Glory and Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
I love Pope Francis. I believe he truly walks in the Way of Our Lord. I further believe that Pope Francis is the right Pope for right now. May his Papacy continue for the next 20 years at least.
As a true successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis has electrified the world and caused consternation among "traditional" Catholics and "liberal" Catholics alike.
In the media, where editorial considerations and the journalistic need for headlines rule, Pope Francis is often misquoted and his comments are taken out of context.
A few months ago, the Pope said, regarding gay clergy and gay people in general "Who am I to judge?" His comment generated a firestorm of controversy. To wit: "Did the Pope just endorse gay equality, gay rights, etc?"
No, he neither endorsed nor condemned anything. He simply stated, consistent with the Word of Our Lord, "judge not lest ye be judged." The Holy Father was reiterating the fact that all of us will be ultimately judged by God and that no person should presuppose the will of God by passing judgement.
Just last week, in an oft-misquoted interview, the Holy Father expressed his belief that the Church should not be obsessively focused on the issues of abortion, same-sex marriage, or artificial contraception. The news outlets when berserk. One headline read "Pope Francis radically changes Church Doctrine."
Pope Francis did not change any Doctrine. His comments expressed his concern that if the Church appears to be a contemporary issue based Faith (and only three issues at that), then the entirety of the Deposit of Faith for the past 2,000 years might be seen as forgotten, pushed aside, or as secondary to those few issues, and the Church itself might thereby implode. The Holy Father is absolutely correct in his concerns.
What the Pope did say is that we Catholics should be mindful of and present the totality of our Faith, the example of Our Lord, and our adherence to the principles of love and forgiveness for which Our Lord sacrificed himself that we might find eternal life through Him.
When the Lord walked upon this Earth, neither He nor His disciples walked around with signs or verbal protests against single issues, any single issues. His message was always about universal love and forgiveness.
Our Lord told his disciples (us): "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household." Matt 10: 34-36
So, therefore, consistent with the Way of Our Lord, Pope Francis shakes things up. Rock on, Pope Francis!
That Pope Francis receive always the blessing of God, for Pope Francis' long life with a clear mind, and may Pope Francis' words be understood in their full truth and meaning by all Catholics and all persons in the world, I pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear my prayer.
Amen.
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