Phil Lawler at Catholic Culture notes that Pope Francis uses Jesuit doublespeak when he wishes to avoid endorsing Catholic teaching:
As the question-and-answer session was coming to a close, a Portuguese journalist was given the opportunity for a final question. He asked the Holy Father to comment on the fact that in Portugal, an overwhelmingly Catholic country, the political trend is favorable to recognition of same-sex marriage, acceptance of abortion, and now perhaps even euthanasia. Here is the Pope’s reply:
I think it’s a political problem. And that also the Catholic conscience isn’t a catholic one of total belonging to the Church and that behind that there isn’t a nuanced catechesis, a human catechesis. That is, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is an example of what is a serious and nuanced thing. I think that there is a lack of formation and also of culture. Because it’s curious, in some other regions, I think of the south of Italy, some in Latin America, they are very Catholic but they are anti-clerical and ‘priest-eaters’, that … there is a phenomenon that exists. It concerns me. That’s why I tell priests, you will have read it, to flee from clericalism because clericalism distances people. May they flee from clericalism and I add: it’s a plague in the Church. But here there is a work also of catechesis, of raising awareness, of dialogue, also of human values.
So, given an opportunity to comment on the collapse of Catholic moral principles in a Catholic society—it could easily be described as a softball question—the Pope said… What?
Read that answer again, and tell me what the Pope thinks of Catholics who, in public life, betray Catholic principles. Good luck.
Go here to read the rest. No Pope would be better than this Pope.
Only liberals love what he says. God, we don’t want Jorge Bergoglio dead or wish him any ill will, but for the sake of your Holy Church, please end this Pontificate in Your way and by Your will, in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
I had my good wife read his response just to see she could make heads or tails out of it. No luck. PF is an evil clown. Pope Chastisement.
Curiously, we don’t have the expression “priest-eaters” in English. One does in French; « bouffeur de curé » is a common term for an anti-clerical, especially an anti-clerical politician, of the stamp of Jules Ferry, Emile Combes or George Clemenceau.
It should not be confused with secularism (although the two often go together). Anti-clericalism, in the sense of wishing to curb the powers and privileges of the clergy, was common enough throughout the Middle Ages and the clergy were often the butt of satire.
There was a streak of anti-clericalism, too, in Jansenism, as witness the Synod of Pistoia in 1786. Many of the supporters of Joseph II’s ecclesiastical legislation were Jansenists and a number of the deputies on the committee that drew up the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790) during the French Revolution were Appellant Jansenists.
The man never fails to disappoint. He is all doubt and confusion all the time.
He acts like liberals in this respect he only cites Jesus and the Gospels when needed to support his liberal agenda.
Finally (Thank god!), “que” (accent over the e) is literally translated “what?” I have known Spanish speakers to use the word “como” or “how” in such situations.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
“No Pope would be better than this Pope.”
Pope Francis: Creating wannabe sedevacantists since 2013.
What relationship does that answer have to the question? I’m afraid our Holy Father is nuts – the Japanese brain surgeon is right in his diagnosis. Can you ever imagine Benedict XVI, or St. JP II, or Pius XII ever giving a response like that ?
I think he said it is caused by a lack of formation and of culture. He noted that people consider themselves Catholic, but they are against priests and authority structures, priests being the very ones who bring them the sacraments and the faith–so in other words it doesn’t make sense, there is a hole in their buckets. Claiming to be Catholic while being antiCatholic is incoherent.
Unfortunately he also seems to me to be a priest-eater- so many things he says seems to make the priesthood more and more marginal
The Pope was trying to say hypocritical Priests who overstate their priesthood for their own personal gain , I think this Pope uses a dialogue that challenges all when he speaks without really condemning directly
Which is a good thing only real conservative Catholics to the point of being fanatical in their views will take offence ,
“I think this Pope uses a dialogue that challenges all when he speaks”
The Pope only challenges those who seek to uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church and/or those who differ with him politically. His mode of operation is perfectly understandable after four years.
Seems like the usual meaningless gobbledygook indicating he didn’t want to answer the question because he doesn’t really believe in Catholic doctrine. Bad answer from a bad guy.