????? Has he totally lost the plot? oh yes I see he's airborne again. Off to Africa to warn about the twin dangers of Global Warming and Capitalism. (If it wasn't for American Donations he wouldn't even have the dough to be on the plane) https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/04/world/pope-honor-americans/index.html Pope says 'it is an honor that Americans attack me' Aboard the Papal plane (CNN)Pope Francis, who has tussled with the American president, American capitalists and American Catholics during his six years as pope, seems unfazed by the disputes. In fact, he may even enjoy them. In a brief exchange with a French journalist aboard the papal plane to Africa on Wednesday, Francis said he was honored by criticisms from conservative Catholics in the United States. "For me it is an honor that Americans attack me," he told Nicolas Senèze of Catholic media outlet La Croix, who has written a new book called "How America Wants to Change Popes." "This will be a bombshell," the Pope joked when Senèze handed him a copy of the book. According to National Catholic Reporter, Senèze's book focuses on two campaigns launched by American Catholics disturbed by the innovations of Francis' papacy. Why some conservatives see Pope Francis as a threat One was the founding, in 2018, of a "Better Church Governance" group dedicated to investigating cardinals who will vote for the next pope. The other was American conservatives' backing of a former Vatican ambassador to the US, Archbishop Carlo Viganò, who has called on Francis to resign for supposedly mishandling abuse allegations. Many of the former ambassador's claims remain unsubstantiated, and the Pope has denied the charges. Other conservative American Catholics have been disturbed by the Pope's theological reforms, including revising the Catholic catechism on the death penalty and creating an opening for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion. Views of Pope Francis among American Catholics have become increasingly polarized, according to the Pew Research Center. Since 2014, the share of Catholic Republicans who say Francis represents a "major, positive change" for the church has declined from 60% to 37%. On Wednesday, papal spokesman Matteo Bruni sought to clarify Francis' response to the new book. "In an informal context the Pope wanted to say that he always considers it an honor to be criticized, especially when it comes from authoritative voices, and in this case from an important nation," Bruni said. The Pope also extended his condolences to natives of the Bahamas, where several islands have been devastated by Hurricane Dorian. "I would like to invite you all to give prayers for the victims of the hurricane in the Bahamas," Francis said. "The poor people without blame have lost their homes, have lost everything, even their lives. I would like each of you to say a prayer for our brothers and sisters." On his Africa trip, which ends September 10, the Pope will visit Mozambique, Mauritius and Madagascar. He is expected to focus his message on fighting poverty and improving the environment.
907 "In accord with the knowledge, competence, and preeminence which they possess, [lay people] have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church, and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other Christian faithful, with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward their pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons."443
Holy See Handlers are on it! "In an informal context, the pope wanted to say that he always considers criticisms an honor, particularly when they come from authoritative thinkers -- in this case from an important nation," said spokesman for @HolySeePress
A lot of Protestants (myself included - formerly) were elated with Pope Francis. Were. I have a hunch that Pope Benedict "had to retire" (or else).
I think about 60% of the people using the forum are from the USA. I'd say pretty well everyone on the forum take a dim few of Pope Francis, wherever in the world they come from. (The ones who were unhappy in questions being asked about the Holy Father mostly decamped a long time ago). I see questions, really serious questions being asked about Pope Francis for instance in web sites in France, in Spain and loads and loads of questions from Italy. I think there are over 200 members here from Ireland and they are all pretty well pulling their hair out in horror in what is going on. I think several things draw the Holy Fathers attention to the USA. The main one being their dominance in the internet. This gives them a huge, 'Voice'. Then there's the McCarrick thing. Then there's the VIgano thing and so on. But you know I'm not an American and I am horrified at what Pope Francis is doing. From what I see in Ireland there are many , many more like me. But anyway I am not going to criticise Pope Francis here as he's pretty well shot himself in the foot. For instance i know of a wonderful gentleman from Michican who paid for the entire Vatican IT system. When Pope JP 2 visited the States he stayed a night in this guy's Mansion. Well there'll be no more dough from him and a lot like him over there. That's what I call shooting yourself in the foot. Maybe shooting yourself in the head. The bottom line is it is the USA that bankrolls the Church. It's just silly to insult them like this. I wouldn't mind so much but when Francis goes will the money from the USA start coming back? I wonder. https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/catholics-refusing-to-give-to-peters-pence
Interesting (I didn't know the USA bankrolls the Church). I see occasional headlines about Ireland (abortion especially), and can "hear" the understandable angst. One issue I absolutely do not understand Pope Francis on is Global Warming + Massive Migration. How can "the planet be saved" by encouraging millions of people to go elsewhere, and who will then proceed to have large families in their new home?
