Author Topic: Pope Francis: Showings traits of a true spiritual leader  (Read 5803 times)

Klein

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 502
Pope Francis: Showings traits of a true spiritual leader
« on: December 30, 2013, 07:15:04 AM »


Stumbled upon this article of Pope Francis. His actions showed that he practised the essence of what being spiritual is about: compassionate, loving, humble, giving, kind and accepting. If we chant and pray but don't translate that into actions that benefit others, then it's just superficial spirituality.


This is the link to the article:
http://distractify.com/people/reasons-why-pope-francis-is-the-person-of-the-year/


1. He spoke out against frivolous spending by the Church

The average set of cardinal’s clothes costs as much as $20,000. In October, Pope Francis urged officials to dress more modestly and to not squander such money. In the same month, he ordered a German bishop to explain how he had spent $3 million on a marble courtyard.

2. He invited a boy with Down's Syndrome for a ride in the Popemobile

During a general audience, Pope Francis invited Alberto di Tullio, a 17-year-old boy with Downs Syndrome, to ride in his Popemobile while thousands watched. The boy and his father were said to be "choked up" when he was embraced by the Pope.

3. He embraced and kissed Vinicio Riva

November saw Pope Francis embrace Vinicio Riva, a man scarred by a genetic disease. Fighting agonising pain on a daily basis, such an act restored the faith of a man who says he is often mocked in public.

4. He denounced the judgment of homosexuals

Pope Francis has stated several times that the Church has no right to interfere spiritually in the lives of gays and lesbians. Though Francis maintained the right of the Church to express opinions on homosexuality, he believed that Christians should not judge or ridicule. This led to The Advocate, a gay  rights magazine, naming Francis the 'single most influential person of 2013 on the lives of LGBT people.'

5. He held a major ceremony at the chapel of a youth prison

In March, the Pope held a major Holy Week service at Casal del Marmo jail for minors, rather than the Vatican. During the service, the pope washed and kissed the feet of 12 young offenders to commemorate Jesus' gesture of humility towards his apostles on the night before he died. During the service, he broke tradition by washing the feet of women and Muslims.

6. He urged the protection of the Amazon Rainforest

During his visit to Brazil, Pope Francis met with natives who have been fighting ranchers and farmers attempting to invade their land. He encouraged that the Amazon be treated as a garden and protected, along with it's native people.

7. He personally called and consoled a victim of rape

A 44-year old Argentinian woman, raped by a local policeman, was one of thousands to write a letter to Pope Francis in 2013. The woman was surprised when she later received a phone call from Francis himself--who consoled the woman and told her, “You are not alone.”

8. He snuck out of the Vatican to feed the homeless

More recently, it has been discovered that Pope Francis regularly leaves the Vatican at night to feed the homeless. Dressed as an ordinary priest, he joins Archbishop Konrad Krajewski to feed the poor of Rome.

9. He auctioned his motorcycle to benefit the homeless

In October, Francis donated his own Harley Davidson motorcycle to fund a hostel and soup kitchen in Rome.

10. He acknowledged that atheists can be good people

Earlier in 2013,  Pope Francis spoke out against the common interpretation within the Church that atheists, by nature, are bad people. He stated that, “Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good.” After meeting the Pope, the openly atheist president of Uruguay, Jose Mujica, compared Francis to a friendly neighbor.

11. He condemned the global financial system

In May, Francis denounced the global financial system for tyrannizing the poor and turning humans into expendable consumer goods. He believes that, “Money has to serve, not to rule!"


12. He fought child abuse

The Catholic Church has been rocked in recent years by allegations and admissions of child abuse by members of the Church. Pope Francis became the first Pope to take effective action against such atrocities. He ammended Vatican law to make sexual abuse of children a crime, and he also established a committee to fight abuse.

13. He condemned the violence of the Syrian civil war

In regard to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, Pope Francis asked for peace and declared that, "War, never again. Violence never leads to peace, war leads to war, violence leads to violence.”

14. He redirected employee bonuses to charity

When a new Pope is elected, Vatican employees receive a bonus. Upon his election, the extra money was given to directly to charity instead.

15. He spoke out against the Church’s ‘obsession’ with abortion, gay marriage and contraception

In a voice of reason, Francis shocked the Catholic world when he stated that the Church was an unhealthy obsession with abortion, gay marriage, and contraception. He criticized the Church for putting dogma before love, and for prioritizing moral doctrines over serving the poor and marginalized.

