PROTECTING THE POPE

I don't think I'm an innocent, but sometimes I'm surprised by my own reaction to things. There was an example the other day in the weekly paper called The Tablet. I get it sent to me on the Internet because I find it so much easier to read that way. (Age I expect!)  Anyway there was this article in it about the Pope and what you might call the Church Civil service in the Vatican. My reaction to it surprised me. I was quite shocked in fact.

It seems, according to the article, that Pope Francis is having quite a tough time with some of the high-powered clergy around him in Rome. I quote:
 "As he approaches the fourth anniversary of his election, Francis faces stiff resistance to his fragile Vatican reforms from inside the Church’s headquarters, while a group of furious conservatives bang on his door, demanding crisp answers to their accusations that his blurry pronouncements are allowing the faithful to drift into heresy."

It went on to say that one of the Pope's harshest critics was actually one of the Cardinals, an American called Francis Burke. Apparently he and three other Cardinals are actually  threatening to challenge Pope Francis legally. Honestly! I know my little knowledge of church history should have hardened me, but I have to say I found myself muttering something very naughty which I certainly should not repeat here in print, but I'll risk it, just this once. I muttered to myself, "the nerve of the man, Burke by name and Burke by na..". No I won't finish it, but honestly! I like Pope Francis. What gets into people, even red hatted Cardinals!

Of course that may be the trouble; Pope Francis is nice and the bosses at base in the Vatican set-up probably think that's got nothing to do with it. They may even envy him. It sounds silly but you have to remember that though this is God's church, it is run by human beings and human beings can be very funny, if you know what I mean.

Hard to know when the trouble began! Back in some college or seminary, perhaps. I sometimes think it was on that flight back from South America in his early days as Pope. Francis was talking to the journalists on the plane, among other things about homo-sexuality. Of course he didn't deny Church teaching but when they were talking about the things some  people got up to, he wouldn't be drawn to condemn them. In fact he said, "Who am I to say". Wow, when was the last time you heard a Pope talk like that? It reminded me at least of someone who once said to a woman others wanted to stone, "neither do I condemn you". Remember?

Now, I may well be way out of my depth here, and I hope you'll write in and tell me if you think so. I know that there are things like truth and orthodoxy but do we sometimes go too far, fooling ourselves that we are defending truth when really we are simply defending what our  predecessors said centuries ago? We can easily forget that they had a poorer understanding of human nature in those days. Christmas reminded us that God became man, one of us, one of each and all of us, so it's safe to say God is on the side of us humans. And anyway, what's so wrong about being nice? 

COMMENT 

From PJ DONAGHY (email address supplied.)
Well done Val- excellent piece about the Pope- when will the Church cease to appear to be run like a big business corporation?
And I'm all for the Jesus the hero!!
Peter
Feel free to print anything you think is worthwhile saying

FROM  JRB

Name and address sent to VF

I enjoyed your excellent article about the Pope in your recent Blog.

  "Sometimes, people who are at the top of organisations are so far removed from reality that their views are considered by most people to be not worth any merit. It is important to try to understand the different pressures that exist today, that does not mean pander to the do-gooders who always want to change things for what they see as improvements, but go out into the real world and experience the real world 'Smell the Coffee' so to speak and try to understand. Why are our churches so short of young people and children? Has anything been done to see why?

  When we were growing up (all those years ago) we were told that children should be seen and not heard and to accept everything we were told by adults without question. It is difficult to convince people fully of the merits of our faith, but very easy to turn these same people off by the lack of understanding and patience. How much times have changed since our youth - and in my opinion not always for the better, but now they are encouraged to question and research and discuss. Your words "..... fooling ourselves that we are defending the truth when really we are simply defending what our predecessors said centuries ago? We can easily forget that they had a poorer understanding of human nature in those days" I totally agree with.