You know this raises a really interesting question. The priest at mass today (who is Scottish) asked the question, 'Why do you believe in God? ' The answer he gave was that it gives you signpost for life to guide you along. Which is a good answer. But if I had been asked that question, 'Why do you believe in God?' my answer would have simple been, I believe in God because He really does exist. You know things like Global Warming and migration are really political issues. God for me is front and center. This is one of the things that alarms me most about this Pontificate. That it is so political. I think it would be enough to say to Catholics ; make up your own mind about issues like Migration, Global Warming, Capitalism and so. The main issue for a Pope and him Spiritual Children is God and the things of God. Everything else is just a distraction. Let politicians sort these other things out; goodness knows there are enough of them, It's not a question of being Left Wing or Right Wing. Its all about God. Of course the Church has Social Teaching but this still allows very considerable leeway in what folks believe. There are all kinds of politics for Catholics. This is a good thing. We have feet in every camp. It alarms me the Pope Francis appears to be suggesting that the only good Catholic ia New York Times Catholic. Yuk.
I just have to pray and know that our leader Jesus Christ will at some point get the ship headed in the right direction. I feel that the church is going to continue to be chastised long term the stage is getting set as we speak. Pray, Pray, Pray for the church militant and the clergy. God Bless
I have a different take. Pope Benedict did not "have" to retire, he did so to fulfill God's will for our times. His mission is NOT over. Once his mission is over, God will take him home. I believe he is the "Bishop in white" within the Fatima prophecy. Pope Francis too is playing his part in end-times prophecy as well. What this means, is still unfolded in real time. Some believe he is the False Prophet. Some, a precursor to the FP. He and Benedict are surely large indicators for our times. But, I don't for a moment believe Pope Benedict was forced out of office. He knows prophecy all to well. He has read the 3rd secret of Fatima. His 1969 prophecy at Fulda is playing out in real time today. He said, those who think the messages of Fatima have been fulfilled are mistaken.
Another comment I'd like to make, as an American: Pope Francis seems to ignore the fact that not all Americans are Catholic. We are a lot of Protestants. Many are not religious at all. It's a HUGE country besides. When he speaks of "America" it's in the spirit of a blanket statement, imo. He has little "sway" here, considering; and to phrase his comments in a fashion of All Americans Should Obey Me is easily dismissed.
He is addressing specifically the current administration who is not going along with the UN mandated taking points regarding climate change awareness and sending our nation back into the 16th century by abandoning fossil fuels. It's all about control and shifting power to a global body and away from sovereign nations. Sometimes I wonder if the UN is actually telling him what to say. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/p...-emergency-asks-world-to-abandon-fossil-fuels Pope Francis claims climate in state of ‘emergency’, asks world to ‘abandon’ fossil fuels climate change, environment, environmentalism, global warming, pope francis, world day of prayer for the care of creation VATICAN CITY, September 3, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Pope Francis has called upon the world to give up fossil fuels, claiming that the climate is in a state of “emergency” and that this has been caused by human activity. In his Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, an ecumenical celebration held on September 1, the Argentine pontiff encouraged the world to adopt “simpler lifestyles” and to abandon fossil fuels. “Now is the time to abandon our dependence on fossil fuels and move, quickly and decisively, towards forms of clean energy and a sustainable and circular economy,” he said. James Taylor, Director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at the Heartland Institute, a conservative research and education organization, told LifeSiteNews that the Vatican “should be careful” when making theological pronouncements on certain worldly issues, like the use of fossil fuels. “Pope Francis’ desire for humans to be good stewards of creation is admirable,” he said. “As a theological entity rather than an entity with particular scientific or economic authority and expertise, the Vatican should be careful about assigning theological weight to particular economic theories or scientific questions,” he continued. “Forcing people off of abundant, affordable energy and imposing expensive, unreliable ‘clean’ energy sentences too many people in the world to perpetual poverty and all the human misery that accompanies it.” Taylor added that there is “nothing clean” about the “environmentally devastating mining of rare-earth minerals necessary for wind and solar power equipment” and observed that the deaths of millions of birds and bats can be blamed on wind turbines. He also suggested that hundreds of square miles have been destroyed to make room for enough wind turbines to produce the same amount of energy as a single power plant. “I share Pope Francis’ desire for humans to be good stewards of the environment,” Taylor added. “I hope the Vatican will avail itself of better information if it decides to weigh in on the science and economics of particular energy sources and environmental impacts.” Steven Mosher, president of the Population Institute, told LifeSiteNews that real science can get “drowned out by polemics”. “When scientific questions are heavily politicized―as questions concerning the cause, extent, and threat of global warming are―real science tends to get drowned out by polemics,” he said via email. “Think about how the theories of the Soviet biologist Lysenko―the nonsensical idea that acquired characteristics could be inherited―was so appealing to Stalin that the entire Soviet academic establishment was forced to endorse it,” he continued. Mosher said that the world needs fewer “grand pronouncements” on climate change and more research into Earth's environment. “Right now, we can't even predict the path of Hurricane Dorian with any certainty,” he stated. “How