The following comes from a Sept. 25 article written by Janet E. Smith (professor of theology at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit) on the website of First Things.
A few passages from Pope Francis’ famous interview published in America have unsettled some people for many reasons. My reason for being unsettled is that it would not be a complete distortion to say that I have been “obsessed” with the issues of abortion, contraception, and homosexuality for nearly all of my professional life.
I prefer the terms “dedicated” or “committed,” of course, but whatever word is appropriate, I have long thought that helping people understand why abortion, contraception, and homosexual acts are not in accord with God’s plans for human happiness is a very effective way of drawing people closer to the Lord and to the Church, and thus, more or less, most of my adult life, I have been evangelizing in this way.
Enough about me. Let me talk about the legions of pro-lifers who run pregnancy help centers (which outnumber abortion clinics), of those who host pro-life websites and give pro-life talks, of those who try to get pro-life politicians elected, of those who do the hard work of trying to find jobs, housing, and other kinds of support for single mothers, of those who provide healing ministries to women who have had abortions, such as Rachel Weeping.
Let me talk about teachers of Natural Family Planning and the Theology of the Body and abstinence educators. Let me talk about those who work for and promote Courage, a compassionate ministry to those who experience same sex attraction and about those who against strangely strong odds make the case against same sex “marriages.” Let me talk about those who use Facebook, blogs, and comments on blogs to try to dialogue with those who reject and even despise Church teaching and those who defend it.
I know these people and most of them radiate the love for Christ and the Church that the Holy Father desires. They sacrifice their time, talent, and energy because they love Christ and those who hate Christ and those who don’t know Christ. Undoubtedly some pro-lifers and some opponents of contraception and some who crusade against the widespread acceptance of homosexuality are angry people ready to condemn others as unredeemable sinners, but I suspect they are few and far between in the US at least. Although I have seen rare postings on the internet, written by putative Christians that are very unchristian, I have not met any such individuals in “real life.”
In fact, I don’t think the Holy Father was speaking about my friends, when he states:
“We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context.”
My friends definitely talk about these issues “in context,” in fact in many contexts. Again, their reason for boldly and sacrificially and ardently addressing these issues is precisely because they love Christ and the Church and want others to do so. They are trying to save people, to save them from ignorance about Church teaching, to save them from serious sin, to save them from missing out on the great joys of accepting Christ as their savior and the Church as their home.
And—praise God—sometimes they succeed. In fact, my own reversion to the Church was greatly facilitated by an anti-Catholic professor who patiently argued with students that truth exists. It pained him that many of his students converted to Catholicism, once they came to accept that truth exists, and even moral truths that require most students to change their behavior radically.
Pope Francis is right that in some contexts proclaiming the Gospel is a powerful aid to conversion to moral goodness. For instance, many of those who do counseling outside of abortion clinics approach the women entering and say: “I am here to help you realize that God loves you and, if you are pregnant, he loves the child you are carrying. He trusts you to be the loving mother your child needs. I am here to help you find whatever you need to help you be that loving mother. There is nothing you have done that God won’t forgive.” That is a powerful and effective approach. It can often be costly to deliver what is needed but I know pro-lifers who definitely go the extra mile.
He also said: “The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently.” Again, I don’t think this statement refers to my friends since there is nothing “disjointed” about the way they present doctrines nor do they “impose” them “insistently.” Rather, they study hard to learn the deep anthropological truths that John Paul II labored so tirelessly to teach that justify the Church’s teaching.
They make the call to conscience that John Paul II makes: man’s dignity resides in his ability to know the truth and to live consciously and freely in accord with it. They call people to live in accord with the natural greatness that God gave them. They do not make threats of damnation or make calls for blind obedience; they lay out the evidence, scientific, sociological, psychological, theological and philosophical. There is no imposing; there is, rather, intelligent instruction and persuasion….
To read entire article, click here.
