Pope Francis: A Modernist Heretic?

Melanie Jean Juneau - Pope Not Heretic

\"Melanie

Why do  Faithful American Catholics Label  Pope Francis: A Modernist Heretic?

Every time Pope Francis speaks, the papers are filled with sensational headlines; he does not emphasize many of the popular, hot issues like abortion and homosexuality, issues which often simply serve to divide voters into an us and them mentality. When did these issues become  the only issue that concerns the Church? Yet when the pope reminds us that our life in Christ is so much more, vocal advocates become extremely angry, denouncing the pope as the anti-pope.

How ridiculous! Why such a strong reaction?

Perhaps many Americans do not like this South American because Catholics in America were taught that God loves capitalism and that Greed is Good. Pope Francis has made some pretty negative remarks about the freebooter capitalism that has flourished since the 1990\’s and that will make him very unpopular with the freebooters in the US. Some of his comments about greed, avarice, and freebooter capitalism have not even shown up in the mainstream media in Canada or the States.

I am baffled by all the negative reactions to Pope Francis. Personally I think that Pope Francis is just too joyful as he lives out his simple, his down-to earth spirituality and humble solidarity with the poor and this irritates many traditionalists. Jesus and St. Francis of Assisi also irritated the Pharisees of their eras; those pure proponents of tradition dislike anyone who challenges their lifestyle.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

The Catholic wisdom of the people… provides reasons for joy and humor even in the midst of a very hard life. §1676

The vocation of humanity is to show forth the image of God and to be transformed into the image of the Father\’s only Son. This vocation takes a personal form since each of us is called to enter into the divine beatitude; it also concerns the human community as a whole. §1877

It seems to me that Pope Francis was appointed by God to remind the Church to come back to the basics, to our foundation in Christ. The pope desires to bring us into a balance in our spiritual life. Our first love, our focus is to allow God to love us, love Him in return and treat others with the same mercy and forgiveness as we receive from Christ. When a Catholic focuses solely on the evils of one issue, he is in danger of becoming angry, resorting to fighting his way, without Love.

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40

Many pro-lifers are so focused on one issue that they have forgotten who they are as believers, as children of God, brothers and sisters of Christ, companions of the Holy Spirit.

Rather than attacking the Pope Francis, lobbyists should ask themselves, why they are reacting so vehemently. Perhaps Pope Francis is convicting them of their own shortcomings. Rather than taking the log out of their own eyes, they are searching for a speck of dust in the pope’s eyes. Yet here is a man who lives simply and joyfully, a man who lives out the gospel in real tangible ways.

Lord, forgive our arrogance and our presumption

that sets us up as judges.Turn our eyes to you, oh God

and have mercy on us.

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129 thoughts on “Pope Francis: A Modernist Heretic?”

  1. I am a lifelong Catholic and have seen a total of 6 Popes in my 63 years on this planet and never have I ever seen a Pope for whom I have zero confidence until Pope Francis. He has made some outrageous statements that directly contradict the Bible. That is an unconscionable thing for any Pontiff to do.

    He needs to be removed NOW.

  2. This article is rather bizarre.

    The most numerous of all these complaints about Francis come from African clergy, not US clergy.

    ” … that will make him very unpopular with the freebooters in the US. Some of his comments about greed, avarice, and freebooter capitalism have not even shown up in the mainstream media in Canada or the States.”

    But the Canadians (and British!) still love him, despite the media. Right?

  3. What is this joker talking about? In the west they preach greed? The US gives more charity than all countries put together. Thats a fact by the way. Catholics are the one’s that are obsesses by land and money. Just read history. State run Catholics. Torture.Gold Gold and more gold in the Vatican. Child molesters that they protect. Calling a priest father, praying to Mary, praying to saints. Graven images everywhere, Rosary beads?? All of that has nothing to do with the biblical writings.

    1. melanie jean juneau

      Well,”this joker” is not denying Americans give generously to charities. However, the economy of First World countries is fueled by consumerism; when buying slows down, the economy falters threatening a recession. So businesses advertize to entice people to buy things they really do not need. They manipulate our innate greed to have more, to keep up with the Jones. Very few of us manage to live a simple lifestyle so others might eat. This tendency is universal and not confined to Catholics.

      As for your hostility towards Catholic traditions, all I can say is I once believed what you do. However, even Scripture itself tells us all truth was not recorded and in some of the letters we are told to adhere to tradition, both written and what has bee passed down by word of mouth

      2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter..

  4. The Pope walks like a socialist and talks like a socialist. I ignore anything he says and go about my business.

  5. This article is ridiculous. The Pope is a hard leftist, prays as the Pagans do in a Mosque, has no issue with atheists and homosexuals, but dismisses anyone with a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ and tells people not to share their faith with others. He is doing the evil’s job better than the devil himself.

    1. melanie jean juneau

      I will address your first criticism- In matters of ecumenism, the Pope reminded his audience just last Wednesday, that true unity will only come about if it is rooted in prayer and in the truth that ONLY CHRIST IS LORD. “In addition we pray, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that the Holy Spirit will render this apostolic journey fruitful and foster in the Church missionary fervor to proclaim to all peoples, in respect and in fraternal dialogue, that the Lord Jesus is Truth, Peace and Love. He alone is Lord.”

