[NYer]

Summary, ping!

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

While not a fan of Pope Francis and have vehemently disagreed with many of his comments on economic policy, I am glad he seems to be open and flexible regarding the Church’s policy of mandatory clerical celibacy, which seems to apply to some, but not others.

[kinsman redeemer]

Place Mark

[onyx]

"In the Vatican with Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas."

It will be an encounter to pray, not for the purposes of mediation.


All right. That's what I thought. Still, a murderous Moslem in the Vatican ...

[Alex Murphy]

IB4TPWMA

[RitaOK]

I held my breath to begin the read of this summary. I exhaled, grateful there was no apparent need for a myriad translation, or a jillion interpretations. (Apparent to me at least.)

To onyx’s point, yes, it is going to be hard to see the enemy of the sacred planting his shoes on sacred ground in the Vatican.

Dear Holy Father has been a real contradiction speaking on political things outside of faith and morals leaving confusion for me.

But then I think of Jesus Christ, and how He was a contradiction to people in the time of Jesus, who didn’t understand, or outright rejected what He was saying, teaching and reflecting.

I very much want to be on the right side of God concerning, “persona Christie”, of our earthly Shepherd.

The Holy Spirit has never let us down in all of history, so, I must lean on Him and trust Him to do His work in the Vatican, and in me.

But, regarding this summary so far, it seemed to represent a better rhetorical showing for Pope Francis, in that no real bombshells were dropped in this outing. I was relieved.

[piusv]

The Synod in October will be on the family and the problems it faces; its riches and its current situation. I do not like the fact that many people, even within the Church, have said that it will be the Synod about remarried divorcees, as if it could simply be reduced to a case study: can they receive communion or not? The issue is much broader. Today, as we all know, the family is in crisis, and it is a global crisis. Young people no longer want to get married, or prefer simply to live together; marriage is in crisis, and therefore the family is too. The problem of family pastoral care is very broad. Pope Benedict said something about the family three times: it is necessary to study the faith with which a person approaches marriage and clarify that divorcees are not excommunicated, and very often they are treated as if they are.

Wait, so here was an opportunity to reiterate Church teaching and say "No, remarried divorcees can not receive communion" and he says, "This issue is much broader".

Gotcha.

For those of you who are "relieved" by his comments, you might re-think that.

[Salvation]

**Abuse of minors**

No surprise that they saw this got at the top of the list.