Posted on 09/01/2013 7:03:45 AM PDT by NotYourAverageDhimmi
The Pope has once again shown his willingness to break with tradition by bowing to Muslim royal Queen Rania of Jordan.
As leader of the world's 1.2billion-strong Catholic community, protocol usually dictates that visitors bow to him when they meet him at the Vatican.
But when Rania came to the Holy See with her husband King Abdullah II on Thursday, he inverted that formality by lowering his head to her.
He made no discernible bow toward her husband, the king. The Jordanian royals were leaving following a private audience with the pope in his library.
'Francis behaves as he did before he became pope and is not interested in protocol', a senior Vatican official told the Daily Telegraph.
Up until the 19th century, those meeting the pope stoop to kiss his slippers and, to this day, the tradition remains that all visitors, including women, bow to him, the official said.
The surprise move came after Pope Francis showed he is well in touch with what's popular in society today by posing for a 'selfie' with young Italian pilgrims in St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I am not big on the pope bowing before any earthly person, but I kind of like the idea of the leader of the world’s Christians showing such respect for a Muslim woman when the Muslim world treats women like trash. Chivalry is a Christian thing.
not just ‘breaking tradition’ but in a very real way this pope is behaving in a blasphemous manner.
How come their kids look like Jews?
Is this a joke?
re: “ So I reckon the Pope was both offering the due diplomatic honors, plus the spontaneity of love -— hasn’t anybody commented on the fact that he was bowing to a woman? You know, that subset of the human species whom the Muslims customarily treat like shi’ite?
I guess love in Christ -— a pastor’s love -— is so rare, some don’t even recognize it when they see it.”
I’m not Catholic, but I think I agree with your take on this.
The Pope is not a governmental “head of state”. He is a spiritual leader and a witness for Christ. How is it “bowing to satan” (as some have said) if he shows humility on behalf of Christ and as a witness for Christ’s love to this woman?
I also highly agree with you that it is significant that he showed the humility to a woman, but not to the male head of state - that is truly radical in the middle eastern mindset. Yes, she is “royalty”, but she’s still a woman.
I may have some other issues with this Pope, but in this instance, I do not.
I agree. After all th prince mentality by earlier popes, this is refreshing
In this case I think he was simply bowing to a queen regardless of the fact that she’s marginally muslim.
“I agree. After all th prince mentality by earlier popes, this is refreshing”
No it isn’t. This Pope is demeaning his office. He is taking the dignity out of it. The less he acts with dignity, the less others will treat him and the Office of the Pope with dignity. This will not bode well in the future when heads of State have no respect for this Pope or the Vatican when he himself treats his position in such a cavelier manner.
Francis is pathetic. First he brings Islam into an Easter ceremony, then he visits illegal alien Muslim invaders on an Italian island - expressing solidarity with them; and now he bows to a Muslim woman and wife to the alleged descendant of Mohammed. Is this the end times?
The Pope most certainly is a Head of State. He is the head of the Vatican City State and the Holy See.
He is really clueless about protocol and doesn’t seem to want to learn. The protocol is in place for a reason, to make things go smoothly (just like manners). Those who shun manners and protocol are inviting confusion and uncertainty. When no one knows - or cares - about the rules of polite society, the rules eventually are forgotten and the end result is chaos. Hence, misunderstandings (or worse) result from hurt feelings, since being disrespected is unbearable for most people.
In his concern for showing respect to one individual, he has scandalized many of his flock. (Which he seems to do on a weekly basis.)
Just like O'Bomber, he bends over for the moslems.
What else do you think the Pope will do?
“He made no discernible bow toward her husband, the king.”
If he bowed because he was greeting a woman, not so bad, but still stupid.
Enough with the humility, Holy Father!
Bowing to any subhuman muslim/islamist filth.
Sad and pathetic.
Shame on you, Pope.
re: “The Pope most certainly is a Head of State. He is the head of the Vatican City State and the Holy See.”
Nanetteclaret, I stand corrected regarding the Pope being a “Head of State”.
However, and please understand, I’m not meaning to argue and I have no hostile intent. I’m just looking at the Pope as Christian leader. As I said before, I am NOT Catholic, in fact the media would describe me as a “fundamentalist Baptist”, and, I do NOT believe in papal infallibility and all that.
So, even though the Pope is a head of state, it is not, in my opinion, a typical political entity. And, which kingdom is to have more influence on a Christian, the political establishments of men, or, the Kingdom of God? Which Kingdom should have priority on the Pope?
I doubt we will agree on this, but I still think that showing humility in this case is not necessarily a bad thing. Jesus shocked His disciples when He had a conversation with a hated Samaritan woman in the “Woman at the well” story. I’m not equating the Pope with Jesus, just pointing out that often Christianity is at odds with tradition and taboos.
Again, I’m not meaning to argue, and you may be absolutely correct in the end. It was just a thought, maybe a bad one, but just a thought all the same.
>>Francis is pathetic. First he brings Islam into an Easter ceremony, then he visits illegal alien Muslim invaders on an Italian island - expressing solidarity with them; and now he bows to a Muslim woman and wife to the alleged descendant of Mohammed. Is this the end times?<<
I fully agree with Mrs. Don-o’s position that he is hoping for Jordanian support and perhaps Pope Francis could be showing the world that Catholics and Muslims can get along just fine which could lead to more Muslims converting to Christianity.
The fact that he didn’t show any bowing to the husband speaks loudly, IMO.
Please re-read my whole post, re: the purpose of protocol.
Besides this one incident, the Pope has scandalized the faithful on many occasions, and he’s only been Pope for a few months! There is a difference between true humility and false humility. True humility thinks of the other person and false humility thinks only of itself. Sometimes I get the feeling that the Pope’s “humility” is for the cameras only and not for the faithful. Since the media seem to be so infatuated with him, I would say he is definitely on the wrong side.
Jesus told us not to be surprised when the world hates us, because it hated Him. The world does not seem to hate this Pope; that tells me something, loud and clear!
Just so. By bowing to Queen Raina, a lovely and admirably woman no doubt, Pope Francis has now established a precedent. Certainly, all popes must now bow to the wives of foreign dignitaries who are granted the privilege of a private audience. To refrain from doing so will be a grave insult. Can you imagine how the Queen of Spain, Catholic for twenty generations or more would react if the pope did not bow to her when he bowed to a Mohammedan in his own private chambers. I’m afraid Francis is either a fool or a nave.
or both
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.