I have learned a lot from Dr. Smith. If you want to know how harmful contraception really is, you should learn from her. While she did not do the study, my favorite is the study she sites of adult gorillas where the alfa-male gorilla leaves his female partner after she is given the “pill”. He then chooses another female. When she is given the “pill”, he goes on to another female. The experimenter continued this with all of the females. After all the females were taking the “pill”, the alpha-male became irritated. After this he actually engaged in homosexual sex with one of the other male gorillas.
Wow! I guess that teaches us not to mate with gorillas.
Jim what a waste of your opportunity to reason….Tracy did you see how this man just missed the whole point. WoW
It is very important that everyone read the original article because Dr. Janet Smith does not agree with the Pope in everything.
QUOTE: ” I am a bit surprised that Pope Francis thinks an effective way to promote Christianity would be to enthusiastically teach that Christ came to save us. He seems to think that many people are hesitant to embrace Christianity or Catholicism because they believe that they are beyond redemption and that the Church is a judgmental, intolerant institution that won’t accept them.
Now, it may be that many people think the Church is judgmental and intolerant, but my impression is that most people do not think they are sinners beyond redemption.
In fact, I think most people think they are not sinners and not in need of redemption.
They do not think having abortions, using contraception, using pornography, fornicating, masturbating, or engaging in homosexual acts are immoral actions.
They think what they are doing is fine and they are fine just as they are. ” UNQUOTE.
https://jesus-logos.blogspot.com/2013/09/janet-smith-on-popes-interview-are-we.html
I agree with the above statement of Dr. Smith’s.
If you truly love your neighbors as commanded by Jesus, you will want them to get to Heaven for eternity.
Admonishing sinners, instructing the uniformed, and counseling the doubtful are 3 of the Spiritual Works of Mercy.
non of the popes interviews are dogmatic statements.
What the Pope understands is that you cant just pick people up and put them where you want them to be; they have to walk there. You can help them but you can’t do it for them. The latest interview with the Pope shows that he is very much aware that people have free will and that they may decide not to go where they could find light and life. It is our job not to dim the light; not to portray the life as lethargic and restrictive as a mummy wrapped up in its shrouds. No one has to do what you tell them to. No one has to do what God tells them to. You must respect this. These are people not animals that you train to jump at your command.
Western Schnieder: What a pope says in an interview is not dogma. That is understood. But a pope’s words carry a measure of authority not accorded to you and me. Therefore, any pope has to be wary of the secular press. They are not his friends and will interpret his word as filtered through their own biases. Therein lies the danger. Pope Francis has been very open with the press; his candor will backfire in unexpected ways, if it hasn’t already. Call me a concerned Catholic.
When the Pope seeks out reporters, he knows that his words will be reported around the world.
https://www.repubblica.it/cultura/2013/10/01/news/pope_s_conversation_with_scalfari_english-67643118/
CCC: “1801 Conscience can remain in ignorance or make erroneous judgments. Such ignorance and errors are not always free of guilt.”
and
“CCC: “ 1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility.
This is the case when a man takes little trouble to find out what is true and good,
or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin.
In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits. “
In North and Central America, many Bishops and Priests have ignored the request of all 3 of our latest Popes to publically and actively encourage everyone to read and study the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”.
With the lousy catechesis over the last 45 years one can not expect the majority of the Catholic Laity to have well formed consciences.
The Catholic Church abounds with relativism, heresy, schism, scandal, and sacrilege.
Telling the uniformed or those who choose to ignore the truth of Church teaching to merely follow their own conscience is not going to help them to get to Heaven.
https://www.cfnews.org/page88/files/c08683e3fc9b66f88dc5323418ae3634-145.html
Mike, I am beginning to understand what Jesus meant when he wondered if he will find any faith on earth when he returns (Luke 18:8).
Well said Janet E. Smith.
Although we haven’t communicated for some time, I am blessed to be able to write the Dr. Janet Smith is a friend. The last time I communicated with her it was about her appearance as a token at the REC, at which time I told her that because she was a speaker of Truth, she would probably not be invited back.
Later she called me to tell me that she had been invited back, but then she subsequently called me back later to tell me that she had been disinvited!
