The Reviews Are in-Francis is a Smash Hit! (With every liberal out there)

[Dawn Marie]

The Reviews Are in-Francis is a Smash Hit!


(for those who might not pick up on it, the title is meant as sarcasm in the face of Francis being hailed by every liberal sicko on the planet.)
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Hans Kung speaks of the papal interview: “I was overwhelmed by joy"

“I was overwhelmed by joy,” said Hans Kung, the dissenting European theologian, in a radio interview after the elevation of Pope Francis. “There is hope in this man,” gushed Kung, who predicted that Pope Francis will conform to the progressive interpretation of Vatican II and not follow the “line of the two popes from Poland and Germany.”

Leonardo Boff, one of the fathers of liberation theology, was quoted in the German press as saying that Francis is “more liberal” than commonly supposed.

The National Catholic Reporter approvingly quoted an unnamed Vatican diplomat as saying that “the Traditional Latin Mass brigade is finished.”

Esteban Paulon, president of the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals, told the Washington Post that Pope Francis is “known for being moderate” and when “he came out strongly against gay marriage, he did it under pressure from the conservatives.”

According to Sergio Rubin, whom the Post calls his authorized biographer, Pope Francis initially “urged his bishops to lobby for gay civil unions” as an alternative to gay marriage.

That the Catholic left considers his election a shot in the arm can’t be chalked up simply to projection.

There are enough nuances here to give them hope. They believe that this is their moment to try to undo the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict and return to the casual, informal, and spontaneous liturgical spirit of the 1970s while reviving a more poll-friendly situational ethics.

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Pope Francis: music to my progressive "Catholic" ears

As I read the pope's lengthy interview in America, a national Catholic weekly, all I could think was, 'this guy gets it' by Kate Graham - Lesbian commentator

From the moment Pope Francis stepped out on that balcony, I knew that something was different. Maybe it was the shy smile, the warm wave. The choice of "Francis" perhaps. Or his Jesuit roots, his Argentinian homeland. But still, I was waiting for the Prada loafer to drop.

I was waiting for Francis to bash gay and lesbian people and advocate against our equality. And then he said not to judge us.

This isn't to say that he's been perfect. We're still trying to help him find the key to that door Pope John Paul II shut on women's ordination. But he's got many progressive Catholics enthusiastic about our church again.

Perhaps the bishops can't go cold turkey and they need to wean themselves off their "obsession" – Francis' word – with abortion and gay and transgender people. I'd suggest silence as a good option. Or a stop payment on their checks to anti-gay, anti-women organizations. Or both.

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The End of the Catholic Church's Pelvic Zone Orthodoxy

Never before has so much fresh air flowed through musty Vatican halls. Never has a pope said that conscience must not be sacrificed to hierarchical edicts.

No pope ever insisted he is not a “right winger.”

Suddenly a pope appears who knows that, search the Bible from top to bottom and you will never hear Jesus say: “By this shall people know you are my disciples, that you do not contracept!” Jesus never said it and this pope knows it.

Nowhere in the Bible is abortion condemned. And never before did a pope abandon the errors of the Bible by rejecting its condemnation of those whom God has made gay.

The second Vatican Council opened doors, while popes like John Paul II and Benedict set out to slam them shut.

But Pope Francis has not only unscrewed the locks from the doors, but he's also unscrewed the doors themselves from their jambs. Never has a pope broken so sharply from his immediate predecessors and done it all with a gentle human voice.

“Recovering Catholics” who long since abandoned the pelvically obsessed church of the hierarchy are taking a second look. Right wing Catholics are aghast.

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Gays Abroad Have Most to Gain from Pope Francis’ Latest Comments

The Pope did not change any official Catholic position when he stated on Monday that gays should not be marginalized or judged. But the effects of his words could be transformational in parts of the world where homophobia is institutionalized. This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the developing world.

The Pope’s comments will now challenge these bishops to adopt a different tone.

