I’m beginning to think that the Pope would think I’m a very, very, bad Catholic.

The evidence?

• I have actually listened to the entire Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz (twice). These days I’m listening to the Catechism in a Year with the same faithful priest. (This would be a good podcast for the Roman Curia and Holy Father to listen to.)
• I attend a parish that the Pope would consider “conservative.” I don’t know a congregation of kinder, more faithful people. By the way, the demographics of the congregation are diverse economically, socially, and ethnically.
• I’m a post-Vatican II convert who never attended Mass (Latin or otherwise) growing up.  I have never been a fan of the Latin Mass but have numerous friends who are, and it seems to attract many young people.  If you have a restaurant that attracts patrons for both steak and fish, why eliminate one from the menu?
• The Vatican has literally persecuted faithful priests and bishops, the devout Bishop Strickland being the most recent. Yet, priests, bishops, and Cardinals who are weak in their criticism of abortion, firm in their acceptance of deviant sexual behavior, and reluctant to speak Biblical truth find themselves praised and appointed to positions of influence.
• None of us is without sin.  However, I don’t think anyone who presents a public scandal ought to be a Godparent.  Remember, a Godparent is called to present a faithful example of Church teachings to young people. That would exclude people who live a lifestyle contrary to the moral law or amputate a portion of their body in the mistaken notion that they can change the gender God gave them.
• I believe the number one job of the Pope it to protect the faith and prevent members of the clergy from teaching errors or misleading the faithful.

In the current debate on transgender people serving as Godparents, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller made a cogent point: “The pastor motive that urges us to treat those who sin against the Sixth and Ninth Commandment of the Decalogue as ‘gently and compassionately’ as possible is praiseworthy only as long as the pastor does not, like a bad doctor, deceive his patient about the seriousness of his illness…”

I spent most of my professional career as a “public affairs” advisor.  In simple terms, my job was to suggest to senior managers in business and of a faith organization the right things to do in difficult situations – and what to communicate about their actions.

From that perspective, I have some advice for the Pope. He needs some good advice; he either is getting (and accepting) very bad advice or he is the source or really distorted thinking. Here it goes:

• Don’t crucify the faithful
• Know the difference between someone disagreeing with your decisions and someone who hates you. There are many of the former and only a few of the latter.
• A Pope must be a bulwark of the faith – not a facilitator of theories, theological experiments, and untested “reforms.” (This might mean that having a Jesuit as Pope is overly risky.)
• Remove someone from a position when they threaten the faith of their congregation – not when they don’t scrape and bow to Rome.
• Even the appearance of revenge by the Pope or a Cardinal will likely hurt your reputation beyond repair. If you are going to preach tolerance, you have to practice it.
• Recognize that “dialogue” can only take you so far; you must stand for the truth, which is found in the Bible and Catechism. Put another way, you can’t meet everyone halfway. Sometimes you have to say, “You are wrong.” That would, for example, include Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Hamas. Put still another way, sometimes one side of an argument must win over the other. For instance, the solution to defeating evil is to destroy it, not compromise.

A few years ago, a priest I know was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica. (I’m changing a few details to protect the identity of the priest, him being the sort of “conservative” the current Pope might not like.)  Anyway…  after the ordination ceremony, there was a reception line and each of the newly ordained priests got to shake hands with JPII and speak briefly.

My friend took the opportunity to pledge to the Holy Father that he would always support him, in every situation, in every debate, forever. The future saint smiled and replied; he said he hoped my friend would only support the Pope when the Pope was right.

I believe I have the obligation to support the Pope through my prayers and by living my Catholic faith to the best of my ability. The Catholic Church is my Church and the haven of all the faithful. The Pope is the Vicar of Christ and is sworn to protect my Church. When he fails in that duty, he loses my support —  but I’ll keep praying.

I’ll state it right at the start; I’m tired of the term “game changer.”

The term had an innocent beginning in the commentary on sports.  Let’s say an announcer was watching a football game.  One team was ahead but their quarterback threw an interception that was run back for a touchdown.  Suddenly, the game was close.

That interception really changed the course of the game – it was a game-changer.

Today, the term pops up everywhere:

• A chef promoting his air cooker on television mentions the single-hand French doors on the appliance: they are a real game changer.
• A doctor changes the heart medication he gives a patient, so it doesn’t make him as tired: a real medical game-changer.
• A new toothpaste allows the pretty girl to attract more men: a real social game changer.
• A majority of Democrat voters realize Biden really is as dopey as he seems: a political game changer.
• A rich relative dies and leaves me a fortune: my life has experienced a game changer (one that isn’t likely to happen).
• I upgraded the memory on my phone and can store all pictures I have of the grandkids: a family game changer.
• You fall off a mountain while rock climbing and break both legs: now there is a serious game changer.
• I’m running to catch the train, trip, and fall over a little old lady: here come multiple game changers.

It isn’t that the term “game changer” is inherently offensive or especially inaccurate. It simply has been overused to the point of becoming trite.

I have arthritis in both shoulders and every few months the pain and stiffness get troublesome.  So I go for some physical therapy.  I had a session today and the highly skilled therapist pulled, twisted, kneaded, and massaged my shoulders and arms until the joints loosened and pain subsided.

When she was done, she asked if I felt better. No, I didn’t tell her what she had done was a game changer. I just said I felt great and thanked her for her hard work and skill.

The therapist is a talented athlete and has worked on the aching muscles and joints of many other athletes. (I’m just an old guy trying to keep up with the grandkids.)

Given her clientele, she really is a game-changer.