Francis Urges More Change; Shuns Conservatism & Fundamentalism
Francis spoke to Italian bishops about need for institution to be
protected from ‘every pretence of power, image and money’ amid financial
allegations
Latest Francis nonsense. Vatican II NewSpeak Continues...(articles within)
Francis called on the Catholic church on Tuesday to stop clinging to conservatism and fundamentalism as a defensive response to the problems it is facing, and said the church ought to be “bruised, hurting and dirty” instead of obsessed with money and power.
The sweeping remarks before an audience of Italian bishops at a conference in Florence were a stark reminder of the way in which Pope Francis is trying to shake up a church that in many ways is losing relevance around the world, and continues to be battered by allegations of financial mismanagement and greed at the heart of the Vatican.
“Before the problems of the church it is not useful to search for solutions in conservatism or fundamentalism, in the restoration of obsolete conduct and forms that no longer have the capacity of being significant culturally,” the pope said.
“Christian doctrine is not a closed system (??) incapable of generating questions, doubts, interrogatives. But it is alive (living tradition), knows being unsettled ... it does not have a rigid face, it has a body that moves and grows, it has a soft flesh: it is called Jesus Christ.”
The comments come at a critical juncture for Francis. Last month, a high-level group of bishops from around the world met at the Vatican and engaged in a vigorous debate over how the church ought to respond to changes in the modern family, including the prevalence of divorce.
While Francis has cast himself as a reformer who is seeking to portray the church as a less rigid and less dogmatic institution, which stands with people who live on the margins of society, there are factions in the church that are vigorously resisting his plea for the church to be more flexible and open.
On Tuesday, he asked for the Italian church to be protected “from every pretence of power, image and money” and said Christians ought not to be obsessed with power even when it was power that was “useful to the social image of the church”.
“I would like an Italian church that is unsettled, always closer to the abandoned, the forgotten, the imperfect,” said Francis. “I desire a happy church with face of a mother who understands, accompanies, caresses.”
Austen Ivereigh, the papal biographer who wrote The Great Reformer, said Francis was clearly aiming some of his message directly at the Italian church, which receives a subsidy from the state and could be seen by Francis as being too conformist and pro-establishment.
“The Italian church is very large and wealthy in terms of property. This was a call for the Italian church to be more missionary, less dependent on status and wealth, and more radical and pro-poor,” Ivereigh said.
Before his speech to bishops, Francis visited the city of Prato, where seven Chinese nationals were killed in 2013 following an industrial fire in a factory where they lived and worked. Francis criticised the “inhuman” conditions they lived in.
“The life of every community requires that we fight the cancer of corruption, the cancer of human and labor exploitation and the poison of illegality,” he said.
Francis says Catholics must be open to change
“… It is not useful to search for solutions in conservatism or fundamentalism,” the pope said. “We are not living an era of change, but a change of era.”
Christian doctrine, he added, “is not a closed system incapable of generating questions, doubts, queries, but it’s alive, and able to unsettle, animate.” Doctrine, Francis said, “has a face that isn’t rigid, a body that moves and develops, it has tender flesh: that of Jesus Christ.”
Francis’ 49-minute speech before the national conference of the Italian church — a meeting of 2,200 representatives of 220 dioceses — came as the Vatican copes with a new leaks scandal after two new books laid bare the pope’s uphill battle to reform the Italian-dominated Vatican bureaucracy.
While Francis did not offer specifics about changes he would like to see the Church embrace, his speech came across as a manifesto for his reforms, offering a programmatic synthesis of some of the main ideas of his papacy.
He called on Catholics to be “a free Church that is open to the challenges of the present, never on the defensive for fear of losing something.”
Pelagianism, the pope told the bishops and laypeople, “prompts the Church not to be humble, selfless, and blessed. It does so with the appearance of being a good.”
It “gives us confidence in structures, organizations, in perfect planning because it’s abstract,” he said, but it often leads Catholics to “take a controlling, hard, prescriptive style,” he said.