Change in the Vatican has always moved at glacial pace. But when it does happen, it often starts in small ways in local parishes. “A shift like this could affect everything from the kinds of homilies preached at Sunday Mass, to how much leadership bishops take on anti-LGBT equality measures, to whether bishops speak out when laws making homosexuality a capital crime are being considered,” explains Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of LGBT Catholic organization DignityUSA.

And, she continues, the pope’s example matters greatly for gay Catholics, especially those in the least accepting environments.

“For gay people to hear a Pope speak of us as people of faith and goodwill who should not be marginalized in society, rather than as threats to civilization, is a great shift,” she said.

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Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, "The pope is still Catholic"

Catholics around the world may be especially tuned in during Sunday's homilies, following Pope Francis' bombshell interview in which he urged the church to take a softer line on the hot-button issues that have become increasingly polarizing in recent years.

The statements were hailed by liberal Catholics as the latest evidence that Pope Francis could lead the church to a new age of tolerance toward abortion and homosexuality.

James Salt, executive director of national nonprofit Catholics United, said he was “overjoyed,” adding that he’s eagerly anticipating how conservatives will respond.

“Pope Francis is saying what every faithful lay Catholic knows: to be effective in the modern world, the Church must refocus on what Christ actually taught us: to proclaim God’s love and good news for the poor, the vulnerable and the forgotten,” Salt said in a statement. “For too long, right-wing activists have distorted and co-opted Catholic teaching to suit their agendas.

Pope Francis put a stop to that today.”

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[Dawn Marie]

From the prophecy of St Francis of Assisi:


"Those who preserve in their fervor and adhere to virtue with love and zeal for the truth, will suffer injuries and, persecutions as rebels and schismatics; for their persecutors, urged on by the evil spirits, will say they are rendering a great service to God by destroying such pestilent men from the face of the earth. but the Lord will be the refuge of the afflicted, and will save all who trust in Him. And in order to be like their Head, [Christ] these, the elect, will act with confidence, and by their death will purchase for themselves eternal life; choosing to obey God rather than man, they will fear nothing, and they will prefer to perish rather than consent to falsehood and perfidy.

Some preachers will keep silence about the truth, and others will trample it under foot and deny it. Sanctity of life will be held in derision even by those who outwardly profess it, for in those days JESUS CHRIST WILL SEND THEM NOT A TRUE PASTOR, BUT A DESTROYER."


Presented without any alteration, as given in the Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis Of Assisi, Washbourne, 1882, pp. 248-250)

[Dawn Marie]

Another hailing from someone at Fox News...

THANK GOD POPE FRANCIS TELLS CATHOLICS THEY NEED AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
By James Salt Published September 20, 2013 FoxNews.com

