• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Pope Francis I

Pietro_Mercurios said:
ramonmercado said:
Loquaciousness said:
It's a derogatory term, therefore it is racist. It is not a 'term' for Germans. No doubt that this is due to my German lack of humour, before you try and pull that one on me.
Click to expand...

I've spent my adult life fighting fascists both physically and on a propaganda level. I'm not going to take that nonsense from you. Most if not all of these fascists get gheir inspiration from a certain deceased German politician.t

The fact that you don't like something doesn't mean it is racist. You also seem to be upset by swearing. I fear you have been possessed by the ghost of Mary Whitehouse.

I suggest you put me on ignore.
Click to expand...
Are you suggesting that all Germans are fascists?
Click to expand...

No.

But she suggested that I was a racist, thats offensive to me.

And actionable.
 
Calm down, everyone!
And perhaps it is best not to use the term 'krauts'.

Peace and love. 8)
 
Mythopoeika said:
Calm down, everyone!
And perhaps it is best not to use the term 'krauts'.

Peace and love. 8)
Click to expand...

Oh, I can avoid using the term krauts but I do not accept that its racist.
 
Using a pejorative like 'kraut', as an insulting name for Germans in general, is racist. You're out of order on this one.
 
Pietro_Mercurios said:
Using a pejorative like 'kraut', as an insulting name for Germans in general, is racist. You're out of order on this one.
Click to expand...

I don't think that it is racist. But I don't have a problem with not using the phrase, I'm not going to set out to deliberately offend people, but I am offended by the suggestion that I was being racist. I have a track record of combating racism.
 
Just for the record I am not a fascist and Hitler was Austrian not German. ANYHOW, back on track. Regarding the BBC programme I was talking about earlier, it was talking about the Pope's involvement with the Argentinian military junta at the time, and accusing him of being a collaborator. There were divided views on this regarding whether this was true or not, as some commentators had the viewpoint that he had to be a part of it in order to save people. Any opinions ?
 
I never said you were a fascist, I have no reason for thinking you are. Just pointing out that the racists I fight usually get their inspiration fron Hitler. Hitlers nationalirty? Hitler spent most of his life in Germany.

I didn't set out to offend you but the term kraut us not imho racist. Its offensive to you so I won't use it again. Real racism is immigrants being burned to death in hostels, it is mass murder of Turks over years whie the police miss all the clues. Given the racism prevalent in Germany I think you are being a bit sensitive.

But racism is everywhere, some of us combat real racism.

I think Francis is somewhat tainted by his activities or lack of same during the Junta era. He lifted his protection from the fathers concerned, this allowed the military to act against them.
 
I think we need to let this go now..... and there are a lot of things I could pick up on there, but it serves no purpose. Just one thing that I really need to though. I have lived most of my life in England, doesn't make me English.
Right back to Francis.
I think what I really like about him is the little touches, like when he greets people - love the way his face really has a genuine smile on it. Also, his commitment to working with the poor.
 
Loquaciousness said:
I think we need to let this go now..... and there are a lot of things I could pick up on there, but it serves no purpose. Just one thing that I really need to though. I have lived most of my life in England, doesn't make me English.
Right back to Francis.
I think what I really like about him is the little touches, like when he greets people - love the way his face really has a genuine smile on it. Also, his commitment to working with the poor.
Click to expand...

Well, Hitler did take our German citizenship but best to leave it there.

I apologise for offending you, it wasn't my intent. I have German friends who aren't offended by the expression and I truly love Berlin (and Vienna).

Francis will perhaps change more of the structures than than the teachings of the RCC. Hes no homo-phobe but hes unlikely to say that gay sex is okj unless he also approves of straight extra-marital intercourse. No sign of him moving on contraception let alone abortion.

The decentralisation of power within the RCC may make such changes possible over time. There are areas of the world though where the RCC is very conservative and the flock are kept ignorant and underfoot ljke the RCC did in Ireland for so long.
 
Thank you, I do appreciate it.
I think the problem is that unless you want to be bumped off like a certain other pope ( pure conjecture I know ! ) you can't reform everything at once. Also, let's not forget that he is a Jesuit, and they are not exactly known for their liberal attitudes.
 
Here an exampke of the power the RCC has in the developing world. Curbed at least by the Philippines Supreme Court.

