Early on Pope Francis exclaimed, "Who am I to judge?" And time and time again, His Holiness has made it clear that HE IS THE ONE TO JUDGE FOR HE IS:
- His Holiness The Pope;
- Bishop Of Rome And Vicar Of Jesus Christ;
- Successor Of St. Peter, Prince Of The Apostles;
- Supreme Pontiff Of The Universal Church;
- Patriarch Of The West;
- Servant Of The Servants Of God;
- Primate Of Italy;
- Archbishop And Metropolitan Of The Roman Province;
- Sovereign Of Vatican City State
HE IS THE ONE WHO JUDGES!
This is how the Huffington Post describes what Pope Francis said after the Way of the Cross at Rome's Coliseum. Below their comments is what the Supreme Pontiff actually said and said it as a prayer. You can judge, then, if the POPE IS THE ONE WHO JUDGES in answer to His Holiness own question "WHO AM I TO JUDGE?":
Pope slams Europe over migrants, denounces paedophile priests
Rome, Ella Ide, AFP - Pope Francis decried what he called Europe's "indifferent and anaesthetised conscience" over migrants, during Good Friday prayers in Rome during which he also slammed paedophile priests, arms dealers and fundamentalists.
Tens of thousands of Catholic faithful gathered for the service, many clutching candles in the imposing surrounds of the city's famous Colosseum, where thousands of Christians are believed to have been killed in Roman times.
"O Cross of Christ, today we see you in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas which have become insatiable cemeteries, reflections of our indifferent and anaesthetised conscience," the 79-year old pontiff said, referring to the thousands who set off in unseaworthy boats to reach Greece and the rest of Europe.
Francis has long called for the global community to open its doors to refugees and fight xenophobia -- appeals which have intensified since a controversial deal between Europe and Turkey to expel migrants arriving in Greece.
The Argentine pope did not spare his own Church, fiercely denouncing paedophile priests whom he described as those "unfaithful ministers who, instead of stripping themselves of their own vain ambitions, divest even the innocent of their dignity".
The Roman Catholic Church continues to be dogged by cases of predatory priests and past cover-ups. Just this month a French cardinal faced calls to resign over allegations he promoted a cleric who had a previous conviction for sexual abuse.
In the wake of this week's deadly attacks in Brussels, Francis slammed "terrorist acts committed by followers of some religions which profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence".
The pope added it was "arms dealers who feed the cauldron of war with the innocent blood of our brothers and sisters" and raged against "traitors who, for thirty pieces of silver, would consign anyone to death".
- 'Egotistical and hypocritical society' -
Francis also evoked the expressions on the faces of children fleeing war "who often only find death and many Pilates who wash their hands" -- a reference to Pontius Pilate, who, according to Christian tradition, said he was bowing to public demand in ordering Jesus's crucifixion, in a bid to shrug off personal responsibility.
In his wide-ranging diatribe, the head of the Roman Catholic Church lashed out at persecutors of Christians in particular, lamenting "our sisters and brothers killed, burned alive, throats slit and decapitated by barbarous blades amid cowardly silence".
He also turned a steely gaze on Western cultures, talking of "our egotistical and hypocritical society", which casts off the elderly and disabled and lets its children starve.
During the service, a small group of believers carried a cross between 14 "stations" evoking the last hours of Jesus's life during the traditional Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession, amid visibly heightened security at the former gladiator battle ground.
Sitting under a red canopy next to a large cross, Francis listened earlier to a lengthy meditation written by Italian Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, who spoke of the darkest moments of humanity, where belief in God is most deeply shaken.
"Where is God in the extermination camps? Where is God in the mines and factories where children work as slaves? Where is God in makeshift boats that sink in the sea?", he said in reference to the migrant vessels and the many who have drowned.
Good Friday is the second of four intensive days in the Christian calendar culminating in Easter Sunday, commemorating Christ's resurrection.
On Saturday, the pontiff will take part in an evening Easter vigil in St Peter's Basilica, before celebrating Easter mass on Sunday and pronouncing the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" blessing to the world.
HERE IS THE POPE'S ACTUAL PRAYER ON WHICH THE ABOVE ARTICLE IS BASED:
O Cross of Christ! (My Comment: The first half of the prayer is directed to the "goats on the left" as the Holy Father judges and condemns them, like Jesus will do at our personal judgment and ultimately at the General Judgement, those who are "anti-Christ." The second half of the prayer is directed to the "sheep on the right" as the Holy Father commends them and invites them to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.)