FILE -- Sept. 18, 2013: Pope Francis waves to faithful as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep. When the shepherd notices that one of his flock is missing, he leaves everyone behind in search of the one who has left. This parable explains God’s unconditional love for each and every one of us.
Today, I and many other lay Catholics, are feeling that same love from Pope Francis. With Francis’ refreshingly honest words, social justice Catholics are reminded that we too have a place in the family that is the Roman Catholic Church.
Lay Catholics across the world are celebrating a wide-ranging interview given by Pope Francis to 17 Jesuit-affiliated periodicals.
In the interview, published in English by the Catholic magazine America, Francis offers us some of his most startling thoughts, such that our church needs an attitude adjustment and should be more in tune with the needs of the laity.
With his words and actions, Pope Francis is showing us how a more authentic and humble expression of our faith can inspire a culture
And most notably, he suggests the Catholic Church has become obsessed with divisive social issues like abortion, gay marriage and contraception. In his own words, he suggests that reducing the faith to these issues threatens to collapse the “moral edifice” of the Church and fails to honor the “full fragrance of the Gospel.”
To be clear, Francis is not suggesting a change in Catholic teaching. Instead, he is suggesting we must revisit how our teachings are manifested. Rather than leading the culture war against abortion, gay marriage and contraception, perhaps, he suggests, the church would be better served by walking with those who are struggling with these very human conditions. Instead of judging people with the rigidity of doctrine, why don’t we minister to their needs?
The pope’s comments are groundbreaking because of their stark contrast with what we’ve been hearing from the American Catholic bishops lately.
Consider these incidents:
- A bishop in Illinois compares Obama to Hitler because of Obama’s policies allowing women greater access to contraception.
- A bishop in Arizona excommunicates a Catholic hospital because it authorized an abortion to save the life of a dying woman.
- A bishop in Washington, D.C., denies health care benefits to his employees as a way to circumvent non-discrimination protections for gay people.
These ill-advised culture wars have only isolated the Catholic hierarchy from the flock they are vowed to serve. And in the wake of the bishops’ behavior, cynicism and incredulity has only grown.
The numbers tell the story. Surveys show a record increase in the number of people who describe themselves as “non-believers” and of Catholics who have quit the Catholic Church. To make the point clear, one out of every ten Americans now describes themselves as “formerly Catholic.”
But with his message of love and inclusion, Francis is, hopefully, staunching this trend. With his words and actions, he is showing us how a more authentic and humble expression of our faith can inspire a culture.
I can personally attest this fact. Speaking for myself and for many of my friends, we can say for the first time in many years that we see signs of hope from the leadership of our church.
And this trend offers hope to more than just Catholics. As many fallen away Catholics find renewed hope in a church institution that has lost relevance, so, too, can conservatives learn to be more responsible in how they govern.
Francis offers conservative lawmakers a roadmap for how to regain credibility. Instead of embracing socially-divisive issue campaigns, perhaps the conservative movement would be better served by focusing on what can unite us.
What if, like Francis, they led by example?
Perhaps a more humble, less strident approach would help people better understand the merits of their argument.
So this Sunday, I expect to see more faces of formerly lost sheep in the pews. I know many of my progressive friends are planning to give Sunday services a second look. Let’s hope priests and bishops take Francis’ advice and welcome them with open arms.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/09/20/thank-god-pope-francis-sa...

[Dawn Marie]

Letter To A Baby About To Be Aborted -- Francis Interview

My dear little one,

I write to you in a very difficult moment of your very young life, because even if you cannot read I think there are some things of which you should be informed.

In just a few minutes your young and tender life – a God-given gift, full of bliss and promise – will be abruptly, unnaturally, and cruelly put to an end. I am very sorry to tell you that if you have already developed small legs and arms , and are already almost looking like a little child, you will be torn to pieces whilst still living, and you will be extracted from your mother’s womb one piece at a time.

Your rests will be discarded. You will not be considered a person, so you will not be buried.

Talking of your mother, she has by now persuaded herself – in conscience – that you are a lump of cells, and refuses to see herself as your mother, or you as the baby God gave her. She thinks she has the “right to choose”; which, my dear little one, means she thinks she has the right to kill you, or to dispose of the lump of cell she pretends you are as if you were a huge tumor, or an overgrown cyst.

I will not lie to you. You will have to be strong. It will be very painful. God in His mercy and justice will, no doubt, provide you with ample recompense for the atrocious suffering and injustice of your murder. He will treat you with great love, and show you all His infinite justice and mercy. You will not feel unjustly treated, not by him at least. But yes, it will be very painful. Perhaps, little one, your little soul will feel at some level, in those terrible minutes, the atrocious pain of knowing that your own mother wants you dead, your own dear mother you thought so warm, welcoming, and loving.

Your mother hesitated a long time, you know. All her friends, and some of her relatives, told her to “do what she has to do”, and she was torn. She wasn’t able to see the blessing of your life, you see, nor was she encouraged to see things in that way; so she was undecided, waiting, not knowing what to do.

Last week, though, your mother read an interview about a man you do not know; a very famous one. This man was saying if she does not believe in God she is allowed to decide according to her conscience, and this will decide whether what she does is right or wrong. Your mother never believed in God, you see, and whatever little doubt she might have had that perhaps, perhaps there is this God – and if there is, she is doing something terrible – was instantly silenced when she read the interview; because the man is very important, my dearest little one, and it is very easy to let him say more than he wants to say. Particularly so, because this man is very anxious to please, so eager to say nothing that your mother would dislike; therefore, he never said to your mother in clear and unmistakable words that she has no right to murder you, full stop.

