That nut calling himself the Pope is back on the line!
So PopeWatch’s exasperated secretary announced yet another papal call.
Pope Francis:Â Gringo, why is my Nativity scene getting so much criticism?
PopeWatch:Â With respect Holy Father it looks like the product of a five year old playing with Legos.
Pope Francis: Well, it is, como se dice, Modern Art. It was made over a decade in the sixties and the seventies.
PopeWatch: Well, people were doing a lot of drugs during those years which might explain it. It also doesn’t help Holy Father that it is as ugly as mortal sin, but perhaps it is a good symbol for 2020.
Pope Francis:Â (Sighs)Â It has been a mal year hasn’t it?
PopeWatch:Â On that we certainly agree Holy Father.
Pope Francis:Â Let us beseech Nuestros Padre for a better year next year.
PopeWatch:Â On that we also agree Holy Father.
Pope Francis:Â Feliz Navidad Gringo!
PopeWatch:Â Merry Christmas Holiness!
And the phone call ended, and with that PopeWatch is on Christmas hiatus until January 4, 2021
In a way, we should celebrate the Vatican Nativity display as it condenses for all to see the ugliness and dishonor to God that is the Francis papacy.
From my Rosary booklet.
The Nativity: The Third Joyful Mystery. Desire the Love of God. Think about the poverty so lovingly accepted by the Blessed Virgin Mary when she placed the infant Jesus, our God and Redeemer, in a manger in the stable of Bethlehem.
When Mary has been seen, she has appeared as a normal human woman, although very beautiful.
She has worn clothing and style that the people she appeared to expected, which I think helped them to feel more comfortable and trusting of the blessed human kindness she represented.
The devil has contorted art, music, and language.
The image here does not look like anyone’s mother.
This papacy seems to emphasize being pastoral – but this is not pastoral. This is like a mean or abusive father who delights in taking the kids candy, keeping from their mother and stopping their trust or any reverie still possible in this time.
Comfort, comfort my people
You do not play Art Instructor during the Holy Season of Christmas regardless of your position at the Vatican. Art, Sacred art, lifts the beholder and draws them into the scene.
This is vile.
This pushes the beholder away from the Sacred. Unification be damned is what the Vatican is teaching in this pos.
Michael Dowd drives it home.
This so called Nativity sums up the pontificate.
Poor choices.
Poor communication.
Poor Leadership.
The Nativity was a real event, not myth, so it must be depicted realistically. To depict it as one might depict a pagan myth suggests that it is a myth.
My first thought was: “Scotland called: they want their Lewis chessmen back.”
I’m no expert in modern art, but from what I’ve seen, nothing is uglier than the stuff that came out of Italy. WWII messed up all the Axis countries, but I think Italy had it even worse (in terms of art) because they’re surrounded by all their masterpieces of beauty. It’s not like they’re just breaking free from the standards of beauty; all modern art does that. With them it’s like they’re angry at it.
Not long ago an idiot who thought himself creative dropped a crucifix into a jar filled with urine.
The morons who fancy themselves as art sophisticates praised the piece. In my opinion the Vatican wants that praise from that group of moronic reprobates. That they too can join in the blasphemy and say that traditional people, we are not.
If Sacred art is anything, it is not on display as a Nativity in the Vatican.
Does Sacred art need be on display in St. Peter’s square?
It does if the goal is to inspire holiness, unity and awe that is the poverty of the Holy Family.
If it doesn’t matter what the Nativity is portrayed as then it doesn’t matter what the Church teaches, believes or prescribes.
Take this set of art and display it off the Vatican property if you must, but to erect it on the grounds of the Vatican is a sign that Pachamama has a foothold in the age of Francis.
That Mary can make room for the worship of earth.
One way to do this is to replace the Sacred with unrecognizable images that tickle the senses but cools the heart.
If 2020 is a wake up call, then we must realize that our Faith is our greatest gift. Our belief in God.
Our complete reliance upon Him, the recognizable babe in the manger.
Let no man, organization or false prophets take that away from you.
Never.
JOY.
Joy as we near the manger and gaze upon His sweet countenance.
