The Holy Father is beginning to sound like Pope Benedict
(Vatican Radio) Lukewarm Christians are those who want to build a church to their own specifications, but it is not the Church of Jesus: this is what Pope Francis said today during a Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae. Present at the Mass were volunteers from the pediatric dispensary "Santa Marta" in the Vatican, entrusted to the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, who for 90 years have supported children and families in need in Rome without distinction of religion or nationality. Listen
The first Christian community, after the persecution, lives a moment of peace, it is united, it walks and grows "in the fear of the Lord and with the comfort of the Holy Spirit": This was the Pope’s comment following the reading from the Acts of the Apostles. It is this very air in which the Church lives and breathes, called to walk in the presence of God in an irreproachable manner:
"It is a style of the Church. To walk in the fear of the Lord is a 'sense of adoration, the presence of God, no? The Church walks and so when we are in the presence of God we do not do bad things or make bad decisions. We are in God's sight with joy and happiness: this is the security of the Holy Spirit, that is the gift that the Lord has given us - this comfort - that keeps us going. "
In the Gospel from the liturgy of the day many disciples truly believe the language of Jesus, they whisper, are shocked and eventually leave the Master:
"These people have turned away, they are gone, they say, 'this man is a bit' strange, he says things that are hard…It 's too big a risk to go down this road. We have common sense, eh? Let's go 'back a little and not so close to Him'. These people, perhaps, had a certain admiration for Jesus, but little 'from afar: not to meddle too much with this man, because he says things that are a bit' strange ... ".
These Christians - the Pope said - " are not united in the Church, they do not walk in God's presence, they don’t have the security of the Holy Spirit, they do not make up the Church":
"They are Christians of good sense only: they keep their distance. Christians - so to speak they are - 'satellites', that have a small church, in size: to quote the words of Jesus in Revelation, 'lukewarm Christians'. The indifference that is in the Church ... They walk only in the presence of common sense, common sense ... that worldly prudence: This is a temptation just worldly prudence. "
Pope Francis reflected on so many Christians "that now bear witness to the name of Jesus, even unto martyrdom." These - he says - are not 'Christian satellites', because "they go with Jesus on the path of Jesus":
"These people know exactly what Peter says to the Lord. They understand exactly what Peter says the Lord, when the Lord asks the question: 'Do you also want to go, be' Christian satellites '?'. Simon Peter answers him: 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life '. So from a large group there becomes a group a little 'smaller, but those who know perfectly well that they cannot go somewhere else, because only He, the Lord, has the words of eternal life. "
11 comments:
That last part is a big deal. Many, maybe most, people can not say with conviction that only Christ has the words of eternal Life. Many, again maybe most, Christians claim to be Christian out of convenience and ease. People are not forced to actually state that as a belief. They can say the Creed in a crowded church if their voices are drowned out, but not many would stand alone. If they moved to a country with another dominant religion they would change. Even here they push Christianity behind their secular values. The sad part is this is not due to a hard persecution, it due to the soft desire for approval.
Perhaps this means we will soon see a public smackdown of Catholic politicians and others who publicly defy the Church and her teachings?
Yeah a smaller, purer Church is going to generate alot of support and money for those less fortunate especially if those who leave are conservatives and Traditionalists who generally are the biggest contributors to help the poor.
GM, That would be missing the point. There are loads of effective secular charities. The question is, "How do we model a Church after Christ?" You, as I, probably worry that some of the Bishops might try to put Summorum Pontificum back in the bottle, but I think that would be impossible in the same way I think it would be impossible to extinguish Vatican II and the Revised Mass. I do not hope, as FrAJM does, that there will be a hybrid Missal that incorporates the 'best' of each into one. I think they serve us best by contrast.
Right belief and proper worship are more fundamental to the Faith than helping the poor. Right belief and right worship are the basis for serving our fellow man at all, and the salvation of souls is prior to feeding them. What have we accomplished if the huddled masses die fat and unsaved? Likewise, which is worse to die hungry and redeemed or sated and damned...buuurrrppp!!! No, I am not saying we can't have both, I am talking about theological priorities.
These are hard questions that need to be asked of modernists. I think we will find out their true beliefs...or lack thereof.
And granted those theoretical premises and theological priorities, isn’t there a corresponding hard practical question -- What will attract souls to Christianity in general and the Catholic Church in particular? I am increasingly coming to believe that Pope Francis understands what is required for effective evangelization in a world where perceptions of realities matter as much as the realities themselves – hence, the critical importance that “charity in truth” have the highly visible pastoral presence that Father McDonald writes about in the previous post.
Anon 2, I certainly agree. Ultimately, we pray that feeding the poor and hungry will lead them into the Church.
The church will certainly be smaller and purer when Francis formalises the SSPX and SSPV as being in schism hence excommunicated.
Well Andrew, I hope he doesn't do that to SSPX. I think it would be a mistake. However, he strikes me as someone who will not put up with too much...
Well Gene - according to canon law and ecclesia dei they are already in schism, all that remains if for it to be formally declared.
Well, that has been argued and discussed ad nauseum on this blog. I have mixed feelings about SSPX. I believe they serve as a warning to devout Catholics regarding both the state of the Church and the dangers we face in correcting the mess of Vat II. I do not believe the Church has dealt with the problem with integrity, however.
Post a Comment