Father Raymond de Souza in the Catholic Herald has some pointed commentary regarding the Pope’s recent remarks on terrorism:
Yet something had to be said when even the French president declared that this attack on the Catholic Church was an attack on France as a whole. Pope Francis spoke on the plane to Kraków about how Fr Hamel was one of many Christians to be killed in this “piecemeal world war”. Immediately advised by Fr Antonio Spadaro, editor of La Civiltà Cattolica and the Holy Father’s de facto spokesman, that that could be interpreted as if Islam was waging war on Christianity, the Holy Father circled back to the journalists to take another crack at it, insisting that wars are never caused by religion.
That seemed to do the trick for the plane, but on the ground in Kraków the pilgrims were talking about it, the journalists were still asking about it, the bishops from around the world were incorporating the martyrdom of Fr Hamel into their catechetical talks. Why did the Holy Father not say something, given that two of the patrons held up as models for WYD were the martyrs St Maximilian Kolbe and Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko?
A hasty solution was adopted, with Pope Francis adding an unscheduled visit to venerate the relics of two recently beatified Polish missionaries, Franciscan friars killed by the Marxist Shining Path guerillas in 1991 in Peru. There the Holy Father offered a prayer for deliverance from the “devastating wave of terrorism” without further specification. There was though a hint of where the Holy Father was heading in the part of the prayer for the “families of the victims of terrorism”, asking that they might find the “courage to continue to be brothers and sisters for others, above all for immigrants.” The pivot from terror to immigration indicated the Holy Father’s frustration that the summer of Islamist terror is dampening popular enthusiasm for greater settlement of Muslim refugees in Europe.
Finally, on the flight home, Pope Francis made clear his current thinking, that there is no such phenomenon as Islamist violence, any more than domestic violence in Italy constitutes “Catholic violence”. Going further still, he acknowledged that “there are violent persons of [Islam]… this is true: I believe that in pretty much every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. Fundamentalists. We have them.”
It was not clear whether Pope Francis was speaking historically or contemporaneously, but if the latter, there is no evidence of violent Catholic fundamentalists at work anywhere in the world. That the head of the Catholic Church would suggest such is simply remarkable.
Remarkable too, though, was that the airborne remarks, while covered in the Catholic press, were relegated to very secondary coverage in the secular press. Perhaps the novelty of the Holy Father’s airborne press conferences is wearing off.
Which may be for the best. Better not to leave the final word from Kraków, a millennium-old city of hundreds of martyrs, by ignoring their contemporary companions.
Go here to read the rest. His observation, “That the head of the Catholic Church would suggest such is simply remarkable.”, basically sums up this papacy.
. I think on researching Islam, he read a survey in a politically correct encyclopedia or he opened the Koran for five minutes and landed fortuitously on calm verses. That brief encounter was all he did because it fit into his paradigm that “all religions desire peace “. His two predecessors probably did similar little research on deterrence and the death penalty. This is a drawback to being Pope. You can fake knowledge of a topic…or circumvent research by sounding theological. Reporters won’t hard ball question you because they want return access; and Cardinals don’t want to be transferred out of Rome so they don’t vehemently fraternally correct Popes….as Paul did in Galatians. Look at Benedict’s recent flattery of Francis and silence on AL footnote problems. And Catholic professors and paid authors can’t risk the income and mortgage by writing against the Pope. Watch Shea and Jimmy Akin and see if they ever criticize a sitting Pope…ain’t happenin’. Ed Peters, Amy Welborn and others did venture out onto that ice….but as Cardinal Wuerl asserted…85% of Catholics like Pope Francis so it’s a strange world or …that 85% are paying him almost no ongoing detailed attention which is very likely.
“Remarkable” seems an apt descriptive word. It’s preferable to my descriptive which I will not type out of respect for the man’s “rank.”
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He is correct to the extent that the Islam of the terrorists is not religion. It’s a demonic movement whose imams (unholy men) and emirs (supervisory mass murderers) are intent on enslaving the world.
“there are violent persons of [Islam]… this is true: I believe that in pretty much every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. Fundamentalists. We have them.”
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Right. Because the world has an epidemic of Catholic faithful chopping off heads in the name of Catholicism. I wish Catholics had a fraction of the fervor without the violence.
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The current president, the current presidential election cycle, the current papacy… Lord, please deliver us from this nightmare. These are the times that try men’s souls.
Kyle– have you seen that meme floating around? Has across the top: “CATHOLIC EXTREMIST.”
Bottom is a picture of Mother Teresa.
I wonder if PF considers conservative Catholics as being extremists?
If so, I will pray for him all the more.
The image and smug comment of Francis asking the alter boy; “What’s a matter? Are your hands stuck together?” That small gesture touched me negatively in a very large way. I thought of the boy. His service and young innocent love to serve God. Then, the mouthpiece, (supposedly) of God’s great defender of Faith spews out condemnation in a sarcastic manner.
I pray for him, the Pope, because I love our Lady. She, in my heart, asks me to pray hard for him.
I’m reminded of the Pope who was about to die, and three prayers were said for his soul.
The prayers were very efficacious according to the ( Pieta prayer booklet.)
That Pope knew he was in great danger of eternal Hell.
I pray for Francis in like manner.
I do not know Francis’ state, but I see/hear comments from him that beg for prayer.
