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 Pope Francis 
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Oh yeah, we have a closet liberal in St. Peter's chair! Wow is right! My fear is that he will try to do too much too quickly and end up like Pope John Paul I - who misguidedly announced his intentions to reform the Vatican bank, among other sweeping changes he wanted to make, and only lasted a month in the papacy. This man seems more politically astute; he would have had to be to survive in Argentina. Say a prayer for him, or cross your fingers, or however you wish someone well. He is going to need it.

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Sun Sep 15, 2013 9:55 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
That's my fear, too, Ruts. IMHO there are too many people in the Curia and elsewhere who would like to see this Pope fail.

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Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:58 pm
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Post Re: Pope Francis
The whole thing with conscience is that it is malleable based on personal beliefs. Do we have a universal definition? That is where the "churches" go straight into the pothole imo. Opinions fleshed by too much Ego calls for intellect to be applied on behalf of the questioner.

We all know where that one goes...

I pose a question:-

"What is Sin?"


:?:

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Wed Sep 18, 2013 6:44 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Well, that certainly is a broad question, Sky. :mrgreen:

From the Wesleyan tradition I can tell you that sin is:

Defiling - Ezekiel 20:43 - And there you will remember your ways and all your deeds which you have defiled yourselves and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things you've done.

Rebellion - Leviticus 26:27-29 - If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.

Ingratitude - Romans 1:21 - For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

That's why we need a Savior which is Christ the Lord.

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Wed Sep 18, 2013 7:27 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
What is sin? Sin is deliberately and knowingly turning away from God who is all good. Yes, sin is based on conscience. If I believe that by doing x, I am harming somebody, or myself, and I do it anyway, that is a sin. Is that of itself evil? Not necessarily. To an Amish child watching TV may be a sin. Is it inherently evil? No, well depending on content, but just watching something on a machine is not evil. So I believe that a discussion of sin is very subjective, yet there can be an objective study of what is evil.

Yes, Sky, churches have distorted God's truth as revealed in the OT and then renewed and fulfilled by Jesus. Churches try to form our conscience according to what they say is important, good, or evil. But I believe that humans being made by God, coming out of God, being a part of God, we know in our hearts what is good and what is evil; it is a part of our very being. To do harm to any part of creation is bad, for all is made by God and belongs to God, as well as to us, and we are obliged to take care of all of creation as best we can. I have learned much about the relation of creation to the Creator, and of every part of creation to every other part by a (very cursory) study of quantum physics. We are all part of the Whole and what each one does affects every other part of creation.

I don't know if this makes any sense or is relevant, but your question has helped me to crystalize my thoughts on sin and evil, Sky, and I thank you.

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Thu Sep 19, 2013 5:56 pm
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Post Re: Pope Francis
From an interview with Pope Francis:

America Magazine speaks with Pope Francis.

“How are we treating the people of God? I dream of a church that is a mother and shepherdess. The church’s ministers must be merciful, take responsibility for the people and accompany them like the good Samaritan, who washes, cleans and raises up his neighbor. This is pure Gospel. God is greater than sin. The structural and organizational reforms are secondary—that is, they come afterward. The first reform must be the attitude. The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk through the dark night with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people’s night, into the darkness, but without getting lost. The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials. The bishops, particularly, must be able to support the movements of God among their people with patience, so that no one is left behind. But they must also be able to accompany the flock that has a flair for finding new paths."

http://americamagazine.org/pope-interview

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Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:59 pm
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Post Re: Pope Francis
rutsuyasun wrote:
What is sin? Sin is deliberately and knowingly turning away from God who is all good. Yes, sin is based on conscience.

.........


I don't know if this makes any sense or is relevant, but your question has helped me to crystalize my thoughts on sin and evil, Sky, and I thank you.



Correctomundo!

I concur fully!

So then why is it all so bad?

Why is there so much Sin and not ANY support, education, or improvement?

...princes and principalities ....


It a completely Dark agenda that rules this world.

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Fri Sep 20, 2013 1:20 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Pope Francis: Gays, Abortion Too Much Of Catholic Church's Obsession
Posted: 09/19/2013 11:51 am EDT | Updated: 09/19/2013 2:22 pm EDT

Pope Francis faulted the Roman Catholic church for focusing too much on gays, abortion and contraception, saying the church has become "obsessed" with those issues to the detriment of its larger mission to be "home for all," according to an extensive new interview published Thursday.

