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Papal Insecurities

5/11/2013

6 Comments

 
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The last few days had me on a huge pro-Pope Francis kick.  His support of pro-traditional marriage rallies in the US, his strong statements defending life in the womb, and his suggestion that the Eucharist be received while kneeling - all of this had me going "WOO HOO!  I was wrong!  Pope Francis is actually EXACTLY what I was hoping he'd be!"

Then this...

I read it, and then I re-read it.  I e-mailed it to myself (and a friend), and then I re-read it again.

The premise is that Pope Francis doesn't give out Communion because he's basically afraid of being caught passing along the Eucharist to a sinner vying for a photo-op.

Am I the only one who has inner alarm bells going:


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All popes are priests, right?  The MAIN JOB of a priest, regardless of if he's called to be a pastor, cardinal or even Bishop of Rome is to "feed the sheep."

Remember that whole "Hey Peter, you're gonna feed My sheep, right?" business back in John 21:17?  

Jesus stressed the importance of feeding His flock - the Church.  Feeding and tending the flock is ensuring that we, the Church, are given Jesus in both Body and Spirit.  The Eucharist is Christ, fully incarnate (that's what "Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity" means!).  Priests were SPECIFICALLY created in order to consecrate and distribute this sacred Sacrament, and Pope Francis shirks this responsibility because he's afraid he might accidentally give the Eucharist to someone unworthy?!

By that rationale, I guess I should stop giving money to homeless people because one of them might use it for drugs!

Maybe I shouldn't donate money to the Starving Children fund, either, because I'm suspicious the administrators of that program are just using poor children as a front for their own greedy ends...


Do you see my issue with this terribly poor rationale?

I get that he doesn't want to be connected with distributing the Eucharist to those who would cause scandal by their reception.  However, giving up his priestly duty is, in my mind, a very cowardly way to go about handling this situation.

He just urged his brother bishops in Argentina to withhold the Eucharist from known pro-abortion candidates.  When I saw that, I again rejoiced thinking, "Right on, Pope Francis!"

So imagine my surprise when I see that instead of taking his own advice, he bypasses the entire problem by allowing others to preside over the issue for him.  Is he saying that it's okay for other priests to distribute Communion to scandalous folks because they're not as important as him?

Look... no one is really worthy to receive the Eucharist.  No one.  By some extreme grace, God humbles Himself and allows us avenues with which we can use to prepare ourselves for this gift.  Some of us make use of these avenues, some of us don't.  As the pontiff has expressed, there's really no way of knowing who has prepared himself and who has not.  It's not the priest's job to attempt sorting out the sinners from the saints.  His job is simply to distribute the Eucharist in good faith to those who present themselves.  

However, if he DOES know that a person is in the state of mortal sin and is presenting himself/herself for Communion, he's got a moral obligation to refuse for several reasons:
  • 1) He'd be committing sacrilege by allowing the Eucharist to be consumed by someone not in communion with the Church.  

  • 2) He'd be helping another person (the one receiving) commit a sacrilege and, in effect, blasphemy.  

  • 3) He'd be scandalizing the faithful.  Let's face it - we've got so many confused Catholics as it is.  Distributing the Eucharist to someone obviously not in communion with the Church is akin to handing the car keys to your reprobate child after he spent a week joyriding.  You other children see their sibling getting off without so much as a slap on the wrist.  Do you think they're going to have any second thought about joyriding, themselves?  Not so much.
Yes, it takes a lot of guts to refuse Communion to folks like this.  Obviously it's going to create an uproar, and yes, you're definitely going to take some serious heat for it.

But ya know what?  That's exactly what we need right now.


We need priests like this to highlight the gift that is our Eucharist.  Too often we turn a blind eye and allow the Eucharist to be sullied because we're not brave enough to stand up and say "No!"  

Instead, we timidly hand over Christ to the wretched soul who abuses His purity and all for what?  To spare ourselves the awkward moment of reflection?  To spare ourselves the spotlight of social reproach?

For shame.  


Pope Francis, feed your sheep.  Feed us with the Bread of Life, and feed us by your example.  You're doing and saying some really wonderful things, but if you're not doing this most basic responsibility as our shepherd, there is something severely wrong.

My prayers, holy pontiff, and the prayers of all the faithful... may they surround you and lift you to the Throne of God. 

