Pope Warns Church Focusing Too Much on Divisive Issues, page 1

posted on Sep, 19 2013 @ 01:52 PM

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Pope Francis has warned that the Catholic Church's focus on abortion, contraception and gay marriage risked overshadowing its pastoral mission and threatened to bring down the church "like a house of cards."

Pope Warns Church

Well Ill say one thing about that stance, If the "Church" Acted like they are called to most of the problems people have with it would not exist.

In doing so, Pope Francis appeared to put more distance between himself and his two predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II, who strongly supported traditional church dogma. Indeed, the interview comes in the wake of grumblings from some bishops that the new pope has failed to issue strong pronouncements on divisive issues.

Heres the thing though, IF he really wanted to distance himself and change the image of the catholic church HE might want to try some Actions instead of words.

How about cracking open the Churchs Coffers to the needy like never before? and how about some transparency on Issues like abuse in the church and its finances?

edit on 19-9-2013 by benrl because: (no reason given)

eggman90

posted on Sep, 19 2013 @ 02:23 PM

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They're doing a great job fighting the pedophile lawsuits that plague the church, using the very money you mentioned. One might think that ongoing scandal would have brought down the church "like a house of cards" by now, but somehow they get to move their funds out of the law's reach (the regular laws that everyday citizens have to live by).

windword

posted on Sep, 19 2013 @ 02:29 PM

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reply to post by benrl

Yeah, it's confusing. Is the Pope asking people to stop being so vocal in their faith to protect the church from the finger pointing of unpopular politics, like we see in African countries that persecute gays?

Does the Pope's comments come from the concern that the disobedience of most Catholic women, of child bearing age, who use contraception and procure abortions, may cause a great exodus?

edit on 19-9-2013 by windword because: (no reason given)

burdman30ott6

posted on Sep, 19 2013 @ 08:35 PM

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The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.

In the extreme persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit ... Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations: and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people.

-St Malachy

Call me cold hearted and old fashioned, but I don't see the diversion from centuries of Dogma and not only accepted, but required theology just like this *snap fingers* to be a sign of anything good. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, have died over the past 2,000 years both defending and proselytizing the very Dogmatic ideals Francis is attempting to steer people away from. Christianity cannot be synonymous with populism by the very nature of the Bible we use...

You will be hated by all nations for My name's sake... And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

-Jesus Christ, Matthew 24: 8-14

When the Church becomes a populist, mass cult of personality and is hearkened by the cheers of the majority, then that will surely be a sign that the same Church has absented itself from its true mission of Earth and is no longer the House of the Almighty.

This is coming from a Converted former Catholic who left the Church 6 years ago because it was far from the conservative institution I feel it must be. By conservative, I am speaking to the very nature of worshipping a God who does not change with time. If He is unchanging (which I believe wholeheartedly He is) then when we see "His Church" changing we must become suspect and cautious before we suddenly realize that it is no longer His.

As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.

riiver

posted on Sep, 19 2013 @ 09:28 PM

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It seems to me that Pope Francis is advocating paying more attention to what Jesus himself said and less to what Paul and the politicians---that is, the leaders of the church throughout the centuries---have said.

eggman90

posted on Sep, 20 2013 @ 08:08 AM

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"Files released by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee on Monday reveal that in 2007, Cardinal Timothy F. Dolan, then the archbishop there, requested permission from the Vatican to move nearly $57 million into a cemetery trust fund to protect the assets from victims of clergy sexual abuse who were demanding compensation."

source: www.towleroad.com...

Where was god when these kids were being molested by the priests (over 50 accused) ? Today, they can't sue those bastards because the money is in another fund, and a court allowed it!

And from the New York Times:

"Cardinal Dolan was not a Milwaukee prelate during most of the abuse cases, but he faced a costly aftermath of troubles and warned the Vatican in 2003: “As victims organize and become more public, the potential for true scandal is very real.” The documents showed how the Vatican slowly took years to allow dioceses to defrock embarrassing priests. Yet the same bureaucracy approved Cardinal Dolan’s $57 million transfer just days after the Wisconsin court allowed victims’ damage suits."

www.nytimes.com...

What all-knowing, all-seeing god allows this to happen? I'll tell you: none. The same one that allows kids to be shot in school, after the clergy informs us that they are "with god in heaven now".

Some great god there. The pope can blow all the smoke he wants to. We can still see through it.

edit on 9/20/2013 by eggman90 because: (no reason given)