Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 3:55am

PopeWatch: Bear Growls: Interview

 

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Hmmm, so the Pope has given an interview to our bruin friend at Saint Corbinian’s Bear.  Perhaps PopeWatch should dress up in a bear suit and beg for an interview?  Here is some of the Pope’s interview with the bear:

 

At 7 a.m. yesterday, the Bear was just starting to eat his morning oatmeal when he got the biggest surprise of his life. His cell phone rang, and he answered it. On the other end a voice said this: “Please stand by for his Holiness.”

You can imagine what the Bear thought as his heart started to beat faster. Was it a prank? Why the Bear? Was he about to get chewed out by the Pope? Then the same voice said in the background, “Sua Santità, il Orso.”

“Parla italiano?” asked a familiar voice.

“Si,” the Bear answered. What followed was an incredible opportunity for the Bear to speak freely for 30 minutes with Pope Francis.

Pope Francis: “Good morning, Mr. Bear.” [The Bear could detect a trace of humor in his voice.] “I have seen your blog and it is very creative. And please, go right on ahead being hard on me. It is the voice of a segment of our Church, and it helps me. Besides,” [again the humor] “your Pope has a sense of humor, too.”

Pope Video 1 and Universalism

Bear: [Pope Francis said he wanted to dispense with formalities and time was limited, so the Bear spent little time on pleasantries.] “Your Holiness, the first thing that comes to mind is your monthly intention videos, or ‘Pope Videos.’ This Bear found the first quite disturbing. It appeared to promote Universalism. The video, not the intention. At the end it had people holding symbols of their different religions together as if they were equal. What are we to make of that? Do you believe Christianity is simply one religion among many?”

 

End of Pope Video 1

Pope Francis: “No. Of course not. I am a son of the Church, and believe that people are saved through Christ. But the reality is that we share our world with other religions. Does it not make sense to try to emphasize what we share, rather than our differences?”

Bear: “Actually, with all due respect, no. Those other religions are defined by their error, and their similarities to Christianity are overstated. Buddhism, one of the religions in the video, doesn’t even believe in God. How can they be saved outside of the Church? Why does the Church foster error?”

Pope Francis: “I must insist that each one of these religions does share things with Christianity. Where there is a lack, God’s mercy fills it. [Imagine a shrug in his voice.] A good person of any religion, or no religion, may be saved through Christ. You must remember that we, too, lack in mercy, in charity, in the care we show for the refugee, the poor, the planet. Everyone falls short. Even me, if your blog is to be believed! [Laughs.] It is not that other religions are just as true, it is that wherever they fall short, God generously makes up for it.”

Bear: “So people do not have to accept Christ and be baptized to be saved?”

Pope Francis: “They must accept him in those in need they see around them. All salvation is through Christ. All saved are members of the Church. But we must get used to not focusing on human formalities. Christ is bigger than we can comprehend. The Church is not a bus, that you are either on or off. The Church is the bus stop, too. It is the sidewalk along the bus route, where people are walking, some in one direction, and some in the other. The Church accompanies them, walking with them. The Church is not just one tiny, cramped bus!”

Bear: “Were missionaries like St. Francis Xavier and, for that matter, St. Corbinian, misguided then?”

Pope Francis: “We have a different emphasis now. We accompany people in Christ. We have come to understand that to proselytize is to do violence to a person, a culture.”

 

Pope Video 3 and Contraception

Bear: “The Bear noticed in Pope Video 3 that there are nearly no examples of families with more than two children. You have previously remarked that Catholics must be responsible and not breed like rabbits. Was the size of families in the videos a subtle message? Do you believe there is a problem with overpopulation? Do you encourage Catholics to have large families?”
Pope Francis: [laughs] “I did not even notice how big the families were in the video. That was not the focus. Of course there is a problem with overpopulation. Our planet can only support so many people, and we are at that limit now. Climate change and overpopulation together pose a serious threat today. It was not so in the past. In agricultural societies, it made sense to have large families. But today, do we need families with seven children? Four children? On the whole, no. What right does a couple have to claim so many more resources than their neighbors? This is selfish. To me? I say this as my personal opinion: two children seems responsible. But it is up to each individual family, of course.”
Bear: “How are Catholics to regulate the size of their families?”
Pope Francis: “The Church’s teaching is very clear on this, of course. But the role of conscience and pastoral advice also must play a part, as with any important decision. As with most things, it is not black and white. There are competing factors. The danger to our planet. Allocation of resources. Sometimes one must decide the less damaging course where no decision seems perfect.”
Bear: “Will you rule out contraception?”
Pope Francis: “As I said, the Church’s teaching is very clear.”

