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Post by Bonobo on Mar 19, 2018 9:38:42 GMT 1
The Pope is heavily critisised by the conservative part of the Polish clergy. Some consider him a fake pope, a heretic.
World | Agence France-Presse | Updated: March 18, 2018 07:33 IST
'Pray For His Quick Departure': Priest Censured For Pope Death Wish
Warsaw: A Polish archbishop on Saturday denounced a conservative priest from the devout Catholic country who last month wished Pope Francis a speedy death if he did not open himself up to wisdom.
"It is with great pain and regret that I learnt of the recent remarks made by Father Edward Staniek about Pope Francis," Krakow archbishop Marek Jedraszewski said in a statement.
Local media reported Friday that Staniek had delivered a homily last month in which he said: "I pray for wisdom for the pope, for his heart to open up to the Holy Spirit, and if he does not do that, I pray for his quick departure to the House of the Father."
"I can always ask God for a happy death for him, because a happy death is a great grace," he added at a church in Krakow, southern Poland.
Comments
Staniek had cited what he viewed as the "pope's erroneous views", including his openness to Muslims, according to local media.
Pope Francis is considered too liberal by many in Poland's church, who still follow the more conservative teachings of Saint John Paul II, the late Polish pope who served from 1978 to 2005.
www.ndtv.com/world-news/pray-for-his-quick-departure-priest-censured-for-pope-death-wish-1825258www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/polish-church-leader-criticizes-priest-wishing-francis-death/2018/03/17/13936646-2a1b-11e8-a227-fd2b009466bc_story.html?utm_term=.122638d51f47
Polish archbishop criticizes priest wishing Francis death
Pope Francis leaves after celebrating a mass at the St. Padre Pio Sanctuary in San Giovanni Rotondo, Southern Italy, Saturday, March 17, 2018. Pope Francis is making a pastoral visit to the places where Padre Pio was born and lived Saturday. (Gregorio Borgia/Associated Press)
By Associated Press March 17
WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s leading archbishop deplored on Sunday comments by a senior conservative priest who had wished Pope Francis a quick death if he does not open to “wisdom.”
Krakow Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski said he heard about the comments with “great pain and regret” and has discussed them face-to-face with Msgr. Edward Staniek, who made them in a Feb. 25 church speech in Krakow.
Krakow was the seat of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the late Pope St. John Paul II. Poland’s church remains attached to John Paul’s conservative stance, which largely differs from Francis’ inclusive message. A majority of Poland’s bishops see their mission as preserving the traditional Catholic values from the pressure of secularization.
In his speech, Staniek, who is a prominent theologian, said he was praying for wisdom for Francis and a “heart open to the Holy Spirit, and if he does not do that, for a quick passage to the House of the Father,” meaning death.
He said that Francis has departed from the teaching of Jesus and was wrongly interpreting mercy as opening up to Muslims and allowing communion for divorced Catholics, who, according to the church, live in mortal sin and are not allowed communion.
A former seminary rector, Staniek suggested Francis was an “alien body” in the Catholic Church and said his words were used by media that are hostile to the church.
His superior, Archbishop Jedraszewski, insisted in his statement that the full Krakow diocese was praying ardently every day with the best intentions for Francis.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Post by Bonobo on Mar 19, 2018 10:01:43 GMT 1
The Pope is heavily critisised by the conservative part of the Polish clergy. Some consider him a fake pope, a heretic.
Hmm, why? The articles below explain it well. visegradrevue.eu/he-is-not-our-pope-polish-catholics-view-francis-with-mixed-feelings/
“He is not our Pope”: Polish Catholics view Francis with mixed feelings
The clergy is suspicious about his liberal views on family, while lay people are skeptical about his openness to refugees. It appears Pope Francis cannot win in Poland.
Agata Mazepus
29. 08. 2016
Inside V4, Analysis
Pope Francis has spoken up about building an interfaith dialogue between all religions, even with those who do not ascribe to a particular faith. He has been encouraging the Catholic clergy to show compassion towards homosexuals and divorcees, while also appealing to governments to find solutions to international problems, like the refugee crisis. A large portion of Polish Catholics, who account for 94% of the country’s population, view Francis and his teachings with a high level of distrust. 1
When Pope Francis attended 2016’s World Youth Days in Kraków in July, many hoped he would speak out about the problems that have been escalating for many minority groups in Poland since the refugee crisis began, like the hate speech LGBT groups have endured or the racism and ethnocentrism directed at immigrants and Polish citizens of foreign origin. However, there were others, who hoped he would not do so.
