Because of stuff like this:
- Little facts about his record. Well-rounded. Is the pope Catholic, we always worry? Yes, it turns out he is.
- And because a serious attitude towards gospel poverty (at which I utterly absolutely totally stink) and evangelization is what the Church needs. Now and always.
Hat tip to Fr. Z, who gets accused of many things, for calling off the dogs on his end of the liturgical spectrum. And for getting our brains on straight, thank Margaret Rose Realy, who’s posted the Thursday prayer for priests.
Let me just point out that even though I can be the worst of complainers (and I’m sure others find plenty to complain about in me, rightly so), from the day these guys begin to answer their vocation, they spend the whole rest of their lives under constant attack — sometimes from us in the pews, always from the one who hates them most.
Why would the new pope begin his pontificate by a) praying for his predecessor, and then b) asking us to pray for him? Because it’s what is needed.
I was just appalled yesterday at the reactions on some of the more Rad sites (I won’t even use the term Trad; they don’t deserve the allusion). Pope Francis came out proclaiming Christ and prayer; and they fuss about his clothes. I saw someone upset that he didn’t chant his blessing — people! he only has ONE LUNG! Yes, I understand that people who love the EF are in love with beauty, but remember: beauty is not just a part of Christ. Christ himself IS beauty. And if you can hear a man proclaiming Christ and immediately complain about the lack of beauty, then you don’t know what beauty is. You only understand aesthetics.
I am so very excited for Francis’s papacy. Dawn Eden had linked yesterday to some of his statements on God’s mercy which were stunningly lovely.
Luckily I read in all the wrong places, so I’ve missed the worst of the vitriol. I do love beautiful liturgy, but I thought the holy father’s simple, prayerful debut was just that: beautiful. I’m thrilled to see Fr. Z, Taylor Marshall & Larry D. standing up for common decency, and others as well, I’m sure.
Something that grabbed my eye was the juxtaposition of the reports on his adamant defense of the rights of unwed mothers to have their baby’s baptized, and at the same time, his firm insistence that those who scandalously promote abortion and the like ought not receive communion. Just the balance in standing up for the faith all-around. I know he’s a mere mortal, and me having the superpower of complaining, I’ll find things maybe I don’t love so much. But he’s made a good first impression.
Smart people take all the prayers they can get.
Yep.
Funny story: Right when the holy father was starting his blessing, one my kids begins to skip down the hall away from the action. I made her come back in the living room and get blessed, what with a plenary indulgence being involved. Yeah, we’re not going to skip out on that. Need all the help we can get.