The Pope is not an absolute monarch whose thoughts and desires are law. On the contrary: the Pope’s ministry is a guarantee of obedience to Christ and to his Word. He must not proclaim his own ideas, but rather constantly bind himself and the Church to obedience to God’s Word, in the face of every attempt to adapt it or water it down, and every form of opportunism.
Pope John Paul II did this when, in front of all attempts, apparently benevolent to the human person, and in the face of erroneous interpretations of freedom, he unequivocally stressed the inviolability of the human being and of human life from the moment of conception until natural death. The freedom to kill is not true freedom, but a tyranny that reduces the human being to slavery.
The Pope knows that in his important decisions, he is bound to the great community of faith of all times, to the binding interpretations that have developed throughout the Church’s pilgrimage. Thus, his power is not being above, but at the service of, the Word of God. It is incumbent upon him to ensure that this Word continues to be present in its greatness and to resound in its purity, so that it is not torn to pieces by continuous changes in usage.
The Chair is – let us say it again – a symbol of the power of teaching, which is a power of obedience and service, so that the Word of God- the truth! – may shine out among us and show us the way of life. (Benedict XVI, Homily in Saint John the Lateran, May 7, 2005)
Who is Francis? A prophet for our times? God’s instrument for the renovation of the Church? The precursor of a new springtime of the Faith?
A collection of his principal teachings confronted with the Magisterium of the Church can be an excellent aid to accurately judge these questions…
Social Doctrine of the Church
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Plagiarism? Manipulation? Prestidigitation? Francis and his peculiar concept of private property (IV – Conclusions)
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Are they trying to pass off a cat as rabbit? Francisco and the Social Doctrine of the Church: “I don’t believe that I have said anything not found in the Church’s social teaching”
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For the Church, the option for the poor is a theological category. I want a Church which is poor and for the poor. The new evangelization is an invitation to acknowledge the saving power at work in their lives
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The hammer and sickle with Christ crucified: “For me it wasn’t an offense”
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Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are (II): “It is strange but, if I talk about this, some say that the Pope is communist”
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Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are (I): An important precontextualization to one of our studies
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Laudato si’ (I): Collateral considerations: what is an Encyclical, what is the Social Doctrine of the Church, and finally what are the prerequisites of a Social Encyclical?
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Laudato si’ (II): what Francis forgot
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What is the interconfessional ecological spirituality proposed by the Encyclical Laudato Si´?
Dogma
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Faith is not an inheritance we receive from others, rather it is a loving response we give freely and day by day we build
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“No one can know if they are touched by grace. Grace is how much light there is in the soul”
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The Council Fathers strongly perceived a need to talk about God to men and women of their time in a more accessible way. The time had come to proclaim the Gospel in a new way
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Clarity and doctrinal security: defects of restorationism and legalism that leads to finding nothing
Christology
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The Son of Man, who like a serpent, became sin, is raised up to save us. Let us look at the Cross, a man tortured, a God, emptied of his divinity, stained by sin
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‘God, in judging us, loves us. If I embrace his love then I am saved, if I refuse it, then I am condemned – He only loves and saves’
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“For this little ‘escapade’, Jesus probably had to beg forgiveness of his parents”
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What moved Jesus in all situations was nothing other than mercy
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The Incarnation came about for God to learn to be a man?