Controversies
From the beginning of his pontificate, Francis raised controversies among Polish Catholics, Catholic journalists, and members of the Polish clergy, who had openly expressed their discontent with his liberal take on the Church’s teachings. 2
However, he is not the first pope to receive criticism. “Some aspects of John Paul II’s teaching received a large dose of skepticism,” says Gabriel Olearnik of Catholic Voices Poland, a group of lay Catholics, whose mission is to explain the Church’s teachings in a way that is understandable for all. He reminds the V4Revue that a large part of Polish society “was not very enthusiastic” about John Paul II’s papal encouragements to support EU integration, either. 3
However, Francis faces stronger criticism among Polish Catholics compared to John Paul II.
It is not just his engagement in international politics or his teachings, but everything he does – from the clothes he wears (he “should wear red shoes symbolizing his willingness to die for Christ, but instead walks in a pair of old, ugly black boots instead”) 4 to the way he talks (his saying “good day” and “good evening” instead of “God bless you” are considered “suspicious”) that raise doubts and come under scrutiny. 5
When asked by Vatican Insider about Pope Francis’ reception in Poland, Kazimierz Nycz, the current Archbishop of Warsaw, gave an evasive answer, admitting that Francis is perceived differently by lay Catholics than he is by priests. As he explained, “in terms of acceptance, the situation is similar to the one John Paul II faced when he was pope … In Latin America, John Paul II received an enthusiastic welcome from the laity, but this was because of his liberation theology, 6 as well as other reasons. Bishops and priests welcomed him… differently.” 7
Nycz suggests that just like John Paul II who was welcomed in Latin America with great enthusiasm by lay Catholics and lesser enthusiasm by bishops, Francis is adored by the crowds in Poland, but not so much by the clergy.
However, this analogy may not fully be appropriate. Fervent discussions about Francis on social media show that even many Polish lay Catholics do not particularly sympathize with him. So why is this the case?
Church and politics
One of the reasons for a visible divide between Francis´ supporters and opponents are his strong appeals to help those fleeing from countries torn by war and civil unrest. The Pope said, “migrants are not dangerous, but in danger,” 8 while he took a dozen refugees back to Rome with him after his visit to the Lesbos detention center. And when he washed the refugees’ feet on Easter this year, the Polish Catholic milieu trembled. Tomasz Terlikowski, a Catholic journalist, commented that “reducing Jesus’ actions to charity and a gesture of solidarity with the excluded, flattens the great theology of Christ.” 9
But a portion of the Polish clergy defend Pope Francis. Father Wojciech Lemański is known for his openness in talking about the Catholic Church’s problems, as well as raising questions about taboo issues like in vitro fertilization or pedophilia among priests. Because of his frankness, a few years ago he was forbidden from speaking in public, and then later suspended from the priesthood altogether. Father Lemański has noticed that whenever Francis calls for Polish Catholics to open their hearts and homes to those in need as the EU struggles to tackle the basic problems created by the refugee crisis, Polish journalists affiliated with the current government and some Polish priests and bishops create an atmosphere of fear in society, instead of seeking solutions to the crisis. 10
As Lemański noticed, one group of Catholic priests repeats clichés about refugees without deeper reflection, including Deacon Jacek Jan Pawłowicz, who has described refugees as “hordes attacking the police,” and has argued for the need to find solutions to the refugee crisis, because these “savages” coming to Europe have “nothing to do with refugees.” 11 According to Deacon Pawłowicz, it is really hard to find genuine refugees, as most of the people arriving in Europe are “fully strong, able-bodied men,” who are “using the situation to get to the West so they can receive social benefits.” 12
Not a dogma
The conflict between the Pope´s declarations and the willingness of the clergy to abide by them, opens a question about how binding his words are for the Church. During a lecture in Szczecin, Father Waldemar Cisło, director of the Polish chapter of Aid to the Church in Need, an international aid organization founded by the Catholic Church in 1947 to aid refugees after WW2, claimed that “the Pope’s declarations about refugees were not dogma.” 13 He reminded that in September 2015 the Presidium of the Episcopate of Polish bishops, had stated that it was, “necessary to help those who suffer from wars in their countries of origin,” 14 concluding that the provision of aid to refugees in Poland is the domain of the state, not the Church.
Gabriel Olearnik from Catholic Voices confirms that not every statement given by the Pope is considered a dogma in a theological sense: “We should always listen to the Pope with a filial devotion,” but then adds, “not every statement given by the Pope is infallible and marked by the same authority.” Olearnik explains that issues related to refugees are not only a matter of morality, but also involve factors of international politics, so they are not “teachings that require immediate obedience.”
Change of heart?
Recently the higher echelons of the Church seem to be more favorable to Francis’ papal teachings about refugee aid, at least verbally.