“85% of Catholics like Pope Francis so it’s a strange world or …that 85% are paying him almost no ongoing detailed attention which is very likely.”
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Obviously, I don’t know what is going on in other countries, and the US is so large, I’m not so sure I know what is going on in this country. But based on my own little neck of the woods? Yeah, I’m pretty sure 85% of Catholics aren’t paying that much attention and really don’t care.
“……. the Holy Father circled back to the journalists to take another crack at it, insisting that wars are never caused by religion.”
Far be it from me to contradict the Holy Father, but this statement is patently false. One does not have to be too much of a student of history to see that there have been many wars fought in the name of Religion. One only has to listen to what these Muslim extremists shout out to know that it is in the name of their religion that they are committing these atrocities.Of course there are many Muslims who do not join with them – even disagree – but where Islam is ultimately victorious in those regions of the world where they have eliminated by war or terror all opposing or differing religions, those “moderates” are in full accord with what has occurred.
T Shaw is correct – Islam is a demonic religion, whose leader was conned by Satan, making him believe that it was Gabriel, not Satan, who was instructing him.
Where is the word “LOVE” in the Koran?
Islam is no religion. It is a totalitarian ideology that requires its followers to take control and suppress all who do not accept it.
Nostra Aetete has become the supreme law of the Catholic Church…..even though it goes against centuries of Catholic confrontation against Islam. V2 is the Church, not what came before it….according to this Pontiff whether or not he will admit it.
Traditional Catholics are people he has held in great contempt. Well, speaking only on my part, the feeling is mutual.
I have a cousin fighting cancer and the daughter of a (Ukrainian) Catholic priest in a nearby parish has been fighting a terrible infection for almost a month, spending most of her time in the ICU. They come first in my prayers.
I am not good at loving or forgiving enemies. I prefer to smack them in the mouth first. I pointed out that I consider the Pontiff’s words to Poland regarding Islamic immigration to be an insult to Poles, Polish American Catholics and Polish Catholicism. I don’t worship the Pontiff either.
“That the head of the Catholic Church would suggest such is simply remarkable.”
A sentence that’s reaching exhaustion for how often it has had to be deployed during this pontificate.
One of many Koran verses that Pope Francis finds unconnected to ISIS:
Koran …..You Shall Be Prepared: A Divine Commandment
[8:60] “You shall prepare for them all the power you can muster, and all the equipment you can mobilize, that you may frighten the enemies of GOD, your enemies, as well as others who are not known to you; GOD knows them. Whatever you spend in the cause of GOD will be repaid to you generously, without the least injustice.”
The passage, like our ninth commandment….don’t covet thy neighbor’s wife, only has a fundamentalist meaning…there is no metaphor, no anagogical meaning. It like 1000’s of Bible sentences can only have a fundamentalist meaning….get camels, swords, US humvees, AK47’s and frighten people.
Does anyone doubt that this pope is a wimp? That he is weak-willed and easily-fooled and and is currently bending over (like Obama) for the leaders of the evil death cult that is all of Islam?
Jesus declared that there would be false prophets. Islam is false, and everything that Mohammed did and said is the work of an evil, demon-inspired man. He needs to be flushed down the toilet of history.
Can this Catholic church tell the truth for once? Islam is a false religion and as such it deserves absolutely no respect at all. As it is, we must fight it and destroy it or suffer the consequences until the end times.
Its is always a false moral equivalency with Pope Francis. It would be like saying after ISIS killed 100 people that “we all get agitated from time to time.” The Holy Father is failing at speaking the truth and thus inhibiting solutions to the terrorism problem. His is a false Mercy. And his credibility is diminishing accordingly. He is not a good leader and should not be the Pope.
Know them by their fruits. What kind of man was “the prophet?” Personally, morally and so on? What did he preach, how did he act, what is his legacy? (For that matter, what kind of man was Martin Luther? I digress.) What does the Koran teach and what is its overall spirit, objective, effect? If one lives like the founder of his or her religion, are they misguided extremists or faithful followers?
Now apply the same to Jesus. As one commenter pointed out, the end result of an extremists Catholic is Mother Teresa. The Muslim who commits jihad is following the Koran. The Catholic who commits an atrocity is not following Jesus, the Bible or the Church.
When do we call heresy, heresy? Did not St. Thomas Aquinas warn us to then end result of Islam?
Looks like this archbishop from Hungary has wisdom and willingness to speak it:
“A Hungarian prelate said in an interview that a desire to conquer Europe is a factor in mass Muslim migration to the continent.
‘Jihad is a principle for Muslims that means they must expand,’ said Archbishop Gyula Márfi of Veszprém. ‘The earth must become dar al-Islam, that is, Islamic territory, by introducing Shariah– Islamic law.
Migration does not only have causes, it also has a purpose, such as the destabilization of Europe and the Euro,” he added. “Just because we love the wolves, as God’s creatures, doesn’t mean we let them enter among the sheep, even if they come in sheep’s clothing.”
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=29019
Oh dear. Poor Archbishop Gyula. Where will they exile you to? Malta?
Pope Francis on Mar.28 to hundreds of children at the Vatican: ” Migrants are not a danger”.
At this link, you’ll find that muslim men molest muslim women in the Greek refugee camps with one man waking to find four men trying to rape his mother..
http://news.trust.org/item/20160805050122-ofgq2/