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In the Gospel, Jesus does not become angry, but pretends to when the disciples do not understand him
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To live the Christian faith denotes service to the person, as a whole and to all peoples, starting with those living on the margins
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It seems as if they rebel against God. Asking God ‘why?’ is also a prayer
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God is the Spirit of the world; and each one can interpret Him in his own way
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I would not speak about ‘absolute’ truths – truth is a relationship
Grace
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The privileged place for the encounter with Jesus Christ is our sins. If a Christian is not capable of recognizing himself as a sinner saved by the Cross of Christ then he is a half-way Christian, is a lukewarm Christian
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The most wicked and the most blasphemous person is loved by God with the tenderness of a father
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Atheists can also do good
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God is in every person’s life: my dogmatic certainty
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All including atheists or those of any religion are children of God
God
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Those who are Christians with the Bible and those who are Muslims with the Koran, with the faith you have received from your fathers. There is one single God, the same God
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We risk imagining that God was a magician, complete with an all-powerful magic wand
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If some of you don’t pray because you don’t believe or it goes against your conscience, please send positive vibes my way
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The Divinity will be in every soul and everything will be in all
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There is no Catholic God
Ecclesiology
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The Catholic Church has acted again and again as a mediator in finding solutions to problems affecting peace, social harmony, the land, the defense of life, human and civil rights
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Unity of teaching and practice is certainly necessary in the Church, but this does not preclude various ways of interpreting some aspects of that teaching or drawing certain consequences from it
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Do we love the Church as we love our mothers, also taking into account her defects? All mothers have defects. The Church also has her defects
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The Church is woman. Women, in the Church, are more important than bishops and priests
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In Argentina, we worked together a lot with the pastors. In Buenos Aires, I got together with a group of pastors who were friends, and we prayed together. And that helped those of us who were more serious to work together. So, you see, the word ‘sect’ gets diluted
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When I have a clericalist in front of me I suddenly become anticlerical. Clericalism shouldn’t have any part in Christianity
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The candidates to the episcopate must be pastors, close to the people: this is the first criterion. A great theologian, a learned mind: let him go to the university! They must not have the mindset of princes
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Real power is service – there is no other way in the Church. For the Christian, progress means humbling oneself
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I decided that the first thing to do was to appoint a group of eight cardinals to be my advisors. This is the beginning of a Church whose organization is not only vertical but also horizontal
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Who am I to judge? 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
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We must listen to the debates of our time and perceive the ‘fragrance’ of the men of this age; listen to the people until breathing in the will to which God calls us
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Spiritual direction is a charism of the laity
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God has saved a people. No one is saved alone, as an isolated individual
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The Council of Jerusalem – Those who were on opposing sides and were sowing discord entered into dialogue and reached an agreement. This formula is the work of the Holy Spirit: He creates harmony among all people
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Being Pope doesn’t mean being the most important in the Church; we are all equal. I am somewhat unaware
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The Church has the Sinful Habit of Focusing too much on Itself and being Self-Referential
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The Roman Curia: Flattering Courtiers or Aides to the Pope?
Eschatology
Heaven
Hell
Judgment
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A reinterpretation of the Creed: at the Final Judgment, Jesus Christ will be our advocate and not our judge
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God, in judging us, loves us. If I embrace his love then I am saved, if I refuse it, then I am condemned – He only loves and saves
Death
Mariology
Sacred Scripture
Theology
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It won’t be theologians who bring about unity among us. The Holy Spirit brings about unity. I join you as just another participant
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Teaching and studying theology means living on a frontier. Good theologians, like good shepherds, have the odor of the people and of the street
Papacy
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I think about a conversion of the papacy. It is my duty, as the Bishop of Rome, to be open to suggestions which can help make the exercise of my ministry more faithful to the meaning which Jesus Christ wished to give it
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We take up this journey: Bishop and People. Before the Bishop blesses his people, I ask you to pray to the Lord that he will bless me.
Moral
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Francis changes the Vatican protocol regarding public sinners
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The Church’s moral teaching is – I think – uncertain about whether it has to do with the fifth or the sixth commandment. I don’t like to descend to this kind of casuistry while people are dying from lack of water, food or housing…
Family
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The internet offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God
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No family drops down from heaven perfectly formed. Our contemplation of the fulfillment which we have yet to attain also allows us to see in proper perspective the historical journey which we make as families, and in this way to stop demanding of our interpersonal relationships a perfection, a purity of intentions and a consistency which we will only encounter in the Kingdom to come
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The Church does not disregard the constructive elements in those situations which do not yet or no longer correspond to her teaching on marriage
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The divorced who have entered a new union can find themselves in a variety of situations, which should not be pigeonholed or fit into overly rigid classifications leaving no room for a suitable discernment
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Not all discern, in their solitude, the Lord calling them. Around us we find various families in so-called irregular situations – I don’t really like this word
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The family is an anthropological fact, and consequently a social, cultural fact, etc. We cannot qualify it with ideological concepts. Today there can be no talk of the conservative family or the progressive family: family is family!
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It is necessary to have a fraternal and attentive welcome of the baptized who have established a new relationship of cohabitation after the failure of the marital sacrament; in fact, these persons are by no means excommunicated — they are not excommunicated! They are still a part of the Church. No closed doors! No closed doors!
