guardian:
Pope Francis is one of the most hated men in the world today. Those who hate him most are not atheists, or protestants, or Muslims, but some of his own followers. Outside the church he is hugely popular as a figure of almost ostentatious modesty and humility. From the moment that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became pope in 2013, his gestures caught the world’s imagination: the new pope drove a Fiat, carried his own bags and settled his own bills in hotels; he asked, of gay people, “Who am I to judge?” and washed the feet of Muslim women refugees.

But within the church, Francis has provoked a ferocious backlash from conservatives who fear that this spirit will divide the church, and could even shatter it. This summer, one prominent English priest said to me: “We can’t wait for him to die. It’s unprintable what we say in private. Whenever two priests meet, they talk about how awful Bergoglio is … he’s like Caligula: if he had a horse, he’d make him cardinal.” Of course, after 10 minutes of fluent complaint, he added: “You mustn’t print any of this, or I’ll be sacked.”

This mixture of hatred and fear is common among the pope’s adversaries. Francis, the first non-European pope in modern times, and the first ever Jesuit pope, was elected as an outsider to the Vatican establishment, and expected to make enemies. But no one foresaw just how many he would make. From his swift renunciation of the pomp of the Vatican, which served notice to the church’s 3,000-strong civil service that he meant to be its master, to his support for migrants, his attacks on global capitalism and, most of all, his moves to re-examine the church’s teachings about sex, he has scandalised reactionaries and conservatives. To judge by the voting figures at the last worldwide meeting of bishops, almost a quarter of the college of Cardinals – the most senior clergy in the church – believe that the pope is flirting with heresy.

The crunch point has come in a fight over his views on divorce. Breaking with centuries, if not millennia, of Catholic theory, Pope Francis has tried to encourage Catholic priests to give communion to some divorced and remarried couples, or to families where unmarried parents are cohabiting. His enemies are trying to force him to abandon and renounce this effort.

Since he won’t, and has quietly persevered in the face of mounting discontent, they are now preparing for battle. Last year, one cardinal, backed by a few retired colleagues, raised the possibility of a formal declaration of heresy – the wilful rejection of an established doctrine of the church, a sin punishable by excommunication. Last month, 62 disaffected Catholics, including one retired bishop and a former head of the Vatican bank, published an open letter that accused Francis of seven specific counts of heretical teaching.

To accuse a sitting pope of heresy is the nuclear option in Catholic arguments. Doctrine holds that the pope cannot be wrong when he speaks on the central questions of the faith; so if he is wrong, he can’t be pope. On the other hand, if this pope is right, all his predecessors must have been wrong.

....

Full article here.

And lol

This pope is an Antichrist

wiegraf:


Full article here.

And lol

as usual journalist sometimes talk about things they don't know about.


there is a battle in the Church but it isn't about doctrine it is about practices.

both Pope Francis and any perceived opposition agrees that marriage is between man and woman for life... they all agree divorce and remarriage is a sin....

Francis says if the remarried person is repentant but can't remedy his situation then let his priest and him decide if he may receive communion... at least that is how many interpret the controversial footnote.

the other group says the fruit of repentance is a changed life and the remarried person should leave his sinful marriage in other to receive communion.

the Pope can't make laws through a footnote which means whatever the footnote says can be rejected....

it offers a dicy situation but has nothing to do with doctrine.

wiegraf:


Full article here.

And lol

Lol indeed! An interesting read too. A lot goes on in heaven that mortals aren't aware of.

I found the following definition for humpty dumptyism:

"Although Catholic teaching does of course change, it relies for its force on the illusion that it doesn’t. The feet may be dancing under the cassock, but the robe itself must never move."

But that's me being facetious. There's a lot more important stuff in here! Thanks for posting.

itchie:
This pope is an Antichrist

Yeah so people like u said about the last one. And the one before. And the one before that. People like u also said the same of Obama.
Everyone u don't like is an Antichrist. We are beginning to lose count of your antichrists.
Clown.

NPComplete:


Yeah so people like u said about the last one. And the one before. And the one before that. People like u also said the same of Obama.
Everyone u don't like is an Antichrist. We are beginning to lose count of your antichrists.
Clown.

This pope is actually an Antichrist. I didn't say "The" Antichrist. An Antichrist is one who encourages teachings or laws that are against Christ's teachings. There are many antichristian teachings all over the world including Nigeria. So stop counting because you can't count them. I don't know who The Antichrist will be. What I am kicking against is the same thing the priests in the story are kicking against and what any conservative Christian who has followed this current pope's actions will also detest

itchie:


This pope is actually an Antichrist. I didn't say "The" Antichrist. An Antichrist is one who encourages teachings or laws that are against Christ's teachings. There are many antichristian teachings all over the world including Nigeria. So stop counting because you can't count them. I don't know who The Antichrist will be. What I am kicking against is the same thing the priests in the story are kicking against and what any conservative Christian who has followed this current pope's actions will also detest

How can you be anti-something-that-doesn't-exist?

NPComplete:


Yeah so people like u said about the last one. And the one before. And the one before that. People like u also said the same of Obama.
Everyone u don't like is an Antichrist. We are beginning to lose count of your antichrists.
Clown.

Antichrists began to emerge since the days of John the beloved, such that he knew that it was the endtime

1 John 2:18, NIV. “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.”

itchie:


This pope is actually an Antichrist. I didn't say "The" Antichrist. An Antichrist is one who encourages teachings or laws that are against Christ's teachings. There are many antichristian teachings all over the world including Nigeria. So stop counting because you can't count them. I don't know who The Antichrist will be. What I am kicking against is the same thing the priests in the story are kicking against and what any conservative Christian who has followed this current pope's actions will also detest

That's the problem with being conservative. U begin to mix unprogressive idiocy with religion. Conservative Jews didn't like what Jesus stood for when he was alive. And I am sure conservative Christians like u will have joined in crucifying him if he was with us today.
You clowns think stagnation and backwardness is the same thing as God's will.

NPComplete:


That's the problem with being conservative. U begin to mix unprogressive idiocy with religion. Conservative Jews didn't like what Jesus stood for when he was alive. And I am sure conservative Christians like u will have joined in crucifying him if he was with us today.
You clowns think stagnation and backwardness is the same thing as God's will.

You seem incapable of getting your point across without resorting to insults. Why would you be calling me a clown? And what do u mean by "unprogressive idiocy"? I am not going to get into any ugliness with anyone this morning. I have my reasons for holding the views I have about the pope and I have no apologies to anyone for that and I will continue to hold those views unless I am convinced otherwise by logical, scripture based argument. You can't brow beat me into agreeing with you by insulting me. Insults have no effect on me, I couldn't care less about them

hahn:


How can you be anti-something-that-doesn't-exist?

You're not a Christian, you don't believe Christ exists. That's your choice. Goodluck to you. I am a Christian and I believe Jesus is real

itchie:


You're not a Christian, you don't believe Christ exists. That's your choice. Goodluck to you. I am a Christian and I believe Jesus is real

You sound as silly as a kid that believes in Santa Claus

itchie:


This pope is actually an Antichrist. I didn't say "The" Antichrist. An Antichrist is one who encourages teachings or laws that are against Christ's teachings. There are many antichristian teachings all over the world including Nigeria. So stop counting because you can't count them. I don't know who The Antichrist will be. What I am kicking against is the same thing the priests in the story are kicking against and what any conservative Christian who has followed this current pope's actions will also detest

lol