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Pope Francis Criticises Proselytization "You Are Not A 'Disciple Of Jesus' If You Try To Convert Non-Believers"
Swarajya Magazine ^ | December 25 2019 | Swarajya Staff

Posted on 12/28/2019 11:42:34 PM PST by Jyotishi

Complete title: Pope Francis Criticises Proselytization "You Are Not A 'Disciple Of Jesus' If You Try To Convert Non-Believers"

Pope Francis. Photo credits: Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Advocating a new outreach strategy https://www.dailywire.com/news/pope-francis-tells-students-how-not-to-convert-unbelievers for the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has said that speech should never be used in order to convince a non-believer of the truths of the Catholic Faith.

Francis made these remarks while addressing the students of Rome's Pilo Albertelli classical secondary school last Friday (Dec 20).

"Never, never bring the gospel by proselytizing," Francis said. "If someone says they are a disciple of Jesus and comes to you with proselytism, they are not a disciple of Jesus."

"In front of an unbeliever, the last thing I have to do is try to convince him. Never. The last thing I have to do is speak," Francis said. Instead, he stressed, "I have to live consistent with my faith. And it will be my testimony to awaken the curiosity of the other who says: 'But why do you do this?' And yes, I can speak then."

Francis made a reference to the crusades and conversion by the sword, calling it "shameful" and noting that Christians too across the globe are persecuted for their faith.

Recounting the forced conversion of Muslims, "This happened in history! . . . What happened here to me is shameful because it is a story of forced conversion, of disrespect for the dignity of the person."

"We are not in the times of the crusades," he said. ". . . 'Either the baptism or the sword.' This has happened in history! They also do it with us Christians in other parts, they are also doing it but what we did was shameful because it is a story of forced conversion, of not respecting the dignity of the person."

Speaking of own personal experience from his native country of Argentina, Francis said. "In Argentina there is a small group of closed-minded Catholics who do not want Jews, do not want Muslims, but this group . . . I have never liked it, is a group that is on the fringe, they have a cultural magazine but they do not have impact in society."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: argentina; catholic; christian; conversions; crusades; francis; islam; jesus; muslim; orthodoxcatholic; pope; proselytization; religion; romancatholic
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To: Iscool

Galatians really about grace, not being a bad, pushy salesman.

And Corinthians too about something completely different, the issue of how Christ’s personal story goes down to two other groups:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/1-corinthians-1-23.html


61 posted on 12/29/2019 5:28:26 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: HollyB

Thanks.


62 posted on 12/29/2019 5:43:19 AM PST by Rocky
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To: 9YearLurker

****Teaching is always done best with example.

And he expressly says teaching them to observe what they, the Christians, do.****

Just unmitigated crap. Even Christian children can teach the Gospel by example set about by their families to other children.

You may take that as your own example, but the Gospel is written in stone. Thou Shalt is not debatable.


63 posted on 12/29/2019 5:45:46 AM PST by ResponseAbility (The truth of liberalism is the stupid can feel smart, the lazy entitled, and the immoral unashamed)
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To: Jyotishi
speech should never be used in order to convince a non-believer of the truths of the Catholic Faith

Maybe the problem is with the word "truths". ;o)

64 posted on 12/29/2019 5:49:13 AM PST by super7man (Madam Defarge, knitting, knitting, always knitting)
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To: 9YearLurker

***Jesus himself flashed miracles before asking nonbelievers to believe***

Horstrash. You have no understanding of the one year ministry of Yeshua and what and why he did what he did. He fulfilled the prophetical walk that was laid out before him and was crucified for it.


65 posted on 12/29/2019 5:56:21 AM PST by ResponseAbility (The truth of liberalism is the stupid can feel smart, the lazy entitled, and the immoral unashamed)
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To: Jyotishi

What is wrong with this guy. More and more everyday he sounds less Catholic.


66 posted on 12/29/2019 5:57:21 AM PST by Agatsu77
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To: Jyotishi

Excoriate the Antichrist.


67 posted on 12/29/2019 5:58:55 AM PST by Carl Vehse
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To: Jyotishi

Let’s be fair to the guy. He’s saying that talk ALONE is not the way to convert, but that one’s actions count. “I have to live consistent with my faith.” It’s right there, in his words, but those words are being ignored. He should have made that more clear, but this article skips over what he actually said.

