Devout Catholics do not like to be
critical of the Pope. After all, the
Pope is believed to be in direct communion with God. However, the Pope is only infallible when God
is speaking to him as he sits “in the chair of Peter.” Otherwise the Pope is just as human as the
rest of us and he does make mistakes.
Pope Francis seems a peculiar type of
shepherd. While Christians are being
killed in the most gruesome fashion in the Middle East ,
the Pope is talking about global warming, of all things. Global warming! Global warming is a political issue, not one
of science, regardless of the claims made by environmentalists. After all, it was some of these same
environmentalists who manipulated and in some cases even destroyed the
so-called scientific evidence they said their theory of global warming proved
beyond any doubt. If their documentation
actually did prove global warming, they would have been running for the cameras
and every type of publication they could find with that evidence, not
destroying it.
The Pope’s job is the shepherding of
his flock. While Pope Francis has made
statements condemning the violence against Christians in the Middle
East , so far he has not called for military intervention, which is
necessary under the current circumstances.
Instead, the Pope has called for more discussion with the terrorists –
as if people who behave like animals are capable of rational discussion about
the issue of slaughtering their fellow humans.
The type of Islam practiced by
jihadists is political, not religious.
It is a religion in the same way, ironically, as global warming is. This slaughtering of innocent children in the
most unthinkable ways is an effort to control the truly devout Muslim community
as well as non-Muslims. Like global warming, the type of Islam practiced by
terrorists is in no way the demonstration of a religion that worships God. So why is the Pope suggesting we continue the
useless practice of dialog with these individuals?
Pacifism is dangerous and in some ways
evil. It can be argued that most
pacifists have good intentions, but if their rally to non-violence at all costs
leads to the catastrophes we are seeing in places like Libya , Iraqi and other nations in the Middle East , they are contributing to the problem. And a man like Pope Francis is very
influential. His flock is watching him
and many will be tempted to follow his lead because of who he is. And the last thing we need right now is more
pacifists. How will this help the
Christians who are being slaughtered? There is a record low of Christians in
the Middle East because they are fleeing. Meanwhile the Pope is encouraging Christians
to stay in that part of the world. While
it is important that we not let ourselves be bullied by dictators and thugs,
most people are not looking to be slaughtered if it can be avoided.
Military intervention as a means of
self-defense is part of Church doctrine.
While it is admirable to limit military force whenever possible, at what
point will the Pope call for the Western World to use it? If not when Christians are being slaughtered
because of their belief in Jesus Christ, refusing to denounce their faith and
leaving the only part of the world they’ve ever known as home, what will it
take? The Pope obviously does not have
access to a military, but because of his position his words are important.
What of the people who refused to
renounce their Christian faith and were executed for it? Are they not seen by the Church as
martyrs? Why has the Pope not spoken
about the deep love for Jesus these people have shown, some of them
children? Where are the speeches
pointing to the courage of these people?
Most of us watch in horror from our comfortable settings as these
atrocities occur. These slaughtered
Christians did not simply talk about their love of God, they displayed it in
the most dramatic way - by giving their very lives on earth because of their
dedication to Jesus. Their examples for
the rest of us to fight for Christian values need to be pointed out and
applauded. If these people willingly
died rather than turn away from their Christian faith, surely we can do
everything in our power to persuade others to turn to God for the first time,
as well as invite fallen Christian to go back to God.
The Pope is only one man. He cannot do
everything and as Christians it is our duty to help spread The Good News. But the Pope is the leader of the Catholic
Church with wide influence among non-Catholic Christians. We are watching and he needs to lead in the
fight to save Christians in the Middle East . What does the Pope’s lack of any practical
involvement in this matter tell Christians all over the world? It tells us that if jihadists begin these
horrific practices in the West, he may not be there for us. And with a president like Barack Obama, the
idea of terrorists slaughtering innocent people in the West as they are our
Christian brethren in the Middle East is not
beyond the pale.
So what can we do? We can start by contacting our representatives
and leaning on them for military intervention for our Christian brethren. We can contact the Vatican and express our concern and
sadness that this is taking place, encouraging the call for military action in
an effort to stop it. But most of all,
we can lead the most holy life we can, in accordance to the Word of God and the
example of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is
important that all devout Christians do these things for our love for God. We need to pray daily for those being
persecuted and for those working to help them.
We are watching the Pope, and God is watching us. The depth of our dedication is reflected in
our actions and inactions. How deep is
your devotion?