…or so you’d think if you got all your information about Catholicism from blog comboxes.
Not surprisingly, Pope Francis has been in the news lately. The media jumped on his offhand comments about homosexuals, breathlessly reported on a letter he wrote to an atheist, and made much hay over an interview given by the Vatican’s new Secretary of State (the media was apparently under the impression that Pope Francis is a very clever ventriloquist, and he was the one talking while the new Secretary’s mouth was moving – at least, that’s what they reported).
A common refrain I’m observing in the comboxes of various Catholic bloggers lately, when said blogger discusses one of these media reports, goes something like this:
“The Pope needs to stop making remarks like this! They’re too easily misunderstood! No one should have to write an article after the fact explaining what the Pope actually said/meant. The Pope needs to deliberate for hours on end before so much as opening his mouth! Every word must be crafted with the utmost perfection so that the media doesn’t get the wrong idea!” etc., etc.
And, my favorite:
“This kind of thing never happened when Benedict XVI/John Paul II was Pope!”
To these people, I respond:
Really? That’s some pretty amazing selective memory you have going on there. Granted, I’ve only been Catholic for the last ten years, but I remember:
The Condom Kerfuffle, in which the MSM proclaimed that Pope Benedict said condoms were perfectly okay for everyone to use (when he actually said that in certain situations, the use of a condom could indicate that someone was trying to act in a moral fashion by not spreading disease, and that trying to act morally could be a good first step on the road to repentance).
Pope Benedict’s speech at the University of Regensburg, in which (according to the media) the Pope said that Mohammed was evil incarnate and all Muslims were going to hell. (The Pope later explained that his words had been misunderstood by Muslims.)
The publication of Benedict’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate, in which the MSM announced that the Pope attacked capitalism as always evil in any circumstance and wholeheartedly supported the Occupy Wall Street movement.
The motu proprio Summorum Pontificum was, according to the media, Pope Benedict’s last ditch attempt to revive a dying church by resurrecting a dead language.
John Paul II’s release of Dominus Iesus in 2000 spawned dozens of newspaper headlines (one of which I remember seeing in my college newspaper) proclaiming that “the Pope says non-Catholics aren’t really Christians!”
In Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, John Paul II stated unequivocally, “Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren […] I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful” (emphasis mine). Seems pretty straightforward, but the MSM headlines in response? “Pope’s words about women’s ordination spark debate” or similar.
I’m sure I could list hundreds of examples dating back decades, if not centuries, about how the media flagrantly and deliberately misrepresents a pope’s statements, leading to a need for the Vatican et al to issue a clarification. This is not a new phenomenon. The media does not exist to tell the truth – it exists to make people rich. Juicy headlines sell newspapers and garner millions of website hits, which generate revenue. “Pope Reiterates 2,000-year-old Teaching of the Church” doesn’t make money; “Pope Declares that All Atheists Go to Heaven” does. Truth has nothing to do with it, and this type of misrepresentation for personal gain is something that’s been happening as long as the papacy has existed.
Indeed, St. Peter himself could have been speaking about the mainstream media when he said, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” (2 Peter 2:1-3)
Of course, in every combox you find at least one person lamenting that the current Pope is destroying the Catholic Church. One example:
“This is doctrinal immodesty, if I may use the phrase. Rather than clothe the precious doctrine of the Body of Christ in garments of sobriety, modesty and Prudence, the truths of the Church are being sold away [by Pope Francis, presumably] cheaply to the moral perverts and enemies of Christ.”
I’m very curious what the commenter in question would have had to say about some of the Church’s earlier Popes:
- Pope Stephen VI (896–897), who had his predecessor Pope Formosus exhumed, tried, de-fingered, briefly reburied, and thrown in the Tiber.
- Pope John XII (955–964), who gave land to a mistress, murdered several people, and was killed by a man who caught him in bed with his wife.
- Pope Benedict IX (1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048), who “sold” the Papacy
- Pope Boniface VIII (1294–1303), who is lampooned in Dante’s Divine Comedy
- Pope Urban VI (1378–1389), who complained that he did not hear enough screaming when Cardinals who had conspired against him were tortured.
