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Do I Have To Like The Pope?


Pliny

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KnightofChrist

I was once a thief of many things, and things more valuable in terms of money than a crucifix from a rosary. When I repented of that life and other sinful behavior, I gave back what I had stolen that I still had or gave it away to the needy if I could not find the original owner.

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I was once a thief of many things, and things more valuable in terms of money than a crucifix from a rosary. When I repented of that life and other sinful behavior, I gave back what I had stolen that I still had or gave it away to the needy if I could not find the original owner.

 

That's fantastic, and wonderful that you changed, repented, made amends, etc.  I've got a lot of skeletons in my closet too.

 

I would just rather not know about the Pope's particular sins, especially this one, and it could have the effect of encouraging instead of discouraging theft.

 

But overall, and so far, I'm not very fond of this pope.  Just a gut-level feeling.  I hope that can change.

 

Attacking greed and corruption is a good thing, but to attack capitalism is to bark up the wrong tree, and to fail to appreciate the good it has brought to all, so I'm not happy with the pope on this point especially.

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KnightofChrist

I have concerns about the Holy Father, but I still like him, and of course love him. I don't know what to think about his views about capitalism, but they don't bother me. It doesn't bother me he confessed about stealing the crucifix. What concerns me about the case is keeping it. But he is Pope and I am not.

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havok579257

That's fantastic, and wonderful that you changed, repented, made amends, etc.  I've got a lot of skeletons in my closet too.

 

I would just rather not know about the Pope's particular sins, especially this one, and it could have the effect of encouraging instead of discouraging theft.

 

But overall, and so far, I'm not very fond of this pope.  Just a gut-level feeling.  I hope that can change.

 

Attacking greed and corruption is a good thing, but to attack capitalism is to bark up the wrong tree, and to fail to appreciate the good it has brought to all, so I'm not happy with the pope on this point especially.

 

 

i hope you understand also the many bad things capitalism has done and the many people it has hurt.  Capitalism is not all flowers and unicorns.  the pope has valid points.  

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i hope you understand also the many bad things capitalism has done and the many people it has hurt. Capitalism is not all flowers and unicorns. the pope has valid points.


Name one that is particularly valid.


And the more I think about it the more I wonder how anyone could take something from a corpse. Not that I think it's a huge sin--just a very weird thing to do. I wish I didn't know about it. I don't think it's necessarily a good thing to reveal and discuss secret sins. I wonder how many rosaries will be filched from corpses in the future because of this example.
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I'm not even sure if the question is really pertinent to your faith or devotion to the Church. Or maybe it is? 

 

It would be sort of awkward to ask if you like >insert any random Catholic<. Maybe you do. Maybe you don't. It shouldn't really change the way you treat them or, ideally, think about them. I think it would apply to the Pope even more, based on him traditionally having even greater authority and weight of custom. What's more important is recognizing his authority, and loving him as a brother in Christ. 

 

If something really irks you, why not take it in stride with patience. 

 

My two cents. :) 

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havok579257

Name one that is particularly valid.


And the more I think about it the more I wonder how anyone could take something from a corpse. Not that I think it's a huge sin--just a very weird thing to do. I wish I didn't know about it. I don't think it's necessarily a good thing to reveal and discuss secret sins. I wonder how many rosaries will be filched from corpses in the future because of this example.

 

 

i am not derailing this thread by showing you capitalism is not without any faults.  there are topics in the debate table for that.  also if your convinced capitalism is a utopian form of government, then nothing anyone says will change your mind.

 

also your going overboard about the rosary thing.  you now think people are going to model a sin the pope commited.  if thats the case you must believe all catholics will support gay marriage, birth control, woman priests and so on because the news media tells us the pope supports such things.  your obviously have a real problem with the pope and anything he does wrong  like admitting past sins, your going to blow way out of peportion,  you need to pray on this.  we all as catholics should love and support all our popes.  no matter if they are more like Benedict or more like Francis.  

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I don't hate him. He just doesn't sit well with me. I respect his office and love him as a Christian brother. But I don't think I have to like him. I'm keeping my mind open however and I hope he opens his mind to a having a more sophisticated understanding of economic principles.

I haven't equated capitalism with utopia. You said he had valid points against capitalism and I'd like to know what one would be. If I start a thread about it will you contribute?

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No Catholic has to "like" the pope. Being pope is not a popularity contest. We do have to respect him as being the Holy Spirit's choice to lead the Church. And we have to pray for him. I suggest that the less you like him, the more you pray for him. 

 

As to critiques of capitalism, this is not the first pope to speak up. The last several have. I inaccurately recall a comment by (I believe) John Paul II to the effect that "capitalism without conscience is insert-negative-adjective" - the negative adjective was something like "unconscionable," but that's not the word the pope used. Capitalism is - at least theoretically - driven by greed. One of the main critiques is that capitalism is a dog-eat-dog competition that preys on the weaker dogs, so the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. No amount of profit is enough, corporations drive down workers' wages while increasing productivity, union busting, massive layoffs of workers while executives are rewarded for manipulating stock prices - all you have to do is read the newspaper or listen to the news. You can also watch movies - what was that movie starring Michael Douglas, playing Gordon Gecko the Wall Street executive, whose most famous line was "Greed is good"? Or listen to country music - any songs that deals with coal mines.

 

If you were looking for specifics, there are some starter ideas.  

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blazeingstar

About the stolen cross, it seems that he did so in a mixture of empathy and grief for the man that meant so much to him, but had not received a single flower.  He ran out and got him a dozen roses and then, still distresed at the state of him took the cross.

 

Was it the best decision? No, but I think he legitimately feared that the good works of this man would be forgotten and wanted to keep something to ensure that he shared what he was taught. 

 

I think we can chalk it up to a very real move of grief and fear....how many of you would be saddened if you saw your mentor laid out, but no one had given them flowers or much honor, even though they were supposedly "well loved"? 

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maximillion

Don't know him well enough to say if I like him or not........

 

I like some of the stuff he has said and I like that he seems to want a more simple life-style.

 

He certainly has caught the attention of the people, even non-Catholics are talking about him in a quite positive way - well, the ones round here are any way.

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I put faith in no living man but Christ and that way I'm never disappointed. 

 

However, my guess is that it's not the Pope that bothers you so much, but the people that use him as an instrument to support their agenda.  There you have my sympathies. 

 

To discuss it further, I agree with Arfink that starting something in the debate table makes more sense... but please, wait until after lent.

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