No lecture on Gospel demands needed
PapaB83, 14.01.2010 00:13:
Sorry, ladies, I just can't agree with you all. The Gospel is demanding, isn't it? Papa is only following Gospel truth.
Think of the parable of the vineyard workers who were hired in shifts, some providing a whole days work and the rest only a portion of the day. Yet all received a full days wages. The ones who gave an entire day were jealous that the rest received the same as they. Remember the response? Are you jealous of my generosity.
Think of the parable of the lost sheep. Surely we can say that Susan M is a lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep who are in the fold to go out and search after the one who has strayed to bring her/him home. Surely we can say that by showing his compassion and forgiveness Papa hopes to light a candle of hope in her mind and also to ease whatever discomfort and embarassment her family might feel at their daughter's act. This forgiveness surely doesn't mean that she will not continue to receive treatment and have to change her actions in order to "come home." Let's hope she can.
We all know Papa .... he's not afraid to go against the grain where he knows truth and charity are at stake. Did JPII's forgiveness and meeting with Ali Agca generate thousands more assassination attempts? No.
Papa's courage and love are born of faith. We should all be so loving towards "those who trespass against us" .... and we all know where that comes from.
Just one more thing ... I think I understand where we all meet ... concern for Papa's safety. The way I see it, that's the job of his security detail which obviously was not quick enough the first time around. Maybe they'll tighten up for the future. Forgiveness and mercy are Papa's job.
PapaBear, may I point out that I think you got something wrong here. Of course it is Papa's job to forgive Ms Maiolo and show his compassion and concern for her, but that is not the point here. We all agree on that.
It's the manner in which is was done that we're critical of. Did it have to be a personal meeting? You would think that the visit by Msgr Gänswein would have sufficed to convey Papa's forgiveness to her. No need to reward her with a private audience - and a reward it was. The comparison with Ali Agca is not convincing, that was a totally different situation. After all Agca wanted to kill the pope, so meeting him in person will hardly have been a reward for Agca. And the fact remains that this meeting sends out the wrong signals to nutty people everywhere.
So, no 'holier than thou' attitude, please.
Sorry, have to go, have to join Simone in the gym
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