Equal footing as disciples
I've been cautiously optimistic about the new pope - sure, I love that he's humble, that he cares about the poor. But I've been waiting to see what he does about some important issues before I decide about him. As Grant Gallicho writes at Commonweal ...
[...] Nearly all the younger Catholics I talked with brought up four issues without prompting: homosexuality, the sexual-abuse scandal, tolerance, and women. “The church should be more accepting,” a teenager told me. Of what? “Gay marriage.” A secondary-school teacher said that “the biggest challenge Francis faces is making the church safe for children.” A college student raised in the Philippines recalled dinners her parents would host featuring members of several religious traditions. “There were no arguments. People got along. We need more of that.” The church “keeps women down,” a high-schooler flatly declared.
In a post at dotCommonweal, Grant zeros in on the "women" issue - Francis: women are first communicators of the Resurrection.. Some are saying that the pope's couple of references to women's "fundamental" and "special" role in the church are strides forward. But these words of Francis ...
[T]his is the mission of women, of mothers and women [grandmothers?], to give witness to their children and grandchildren that Christ is Risen! Mothers go forward with this witness! What matters to God is our heart, if we are open to Him, if we are like trusting children. But this also leads us to reflect on how in the Church and in the journey of faith, women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord ...
... seem to me an affirmation of the church's traditional attitude about women and their role - we're "special" - translation: we will never be allowed equal footing as disciples.
:(
[...] Nearly all the younger Catholics I talked with brought up four issues without prompting: homosexuality, the sexual-abuse scandal, tolerance, and women. “The church should be more accepting,” a teenager told me. Of what? “Gay marriage.” A secondary-school teacher said that “the biggest challenge Francis faces is making the church safe for children.” A college student raised in the Philippines recalled dinners her parents would host featuring members of several religious traditions. “There were no arguments. People got along. We need more of that.” The church “keeps women down,” a high-schooler flatly declared.
In a post at dotCommonweal, Grant zeros in on the "women" issue - Francis: women are first communicators of the Resurrection.. Some are saying that the pope's couple of references to women's "fundamental" and "special" role in the church are strides forward. But these words of Francis ...
[T]his is the mission of women, of mothers and women [grandmothers?], to give witness to their children and grandchildren that Christ is Risen! Mothers go forward with this witness! What matters to God is our heart, if we are open to Him, if we are like trusting children. But this also leads us to reflect on how in the Church and in the journey of faith, women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord ...
... seem to me an affirmation of the church's traditional attitude about women and their role - we're "special" - translation: we will never be allowed equal footing as disciples.
:(
posted by crystal | 4:27 PM
4 Comments:
I had a similar reaction when I read it. Whatever he seemed to give in the first couple of paragraphs he took away in the last couple.
I think the fact that progressives seem to be happier about his first three weeks than traditionalists might be obscuring the fact that, doctrinally speaking, he's actually on the conservative end of things.
I don't expect to see anything terribly dramatic happen during his pontificate, as far as teaching goes. If he cleans up the hierarchy, makes decent episcopal appointments, and continues to bring the office of the papacy down to Earth where it belongs, while continuing to inspire others with his simple and pastoral style of leadership, I won't be too disappointed.
Hi PrickliestPear,
Yeah, overall I'm with you. I feel grateful for the way he's been so far - I guess he's a reminder that conservatives can be down to earth and compassionate and decent, while still being conservative. He really puts Benedict's papacy in perspective.
(((What matters to God is our heart, if we are open to Him, if we are like trusting children.)))
Of course, no body can speak for His Holiness and the way me, myself and i see "IT" as a Canadian looking in when "IT" comes to sin... http://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjester/2013/04/a-closet-also-abhors-a-vacuum/ is that a sin is a sin especially for GOD in our hearts.
For examples, over/and about 2013 years ago Jesus Christ said in so many words that if your eyes sin pluck "IT" out and if a hand sins cut "IT" off and "I'M" sure that there's a LOT more but that's all that my "ONE" per sense spiritual reality can quote cause I remember this from when "I" was serving high mass as a child.
I could go on and on.... http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2013/04/04/north-carolina-republicans-introduce-bill-to-outlaw-baptist-churches-and-establish-n-c-staatskirche/ but long story short, our leader of The Catholic Church can't change what is or is not truly of The Heart of Jesus even if some think that HE should! Should HE NOW?
God Bless
Peace be with you and PrickliestPear.
Hi Victor,
Peace to you too :)
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