Pope: Church isn't a custom's post, its doors are open

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Nicole Winfield, Associated Press
Updated 2:41 pm, Saturday, September 9, 2017

MEDELLIN, Colombia (AP) — Pope Francis flew to a rain-soaked Medellin on Saturday to console orphans, the poor and sick — and to demand priests and ordinary Colombians look beyond rigid church doctrine to care for sinners and welcome them in.

"My brothers, the church is not a customs post," Francis said. "It wants its doors to be open."

Francis was tending to in-house church business on his penultimate day in Colombia, after having spent the first half of his trip encouraging its fragile new peace process.
 
Heavy rain forced him into a last-minute change of plans to reach Colombia's second-largest city. Instead of taking a helicopter from the international airport outside Medellin, Francis drove down the Andes, delaying by nearly an hour the start of a Mass that was expected to draw as many as 1 million people.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Rains-delay-pope-s-arrival-in-Colombia-s-second-12185195.php

[Egnever]

1. This pope continues to restore the value in religion

[Skittles]

2. their stance on birth control greatly contributes to poverty and sickness

[pnwmom]

8. Not really. Catholics mostly disregard it.

After Vatican 2, when the birth control pill was developed, the special commission set up to study the issue recommended to Pope Paul that he approve it. He rejected their recommendation, and the Bishops' and priests' support of that decree has been half-hearted ever since. The people in the pews almost completely ignore it.

I attended a Catholic high school and the married woman who taught the health class made sure we were all educated in artificial birth control.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/04/catholic-church-vatican-bishops-birth-control/

[PatrickforO]

3. Pope Francis is a good guy.

If most priests were like him, then maybe the church would enjoy a resurgence.

[tom_kelly]

4. What happened to the Pope's word?

It seems as though he's having to plead the doctrine that has been the Catholic norm. The alt-Catholics need more of a nudge, I guess.

[rpannier]

7. The Bannon-Burke wing of the Catholic Church are only interested in what the Pope says

when he is railing against gay marriage and abortion
When the Pope speaks of things Jesus, then they put their hands over their ears and have a fit

[Sunlei]

5. wow, I once drove from airport to Medellin, Colombia,thats where a road stop had soldiers with guns

had to pay the mordida & happy to pay believe me.

This is a good thing, the Pope is helping- That country is trying to work on peace for once.

Kick out the foreign governments (USA) the 'war against drugs' has ruined that beautiful, beautiful!! country.

[sandensea]

6. Brazil was a little like that.

Except that instead of M-1 toting soldiers, it was the police. The highway patrol will stop you practically every time they see your rental car go by (and they can tell). The "tolls" are reasonable; but you learn to keep plenty of Reais on hand.

Beautiful country though. Like Hawaii but even more impressive.