(This first part of the Holy Father's prayer is directed to the goats on the left!):
O Cross of Christ, symbol of divine love and of human injustice, icon of the supreme sacrifice for love and of boundless selfishness even unto madness, instrument of death and the way of resurrection, sign of obedience and emblem of betrayal, the gallows of persecution and the banner of victory.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you raised up in our sisters and brothers killed, burned alive, throats slit and decapitated by barbarous blades amid cowardly silence.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the faces of children, of women and people, worn out and fearful, who flee from war and violence and who often only find death and many Pilates who wash their hands.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in those filled with knowledge and not with the spirit, scholars of death and not of life, who instead of teaching mercy and life, threaten with punishment and death, and who condemn the just.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in unfaithful ministers who, instead of stripping themselves of their own vain ambitions, divest even the innocent of their dignity.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the hardened hearts of those who easily judge others, with hearts ready to condemn even to the point of stoning, without ever recognizing their own sins and faults.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in expressions of fundamentalism and in terrorist acts committed by followers of some religions which profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in those who wish to remove you from public places and exclude you from public life, in the name of a pagan laicism or that equality you yourself taught us.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the powerful and in arms dealers who feed the cauldron of war with the innocent blood of our brothers and sisters, and give their children blood-soaked bread to eat.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in traitors who, for thirty pieces of silver, would consign anyone to death.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in thieves and corrupt officials who, instead of safeguarding the common good and morals, sell themselves in the despicable market-place of immorality.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the foolish who build warehouses to store up treasures that perish, leaving Lazarus to die of hunger at their doorsteps.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the destroyers of our “common home”, who by their selfishness ruin the future of coming generations.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the elderly who have been abandoned by their families, in the disabled and in children starving and cast-off by our egotistical and hypocritical society.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas which have become insatiable cemeteries, reflections of our indifferent and anesthetized conscience.
(This is the second part of the Holy Father's Good Friday prayer and it commends the sheep on the right:)
O Cross of Christ, image of love without end and way of the Resurrection, today too we see you in noble and upright persons who do good without seeking praise or admiration from others.
O Cross of Christ, we, too, see you in ministers who are faithful and humble, who illuminate the darkness of our lives like candles that burn freely in order to brighten the lives of the least among us.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the faces of consecrated women and men – good Samaritans – who have left everything to bind up, in evangelical silence, the wounds of poverty and injustice.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the merciful who have found in mercy the greatest expression of justice and faith.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in simple men and women who live their faith joyfully day in and day out, in filial observance of your commandments.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the contrite, who in the depths of the misery of their sins, are able to cry out: Lord, remember me in your kingdom!
O Cross of Christ, we, too, see you in the blessed and the saints who know how to cross the dark night of faith without ever losing trust in you and without claiming to understand your mysterious silence.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in families that live their vocation of married life in fidelity and fruitfulness.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in volunteers who generously assist those in need and the downtrodden.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in those persecuted for their faith who, amid their suffering, continue to offer an authentic witness to Jesus and the Gospel.
O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in those who dream, those with the heart of a child, who work to make the world a better place, ever more human and just.
In you, Holy Cross, we see God who loves even to the end, and we see the hatred of those who want to dominate, that hatred which blinds the minds and hearts of those who prefer darkness to light.
O Cross of Christ, Arc of Noah that saved humanity from the flood of sin, save us from evil and from the Evil One. O Throne of David and seal of the divine and eternal Covenant, awaken us from the seduction of vanity! O cry of love, inspire in us a desire for God, for goodness and for light.
O Cross of Christ, teach us that the rising of the sun is more powerful than the darkness of night. O Cross of Christ, teach us that the apparent victory of evil vanishes before the empty tomb and before the certainty of the Resurrection and the love of God which nothing can defeat, obscure or weaken. Amen!
My final comment: I must say this is one powerful, traditional Catholic Prayer!
10 comments:
For the first time in my life I feel apart from the pope. I just don't understand anything he says or does. This "prayer" doesn't inspire me or help me in any way. I am unable to relate in anyway to this man. I don't know what it is. But it feels like he is part of a totally different religion. He seems extremely judgemental and miserable. I get the impression that he has an enormous chip on his shoulder about something. I cannot explain my feelings adequately I am just very uneasy about him. I don't trust him and I don't look to him for clarity on anything.