Philippine top court defies church to back birth control
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26938667

Supporters of the birth control law celebrate outside the Philippine supreme court

Supporters celebrate the court's decision

The Supreme Court in the Philippines has approved a birth control law, in a defeat for the Catholic Church.

The law requires government health centres to distribute free condoms and contraceptive pills.

The court had deferred implementation after the law's passage in December 2012 after church groups questioned its constitutionality.

Supporters of the law cheered as the court found that most of the provisions were constitutional.

The government of President Benigno Aquino defied years of church pressure by passing the bill.

It says the law will help the poor, who often cannot afford birth control, and combat the country's high rates of maternal mortality.

The provisions will make virtually all forms of contraception freely available at public health clinics.

Sex education will also be compulsory in schools and public health workers will be required to receive family planning training.

There will also be medical care for women who have had illegal abortions.

The Philippines is about 80% Catholic, and with a population approaching 100 million, has one of the highest birth rates in Asia.

The church fought fiercely against the bill, denouncing it as evil and a threat to life. It denounced politicians who supported it, including President Aquino.

Campaigners have warned of potential civil obedience following the court ruling.

The Catholic Church has played a significant role in Philippine political life and continues to wield much influence over the population.
Click to expand...
 
He hopped off the popemobile (without even waiting for it to stop) to participate in selfies.

Also delivered an interesting homily: Having just head a Gospel story of how Jesus’ disciples fell asleep before he was betrayed by Judas, Francis asked: “Has my life fallen asleep? He added: “Am I like Pontius Pilate, who, when he sees the situation is difficult, washes my hands?

The Palm Sunday Mass is usually a solemn opener to Holy Week for the Catholic Church.

But sounding weary in the brief homily, Francis called on people to look into their own hearts to see how they feel they are living their lives.

Pope Francis poses for mass selfies after improvising Palm Sunday homily

Pope Francis has let loose with an unusually casual performance to mark Palm Sunday, spending more time posing for selfies with young members of the crowd in St Peter’s Square than he did delivering a prepared homily.

In what was reported to be a remarkable departure from normal practices on one of the most important days in the Christian calendar in the week before Easter, the Pope abandoned his planned speech and improvised for around 15 minutes.

Having just head a Gospel story of how Jesus’ disciples fell asleep before he was betrayed by Judas, Francis asked: “Has my life fallen asleep?

He added: “Am I like Pontius Pilate, who, when he sees the situation is difficult, washes my hands?

The Palm Sunday Mass is usually a solemn opener to Holy Week for the Catholic Church.

But sounding weary in the brief homily, Francis called on people to look into their own hearts to see how they feel they are living their lives.

His energy only seemed to return once the two-hour ceremony had concluded, as he shed his red vestments to chat with more-formally-dressed cardinals.

The Pope then posed for selfies with young people from Rio de Janeiro who had carried a large cross into the square. And Francis had barely climbed aboard his open-topped “popemobile” when another group, this time of Polish youths, called for him to pose for photos with them. He hopped off, not even waiting for the vehicle to fully stop, to oblige.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 57475.html
Click to expand...
 
If effigies of the Pope are to be burned then it should only be for secular reasons..

Still though: O Captain! My Captain! President Michael D. Higgins praising the Pope’s global leadership! I literally started my fight against the RCC as a "drummer boy" under Michael D. Tony Benn lived backwards through time getting more Left-Wing as he aged. Sadly Michael D's life has followed the more well trodden path.

Pope Francis visit to Ireland now looks looks likely—Report
Sean Dunne @SeanDunneNYC April 15,2014 04:00 AM

A papal visit to Ireland is looking increasingly more likely following comments by representatives of Archbishop Charles Brown in Dublin. Brown, an Irish American Notre Dame graduate is Papal Nuncio in Ireland.

The Archbishop has already held high-level discussions with senior government officials to explore a potential visit.

Archbishop Brown met senior politicians in Leinster House, Ireland's parliament building, last week including Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore. It follows a decision by the Seanad (Senate) to invite the pontiff to Ireland.

The Irish Catholic newspaper reported that the visit is being given “serious consideration” and is described as a realistic prospect.

In a further development, Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said that he would be open to meeting with Pope Francis if the pontiff was to visit Belfast.Robinson's announcement comes just days after Martin McGuinness's decision to meet the Queen of England at a state banquet during Irish president Michael D Higgins' state visit.