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6 Comments
Katherine link
5/11/2013 01:16:55 am

I'd be very careful. I saw that article too and the entire assertion is based on assumption. I'm extremely hesitant of articles that take something someone said years ago and apply it now without any direct answer from the individual if it even applies. So i wouldn't rush to judgment. Second, even IF the article was completely acurate, maybe he would have trouble focusing on who should receive communion and who shouldn't globally (remember, he doesn't just have visitors from his diocese or his country, but the whole world) and being consistent with who should receive and who shouldn't at the risk of someone using him as pope to boast their own disobedience. I also wonder if he could be caught in a bit of a sticky spot as both head of the Church as well as a head of state…. I don't know, and the head of the Church should override any head of state, but could there be complications for a head of state refusing another head of state or diplomat?

Reply
Dom
5/11/2013 03:20:47 am

(thoughtfully) Actually, I didn't get that at all? I totally understand what you're saying, but if I were him, I'd be extremely hesitant to do the same, because of worry on the majority of people going OMG THE POPE IS AT THE FRONT OF MY LINE THE POPE IS AT THE FRONT OF MY LINE OMG HOLD ON YOUR HOLINESS WHILE I KNEEL HERE AND TAKE A PICTURE OF US TO PROVE I WAS IN YOUR LINE; OMG I'M PRACTICALLY TOUCHING THE POPE! (I wonder how much money I could get for this shot of the POPE deigning to offer NOBODY LIKE ME communion? Maybe enough to make me SOMEBODY?)

Not exactly what you're supposed to be meditating on when approaching the altar to receive the Body and Blood, is it?

In my mind, he IS feeding the sheep. He's providing priests who are just as much priests as he is, and in the meantime, he's just making sure that they receive Jesus as opposed to drowning in giddy and distracting, extremely mortal and absolutely irrelevant excitement.

Reply
Gina
5/11/2013 07:43:32 pm

You ladies are very likely right.

And since you've been reading for a while, you both know that I just can't shake these paranoid feelings on the Holy Father.

I keep trying so hard to ignore these issues I've got. I've been trying to write them off as seeds of doubt placed there by some annoying little fallen angels, but ugh. This is really, REALLY frustrating.

He's got so much going for him. He called upon Our Lady's intercession, he's a defender of the traditional family / life in the womb, he's already shown some backbone regarding politics and following his simpler way of living...

It's just little things like this that give me this gnawing anxiety that something is amiss.

I totally own up to the fact that I'm very likely out of my mind. I once had similar doubts about Pope Benedict and, obviously, turned out to be incredibly stupid. I'm hoping my trend of stupidity proves to be consistent in this case. *Grin*

Reply
Katherine link
5/14/2013 10:07:09 am

Gina, it sounds like you might be at the mercy of some little devil or another, under attack so to speak. They absolutely love throwing dark ideas and doubt into people's minds. My only advice is to pray… nothing ticks them off and discourages them so much as when their taunting turns a soul towards God. :)

And try not to worry so much about Francis… it is Christ's Church… He won't let it go amiss. :)

Reply
Dom
5/12/2013 01:27:25 am

Also, sour and petty as it is.... I'd be absolutely *delighted* by the opportunity to refuse Joe Biden or Nancy Pelosi communion these days.

Reply
Cheryl link
5/12/2013 03:45:28 pm

I understand your concern, but I think maybe it requires more research before taking this article as the "whole truth and nothing but the truth." It doesn't seem like a balanced article presenting the full picture. During all the coverage of the conclave, I think I heard one of the news media report that in general the pope does not distribute communion. (This discussion was before Pope Francis was elected.) I got the impression that it was a general Vatican procedure/tradition. I'm trying to recall if I've ever seen Pope Benedict of Pope John Paul II distribute communion at the Christmas Eve masses that are broadcast on TV. I don't think I've seen them do that, except to the priests who are helping to distribute Mass to the crowd.

In any case, it seems out of his character NOT to distribute it unless he has decided their is a bigger reason. After all, he has bucked quite a few papal traditions, hasn't he? I can't imagine he would agree to this unless there is a very good reason.

I think we need to pray for him, and trust the Holy Spirit to work within him. Please don't be so suspicious of him. He has a huge burden on his shoulders and needs your prayers. Trust the Lord to work through him to bring the church where it should be right now, at this time and place in our world. Remember, it is Jesus' church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

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