As a convert who really had to wrestle, like Jacob, with Mary, until Mary won, this struck a chord with me. Which compels me to comment by sharing something I casually remarked upon at a Catholic conference after my conversion.
When Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego, she appeared as a Mestizo. When she appeared to Adele Brise, (I think I have this right,–corrections are welcomed) she appeared as just another blonde haired blue eyed immigrant to the new word (n.b. not unlike how she appeared to Juan Diego, an indigenous New Worlder, what? four, five hundred years earlier?).
Which in turn led to my off-hand remark: (n.b. Offhand remarks are particularly dangerous because they escape our internal filters, and therefore tend to be especially true. My conversion is dependent upon an offhand remark.) Why is that, I asked rhetorically? Because, to the discerning eye, you look like your mother. And who is Mary? The Mother of God, the God who Created us in His image and likeness. So why wouldn’t Mary appear to those privileged to apprehend her as someone just like them?
I don’t know if that’s profound, or sentimental, or just plain stupid. But it meant something to me at the time.
And because this website means something to me, I’m not ashamed to share it with anyone and everyone who takes the time to read this post, regulars, or casual readers or accidental observers, whatever the case may be.
Maybe that’s evangilization, or not, I don’t know. But God Bless our host, and those with posting privileges, and all the commenters and observers who pass through here.
Merry Christmass! [stet!]
And because this website means something to me, I’m not ashamed to share it with anyone and everyone who takes the time to read this post, regulars, or casual readers or accidental observers, whatever the case may be.
Maybe that’s evangilization, or not, I don’t know. But God Bless our host, and those with posting privileges, and all the commenters and observers who pass through here.
Thanks Ernst, you just made my day!
I don’t know if that’s profound, or sentimental, or just plain stupid. But it meant something to me at the time.
It’s an outstanding summary of a long, boring talk that I got to explain the same dang thing– Mary appears as what she is, the Mother of the King of Kings, holy virgin, exalted lowly one…our mother. What that means for physical appearance will depend on the local culture.
I still don’t like most of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe; I use to figure it had to do with the (not at all Catholic, very dangerous) sorts that tended to have it around when I was a kid, now I suspect it has more to do with being exposed to Aztec culture. Which would no more bother Juan Diego than wearing an execution-by-torture method with a victim still on it bothers me. (Crucifix, obviously.)
But God Bless our host, and those with posting privileges, and all the commenters and observers who pass through here.
Thank you.
To you, as well.
Good afternoon….the Vatican Nativity is an accurate example of the Bergoglio papacy. Unrelated….when I have tried to access this site using Duck Duck Go, it always brings me to the July 4 page. I thought something bad happened to Mr. McClarey.
Good to see you back PF. I was fearful that something bad had happened to you!
Penguins fan, I use DuckDuckGo as well. The first screen that I always get has this title at the top: Saint of the Day Quote: Saint Phocas the Gardener
In order for me to get to the present, I have to left click my mouse on the black rectangle on the right side with SEARCH printed in the black rectangle, in white. One good left mouse click and it gets me to the present.
I had to save a bookmark in Chrome and start using that to get away from the July 4th page.
Ernst, that’s a great comment. My wife and I believe Mary was instrumental in my own conversion sixteen years ago. She is a lifelong Catholic but was not practicing at the time, and had a dream or a vision the night before her father’s funeral in which a woman in white told her that I needed to enter the Church. Further details of what she saw aren’t really pertinent here and now, but the next day during the funeral Mass I had an unmistakable and irresistible conversion experience, and knew in my heart before we left the church that I would become Catholic. But my wife did not reveal the dream/vision to me until months later, when I mentioned that I felt especially drawn to the Rosary.
Just like our earthly mothers, Mary gets what she wants for her spiritual children. You and I both never had a chance. 🙂
St Phocas was with me for quite a frustrating while. Finally dropped the www. Try https://the-American-catholic.com
At Tractor Supply of all places I bought a box of Christmas cards which caught my eye – “Kissing the Face of God” is supered on a Semitic looking mother who is kissing the cheek of her brown eyed, brunette infant in her arms. Sweet.