Virtually all of us in the Pro-Life, Pro-Traditional Family movement have felt the sting of the Popes instantaneous comments. Believe me I am in direct contact with many of that Leadership. The Pope needs to weigh the effects of his statements more!
I thank God that I was raised in a time when Catholic Schools, on campus and off, were really Catholic, and hard things were taught even though some considered them hard, just like St. Paul said they should be.
May God have mercy on an amoral America!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Mr. Fisher, the Pope’s comments, while widely mis-reported, were not a criticism of Dr. Smith’s work or those of her friends. I remind you that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI called the Year of Faith because people do not understand the Creed. You are aware of how faith, hope and love for God and for others is the basis of Christian morality. There are certainly even more Catholics and all others peoples breaking the Commandments to worship only the One God, to keep Holy the Sabbath and to not take the Lord’s Name in vain than are killing and committing adultery. The Pope did not negate the importance of speaking out against abortion, contraception and gay marriage. I am aware that you do speak out against the breaking of the Commandments, but not all do.
The question I have is…has anyone ever considered that this is truly what he believes? Are we stepping up to put words in his mouth that are more in keeping with traditional Catholic teachings? Is he trying to reshape our conscience? It is very unusual to me that there are so many “mis-statements” over a relatively short period of time.
We are thirsting for truth which the Church has truly failed to lay out in its watered down catechizes. When is the last time you have heard a pastor speak forcefully about the evils on contraception or gay marriage?
The Holy Father seems to think we have well formed consciences. Well…SURPRISE…we don’t. We are loosing that battle quickly. The Catholic teachings must be reinforced regularly for the seculars certainly are making their case forcefully and daily.
I agree with you, John Feeney; well said indeed.
“…But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context…”
The context of abortion the Pope is talking about is the context of family/couple who decided to abort the baby.
I think that pro-life movement would benefit more by bringing into context, the fathers who “abort” the children they procreated.
Yes, we hardly see any father talking explicitly about his abortion. Hardly any fathers show up on a TV/radio show on this issue…
Yes, the sin of abortion belongs to fathers as much as it belongs to mothers..
How? A father can abort his unborn baby by starvation and lack of emotional /medical support. When the father decides to ” disappear” for good, then, he abort his unborn child..
The mother is not the only one responsible to feed the unborn child….
Yes, there are secular reasons against abortion, but Pope Francis is talking about the context of faith in God.
I agree, the Pope talks about the faith in God, which means that the father has to have faith in God while supporting his unborn child, instead of “disappearing” or threatening the woman to have an abortion.
Abortion is usually the easy way out for men………
That is why a wise woman waits for a man who will not run after she drops her pants for him.
Yes, I agree, if the woman drops her pants off for him, he, the man should wait for the wise woman, and not have sex with a unwise woman.
You are right…..thank you…
So, men, wait for the wise woman, do not procreate your children with an unwise one…
What has the Pope said about the rights of the Catholic child in the Church? Nothing! Pope Benedict 16 said he did not cover up anything in the child abuse scandal, which has been going on for decades. Pope John Paul 2 ignored priests abusing children along with the Bishops that covered up the abuse then sent the abusing priests to other parish’s with children, so they could abuse more children. They did this without a warning to the Faithful what would happen to their kids all over this planet. For the faithful here, the fight is only for the unborn child. the fight is only about no equality for gays under the laws of our Constitution. The fight is to defund everything that will help the poor. Jesus never demonized the poor as I have seen here on this site. This includes all the victims of Catholic child priest abuse. This is the big problem in the Church. Pope Francis needs to address this sooner not later. The Church cannot spin, delay any longer, or ignore the greatest sin of our time. The abuse and distruction of the children in their care.
Thank you Catholic Daily for printing this article. I too am ‘obsessed’ with these issues and as a lay person not with skills and abilities to express my ‘obsessions’ as Janet has stated helps me to make better sense of the overall picture. It also helps to encourage me to continue to learn how to speak these truths in love….
But I was confused with Pope Francis saying we must ‘move on’…..what other issue is more essential than that of saving lives of the unborn and the sacred marriage act? Missionary work is essential. Those dedicated souls can ‘labor in the fields’ of the poor and uneducated helping save souls born already and those that are not. Here in America and other so called ‘educated’ countries it’s much harder to evanalize the truths stated in the bible as well as the traditions of the Catholic Church.
