Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so sad about this. I did not grow up Catholic but found my home in the Catholic Church shortly after graduating from college - and I remember when he was elected pope when I was a junior.

Holy Mary, mother of god, pray for us sinners.

Do internet prayers work?

What do yo mean by "work"? Prayer is prayer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am Catholic and I agree with the previous poster that it’s the first pope that isn’t a psycho.

He wasn’t perfect, but I’m gonna tell you the psycho right wing lunatics are gonna take over and it’s not gonna be good.

It was a huge deal to have a Jesuit as the pope and the pendulum is going to swing way in the other direction,

So switch religions.

The Pope has tremendous influence across the world. Telling a person to switch religions isn’t addressing the fact that if the next Pope is anti-intellectual, doesn’t speak for the poor, doesn’t call out the sins of exploitation and cruelty it will have a negative impact on the world.

Also, to the PP who called JPII a right winger, that’s inaccurate and simplistic. His legacy is complicated and tarnished but he was integral to the fall of Soviet communism.

So don’t switch religions

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am Catholic and I agree with the previous poster that it’s the first pope that isn’t a psycho.

He wasn’t perfect, but I’m gonna tell you the psycho right wing lunatics are gonna take over and it’s not gonna be good.

It was a huge deal to have a Jesuit as the pope and the pendulum is going to swing way in the other direction,

So switch religions.

The Pope has tremendous influence across the world. Telling a person to switch religions isn’t addressing the fact that if the next Pope is anti-intellectual, doesn’t speak for the poor, doesn’t call out the sins of exploitation and cruelty it will have a negative impact on the world.

Also, to the PP who called JPII a right winger, that’s inaccurate and simplistic. His legacy is complicated and tarnished but he was integral to the fall of Soviet communism.

Anonymous wrote:I am Catholic and I agree with the previous poster that it’s the first pope that isn’t a psycho.

He wasn’t perfect, but I’m gonna tell you the psycho right wing lunatics are gonna take over and it’s not gonna be good.

It was a huge deal to have a Jesuit as the pope and the pendulum is going to swing way in the other direction,

So switch religions.

The Pope has been calling the hundreds of people in Gaza who have been sheltering in the Holy Family Catholic Church every night to pray with them and talk to them. I know this to be a fact because I know people sheltering in that church. I can also confirm even from his hospital bed, he has continued those calls. He has got them through some of their darkest hours. For that, I will be eternally grateful.

Anonymous wrote:I am Catholic and I agree with the previous poster that it’s the first pope that isn’t a psycho.

He wasn’t perfect, but I’m gonna tell you the psycho right wing lunatics are gonna take over and it’s not gonna be good.

It was a huge deal to have a Jesuit as the pope and the pendulum is going to swing way in the other direction,

I would hope not, because we already had JPII and Benedict who were right wingers. Pushing the Church to the right and alienating left-leaning people has been a losing strategy. Let's hope that Francis was successful in playing the long game of installing enough Cardinals who agree with him to impact the next papal conclave in a positive way. Even in the US at the recent USCCB elections, far right candidates lost to less extremist candidates.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is he dead yet?

I guess not. When he dies we'll definitely hear about it, because he's a celebrity. Lots of people will be praying for him, as if the Pope needs prayers to get to heaven. He's the Pope!

1. Some popes were terrible human beings, as you well know.
2. Everyone needs prayers.
3. This pope is better than other popes, but he still has the burden of his role in the Argentine junta to clarify in his soul. He was accused of collaboration, but he says he did that to save his Jesuit colleagues and as many people as he could. People are inclined to believe him, given his modest life and dedication to the poor. But I'm sure it led to difficult decisions.

Anonymous wrote:Is he dead yet?

I guess not. When he dies we'll definitely hear about it, because he's a celebrity. Lots of people will be praying for him, as if the Pope needs prayers to get to heaven. He's the Pope!

Is he dead yet?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would God let him die?

The man is 88, if you're questioning why God lets people die, maybe look at the kids who die unnecessarily from hunger or preventable diseases.

and then realize that a good God wouldn't let kids die and wouldn't answer prayers to keep an old Pope alive.

God doesn’t kill kids. God’s plan was for people to live in the Garden of Eden.

Adam and Eve wanted to be Gods themselves. They were dissatisfied with their lives in the Garden of Eden.


The Fall

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

If you really believe that “God lets children die,” you believe in God, right?

God didn’t force Adam and Eve to disobey Him because He gave them free will. God doesn’t want robots made of flesh.

Adam and Eve chose to disobey God because they wanted to be Gods. That’s why humankind no longer is disease free and children get sick and die. If you believe in God, you believe in His word and in the Bible.

Q. Why does God allow the innocent to suffer?

A. https://www.gotquestions.org/innocent-suffer.html

Q. Why does God allow sickness?
A. https://www.gotquestions.org/God-allow-sickness.html

The issue I don’t understand is that the people most angry at God don’t believe in Him.

You don’t believe in God, so why are you blaming God for the deaths of children and the suffering of the world?

Can you tell us the logic in that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would God let him die?

The man is 88, if you're questioning why God lets people die, maybe look at the kids who die unnecessarily from hunger or preventable diseases.

and then realize that a good God wouldn't let kids die and wouldn't answer prayers to keep an old Pope alive.

Anonymous wrote:I am Catholic and I agree with the previous poster that it’s the first pope that isn’t a psycho.

He wasn’t perfect, but I’m gonna tell you the psycho right wing lunatics are gonna take over and it’s not gonna be good.

It was a huge deal to have a Jesuit as the pope and the pendulum is going to swing way in the other direction,

Ugh. I'm concerned you might be right. But remember this is why he appointed a slew of cardinals recently, most of whom are younger than 80 and therefore have right of conclave. He's hoping that enough votes will swing to a moderate.

Anonymous wrote:I am Catholic and I agree with the previous poster that it’s the first pope that isn’t a psycho.

He wasn’t perfect, but I’m gonna tell you the psycho right wing lunatics are gonna take over and it’s not gonna be good.

It was a huge deal to have a Jesuit as the pope and the pendulum is going to swing way in the other direction,

Maybe they’ll re-enact Conclave and we’ll get a humble priest

I am Catholic and I agree with the previous poster that it’s the first pope that isn’t a psycho.

He wasn’t perfect, but I’m gonna tell you the psycho right wing lunatics are gonna take over and it’s not gonna be good.

It was a huge deal to have a Jesuit as the pope and the pendulum is going to swing way in the other direction,

I’m not Catholic but I’m terribly sad about Pope Francis’s serious illness. He’s the only pope in modern times to truly live the values of Christ, he tried to reform the Vatican (many there are likely not sorry he’s so ill) and he has been a very strong moral voice in the world when such is profoundly needed.

I fear what will come of a conclave now. Many of the cardinals were appointed by Francis, hopefully they share his sensibilities. The last thing this world can afford now is another fascist appeaser in the Vatican.