Pope Francis to bishops: Stop ordering faithful around

[onehandle]

Source: CBS News/AP

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VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has told bishops to strongly denounce corruption and to act more like pastors than "pilots" telling the faithful what to do.

Francis' strong words were aimed at members of the Italian bishops' conference, who opened their annual meeting at the Vatican on Monday. Francis, who is also the bishop of Rome, urged his bishops to be more Christ-like in showing humility, compassion, mercy and wisdom.

He told them to not shy away from denouncing the "diffuse mentality" of public and private corruption that he said impoverished families, honest workers and retirees, while marginalizing the neediest and depriving young people of hope. Italy is rife with corruption scandals, and its youth unemployment rate stands at 43 percent.

Francis asked the bishops to reinforce the "indispensable role" of ordinary folk in their dioceses. "In reality, lay people who have an authentic Christian formation shouldn't need a bishop-pilot, or a monsignor-pilot, or clerical input to assume their responsibilities at every level, from political to social, economic to legislative," he said.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-to-bishops-stop-ordering-faithful-around

[Sgt Preston]

1. This guy sure is different from his predecessor.

Benedict (aka Ratzinger) was the head of the Vatican Red Squad. It says something good about the Catholic Church that someone like this new pope can become the supreme spiritual leader.

Disclaimer: I am not pimping Catholicism.

[F4lconF16]

2. Meh.

He's done little to actually change most of the harmful things about the church. He supports an oppressive church, and is anti-woman and anti-gay.

He isn't any different than politicians who say nice things but don't change anything.

[Android3.14]

15. "Meh" back at you

He has rooted out the Mob corruption in the Vatican bank, annoyed conservatives, made environmental conservation a moral issue and dethroned American Cardinal Raymond Burke, among other things.

Your refusal to acknowledge the profound impact this man is having on the Catholic Church culture, organization and care for the poor because of millennia old doctrine regarding women and LGBT folks is like the people who say electric cars are "meh" because, you know, they still use energy and stuff.

[Omar4Dems]

3. Bishops to Pope Francis: "Hey, let's have another Papal Conclave"

[Arugula Latte]

4. "And by 'people,' I mean men," the Pope clarified.

"You can go ahead and keep ordering around the non-people, a.k.a women, who are not entitled to equality nor autonomy nor any power in the church."

[niyad]

5. exactly!!!!!

[CharlotteVale]

10. Bingo.

[Yorktown]

6. Francis has some blind spots:

[niyad]

8. but. . . it's only WOMEN he is talkin about there, not like they are important or anything.

look at all the good he says. . .

[Yorktown]

9. Anyway, problem solved: no women in Vatican City.

In other news, the dress of altar boys looks like women's dresses.

So confusing.

[Android3.14]

17. What?

Let's try to educate ourselves rather than simply reinforce our prejudice.Many thousands of women are in Vatican City each day. According to
vatican.com, out of about 800 citizens,
Vatican City State has a minuscule female population. Even though the Vatican's Population is predominantly male there are a small number of nuns and lay women living in Vatican City.In Statistics published in the year 2011 it was mentioned that there were 32 Women Citizens in Vatican City State at the time. Of these women 31 were laywoman and one was a Nun.

[Yorktown]

18. I knew my 'no' was hyperbole, but 32/800 isn't much, is it?

Anyway, they do not reproduce much.

[Android3.14]

21. I dunno, kid

Two blatant false statements of possible bigotry in one thread, including this one, "Anyway, they do not reproduce much" in which you (probably subconsciously) imply that women are only good for reproducing?

I was never into dress-up games.

Goodbye.

[Yorktown]

22. imply that women are only good for reproducing about nuns?

Someone here is taking things far too literally.

As for the pic quote, honest mistake, I thought he said it.

Goodbye.

[CharlotteVale]

11. I don't understand why some think he's so different

from his predecessors.

He isn't.

[Yorktown]

13. Better bedside manners. nt

[Android3.14]

16. This is a false statement

All too often people use the Internet to find false information that reinforces their own bigotry, and then have the viciousness that only ignorance can motivate to further spread the lie.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/francis.asp

[Yorktown]

19. OK. Innocent of that then.

[NCarolinawoman]

7. He's sounding like a mainstream, think for yourself, Protestant!

[senz]

12. He represents a distinct difference from his predecessors.

I love it that he's pushing these high-up clerics to be humble, compassionate and merciful rather than bossy and authoritarian. He may not be able to turn the Vatican upside down on gender issues, but one of his first pronouncements advised the clergy to back off from judging sexual behavior and concentrate on helping people and loving them. His emphasis on the poor is very Christ-like. He's a real improvement from what went before.