- Pope Alexander VI (1492–1503), a Borgia, who was guilty of nepotism and whose unattended corpse swelled until it could barely fit in a coffin.
- Pope Leo X (1513–1521), a spendthrift member of the Medici family who once spent 1/7 of his predecessors’ reserves on a single ceremony
- Pope Clement VII (1523–1534), also a Medici, whose power-politicking with France, Spain, and Germany got Rome sacked.
(The preceding examples are taken from E. Chamberlain’s book “The Bad Popes,” as summarized by Wikipedia.)
We once had a Pope who was murdered while engaging in the act of adultery – and the Church survived! After that, can anyone honestly believe that the Church will be utterly decimated and destroyed simply because the current pope made statements about atheists that were deliberately misconstrued by the media in order to boost ratings?! Perhaps the Holy Spirit is insulted by the implication that His protection of the Truth was considered so weak and ineffective.
So please, fellow Catholics, the proper response when reading a MSM headline about the Pope changing a long-held doctrine of Catholicism is not panic or rage or despair. Rather, it’s a yawn, an eye-roll, and a resigned sigh – as well as a realization that we’re once again called upon to engage in the new evangelization for the sake of the Kingdom in the realm of social media and among our friends and family.
958 thoughts on “Pope Francis Has Single-Handedly Destroyed Catholicism”
You are such an idiot and so many here are idiots. This man will go down as the greatest pope we ever had, We have a long and disgraceful history of people who have led the catholic church, some being among the most evil people in history yet……yet you have the GAL to call this man out. You are killing the church with you venom and intolerance. This man is filling pews like no pope has done in hundreds of years and unlike those of his predecessors he is doing it not out of fear but out of hope and love. I can only hope that he lives forever and you are smitten with many plagues only to be healed by his prayer and words you insufferable and disgustable excuse of a human being. May all your children become gay and your bloodline end here.
It is too soon to judge Pope Francis, one way or another. Why don’t we all just give him time to settle in?
Just making sure that you know that this piece is satire, Walter. Thanks!
Ok.
Despite your efforts I think this Pope should temper his comments and be more aware of how the media will spin them. That is, unless he is well aware in advance and perfectly happy with what he expects to be reported. Right now he is a gay icon. The gay Advocate’s man of the year as well as Time Magazine’s Choice. I doubt that St Peter, our first Pope, could have achieved that. I expect Francis to do far more harm than good?
The only reason Pope Francis is a “gay icon” is because the media is deliberately misinterpreting his words (just as they hailed Pope Benedict for saying that condoms were okay when he actually didn’t). I expect Francis to do far more good than harm, personally.
Boom, boom! Well stated. Pope JP2 stated, when asked about his role in the fall of Communism, that it was a rotten old tree that only needed a good shake to send it tumbling down. Then he immediately went on to say, with emphasis, that there was another rotten tree called Capitalism, and that it too needed a good shake. People forget.
If Jesus came back right now and seen what you people do in his name he’d never stop vomiting. Stop trying to think like God it’s an impossiblity!
I love the irony of your first sentences when contrasted with your second sentence. Thanks for the chuckle! 🙂 Very clever.
You should go fuck yourself. This pope is doing Jesus’s work.
Only fellow Catholics would have something negative to say about a man urging people to embrace, love, support and be a good person. Why not follow his example and love instead of spreading judgement and hate? That’s what is wrong with this world, we preach so much hate that we leave no room for love. It’s articles like this that make this world what it is, not what Pope Francis is doing.
i love the article in general, i only can say for, my studies of history, you need to know,
Leo X wasn’t a bad pope, he has good intentions, but he has character, and his family, the most powerful family in all italy in that moment,was pressing very hard the pope with political and monetary matters.