If the Pope gets what he wants, Europe ceases to exist in 100 years as it is nearly certain that demographics will allow these millions of mostly Arab Muslims to replace the dying White Europeans by mere birthrate.
Then Sharia falls across the old Christendom without a shot needing to be fired.
Is this what he wants? Probably not. But without any organized effort to effectively evangelize these waves of Muslim immigrants (and a safe place to do so), it will happen and untold millions of Catholics who are left because they 'bred like rabbits' with more than 2.1 children, will pay the price of this naive Pope's call to uncritically fling open the borders to the immigrants.
As for fulminating against pedophile priests.... he's the Pope. He can depose any bishop, defrock any priest he wants. He can disband whole religious orders or place entire countries under the Ban.... it's like on the one hand calling for the full importation of Muslims and then decrying the utterly predictable violence that will result....
Anonymous, agreed. He doesn't make a connection between Islamic terrorism and the opening of borders to Muslims (mostly young men). Does he assume that the Islamization of Europe and the extremism which attracts those actually born over here are going to be neutralized by letting more in?
By 'arms dealers' is he condemning illegal arms trafficking or the legitimate activities of BAe Systems and Lockheed and those employed by them? He doesn't explain.
I can only say that the ability of anyone (including the Pope) to judge depends on the confidence that others have in his judgement. In the case of Pope Francis his choice of associates (e.g. Kasper and Danneels) suggests that he is either a poor judge, or worse, that he is prejudiced.
He knows, of course, that he is powerless to change doctrine but he can certainly fudge it and if he thinks collegiality means giving more leeway to national Episcopal Conferences to make 'pastoral' (God, how I hate that word!) interpretations of doctrine, then it might get him off the hook, but will not increase confidence in him.
Not that I had much confidence to start with. When his election was announced (an Argie and a Jesuit to boot) my first reaction was to exclaim: 'Would the last person to leave please turn out the lights?'
Anon/8:28 I am not so. I do feel that the job is difficult for him but not so much more than for any other man. I often read statements, prayers, that seem to target me for condemnation. That might be my conscience speaking. I need to decide if I am willing to stand for Final Judgement based on what I do even if the Pope himself attacks me.
The Pope is being extremely naive about the Muslim invaders. Supposedly they are needed to fill jobs that Europeans can't or won't do. That's rich given that 80% of the Muslim invaders are on welfare in Belgium. The Europeans truly have a death wish. Humanae Vitae was indeed prophetic but sadly ignored by the materialistic left-wing loons in the Church
Europe and this pope have a death wish, Father why don't you post what many here have written you? You should be able to take it and give it back this is still America and Francis is not above being criticized, come on Father!!
Pope Francis' prayers is very much in the tradition of St. Alphonsus Liguori's Stations of the Cross which we use in our parish. To say that the pope and Catholics should not be concerned about the stewardship of the earth and of our physical beings, is nonsense. My pre-Vatican II parents ingrained in us the care of our food and not wasting it, the care of our home, yard and community. Both of them having grown up poor and my mother seeing her city carpet bombed during WWII helped her to know what man can do to this world.
I find that many who comment on Pope Francis and his Catholic worldview in a negative way to be converts from Protestantism and its avoidance of finding salvation in the physical, tangible and material or post-Vatican II coloring book Catholics. They know nothing about what a previous generation knew.
Europe is DEAD! The call of the muezzin atop the minaret's of Mosques will replace the bells of former churches whether Catholic or Lutheran and that my friends has already happened in France and Germany. GET YOUR HEADS OUT THE SAND
Anonymous,
His understandable (I would have been terrified) lack of courage during Argentina's brutal 1970's dictatorship seems to have formed him into a contradictory personality: declining to judge individuals for immoral actions, while simultaneously reprimanding everyone who fails to protect the weak. He seems determined to exorcise from everyone else his own personal demons.
Not sure why this successor of Peter should be any braver than the first one. Peter found his courage after a while, maybe Pope Francis will, too. I had a similar view as John N. at first if not quite as witty. I think Francis is excellent in the feminine pastoral skills but I have to resist comparing his intellect to Benedict or as a leader to John Paul II. And none of them had the strength to slam the fingers of their bishops in the Papal desk.
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