At that point, little one, your permanence on this earth was probably decided. Still, your mother hesitated.

A very few days ago, she read another interview. It was with the same important man. The man said words to the effect that he can’t “obsess” and talk “all the time” about your mother murdering you, because there are so many other important things to care about. He also had said – or your mother thought he said; which she did, like pretty much everyone else – people should not let your mother feel bad if she murders you, because she is following her conscience, you see. In addition, your mother thought, the man is right also in this: she is doing what she thinks right, so who is anyone to judge? The important man told that too, you must know.

No, little one. Your mother did not read the interviews in detail. She did not make any enquiry about the theological implications. She did not read many of the 12,000 words of the latest interview. She did what most people do: she read the titles, perused the articles, read the clear citations from the man, and felt relieved.

Case closed, then. She is not so bad after all. There are so many other things in life than a clump of cell who thinks he has the right to become her baby. She is very environmentally friendly, you know – she drives a Prius; you have been brought to your place of execution in a low-emission vehicle -, she does not eat meat because it’s cruel towards animals, she campaigns against smoke and drink, and she supports the struggle of the polar bear; she is concerned about social justice, is a great friend of hope and change, and sends money to Africa to help those poor children who might, otherwise, die; because the Western capitalistic society is so selfish and self-centred, instead of being as caring, concerned for the planet and socially aware as she is.

And that it was, my dear, that sealed the deal on your death. Even the Pope – this is how the man is called, though he seems not to like it – was not “judging” her, then. Even he “got it” then, at least at some level. There are so many other priorities in life, she thought. She can abort – erm, terminate her pregnancy – and continue her battle in defence of humanity. By that she means of the people who have been born. No, to her you are not part of humanity. To her, you are a punishment. Yes, she remembers these words clearly, “punished with a baby”. They are from another important man who doesn’t like you at all, because you can’t vote.

Your mother “meets the other”; she is caring, generous, concerned and socially aware. To her, Christian “homophobia” goes against elementary “human rights”, like slavery once. No, to her you are not human, so you have no human rights. But look: she never ever gossips, because it’s so “judgemental”. She follows her conscience, which says to her it’s not good for you to be born. Not at all. Nope.

So she took the decision, and made the call. When she had put down the phone, she recalled those words of the man again: “who am I to judge?”. Yes, who is anyone to judge? She is following her conscience, and her conscience tells her you have the duty to die, because no one asked you to be there in the first place; besides, even that man said there are other priorities in the end, you can’t reduce bad and good to one single issue and obsess over it. The times have changed. Abortion is here to stay, you see. Sad, he knows; but not worth obsessing about.

And so there you are, my little one, and you will die today. No, it was not the important man who killed you. Your mother will kill you. She will kill her own son, and give to a trained executioner the task of executing her death sentence. Make no mistake, her conscience will make no objection. Not today, not in ten years’ time; but in twenty or thirty, more probably; and then it will be hell on earth: a mother knowing that she has killed her own baby, and does not even believe in God, in Whose merciful arms she could take refuge.

No, it was not the important man who killed you. But what he could have done to try to help you he decided not to. You are too controversial, little one. Your existence goes too much against the grain of modern society. The important man just does not want to be “obsessed” with you, you see. He has other priorities. Poverty, or gossip.

You know, the day after that long interview your mother did not read he did speak in your defence, the important man. Yes, for the first time he clearly did. But he has done the damage already, and today no one believes this is really what he thinks, or rather really an important part of how he acts. He was told to say so, says everyone; he was told to say so because he has to, because he needs to save face, because all those around him implored him to say something, because damage control had become necessary. So, it was too little, and too late. Your mother has made her decision, and she is now sure that even the Pope thinks that your life isn’t the only issue, or whatever…

Therefore, little one, today is the day you die. You will never know the embrace of your earthly mother, never will you learn to smile at her, recognise her voice, feel her tender love. You are a punishment and a clump of cells; you are a “product of conception”, and you must be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

When you look at it with your little eyes open, you realise that it must be so.

Even the important man thinks you are, when all is said and done, just not that much of a priority.

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