Pope Frances Sides With Illegal Immigrants

Dear Fred,

The pope is siding with illegal immigrants.
http://www.romereports.com/palio/pope-to-visit-lampedusa-island-a-key-point-for-immigrants-and-refugees-english-10438.html#.UdSyR_mgXzc

Finally, habemus papam who is more attentive to The Incarnation than Indoctrination.

When Incarnation is foremost, Catholic conservatives - disproportionately invested in the abstractions of The Transcendent Word - are "in" for a rocky ride.

Bibliolatry is alive and well. It may be the chief obstacle to Incarnation and the bedrock reason why Christianity - particularly in its Bible Banging manifestations - has become its own worst enemy. http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/10/why-bible-belt-is-christianitys-enemy.html 

Many Christians cling to bible verses and doctrinal formulae with the same clutching intensity they cling to their guns.

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/07/gun-cartoons.html

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"The Last Time Christians Had Balls, They Welcomed Martyrdom"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-last-time-christians-had-balls-they.html

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Here are other recent posts about Pope Francis culled from copies of America magazine which sister Janet brought on our recent Oaxaca trip.

"Pope Francis' Way of Proceeding" - http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/07/pope-francis-way-of-proceeding-by-james.html 

"The Significance and Challenge of Saint Francis for Pope Francis" - http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-significance-and-challenge-of-st.html 

"Pope Without A Plan" 

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-pope-without-plan-america-magazine.html 

The Editors July 1-8, 2013

Pope Francis’ recent address to several thousand children from Jesuit schools did not go quite as his audience expected. And that was fine with Francis. In fact, the change of plan was his idea. After greeting the crowd, Pope Francis ignored his five pages of prepared text in favor of taking impromptu questions from students and teachers.

In a world in which church leaders are sometimes seen as guarded or resistant to debate, the pope’s frank and open approach in this talk and in general has been widely welcomed. His comments from that day ricocheted throughout social media in a way that excerpts from lengthy, pre-written remarks rarely do. Perhaps he was following the very advice he gave to the school children: “We need to be magnanimous, with big hearts and without fear.” Francis is not afraid of being questioned, and this tendency is very much in line with a properly Catholic spirit of openness. (Alan: "Big hearts without fear" recalls a foundational passage in John's First Epistle: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." I know no Christian conservative who, at bottom, is not driven by fear. Indeed I know no Christian conservative who does not actively promote fear.  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4%3A18&version=NIV)

In speaking without notes, Pope Francis conveys an easy sense of authenticity. He is speaking from the heart about matters close to his heart. Through his open and encouraging nature, he embodies the way in which all of us are encouraged to let go of our own desires and embrace the freedom that comes with turning one’s entire self over to God, even when that means facing an uncertain future. Through his candor, Pope Francis has set an example for all Catholics to listen lovingly to questions and respond with charity and open, generous hearts.

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Pax tecum

Alan

PS Pope Francis' first encyclical, Lumen Fidei (Light of Faith), will be released Friday. It is mostly Benedict's work, although Francis added "the finishing touches." http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1302846.htm