But getting the discussion back to the media spinning of Pope Francis: I do wonder how many people here actually read Pope Francis' 12,000 word interview?
The full text can be found in the U.S. publication American Magazine (www.americamagazine.org) and in the UK based online journal Thnking Faith (www.thinkingfaith.org)
It's Christ-centered, evangelical, and beautiful. In fact, I didn't think there's anything in it that an Evangelical Christian couldn't enthusiastically endorse or at least understand favorably; and there's plenty there to challenge left and right alike.
It glorifies Jesus Christ and radiates goodwill toward other people of goodwill whomever they may be.
The liberal media have done their usual cultural vandalism on it: select, discard, crop, and frame. If you read the whole thing I assure you it will be well worth your time.
I am continually amazed at the number of people here to routinely denounce the NYSlimes and the rest of the MSM as untrustworthy on political issues, yet they parrot the MSM’s lies and mis-direction about the words of the Pope and most other Christian leaders. I can only guess wonder WHY they follow the MSM’s mis-leading on whatever the Pope says like lemmings.
“I didn’t think there’s anything in it that an Evangelical Christian couldn’t enthusiastically endorse or at least understand favorably”
I read the whole article. It had a number of statements that I would object to...most importantly, a failure to mention repentance prior to forgiveness.
““I mention to Pope Francis that there are Christians who live in situations that are irregular for the church or in complex situations that represent open wounds. I mention the divorced and remarried, same-sex couples and other difficult situations. What kind of pastoral work can we do in these cases? What kinds of tools can we use?
“We need to proclaim the Gospel on every street corner,” the pope says, “preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing, even with our preaching, every kind of disease and wound. In Buenos Aires I used to receive letters from homosexual persons who are ‘socially wounded’ because they tell me that they feel like the church has always condemned them. But the church does not want to do this. During the return flight from Rio de Janeiro I said that if a homosexual person is of good will and is in search of God, I am no one to judge. By saying this, I said what the catechism says. Religion has the right to express its opinion in the service of the people, but God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person.
“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. Here we enter into the mystery of the human being. In life, God accompanies persons, and we must accompany them, starting from their situation. It is necessary to accompany them with mercy. When that happens, the Holy Spirit inspires the priest to say the right thing.”
Please notice the question involved same sex couples - people living and practicing homosexual acts.