Letter from a priest to Pope Francis
Reported by Luisa, whom I thank, I translate the following text from the French blog Benoit et moi , which presents him as a witness in addition to numerous other sites on Italian or Spanish-speaking and English-speaking sphere.
"Holy Father,
One day it is said to happen that you speak before thinking. This is what worries us priests who exercise our ministry in a context which is often difficult. This means that not only do we find it hard to understand but it is increasingly difficult to follow.
Ever since you were chosen to succeed the Apostle Peter, you have not ceased to deliver offensive speeches.
You Launched barbs against the faithful who love the liturgy of the Church with dignity, against your closest collaborators among the cardinals of the Curia, against simple priests, and more recently against the parents of large families. Perhaps you hoped to make people laugh by comparing them with the rabbits. Did not fire: you had some success only with journalists eager to "scoop" it up and mock the Church and yes, at the same time, it has hurt many Catholic families.
Dads and moms have come to visit us, we, priests, to tell us their suffering. To ask for explanations that we cannot always give, incapable of understanding.Do you not think that these days, the faithful would be in most need of your support? Do you not think that instead of claiming to define a "good Catholic", a "good priest", a "good bishop," a "good cardinal of the Curia" ... you should ask if any of your malevolent comments encourage the faithful to remain in the church and help the priests to carry out their ministry in joy? To hear my brothers with whom I have frequent contact, listening to the questions posed by the faithful of the parish sector - 20 parishes - of which I am responsible, I can testify that your attacks are more disturbing than reassuring and encouraging.
Holy Father, let me be direct: do you love the faithful, priests, families? I admit to not always being sure ...Since our adolescence and beyond, when some of us have chosen to start a family, while others have opted for the priesthood, Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI were reliable guides for our generation. They will remain so. Are you safe driving at becoming a more popular Pope - this "good guy", as you said one day - who shoots out formulas that are bad and tweets of no interest.
Allow me to conclude, I wish to make a confession: when I celebrate Holy Mass in the morning in a nearby church, It becomes more and more difficult to say your name in the Eucharistic Prayer. Know that I am deeply mortified because I can not conceive the exercise of my ministry without a sincere communion with the Successor of Peter. But when listening, I see, I read , this sincerity crumbles.
The faithful expect from the Pope a comforting sweetness and clarity, not speeches that destabilize or wound. I do not Want to prevent Catholics of our parishes - priests and laity - to grant their full trust and respect ... "
Yes, Father, it is a very troubling papacy. We must keep our eyes fixed on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the 2,000 year treasury of our holy Catholic faith, so as not to be led astray, even by a pope. God loves you dearly because you are truly "in Persona Christi" and the grief you feel over this papacy is His grief. I pray daily for courageous priests like you. Thank you for your holy priesthood. BVM, pray for this humble priest.
ReplyDeleteA simple mother
Thank you for expressing what so many of us feel.
ReplyDeleteI am not a good Catholic by all means; but at least with Pope Benedict XVI I could understand what were my mistakes and my challenges. what were my sins and why I should work on myself.
ReplyDeleteIn the past, I have been confused by priests who were struggling with their own shortcomings, but since Pope Francis, I wonder if it is worthwhile to stay Catholic.
I agree with you completely Father.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I had 11 children receiving little encouragement from the Church. Now comes our Pope trying to be funny with his insensitive remarks. But beyond the insensitivity Pope Francis got it totally wrong. He should have congratulated large families and held them up as a good example when many Catholics have chosen to act both selfishly and faithlessly towards God.
Let us pray for Pope Francis that he try to please God rather than the world.
Michael Dowd
I also as a lifelong faithful Catholic who accepts ALL the teachings of the Church, am finding only confusion and heterodoxy coming from Rome. The pope does not seem to have time for nor love the most faithful of his spiritual children. He has time to visit atheists, protestants, to tell people they are excused from their sin and to speak out of both sides of his mouth on serious issues but for the very faithful he has only name calling and scorn. Lord, why do we have such a Vicar?
ReplyDeleteThis is incredible. Has a priest ever publically spoken about his pope in this way? What does it mean? As a layman, I do agree with everything this priest says.
ReplyDeleteI wish the original French source was still online for further clarity... it appears to have been removed.
ReplyDeleteDitto what the good father said. I follow the advice of Pius IX and simply "don't listen to him."
ReplyDeleteThank You Father
ReplyDeleteWonderful letter, many of us are confused by this Pope!
ReplyDeleteDitto---- a thousand times!
ReplyDeleteWow. Amen.
ReplyDeleteBOD BLESS THIS GOOD PRIEST!!!!....whomever he may be.
ReplyDeleteWow! Finally someone besides Cardinal Burke has spoken out frankly and honestly about the offensive insults the Holy Father has been dishing out in his all so famous 'interviews'. God Bless this priest for his honesty and courage.
ReplyDeleteWill the Holy Father take this to heart? We can only hope and PRAY he will.
Father,my sentiments entirely.I too find it hard to pray for this awful man-but i do with reluctance.He is testing my patience to the limit and driving me safely(thank God )to the Latin Mass and the Society of St Pious the Tenth.God Bless.Philip Johnson.
ReplyDeleteFrom my heart, I thank you, Father. I thought I was the only one who cringed when Francis' name was mentioned during the Eucharistic prayers.
ReplyDeleteOur Lady of the Rosary pray for us. Come, Lord Jesus!
Of course you are right. Pope Francis insists on shouting out his own peculiar personalized views of catholicism forgetting all the time his job title as pope.
ReplyDeleteRecently he quoted what his grandmother said about protestants being good people in contradistinction to the church doctrine of extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
Catholics therefore are being fed the peasant nonsense that Pope Francis learnt from his uneducated grandmother!
Quite obviously there is little real cohesion in the outlook of this pope which is probably why he is so frequently critical of doctrine that, put most charitably ,he seems to have only the vaguest understanding.
Not to worry he will soon be gone and tbh I could not think of anything worse to replace him
He will not be around for much longer the pope
ReplyDeleteWell said Father. As a simple layman, I too, find it very discomforting to pray for the Pope at Mass, I pray that Our Lord will convert him to wisdom.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I have just read this post. We sympathise completely with this priest who has written the open letter. I do hope the the Bishop of Rome reads it and takes note. Like this priest we both have difficulty in praying for Pope Francis during the Mass and in our personal prayers.
ReplyDeleteIt should never have come to this, though 2015 promises to be worse with the looming synod on the family.
John F (just another Catholic Rabbit)
NOW READ THIS CAREFULLY...HERE IS WHAT HE ANSWERS....
ReplyDelete."SOME PEOPLE...EXCUSE MY EXPRESSION HERE...THAT IN ORDER TO BE GOOD CATHOLICS WE HAVE TO BE LIKE RABBITS"....... Take note.... the pope is actually saying that "SOME PEOPLE SAY we breed like rabbits. He is not saying this himself...and how many times have we heard this expression from non-Catholics? AND HE ALSO ASKED PARDON FOR USING THEIR PHRASE.