The surreality of covering Church news these days is occasionally hilarious.
Rome Reports is running a short piece today under the headline, “Pope Francis Explains How to Put Up With Annoying People“.
I am not making this up:
This week he spoke of one work of mercy that was of much interest: patiently enduring annoying people.
POPE FRANCIS
“Immediately we think: How long will I have to endure the laments, gossip, petitions or arrogance of this person?”
He recalled God’s patience with the Israelites in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, he remembered the pressure Christ received from the mother of two of his own disciples.
POPE FRANCIS
“She said to him, ‘Make my two sons sit one on your right and one on your left in your Kingdom.The mother was lobbying for her children.”
The pope said that when it comes to putting up with annoying people, one must remember how many times others have endured their own annoying habits.
He also said this work of mercy offers the opportunity to correct those who are wrong and teach those who mess up or are not aware.
The irony. The absurdity. It’s amazing.
Steve Skojec is the Founding Publisher of OnePeterFive.com. He received his BA in Communications and Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2001. His commentary has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Crisis Magazine, EWTN, Huffington Post Live, The Fox News Channel, Foreign Policy, and the BBC. Steve and his wife Jamie have eight children. You can find more of his writing at his Substack, The Skojec File.
Francis points the finger at others, only to find three pointing back at him.
He’s painted himself into a corner, and now he’s desperately looking for a way out. He thought he could get away with his “the matter is settled” approach regarding the letter to the Argentinian bishops on AL, but Burke and his three cohorts aren’t letting him off the hook that easily. And if he goes after the cardinals and punishes them/excommunicates them for merely asking for clarification, Francis is going to look just as rigid and inflexible as the people he excoriates each and every day.
Hopefully, the four cardinals going public has taken the veneer off this papacy and shown it is perfectly acceptable to respectfully question a pontiff without automatically becoming a schismatic or unfaithful Catholic.
Hopefully
He is aware and is doubling down. Everyone, keep praying. The message is getting to him by means of the Holy Ghost (or 1P5), be 100% confident. It’s entirely possible he has a Nebuchadnezzar moment, and sees the absurdity and changes his mind. It’s possible.
When you feel pushback in prayer for the Holy Father to change course, it’s because the message is getting through.
Why the “rigidity”? A failed worldview is on trial in the heavenlies. That’s why. And the court will return from recess very shortly.
At present Francis is living the Caiphas moment. Yes, pray for that poor deluded by the devil soul.
“Immediately we think: How long will I have to endure the laments, gossip, petitions or arrogance of this person?”
It sounds very much like trying to play the “victim card.”
This is a brilliant scenario, but it’s going to be very difficult in the future.
Here is what is happening before our very eyes: The “Pope of Mercy,” beloved by many, whose words in Amoris Laetitia have been praised throughout the world, is being attacked by “rigid” underlings who do not care about the sheep.
Amoris Laetitia is magisterial and binds the conscience of the Catholic; therefore, any cardinal who opposes the pope on this is the true schismatic.
After all, the pope says the Rosary, is going to Fatima, loves others and practices charity, et cetera, et cetera.
Now the pope is under attack by these miscreants and is teaching the world how to endure their “gossip” and “petitions.”
Those who are in the pope’s camp, such as Spadaro, Farrell, Cupich, Wuerl, Marx, Kasper, et al., need to step up to the plate to defend him against all the naysayers, who are the true schismatics.
The fact pattern is diabolic: The true defenders of our Faith are going to be called evil while the evil ones will be called good. Above it all, the suffering victim, in the person of the pope, remains silent and endures it all with patience.
God help Cardinal Burke, et al. Their task is quite an onerous one.
SATAN CAN AND WILL APPEAR AS AN ‘ANGEL OF LIGHT’
The ones who advocate mercy are the most merciless.
Excellent observations.
Kettle, meet black. Black, this is kettle.
The pot calling the kettle black.
