://the-american-catholic.com/2023/10/04/popewatch-victory-for-the-lavender-mafia/
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“So I encourage you to consider how your words condemning Pope Francis for blessing an empty piece of stone might give aid and comfort to the enemies of God. Pope Francis may have made a mistake but his intentions were good.”