Caritas, a Catholic charity run by the Polish Episcopal Conference, is in charge of Poland’s numerous Centers of Support for Migrants and Refugees, where over 5,000 refugees from different countries have found assistance. The charity’s director, Marian Subocz, has stated that local Caritas groups are open to the provision of assistance to refugees from the Near East, who are seeking safety in Poland. During the plenary meeting of June’s Polish Episcopal Conference, Caritas was granted permission to organize a humanitarian corridor from the Near East, allowing the safe transit of refugees out of crisis regions. 15
So far the declarations have not translated to action. The Polish clergy have taken no steps to actually organize the corridor, nor stop the spread of hatred towards refugees. It is, therefore, difficult to say whether declarations about humanitarian corridors will move beyond the realm of promises.
In the land of Karol Wojtyla
Any Catholic Church leadership visiting Poland must understand the legacy of Father Karol Wojtyla, who made history as the first Polish pope and became known to the world as John Paul II. He was dedicated to defeating communism and mobilizing the Church against the Communist regime, and he was also devoted to youth.
He was referred to as the “Pope of Families” and “Pope of Dialogue,” often addressing parents and teachers, reminding them about the importance of raising children. He put great effort into creating a dialogue with young people and directly appealed to them to work on their character.
In 1984, Pope John Paul II arranged meetings for young Catholics, inviting them to Rome for Palm Sunday, and a year later, announced the first official event, known as World Youth Days (WYD). Pope Francis has continued his predecessor´s tradition, and in 2016 chose to host WYD in Kraków, a city dear to John Paul II, a place he considered his homeland.
High hopes
This years´ WYD caused controversies in Polish society before it even started. OKO.press, a webzine that verifies statements given by politicians, calculated that WYD cost taxpayers over 100 million EUR, which equals the yearly expenditure for 30 thousand refugees’ primary care. 16 This questions one of the governmental arguments that justifies the refusal to accept refugees due to lack of funds for such help.
More importantly, civil society groups hoped that Pope Francis would speak on the refugee issue during the WYD, filling a “dialogue void” that persists in Poland among the clergy and Polish government when it comes to finding solutions to the refugee crisis. And they were not let down.
During a meeting with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps in the Courtyard of Wawel Castle, Pope Francis said: “What is needed is a spirit of readiness to welcome those fleeing war and hunger, and a solidarity with those deprived of their fundamental rights, including the right to profess one’s faith in freedom and safety.”
“New forms of exchange and cooperation need to be developed at the international level in order to resolve the conflicts and wars that force so many people to leave their homes and their native lands,” the Pope continued, and then added, “this means doing everything possible to alleviate their suffering, while tirelessly working with wisdom and constancy for justice and peace, bearing witness in practice to human and Christian values.” 17
Many read this message as a call to the Polish government to accept refugees in Poland. Others, however, claimed that the Pope did not say anything about opening Poland’s doors.
A matter of “interpretation”
During the July 2016 NATO summit press conference in Warsaw, US President Barack Obama expressed concern “over certain actions and the impasse around Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal” and reminded Poland that the North Atlantic Treaty was founded “on the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law.” 18
Out of Obama’s whole speech, the representatives of the governing Law and Justice party (PiS, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) only highlighted his congratulations to Poland for the 225th anniversary of the penning of the country’s constitution, the oldest in Europe, perceiving the whole speech as praise for Poland – an “exemplary case of democracy in Europe and the whole world.” 19
Similar “differences in interpretation” occurred with the Pope’s speech. When the Polish PM’s Chief of the Chancellery, Beata Kempa, was asked by a reporter from RMF FM whether the Pope’s speech was going to be “food for thought” for the government, she said that all she remembered was that “Pope Francis stated our absolute value in this part of Europe, emphasized our efforts, our roots, our memory.” 20
When the reporter asked about Francis’ appeal to countries to exhibit a “readiness to welcome those fleeing from wars and hunger,” Kempa said, “the Pope’s message was very broad,” and then said she believed the, “(media) wanted to drive a wedge between the Polish government and Pope Francis.”
On the same day, however, Bishop Henryk Tomasik of Radom, revealed to Polish Radio that Pope Francis had touched upon the issue of helping refugees in a closed meeting with the Polish bishops. When Tomasik was asked whether the bishops were going to take the Pope’s suggestions about refugees to heart, he answered rhetorically: “When have bishops ever not concerned themselves with the needy?” and then added that Poles already help those affected by wars “a lot”. 21
Church for everyone
Nevertheless, the Pope’s appeals regarding refugees are not the only ones that lead Catholics to question his authority and result in “interpretation matters”.