I saw this earlier today and laughed. It is ridiculous and clearly a shot at the good Cardinal’s who have dared to ask him to speak in a Catholic Manner about Catholic Doctrines.
He still has to answer the Dubia. No mouthpieces will suffice.
I agree, for the good of the Church and the salvation of souls he needs to answer the dubia. His ministry is to confirm the brethren in the Faith and that is all the Cardinal’s are asking of him.
If you would like to annoy him even more, can I suggest you please sign this petition organized by Lifesite News asking him to respond to the 4 cardinals:
https://lifepetitions.com/petition/pope-francis-i-support-the-4-cardinals-letter-pleading-for-clarity-on-amoris-laetitia
I have signed with my full name and diocesan e-mail address so I look forward to some annoying blowback from it!
Me too.
And sign this too: http://www.filialappeal.org/
It’s quite vexing that the Catholic blogs haven’t advertised this the way they did the 1st appeal.
I’ll speak only for myself – I’ve grown incredibly weary of open letters and petitions. We sign one after another and nothing comes of it. We begin acting as though the Church is some democratic institution that should respond to petition drives rather than the will of Almighty God.
That said, I know that some very good prelates are personally promoting this. I’ll probably force myself to overcome my “bah humbug” reaction and post something about it.
I hear what you are saying, but I do not think this is treating the Church like a democratic establishment (which it most certainly is not) but rather a way for the laity and clergy alike to make their suffering for the Faith known to the Hierarchy of the Church. It is a plea for help and an appeal for the members of the Hierarchy to boldly proclaim the Catholic Faith in it’s glorious fullness.
The Filial Appeal can also be an expression of the Will of Almighty God, can it not? I never sensed any condescension or arrogance in either appeal, only a desire for the Catholic Faith to be better known, defended, supported and loved.
Furthermore, good did come of the 1st Appeal: it let the Cardinal’s (and faithful Bishops and Priests) know that they are not alone in their desire for the Will of God to be Done in the Church. I can only imagine that the failure of the 2nd Appeal to generate any real support was discouraging to them.
Steve, so true. We must pray more to God about the troubles engulfing the Church.
Those things may not solve the problem, but they do remind those of us who are frustrated that we are not alone.
In addition to what Fr. RP has said, I’d add that it can be a way for the Church to hear the sensus fidelium. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the prelates out there are as confused as others of the faithful, wondering which way to turn. They are, after all, only marginally better catechized than the average lay person (seminaries have been pretty bad for awhile.) Hearing the cries of the faithful, through these petitions, may just help them. Then again, it might not.
You are right in not signing these things and you have the right reason for not signing.
Stick with it.
Cf. this link: Pro Domine et Ecclesia
et Pontificecontra #AmorisLaetitia; Petitions: To the Pope; To all Catholic Cardinals; To all Catholic Bishops*
We don’t support one another enough.
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Even though I have links from LifeSiteNews.com on my blog, for reasons I won’t go into now, I generally give them a wide berth. I see no need to sign their petition – I signed the declaration – as the process of Cardinal Burke and his 3 brother Bishops [what they have done is what was and still is incumbent upon ALL the Bishops, not Cardinals, but Bishops, even though all Cardinals are Bishops] who are Cardinals have initiated just needs, as you asked Father, Masses offered and our prayers and sacrifices/fasting.
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Perhaps what each one of us can do is to find out exactly where our own Bishop stands, because for the liberty and exaltation of holy Mother Church when that time comes, the bad Bishops still living will be shown the door.
It’s not vexing at all, given there is so much papolatry today. Sad yes, vexing no.
I signed that one quite awhile ago!
If a petition with a million signatures, including cardinals and bishops, is ignored (the Filial Appeal), this will be too. It’s a waste of time. I pray my rosary for conversion of or removal of Francis instead.