Pelagianism, Francis said, sees reform of the Church — “and the Church is semper reformanda (always reforming),” he said — as an alien concept. Reform, he added, is not about changing structures, but being “rooted in Christ, allowing the Spirit to lead us.”
Gnosticism, the pope said, “leads us to trust in a logical and clear reasoning which lacks the tenderness of the flesh of our brother or sister.”
According to Francis, the world’s fascination with Gnosticism lies in a “subjective” way of living the faith, guided by experiences or ideas that are meant to enlighten, but which trap one in “his or her thoughts and feelings.”
Instead of falling into these two heresies, Francis called on the Italian Church to be humble, to avoid being influenced by selfish motives, and to spread the joy of the Gospel.
In words directed to the Italian bishops, the pope called them to “be shepherds, and nothing else,” allowing the faithful to sustain them. “Don’t be preachers of complex doctrine, but announcers of Jesus Christ, who died and resurrected for us.”
He reminded the bishops that “the Lord shed his blood not for some, nor for a few, nor for many, but for all.”
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/44584/
The reforms move forward
· At the Angelus the Pope states that stealing documents is a crime and gives thanks for the support for the Church ·
Nov. 9, 2015
It
is “a crime” to steal “the Holy See’s confidential documents”, said clearly at
the end of the Angelus on Sunday, 8 November, in St Peter's Square, referring
to what he called a “deplorable act”. At the same time, he assured the faithful
that this will not deter him “from the reform project” that he and his advisors
are carrying out.
The
Pope continued that he was aware that many “have been troubled by the news
circulating in recent days”, but he said, he “personally had asked for that
study to be carried out” and he said, “there have been steps have been taken
that have begun to bear fruit, some of them even visible”. Then the Holy Father
expressed his thanks for “the support of the whole Church”, because he said,
“the Church is renewed with prayer and the daily holiness of each baptized
person”.
Next
the Pontiff referred to the fifth national convention of the Italian Church,
currently underway in Florence, calling it “an important event of communion and
reflection”. The Holy Father will participate in the convention on Tuesday,
after making a short stop in Prato.
Before
the Marian prayer, Francis dedicated his brief reflection to the day's Gospel
readings. The Holy Father underlined the meaning of the episode of the widow's
offering. The episode, he said, has two parts “one that describes how not to be
followers of Christ; the other offers an example of a Christian”. Regarding the
first, the Pope highlighted that “even today there is a risk of taking on these
attitudes. For example, when prayer is separated from justice, so that God
cannot be worshiped and causing harm to the poor. Or when one claims to love
God, but instead offers Him only grandiosity for one’s own advantage”.
- See more at:
http://www.osservatoreromano.va/en/news/reforms-move-forward#sthash.BxZURRNk.dpuf
The new or integral humanism of Vatican II is NOT at all "Christian" it teaches the principles of the diabolical sect of FreeMasonry
Addressing participants in Italy’s Fifth National Ecclesial Convention on “The New Humanism in Jesus Christ” beneath the frescoed dome of the Florence Cathedral, Pope Francis said: “In the dome of this splendid cathedral the Last Judgment is represented. At the center is Jesus, our light. The inscription at the apex of the fresco reads ‘Ecce Homo.’
“Looking at this dome, we are drawn upward as we contemplate the transformation of Christ judged by Pilate into Christ ascended to the throne of judgment. An angel brings him a sword, but Jesus does not take up the symbols of judgment. In fact, he raises his right hand, showing the signs of his Passion, for it is he ‘who gave himself as a ransom for all’ (1 Tim 2:6).”
Pope Francis continued: “In light of this Judge of mercy, our knees bend in adoration, and our hands and feet are reinvigorated. We can only speak of humanism by beginning with the centrality of Jesus, by finding in him the traits of the true face of man.