He has also made attempts to include those who are divorced and civilly remarried into the Catholic community, as well as to change the Church’s approach towards LGBT groups. He convoked two synods on the family in 2014 and 2015, resulting in the “The Joy of Love” document, which discusses divorce, remarriage, homosexuality and abortion. Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, President of the Polish Episcopal Conference, criticized the document as “showing traces of anti-marriage ideology,” echoing the voices of many Polish bishops, who have trouble accepting Francis’ teaching on the family, considering it an unnecessary compromise with the secular world. 22
Others believe the Pope’s word are being erroneously interpreted. Krystian Kratiuk, a journalist and deputy editor of the conservative-Catholic website, Pch24.pl, claimed that the papal document was constructed in a way that allows Western clergy to interpret it in a more progressive way. 23 A few priests even radically reject Francis’ teachings, criticizing him via social media, and claiming that “he was not their pope.” 24 Father Jacek Międlar, known as the patron priest of Polish nationalists, Tweeted that Pope Francis was a driving force of destruction, “destroying the Church from within.” 25
“Let your Spirit descend!”
After arriving in Poland, Francis recalled the words John Paul II said during his apostolic journey to Poland in 1979: “Let your Spirit descend! And renew the face of the earth. The face of this land!” As Federico Lombardi, the former director of The Holy See Press Office explained, “those words referred to the situation of Poland and Poles under communist rule, but they are also valid today, in the troubled times in which we live.” 26
Will the Spirit renew the face of Polish Catholics and inspire a change of heart – or will Pope Francis’ appeals and teachings be received with “with a filial devotion,” then later shrugged off? So far, Francis and his messages of togetherness and inclusivity have politically divided Poland, driving a wedge between the Left and Right. As the Left proclaims Pope Francis their leader, 27 the Right gets even more critical with their political opponents and the Pope, himself. 28
So although Pope Francis hopes to be everyone’s pope – all nationalities, races, and sexualities, rich or poor, young and old, married or divorced – not all Poles are ready to accept him as their pope.
Agata Mazepus
is a journalist specializing in Central and Eastern Europe. She is a graduate of the joint master degree programme "Europe in the Visegrad Perspective."www.americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/pope-francis-issues-wake-call-polish-clergy
Pope Francis issued an inspiring wake-up call to Poland’s bishops and clergy on July 30 by telling them that “Jesus wants his to be a church on the move, a church that goes out into the world. And he wants it to do this just as he did.”
He delivered it in his homily at Mass with the country’s bishops and 2,000 priests, religious and seminarians in the ornate shrine in Krakow dedicated to Saint John Paul II that was opened last year.
Francis has heard about the tendency toward clericalism and resistance to change among many of the 156 bishops and 30,000 priests in this country where 90 percent of the people are Catholic and the faith is still strong and deep. Much has changed since the fall of the Berlin Wall and communism in 1989, but the church has been reluctant to renew itself.
He believes it is vital that the Polish church renews itself at this moment in history when the European Union country is politically polarized in the face of new challenges that are shaking both church and state. He would like the church to gain a new evangelical dynamism, and in his homily he sought to point the way.
At today’s Mass he began with the story from St. John’s Gospel that tells how after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the apostles—including St. Thomas, who had not seen the risen Lord—were gathered “behind closed doors,” but then Jesus appeared in their midst to bring them peace and send them out “to do just as he did.”
Francis reminded his listeners that Jesus was not sent into the world by the Father “to wield power, but to take the form of a slave; he came not to be served, but to serve, and to bring the Good News.”
In the same way, Francis said, “Jesus’ followers are sent forth in every age.” The Gospel story says that “the disciples had closed the doors out of fear,” but then Jesus came and “sends them out on mission. He wants them to open the doors and go out to spread God’s pardon and peace, with the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Francis told the Polish clergy that Jesus wants their lives to “be shaped by concrete love—a love, in other words, marked by service and availability.” This means putting Jesus “in the midst”of their lives and “to seek nothing else for themselves.” It means “to flee the satisfaction of being at the center of things” and “not build on the shaky foundations of worldly power, or settle into the comforts that compromise evangelization.” It means “to not waste time planning a secure future,” and “not be content with a life of mediocrity.”
Instead, he said, Jesus wants his disciples to “burn with the desire to bear witness and reach out to others.” They should “love to take risks and to set out, not limited to trails already blazed, but open and faithful to the paths pointed out by the Spirit.”
He told the Polish clergy that as disciples of Jesus, “it is important to bring to him, with complete trust and utter sincerity, our whole being. As Jesus told Saint Faustina, he is happy when we tell him everything: he is not bored with our lives, which he already knows; he waits for us to tell him even about the events of our day” (cf. Diary, 6 September 1937).
Looking at the bishops and clergy seated in front of him, he said, “Jesus wants hearts that are open and tender towards the weak, never hearts that are hardened. He wants docile and transparent hearts that do not dissimulate before those whom the church appoints as our guides.”
He urged them to base their lives on the Gospel, which they should “read and re-read because it is “the living book of God’s mercy,” but he added, “it still has many blank pages left. It remains an open book that we are called to write in the same style, by the works of mercy we practice.”
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