He says that living as a Christian will awaken the curiosity of the non-Christian who will see that it is done out of faith, and at that time the Christian can speak (proselytize).

As for forced conversion, it was wrong, but he should have acknowledged that m*zzies did it more than Christians.

He’s a doofus, but one’s hatred for the Catholic Church doesn’t justify distorting reality.


68 posted on 12/29/2019 5:59:57 AM PST by I want the USA back (If free speech is taken away, dumb and silent we are led, like sheep to the slaughter: G Washington)
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To: Jyotishi

I don’t know if the Catholic church sends out what many protestant denominations refer to as “foreign missionaries”, but many protestant organizations have been sending missionaries to most any foreign nation where it is reasonably safe for them to live. And, of course, the purpose is to teach and preach and covert non-Christians to Christianity.

That definitely seems like something this pope would not approve of.


69 posted on 12/29/2019 6:03:38 AM PST by Will88 (The only people opposing voter ID are those benefiting from voter fraud.)
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To: Jyotishi

He’s advocating a promotion by attraction approach, which I like, as opposed to the multi level marketing approach often encountered at the evangelical churches.


70 posted on 12/29/2019 6:14:03 AM PST by BusterDog
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To: dp0622

Repeating his words is not slander.


71 posted on 12/29/2019 6:28:35 AM PST by arthurus (s//.')
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To: Jyotishi

When do Catholics protest?

Seems like some someone said “ go into all the world and tell folk something”, paraphrase of the great commission of the Christ.

Of course, the pope is correct regarding living witness, but “faith comes by hearing the word of God”....


72 posted on 12/29/2019 7:05:50 AM PST by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret), "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War")
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To: dp0622

It’s not slander. This Pope is a disaster not just for the Church and the faithful. But for the world.


73 posted on 12/29/2019 7:15:42 AM PST by lastchance (Credo.)
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To: Jyotishi

My God and Savior can and will use them all (great and small) to establish His will in heaven and earth. This Pope is the true Judas
of the Catholic Church and another to Christ Jesus. My biggest concern is how to pray for someone like this. For Salvation I suppose as that is this mans only hope for the life to come. It is every living persons only hope.


74 posted on 12/29/2019 7:24:43 AM PST by Cottonpatch
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To: dp0622

The ImPopester isn’t even pretending to be Christian anymore.


75 posted on 12/29/2019 8:02:43 AM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizens Are Born Here of Citizen Parents_Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: Jyotishi

Oh, gosh! Horrible! The Good News not so good? Really Francis? I there a way to IMPEACH you?


76 posted on 12/29/2019 8:12:50 AM PST by cookcounty (Susan Rice: G Gordon Liddy times 10.)
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To: Jyotishi

I’m not Catholic, but have had many Catholic friends over the years. This Pope seems to be totally off the reservation. What gives?


77 posted on 12/29/2019 8:55:58 AM PST by calenel (The Democratic Party is a Criminal Enterprise. It is the Progressive Mafia.)
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To: 21twelve
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
  - Hebrews 4:12
78 posted on 12/29/2019 10:23:58 AM PST by rx (Truth will out!)
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To: Ahithophel

The only biblical “Vicar of Christ” is the Holy Spirit. John 14:26 declares, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:16-18 proclaims, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” The Holy Spirit is Christ’s “replacement” on the earth. The Holy Spirit is our Counselor, Teacher (John 14:26), and guide into all truth (John 16:13).


79 posted on 12/29/2019 10:31:14 AM PST by SVTCobra03 (You can never have enough friends, horsepower or ammunition.)
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To: 21twelve
If I was God - I wouldn’t have set it up like that - to depend on me to spread the Gospel.

It is funny/interesting that there are rules of such things. And most of those rules seem not to have been very well figured out or defined by men (even men of God). At least, I don't recall them having been clearly laid out in Church.

I wonder if their (said rules) not having been laid out clearly" is part of the rules of engagement between God and the forces of evil such that it is incumbent on us mortals to figure this stuff out for ourselves.

80 posted on 12/29/2019 1:04:48 PM PST by RoosterRedux
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