“It is the contemplation of the face of Jesus crucified and risen that pieces together our humanity, even that fragmented by the hardships of life or marked by sin. We must not tame the power of Jesus’ face,” he said. “The face is the image of his transcendence. It is the misericordiae vultus. Let us allow ourselves to be gazed on by him. Jesus is our humanism.”
Three Key Traits of Christian Humanism: Humility, Disinterestedness and Joy
In his address at the Florence Cathedral, Pope Francis outlined three traits of authentic Christian humanism which we find in a preeminent way in the mind of Christ: humility, disinterestedness and the blessedness that comes from joy in the Gospel.
The first sentiment is humility. “The obsession with upholding one’s own glory and ‘dignity,’ one’s own influence, must not form part of our sentiments,” Pope Francis said. “We must seek the glory of God … the glory that shines in the humility of the stable in Bethlehem or in the dishonor of Christ’s cross.”
“Another sentiment of Jesus that shapes Christian humanism is disinterestedness,” the pope continued. “‘Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others’ (Phil 2:4), St Paul goes on to say. … We must seek the happiness of those around us. The humanity of the Christian is always going out. It is not narcissistic and self-centered. When our heart is full of itself and self-satisfied, there’s no place in it for God.”
“One last sentiment of Christ Jesus is blessedness,” Pope Francis said. “The Christian is blessed; he holds the joy of the Gospel within.” The pope extolled the Beatitudes, which “help us to live the Christian life in terms of holiness. They are short and simple, but practical. May the Lord give us the grace to understand that.”
“A Church that presents these three traits—humility, disinterestedness, blessedness,” he said, “is a Church that is able to recognize the Lord’s action in the world, in culture and in the everyday life of the people.
“I have said it repeatedly and today I repeat it again to you: ‘I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and which then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures’ (Evangelii Gaudium 49).”
Two Threats that “Defeat” Authentic Christian Humanism
Pope Francis also listed two temptations that “defeat” authentic Christian humanism: Pelagianism and Gnosticism.
Pelagianism, the Pope said, “prompts the Church not to be humble, selfless and blessed. And it does so through the appearance of a good. Pelagianism leads us to trust in structures, in organizations, in planning that is perfect because it is abstract.”
“Often it leads us also to take a controlling, hard, and regulatory style,” he added. “The rule gives the Pelagian the security of feeling superior, of having a precise guideline. In this he finds his strength, not in the lightness of the breath of the Spirit.
“In facing the evils or problems of the Church,” he went on, “it is useless to look for solutions in conservatism and fundamentalism, in the restoration of practices and outdated forms that even culturally aren’t able to be meaningful.”
Christian doctrine, he said, “is not a closed system incapable of generating questions, doubts, question marks, but it is alive, it is able to upset and to enliven. It has a face that is not rigid; it has a body that moves and develops; it has a soft flesh: it is called Jesus Christ.”
Therefore, the pope continued, “the reform of the Church—and the Church is semper reformanda—is alien to Pelagianism. It does not lie ultimately in the umpteenth plan to change structures. Instead, it means being grafted and rooted in Christ and letting oneself be led by the Spirit. Then anything is possible with ingenuity and creativity.”
Pope Francis encouraged the Italian Church to “allow herself to be led by his powerful and therefore sometimes disquieting breath.”
“May she always adopt the spirit of her great explorers, who were sailing enthusiasts of the open sea and not frightened by frontiers and storms,” he said.
“May she be a Church that is free and open to the challenges of the present, never on the defensive for fear of losing something. And, as she meets people along the streets, may she take on the purpose and aim of St. Paul: ‘To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some’ (1 Cor. 9:22).”
A second temptation the pope said the Church must overcome is Gnosticism.
Gnosticism, he said, “leads to trust in clear and logical reasoning, which nonetheless loses sight of the tenderness of the flesh of one’s brother.”
“The charm of Gnosticism is that of ‘a purely subjective faith whose only interest is a certain experience or a set of ideas and bits of information which are meant to console and enlighten, but which ultimately keep one imprisoned in his or her own thoughts and feelings’ (Evangelii Gaudium 94).”
