Pope: Half-hearted Catholics aren't really Catholics at all

cns ^ | June 5, 2014 | Cindy Wooden

[NYer]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Those who insist others pray and believe exactly like they do, those who have alternatives to every church teaching and benefactors who use the church as a cover for business connections may call themselves Catholics, but they have one foot out the door, Pope Francis said.

"Many people say they belong to the church," but in reality have "only one foot inside," the pope said June 5 at the morning Mass in the chapel of his residence.

(CNS/Paul Haring)

"For these people, the church is not home," but is a place they use as a rental property, he said, according to Vatican Radio.

Pope Francis reflected on the day's Gospel reading, John 17:20-26, and Jesus' prayer that there would be unity, not divisions and conflict, among his disciples. There are three groups of people who call themselves Catholic, but are not really, the pope said. Apologizing for making up words, he labeled the three groups: "uniformists," "alternativists" and "businessists."

The first group, he said, believe that everyone in the church should be just like them. "They are rigid! They do not have that freedom the Holy Spirit gives," and they confuse what Jesus preached with their "own doctrine of uniformity."

"Jesus never wanted the church to be so rigid," Pope Francis said. Such people "call themselves Catholics, but their rigid attitude distances them from the church."

The second group, those with alternative teachings and doctrines, "has a partial belonging to the church. These, too, have one foot outside the church," he said. "They rent the church," not recognizing that its teaching is based on the preaching of Jesus and the apostolic tradition.

Members of the third group "call themselves Christians but don't enter into the heart of the church," they use the church "for personal profit," the pope said. "We have all seen them in parish or diocesan communities and religious congregations; they are some of the benefactors of the church."

"They strut around proud of being benefactors, but in the end, under the table, make their deals," he said.

Pope Francis said the church is made up of people with a variety of differences and gifts, and if one wants to belong to it, he or she must be motivated by love and enter with "your whole heart."

Being open to the Spirit, who fosters harmony in diversity, he said, brings "docility," which is "the virtue that saves us" from entering the church half-heartedly.

[daniel1212]

Fortunately not all Catholics are mindless drones marching in lock step. Some of us do study history and read the Bible. For me personally, Scripture, history, and the facts trump dogma and doctrine.

That would be an exception to what is typically exampled here, and exhorted elsewhere, since the "one duty of the multitude is to allow themselves to be led, and, like a docile flock, to follow the Pastors." - Vehementer Nos

“All that we do [as must be patent enough now] is to submit our judgment and conform our beliefs to the authority Almighty God has set up on earth to teach us; this, and nothing else.”

“He is as sure of a truth when declared by the Catholic Church as he would be if he saw Jesus Christ standing before him and heard Him declaring it with His Own Divine lips.” - Henry G. Graham, "What Faith Really Means", http://www.catholictradition.org/Tradition/faith2-10.htm

[Elsie]

Pope: Half-hearted Catholics aren't really Catholics at all

I do so wish you guys would make up your minds!

How many times have we heard, right here on the pages of FR; that "Once a Catholic, ALWAYS a Catholic" ??

[Elsie]

As a person who regularly receives Holy Communion in the hand, I have no objection to those who receive it on the tongue.

HMMMmmm...

---

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said, "Stop! Don't do it!"

"Why shouldn't I?" he said.

 

I said, "Well, there's so much to live for!"

He said, "Like what?"

 

I said, "Well...are you religious or atheist?"

He said, "Religious."

 

I said, "Me too! Are you Christian or Buddhist?"

He said, "Christian."

 

I said, "Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?"

He said, "Protestant."

 

I said, "Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?"

He said, "Baptist!"

 

I said,"Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of GOD or Baptist Church of the Lord?"

He said, "Baptist Church of GOD!"

 

I said, "Me too! Are you Original Baptist Church of GOD, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of GOD?"

He said,"Reformed Baptist Church of GOD!"

 

I said, "Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of GOD, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of GOD, reformation of 1915?"

He said, "Reformed Baptist Church of GOD, reformation of 1915!"

 

I said, "Die, heretic scum", and pushed him off.

-- Emo Phillips

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

Yes I know. If you stray from the Party line you are often branded a heretic, or a Protestant, or worse a liberal.

I am a fierce proponent of the K.I.S.S. concept-—Keep It Simple Stupid.

Follow the Bible, follow the facts, follow the history and don’t make up things.

It might surprise many Catholics to learn that the doctrine that Mary herself was conceived of an Immaculate Conception came from Pope Pius IX in the 1800s. The same Pope who developed the doctrine of “papal infallibility.”

[Elsie]

If you doubt the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Mother, you have apostatized from the Catholic faith

And...

If you BELIEVE the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Mother, you have not an ounce of common sense in your head!

[Elsie]

... those who preferred the TLM.

WHAT?

Who CARES what they 'prefer'??

The Pope is, by GOD! the POPE!!!

[Elsie]

When will protestants start telling pro-homo “marriage” and baby killer Obummer to quit calling himself a protestant?

When will you spineless weasels quit TALKING about ending abortion and actually DO something about it?

A half-hearted spirited Catholic would have shut these 'clinics' up YEARS ago!

[Elsie]

Nearly all we know about Mary comes from the New Testament.

Which ain't much!

Good thing them girls in Portugal were paying attention to whatever it was that 'visited' them!

[Elsie]

We shouldn’t be making things up.

I've no time for a facepalm picture.

The Assumption of Mary...

[Elsie]

...tell Him your doubts...

But we ALL know you'll get MUCH better results if you get MARY or one of the other Saints to get Jesus' attention.

[Elsie]

That Luther was a POWERFUL dude!

At least he fell short of chopping off fingers from a CORPSE!

[Elsie]

What if my beliefs are completely aligned with the magisterium?

Which PART of it?

The ones in the MAJORITY or the MINORITY when it comes time to VOTE on doctrine?

[Elsie]

I have never heard of any protestant church leader saying Bummer should quit calling himself a protestant.

You should REALLY get out more often.

[Elsie]

In the bible we are told ‘if you are neither hot nor cold, I spit you from my mouth.’

And that is addressed to a CATHOLIC church!!!

[Elsie]

Tradition names them as Joachim and Anna.

Sigh...

Another 'fact' about Mary that is not found in the bible.

[Elsie]

He seems to think that Mary could have been angry with God at the foot of the Cross.

Seems reasonable to me.

If GOD can do anything HE wants; why can't Mary have HUMAN emotions?

[Elsie]

We have conservative Catholics right here on Free Republic. :)

In the political sense?

[Elsie]

Where’s 2012?

It seems like Catholics do MUCH better at voting for a Presidents SECOND term...

[Elsie]

STOP!

All you guys fussing at each other just STOP it right now!

Go outside and smell the flowers that GOD has opened up for us!

Watch the birds flit to and fro.

Wonder at the clouds on their endless journey across the skies,

And give thanks to Him who saves us!

[mlizzy]

But we ALL know you'll get MUCH better results if you get MARY or one of the other Saints to get Jesus' attention.

No matter what faith one follows, sarcasm is never a positive.