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Today I would like to focus our attention on another reality: how to take care of those who, after an irreversible failure of their matrimonial bond, have entered into a new union
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Who am I to judge? 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
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I do not have the recipe. How can we go on in a culture that doesn’t care about the family, where marriage is not preferred?
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Many young adults prefer to live together without getting married. It’s necessary to draw near to them
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To be a good Catholic it isn’t necessary to have children like rabbits. God gave the means to be responsible
Law
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In those times, it was not possible to drink a little water before Mass. It was Pope Pius XII who saved us from this dictatorship!
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Nothing of yearning for a monolithic body of doctrine – the precepts which Christ and the apostles gave to the people of God ‘are very few’
Piety
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‘Your Holiness, we offer you this spiritual treasure: 3,525 rosaries’ – there are certain restorationist groups, they go back to practices that I lived through, but not now…
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You never know where and how you will find God
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If a person says that he has met God with total certainty and is not touched by a margin of uncertainty, then this is not good
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Making ones’ First Communion means entering into communion with those who belong to other communities but believe in Jesus
Liberty of Conscience
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The Church is pharisaical when she wants to take charge of the consciences of people
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If one chooses evil desiring a good consequence, in heaven these good intentions will be taken into consideration.
Sin
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Christian morality is not a catalogue of sins and faults. The Gospel invites us to respond to the God of love who saves us. If this invitation does not radiate forcefully and attractively, it would mean that it is not the Gospel which is being preached, the message will cease to have ‘the fragrance of the Gospel’
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Of what things can a Christian boast? Two things: his sins and Christ Crucified
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Some people say that sin is an offence to God…
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Who decides what is good and evil? Each one’s conscience…
Sacraments
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If someone comes to you and feels something must be removed from him, but perhaps he is unable to say it, but you understand … it’s all right, he says it this way, with the gesture of coming. Have open arms, to understand what is inside that heart that cannot be said or said this way … somewhat because of shame … you understand me
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In the case of divorcees who have remarried, we posed the question, what do we do with them? What door can we allow them to open? Why can’t they be godfathers and godmothers? Things need to change.
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The Lord always pardons, He never condemns
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The exclusion of divorced people who contract a second marriage from communion is not a sanction. The Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak
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The Church cannot have closed doors, not even to the sacraments
Life
Ecumenism
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“Solidarity becomes a way of making history in a life setting where conflicts, tensions and oppositions can achieve a diversified and life-giving unity”
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“There is an aspect of mercy that goes beyond the confines of the Church. It relates us to Judaism and Islam, both of which consider mercy to be one of God’s most important attributes”
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“If we are honest in presenting our convictions, we will be able to see more clearly what we hold in common. New avenues will be opened for mutual esteem”
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“In spite of various obstacles and difficulties, especially forms of fundamentalism on both sides, interreligious dialogue is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities. By mutual listening, both parts can be purified and enriched”
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We, the descendents of Abraham according to our faith in you, the one God, Jews, Christians and Muslims, humbly stand before you. May everything be to your glory and honor and for our salvation. Praise and eternal glory to you, our God!
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Pray for me!’
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God’s working in non-Christians tends to produce sacred expressions which in turn bring others to a communitarian experience of journeying towards God. As Christians, we can also benefit from these treasures
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Peaceful coexistence between different religions is favoured by the laicity of the state
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A healthy pluralism – one which genuinely respects differences and values them
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The doctrine of the mysterious Polyhedron: the Goal of Ecumenism is the Harmony of all Christian Faiths
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The Old Covenant still exists, and the Church is enriched with the values of Judaism
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Ecumenism of blood is a priceless contribution toward Christian Unity
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‘New Hymn for Peace’ – encounter is the bridge to Peace
Islam
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The sacred writings of Islam have retained some Christian teachings; Jesus and Mary receive profound veneration
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I also think with affection of those Muslim immigrants who this evening begin the fast of Ramadan, which I trust will bear abundant spiritual fruit. My prayerful good wishes, that your lives may glorify the Almighty
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Authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence. The Quran is a prophetic book of peace
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Christians and Muslims share the same Faith
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Those who are Christians with the Bible and those who are Muslims with the Koran, with the faith you have received from your fathers. There is one single God, the same God
Judaism
Orthodox
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That all the Orthodox Christians of Ukraine may live in peace and harmony, and that the Catholic communities in the country may contribute to this, in such a way that our Christian brotherhood may become increasingly evident
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Orthodox and Catholics are united not only by the shared Tradition of the Church of the first millennium, but also by the mission to preach the Gospel of Christ in the world today
Protestantism
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“Our division is a scandal”
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The differences between Catholic sacraments and Lutheran worship are “explanations, interpretations.” “You are doing the same thing, whether in the Lutheran language or the Catholic one, but it’s the same.”