Robinson, who attends the Elim Pentecostal church, had earlier discounted the idea of meeting the Pope.

"I am not of that faith, and therefore don't have the same desire to do so, but I would defend the right of others to meet their spiritual leader."

He has now softened this stance in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph and he has clearly given the protocol some thought.

"The one thing you wouldn't be doing is offending any section of our community, particularly a section of the community that would have a strong adherence to the Pope," Robinson said.

The Irish Catholic reported that the Vatican would consider any invitation from the government in the context of a so-called one-island approach where the pope would visit sites on both sides of the border. Given the significance of Armagh, both ecclesiastically and as a diocese which straddles the border, a visit to the city is considered a must.

Senator David Norris, who has been pushing for such an invitation told the Irish Catholic that “a visit by the Pope would be wonderful. It would be good for the country. Let’s hope he does visit.

“He is one of the very few people with a genuinely global vision on topics such as human rights, unemployment, young people, the financial system,” Senator Norris said.

Fine Gael Senator Paul Coghlan told the Irish Catholic that he is hopeful the Pope would accept an invitation to pay a state visit to Ireland.

“We don’t have an exact time frame on when this might happen, but we are very hopeful that it will become a reality.

“The Holy Father is aware of it, so it’s up to the Vatican now. It would be a huge boost to the country, not just for Catholicism but for society on the whole,” Mr Coghlan said.

Recent comments by President Michael D. Higgins praising the Pope’s global leadership are also being interpreted as signaling to the Vatican that the Government would welcome a visit by Pope Francis.

Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Boost- ... z2yysL42Ce
Click to expand...
 
Cleaning out the Augean Stables.

Pope Francis replaces Vatican financial watchdog board

Pope Francis has dismissed the entire board of the Vatican's financial regulator as he looks to reform the city-state's banking practices following a corruption scandal.

The move is also reportedly due to infighting among the "old guard".

The Financial Intelligence Authority's Italian, five-person board were due to see their terms expire in 2016.

They are being replaced with four international experts from Italy, Singapore, Switzerland and the US.

The Vatican said the new directors include Juan Zarate, a former national security adviser to US President George Bush, and Joseph Pillay, a civil servant and adviser to the president of Singapore.

The other two board members are Maria Bianca Farina, an executive at the Italian postal service and Marc Odendall, a Swiss financial consultant.

Financial scandal
The Pope has sought to stamp out corruption and other abuses at the Vatican bank, which handles funds for the Catholic Church.

The Vatican bank is known officially as the Institute for Religious Works and has assets worth more than $8bn (£4.8bn).

However, it became embroiled in a scandal last year after senior cleric Monsignor Nunzio Scarano was arrested by Italian police for allegedly being involved in money-laundering.

He and two others face trial for trying to move 20m euros illegally from Switzerland.

As a result, there has been push to align the Holy See's finances with international transparency rules.

Pope Francis also issued a decree last year aimed at combating money-laundering and prevent any financing of terrorism.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-27727304
Click to expand...
 
Excommunication breakdown: Religious parades banned over mafia boss holy march

An Italian bishop suspended all religious processions in his diocese in response to a recent religious parade in which a statue of Virgin Mary was carried to honor a local Mafia boss, despite the Pope excommunicating Mafiosi shortly beforehand.

Italians defy Pope, take church procession to mafia boss’ house

The ‘holy’ fuss was sparked on July, 2 when a church procession in the southern Italian town of Oppido Mamertina, in the Calabria region, diverted from its normal route to pay tribute to a local Mafioso under house arrest.

Churchgoers carrying the statue of the Virgin Mary, reportedly made it bend down to “bow” in front of the house of a local ‘godfather’, Giuseppe Mazzagatti. The 82-year-old mobster is currently serving a life sentence at home for murder.

Tiny Oppido Mamertina, with a population of only 5,000 people, is at the heart of a grand clan called ‘Ndrangheta, which Mazzagatti heads.

Among the worshipers were the city’s mayor, clergy and dozens of Oppido Mamertina families.

Francesco Milito, the bishop of Oppido-Palmi Diocese in southern Italy, immediately condemned the unholy procession, promising to take “measures” against those who initiated taking the church procession to the Mafioso’s doorstep, thus challenging the authority of the Pope.

