Just yesterday, I posted an article about the Pope's meeting with the Papal Commission charged with establishing policies involving sexual abuse of minors by Clerics and laity representing the Church.
I suggested strongly that the Pope’s off-the-cuff remarks to the Commission were confusing. I also stated that he continues to advance a distortion of the fundamental reality regarding the sexual abuse of minors, that is, the cases do not involve paedophilia but rather homosexuality.
Pope Francis is reported to have said that he would “never forgive” those who abused children.
Those words, coming from the Vicar of Christ, to whom is entrusted the authority to bind and loose men’s souls, are chilling.
To deny anyone, for any reason, the very possibility of personal redemption and forgiveness of their sins seems to contradict the very ministry of the Church itself.
Confusing? Upsetting? Yes, indeed. Here’s why.
The very next day, Pope Francis spoke about the limitless love of God, and how it leads Him to forgive us time and time again; something we must strive to do for others, no matter how many times they have sinned against us.
"The forgiveness of God is a sign of his overwhelming love for each of us; it is the love that leaves us free to move away, like the Prodigal Son, but that awaits our return every day; it is the enterprising love of the shepherd for the lost sheep; it is the tenderness that welcomes every sinner who knocks at his door," the Pope said.
The Holy Father pointed out how Jesus teaches us this in the Our Father, when he directly links the forgiveness we ask of God with the forgiveness we give to our brothers and sisters in the words: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel reading from Matthew, where St. Peter asks Christ: “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?”
To Peter, seven already seems like the maximum amount of times we should forgive the same person, Francis said. And maybe to us it seems like twice is already a lot.
But Christ’s response is that we must forgive seven times seventy times, “that is to say always. You always have to forgive,” he said.
Christ confirms this by telling a parable, the Pope continued, a parable which shows “the inconsistency of the one who was forgiven before and then refuses to forgive.”
“The incoherent attitude of this servant is also ours when we refuse forgiveness to our brothers,” the Pope said.
“While the king of the parable is the image of God who loves us with a love so abundant of mercy from embracing us, loving us and forgiving us continually. When we are tempted to behave as the servant did toward his fellow servant, closing off our hearts to those who have offended us and come to apologize, we must remember the words of the Heavenly Father.”
Apparently, the Holy Father himself forgot those words when he spoke to the Papal Commission members.
Pope Francis need always to remember that his words and his attitudes are seen by the faithful to mirror those of Christ Himself. One who holds the Office of Peter must never forget this.
During the time of Imperial Rome, it is said that generals, returning from their victorious campaigns, were lauded publicly by parades, their chariots proceeded by carts laden with the spoils of war and pulled by slaves taken in battle. Standing next to the general was a slave who sole task was to whisper these words in his ear: “Sic transit gloria mundi” (all glory is fleeting).
Knowing the Pope’s penchant for making impromptu but very public remarks, perhaps he needs to have someone stand next to him whispering these words: “Don’t forget you are Christ’s Vicar. Speak His words and wisdom and not your own. Ever!”
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