AL “A mixture of opinion and doctrine.” – Card. Burke
In AL “All too often we are subjected to long tracts of homespun avuncular advice that could be given by any secular journalist without the faith, the sort of thing to be found in the pages of Reader’s Digest, or one of those ‘Lifestyle’ inserts in weekend newspapers.” – Dr. Anna Silvas
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That’s how our pope teaches.
I have my own course of action for dealing with annoying people who are famous: I try to ignore them. I did that with Mrs. Clinton for more than a year and with the pope himself for several now. Unfortunately, some of the things Francis says and does are so outlandish they appear even on Drudge or in secular newspapers and I then fail to avoid him. But, as I say, I limit contact as much as possible to help me sleep more soundly.
Ignorance is bliss?
But whether we like it or not the truth will catch up with us. Especially since in this instance it is the supposed teacher of truth who is circumventing it.
Well, at least a blissful night of sleep. It’s either ignorance or Lorazepam.
I must agree on that point. It really is unsettling. But now I’ve learned by the grace of God to be able to sleep even with all the Pope is cooking.
All this must come to pass.
I remember something both disturbing and consoling. Back when Dale Vree (is he still alive?), then the editor of the New Oxford Review, was still Anglican, he wrote about his experience living in Ulbricht’s East Germany. He was part of a small circle of Christians, in Berlin I believe it was. According to him it was the time in his life of most intense Christian living and feeling; unable to depend on anything in the world, he and his comrades surrendered themselves more fully to Jesus. I’ve never forgotten that essay of his, and on more than one occasion during the recent political campaign I had reason to bring it to mind. Now what Francis seems to be cooking up could be more devastating for the human spirit even than anything Walter Ulbricht ever dreamed of.
I’ve had this experience on pilgrimages and other adventures. It’s both terrifying and invigorating.
Pope Francis is trying to teach us how to put up with him, eh?
Priceless!
The best I can do is LOL LOL LOL.
Then to say: Do look in the mirror.
We’d be so lucky if it was merely annoying. But how does one put up with the devilish?
Funny that: opportunity to correct those who are wrong. Woe to those who dare suggest that it is him who is in error and needs to be corrected.
The unjust judge comes to mind. Jesus said petition, petition, petition and petition without ceasing.
There is however the real possibility of getting snake when we ask for fish (Luke 11:11) in this instance.
Nonetheless, petition without ceasing till we get fish.
Then there’s the issue of arrogance – the arrogance to think that one is above Scripture and above Tradition. That is supreme arrogance.
As for the gossip: it is no longer gossip when you berate someone publicly while pretending to be nice.
Reminds us of Henry II as regarding Thomas a Becket: “Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?”
Perhaps the four Cardinals dissenting AL should get ready for their comeuppance.
“How long will I have to endure the laments, gossip, petitions or arrogance of this person?”
My thoughts exactly every time Francis goes on a “rigid” rant…………….
I can’t help but laugh. I mean really. Like… literally lol’d here.
>>“Immediately we think: How long will I have to endure the laments, gossip, petitions or arrogance of this person?”<<
Translation: "Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?"
? Beat me to it.
In this article (The following is a link) Burke amenaza al Papa con hacerle “un acto formal de corrección de un error grave”, they take the pope’s words to be aimed at the 4 brave cardinals.
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Not changing course anytime soon. Persecution cometh … in fact, it is here already.
We truly should not be surprised. It is how the Church is regenerated – by the blood of the martyrs.
The Cardinal’s and the Pope: plot thickens: http://www.ewtn.co.uk/news/holy-see/in-wake-of-rejection-of-dubia-pope-francis-cancels-meeting-with-cardinals
Maybe the Pope is running away to avoid scary Cardinals, perhaps he knows something?
Apparently (I just read this) Rahm Emanuel is on (or soon to be on) his way to Rome.
Maybe he’s summoning his army.
I wonder if he finds annoying men like this Mahometan that he urges europeans to accept in ever greater numbers.
http://nicholasstixuncensored.blogspot.com/2016/11/trigger-warning-see-this-video-of.html