Posted on 12/11/2013 2:02:42 PM PST by NYer
Another week, another media frenzy over our pope.
This morning Time announced they have selected Pope Francis as Person of the Year.
Good news? A non-story? What to make of this all?
George Weigel has said that the late Blessed John Paul II regularly inquired of his visitors the details of what was happening in their corner of the world.
According to Weigel, the pope wasn’t as much interested in the political stories that dominated the headlines. He was more fascinated by what the Holy Spirit was doing through these events.
Which brings us to the widespread popularity of Pope Francis.
What is the Holy Spirit up to?
According to the headlines this morning, the Holy Father’s approval rating (who knew there was such a thing!) is at 92% among Catholics. Non-Catholics too are intrigued. Even non-religious. And the media, evidenced by today’s news, loves him.
But wait! Many of you are writing us saying: these people don’t understand what our Church teaches! They aren’t pro-life, they don’t defend traditional marriage, or they don’t believe in the Real Presence.
Stop.
The Church is most assuredly facing significant threats. The list is long, and we need not recount them all here. The newfound popularity for Pope Francis and the Church can at times seem like a contradiction. Many new people are intrigued by our Church, while its adversaries seemingly continue to grow.
We can’t help but recall St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. For it seems that what we are witnessing is the battle not of flesh and blood, but of spiritual principalities. Satan is worried. And he is working overtime. We see his poisoned fruits everywhere in our culture.
But the Holy Spirit too is clearly at work as well.
Big time.
Will the popularity of our Holy Father translate to a deeper faith among Catholics? Will it lead to higher Mass attendance, more vocations, and a greater embrace of the fullness of Catholic teaching? We don’t know.
The ways of Our Lord are a mystery.
But we do know what Christ promised us in his Church.
For that reason, we ask you to pray with us today the words from St. Paul that followed in Ephesians:
With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones’ and also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.
A mystery and an adventure indeed.
May God bless our Holy Father.
Interesting, ping!
How do you practice humility from the most exalted throne on earth? Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly—young and old, faithful and cynical—as has Pope Francis. In his nine months in office, he has placed himself at the very center of the central conversations of our time: about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalization, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power.
Yep, they think he's a lefty
Good news, but it’s partially because they think he is going to move the church farther to the left.
The magazine is in rough financial shape. Perhaps the choice was made to increase readership.
So do some of those Catholics who like him so much. They think he's so much more 'flexible' than was "God's Rottweiler".
Heh, just because he speaks softly and compassionately doesn't mean he's for changing ANYTHING about the Church's teachings. When they finally realize that, they will feel betrayed, then they'll start screaming against Pope Francis like they did against Pope Benedict.
“Yep, they think he’s a lefty”.
Well, they are wrong, as are the usual Catholic bashers on FR.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-excommunicates-dissident-priest-in-australia/
Melbourne, Australia, Sep 25, 2013 / 02:06 am (CNA).- Pope Francis has ordered the excommunication of a Catholic priest in Australia who illicitly said Mass, taught that women should be ordained priests and advocated for “gay marriage.”
An Archdiocese of Melbourne spokesman said the Pope had ordered the excommunication of Father Greg Reynolds, who has also been dismissed from the clerical state, the Australian Associated Press reports.
>> “Well, they are wrong, as are the usual Catholic bashers on FR.” <<
.
Until he sells the improperly accumulated wealth in the vatican to feed the poor, he’s just as useless as every other false Yeshua in a dress that has worn the carp hat.
I think Pope Francis has the media bewildered. They keep trying to use him for their own purposes, as no doubt Time Magazine is doing with this choice. But, as this article suggests, let us hope that the Holy Spirit will guide Pope Francis and bring God’s grace back into our world.
Frankly, the only thing that can save our country and the world at this point is prayer, and God’s intervention with a new religious revival, such as our country and the world have experienced from time to time before.
I don’t know why so many Freepers seem to wish that the Pope will fail. We need the Church—and all the other Christian Churches—badly at this point in time. Attacking the Pope, or hoping he will fail, does nothing but side with our common enemies.
Until I joined FR, I thought attacking the Catholic Church was the purview of liberals. Guess not.
Pray for Pope Francis.
Thank-you. Pope Francis is really center-right.
AMEN, I second it!
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