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A picture is worth a thousand words….and a gesture, sometimes, more than an official document
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Dear sister, our separated brethren should not be perceived as adversaries, but rather recognized as brothers and sisters in faith
Exegesis
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It saddens me when I read that passage in the Gospel of Matthew when Judas repented and went to the priests, who had a closed heart in regard to this poor, penitent man
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This Messiah is not how I imagined the Messiah would be. Maybe I made a mistake?
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Jesus said that he was the Bread which came down from heaven, and that he would give his flesh as food and his blood as drink, thereby clearly alluding to the sacrifice of his life. We need Jesus, to be with him, to be nourished at his table, on his words of eternal life!
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The poor are at the center of the Gospel, are at heart of the Gospel, if we take away the poor from the Gospel we can’t understand the whole message of Jesus Christ
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Francis and the curious miracle of the non-multiplication of the loaves
Pastoral
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A pastor is not afraid to get his hands dirty. He risks his life, his reputation, losing his comforts, his status, even lose his ecclesiastical career as well. He cannot be content, keeping to himself. It is so easy to condemn others, but it is not Christian!
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“It is essential to draw near to new forms of poverty and vulnerability, in which we are called to recognize the suffering Christ”
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Spiritual direction is a charism of the laity
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Material charity toward the poor gives witness to the love of the Church more than the studies of theologians
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Who teaches us how to love? The Holy Spirit alone. You can take a thousand courses in catechesis or spirituality, or a thousand courses in yoga or Zen – but all of this will never be able to give you the freedom of the Son
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Our faith is revolutionary – A Christian who is not revolutionary is not a Christian! – Help me to keep making a racket!
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The poor are the flesh of Christ; and poverty is a theological category
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The most serious of the evils that afflict the world these days are youth unemployment and the loneliness of the old
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Hopefully we’ll have to sell off churches in order to give food to the poor
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Francis doesn’t speak much of abortion, homosexual marriage or contraceptives. He says it’s not necessary to insist on such topics – rather, more emphasis must be put on positive things, lest we lose the freshness and the perfume of the Gospel
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What matters is to eradicate hunger and to educate, without bothering about religion
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If people are wounded, what does Jesus do? Does He rebuke them for being wounded? No, He comes and carries them on his shoulders
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A Re-reading of the Gospel in Light of Contemporary Culture
Education
Encounter
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“We must create new forms of cultural synthesis. Those who migrate force those who welcome them to change. We must promote the culture of encounter”
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The Church defended the Faith with walls; but now we need to build bridges. Gone are the days of excluding atheists, unmarried, socialists
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The only way for individuals and societies to grow is via the culture of encounter without needless preconceptions
Evangelization
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The Church can sometimes fall into a needless hallowing of our own culture, and thus show more fanaticism than true evangelizing zeal
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The Church has never been better. This is a wonderful moment for the Church
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The Church can sometimes fall into a needless hallowing of our own culture, and thus show more fanaticism than true evangelizing zea
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This insidious worldliness is evident in a number of attitudes. In some people we see an ostentatious preoccupation for the liturgy, for doctrine and for the Church’s prestige
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‘I dream of a “missionary option”, that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation’
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“What is called for is an evangelization capable of shedding light on these new ways of relating to God, to others and to the world around us. The Church is called to be at the service of a difficult dialogue”
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The thought comes to mind of the temptation of connecting the proclamation of the Gospel with inquisitorial blows. No, the Gospel is proclaimed with gentleness, with fraternity, with love
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When the Church becomes closed, she becomes an ailing Church, she falls ill! The Church must step outside herself. To the outskirts of existence, whatever they may be
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Being a minority is actually a strength. We have to be a leavening infinitely smaller than the mass. Our goal is not to proselytize but to listen to needs
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Proselytism is downright nonsense; it doesn’t make any sense
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Many grave sins were committed against the native peoples of America in the name of God. I humbly ask forgiveness, not only for the offenses of the Church herself, but also for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America. The bicentennial of Latin America’s cry for independence commemorates a cry which arose from being conscious of a lack of freedom, of exploitation and despoliation of being subject to the passing whims of the powers that be.
