This address was not tweeted about by the arch-modernist, clerical talking heads. There are times when Pope Francis says things that grind the gears of these men. How do we know? Because they are nearly consistently silent when the Pope addresses certain issues. We don't recall them tweeting, posting about the Pope's disappointment in the racist, warped, evil and disgustingly modernist German Bishops Conference, did we? Likewise in Africa: when the Pope recalled St. Charles Lwanga, warned about wrong living etc. our jet-setting modernists (Pharisees par excellence) are bitterly silent.
VISIT TO THE HOUSE OF CHARITY OF NALUKOLONGO
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
Kampala (Uganda)
Saturday, 28 November 2015
Saturday, 28 November 2015
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your warm welcome. I wanted very much to visit this House of Charity, which Cardinal Nsubuga founded here in Nalukolongo. This is a place which has always been associated with the Church’s outreach to the poor, the handicapped, the sick. Here, in early times, slave children were ransomed and women received religious instruction. I greet the Good Samaritan Sisters who carry on this fine tradition, and I thank them for their years of quiet and joyful service in this apostolate. And here, Jesus is present here, because he said that he would always be present among the poor, the sick, convicts, the destitute, those who suffer. Jesus is here.
I also greet the representatives of the many other apostolic groups who serve the needs of our brothers and sisters in Uganda. Above all, I greet the residents of this home and others like it, and all who benefit from these works of Christian charity. For this is a home. Here you can find love and care; here you can feel the presence of Jesus, our brother, who loves each of us with God’s own love.
Today, from this Home, I appeal to all parishes and communities in Uganda – and the rest of Africa – not to forget the poor, not to forget the poor! The Gospel commands us to go out to the peripheries of society, and to find Christ in the suffering and those in need. The Lord tells us, in no uncertain terms, that is what he will judge us on! How sad it is when our societies allow the elderly to be rejected or neglected! How wrong it is when the young are exploited by the modern-day slavery of human trafficking! If we look closely at the world around us, it seems that, in many places, selfishness and indifference are spreading. How many of our brothers and sisters are victims of today’s throwaway culture, which breeds contempt above all towards the unborn, the young and the elderly!
As Christians, we cannot simply stand by, stand by watching what is happening, without doing anything. Something must change! Our families need to become ever more evident signs of God’s patient and merciful love, not only for our children and elders, but for all those in need. Our parishes must not close their doors, or their ears, to the cry of the poor. This is the royal road of Christian discipleship. In this way we bear witness to the Lord who came not to be served, but to serve. In this way we show that people count more than things, that who we are is more important than what we possess. For in those whom we serve, Christ daily reveals himself and prepares the welcome which we hope one day to receive in his eternal kingdom.
Dear friends, by simple gestures, by simple prayerful actions which honour Christ in the least of his brothers and sisters, we can bring the power of his love into our world, and truly change it. I thank you once more for your generosity and love. I will remember you always in my prayers and I ask you, please, to pray for me. I commend all of you to the loving protection of Mary, our Mother, and I give you my blessing.
Omukama Abakuume! (God protect you!)
No, unfortunately, this is more liberal speak. It can be meant against the evil of abortion, but he never mentions abortion. He also mentions 'the unborn' with 'the old'. He is saying everything to everyone being vague enough to mean anything and coaching the whole thing 'love and kindness' theology. Its not bad for what it is, but it's no ringing condemnation of abortion.
ReplyDeleteHe should be mentioning the "unborn" with "the old", because you don't respect and protect one and not the other. It is organic. They are killing the elderly and the disabled because they are killing the young; they are killing the young because they are killing the elderly. I recommend you carefully study St. Pope John Paul's Prayer for Life. You will notice that where they kill babies, they kill the elderly.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying it was horrible. I'm saying if he was going to talk about abortion and euthanasia it would have been nice if he said those things. He made his comments vague enough to be open to interpretation. This is a protestant thing done to not really offend anyone.
ReplyDeleteIt's not bad, but it's just not the ringing condemnation I thought it might have been when I saw the headline. It's a bit weak as a condemnation. It reminds me of the US speech that never mentioned abortion by name. Jesuits, I don't, unfortunately, expect too much from Jesuits anymore. Make no mistake its a decent speech. It is just far too little.