Under New Management!: Do You Agree With The Pope?

[ST BERNARD]

I agree with this.  From the video Ash provided it looks like the Pope was demonstrating why we should be careful when we say something about another persons faith, since what we say could provoke them to act violently. Especially if what we're saying is done to be rude and hurtful.   We are all susceptible to human weakness and I'm sure all of us have been guilty of acting in an un-Christian manner when someone or something we love has been attacked. 

 

 

You and dUSt are most likely right in your interpretation of what he said, but I still think the timing was a little insensitive of him, and left his statement open to misinterpretation in light of the murders and strong feelings of grief by family and friends of the victims. As Catholics, we can be confident that the Pope was not saying that what happened at Charlie Hebdo was ok, as indeed he condemned it, but then he presented himself as almost saying that the victims deserved what they got. Sorry, but that did create confusion and conflict in me, and I am a faithful Catholic. I am certainly glad that I have had the opportunity to discuss this rationally with other Catholics (and those of other faiths too) but I also understand why a lot of people would either take offence or feel confused about his words. To deny that what he said could be misconstrued is simply to ignore the feelings of others, and isn't that what the Pope was condemning too? Just my limited perspective from my side of the bus.

[Maggyie]

How could you expect him to say otherwise. Pope Benedict essentially said the same thing when there were riots over the Danish Islam cartoons.

As usual though with Papa we have to waste a lot of time and energy trying to parse and figure out "what did he really mean" and the press office of the Holy See has to issue clarifying statements that walk it back. I wonder if someone is ever going to take the pope aside and tell him he's bad at this media stuff and to stop.

Pope Benedict frequently stepped in it too. What happened to John Paul II''s media team?

[Maggyie]

I mean prior to his trip I saw a meme on Facebook that said "brace yourselves, the Pope is going on an airplane that also has reporters on it" It was supposed to be funny but in the end the Holy Father and global media did not disappoint and we once again get a ride on this merry go round. It's frustrating.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Maggie

[Winchester]

The statement wasn't bad. The excerpts and headlines are. And some people are intent on misinterpreting.

[PhuturePriest]

Pope Benedict rarely had headlines like this. The only one I can think of is when the media claimed he said it was okay for gay men to have sex as long as they wore a condom, but that was pretty much it. Pope Benedict was a very concise and learned intellectual, and he always knew how to word things carefully but boldly so as to make sure most didn't misinterpret him. Pope Francis is much less gifted at this, which is fine, but he should really consider perhaps not making as many statements with the media as he does.

[Lilllabettt]

 I don't remember Pope Benedict XVI "stepping in it" frequently. There was the thing with the condoms and the Muslims. But he didn't speak spontaneously in public all that much and when he did you could see him choosing his words carefully, trying to find the exactly correct expression to communicate what he wanted to say. Of course I don't think he liked talking to the media- not about pop topics, for sure.  And they didn't like him, either.

 

JP2 was just very media savvy. He was a rock star. He knew how to handle them, how to make them like him in spite of him being crystal clear on everything.

 

My impression is, Pope Francis thinks it doesn't matter that much.  If he steps in it, I mean. If I remember correctly, he encourages church leaders to "make a mess."  Being misinterpreted is not a new experience for him. This series of events has played out many times before. He hasn't seen fit to make any changes in the pattern. 

 

JP2 and Benedict were VERY rarely misinterpreted. They didn't give a lot of wiggle room. Preventing misinterpretation is just not Pope Francis' priority.  I don't really agree with that approach. But I think it is his approach. His words leave room for misinterpretation, and he does not care all that much. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 17, 2015 by Lilllabettt

[Oremus Pro Invicem]

You and dUSt are most likely right in your interpretation of what he said, but I still think the timing was a little insensitive of him, and left his statement open to misinterpretation in light of the murders and strong feelings of grief by family and friends of the victims. As Catholics, we can be confident that the Pope was not saying that what happened at Charlie Hebdo was ok, as indeed he condemned it, but then he presented himself as almost saying that the victims deserved what they got. Sorry, but that did create confusion and conflict in me, and I am a faithful Catholic. I am certainly glad that I have had the opportunity to discuss this rationally with other Catholics (and those of other faiths too) but I also understand why a lot of people would either take offence or feel confused about his words. To deny that what he said could be misconstrued is simply to ignore the feelings of others, and isn't that what the Pope was condemning too? Just my limited perspective from my side of the bus.

 

I can see how his statement can be shocking, however, when I watched him talking on the plane I can see he is telling others that even he is just a man and not free from human weakness. He was showing  that even a Pope can be provoked to act in a way which is not peaceful when something or someone he holds dear to him is being attacked.   Then on the other hand he I think was stating that we need to look at ourselves and admit that we too are not above acting in such a way when someone attacks something we love.  We all have that "button", and sometimes when others press it we lose our heads.  I believe he was stressing these points because after a violent attack the only thing which can stop the almost never-ending chain reaction of hate are acts of love and forgiveness.  And one of the best ways for us to find the ability to forgive others is by realizing that we too are just as weak and can act in ways which are unkind and wrong. 

[BarbTherese]

Initially I was quite shocked at what Pope Francis said about 'THE punch"............but later reading on, I thought that again the media has completely tripped many of us up leading us astray, me included, by taking something Pope Francis has said out of context.  The key phrase in what Pope Francis said about THE punch is in connection with freedom of speech i.e.  - "FOR THE COMMON GOOD".

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSV-GD9gA-U

 

What Pope Francis was illustrating with his punch in the nose statement was the likely human reaction to an insulting statement to someone that a person holds dear and in esteem.

 

Insult is what Charlie Hebdo as publication has done with the Islamic religion and what it holds dear and the response of the terrorists was murder.  Clearly both were evils though the latter far more serious than the former.

 

 

 

 

[Luigi]

Here's a link to a talk from the abbot of St. Anselm's (Washington, DC) to the monks about "Respect," with specific reference to Paris, and various responses. 

 

http://www.stanselms.org/homilies/2015/2015January.php#3

 

It's a little longish (for this board), but it's balanced and nuanced. Some details relate specifically to the monastery, but you can skim through those parts.