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Why I’m Not Reading the Pope’s Interview

The first word I heard about the Pope’s “big interview” came from “gay rights” activists talking about it saying it means Church teaching on homosexuality has changed.

That’s why I’m not reading it. Obviously, he is being taken out of context, as is always the case whenever a pope gives an interview. It makes me wonder why they ever give interviews. It only breeds confusion. Nothing any pope ever says in an interview means anything doctrinally. Because so many people believe it does mean something doctrinally, popes shouldn’t give interviews, in my humble opinion.

Having said that, I can make a few points given that I know where the interview appeared and that I have read excerpts on Father Z’s blog along with commentary from Father Z. See, I’m a sheep. Baa baa baa. I like it that way. It makes me wiser to sit at the feet of the wise.

The interview was published at America magazine. America is on “The Danger List” at Catholic Culture for good reason. Read the review. America is a Jesuit magazine. It makes sense that Pope Francis, himself a Jesuit, would grant an interview to a magazine that is both Jesuit and lacking in fidelity. He is speaking to them, not to me.

Of course, he knows that a lot of people who are not Jesuits and who are not lacking in fidelity will read the interview. According to what I’m reading at Father Z’s blog, there is nothing in the interview that is lacking in fidelity. I trust Father Z on that, but even if there were things in there that are not consistent with the Catholic Faith, it would not mean that Church teaching has changed, as I noted above. Interviews are not encyclicals. No one is bound by anything that any pope says in an interview, and there is no guarantee whatsoever that anything said in an interview is consistent with the Catholic Faith. I suppose a lot of folks don’t realize, even many Catholics, that encyclicals are all read first by the Papal Theologian and nothing gets approved that is not consistent with Catholic doctrine. An interview by a pope doesn’t even remotely count as doctrine.

If nothing that Pope Francis said can be bound on anyone as doctrine, why would he grant the interview? My thinking is that his intent is to change America‘s fidelity (and their readers) from red to green. His style is not to use vinegar, but honey. Unfortunately, at least in the short term, we have to put up with rampant false claims from a lot of folks that he is changing doctrine. Those of us who know how papal authority works know better, of course. This is tough on the faithful who prefer vinegar to honey. My recommendation is to do as I do. Pass on reading it, and ignore the articles claiming things have changed. This has gotten easier for me lately. Just put your trust in the Holy Spirit and pray for those who are lost, that perhaps the honey might work.

On a side note, I have moved back to WordPress from Weebly because I decided that I prefer it here. I’ve changed my blog theme, hoping it will work better with mobile. I will be doing some more tweaking. If you have any problems with the new theme, let me know.

 

 

 

Posted in General, Vatican
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