On March 13, Pope Francis announced a "holy year of mercy". My friend at
Harvesting the Fruit has some thoughts and I'll add my own. What is the pope's idea of "mercy"? Might this translation of his homily today provide a clue? It looks like a rather choppy translation done by "google translate" but from
this Radio Vatican site, I gather that he's chiding those who "close the Church's doors". I don't know who he thinks would shun a sinner who wants to return to God; this sounds like one of his "straw man" arguments to me. What is meant by "come to mass on Sunday but stay there and do no more". I hope I'm wrong, but this sounds like a strange way of trying to justify distributing Holy Communion to those who may be in mortal sin. That is
not mercy! Mercy must be sought and sought properly. For that there is the Sacrament of Confession, the real channel of mercy for those in serious sin (and all of us when you get right down to it).
But if we're really going to talk about "mercy", may I suggest some worthy recipients of that?
- Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate and their Sister counterparts. Allow them to live their vocation and charisms unfettered
- Patricia Jannuzzi, the New Jersey high school teacher who was fired - by a Catholic high school - for upholding Catholic morality on her facebook page.
If they receive some "mercy", bring it on! On the other hand, what they deserve is justice to right the immense wrongs done to them by their bishops.
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"I gather he is chiding those who "close the church doors".
ReplyDeleteSo *that's* why so many churches are half empty. Could we pass the hat, collect money, and post a reward for someone - anyone! - to bring to justice the cretins out there who are "closing the church doors" on sinners. They must be somewhere - right? - because Pope Francis and Kasper, Marx, Dolan, Wuerl, and the rest of the gang keep banging on about them. Who are these wretched priests who chain the church doors against the poor slobs who are trying to get in? Set the dogs on them! Break the chains off of those doors!!! Name and shame these reprobates! Let's do it!
My sentiments exactly Annie! When in the WORLD has any sensible Prelate in the Church ever shut the doors on anyone seeking counsel and mercy? I don't remember even hearing an inkling of it in my lifetime. Maybe 150-200 years ago they may have been off putting, but now? Not a chance of that happening. Unless (excuse me if I sound abrasive) the Holy Father is living on a different Planet, I have no idea who or what he's talking about, seriously. Another unusual mantra that those in the Church with 'left' thinking are constantly harping about is 'feeding the poor'....'taking care of the poor'. The evil Catholic Church has ignored the poor for over 2,000 years now right? When have we NOT fed the poor, cured the sick, educated the children, put roofs over the heads of homeless?? I would dearly LOVE someone to point out to me when we have dropped the ball on the poor. I'm waiting.....and waiting......and waiting for it. I do believe world wide the Catholic Church is the main supporting 'agency' of the marginalized. So what's up with the constant mantra about the poor? Anyone??
ReplyDeleteIt's rather tiresome that the Holy Father is never clear about who or what he's talking about. Always talking about 'The Pharisees' , 'The Unmerciful', The 'Rosary Counters', The Greedy, and the list goes on and on. Truthfully the constant barraging on whoever in the world he's talking about is really getting old. The only 'group' I have heard absolutely NO mention of are 'The Faithful.' Those who don't find this tedious have the patience of Job.