The church can share its views on homosexuality, abortion and other issues, but should not "interfere spiritually" with the lives of gays and lesbians, the pope added in the interview, which was published in La Civilta Cattolica, a Rome-based Jesuit journal.

“We have to find a new balance, otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel," Francis said in the interview.

"The church has sometimes locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules,' Francis said. "The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials." :clap

The 12,000-word interview ranges widely, touching upon the pope's personal faith, the role of women and nuns in the church, Latin Mass and even the pope's favorite artists.

"He's very open honest and candid like we have not seen in a pope before. He critiques people who focus too much on tradition, who want to go to time in the past that does not exist anymore," said Fr. James Martin of America Magazine, which published an English translation of the interview. "He reminds people that thinking with the church, in obedience, does not just mean thinking with the hierarchy, that church is a lot bigger than its hierarchy."

In the interview, Francis does not come out in support of gay marriage, abortion rights or contraception, saying that church positions on those issues are "clear," but he added that the "the proclamation of the saving love of God comes before moral and religious imperatives.”

snip

Read more here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/19/pope-francis-gay_n_3954776.html

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Fri Sep 20, 2013 7:05 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Quote:
"He reminds people that thinking with the church, in obedience, does not just mean thinking with the hierarchy, that church is a lot bigger than its hierarchy."

In the interview, Francis does not come out in support of gay marriage, abortion rights or contraception, saying that church positions on those issues are "clear," but he added that the "the proclamation of the saving love of God comes before moral and religious imperatives.”


These two statements are huge. Up to now the church hierarchy was the ultimate authority and Catholics were supposed to be totally obedient to what the hierarchy (i.e. the politicians in the Church) said, period. But as I know and have stated many times, the church is not the red hats, the politicians in Rome, the cardinals and bishops, alone, but far more than these, the Church is the body of Christ, meaning all the clergy, religious and laity. People of faith living and working throughout the world speak of how the love of God must be expressed in many different cultures, countries, areas of society. What an individual priest, or lay leader, or any other thoughtful and conscientious member of the Church has to say has as much (or more) weight than what the hierarchy, sitting in Rome and not familiar with the trials of "ordinary" people throughout the world.

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Fri Sep 20, 2013 6:13 pm
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Pope expels German 'luxury bishop' from diocese

By NICOLE WINFIELD and DANIELA PETROFF, Associated Press | October 23, 2013 | Updated: October 23, 2013 9:30am

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis temporarily expelled a German bishop from his diocese on Wednesday because of a scandal over a 31-million-euro project to build a new residence complex, but refused calls to remove him permanently.

The Vatican didn't say how long Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst would spend away from the diocese of Limburg and gave no information on where he would go or what he would do. It said he was leaving pending the outcome of a church commission investigation into the expenditures and his role in the affair.

Limburg's vicar general, the Rev. Wolfgang Roesch, who had been due to take up his duties on Jan. 1, will instead start work immediately and will run the diocese during Tebartz-van Elst's absence, the Vatican said.

At the center of the controversy is the 31-million-euro ($42 million) price tag for the construction of a new bishop's residence complex and related renovations. Tebartz-van Elst has defended the expenditures, saying the bill was actually for 10 projects and that there were additional costs because of regulations on buildings under historical protection.

But in a country where Martin Luther launched the Reformation five centuries ago in response to what he said were excesses and abuses within the church, the outcry has been enormous. The perceived lack of financial transparency has also struck a chord since a church tax in Germany brings in billions of euros a year to the German church.

The head of the German bishops' conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, has been particularly blunt in his criticism of the expenditures and the credibility problem it was causing the church.

Zollitsch has said the church commission will investigate the costs of the renovation, the financing and how decisions about the restoration evolved. Canon lawyers are to determine if Tebartz-van Elst violated church law regarding the use of church money, Zollitsch said in Rome after meeting with Francis last week.

In a statement Wednesday, Zollitsch didn't elaborate on Tebartz-van Elst's future or the length of his time-out but pledged that the commission would do its work "quickly and carefully."

snip

Read more here: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Pope-expels-German-luxury-bishop-from-diocese-4918736.php?cmpid=hpts

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Wed Oct 23, 2013 7:43 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Pope Francis: No more business as usual


By Daniel Burke, Belief Blog Co-editor

(CNN) - Pope Francis on Tuesday called for big changes in the Roman Catholic Church – including at the very top – saying he knows it will be a messy business but he expects his flock to dive in feet first.