I just pray Pope Francis doesn’t want to just sweep these issues under the rug….. As we have seen for mostly the last 25 or so years that hasn’t worked…..now ‘they’ want the ‘marriage’ status and with legalality in every state and abortion legal in every state. “Sweeping these issues under the rug’ will NEVER work.
Pope Francis sends very confusing messages to everyone. I knew we were in trouble when my congressperson, Jackie Speier, was praising him to high heaven after he gave this interview. She loves abortion and Planned Parenthood.
Janet Smith’s article is very accurate and appreciated… and unfortunately the Pope’s public comments have been very confusing as Stephanie states.
If I were even just a priest or brother, I use just reluctantly, I would be very concerned about my very salvation if the likes of Jackie Spier or my own Congresswitch, Loretta Sanchez Brixey (Loretta Sanchez) praised me, and I would go on a long Retreat to figure out why they praised me and what I must do to make just retribution!
May God have mercy on an amoral America!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Stephanie: Just yesterday President Obama himself praised our new pope. I find this very disturbing. With friends like Jackie Speier and the president he must be doing something to further their progressive agenda.
Gentlemen, don’t get too worried about the Holy Father and who’s his fan du jour.
Remember Jesus in his home town, and how the people adored him, until he said something strong—then they tried to throw him down the cliff.
People are fickle.
Good Catholics must do their best to stay on the path to glory, whether this brings praise or ridicule from others.
I want to make sure everyone knows there is a vast difference in theological training between Pope Francis and at least his two predecessors:
A little comparative theological background might help and explain: Cardinal Ratzinger’s doctoral dissertation was on Augustine’s ecclesiology, directed by Munich professor and scholar Gottlieb Soehngen. BXVI’s postdoctoral dissertation was on S. Bonaventure’s theology of history. Cardinal Wojytla’s 1st dissertation (after phenomenological studies in Edmund Husserl, of whom Edith Stein was an advanced university student prior to her entering Carmel) at the Angelicum in Rome was on divine-human relationship and personal encounter in the mystical doctrine of S. John of the Cross. JP2′s 2nd dissertation was @ Krakow on the thought of Max Scheler, also a phenomenologist, and a successor to Husserl.JP2 also was a distinguished theology teacher at the Jagiellonian University at Krakow, so lecturing and refining his writing and engaging in controversy literately was a habit of years with him, just as with Ratzinger. And the present pope? Bergoglio didnt finish his dissertation at Frankfurt’s Sahnkt Georgen. At all. He previously had some psychological education (eg. “obsession”) but did not obtain either a Masters or a Ph.D. in psych either. (He has Masters degrees in theology, but from Buenos Aires’ Jesuit theologate, not known as a major school in its field). Rather unusual for a Jesuit, no Ph.D. My point is: Bergoglio is going to have turn his statements over and over, and work from prepared texts to be sure he communicates clearly, and he is at a disadvantage in learning and training compared to at least the prior two papal occupants.
Yeah, but look at what many of the Jesuit’a who runs their supossedly unerring theology to the point of having no meaning with their obsessive arrogance. Of course many of those new women priests and other orders are just as bad or worse. Genuine theology like that written by Benedict XVI caught my attention fast after years of listening to fake theology and changes every time the wind blew.
Steve Phoenix: You have laid out in great detail the substantive differences between Pope Francis and his immediate predecessors. There obviously exists a chasm between them in terms of education and experience. Clearly, both John Paul and Benedict were towering intellects compared with Francis. This in itself should not be interpreted as a sign of inferiority, but it explains why Pope Francis so readily utters absurdities when speaking off the cuff. Since he is the only pope we have we must hope and pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
Thank you, Mr Seidl and Bud: the point is Bergoglio is not as well-trained as his (in particular) two predecessors. And by the way, I had to go to a German website (Tauber Zeitung, a regional German newspaper for an area adjacent to Frankfurt (about 140 km from Frankfurt) for their German language bio of Bergoglio that ran last April and explicitly stated he did not finish his doctoral dissertation. Interesting this has been kept out of the English press.
