Sandro Magister at his blog Chiesa brings us the heartening words of the Pope against those who believe that the sex we are born with is infinitely malleable:
ROME, August 8, 2016 – Breaking the initial mandate of silence, the Holy See made public a few days ago the transcription of the closed door conversation that took place between Pope Francis and the bishops of Poland on the first day of his visit to that country, on July 27 in Kraków:
> Meeting with the Polish Bishops
One reason for this unusual publication “ex post facto” was probably the desire to shut down the leaks that were circulating about the contents of that meeting, in particular concerning communion for the divorced and remarried, considering the staunch opposition of the Polish bishops to any concession in this regard.
In effect, to read the transcription of the long conversation, it does not contain any reference to “Amoris Laetitia” and to the relative controversies.
What it does contain, toward the end, is a vigorous harangue by the pope against “gender” ideology, which he branded as a “true ideological colonization” on a global scale.
Here are his actual words:
“In Europe, America, Latin America, Africa, and in some countries of Asia, there are genuine forms of ideological colonization taking place. And one of these – I will call it clearly by its name – is [the ideology of] ‘gender’. Today children – children! – are taught in school that everyone can choose his or her sex. Why are they teaching this? Because the books are provided by the persons and institutions that give you money. These forms of ideological colonization are also supported by influential countries. And this terrible! In a conversation with Pope Benedict, who is in good health and very perceptive, he said to me: ‘Holiness, this is the age of sin against God the Creator’. He is very perceptive. God created man and woman; God created the world in a certain way… and we are doing the exact opposite. God gave us things in a ‘raw’ state, so that we could shape a culture; and then with this culture, we are shaping things that bring us back to the ‘raw’ state! Pope Benedict’s observation should make us think. ‘This is the age of sin against God the Creator’.”
The mainstream media practically ignored these words from Francis, which moreover were enriched with a substantial citation from the pope emeritus. And this comes as no surprise, because this is what happens every time Francis says something that clashes with his dominant media image, as a pope open to modernity.
Meanwhile, however, those are things that he has said, just as on other occasions in the past. And it can be presumed that they have not been well received by those sectors of the Church that advocate a drastic modernization of Catholic teaching on matters of “gender,” homosexuality, “marriage” between persons of the same sex.
These are ecclesial sectors that are extensively present and active above all in central Europe, with many bishops and theologians in the front ranks.
But it is also true that these modernist tendencies encounter the opposition of much larger sectors of the Church worldwide, for which the words spoken by Francis in Kraków against “gender” ideology are music to their ears.
One of many examples of this resistance front is the pastoral letter published at the end of November 2015 – that is, after the end of the synod on the family – by the bishops of Australia, addressed not only to Catholics but to all the citizens of that country.
Go here to read the rest. The Pope’s statement is very good. PopeWatch wishes the Pope could see similar “ideological colonization” in regard to schoolchildren as to many other issues pushed by the left.
Not just is the Pope’s statement very good, but you sharing this statement is very good as well.
The pope said something true for a change. Now why doesn’t he have the courage to shout the truth from the rooftops? All perversions are against God, and that’s all that has to be said. But, this pope fears not being liked. The church could use a real man as pope, that means a non-celibate one…..
All minor, un-emancipated sovereign persons’ innate human rights and their civil rights are held in trust for them by God, “their Creator”, by their parents, and finally, with a court order, by the state. The state is instituted by the sovereign citizens to “…secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our (constitutional) Posterity, all future generations” …from The Preamble, the unchangeable and unchanging purpose of our Founding Principles.
The state is established to safeguard all persons’ civil rights that are outward expressions of the sovereign person’s innate human rights endowed by “their Creator”…from THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE…
The Catholic Church, the Triumphant saints in heaven, the Militant on earth and the Suffering souls in Purgatory is held in trust for all future generations by the Apostolic Succession through the Vicar of Christ on earth, the Holy Father.
The state might tax the unborn Catholics if it could. The state might usurp the unborn Catholics freedom to choose to respond to the gift of Faith from God. The state has denied the human being in his final agony of death, his religion, his freedom and his Last Rites. (SEE Obama’s refusal to allow the Catholic Mass on military bases during the government shutdown.) The state has no authentic authority over our constitutional Posterity as they are still in the mind of God, not yet birthed as citizens. The duty of the state is to preserve for all future generations a legacy set forth by “the laws of Nature and Nature’s God” in our Founding Principles.
Thank you for posting the pope’s comments. A positive and orthodox quote from Pope Francis. I like to think that our collective prayers for him are being answered. I read the rest of the story. Chilling is the total disregard for the rights of anyone who crosses the gender Ideology/identity police. Disregard is too mild a word.
“this is the age of sin against God the Creator” that’s a quote of Pope Benedict to remember.
I have been very critical of Pope Francis’ lack of public pro life prioritizing. But I had a friend send me a compilation of quotes and actions against abortion by the Pope, there was a lot of good stuff and wide-ranging. I think the problem is that this Pope and most of our Bishops don’t take advantage of the secular media opportunities they have to drive home the priority of stopping the inhumanity of killing millions of preborn children. They are either trying to fit into the secular mindset to show how broad minded the Church is. Or they are lacking courage to redirect the conversation to include witnessing on behalf of the voiceless children. Maybe they lack personal conviction. They should take their cue from the head of Knights of Columbus who stepped up the other day very publicly.
Tim, were these remarks in a Catholic newspaper or do you have a link? I would be interested in reading them.