Dear friends, I cannot fail to express my concern about manifestations of intolerance, discrimination and xenophobia that have appeared in various parts of Europe. Often this reaction is motivated by mistrust and fear of the other, the foreigner, those who are different. I am even more worried about the disturbing fact that our Catholic communities in Europe are not exempt from these defensive and negative reactions, supposedly justified by a vague moral obligation to preserve an established religious and cultural identity. The Church has spread to all continents thanks to the “migration” of missionaries convinced of the universality of the saving message of Jesus Christ, meant for men and women of every culture. Throughout the history of the Church, there have been temptations to exclusivity and cultural rigidity, but the Holy Spirit has always helped overcome them by ensuring constant openness to others, viewed as a positive opportunity for growth and enrichment.
We really should appreciate His Holiness for his forthrightness. He really is demanding cultural genocide, the eradication of Western civilization.
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Throne and Altar 
How many senior and influential Catholics in the Church really believe this however?
Perhaps some Catholics can shed some light, but is it not correct that Aquinas was in part motivated to write Summa contra Gentiles and develop the doctrine of Just War in response to the Islamic problem?
Missionaries migrate to spread the gospel, migrants spread jihad and rape gangs. It’s all just migrating.
Sometimes “the other” really means you harm, sometimes “different” means a difference of opinion about the value of your life and your daughters sexual integrity.
Incidentally the Vatican has big guarded walls and they only let in refugees after extreme vetting.
The Church itself is open to everyone, but we all have to enter by the narrow gate.
However, we must avoid any real rancor or malice. No one is saying don’t help refugees, but where is it written that any limits or precautions are wrong? How is it helping them to let the worst among them run riot?
How about a little compassion for victims while we’re at it? Why does every people and culture deserve respect but our own and if we’re so awful why are migrants coming to us?
How about a swap. We’ll take one migrant for every “migrant” missionary the Arab world has allowed into their territory (and not martyred).
I’m not sure that Magesterial Authority extends to immigration policy.
From the Catechism.
“Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants’ duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens”
Francis’s opinion are his personal ones.
The best thing about this Pope will be that he teaches the Trads that every Papal utterance doesn’t have to be treated as Gospel.
Yeah, he’s teaching the Trads that Papolatry is bad. They have a terrible problem with that.
Mass immigration worked out great for the Anatolian Greeks, the Indians, the denizens of Egypt and Canaan so we ought to try it everywhere. Good grief.
If this be the Pope, than Catholicism will die and deserve to.
@Dr Bill
The fact that everyone is getting worked up by this is proof that Papolatry is alive and well.
@slumlord
I think that Papolatory has conveniently become the preserve of the liberal faction, some of whom seem to regard this pope as the incarnation of the Holy Spirit.
I’m not a Trad, but I am a traditional Catholic and I do find it difficult to find myself repeatedly horrified by some of the positions being taken by this, apparently wicked, pope. I find it very uncomfortable having to attribute wickedness to him, but it is not easy to draw any other conclusion.
Is he saying that Pope Pius V was in error when he called on the people of Europe to pray the Rosary for the defeat of the Ottomans? Should Pope Pius instead have called upon the European fleet to lay down its arms and to invite the Turks to Europe for the sake of ‘growth and enrichment’?
Likewise, should we look forward to Pope Francis’ condemnation of Saladin’s exclusiveness and cultural rigidity in his intolerant expulsion of the crusaders?
According to this pope, communism is good, Islam is good. The only thing that seems to be bad is Catholicism. Surely, he should call upon all of us to submit to Islam in order to enrich ourselves?
@mickvet
I’m not comfortable with him either. But neither were the pharisees comfortable with Christ.
The world was not comfortable with our Lord, but the world is very comfortable with Francis.
For that matter, the Holy Father has adopted the position of the Pharisees on marriage against the position of Jesus, making the comparison particularly inapt.
I’ll never forget that a bishop said during the synod that we should be “merciful like Moses” rather than rigid like Christ. That sort of total confusion about what mercy actually is, is characteristic of our times.
Yeah, confusion about Mercy isn’t the monopoly of one side only.
Look people, face it: Bergoglio is a Marxist, not a Catholic.
slumlord:
The fact that everyone is getting worked up by this is proof that Papolatry is alive and well.
‘Papa issues’ looks more accurate. One can be horrified by the Pope’s actions without in any way idolising the person or the office.
“This sort of sh*t happens once every half-millennium or so, why are you getting so worked up?”
The majority of so-called Catholics are dysfunctional. Too many of the much smaller number of true and devout Catholics edge toward fanaticism. The Church, the teachings; are floating, no longer tethered to a rock. Good luck standing up against Islam or against any of modern liberalism.