Go here to read the rest.  If the Pope still must give interviews, I think having him give the interview to a bear is a win-win for all concerned.
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The Bear
Tuesday, April 5, AD 2016 11:36am

Everybody loves Bears. We’re just so cute and cuddly looking. But you can’t touch — okay, go ahead but no quick moves. Behind the ears would be greatly appreciated.

Philip
Philip
Wednesday, April 6, AD 2016 2:45am

http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/4812/Wendy-Davis-Hypes-Benefits-of-Abortion-at-Notre-Dame-on-Feast-of-the-Annunciation.aspx

Dear Bear.

The Pontifical teaching moments keep slipping by as do the babies who are snuffed out.

The link indicates that this talk was given on Our Lady’s feast of the Annunciation.
Pope Francis….Help Souls, Save Souls… These babies are starving for Oxygen!
Remove Notre Dame as being a Catholic University or stop the blasphemous guest speakers. For God’s sake.

Kathleen
Kathleen
Wednesday, April 6, AD 2016 3:30pm

This sounds so much like PF it’s hard to believe it’s not legit! Tragic.

CAM
CAM
Thursday, April 7, AD 2016 1:37am

Philip: thanks for the link on Davis speaking at Notre Dame. Appalling! When is the university going to invite David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt to speak?

Philip
Philip
Thursday, April 7, AD 2016 3:39am

CAM.

Your welcome.

As far as having the heroic duo speak at Notre Dame…………………………… holding breath……..

The truly Catholic society’s that reside there should work on that goal. They must make every effort to defend Catholic teaching especially in the wake of piss poor leadership.
It’s a sickening and rotton time but it’s ours.
We can’t afford to sideline this time we have.
We must stand up. God knew we would live in this time….now we must never be silent when acts aginist God and man are accepted and promoted….. especially on our turf.

Philip
Philip
Thursday, April 7, AD 2016 3:54am

Taken for granted?

While I was having my coffee it occurred to me……..where’s Mr. McClarey?
I hope he is alright.

Unusual for the calm and quiet waters.
Not knowing, I’ll place Donald in my prayers.
Vacation time?

This site is habit forming because it’s hearts that make it. Good ones.

One Hail Mary.

Philip
Philip
Thursday, April 7, AD 2016 7:49am

Glad your OK.
Bugs in the system is a Bear of a different color. Good luck.

CAM
CAM
Thursday, April 7, AD 2016 10:17am

For the Boomers: Remember the “We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties” screen on the TV? The test pattern? Hope TAC is not being hacked.
Speaking of free speech – Don’t the powers that be at that august institution understand the classic definition of liberal? At my alma mater when William Kuntzler was invited, then Gen LeMay was also. Although it wasn’t perfect because LeMay wasn’t accorded the same courtesy as Kuntzler; he was shouted down by strategically placed hippies in the crowd…. but I digress..it seems that the Notre Dame student paper could invite Daleiden and Merritt to speak on investigative reporting. Hmmm just a thought – how many of PPH’s underage “clients” arrive with false ID? Of course, which PPH accepts.

Mr Bear, please excuse my wandering thread. Your post was excellent. You had me there for a few paragraphs. Since the pope prides himself on being modern, I thought maybe, just maybe it is possible that PF would engage in discourse with bloggers. Ah no. Perhaps because The Bear is intimidating -he speaks the truth and thinks too quickly for his Holiness’ to respond. In your wanderings today, may you find a cache of wild honey.

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