16. He called for cooperation between Christians and Muslims
Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead Angelus at Vatican Source: catholicsun.org

During his Angelus address, Francis paid respect to the end of Ramadan. He stated that both Christians and Muslims worship the same God, and he hoped that Christians and Muslims would work together to promote mutual respect.

17. He took part in a selfie

In what might be his most progressive feat of all, Pope Francis met with youngsters to be part of a truly remarkable selfie. His is embracing the present, and he is undoubtedly taking the Church to a more loving and accepting future.

18. He invited homeless men to his birthday meal

On December 17, Pope Francis invited a group of homeless men and their dog into the Vatican to share his birthday meal along with his staff. The Pope had decided that he wanted a small birthday event, which would do some good, rather than a large and expensive event.

19. He refused to send away a child who had run on stage to hug him

During the Year of Faith Celebrations, a young boy ran on stage as the Pope was giving a speech. When assistants tried to remove the boy, Francis allowed him to stay.

Manjushri

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 442
Re: Pope Francis: Showings traits of a true spiritual leader
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2013, 11:25:58 AM »
Thank you for sharing this. It is nice to read how the Pope's core action is to be kind to others. It is most touching. It is humbling to read and see spiritual leaders around the world embracing basic human kindness as their core religion. The actions of the pope is so similar to many Buddhist monks and lamas around the world who live to help and benefit others and this highlights the very fact that all religions teach their followers to be kind to others, and to respect one another. As humans, we are all coexisting together on a planet called Earth, so why not live harmoniously and accept one another for who they are, instead of constantly fighting with one another. Pope Francis really has compassion and humility

Pope descends Popemobile to bless disabled man before Inaugural Mass


Pics cast Francis as a new kind of pope





Vajraprotector

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 610
Re: Pope Francis: Showings traits of a true spiritual leader
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2014, 04:23:06 PM »
Pope Francis is definitely very skilled with the media and how he handled issue like homosexuals, women ordination etc. I am surprised to read an article from Jakarta Post (Indonesian newspaper) comparing Pope Francis to His Holiness the Dalai Lama (on this website). Also, the writer highlighted the issue of the Dorje Shugden ban. I am very happy to see that more and more media notice the injustice of such a ban.

Thank you Dorjeshugden.com for always keeping us updated on the latest news, also I must commend you for having the website/ info in many languages, including Indonesian language, I am sure the writer of the article refered to dorjeshugden.com when researching this topic on the ban.

Here's an excerpt from the article posted on Dorje Shugden.com:

Francis’ better grasp of public image than his predecessors is perhaps parallel to and even possibly inspired by the current Dalai Lama, whose popularity in the Western world has done a lot to boost the image of Buddhism there.

The peaceful image of Buddhism in the West largely owes to the popularity of the Dalai Lama who has preached tolerance and peace throughout his exile from Tibet. In the propaganda war against the Chinese Communist Party, there is no doubt the Tibetan leader fares much better. And yet for all his alleged open-mindedness, it is also a fact that the Dalai Lama has declared the sect of Dorje Shugden illegal within Tibetan Buddhism. He has also called for the sect’s suppression, something that is rarely reported in the press.

In the face of a superior intransigent force like the Chinese, it is understandable that the Dalai Lama cultivated the rest of the world, for Tibet alone could not hope to stand alone and win. By the same token, Francis, who is a pragmatist after all, is wise to foster better relations with the increasingly secular world that sees the church’s adamant medievalism as a challenge to progress.

Francis’ pragmatism is apparent when one considers that during his campaign against the legalization of same-sex marriage in Argentina, he was at one point prepared to accede to the status of civil unions rather than marriage. In light of his flexibility on the celibacy of priests, which he said, “can change,” with times, this pope has shown that at the end of the day, the ends are more important than the means.

Time alone will perhaps reveal the true workings of the mind of Pope Francis. It is undeniable that he has succeeded in breathing fresh air into the Vatican so far. He certainly understands public relations better than most of his predecessors. Though it is still too early to say if Francis will actually manage the Herculean task of reforming the church, at least more humane news is set to emanate from the See of St. Peter.


Original article posted on Dorjeshugden.com: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/the-controversy/shugdens-ban-in-the-press/