"I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security," the Pope said in a major new statement.

"I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures," Francis added.

The Pope's address, called an "apostolic exhortation," is basically a pep talk from the throne of St. Peter. But Francis' bold language and sweeping call for change are likely to surprise even those who've grown accustomed to his unconventional papacy.

"Not everyone will like this document," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author in New York. "For it poses a fierce challenge to the status quo."

Officially known in Latin as "Evangelii Gaudium" (The Joy of the Gospel), the 85-page document is the first official papal document written entirely by Francis. (An earlier document was co-written by Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.)

Although Francis sprinkles the statement with citations of previous popes and Catholic luminaries like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine, the new pontiff makes a bold call for the church to rethink even long-held traditions.

"In her ongoing discernment, the Church can also come to see that certain customs not directly connected to the heart of the Gospel, even some which have deep historical roots, are no longer properly understood and appreciated," the Pope said.

"Some of these customs may be beautiful, but they no longer serve as means of communicating the Gospel. We should not be afraid to re-examine them. At the same time, the Church has rules or precepts which may have been quite effective in their time, but no longer have the same usefulness for directing and shaping people’s lives."

Such statements mark a sharp break from Benedict XVI, a more tradition-bound pope who focused on cleaning up cobwebs of unorthodoxy in the church.

By contrast, in "Evangelii" Francis repeats his calls for Catholics to stop "obsessing" about culture war issues and enforcing church rules, and to focus more on spreading the Gospel, especially to the poor and marginalized.

The outside world, particularly economic equalities, didn't escape Francis' notice either.

In a section of "Evangelii" entitled "some challenges to today's world," he sharply criticized what he called an "idolatry of money" and "the inequality that spawns violence."

snip

Read more here: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/26/pope-calls-for-big-changes-in-the-church/?hpt=hp_c2

Oh my! I'm really liking this new Pope. :heart

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Tue Nov 26, 2013 3:11 pm
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Post Re: Pope Francis
I am surprised, amazed, delighted, as are those priests I have had a chance to speak to about Pope Francis. However, the priests I know are already "there", as far as changes Francis is advocating, and only waiting for the hierarchy to catch up with them. lol I know there will be many conservative clergy who will not be pleased with this document, which I am now going to try and find and read the whole thing. Thanks for the update, BB.

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Mon Dec 02, 2013 9:18 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Gotta love it, Ruts. He also ticked off BOTH Rush and Sarah Palin. :crylaugh :slap :roflmao

Rush called him a Marxist on his radio show.

Hmmm and here I thought he was just following the teachings of Jesus. ;)

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Tue Dec 03, 2013 3:57 pm
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Post Re: Pope Francis
The pope as Marxist: Is Limbaugh right?
By Robert Ellsberg

updated 5:55 PM EST, Tue December 3, 2013

Editor's note: Robert Ellsberg is the publisher of Orbis Books and the author of several books, including "All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time." He is the son of Daniel Ellsberg.

(CNN) -- Radio personality Rush Limbaugh declared himself bewildered by recent papal statements "about the utter evils of capitalism." In his broadcast, titled "It's Sad How Wrong Pope Francis Is (Unless It's a Deliberate Mistranslation by Leftists)," Limbaugh said the remarks add up to "just pure Marxism coming out of the mouth of the Pope." This would indeed be remarkable, if true. Is it?

Limbaugh is referring to the new apostolic exhortation, "Evangelii Gaudium," or "The Joy of the Gospel," in which Pope Francis lays out his vision for the church's proclamation of the gospel.

For Catholics, enthusiastic about the Pope's unguarded style, the document offers a refreshing departure from the traditional voice: "There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter," the Pope laments. "I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber." He decries a kind of "spiritual worldliness" that "hides behind the appearance of piety," warns against "sourpusses" who would substitute love of Jesus Christ with a love of the church, and rejects a defeatist "tomb psychology" that would transform Christians into "mummies in a museum." :heart

And yet certainly the press has focused on those several pages -- in a document of 50,000 words -- that offer a vivid critique of the global economic system, what Pope Francis terms "an economy of exclusion and inequality." Here, Limbaugh charges, "The Pope has now gone beyond Catholicism, and this is pure political." More "saddened" than outraged, Limbaugh states that "it is very clear (the Pope) doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to capitalism and socialism, and so forth."

