reading Francis through Skorka

Rabbi Skorka wrote a column today, El viaje del Papa a Tierra Santa: Palabras claras y acciones valientes, 1 July 2014, for Valores Religiosos in which he explains Francis' trip to the Holy Land.  Skorka sees Francis in the same fashion he sees Jesus, as a prophet of the Old Testament.  One who has been commanded by God to give voice to the poor and marginalized of the world, to tell their leaders to get their houses in order.  He also alludes to Francis being a symbol to extremists that despite the extremists best efforts, in the end inter-religious dialogue will bring peace to the world.  (Yeah, a peace under the Talmudic Noachide Laws.)  Lastly, Skorka calls for more inter-religious prayer meetings for peace to help defeat these same extremists. 

The pope's trip to the Holy Land: Clear words and courageous actions
by Rabbi Abraham Skorka*

Pope Francisco defined his journey to the Holy Land with the word "pilgrimage", which he said was the essence of his visit to Jordan, Palestine and Israel. Amen (so be it) of the multiple moments of prayer and meeting with leaders of the various Christian denominations, Jews and Muslims, in order to strengthen the bonds of inter-religious dialogue, the Pope had to face the dramatic conflicts between the peoples of the Middle East.  With that term the Pope intended  to throw (off) any possibility of interpreting his trip as purely political one in order to achieve solutions to the difficult problems of the region.  (Francis was) Not intending to act as a mediator between political, economic and strategic interests. It (Francis' purpose) was to cry out for the dignity of every individual, whose palpitations --according to the story of the biblical text of Genesis-- (are) a breath of the Creator. Bergoglio acted according to the paradigm of the Prophets of Israel. These messengers of God loudly expressed sharp criticism against those responsible for the evils that were committed both within their people, (and) in other nations, as described, among others, in the book of Jonah.  The God of the Hebrew Bible, which Jews pray to, (as well as) Christians and Muslims, is not indifferent to the work of each individual, he wants to be honored by the application of justice and the development of profound feeling of love.  The prophets were sent by God to awaken the consciences of men.  His words involving political issues.  Criticized corrupt judges, dishonest officers, the petty priests and all those who from a position of power supported a reality that exploited one another.  His platform was not political, no social aspirations of leadership are in them. They were masters of the spirit.  From a Jewish perspective, Jesus can be seen as a teacher who continues the path of the Prophets.  (In the first chapter of his book "Jesus of Nazareth", Ratzinger, draws a parallel between Jesus and Moses, the greatest of the prophets).  Pope Francisco understood that prophetic fire which must give its message to the world. Clear and compelling words. Committed and courageous actions. The trip to the Holy Land had many points (which) had to be filed down and superlative efforts are required to overcome differences. The meeting of prayer for peace could only be achieved through great efforts and dedication. It is from this perspective that the trip made ​​by the Pope in the Middle East should be analyzed. Not to look forward from one day to the next for their work of magic to be reached, the reality of peace.  But on the other hand, millions in the world, among whom were surely many that support extremists and fanatical ideas --saw Jews, Christians and Muslims together, invoking peace through a prayer meeting.  In a global reality in which the sensitivity that allows (one) to perceive the subtle message of a profound encounter in search of spirituality, is constantly undermined, the Pope sought the assistance of Peres and Abbas to issue a cry, like the ones God told the Prophets should exclaim.  A few days of this pilgrimage, in which I had the honor and spiritual satisfaction to take part in, informed the media about acts of vandalism in the region. The extreme fanaticism, blaspheming, invoking the name of God to defile and destroy his work, was also apparent in all its horror.  Destructive actions covered with dense and dark clouds on horizon seem to form as a monstrous response to the proceedings.  However, history, life, teaches us, these gloomy skies will only dissipate with the power of the sensible word, the one which vibrated in the Vatican gardens, for the hope of a better reality is still intact.
 
*Rabbi of the Community "Banei Tikva." Rector of the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary. 

Francis gives a shout out to a heretic?

