It looks like Pope Francis gave another airplane interview. I've come to look forward to those in the same way I look forward to a good teeth cleaning twice a year.
Everyone seems to be jumping all over his statements about Communion and zealously pro-abortion rights politicians. I'll leave others to make sense of what he said about that. Here is a transcript of the interview, translated into the King's English.
But here's what caught my eye, regarding marriage within the context of a discussion about homosexuality:
I have spoken clearly about this: marriage is a sacrament, marriage is a sacrament. And the Church does not have the power to change the sacraments. They are thus, as the Lord has instituted [for] us. These are laws that try to help the situation of many people of different sexual orientations. And this is important, to help these people, but without imposing things that by their nature do not enter in the Church. But if they want to support a homosexual couple in life together, states have the possibility of civilly supporting them, of giving security through inheritance, health [insurance]. But the French have a law on this not only for homosexuals, but for all people who want to associate with each other [in a legally recognized relationship].
But marriage is marriage. This is not to condemn people who are like that, no, please, they are our brothers and sisters and we must accompany them. But marriage as a sacrament is clear, it is clear. That there are civil laws that provide if they want to associate, a law to have the health service, to have […] among them, these things are done. The French PACS, this law […] has nothing to do with homosexual couples — homosexual people can use it, they cannot use it, but marriage as a sacrament is man and woman. Sometimes what I have said is confusing. All the same, respect everyone. The good Lord will save everyone — do not say this aloud [laughs] — but the Lord wants to save everyone. Please do not make the Church deny her truth. Many, many people of homosexual orientation approach the Sacrament of Penance, they approach to ask priests for advice, the Church helps them to move forward in their lives. But the sacrament of marriage is […].
It looks to my eyes, assuming the translation is accurate, that Christian morals are no longer some thing that matter. They're nice. At least for Catholics. But you can certainly live an actively open life contrary to the Church's teachings and it doesn't matter. In fact, it's nice that the State has laws that help you live a life in conflict with Church teaching.
Why? Because apparently God saves everyone. Now the transcript says he laughs, and then says the Lord wants to save everyone. Again, letting his maybe be a good solid possibly without commitment. Sometimes he approaches these things like a drunk in a bar jockeying for a laugh from the girls next to him, not a leader of the largest Christian tradition in the world. Does he really mean God saves everyone? That seems in direct conflict with everything traditional orthodox Christianity has taught for its entire existence.
But then, it has always taught that sexual sin is serious as well. Or at least it is something we'll let people burn in Hell for, or we just don't believe in Hell and it doesn't matter? I have no clue. I know people who worried about Covid lockdowns or question Global Warming or Open Borders Immigration or Covid Vaccines are a reprehensible bunch. Pope Francis makes that clear. But everything else? It may or may not be, well, any particular concern since we're all saved anyway? Or not. Because Pope Francis will never tell. Or he will. And only the spiritually and intellectually superior Catholics will know for sure.
The good Lord will save everyone — do not say this aloud [laughs] — but the Lord wants to save everyone. Please do not make the Church deny her truth. Pope Francis
I'm totally on board with the Pope's marriage policy. The only true marriage is between a Man and a Woman, but if the government wants to give out fake marriage licenses, that's on them (heck, if the government started giving marriage licenses to guys marrying their cars I wouldn't have a problem). The only thing missing is the need to mention the detail that homosexual behavior is a sin, which Pope Francis is too wimpy to do.
ReplyDeleteSometimes with Pope Francis the problem isn't what he says - though that is sometimes the problem - but what he doesn't say. Not to mention the vast multi-billion dollar global industry that seems to have grown up around explaining what Pope Francis really meant. At some point you have to wonder if the lack of clarity is intentional.
DeleteHe always struck me as sort of a sentimental, slightly senile
Deleteold guy that want's to be everyone's grandpa. The kind of guy that goes out of his way to not offend anyone, regardless of what it costs. The one exception is his bizarre hatred of anything he sees as "right of center," or "too American," which probably stems from his Argentinean background. That's why he's vaguely pro-life when asked about abortion, but gets mad as a mother when is someone says anything slightly negative about his stance on global warming.
Essentially, he thinks the answer to all the worlds problems is to just keep singing "kumbaya," non-stop, the only thing standing in the way being those war-loving Americans and Latin Mass attendees over there.
Jesus' words to the Church of Thyatira is applicable.
ReplyDeletehttps://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/2?18
Yep. That's not too far off the mark these days.
DeleteI've been ignoring PF since 2014.
ReplyDelete