“The difference between Christian transcendence and any form of Gnostic spiritualism resides in the mystery of the Incarnation,” he added.
“Not putting things into practice, not leading the Word to reality, means building on sand, remaining in the realm of pure idea and degenerating into intimacies that bear no fruit, that make its dynamism sterile.”
The Beauty and Humanism of the Italian Saints—and of Don Camillo
Pope Francis extolled the great Italian saints—“from Francis of Assisi to Phillip Neri”—as examples that can help Christians live the faith with humility, disinterestness and joy.
“But we also think of the simplicity of fictional characters like Don Camillo, who teams up with Peppone,” he said.
“It strikes me how, in the stories of Guareschi, the prayer of a good pastor is joined to an obvious closeness with people. Don Camillo said of himself: ‘I am a poor country priest who knows his parishioners one by one, he loves them, who knows pains and joys and suffering, and knows how to laugh with them.’ Closeness to the people and prayer are the key to living a Christian humanism of the people that is humble, generous and joyful. If we lose this contact with the faithful people of God, we lose our humanity, and we don’t go anywhere.”
The new or integral humanism of Vatican II is NOT at all "Christian" it teaches the principles of the diabolical sect of FreeMasonry
Francis on the Secrets of True Christian Humanism
Notes that Pelagianism and Gnosticism “defeat” authentic Christian humanism
FLORENCE, Italy — On a one-day visit to the center of the Italian renaissance, Pope Francis said authentic Christian humanism flourishes in taking on the mind of Christ and gazing at his face.
Addressing participants in Italy’s Fifth National Ecclesial Convention on “The New Humanism in Jesus Christ” beneath the frescoed dome of the Florence Cathedral, Pope Francis said: “In the dome of this splendid cathedral the Last Judgment is represented. At the center is Jesus, our light. The inscription at the apex of the fresco reads ‘Ecce Homo.’
“Looking at this dome, we are drawn upward as we contemplate the transformation of Christ judged by Pilate into Christ ascended to the throne of judgment. An angel brings him a sword, but Jesus does not take up the symbols of judgment. In fact, he raises his right hand, showing the signs of his Passion, for it is he ‘who gave himself as a ransom for all’ (1 Tim 2:6).”
Pope Francis continued: “In light of this Judge of mercy, our knees bend in adoration, and our hands and feet are reinvigorated. We can only speak of humanism by beginning with the centrality of Jesus, by finding in him the traits of the true face of man.
“It is the contemplation of the face of Jesus crucified and risen that pieces together our humanity, even that fragmented by the hardships of life or marked by sin. We must not tame the power of Jesus’ face,” he said. “The face is the image of his transcendence. It is the misericordiae vultus. Let us allow ourselves to be gazed on by him. Jesus is our humanism.”
Three Key Traits of Christian Humanism: Humility, Disinterestedness and Joy
In his address at the Florence Cathedral, Pope Francis outlined three traits of authentic Christian humanism which we find in a preeminent way in the mind of Christ: humility, disinterestedness and the blessedness that comes from joy in the Gospel.
The first sentiment is humility. “The obsession with upholding one’s own glory and ‘dignity,’ one’s own influence, must not form part of our sentiments,” Pope Francis said. “We must seek the glory of God … the glory that shines in the humility of the stable in Bethlehem or in the dishonor of Christ’s cross.”
“Another sentiment of Jesus that shapes Christian humanism is disinterestedness,” the pope continued. “‘Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others’ (Phil 2:4), St Paul goes on to say. … We must seek the happiness of those around us. The humanity of the Christian is always going out. It is not narcissistic and self-centered. When our heart is full of itself and self-satisfied, there’s no place in it for God.”
“One last sentiment of Christ Jesus is blessedness,” Pope Francis said. “The Christian is blessed; he holds the joy of the Gospel within.” The pope extolled the Beatitudes, which “help us to live the Christian life in terms of holiness. They are short and simple, but practical. May the Lord give us the grace to understand that.”