Actually, the words "capitalism" and "socialism" do not appear in the document. But it is not difficult to discern the Pope's meaning: "Just as the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say 'thou shalt not' to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills."

As the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, as one who experienced the financial meltdown of the Argentine economy, as a bishop who encouraged his priests to work in the slums, Pope Francis knows the global economy from the perspective of those at the bottom. Decrying the idolatry of money, he sets himself firmly against a "deified marketplace" in which the masses of human beings become powerless spectators, if not disposable "leftovers."

Limbaugh, who concedes that he is not Catholic, though he says he's "been tempted a number of times to delve into it," nevertheless "knows enough to know that this would have been unthinkable for a pope to believe or say just a few years ago."

But little distinguishes Pope Francis from the prophetic utterances of his predecessors. What he is offering is not "Marxism," as Limbaugh says, but bedrock Catholic social teaching that goes back more than a century. Both Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI were explicit in their warnings against liberal capitalism and the dictatorship of the marketplace, producing encyclicals which, for their emphasis on social justice and the "option for the poor," would surely qualify for Rush Limbaugh as the very elixir of "Marxism."

Yet Pope Francis may have touched a particular nerve. In the most often cited paragraph of his document, he notes, "Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world.

"This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting."


Here, you might say he is getting personal, stepping beyond familiar pleas for the poor to confront a central article of faith among the elite beneficiaries of our economy: The notion that whatever benefits the wealthiest -- tax cuts or financial deregulation -- will inevitably benefit those at the bottom.

snip

Read more here: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/03/opinion/ellsberg-limbaugh-pope/index.html?hpt=hp_t4

Bazinga, Rush. :clap

It never ceases to amaze me how many so called "Christians" completely and utterly fail to believe or understand that Jesus really did mean what he said.
Not Helpful

Luke 4:18 ESV

Quote:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,


How hard is this folks?

To set at liberty those where are oppressed... Think about it, Rush. :mrgreen:

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Wed Dec 04, 2013 9:35 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
This is totally OT, but I hope my friends won't mind a little personal note here. Robert Ellsberg took over as publisher of Orbis Books from a dear friend of mine, Fr. Steve DeMott, (who died from a brain tumor a few years ago). Steve had been in charge of not only Orbis Books (which is the publishing company of the Maryknoll Fathers, based in Ossining, NY) but also of the two magazines Maryknoll publishes, "Maryknoll Magazine" and "Revista Maryknoll". When he went back to mission in Peru, after 10 years stateside in that job, they had to split it up and have two people take over, one for Orbis and one for the magazines. He had been waiting so long to get back to Latin America, but didn't have much time there before he started his battles with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, (twice) then later the brain tumor.

The other connection I have with this post is that I knew Daniel Ellsberg back in the sixties through Dorothy Day and the time I spent at the Catholic Worker in NYC. Okay, back on topic. :embarressed

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Post Re: Pope Francis
Best FAUX News headline EVAH

Quote:
Pope Francis is the Catholic Church’s Obama – God help us


By Adam Shaw/
Published December 04, 2013/
FoxNews.com

Pope Francis is undergoing a popularity surge comparable to the way Barack Obama was greeted by the world in 2008. And just as President Obama has been a disappointment for America, Pope Francis will prove a disaster for the Catholic Church.

My fellow Catholics should be suspicious when bastions of anti-Catholicism in the left-wing media are in love with him.

Much is being made of his ‘compassion’ and ‘humility,’ but kissing babies and hugging the sick is nothing new. Every pope in recent memory has done the same, yet only now are the media paying attention. Benedict XVI and John Paul II refused to kowtow to the liberal agenda, and so such displays of tenderness were under-covered.

But Francis is beating a retreat for the Catholic Church, and making sure its controversial doctrines are whispered, not yelled – no wonder the New York Times is in love.

