Marriage And Mercy

I do not think the couples married by the Unholy Father are the first who have behind them a rather turbulent past; I do not know, either, how a conservative priest (say, a SSPX priest: just to be sure there is no “mercy” bollocks) would react when a couple of concubines were to tell him they want to marry in the church.

For example:would he require that they live separately whilst they undergo marriage preparation? How long would the preparation have to be? And Co.

These questions are not for me to answer: ask your friendly, sound priest. Marriage is a complicated field.

What I do know is that most certainly a Pope should not even dare to think to marry such concubines himself, for the simple reason that by doing so he would send a clear message that it is more or less okey-dokey for people to live in sin and scandal. Hey, we can marry at any time; the Pope himself might marry us, nowadays!

And this is, I think, exactly the message the Unholy Father wants to send: in the age of mercy we aren't so strict, eh? What's a bit of scandal among merciful friends, no? If one fornicates and lives in scandal and undermines marriage and “seeks the Lord” (whatever that means) who am I to judge?

The result of this – I do not know whether stupid, atheist or satanic – attitude is that more couples will now feel authorised to live in sin before marrying, feeling that the Pope himself dismisses this little peccadillo with a smile and a wink. The pressure will be particularly strong among less observant Catholics, those who do not have a clear idea of the gravity of the fact and will now have an inducement to downplay it. They will feel encouraged by Francis to go down the same path, which is certainly grave matter, and put themselves at risk of damnation.

This is how, in this as in so many other matters, “mercy” becomes its exact contrary: complicity with Satan.

One of the women married on Sunday recognised half of this truth. She thought she would never be married by the Pope, because she isn't a good Catholic. Yes, of course she isn't; and yes, of course she doesn't deserve it. But the woman then proceeds to blind herself from the other eye, stating, in a perfect non sequitur, that it is so wonderful that the Pope marries her anyway. “I thought I was bad, but the Pope marries bad people; therefore it is not the Pope who encourages being bad, but it is I who am good and the Pope who is oh so wonderful”.

This kind of illogical thinking will be, starting from today, the thinking of many. It will be very easy for them to choose the broad and inviting path of sin, when the Pope himself shows the way.

Nor can the very stupid argument be made – yes, I have read that too – that as we are all sinners there's nothing to be so excited about. That we are all sinners is exactly the problem, and a Pope is certainly not there to encourage us on this path. Actually, I though his job was exactly the contrary: to help us lead lives as deprived of sin as we can manage, with fear of the Lord and love for his commandments. How stupid of me.

On Sunday, the Unholy Father has put another bomb under the chair of Matrimony, teaching his sheep to not take seriously the commandments of the Church, and undermining marriage as he downplays concubinage.

Beware of the wolves. Particularly when they say to you they are merciful.

M