Thursday, September 20, 2018

Papal Notes - Francis compares himself to Jesus?

But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Genesis 13:13


"This morning, .... Francis shifted from thoughts on Christ’s compassion to those concerning His silence before the “Great Accuser.”

According to the Vatican’s own news website, Vatican News, Francis believes Christ’s silence was itself a form of compassion.


The Pope brought up that it was also the people who yelled ‘crucify him,’” Sister Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp related at Vatican News.
She continued:
“‘Jesus then compassionately remained silent because ‘the people were deceived by the powerful’, Pope Francis explained. His response was silence and prayer. Here the shepherd chooses silence when the ‘Great Accuser’ accuses him ‘through so many people’. Jesus ‘suffers, offers his life, and prays’, Pope Francis said.”
These reflections were met with concerns online that the Holy Father, who has refused to respond directly to Archbishop Viganò’s accusations that he knowingly resurrected the career of a sexually abusive American cardinal, is identifying himself with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Is he comparing himself to Jesus?” wrote Damien McDonnell, OP on Twitter. “This just gets more and more horrific.”


If so, Francis could be suggesting that “the powerful” who are “deceiving” the people are clerics and laypeople publicly demanding that the Pope answer the allegations whereas the “Great Accuser” (or Satan) is Archbishop Viganò, who is apparently now in hiding. 


Catholic author and commentator Patrick Coffin tweeted, “‘The Great Accuser tries to uncover the sins, so they are visible in order to scandalize the people.’ -- words actually spoken by @Pontifex .... Logical conclusion: the sins should stay hidden so the devil can't cause scandal. Speechless.”
Lifesite