can we possibly predict what the climate will be one hundred years from now!” The alarmist tone of the pontiff’s message does not sit well with everyone. Some fear that Pope Francis’ blessing of the worldwide environmentalist movement emboldens those who want to reduce the human population. And then there’s the difficulty of doing without fossil fuel. Becky Williams, a geologist on an oil rig in North Dakota, told LifeSiteNews that it would be impossible to give up fossil fuels right now ― or even ten years from now. “Truth is we can't,” she said via social media. “It's not that simple. Ten years is not long enough. Oil is the lifeblood of our modern way of life. Everything we use and wear and touch and eat is because of oil,” she continued. “It's not just the lights and the gas for cars, it's the plastic to package our food. It's the spandex we wear. It's the cheap avocados we eat.” Williams noted, however, that oil is not an “unlimited resource, as most people think” and people need to “look for ways to reduce our dependence on it.” Elsewhere in his message, Pope Francis suggested that humanity take advice on the environment from “indigenous peoples.” “Let us also learn to listen to indigenous peoples, whose age-old wisdom can teach us how to live in a better relationship with the environment,” he said. The pontiff called upon humanity “to repent” of acting like tyrants over the earth, “to be converted and to return to our roots.” He counseled humanity to say “no to consumerist greed” and to “inaugurate farsighted processes involving responsible sacrifices today for the sake of sure prospects of life tomorrow.” Francis looks forward to intergovernmental meetings that will set the environmental agenda. “In this regard, the forthcoming United Nations Climate Action Summit is of particular importance,” he said. “There, governments will have the responsibility of showing the political will to take drastic measures to achieve as quickly as possible zero net greenhouse gas emissions and to limit the average increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius with respect to pre-industrial levels, in accordance with the Paris Agreement goals,” he added. The United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019 will take place in New York City on September 23. In a previous 2016 message celebrating the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the Pope called on Catholics to go to confession for sins of not being respectful of creation. He gave as examples of an examination of conscience points such as “avoiding the use of plastic and paper,” “separating refuse” and “turning off unnecessary lights.” He called on Catholics to have an “ecological conversion.” In his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ (Praised be), Pope Francis said climate change “represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.”
A long-time friend of mine, a non-practicing Catholic, has read extensively about "global warming" - pro and con. This friend is very intelligent, in fact is a professional. He has gone into extensive detail (can quote facts / sources) for years and is convinced it's a hoax, and that yes - the Pope is taking direction / talking points from others.
The USA alone doesn't bankroll the Church. Very wealthy American Catholics have been generous to the Church, especially to the Vatican. The Church in Germany is very wealthy. I can't back this up with statistics but my guess is that, relative to the number of Catholics in the US and Germany, the Germans probably give more per capita. For example, I have read that the Germans subsidise the Church in some Latin American countries. There's also some kind of arrangement whereby it's possible to become a donor specifically for maintaining Vatican buildings and art (think St. Peter's, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel). I have a vague memory of reading that those donors get special access for tours or perhaps some events in Vatican city, and I have an even vaguer memory of hearing that it may be possible for those who can afford it to be married in the Sistine Chapel. I don't believe that those donations would be used for day to day expenses like funding the Curia or hosting Synods. Caring for the artwork alone must cost a fortune never mind the centuries old buildings. I suspect that there is a financial element to the deal with China. Every diocese in the world probably remits some money to Rome. If so, it stands to reason that regularising the Communist Party's Church in China will result in more money from those dioceses.
Pope Francis would be well aware that the US is a majority Protestant Country. Some of his resentment likely stems from his experience in Argentina during the Cold War years when the US supported right wing dictatorships. Liberation Theology grew and spread during those years with the help of Soviet influence. He would also have experience of American Protestants, mostly Evangelicals, "evangelising" Catholics in Argentina and other majority Catholic countries in the region. As an aside, that's another reason why Americans may not be well liked by some Catholics: American Protestants bringing the Gospel to the baptised. In other words, Catholic missionaries did the hard work of converting pagans and American Protestants swan in with their money preaching the properity gospel. What the Catholic Liberation Theologians fail to acknowledge (and perhaps this is also true of Pope Francis) is that since Vatican 11 their prevarications on Church teaching has laid the groundwork which makes it easy for the Evangelicals to draw Catholics away from the Faith. The Evangelicals have the zeal and commitment lacking in Catholics who don't fully embrace all that the Church teaches.
That's my husband. He is "a cradle Catholic" who went over to Evangelical Protestantism about 7 years before we met. I think his sister and her husband were big influences in that. Despite my own permanent break with Protestantism (will skip the details), my husband refuses to attend Mass with me. He is only reluctantly willing to attend an upcoming dinner (fundraiser). He does "tolerate" my portraits of Our Lady, St. Michael, St. Therese. I cannot understand his ongoing "liking" of Protestantism, considering his experiences aren't much better than my own. When and if husband needs assistance or a helping hand (home or car repairs, etc.), it is 9.5 times out of 10 Roman Catholic friends "to the rescue."
