As Padre Pio “loved the Church, with all its problems and its adversities”, and “did not destroy it with his tongue as it's fashionable to do now”, so even today, in the presence of so many sinners, “some big ones”, those who love the Church “know how to fix things, yes, but always with forgiveness”: with these words, the Pope addressed, on the eve of the Vatican summit on sexual abuse, the faithful of Benevento whom he received in Saint Peter’s to reciprocate the pastoral visit made last year in Pietrelcina. On the contrary, Francis warned, “those who spend their lives accusing, accusing, and accusing are - I won't say children , because the devil doesn't have any - but they are the friends, cousins and relatives of the devil”.
Padre Pio "distinguished himself by his firm faith in God, his firm hope in heavenly realities, his generous dedication to the people and his fidelity to the Church which he always loved with all its problems and adversities", said Jorge Mario Bergoglio in the audience to the 2,500 faithful from Benevento that preceded the general audience today. "He loved the Church with the many problems that the Church has, with so many adversities, with so many sinners. Because the Church is holy, she is the bride of Christ, but we, the children of the Church, are all sinners - some big ones - but he loved the Church as it was, he didn't destroy it with his tongue, as it's fashionable to do now. No, no! Love. The one who loves the Church knows how to forgive, because he knows that he himself is a sinner and needs God's forgiveness. He knows how to fix things because the Lord wants to fix things well but always with forgiveness. One cannot live a whole life accusing, accusing, accusing the Church. Whom does the office of the accuser belong to? Who is he that the Bible calls the great accuser? I'm sorry, I did not understand... I cannot hear well... the devil! And those who spend their lives accusing, accusing, and accusing are - I won't say children , because the devil doesn't have any - but they are the friends, cousins and relatives of the devil. Well, when things are not right, one has to report the defects to correct, but when you report the defects, you make known the defects, you love the Church. Without love is something from the devil. St. Pio had both - he loved the Church with all its problems and adversities, with the sins of her children. Please don’t forget this!".
Pope Francis began the audience with a joke: "You've come in such large numbers that it seems like a canonization!", he said, and then thanked the bishop, Felice Accrocca, the mayors and all the faithful "for this courtesy visit which certainly indicates the fineness of the soul".
The Pope had gone to Pietrelcina on 17 March last year, on the centenary of the apparition of Saint Pio’s permanent stigmata and the 50th anniversary of his death. "I’ll never forget that day, just as I’ll never forget so many sick people whom I greeted that the visit has remained in my heart", he commented.
“I encourage you to understand and welcome ever more the love of God, the source and motive of our true joy”, the Pope said again. "We are called to give this life-changing love, especially to the weakest and the neediest. By spreading divine charity, each one of us contributes to building a more just and supportive world. Following the example of Padre Pio, please do not tire entrusting yourselves to Christ and proclaiming His goodness and mercy through the witness of your lives. This is what men and women also in our time expect from the disciples of the Lord – witness. Think of St. Francis, whom your bishop well knows what he said to his disciples. Go, bear witness - words are not necessary. Sometimes one has to speak, but start with witness , live as Christians, giving witness that love is more beautiful than hatred, that friendship is more beautiful than enmity, that fraternity among us is more beautiful than war”.
16 comments:
More blame the victims from His Humbleness. I guess everyone here with the possible exception of Mark Thomas is a "friend,"cousin," or "relative" of the devil.
LOL - just more of that "compassion, mercy, and accompanying" we have come to expect from PF.
This is very dangerous. The Holy Father risks looking like an obstructionist or even worse, part of an intentional cover up. Did he learn nothing in Chile?
A lot about mercy and forgiveness, but very little about repentance, the condition for the former: "The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:46-7)
Cf. http://www.ncregister.com/blog/msgr-pope/beware-the-error-of-those-who-proclaim-mercy-without-repentance
Bee here:
What's that Jesus said, you see the speck in your brother's eye but can't see the beam in your own?
I guess the Holy Father is feeling the heat...
God bless.
Bee
Just popping in to say "hello cousins!"
PF does not seem to know Padre Pio at all. If a person came to Padre Pio for confession, if the person omitted his greatest sins, Padre Pio would send the person away, without absolution, and tell the person to return when he was ready to make a full confession!
Padre Pio was merciful, but that was after bringing a person to admit all his faults. A person cannot have full purpose of amendment, if he cannot admit that what he is doing is a sin.
Carol H,
Only people who are interested in the Catholic Faith know who Padre Pio was
Carol, I suspect Padre Pio understood that giving absolution without full contrition was a terrible disservice to the sinner. We are seeing that in today’s public forum.
I guess, St Catherine of Siena is a daughter of the devil then...In which case, we're all in good company...if this is how Pope Francis is judging...
The one phrase the accuser wont use is predatory homosexual priests abusing their power of office. I have been reading a lot from those accusers in the liberal newspapers over the past couple days. Pope Francis is correct, they don't love the Church. They despise it.
Anonymous, and with good reason.
I, for one, am grateful for my “cousins” here, led by our good FRAJM, and with back-up by another holy priest, Fr. Martin Fox. Without this family I would be very alone, and I wonder how long I could have lasted as a serious committed Catholic. We may go down as unsuccessful in this life, but we will have the hope of eternal life.
To the Synod Cupichers: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.” The day of accounting will come.
And yes, Joe, in the words of St. Catherine of Sienna, a Doctor of the Church: "We've had enough of exhortations to be silent! Cry out with a thousand tongues. I see that the world is rotten because of silence".
Ora et Labora...
rcg,
That is it, exactly. Legitimizing sins such as homosexuality, and ignoring sins by blaming them on clericalism, will only prolong the sins and the suffering. It will only create more victims. I have only seen excuses from the hierarchy involved and no true repentance. I have only seen a push to relax or change rules instead of living the gospel. What part of "take up your cross and follow me" did they not understand when they were ordained?
You know, initially I thought PF was bright. He's not bright.
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