Milito decided to ban all religious parade in Calabria for an indefinite period of time, reported Italian La Repubblica newspaper.

"This is a gesture of caution, an invitation to the reflection and silence that we need right now. This is an act of love for our church," Milito told local clergy, AFP reported. ...
Click to expand...

http://rt.com/news/171960-italy-mafia-bishop-parade/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well done Francis!

Pope reinstates suspended Nicaraguan priest D'Escoto

The Vatican says Pope Francis has reinstated a Nicaraguan priest who was suspended thirty years ago for taking up office in Nicaragua's left-wing Sandinista government.

Father Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann had been banned from celebrating mass by Pope John Paul II for defying a church ban on priests holding government jobs.

Fr D'Escoto served as Nicaragua's foreign minister from 1979-1990.

He welcomed the news and said his punishment had been unfair.

Fr D'Escoto, 81, had written to Pope Francis asking to be allowed to celebrate mass before he dies.

On Monday, the Vatican announced that the Pope had agreed to the request and asked Fr D'Escoto's superior in the missionary Maryknoll order to help reintroduce him into the priestly ministry.

Fr D'Escoto said he was "happy to be able to celebrate mass again, I'm really pleased". ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28656661
Click to expand...
 
This current Pope does seem a bit nicer (and more intelligent) than the last incumbent.
But...there are still things he could do yet...
 
Mythopoeika said:
This current Pope does seem a bit nicer (and more intelligent) than the last incumbent.
But...there are still things he could do yet...
Click to expand...

Excommunicate Tony Blair.
 
ramonmercado said:
Mythopoeika said:
This current Pope does seem a bit nicer (and more intelligent) than the last incumbent.
But...there are still things he could do yet...
Click to expand...

Excommunicate Tony Blair.
Click to expand...

I am still technically a catholic......
 
GOP led Congress won’t honor “too liberal” Pope Francis

This do-nothing Congress won’t even given the Pope his due. For months a popular piece of legislation crafted to honor the new pontiff has languished, like so many other popular measures, as lawmakers wait for Speaker John Boehner to make his mind up.

According to The Hill, the resolution written by Representatives John Larson and Pete King (both Catholics) congratulates Francis on his March 2013 election and recognizes “his inspirational statements and actions.”

Who could object to such a bi-partisan gesture? Well, only 19 of the 221 current co-sponsors are Republicans. Privately many GOP members grouse that the groundbreaking new pope is “too liberal,” a Republican backer of the legislation told The Hill this week.

Hailing from Argentina, where he learned to scoff at the kind of “trickle-down” economic theories beloved by most conservatives, Francis’ straight talk on the consequences of economic inequality has apparently cooled their ardor.

To their ears the pontiff sounds more like a long-haired liberal hippy than the gold plated capo of the richest spiritual organization on earth.

But it’s Francis’ dramatic about-face on gay rights, an increasingly losing issue for the GOP, that may cause them the most disquiet.

The new pope has sounded alarmingly open to the idea of civil unions for gay couples and has undercut criticisms of LGBT Catholics by asking “who am I to judge?” ...

http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/cah ... ancis.html
Click to expand...
 
More good news from Frankie.

Pope marries 20 cohabiting couples in sign of papacy shift

The wedding ceremony marks a shift in attitude, explains David Willey from Rome

Pope Francis has presided over the marriage of 20 couples at the Vatican, including some who were cohabiting, one of them with a child.

Pope Francis had asked to marry 40 people from different social backgrounds who represented modern couples. It was the first papal marriage ceremony of its kind in 14 years.

The pope has expressed greater tolerance than his predecessor on many issues, including family values. Sunday's ceremony at St Peter's Basilica in Rome comes three weeks before a meeting of Catholic bishops from around the world to examine church teachings on family matters.

One of the couples married was a man whose previous marriage was annulled and a single mother with a daughter from a previous relationship. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29198491
Click to expand...
 
A fight for the Heart and Soul of the RCC.

Pope indicates desire for Church rethink on key marriage issues
Church Synod to meet soon to discuss contraception, same-sex marriage and annulment

In what looks suspiciously like a pre-Synod manoeuvre, Pope Francis this weekend has twice indicated he wants the Catholic Church to seriously reassess key teaching with regard to marriage. With the Synod, the closest thing the Catholic Church ever gets to a parliament, due to meet in two weeks’ time to discuss a range of “family” related matters including contraception, same-sex marriage and marriage annulment, two very different bodies of church opinion, usually of the Red Hat variety, have become increasingly voluble in recent days.

