Go here to read the article. In this Vale of Tears we often encounter people who spout pretty words about how we should treat each other. A good test as to whether they actually believe the words is how they treat subordinates completely under their power. All Catholics should be disturbed by how the Swiss Guards, the men pledged to lay down their lives for the Pope, have been treated, although considering the record of this pontificate, their treatment is both shocking and simultaneously completely unsurprising.
PopeWatch: Nothing Human
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
I wonder if that Pacamama thing in the Vatican had its jab yet?
Honestly, I think that the Pope’s only guards ought to be a Rosary, a Crucifix, and some Holy Water. That’s it.
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No body guards, no Swiss guards, no pope-mobile. Considering the fact that St. Peter, the first Pope, most likely did not even have Rosary beads, and crucifix (maybe he had holy water??), I’m being pretty generous.
I would prefer that popes not be murdered as Saint Peter was.
Coming from someone so near judgment, his arrogance is kind of breathtaking. I’ll continue to pray for this scoundrel God, in his infinite wisdom, permits to rule.
Well, FOS, your point is certainly valid, but it would be even more breathtaking if we had evidence from his actions, not just words, suggesting he actually believes anything the Church teaches about sin and redemption. So far, nada.
His pastoral acts are entirely instrumental. What else can you expect from a bizarre exhibitionist who bragged about robbing a corpse at a funeral home?
For each situation where the pastoral touch could be applied, he asks: “Would a gesture of pastoral kindness advance my goals?”
If not, then tough mierda, hombre.
And let’s face the facts: working for the church is a sure recipe to be treated shabbily world-wide. He’s just elevated it to new levels.
Uh, Don,
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I do not want Popes to be murdered either, but as Frank above notes, there is not much evidence the one we currently have believes what the Church teaches. What we do have is a very rich man bullying quite a number of his “flock.”
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If the men who want to be Pope knew it might cost them their lives, we might have higher caliber people campaigning for the position.
If we don’t want to see Popes murdered then they need a good security force, as John Paul II found out when he almost died as a result of an assassination attempt. Francis is one of the worst popes in our long history, but Pope he is. Bad Popes have arisen throughout the history of the Church so I doubt if lack of security would improve those chosen for the office.
That reasoning is… a bit off and ignores history, he says charitably.
The threat of violent death in office has been painfully obvious to would-be pontiffs since at least 1527. Removing the security would not ensure better men: it would ensure a bankrolled private army to take its place, with the elected pontiff beholden to whomever pays the Praetorians.
And that’s just one of the better case scenarios off the top of my head.