5. “Sunday is for family.”
6. “We need to be creative with young people. If they have no opportunities, they will get into drugs.”
7. “[Environmental degradation] is one of the biggest challenges we have. I think a question that we’re not asking ourselves is: ‘Isn’t humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature?’”
8. “Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. That means, ‘I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I have to cut others down.’ Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy.”
9. “We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes: ‘I am talking with you in order to persuade you.’ No. Each person dialogues, starting with his and her own identity. The church grows by attraction, not proselytizing.”
10. “We are living in a time of many wars, [and] the call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive.”
“Poprah’s prescription for a happy life,” concludes Daily Beast columnist Asawin Suebsaeng, “includes being anti-war, never trying to convert people to Catholicism, saving the rainforests, and turning off your television set during family dinners.”
A bit on the embarrassing side? I think so. But Father X is more than embarrassed. This morning he writes:
“Those ‘ten tips’ from the Holy Father will be reproduced in diocesan newspapers everywhere. My own spontaneous reaction was that I simply cannot imagine any previous Vicar of Christ beginning a list of ten recommendations for good living with a blue-ribbon liberal cliché like . . . "Live and let live". And then including another tip saying we should not talk to non-Catholics with a view to persuading them to become Catholic. Rather than "proselytizing" them by such ill-advised means, we should just "attract" them - presumably by our personal example of niceness. (I wonder how many of the Pentecostal brethren whose gathering in Caserta, Italy, Francis honored with his presence the other day will be "attracted" enough by this gesture to become Catholics. I won't hold my breath waiting while they decide between that option and his 'top-of-the-pops' admonition to just live and let live. ‘Poprah’, I'm afraid, sums up well this list of bland, crowd-pleasing papal bromides. (Is this being the "Salt of the earth"? or the "Sweet-'n-Low of the earth"?) …Father X”
And what does The Remnant suggest should be done at this point? Well, isn’t it obvious? After watching the latest Vortex ("Disobeying the Pope") we agree that it’s time to get serious about criticizing the real problem in the Church today—those darn wayward bishops of ours! We’ve got to get off of our lower spinal extremities and let those guys know that we’re mad as hell and we’re not gonna take this anymore!
We don’t think it’s slanderous to blame the subordinates for doing precisely what their boss does. No, not at all! They should NOT know better...or something.
Down with the bishops!