“Bergoglio?”
Is this how one refers to the Supreme Pontiff nowadays?
“Ratzinger really loved those feral cats in Rome.”
“Wojtyła really scared the pants off those Communists!”
I’m sorry, but such mannerisms just don’t seem comme il faut to me.
Steve: Interesting that you found this obscure item in a provincial paper, not in one of the major dailies. If I recall, the Tauber Valley is a bit off the beaten path, with only one town of any renown, Rothenburg o. T. It is also home to the Cistercian Abbey of Bronnbach, built a thousand years ago!
I haven’t heard one thing yet, reported in church and secular press, that the Pope has said that is absurd. Keep in mind that he is Jesuit trained, fully into Jesuit Spirituality and approaches things from a Jesuit point of view. Some people find that alone disturbing. Yet, it is important to listen to the string of things he says. He trully is trying to clean out the curia, get pastors appointed as Bishops vs. career hiarchy types, and bring people to the place where they understand that the most important thing they can do is live the faith, not just talk about it. He is a breath of fresh air. He should require that all windows in Vatican City be opened for a month to let that air in and chase out the fancy lace crowd.
To say that one loves abortion is to say that one loves murdering babies. We can win this crucial fight to save our babies only if we remain in holy awe of truth. I think it is more truthful to say that this woman, whom few of us admire or agree with, is in favor of what she would most likely term “a woman’s right to choose,” another phrase which is so bleached of the fullness of truth as to be in the category of distortion. I know of no right which accrues to man or woman to murder another human being, old or young, ugly or beautiful, disreputable or honorable, born or unborn. One does not choose to murder another of God’s human creations by right, but rather by choosing evil. The fact that people are openly and legally murdering unborn human beings should be shocking to us and we must fight any laws that allow it under any circumstances if we are to be followers of the will of God.
Since God is most assuredly on our side in this fight, let us remain boldly and honorably married to the truth, pure and undistorted. We lose credibility, and thus respect, and well as a great deal more, when we allow ourselves to slander another human being by claiming that they love abortion, which is the same as saying they love murder. No one will buy the arguments of the righteous when they slip into bending the truth, which any right-thinking voter can discern with rapidity. A society based on personal convenience that already endorses and legitimizes the murdering of inconvenient human beings is nevertheless able to indulge itself in its Romanesque orgy of legalized murder when the opposition is seen as just as lax in moral devotion to truth as they have themselves become.
If we remain staunch and passionate in our work for the unborn, remaining also devoted to opening eyes of our fellow citizens to truth and honor and exhibiting that sort of character ourselves, we have every reason to believe we can eventually free the children of our nation from the danger of being murdered by their own mothers (and yes, fathers!) before they are even born. I wish we could do that for every child of God’s on Earth, but we can save our own nation’s children only if we keep truth and honor in our quivers.
“Since God is most assuredly on our side in this fight, let us remain boldly and honorably “married to the truth”, *pure* and *undistorted*. We lose credibility, and thus respect, and well as a great deal more, when we allow ourselves to slander another human being by claiming that they love abortion, which is the same as saying they love murder. No one will buy the arguments of the righteous when they slip into *bending the truth*, which any right-thinking voter can discern with rapidity.”
Speaking of losing respect and credibility…. All the more reason Maryanne Leonard for you to retract your own distorted canonization (bending the truth) of a priest who is openly undermining Church Teaching on same sex unions. The acceptance of artificial contraception, the acceptance of abortion and the acceptance of same sex marriage are all components of the culture of death. Why didn’t you discern that truth with rapidity before you posted your selective canonization of an errant priest who likes to bend the truth while he openly rejects Church teaching?
If you accepted Church teaching, you would not have written so.
Catherine, please take a deep breath, calm down, and go to Life Site News or Saynsumthn’s Blog for proof that Maryanne Leonard is speaking the truth: there are people who love abortion, which is indeed the murder of the unborn.
I greatly fear these Pope Francis interviews. We cannot say whatever comes into our mind when in positions of responsibility. Abortion is a problem. Euthanasia of the elderly is a problem. Allowing homosexuals into the seminaries in the Spirit of Vatican II almost destroyed the Church and the family and is a big problem.
I invite you to pray the Creed of the Apostles and then tell me which parts of believing this creed are helped by our Pope’s off-the-cuff deep thoughts.
What these Jesuitical thoughts will result in is more abortion, euthanasia, Gay/Pederast priests, homosexual marriages, and less reverent masses. The people that are going to pass Catholicism to future generations are the triumphalists/Pelagians that actually believe what the Apostle’s Creed says. Which is not easy in the present situation, believe me.
Obsessive Obfuscation
The ‘Politics of Adversarial Terminology’ – is a favorite tactic by the Alinskyite Wing of Harpies Attacking the Church, illustrated by their abuse of the term “Obsessive”…
This ironic ‘battle cry’ia hurled with gay abandon by radicals who themselves are mono-maniacally obsessed with pushing their own Gaystapo Agenda of MISANDRY (Hatred of Men & Boys, Masculinity & Normal Heterosexuality) = BAMN: By Any Means Necessary!
Being themselves mostly incapable of actual productive work, they have developed a lucrative industry of tax subsidized professional Mau Mau Artistry (like Womnyz Studiez in Academentia) – modeled much on the Politikal Kommisars of the old Soviet bureaucratic Apparatchick system.
Thus while there is an alphabet soup of identity politics amongst the ‘Gilberts’ themselves –two main and yet quite different power structures define the movement.
While the Pathological consequences from Homo-Anal Coprophile behaviors often get the most attention – I submit that far worse in the long run (for the rest of us at least) is the rise of the Separatist / Exterminationist Pogroms of their Twysted Systerz – who really do want to create “A World Devoid of Men”/
There is nothing obsessive about recognizing such rank raw Exterminationist Hate, particularly when Normal Men ‘Y-DNA BioManPigOppressors’ are The Target of such pogroms.
Hence – For decades the ‘Vanilla’ have been told they need to be ‘Educated’ to overcome obsessive ‘Ism-Obia’ – and when finally ‘enlightened’ enough – will know just enough to quit asking questions said Gaystapo Want to quash – lest we too understand their real Pogrom.
Agreed with, Gratias, except that these last comments about being “obsessed with abortion, homosexuality, contraception” were actually in a prepared interview with La Civilta Cattolica, the Roman Jesuit review, so they are not really off-the-cuff comments.
Here is a link to the Pope’s latest interview:
https://www.repubblica.it/cultura/2013/10/01/news/pope_s_conversation_with_scalfari_english-67643118/
Pope Francis could somewhat redeem himself because of his interview with the atheist Scalfari by having a give and take dialog with a victim of clerical abuse and their family. This would show true compassion and humility on his part. What a caring message this would send to his faithful Catholics. Can you imagine the fallout among his brothers in the Lord if he would do this?
When one looks at the actual comparisons of the number of priests and religious prior to even 1950 including laity baptized, our Church has already slid down the hill by at least 50%. I also believe that the parochial schools and the dwindling high schools taught by “laity” has left it’s mark of infidelity to the tenets of Catholicism. Our Catholic Universities should have the adjective “Catholic” deleted from their title until they are approved as such.
Michael McDermott, those are perspicacious, pungent and deeply intellectual observations you’ve delivered yourself of,and if only there weren’t so many sheeple and/or boiling frogs out there in contemporary U.S. society, we might eventually get somewhere, consciousnesses might be raised and Judeo-Christianity might finally get to the point of eradicating some of these noxious evils that so infect the body of society. Like the homosexualist movement that so afflicts straights, for example, who’ve been emasculated and cowed into silence when confronted by the hellish homofascist nomenklatura. Once again, Michael, I applaud your obviously highly developed reasoning processes that lay bare the absolute fatuousness of the “low information” voter/citizen so extant today. GOD BLESS ALL, Markrite