Philosophy
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The Communists have stolen the flag. The flag of the poor is Christian. Now when they speak one could say to them: but you are Christians
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We are all equal – everyone! When this is not acknowledged, that society is unjust
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The Formula for Happiness: “Live and Let Live”
Suffering
Religious Life
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Amoris Laetitia… Does Francis have affinity with the Jovinian heresy?
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Life is complicated; it consists of grace and sin. He who does not sin is not human
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A Church or a movement, a community that is closed becomes ill. It has all of the sicknesses of isolation
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You will make mistakes, you will make blunders, this happens! Perhaps even a letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will arrive to you, telling you that you said such or such thing… But do not worry
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The Distorted Tendency of Emphasizing Asceticism, Silence and Penance has Become Widespread even within the Society of Jesus
Anti-pope.
Unbalanced? Mendacious? Moronic?
If there are other possibilities please contribute an option.
Nothing else comes to my mind.
But when will there be a responsible and prudent intervention to bring this to an end? Nothing can justify the continuation of this atrocious pontificate. Souls are being lost.
Mean, Manipulative, Megalomaniacal, Machiavellian, Meddlesome, Miserable, Modernist.
Dear friends in Christ,
I hope that many of you have read Bible more than I do. Even though, I want to invite you to read the letters of St. Paul, the Apostles then you may be easier to cast the ideas of “Who are we” Fathers’ writings because when I read Gospel I used to read both the first reading and it helped me to understand Gospel clearer. For example, if you read Galatians 1,6-12; 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy 3, 1-10 – Mathew 7, 6-28; Luke 13, 24; 6, 31; Luke 6, 43-44; 6, 47-49, 25-27.
If you read more the readings both Bible and St. Paul’s letters, they inspire you quick to understand the writings of “Who are we,” Priests.
Pray more for Priests and higher Ranking who are laying down for us and for the Church for they are second Christ.
I would like to say “Hi” to the Fathers called “Who are we” I pray for you everyday Fathers. You are chosen to help us on the Journey home, Our God Home is harden by those like Bergoglio.
God bless all of you holy priests for doing what you are doing in creating this website to get the truth out. Since Francis took St. Peter’s chair 3.5 years ago, I’ve had a very uncomfortable feeling about him. I kept thinking, “what is wrong with me for thinking this way?”. I never bothered looking to see if others had doubts like me, until 2.5 weeks ago. Fr. Jacques Hamel’s murder had a very deep impact on me…..when Francis was asked about St. Hamel’s murder, he couldn’t even bring himself to say anything against ISIS! The most he said about St. Hamel’s murder was that it was “absurd”! I was pushed over the edge and chose to seek out others who may have doubts about Francis like I do. I’ve been finding so many websites that point out all of the anti-Catholic and anti-doctrine statements that Francis has said since becoming pope. After all of the reading I’ve done in the last several days, I can only come to one conclusion and that is that Francis is the false prophet and we are in the end times. There is no other way to explain why Francis vilifies all Catholics, especially traditional and fundamentalist Catholics, or true followers of Christ. He is so overtaken by Satan that it’s undeniable. Please continue to keep up your blog and get the truth out to faithful Catholics who truly love Christ! God help us all.
I kept getting cold chills at the things he was saying, but I kept trying to give him the benefit of the doubt since he was “pope”. The last straw for me was when I read that he’d taken up for ‘poor repentant Judas’. I could not believe my eyes, so I looked it up and he’s done it MANY times. Pure evil. I think he’s an antipope and Benedict is still the true pontiff.
Francis and Judas go well together. They both have the knack of uniting Jesus’ enemies against Him.
Programma in Dutch, please,
And in French too, please.
You can supplement your commentaries with material from St. Peter Canisius’s Summa Doctrinae Christianae. The last edition (1832-34) has not only Canisius’s text, as do earlier editions, but also includes quotations from the Scriptures and Fathers that Canisius cited in his own text.
See: https://books.google.com/books?id=y04AAAAAMAAJe https://books.google.com/books?id=nE0AAAAAMAAJ https://books.google.com/books?id=sk0AAAAAMAAJ https://books.google.com/books?id=CDFAAAAAcAAJ
Thank you!
Looking forward to your help always!