Pope Francis: Like a Bull into 2015

Pope Francis I

A Short Reading Assignment: 

Vatican Brass Diseased

I hope you took the time to follow the link above and read the one page article from the National Catholic Reporter.  Everyone that follows my blog should know how much I love Pope Francis!  You just have to love this guy!  He doesn't pull many punches and he loves to stick to his own Vatican for their shortcomings.  I'm not crazy about leaders for life, but in the case of Pope Francis, this could be a hoot!

Terms like "spiritual Alzheimer's" and "existential schizophrenia" make one wonder if he stays up at night thinking of the zingers, or if it just rolls off his tongue during the emotion of the moment.  And I have to laugh when I think of Francis doing a collective Vatican ass chewing and then wishing the all a "Happy Christmas" while telling them to go with God and develop a sense of humor.  My man!

However, reading the article sparked another, deeper, thought.  Hasn't this been the Vatican since almost the time of its inception?  When you look at what Francis is charging them with today, it seems historically like the Vatican as usual.  I ask that you remember his comments and think back to the Council of Nicaea and choosing the books for the Bible.  I have written many posts questioning not only the origin of these works, but any changes that have been made over two thousand years of personal, political, and religious agendas that were insinuated into the pages.

With all that must have gone down in this meeting, and the pope's sense of humor being well evidenced, one wonders why he didn't quote Uncle Ben in the movie "Spiderman," or, more correctly, Voltaire, the witty French Enlightenment writer who was known for his verbal and written displeasure with the Catholic Church, to wit:

"With great power comes great responsibility."

--Francois-Marie Arouet, a.k.a. Voltaire (1694-1778), writer, historian, philosopher

 Not being familiar with the works of Voltaire, I can only wonder if this biting comment weren't aimed directly at the Church.  Well, the Church or the king, after all, Louis XVI came to power in 1774, a reign that eventually led to the French Revolution and his inevitable, intimate date with "Madame la Guillotine" in late January of 1793.  I'll let you choose.

Anyway, if this meeting is any indication, I'd say Pope Francis is making a statement to the Vatican hierarchy that he isn't slowing down in 2015.  I think he'll be a raging bull "tiptoeing" through the Catholic china shop, personnel roster in hand, with all of the Cardinals biting their fingernails.  

Pity the fool who sneezes. 

Note from Pastor Tony, the founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, as well as the author and editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite:  

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor