It’s often when the Holy Father speaks off-the-cuff that his words have the most impact.
That was the case today when he gave a reflection on the first General Congregation of the Synod for the Middle East and spoke out strongly against terrorist ideologies. The Pope warned those who follow such beliefs that they are not fighting in the name of God but a false god which must ultimately fall. He said the same of those who impose a false idea of marriage and other destructive powers, ones based on “false divinities that must be unmasked.” .
Violence in the name of God is a key concern of the Synod Fathers who say that it is on the rise in Middle East, causing many of the region’s problems.
Another clip of the Pope’s improvised remarks can be found here, while Sandro Magister has a full translation of his reflection.
Full daily summaries of the Synod which runs until Oct. 24 can be found on the blog of the Vatican Information Service.
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Thank you for sharing the Holy Father’s comments. He succinctly denotes the root of many of our problems in society. Our civilization is in decline, and we can no longer deny it, but must confront it directly.
It is as if we are living in Ancient Rome under Nero; citizens look away in cowardice as our leaders and ignorant mobs destroy the foundations of our culture. (edited; do not hijack this thread—the editors)
Time for a do-over. If you can’t stick to the main thrust of the blog post, comments will be closed.
Civilization is not in decline by any means.It is better than it ever was during the 20th century, when people of conscience had to battle & sacrifice in order to turn back the evils of tyranny, fascism, apartheid & segregation.The backlash by the right wing against President Obama reveal an appalling percentage of Americans who; underneath it all, harbor elements of racism we thought were gone. The pope’s reference to “false ideas of marriage” as being based on “false divinities"is not only wrong; it is an offense to countries like Canada, for whom marriage laws are a measure of legal equality & human dignity.Vaccinations have saved the lives of untold millions of people since their inception, but they were described by a pontiff of the 1800’s as ‘satanic’.
In response to Hugh, I would say definitively that our culture is in decline, and not because we have a black President. I would have loved Alan Keyes to be our first African-American President! Our societal decline is rooted in a lack of moral fortitude. The ‘feel good’ culture has brought us rampant STD’s, for one example. As the parent of teens, I will not get my kids vaccinated with Gardisil, an expensive three-part vaccine that was rushed into distribution on a ‘fast track’ from the FDA, thus cutting corners on safety and efficacy testing. Abstinence is the bar I set for my kids. Marriage is is utter disarray, and forcing ‘gay marriage’ on an incredulous populace does not promote acceptance. The pieces don’t fit, and they never will. However, my faith commands me to have hope for the future, and I pray that the depravity and desolation I see around me, (that Hugh does not see) will abate.
Jesus reminds us in his teachings about the greatest commandment ( Matthew 22:37-38)” Jesus said unto him ,Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart ,and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” ****Cross reference with Exodus 20:2-3, Deuteronomy 5:6-7
We can reflect on one of Jesus parable of the Character of two servants ( the occasion of this parable : In prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem) the lesson of this parable is the Danger of unfaithfulness ( Matthew 24:45-51, cross reference with Luke 12:42-46)
The Terrorists are the ones telling us there’s terrorists. I dont believe in terrorists. Only Divine Love and a whole lot of Human Beings acting with Gods Divine Timing can stop this madness in it’s tracks, and set all Right. Im ready for the challenge, doing it now. God Bless.
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