{"id":997,"date":"2016-01-27T09:56:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-27T09:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/daffeythoughts\/2016\/01\/who-is-pope-francis-to-judge.html"},"modified":"2016-01-27T09:56:00","modified_gmt":"2016-01-27T09:56:00","slug":"who-is-pope-francis-to-judge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/daffeythoughts\/2016\/01\/who-is-pope-francis-to-judge.html","title":{"rendered":"Who is Pope Francis to judge?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

He\u2019s Pope Francis, that\u2019s who<\/a>.\u00a0 My problem isn\u2019t that Pope Francis simply repeats a tried and true biblical formula about the potential fate of the rich and powerful.\u00a0 The Bible has more than one passage that suggests a dire outcome for those who cling to coins and chariots rather than faith in the Almighty.<\/p>\n

My problem is that everyone runs around talking about how nice and swell and non-judgmental and open and merciful he is.\u00a0 Sure,\u00a0it can be a\u00a0type of mercy that boldly calls out sin as sin.\u00a0 But the fact that he only seems to do it against those things that certain people rage against, while avoiding like the plague speaking so directly about other sins that those same people support, is the issue.<\/p>\n

In Pope Francis\u2019s discourse, it appears that below the waistline the only real mortal sins are those emanating from the wallet of the wealthy and powerful.\u00a0 Inside the clothes are merely lifestyles and choices that technically run afoul of Church teaching, but are issues we can lovingly and graciously and mercifully agree to live together and commune together over despite the differences. <\/p>\n

No. It would be better if Pope Francis maintained a similar tone across the board.\u00a0 Condemn the powerful and the wealthy all you want, but also the narcissist and the hedonist, the sexually immoral and the decadent.\u00a0 Let fly against both types of sin the same.\u00a0 Or move forward with mercy and compassion.\u00a0 One way or another.\u00a0\u00a0It isn\u2019t as if it can\u2019t be done.\u00a0 In\u00a0reality,\u00a0the Church has done just that\u00a0under Popes JPII\u00a0 and Benedict\u00a0XVI.\u00a0 While they stood firm on the Church\u2019s teachings on homosexuality, or abortion, they were also critical of rampant greed and consumerism, and even Capitalism run amuck.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Where most Catholics would be
if they thought about it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

But Pope Francis has, in contrast, almost set the sins below the waistline aside, reforming our approaches to them and even pushing the boundaries of tolerance and even inclusion and acceptance, while doubling down on the greed and powerful (often defined specific ways) beyond what either of the previous popes came close to saying.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t help but feel that this discrepancy is a major part of the angst many traditional Catholics feel.\u00a0 Even if some were complacent about the rampant greed and corporate corruption by the powerful, it\u2019s not as if most would have excused them or would do a\u00a0Gordon Gekko about how good greed happens to be.\u00a0 And if the Church leaders had to speak about issues like gay marriage and abortion, it\u2019s because society was reimagining the moral fabric of our culture and demanding nothing less than conversion and conformity to this new morality.\u00a0 In the face of that, responses had to be given.<\/p>\n

But now we have Pope Francis, who while continuing to stand on the technical teachings of the Church regarding those personal \u2013 dare I say, liberal \u2013 issues, seems almost to set them aside as minor topics with which we can lovingly and respectfully agree to disagree.\u00a0 But\u00a0against those who\u00a0have long been the\u00a0targets of the\u00a0modern progressive movement, \u00a0the jaws of Hell yawn ever before them by way of the wrath of the Thrice-Holy God.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

As long as that is his tone, please spare me the nice and happy Pope who\u2019s all about love and giving mercy a chance.\u00a0 He merely has chosen to be that way toward one side of the sinful coin.\u00a0 Against the other side is, ironically, the fire and brimstone I\u2019ve seldom heard toward homosexuality or abortion, but aimed instead at the enemies of the post-Christian Left.\u00a0 Exactly why remains to be seen.\u00a0 But it is a fact that I cannot reconcile with the image of \u2018the sweet and kind Pope who never judges.\u2019\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\u201cOr do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.\u201d<\/em> 1 Cor 6.9-10<\/span><\/span>
<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>Luke 1.52<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He\u2019s Pope Francis, that\u2019s who.\u00a0 My problem isn\u2019t that Pope Francis simply repeats a tried and true biblical formula about the potential fate of the rich and powerful.\u00a0 The Bible has more than one passage that suggests a dire outcome for those who cling to coins and chariots rather than faith in the Almighty. My […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2805,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nWho is Pope Francis to judge?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"He's Pope Francis, that's who.  My problem isn't that Pope Francis simply repeats a tried and true biblical formula about the potential fate of the\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/daffeythoughts\/2016\/01\/who-is-pope-francis-to-judge.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Who is Pope Francis to judge?\" 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