“A Church that presents these three traits—humility, disinterestedness, blessedness,” he said, “is a Church that is able to recognize the Lord’s action in the world, in culture and in the everyday life of the people.
“I have said it repeatedly and today I repeat it again to you: ‘I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and which then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures’ (Evangelii Gaudium 49).”
Two Threats that “Defeat” Authentic Christian Humanism
Pope Francis also listed two temptations that “defeat” authentic Christian humanism: Pelagianism and Gnosticism.
Pelagianism, the Pope said, “prompts the Church not to be humble, selfless and blessed. And it does so through the appearance of a good. Pelagianism leads us to trust in structures, in organizations, in planning that is perfect because it is abstract.”
“Often it leads us also to take a controlling, hard, and regulatory style,” he added. “The rule gives the Pelagian the security of feeling superior, of having a precise guideline. In this he finds his strength, not in the lightness of the breath of the Spirit.
“In facing the evils or problems of the Church,” he went on, “it is useless to look for solutions in conservatism and fundamentalism, in the restoration of practices and outdated forms that even culturally aren’t able to be meaningful.”
Christian doctrine, he said, “is not a closed system incapable of generating questions, doubts, question marks, but it is alive, it is able to upset and to enliven. It has a face that is not rigid; it has a body that moves and develops; it has a soft flesh: it is called Jesus Christ.”
Therefore, the pope continued, “the reform of the Church—and the Church is semper reformanda—is alien to Pelagianism. It does not lie ultimately in the umpteenth plan to change structures. Instead, it means being grafted and rooted in Christ and letting oneself be led by the Spirit. Then anything is possible with ingenuity and creativity.”
Pope Francis encouraged the Italian Church to “allow herself to be led by his powerful and therefore sometimes disquieting breath.”
“May she always adopt the spirit of her great explorers, who were sailing enthusiasts of the open sea and not frightened by frontiers and storms,” he said.
“May she be a Church that is free and open to the challenges of the present, never on the defensive for fear of losing something. And, as she meets people along the streets, may she take on the purpose and aim of St. Paul: ‘To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some’ (1 Cor. 9:22).”
A second temptation the pope said the Church must overcome is Gnosticism.
Gnosticism, he said, “leads to trust in clear and logical reasoning, which nonetheless loses sight of the tenderness of the flesh of one’s brother.”
“The charm of Gnosticism is that of ‘a purely subjective faith whose only interest is a certain experience or a set of ideas and bits of information which are meant to console and enlighten, but which ultimately keep one imprisoned in his or her own thoughts and feelings’ (Evangelii Gaudium 94).”
“The difference between Christian transcendence and any form of Gnostic spiritualism resides in the mystery of the Incarnation,” he added.
“Not putting things into practice, not leading the Word to reality, means building on sand, remaining in the realm of pure idea and degenerating into intimacies that bear no fruit, that make its dynamism sterile.”
The Beauty and Humanism of the Italian Saints—and of Don Camillo
Pope Francis extolled the great Italian saints—“from Francis of Assisi to Phillip Neri”—as examples that can help Christians live the faith with humility, disinterestness and joy.
“But we also think of the simplicity of fictional characters like Don Camillo, who teams up with Peppone,” he said.
“It strikes me how, in the stories of Guareschi, the prayer of a good pastor is joined to an obvious closeness with people. Don Camillo said of himself: ‘I am a poor country priest who knows his parishioners one by one, he loves them, who knows pains and joys and suffering, and knows how to laugh with them.’ Closeness to the people and prayer are the key to living a Christian humanism of the people that is humble, generous and joyful. If we lose this contact with the faithful people of God, we lose our humanity, and we don’t go anywhere.”
TradCatKnight: Francis is as Marxist and Gnostic as it gets...
Get out of the Novus Ordo! Vatican II is a new religion being pastorally implemented...