Just like President Obama loved apologizing for America, Pope Francis likes to apologize for the Catholic Church, thinking that the Church is at its best when it is passive and not offending anyone’s sensibilities.

snip


If you can stomach it - read more here: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/12/04/pope-francis-is-catholic-churchs-obama-god-help-us/

This op/ed is so offensive on so very many levels I truly and honestly don't even know where to begin. :flame :rant :censor :headbang

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Thu Dec 05, 2013 3:17 pm
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Are they running scared? or is that being too kind to them? The conservative element is scared I believe. Pope Francis can do a lot of damage to their comfortable schemes and their control of the apparatus. There is a fight a-brewing and I hope they don't get TOO scared...

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Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:02 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Me, too, Ruts.

I just don't get the conservative view point on Pope Francis, either.

Did I misread my Bible or what? I must be stupid because I truly believe Jesus meant what he said.

I see Pope Francis actually living out those words.

Do I agree with everything he has done so far? No, but it is not my faith.

It saddens me to see this knee jerk hatred for our duly elected President transferred to one of the world's religious leaders.

What would Jesus do(say?), indeed!

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Fri Dec 06, 2013 9:27 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
I just read a long article in.... Rolling Stone! about Pope Francis. He is on the cover of the Feb. 13th issue, with the quotation "The times they are a changin'". It is a good article and I wanted to share with you a couple of things he is doing or saying that I wasn't aware of, so I quote:

Quote:
In the months ahead, Francis will continue to meet with the eight cardinals he has appointed to a special task force to reform the Curia. He's also set up a commission to advise him on how to best deal with the problem of pedophilia within the church, ranging from preventative measures to the counseling of victims. Outside consultants have been hired to examine the workings of the Vatican bank, where Francis has already forced out several officials. And when the bishops gather in the fall for their next synod, or general assembly, which will focus on the theme of family, they'll have to reckon with the results of a new questionnaire that's been distributed to Catholic parishes by the pope, soliciting opinions about same-sex marriage, premarital sex, divorce and contraception. For an organization as rigidly hierarchical as the Catholic Church, such a nod to democracy is profound, and potentially earthshaking.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/new ... a-changin-

BTW, if you want to follow the pope on Twitter (he tweets daily) he is at @Pontifex in one of his recent tweets he says:

Quote:
"I cannot imagine a Christian who does not know how to smile. May we joyfully witness to our faith." @ Pontifex

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Post Re: Pope Francis
One Year In: The Joyful Surprise of Pope Francis

by Jim Wallis 03-13-2014 | 12:18pm

Today the world celebrates Pope Francis’ first year. Notice I didn’t say the church is celebrating, but the world. The pope has graced the covers of every magazine from TIME to Rolling Stone over the past year. People all over the world are delighted by the breath of fresh air he has brought. His popularity has moved beyond Catholics to Christians of all kinds, believers from other faith traditions, agnostics, and the “nones,” who are very drawn to this pope who emphasizes love and simple living.

But the pope said last week that he is not a “ superman” and does not want to be a celebrity. He is just trying to talk and live like Jesus, a point he makes repeatedly to shrug off his media darling standing. From the moment he took the name Francis, he made clear his, and thus the church’s priorities: the poor, peace, and the creation. Francis is now challenging the most powerful people and places in the world, as well as a popular culture that mostly asks how we can serve ourselves.

Pope Francis is right: it is not about him; it’s about the Christ he follows. Everything Francis is saying and doing is aimed at pressing this question: Are Christians going to follow Jesus or not? That should be the question on the first anniversary of this new pope. Are we Christians ready and willing to follow Jesus? How can we then serve the world?

Are we ready to love, embrace, forgive, and show mercy as Jesus would have us do and Francis has tried to exemplify? Are we ready to stand with and give our lives for the poor and call the global economy not just to charity, but to justice? Are we willing to take “a preferential option for the poor,” as Catholic social teaching describes it, the way Francis has and apply it to both our personal and public lives?

snip

The powerful symbol that Pope Francis has offered has changed the perception of the church around the world. But it’s time to move to action, which Pope Francis has already begun to do. He has the ability to shepherd systematic change in the global church, economy, and society. That is the opportunity that Francis has brought us, and also the challenge ahead. I believe Francis wants to obey Jesus’ “Great Commission” to make disciples of all nations. And as Christians, we should take his lead.


read more here: http://sojo.net/blogs/2014/03/13/one-year-joyful-surprise-pope-francis

