It's not a question of judging, your Unholiness, but applying the FULL Gospel of Jesus Christ, and ceasing your Scriptural malpractice of only presenting half of God to your misled followers:
Pope Francis calls in a new book for Roman Catholic leaders to be compassionate shepherds to a "wounded humanity", not lofty scholars quick to condemn and exclude people who don't obey Church teachings.
That's all fine and good - but don't shepherds need to know where to lead their sheep? Biblical doctrine without mercy and compassion is certainly harsh legalism, but mercy and compassion without Biblical doctrine is wayward licentiousness. Is it not telling that Francis is making the two mutually exclusive when in fact they are both sides and facets of the LORD's character?
The book, The Name of God Is Mercy, breaks no new ground but is a compelling restatement of the themes of Francis' papacy told in simple, breezy language in a freewheeling conversation with veteran Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli.
Actually, the Name of God is I Am, or Yahweh in the original Hebrew, as He told Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14. I guess that's that "simple, breezy" license that a false christ takes in putting out a "simple, breezy, freewheeling" ghostwritten book in lieu of simply preaching the whole Gospel as the Holy Spirit inspired it.
In the one hundred fifty-page book, Francis also repeats his often-quoted "Who am I to judge?" statement about homosexuals, saying that "people should not be defined only by their sexual identities."
How about by what Romans 1:18-27 has to say about the subject?:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes....
ALL of them, not just the ones Francis seeks to twist to his Agenda.
....His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. [emphases added]
God does hate sin, your Unholiness. Indeed, our sin defines us until we let Messiah Jesus cleanse us and give us a new defintion. Why don't you?
The question-and-answer book, to be released on Tuesday, coincides with the Jubilee Year of Mercy, during which the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics are called on to seek forgiveness and forgive.
In his first book aimed at a general readership....
So was Romans and John's Gospel, actually. You should have stuck with them, Francis.
Francis appears to chastise conservatives in the Church, saying they are undermining mercy in the name of doctrine.
Just as you are undermining doctrine in the name of mercy. Again, the two are complimentary, not opposites.
"The Church does not exist to condemn people but to bring about an encounter with the visceral love of God's mercy," he said, adding that "humanity is wounded, deeply wounded".
Francis criticises those in the Church "who are only used to having things fit into their pre-conceived notions and ritual purity instead of letting themselves be surprised by reality, by a greater love or a higher standard."
The Catholic Church does have a great deal of useless extra-biblical ritual; but God's Word itself is not just pre-conceived, but God-conceived, and not subject to revision or editing by a leftwingnut false prophet unworthy of his robes and wearing a funny hat. As it is written in Revelation 22:10-21, the final Words of God The Son to His Church:
And He said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.”
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into [New Jerusalem]. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the Root and the Descendant of David, the bright morning Star.”
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, LORD Jesus.
The grace of the LORD Jesus be with all. Amen. [emphases added]
Here, Brethren, is God's mercy: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
And here is God's holiness and justice:
Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor....
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus Who is called Christ?” For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.
While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus Who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”
When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.
As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.
And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.
And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You Who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.
Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This Man is calling for Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the [ground] shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had [died] were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered [Jerusalem] and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
All of that is due each and every one of us for our many sins. That penalty had to be paid, the debt satisfied, God's wrath sated - either by us or by His Son. His mercy, in other words, flows from his doctrinal justice and righteousness, in that He made it possible for us to be spared His holy wrath because of what He did for us on the cross. His death covers and removes our sins when we confess and repent of them and put our trust in Him, and His resurrection is the proof of the completion of that transaction and the eternal life He has in store for us.
We do not have half a God. If we did, we would all be lost in our sins and doomed to the hell they merit. Yet that is the God Pope Francis is preaching.
Remember what Jesus said to the adulteress in John 8:11: "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” You can't have one without the other.
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