Pope Francis La Repubblica Interview Rocks Church!

[Beacool]

Source: The Huffington Post


By David Gibson

(RNS) Pope Francis has done it again: Just two weeks after the publication of a lengthy, detailed interview in which he expounded on his new vision for the church he has given another interview, this time with the atheist editor of an Italian daily.

Francis had recently written an open letter to Eugenio Scalfari of La Repubblica, and then called the editor up out of the blue — as is his habit.

.........

On the Roman Curia, the Vatican bureaucracy:

“It sees and looks after the interests of the Vatican, which are still, for the most part, temporal interests. This Vatican-centric view neglects the world around us. I do not share this view and I’ll do everything I can to change it. The Church is or should go back to being a community of God’s people, and priests, pastors and bishops, who have the care of souls, are at the service of the people of God.”

On the obstacles he faces:

“The real trouble is that those most affected by (narcissism) — which is actually a kind of mental disorder — are people who have a lot of power. Often bosses are narcissists. … Heads of the Church have often been narcissists, flattered and thrilled by their courtiers. The court is the leprosy of the papacy.”


“It sees and looks after the interests of the Vatican, which are still, for the most part, temporal interests. This Vatican-centric view neglects the world around us. I do not share this view and I’ll do everything I can to change it. The Church is or should go back to being a community of God’s people, and priests, pastors and bishops, who have the care of souls, are at the service of the people of God.”



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/pope-francis-interview_n_4023659.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

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Rock on, your Holiness!!!

[elleng]

1. Fabulous! C'mon over here, please, sir!

“The real trouble is that those most affected by (narcissism) — which is actually a kind of mental disorder — are people who have a lot of power. Often bosses are narcissists. … Heads of the Church have often been narcissists, flattered and thrilled by their courtiers. The court is the leprosy of the papacy.”

[get the red out]

2. Absolutely!

I hope this Pope doesn't suddenly pass from unknown causes!!! He's hitting the nail on the head for what's wrong with the world.

[elleng]

4. Yes indeed, the world.

Might want to visit Rome just to see and thank him.

[MBS]

6. you bet!

[Beacool]

5. Often bosses are narcissists.........

Preach it, brother!!! This applies to politicians too.

[n2doc]

3. Heis saying the right things

I haven't been impressed with his Church's actions, however. I hope he doesn't turn out to be 'all hat and no cattle" so to speak.

for an example:
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/21/vic-priest-excommunicated-over-teachings

[Hydra]

7. Yup

Lots of talk in our gov't too, no follow through, or just the opposite happening.

We'll just have to see.

[bklyncowgirl]

8. I read the entire interview (in translation). Very interesting.

A few highlights:

Pope Francis feels that among the biggest problems facing the world are youth unemployment and the lonely suffering of the aged.

He says he was influenced early on by one of his college professors, a Communist woman who was later imprisoned, tortured and killed by the Argentine government. While he rejected her secular vision, much of her emphasis on social justice remained.

Scalfari, apparently, is a former Catholic now an agnostic. They joked around about each trying to convert the other. There was a great deal of theological discussion much of which frankly went right over my head despite 12 years of Catholic education. Scalfari said (in effect) he was not anticlerical although some priests made him want to be. The Pope said, (in effect) Yeah me too.

The Pope seems to be not just a cool dude, he's a man on a mission. He says that the one mystical moment in his life was right after he was elected Pope. If he really believes that he's on a mission from God, he's going to be a tough guy to stop. At any rate, I hope that some of his social messaging is registering with conservative Catholics in this country.

[KamaAina]

9. Interesting, considering he has his own paper

L'Osservatore Romano. Or perhaps it's run by hardliners and he's deliberately bypassing it?

[SharonAnn]

10. Or perhaps he wanted to reach a wider audience.

[adirondacker]

11. I swear this guy watches Bill Moyers...

http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-mark-leibovich-on-americas-gilded-capital/

[Stallion]

13. Bill Maher-as he would say.....

I LOVE THIS POPE!!!!!!!

[NYC Liberal]

12. Same shit all the popes say.

Let me know when he does something substantive, particularly with regards to women and gays.

ALL the popes, even the last one, wax poetic about helping the poor and criticize much about capitalism.

[FreeState]

14. +1 n/t

[theHandpuppet]

15. +2

yawn. Another daily Pope thread full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

[Beacool]

16. Really?

I was raised Catholic and I don't recall another Pope like this one.

[nomorenomore08]

17. I guess it's a question of what he really intends to do. Which, of course, no one knows but him.

He's said a lot of things that sound good, and I'd like to be optimistic, but the entrenched reactionary conservatism of the Church - I mean the hierarchy, not the laity - will make significant reform difficult, even if he does push for it.

[theHandpuppet]

18. And I've never seen one with a PR campaign like this one, either

How many Pope threads do you really think should be posted to the LBN forum every darn day? Ever heard of the Religion forums? Frankly, I resent a misogynist homophobe being celebrated on this forum every day... sometimes more than twice a day with these kinds of fannish threads that may have some importance to you but are an insult to me and are, in my opinion, skirting the rules of what actually qualifies as LBN.

[NYC Liberal]

20. If Francis were a politician running for office here

and held the same anti-gay, sexist views he does as pope...would supporting him be allowed or condoned here? I think not. Yet because it's cloaked in "religion" he gets a pass.

[theHandpuppet]

21. Exactly.

And I'm sick of it.

[NYC Liberal]

22. It's all PR.

Nothing he's said has contradicted well established Church law and teachings - including what he's said about gays. Here's the very well established catechism:

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

Nothing new. This is his position and has been the position of the church for a long time.

[NYC Liberal]

19. Sure

Here's how Benedict talked:

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday called for a radical rethinking of the global economy, criticizing a growing divide between rich and poor and urging the establishment of a “true world political authority” to oversee the economy and work for the “common good.”

He criticized the current economic system, “where the pernicious effects of sin are evident,” and urged financiers in particular to “rediscover the genuinely ethical foundation of their activity.”

He also called for “greater social responsibility” on the part of business. “Once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty,” Benedict wrote in his new encyclical, which the Vatican released on Tuesday.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/world/europe/08pope.html?_r=0

Nothing new.

[Nihil]

23. Your blinkered hypocrisy is sadly comical ...

> Same shit all the popes say.
> Let me know when he does something substantive,

Says the fervent cheerleader who still claims that "The Best Is Yet To Come"!

[NYC Liberal]

24. Obama has done a hell of a lot more for millions

Of people than any pope has.