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I am on pins and needles!
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Topic Started: Mar 13 2013, 10:11 PM (577 Views)
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Deleted User
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Mar 15 2013, 04:21 AM
Post #21
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Deleted User
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- tomdrobin
- Mar 14 2013, 06:19 AM
They picked a cardinal from Argentina. I thought I heard he was of German descent though. Italian descent
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Banandangees
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Mar 15 2013, 07:05 PM
Post #22
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Fire & Ice Senior Diplomat
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'Go and Repair My House'
There is a power in the new pope's humility.
- Quote:
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Everything about Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's election was a surprise—his age, the name he took, his mien as he was presented to the world. He was plainly dressed, a simple white cassock, no regalia, no finery. He stood there on the balcony like a straight soft pillar and looked out at the crowd. There were no grand gestures, not even, at first, a smile. He looked tentative, even overwhelmed. I thought, as I watched, "My God—he's shy."
Then the telling moment about the prayer. Before he gave a blessing he asked for a blessing: He asked the crowd to pray for him. He bent his head down and the raucous, cheering square suddenly became silent, as everyone prayed. I thought, "My God—he's humble."
I wasn't sure what to make of it and said so to a friend, a member of another faith who wants the best for the church because to him that's like wanting the best for the world. He was already loving what he was seeing. He asked what was giving me pause. I said I don't know, the curia is full of tough fellows, the pope has to be strong.
"That is more than strength," he said of the man on the screen. "This is not cynical humanity. This is showing there is another way to be."
Yes. This is a kind of public leadership we are no longer used to—unassuming, self-effacing. Leaders of the world now are garish and brazen. You can think of half a dozen of their names in less than a minute. They're good at showbiz, they find the light and flash the smile.
But this man wasn't trying to act like anything else.
Go and repair my house, which is falling into ruin. Could the new pope's intentions be any clearer?
The Catholic Church in 2013 is falling into ruin. The church has been damaged by scandal and the scandals arose from arrogance, conceit, clubbiness and an assumption that the special can act in particular ways, that they may make mistakes but it's understandable, and if it causes problems the church will take care of it.
Pope Francis already seems, in small ways rich in symbolism, to be moving the Vatican away from arrogance. His actions in just his first 24 hours are suggestive.
Much will unfold now, much will be seen. An ardent, loving 75-year-old cardinal in the middle of an acute church crisis is not going to sit around and do nothing. He's going to move. "Go and repair my house, which you see is falling into ruin."
The Catholic Church has been in decline. Attendance is down, particularly in Europe (the predicted "falling away" perhaps). Scandal and corruption has been visible. Will this Pope be the one to save The Church (Christ said to Peter, "feed my sheep") or the one that is prophesied to destroy it and Christianity with it? Perhaps his time will be short and there is one more waiting in the wings.
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Mountainrivers
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Mar 15 2013, 08:26 PM
Post #23
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Fire & Ice Senior Diplomat
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- Banandangees
- Mar 15 2013, 07:05 PM
'Go and Repair My House' There is a power in the new pope's humility. - Quote:
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Everything about Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's election was a surprise—his age, the name he took, his mien as he was presented to the world. He was plainly dressed, a simple white cassock, no regalia, no finery. He stood there on the balcony like a straight soft pillar and looked out at the crowd. There were no grand gestures, not even, at first, a smile. He looked tentative, even overwhelmed. I thought, as I watched, "My God—he's shy."
Then the telling moment about the prayer. Before he gave a blessing he asked for a blessing: He asked the crowd to pray for him. He bent his head down and the raucous, cheering square suddenly became silent, as everyone prayed. I thought, "My God—he's humble."
I wasn't sure what to make of it and said so to a friend, a member of another faith who wants the best for the church because to him that's like wanting the best for the world. He was already loving what he was seeing. He asked what was giving me pause. I said I don't know, the curia is full of tough fellows, the pope has to be strong.
"That is more than strength," he said of the man on the screen. "This is not cynical humanity. This is showing there is another way to be."
Yes. This is a kind of public leadership we are no longer used to—unassuming, self-effacing. Leaders of the world now are garish and brazen. You can think of half a dozen of their names in less than a minute. They're good at showbiz, they find the light and flash the smile.
But this man wasn't trying to act like anything else.
Go and repair my house, which is falling into ruin. Could the new pope's intentions be any clearer?
The Catholic Church in 2013 is falling into ruin. The church has been damaged by scandal and the scandals arose from arrogance, conceit, clubbiness and an assumption that the special can act in particular ways, that they may make mistakes but it's understandable, and if it causes problems the church will take care of it.
Pope Francis already seems, in small ways rich in symbolism, to be moving the Vatican away from arrogance. His actions in just his first 24 hours are suggestive.