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Wed Mar 19, 2014 8:18 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
I just finished reading a book, fiction, written in 1979, called "Vicar of Christ". The author must be (or have been) psychic, because the parallels between the fictional pope he writes about and Pope Francis are almost spooky. The fictional pope picks the name Francis, and he too wants to change the institutional church and bring it back in line with Jesus' teachings. There are many details that are eerily similar to what we read of today's Pope Francis. Just wanted to share this strange "coincidence". BTW, did you see the photo of Pope Francis, or more exactly of his feet? It was posted on FB. All you see is the bottom of his white cassock, and instead of the traditional red velvet slippers with gold embroidery he is wearing leather high tops! It is hilarious. I wonder if those are the boots he wore when he rode his Harley around Rio de Janeiro....

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Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:23 pm
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Post Re: Pope Francis
A couple of little notes on doings of the Pope:

The German ‘Bishop of Bling’ Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst has been forced to resign by Pope Francis following a Vatican inquiry into the bishop’s excessively lavish lifestyle. The investigation found that it was no longer possible for the bishop to exercise his ministry in a fruitful way. Vatican sources say that Tebartz-van Elst will receive a new assignment in the near future.

***********

Pope Francis did not confirm Cardinal Raymond Burke, president of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican's highest court, as a member of the Congregation for Bishops. Generally seen as occupying a prominent place on the church's conservative wing, Burke had been named to the Congregation for Bishops by Benedict XVI in 2009. The fact that Burke was not on the list may raise eyebrows, in part because some observers see him as representing a more aggressive line than the pope on the Western culture wars.

*******************

After personally conducting a thorough spending review, Francis has decided to cancel scheduled 25,000€ yearly bonuses for the five cardinal-commissioners of the Vatican bank. He also has asked the 4000 Vatican employees to forego their traditional election bonuses of 1000-1500€, which is given to employees during papal transitions. According to papal spokesman, Father Frederico Lombardi, this six million dollars of savings will be given to a selection of papal charities.

*********************

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Wed Mar 26, 2014 9:23 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Quote:
After personally conducting a thorough spending review, Francis has decided to cancel scheduled 25,000€ yearly bonuses for the five cardinal-commissioners of the Vatican bank. He also has asked the 4000 Vatican employees to forego their traditional election bonuses of 1000-1500€, which is given to employees during papal transitions. According to papal spokesman, Father Frederico Lombardi, this six million dollars of savings will be given to a selection of papal charities.


:clap

Oh, Ruts, I really like this man. I pray for his safety every night.

THIS is what a follower of Jesus looks like.

The current controversy over World Vision and its announcement that it would begin to hire LGBT folks set off a fire storm among Evangelicals this week. The Southern Baptists ( :roll ) are on the rampage foaming at the mouth.

What a contrast Pope Francis brings to the world of the faithful. Hmmm - maybe I need to look into conversion. ;)

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Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:16 am
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Feminists and their supporters attacks Argentina cathedral!

Disgusting Video Watch it at your own risk Bluebonnet and gals this is why I am against feminism (and LGBT) it's become UNGODLY



They are acting worse then wild animals in this video IMHO!

You gals on the forum (IF YOU CAN STOMACH IT) Please watch and understand why SMGTOW (Straight Men Go their own way)

I thank god for those young godly men holding the fort so to speak this is what feminism has become women (and gays) wanted this now only they can fix it. It's HEDONISM! I am disgusted! I feel Saddened :( I hope women get out of this psychosis soon! :candle

Thanks to the gay banksers they are ALL GAY! they pushed "The battle of the sexes" are there any women out there not tainted with this sickness!

Please Bluebonnet watch this, You going to feel sick knowing this is what you once supported! It's become an ungodly Monster and I feel sorry for you! This is what we straight men KNEW would happen! :candle :candle :candle

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Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:57 pm
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Post Re: Pope Francis
Freak - maybe these women have simply had enough of men trying to force their agendas on women's bodies.

Found out a bit more about this here:

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/between-errands-april-thompson/2013/dec/5/argentina-women-attack-church-while-men-try-protec/

This is an annual gathering in Argentina going back to 2008. 2013 happened to be one of the largest gatherings to date.

The fact of the matter is, freak, we are called by Jesus to love one another - not to dominate or control one another.

:heart

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The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little. - FDR


Wed Mar 26, 2014 7:00 pm
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