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From 1970 through 1974, one of the most popular shows on television was “The Flip Wilson Comedy Show”.
One of Flip’s most popular bits was “The Church of What’s Happening Now”. Wilson created the role of Reverend Leroy, who was the minister of the ‘Church of What’s Happening Now!’ It featured a ministry somewhat like what Pope Francis seems to advocate in his latest pronouncement to ‘conservative and traditionalist’ Catholics. At Flip Wilson’s ‘church comedy’ creation, new parishioners were wary of coming to the church as it was hinted that Reverend Leroy was a con artist. Wilson popularized the catchphrase “The Devil made me do it!”.
(We offer no further comment as to any similarity to current religious events in the world today.)
Pope Francis is Warning That The Catholic Church Must “Embrace Change”
“Have to beware…” of being “too rigid”, Francis cautions; If Church “ends up disseminating stakes…in the ground of the common good”…it could end up “turning into a minefield of misunderstanding and hatred”.
Apparently clinging rigidly to its notions of things like ‘right to life for the unborn” could threaten the Church’s popularity with Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Hollywood, etc……………or,
“You Wanna ‘Get Along’, You Gotta “Go Along”?
Pope Francis has been one of the Associated Press’s favorite religious figures since the ‘humble pontiff’ burst on the scene, almost 7 years ago (Mar, 2013).
He has been the liberal media’s favorite pope, undoubtedly, for his Marxist approach to Catholicism and for the contemptual impulses he exhibits toward some of its historic tenets. We’re guessing the AP’s affection for His Holiness grew out of his early Papal pronouncements to the effect that, and we paraphrase, ‘there was too much ‘obsession’ going on regarding abortion and gay marriage among those ‘rigid’, conservative Catholics’.
He also garnered much admiration among the mainstream media, including the AP, for his expressed dislike for President Trump, his disapproval of America’s capitalist ways, and Francis’s belief that our country is to blame for Latin America’s dysfunction and most of the ‘woes of the modern world’.
“Borders” are apparently one of Il Papa’s pet peeves, especially. He has frequently excoriated those who support the concept of private property and oppose “open borders’ and the ‘redistribution of wealth’.
So it is not surprising that the former Argentine cardinal has come out against the Church’s “rigidity” in clinging to its doctrines which clash with the Marxist beliefs as outlined in the leftist “liberation theology’ which flourished in Latin America during Bergoglio’s ministry there. (One of the tenets of “Liberation theology’ relates to its disdain for the concept of personal property).
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The ‘story’ as reported by Nichole Winfield of the Associated Press:
Pope denounces ‘rigidity’ as he warns of Christian decline
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis warned Saturday that “rigidity” in living out the Christian faith is creating a “minefield” of hatred and misunderstanding in a world where Christianity is increasing irrelevant.
Francis called for Vatican bureaucrats to instead embrace change during his annual Christmas greetings to the cardinals, bishops and priests who work in the Holy See.
Francis’ message appeared aimed at conservative and traditionalist Catholics, including within the Vatican Curia, who have voiced increasing opposition to his progressive-minded papacy. Their criticisms have accelerated over the past year, amid Vatican financial and sex abuse scandals that may have predated Francis’ papacy but are nevertheless coming to light now.
Francis issued a stark reality check to the men in the Sala Clementina of the Apostolic Palace, acknowledging that Christianity no longer holds the commanding presence and influence in society that it once did.
He cited the late Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, a leader of the progressive wing of the Catholic Church, who in his final interview before dying in 2012 lamented that the church found itself “200 years behind” because of its inbred fear of change.
“Today we are no longer the only ones that produce culture, no longer the first nor the most listened to,” Francis told the prelates. “The faith in Europe and in much of the West is no longer an obvious presumption but is often denied, derided, marginalized and ridiculed.”
As a result, he urged the Catholic hierarchy to embrace the necessary pastoral reforms and outlook that will make the church attractive so that it can fulfill its mission to spread the faith.
“Here we have to beware of the temptation of assuming a rigid outlook,” Francis said. “Rigidity that is born from fear of change and ends up disseminating stakes and obstacles in the ground of the common good, turning it into a minefield of misunderstanding and hatred.”
He recalled, as he has in the past, that people who take rigid positions are usually using them to mask their own problems, scandals or “imbalances.”
“Rigidity and imbalance fuel one another in a vicious circle,” he said. “And these days, the temptation to rigidity has become so apparent.”
Traditionalist Catholics have denounced Francis’ emphasis on mercy and openness to doctrinal wiggle room on issues such as sacraments for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics. They also sharply criticized his recent synod on the Amazon, which called for the ordination of married men as priests, and what they considered pagan worship of an Amazonian statue of a pregnant woman that was featured during the meeting.
Francis has defended his outlook and priorities as a reflection of the Gospel, and the axium that the true tradition of the church is one of a continuous, discerned path of change.
“Tradition is not static, it’s dynamic,” he said Saturday.
In a tangible sign of change, Francis issued a new decree Saturday limiting the term of the dean of the College of Cardinals, an influential job that had previously been held for life. Francis accepted the resignation of the current dean, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, and decreed that going forward, the future top cardinal would only have a five-year renewable term.
Sodano had been the powerful secretary of state under St. John Paul II, and was blamed in part for the Vatican’s refusal to crack down on pedophile priests, including the notorious Rev. Marcial Maciel. Sodano, 92, continued to wield behind-the-scenes influence in the two papacies that followed, acting most recently as something of a beacon for conservative opposition to Francis.
As dean, he delivered his final Christmas greeting to Francis on Saturday.
Early on we tried (in spite of some warning signs from his years as a Bishop and Cardinal) to be charitable in interpretation of Pope Francis’ utterances — that reporting was sensational and selective and failed to give context — or that His Holiness would surely promptly clear up or put at ease any misapprehensions – that he would grow in office to be careful not to create moral misunderstandings. Any benefit if the doubt now has to be regained by the Pontiff. Instead he has doubled down with Marxist analysis of economies, government, human rights. His analysis of why the Church is losing adherents is superficial. The Catholic Church decline is especially in the West and in that it is joined by pretty much all Christian denominations including if not especially liberal ones that have long adopted to the “dynamic” of popular opinion that he espouses. Nothing keeps people out of those churches as regards divorce, women priests, married priests, gay ministers, abortion, birth-contol, what have you. And yet from what we have read the Church is growing where the Gospel is delivered more traditionally (conservatively) – Africa and China. Go figure.