Clement VII was a very clumsy politician, the “Sacco di Roma” was truly a accident, even the Emperor Charles V apologize himself to the pope for what their troops made.
and a awful pope you didn’t name, was Julius II 1503-1513, who literally the only thing he did was rampaging across tuscan
He’s not destroyed the Catholic faith. HE is just doing what Jesus would do. You haters can say what you want about him, but that is also not following what Jesus would do either. Is it? There is nothing wrong with Pope Francis. Pape François, as the French say.
Nice piece…But you have Clement VII wrong; he was also known as the Butcher of Cesena and elected as a 2nd Pope to oppose Urban VI who was completely unhinged. This is during the 14th century, when the Papacy moved to Avignon, France. Makes for totally un-believable reading!
Pope Francis is a heretic and shouldn’t be Pope in the first place
The ONE thing NOT mentioned was what can be done when reading these defamatory remarks about the Pope is not only to yawn but to check out the truthfulness –by checking out Catholic Answers, Catholic.com or actually writing the Vatican for the REAL take on an issue.
BAAAA!
Pope Francis is supposedly trying to shake up the Church, but I fear is going to divide the Church similar to the division of political parties in the US. Second, all Catholic organizations, including Network, the Vatican (and the Pope) and all other organization need to stay out of politics. Politics in the US has become vile and down right disgusting. Catholics themselves need to focus on what they can do to improve the lives of others in these awful economic time. Catholic and Catholic Organizations (like Network) need stop pointing fingers and blaming others for hardships and focus on what they can do to help others.
So please, fellow Catholics, the proper response when reading a MSM
headline about the Pope changing a long-held doctrine of Catholicism is
not panic or rage or despair. Rather, it’s a yawn,
an eye-roll, and a resigned sigh.…
…or laugh! Know that God has a great sense of humor: never, ever underestimate the kind of media stupidity that can and will bring somebody to consider the Church or help bring somebody back to the Church. The condom kerfuffle was one of the signposts on the way back for me. A whole lot of stupid in the room can and will lead to confusion. But ultimately, some people will smell a rat.
I had left the Church, but after some years, had come to respect her again, and become interested in the Catholic faith again, though I didn’t know what she really taught. In fact, I didn’t know where to look, or how to look. John Paul II had been Pope all my life, and when we got Pope Benedict, I was indifferent.
Then came the whole condom thing– Fr. Robert Barron summed up the shenanigans in an editorial that he wrote called “Condoms, condoms, condoms!” and what he described made me annoyed and livid enough at the stupidity to make me go over to Borders to read Light of the World in one sitting in one afternoon.
That one really dumb condom incident introduced me to both Fr. Barron and Joseph Ratzinger. Not bad, huh?
Welcome back.
Excellent post. Thank you.
I think Pope Francis’ offhand statements and the media’s grappling of them – at least gives food for thought in mainstream media putting the Christian voice “out there” and forcing those who only read/listen to secular news to get something from the Vatican.
Could you please expound on pope. francis’ life before he became pontiff?? Its alledged that he espouses liberation theology and conspired with mass murdering heads of south american states as cardinal in south america??
I Believe In God, Not In A Catholic God – Pope Francis
Sedevacantism
The Pope is so much like Jesus; the commentators of Jesus time also took everything He said out of context too. He did not condone what they said but carried on loving them anyway.
Amen!
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Why distract yourselvers with such things?? There is one thing you
people need to do & that is to be open to the truth. I think you are
good, well intentioned people but really, would it be so difficult to
open up a book? Just one book!
Inside The Holy Qu’ran there the
last of the prophets (pbuh) has laid out the final testament, please
people take the time, be open minded – you have only but one life and
bismillah you need to live it right. I invite you brothers and sisters
both, to share in this, the most beautiful poetry of life.
Omar, unless the Sunnis and the Shiites agree on a successor and stop their honor killings, blowing up weddings and funerals and innocents, their idea of
God isn’t worth studying. They are where we were 600 years ago and don’t deserve any respect at this time in history. Of course, the Sufi’s, persecuted
by these two factions are the exception and the only ones who deserve to be called Muslims.
And that is the Catholic Stand! Amen!
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Great article, Joanna! I now have a new favorite Catholic website!