- Two articles we noticed today, this anniversary of a religious driven attack on America that killed thousands
- Question for Pope Francis: If God will’s other religions he must will schism in His church??
Now personally I think ecumenism understood as either the inter-Christian denomination kind focused on unity where there can be, or more broadly the movement that promotes worldwide cooperation among all religions is fine, as long as truth and Biblical faith are not compromised. But there is a Pope out there saying that The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, . .
In the document signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar where that phraseology appears “pluralism” is not defined or what the hell the two intend the statement to mean. It is in the context of a paragraph referring to “freedom”. However, generally the word pluralism is taken to refer to a variety of religions, — so does the statement pertain to Hinduism, Pantheism, Animism, . . . atheism . . . or what have you? It would seem to without needed clarification.
We also don’t know how such a statement fits in the whole original sin concept of Christianity — did God will original sin ?? He willed our freedom our agency, but that is not the same as willing pluralism or all manner of sequelae from free will. If so “allowing” something becomes “willing” something, and it is then a silly tautology that pretends to understand or reflect the mind of God.
So where am I going with this? Well I am sure that is not an infrequent question when I do a post. But reading the articles linked to here you might understand my wonderment as to whether Pope Francis has called out the Good Imam to see if he has used his teaching authority to implement a new era of “good feelings” or the possibility of the Pope’s foolishness. If a memo went out the Taliban apparently didn’t get it prior to their latest attack..
From Gary Bauer writing at Campaign for Working Families (excerpt)
All over the Western world, young people are lectured to respect Islam. Fair enough. We should be respectful of other faiths and views.
But I am not aware of any educational effort in the Islamic world, not in Saudi Arabia or Somalia, Indonesia or Iran, aimed at teaching young Muslims to respect westerners and non-Muslims. In fact, in many Muslim nations, they are taught Islamic supremacy and it comes in many forms, whether Sunni or Shiite.
And think we are rough on the Pope? William Marshall writing at Townhall: (excerpts)
. . .
While he ventures into waters in which he has no expertise, like “man-made climate change,” he is making fundamental changes to Catholic doctrine where he presumably does have some expertise, that is sowing confusion and turmoil among tradition-minded Catholics.
One of Pope Francis’s most egregious moves was elevating a known homosexual pederast, former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, from the disgraced obscurity to which Pope Benedict had consigned him back to lofty heights within the Church, as one of Francis’s top advisors, despite Pope Francis being forewarned of McCarrick’s perversions. The mind reels. Eventually, thankfully, Pope Francis removed McCarrick following a public uproar and Cardinal McCarrick, now Mr. McCarrick, was finally defrocked.
Even Pope Francis’s comment, cited in the Journal article, on the potential of a schism within the Church caused by his changes (or confused thinking) evidences a cognitive incoherence that should make the entire College of Cardinals question whether this man is fit to lead the billion-member Church. He said, “There is always a schismatic option in the church,” but added that the “path of schism is not Christian.”
Huh? . . .
One top-ranking Catholic prelate, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, who served as Papal Nuncio (ambassador) to the United States from 2011 to 2016, was so incensed by his first-hand knowledge of Pope Francis covering up for Cardinal McCarrick’s crimes, and then elevating him despite his awareness of them, that he bravely wrote an extraordinary 11-page open letter blowing the whistle on Pope Francis that every Catholic should read. He called on Pope Francis to resign.
And Archbishop Vigano is not alone among the remarkable men who are questioning whether Pope Francis should continue in his holy office. The very estimable American Cardinal Raymond Burke, a conservative who was the chief of the Vatican supreme court until his removal by Pope Francis, has more subtly suggested that a removal or resignation of Pope Francis may be in order or, to use his word, “licit”, based upon Archbishop Vigano’s allegations. . . .
Francis’s confounding policies and statements have so alarmed senior Church officials that four cardinals, with the support of Cardinal Burke, have petitioned Pope Francis with a letter asking for simple yes/no responses to five simple questions seeking clarity on Church doctrine. That’s a very serious matter.
I do not believe one should blindly follow a celebrity-obsessed man who finds time to lecture Americans about eliminating their borders, allowing illegal aliens to flout their laws and flood their country, all while he lives in a palace safely protected by the Swiss Guard. And as I wrote earlier this year in a column titled “The Silence of the Shepherd”, Pope Francis’s failure to speak out against the abhorrent comments of Virginia’s governor/physician in which he effectively advocated for infanticide, was a gross dereliction of duty.
I love the Church. I love its history, its majesty, its enormous contributions to human civilization, and its teachings, imperfect as I may be in following them. And it requires the finest of men to lead it. Where is Pope (now Saint) John Paul II when we most need him?
Francis says it’s an “honor” to be criticized by Catholic conservatives in the U.S.
(Reuters) – Pope Francis said on Wednesday it was an “honor” to be attacked by U.S. Church conservatives and their Catholic media allies, who have criticized him on issues from theology to climate change and even called for his resignation.
The pope’s response to his American critics came on a flight to Mozambique, for a three-nation tour of sub-Saharan Africa. He was chatting with French journalist Nicholas Seneze, author of a new book “How America Wants to Change Popes.” Seneze describes a network of conservative commentators, political operatives, theologians and churchmen who have sniped at Francis…
“It’s an honor that the Americans attack me,” the pontiff said when asked about this by Seneze.
After Francis left the journalists’ section of the plane, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni returned to issue a statement attempting to clarify his remarks:
“The pope was speaking in an informal context in which he wanted to say that he always considers criticism an honor, particularly when it comes from authoritative thinkers, in this case, those in an important nation,” he said.
In the past few years, Francis has been the butt of criticism from a small but powerful number of American conservatives unhappy with his stands on various theological issues as well as social matters from immigration to climate change.
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“Unhappy” with a number of things…indeed!
Interesting to us is “Vatican spokesman” Bruni, who, as soon as the Pontiff left the scene, rushed in to clean up after His Holiness once again!
Remember now, what Francis really wanted to say, according to the hapless Mr. Bruni:” how “honored’ he is by criticism from such “authoritative thinkers”from such an “important nation”.
Sounds to us like the Joe Biden campaign could use a spokesman like Mr. Bruni. DLH