Much will unfold now, much will be seen. An ardent, loving 75-year-old cardinal in the middle of an acute church crisis is not going to sit around and do nothing. He's going to move. "Go and repair my house, which you see is falling into ruin."
The Catholic Church has been in decline. Attendance is down, particularly in Europe (the predicted " falling away" perhaps). Scandal and corruption has been visible. Will this Pope be the one to save The Church (Christ said to Peter, " feed my sheep") or the one that is prophesied to destroy it and Christianity with it? Perhaps his time will be short and there is one more waiting in the wings. "the one that is prophesied to destroy it and Christianity with it?"
We can only hope!
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Banandangees
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Mar 15 2013, 08:51 PM
Post #24
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Why do you say that MR?
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Mountainrivers
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Mar 15 2013, 08:56 PM
Post #25
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- Banandangees
- Mar 15 2013, 08:51 PM
Why do you say that MR? I detest everything about organized religion. I believe the Catholic Church, in particular, is an evil institution promulgated only for the financial benefit of it's hierarchy, at the expense of poor people who are drawn to it through fear and intimidation and who give their money to them to build, admittedly, incredibly beautiful structures and perform magnificent displays such as we have seen in the past few days. What good does any of that do ?
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Banandangees
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Mar 15 2013, 09:18 PM
Post #26
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What you say about the Catholic Church may be true, I wont' argue that with you. But you referred to that segment of my post that said "the one that is prophesied to destroy it and Christianity with it?" Do you feel that way about all Christianity? How about non-Christian religions?
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Mountainrivers
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Mar 15 2013, 09:22 PM
Post #27
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- Banandangees
- Mar 15 2013, 09:18 PM
What you say about the Catholic Church may be true, I wont' argue that with you. But you referred to that segment of my post that said "the one that is prophesied to destroy it and Christianity with it?" Do you feel that way about all Christianity? How about non-Christian religions? I feel that way about all religions. They are, imo, invented solely for the purpose of extracting money from insecure people and controlling those peoples activities.
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Pat
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Mar 15 2013, 09:43 PM
Post #28
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I find this portion of the article funny. I thought a man of gods was not supposed to build wealth in this life, but in the next?
"Yes. This is a kind of public leadership we are no longer used to—unassuming, self-effacing. Leaders of the world now are garish and brazen. You can think of half a dozen of their names in less than a minute. They're good at showbiz, they find the light and flash the smile."
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Banandangees
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Mar 16 2013, 03:27 AM
Post #29
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I visited Rome and the Vatican when I was serving in the military in Germany.... when Pope Pius XII was Pope.... not because I am a catholic, I'm not. I was just curious. What I saw was "riches," wealth. I see that in the US in the Gothic structures and in the "Crystal Cathedral types. Most churches throughout the US are not of that type. The church we attend is probably a 5000 sq ft in total size. The church serves a congregation of about 250 adults and any children. The church income is usually just enough to pay the pastor and a few ancillary personnel their wages and for the maintenance of the building. It does take some finances to conduct the business side of any church. Too much income and you get "Gothic structures." Our pastor is retiring in a month after 40 years of dedicated service as a Methodist minister. He will live in his own very modest home with his wife (children grown). He's not a wealthy man, never has benn. Most churches I've ever attended were of this caliber. That's what it takes for people who have a spiritual faith and want some "structure" for the perpetuation of the faith for their children if they desire. For those who don't want a faith, or contribute any of their earnings to the promotion of such, need not contribute or attend. Sure doesn't matter to me.
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Mountainrivers
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Mar 16 2013, 04:01 AM
Post #30
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Fire & Ice Senior Diplomat
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- Banandangees
- Mar 16 2013, 03:27 AM
I visited Rome and the Vatican when I was serving in the military in Germany.... when Pope Pius XII was Pope.... not because I am a catholic, I'm not. I was just curious. What I saw was "riches," wealth. I see that in the US in the Gothic structures and in the "Crystal Cathedral types. Most churches throughout the US are not of that type. The church we attend is probably a 5000 sq ft in total size. The church serves a congregation of about 250 adults and any children. The church income is usually just enough to pay the pastor and a few ancillary personnel their wages and for the maintenance of the building. It does take some finances to conduct the business side of any church. Too much income and you get "Gothic structures." Our pastor is retiring in a month after 40 years of dedicated service as a Methodist minister. He will live in his own very modest home with his wife (children grown). He's not a wealthy man, never has benn. Most churches I've ever attended were of this caliber. That's what it takes for people who have a spiritual faith and want some "structure" for the perpetuation of the faith for their children if they desire. For those who don't want a faith, or contribute any of their earnings to the promotion of such, need not contribute or attend. Sure doesn't matter to me. Doesn't matter to me either, Ban. If the religious folks would just leave the rest of us alone, everything would be hunky-dory.
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