[niyad]

14. so, the fact that he still treats women as less-than-human is to be overlooked? after all,

they are only a little more than half the population, nothing important to worry about, right?

see post #6

[happyslug]

20. Google translation of the Speech made in Italian:

Since this is to the Italian Bishop it was in Italian:

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/speeches/2015/may/documents/papa-francesco_20150518_conferenza-episcopale-italiana.html

INTRODUCTORY SPEECH OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
OPENING OF THE WORK OF THE 68th GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ITALIAN BISHOPS 'CONFERENCE (C.E.I.)

Synod Hall
Monday, May 18, 2015

[Multimedia]

 

Dear brothers and sisters, good afternoon!

I greet all and greet the new appointed since the last Assembly, and also the two new cardinals created since the last Assembly.

When I hear this passage from the Gospel of Mark, I think, but Mark is angry with Mary Magdalene! Because until the last moment reminds us that she had hosted seven demons. But then I think, and I how many I have hosted? And I remain silent.

I would first like to express my thanks for this meeting, for the theme you have chosen: the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium.

The joy of the Gospel, in this moment in history where we are often surrounded by discouraging news from local and international situations that make us experience affliction and tribulation - in this part realistically little comforting - our Christian vocation and episcopal is to go against the tide: namely to be joyful witnesses of the Risen Christ to convey joy and hope to others. Our vocation is to listen to what the Lord asks us: "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God" (Is 40.1). In fact, we are asked to comfort, to help, to encourage, without distinction, all our brothers oppressed under the weight of their crosses, accompanying them, without ever getting tired of working to lift them up with the strength that comes from God alone.

Jesus also tells us: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? Good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled by men &quot Mt 5:13). It is very bad to meet a consecrated shot down, unmotivated or off: he is like a dry well where people can not find water to quench their thirst.

Today, therefore, knowing that you have chosen as the topic of this meeting, the Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, I would like to hear your ideas, your questions, and share with you some of my questions and reflections.

My question and my concerns arise from a global vision - not only of Italy, global - and especially from the many meetings I had in the past two years with the Episcopal Conferences, where I noticed the importance of what might be termed the ecclesial sensibility: that possession of the same feelings of Christ, humility, compassion, mercy, of concreteness - the love of Christ is real - and wisdom.

The ecclesial sensitivity that also involves not be timid or irrelevant in disavow and to defeat a widespread mentality of public and private corruption that has managed to impoverish, without any shame, families, retirees, honest workers, Christian communities, discarding the young, systematically deprived of any hope for their future, and especially by marginalizing the weak and needy. Ecclesial sensibility that, as good shepherds, brings us out to the people of God to defend the ideological settlements that take away the identity and human worthiness.

The sensitivity is also evident in ecclesial pastoral choices and in processing documents - our - where should not prevail appearance theoretical-doctrinal abstract, as if our guidelines are not intended for our people or our country - but only to some scholars and specialists - instead we must pursue the effort to translate them into concrete proposals and understandable.

Ecclesial and pastoral sensitivity is also reflected in reinforcing the essential role of lay people willing to assume the responsibilities that fall to them. In fact, the lay people who have a genuine Christian formation, should not need the Bishop-pilot, or the monsignor-pilot or a clerical input to assume its responsibilities at all levels, from the political to the social, from the economic to the Legislative! Instead, they have all the need of the Bishop Shepherd!

Finally, the sensitivity of the Church is concretely manifested in collegiality and communion between bishops and their priests; in the communion between the bishops themselves; between the dioceses rich - materially and vocationally - and those in need; between the suburbs and downtown; between the episcopal conferences and the bishops with the Successor of Peter.

Is known in some parts of the world weakened throughout the collegiality and in the determination of pastoral planning, is the sharing of financial planning commitments. Missing a habit to check the reception of programs and the implementation of the projects, for example, is organizing a conference or an event, highlighting the usual rumors, narcotises communities, endorsing choices, opinions and people. Instead of leaving us to carry those horizons where the Holy Spirit is asking us to go.

Another example of lack of sensitivity Church: why let themselves grow old so much religious institutes, Monasteries, Congregations, so as not to be nearly as faithful witnesses of the Gospel to the foundational charism? Because it either brings them together before it is too late in many points of view? And this is a worldwide problem.

I will stop here, having wanted to offer just a few examples on the ecclesial sensibility weakened due to the continuous comparison with the enormous problems of the world and the crisis that does not spare even the same Christian and ecclesial identity.

May the Lord - during the Jubilee of mercy that will begin next December 8 - grant "the joy of discovering and making fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time. .. We entrust as of now this Holy Year of the Mother of Mercy, why ask us her eyes and watch over our way &quot Homily 13 March 2015).

This was only an introduction. Now I'll leave you the time to offer your thoughts, your ideas, your questions on Evangelii gaudium and on everything you want to ask and thank you so much!