Throwing his own, very heavy, hat into the ring, the Pope today said: “Faced with so many pastoral requirements, faced with the requests of men and women, we run the risk of becoming afraid and of turning in on ourselves in a fearful and defensive manner...

“This fear leads to the temptation to be self-satisfied and to clericalism, to codify the faith in rules and instructions just as was done by the Pharisees, the scribes and the doctors of law in Jesus’ time...It is not the pope’s job to offer a full and detailed assessment of contemporary reality but he invites all the Church to grasp the signs of the times...”

The pope obviously does not say it, but there seems little doubt but that his words are in reference to the current very public theological skirmish between two sets of cardinals, particularly with regard to the indissolubility of (church) marriage and, by extension, to the ban on divorcees and remarried receiving the sacrament of communion. ...

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-a ... -1.1936523
Click to expand...
 
Pope Francis has denounced the “evil pastors” in the Catholic Church who “lay intolerable burdens on the shoulders of others, which they themselves do not lift a finger to move.”

The pope made his comments in his homily at mass for the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops which opens this week in Rome and is being attended by 191 cardinals, archbishops and bishops and well as lay persons.

Francis appeared to be criticizing those among the church's hierarchy who insist on hardline policies that many lay people could not follow, especially rules on divorced couples not receiving communion and the wide-spread use of contraception by Catholics despite church teachings.

Francis has put forward a more liberal view of such issues since becoming pope but has run into strong resistance from more conservative forces in the hierarchy.

He seemed to implicitly criticize such clergy for being overzealous and driving many faithful away.

“God’s dream always clashes with the hypocrisy of some of his servants,” Francis said. “We can ‘thwart’ God’s dream if we fail to let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit.” ...

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Pope-F ... hurch.html
Click to expand...
 
Another article on the Synod of Bishops; this one uncovers some interesting statistics about attitudes among Roman Catholics. 70% of Europeans favour married priests but 70% of Africans are opposed; 64% of Europeans favour the ordination of women but 80% of Africans are opposed.

Backward attitudes in the developing world may hold the RCC back or could there be a schism?

So is the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which opens at the Vatican tomorrow, a final showdown between “conservatives” and “liberals” or just a theological talking shop?

The Synod of Bishops, set up during the Second Vatican Council, is as close as the Catholic Church has ever come to having a parliament – although it’s not close at all, in fact. Every three years or so the pope summons bishops and cardinals worldwide to Rome to join with him, the Vatican curia and some lay “auditors” to address a specific issue. This year 25 women are among the 253 synod participants.
Usually, a synod involves a lot of worthy talk followed by an “apostolic post-synodal exhortation” from the pope. It has little impact on the life of the Catholic Church and none whatsoever on fundamental church teaching.

The issues, as well, don’t always attract much secular media attention. “The new evangelisation for the teaching of the Christian faith” or “the word of God in the life and mission of the church”, to take two recent examples, were not front-page material.

That’s not the case this time. Rarely, if ever, has a synod generated the level of media and lobby-group interest aroused by this one. The issue is “the pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation”, which, in layman’s terms, means the bishops will be discussing marriage, divorce, contraception, same-sex unions and much else besides. ...

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-a ... -1.1949696
Click to expand...
 
There are always wee schisms :) My question now is if Pope Francis moves into a more liberal paradigm, how big will be the schism?







Declaring interest as RC convert[/code]
 
Frideswide said:
There are always wee schisms :) My question now is if Pope Francis moves into a more liberal paradigm, how big will be the schism?







Declaring interest as RC convert[/code]
Click to expand...

He doesn't want a schism with the more backward sections of the RCC. Many bishops in the West are also reactionary and divorced from the reality of how theur "flocks" actually live. So subsidiarity may not solve the problem.

In the end hes the Pope.

A stampeded of Papal Bulls may be necessary.

A schism might result but in the West it would just be bishops with largely the more ageing sections of their "flocks".
 
Like the bulls line :)

I hope he does it. Does it because it's right. He's the Pope and he's meant to lead - it's not a democracy or we'd already be where it looks like he might go!

Yes there would be people left behind - but it might give them pause for thought at the very least.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top