      Pope Francis reminds the Church that dialogue must be also rooted in the truth of who Jesus Christ is, not in compromise. This puts ecumenism, dialogue with the secular world and with other religions in perspective. Roman Catholics, lead by the pope, will be respectful, polite, and come in peace, but they come to proclaim a non-negotiable truth in the sovereignty of Jesus Christ as Redeemer and Lord

    2. I hear none of that from Francis – don’t share your faith, accepting the faiths of unbelievers as efficacious, etc. I believe YOU believe what you are saying, but I get zero witness this pope does. He even said you cannot have a personal relationship with Christ – that throws out the bulk f the Nee Testament and the Catholic Charismatic Movement…
      Sent from my iPad

    3. melanie jean juneau

      BUT I quoted Pope Francis word for word in my above reply… “In addition we pray, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that the Holy Spirit will render this apostolic journey fruitful and foster in the Church missionary fervor to proclaim to all peoples, in respect and in fraternal dialogue, that the Lord Jesus is Truth, Peace and Love. He alone is Lord.”
      WHERE does the pope say we cannot share our faith or he has a problem with people who have a personal relationship with Jesus. I will look these statements up as well- perhaps your accusations are a result of others taking the pope’s comments out of context

    4. johnteetsarchitect

      You are stating what YOU believe. The pope has been speaking compromise from the beginning. You cannot rewrite history. Like a politician, he says the unthinkable and they tried to walk it back. I am sorry, but he spoke his soul the first time. THe rest is simply obfuscation.

    5. melanie jean juneau

      I have read that many of the uproars in English speaking countries are the result of consistently poor translations of the Pope’s speeches. For example, an incorrect translation into English of the original midterm report of the Synod on the Family may have spurred controversial interpretations of the document itself. Again when Pope Francis supposedly said God was not divine. He did NOT intend to say “God is not divine”.The culprit is most likely machine translation.
      I quote http://romancatholicimperialist.blogspot.ca/2014/11/michael-voris-says-pope-francis-is-not.html
      Now in the realm of conspiracy, consider the following – the FINAL Relatio, which was distributed to reporters in Italian, took more than two WEEKS to translate AND when it came out – has wholesale errors in the English – again with the English – the language spoken by most of the powerful media outlets in the world – you know, the ones that shape public perception.

      As some outlets have noticed – the bad English one said in paragraph 4, quote – “…to discern how the Church and society can renew their commitment to the family.”

      Harmless enough, right? No big deal, right? However, when you read the original Italian, the sentence doesn’t end there like it does in the English. The sentence continues – “to discern how the Church and society can renew their commitment to the family, founded on the marriage between man and woman.” THAT is a huge translation difference. It’s a whole statement JUST MISSING.

      Why does this stuff keep happening? Why are there always such problems with the English translations.

      And its not just BAD or incomplete translations, but that these translations ALWAYS tilt toward bad theology, progressivist language or interpretations. It’s almost like those responsible WANT to corrupt the faith – with either active or passively rotten translations.

      And what’s more – when you add all these types of situations together, Cardinal Burke no longer a Curial member, Cardinal Wuerl, with his history of ignoring Canon Law being assigned to a curial post, rotten translation always supporting liberal ends and so forth – and there is LOT of so forth – faithful Catholics smell a rat – or better yet, a demon.

    6. I did not read the translations and there may well be corruptions there – I never trust the press – it seeks to make news rather than report it. However, I listened when he spoke in English so my position is firm.

    7. melanie jean juneau

      Ahh..so now I am honestly curious. What exactly did the pope say in English which was heretical rather than simply liberal or modern because there is a difference. Some traditionalists simply dislike a liberal stance which is not the same as heresy

  6. If he does anything to support sexually active homosexuals, and “re-married” couples , he is a heretic anti-pope…

  7. There appear to be moronic self-appointed guardians of orthodoxy amongst Catholics – actually they are little better than the Pharisees (see Fr Ray Blake’s pathetic blog which actually accuses Pope Francis of not being orthodox). Pope Francis is God-sent to guide the Church – but some narrow minded Catholics (who aren’t Catholics at all) complain that he bashes Capitalism (good!), that he washes the feet of women, that he complains about a highly dysfunctional and rotten Curia. Alas, the Conservatives have almost destroyed the Church with a constant emphasis on sex, with a sad love for old liturgy (why opt for Tridentine when the liturgy of Justin is far more authentic?)

    God Bless Pope Francis and I hope the moaners and groaners find themselves in the minority!

    1. melanie jean juneau

      agreed.. I think we will all be pleasantly surprised by this joyful, pope as we see the real fruits in his life and the life of the Church. Last year, during one of the Easter celebrations, Pope Francis said the God loves to shake us out of our comfort zone. The Lord of All has always used people to disturb the comfortable and to challenge others to live authentic, radical lives in and through His Spirit

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