This past Friday, 4 April 2014, in a homily at the Domus Sanctæ Marthæ, Francis had some interesting remarks.  Quote from Radio Vatican, Pope Francis: Friday Mass in Santa Marta :

The prophets, said Pope Francis, “are all persecuted or misunderstood,” pushed aside – a situation that does not cease to repeat itself after Christ’s death and resurrection, but continues even in the Church. “When we read the lives of the saints, Pope Francis said, “how many misunderstandings [have there been], how many of the saints have suffered persecution… because they were prophets.”:

"Many thinkers in the Church were persecuted, as well. I think of one, now, at this moment, not so far from us: a man of good will, a prophet indeed, who, in his writings reproached the Church for having lost the way of the Lord. He was summoned in short order, his books were placed on the index [the list of works that were banned or restricted to experts because of their problematic, erroneous and even heretical content], they took away his teaching positions – and thus, this man’s life ended – and it was not so long ago. [Now] time has passed, and today he is Blessed. How is it, though, that he, who yesterday was a heretic, is today a Blessed of the Church? It is because yesterday, those who had power wanted to silence him because they did not like what he was saying. Today the Church, who, thanks be to God knows repent, says, ‘No, this man is good!’. Moreover, he is on the way to sainthood: He is a Blessed.”

“All the people whom the Holy Spirit chooses to tell the truth to the People of God suffer persecution,” said Pope Francis – and Jesus “is precisely the model, the icon.” The Lord took upon Himself “all the persecutions of His people.” The Holy Father went on to note that Christians continue to suffer persecution even today. “I dare say,” he added, “that perhaps there are as many or more martyrs now that in the early days,” because they tell the truth and proclaim Christ Jesus to a worldly society in love with ease and desirous of avoiding problems.”

Who was Francis referring to?  Any guesses?  We here at Call Me Jorge... believe we know whom Francis was thinking of - none other than Antonio Rosmini-Serbati, an interesting character to say the least.  Rosmini was always at the center of some controversy whether, it was the success of his religious order, his political intrigues as prime minister of the Papal States (which saw the loss of them), his theological disputes, or his writings.

(Portrait of Antonius Rosmini-Serbati)

His writings Of the five wounds of the Holy Church and The Constitution of Social Justice were condemned in 1849 and placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum  only to be "dismissed" shortly before he died in 1855.  To this day there is argument over what exactly "dismissed" meant.  The controversy which surrounded him in life continued on after his death when Leo XIII in 1887 condemned forty of Rosmini's propositions contained in his writings.  John Paul II in his 1998 work Fides et Ratio in paragraph #74 mentions Rosmini as one of the "great Christian theologians."  In 2001 Cardinal Ratzinger under John Paul II wrote the NOTE on the Force of the Doctrinal Decrees Concerning the Thought and Work of Fr Antonio Rosmini Serbati, which summed up (we are paraphrasing here) says, "Leo XIII's condemnations were good for their time but today we are smarter than Leo XIII and understand what Rosmini was trying to really say."  So keen on Rosmini was Ratzinger that in 2007 as Benedict XVI he had him beautified.  Since then, not much was heard about Rosmini until Francis' cryptic remark in his homily.  Interestingly, what Francis left out is that Rosmini submitted to the Holy See's decree which placed his two works on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum and he died piously.  In other words, he retracted his errors!  This is can be read in Denzinger's The Sources of Catholic Dogma under the section Errors of Antonius de Rosmini-Serbati in footnote #2.  The forty errors of Rosmini were contained in works published after his death and are proto-Novus Ordo.  It is little wonder John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis think highly of him.

 Below are the condemned forty errors of Rosmini from the book, Denzinger's The Sources of Catholic Dogma.

for more information on Rosmini :

• Rosmini’s Rehabilitation and the Ratzinger Agenda ~ When To Be Is Not To Be ~ by James Larson
• Partners In Lies and Lawlessness Part Two by Thomas A. Droleskey