Thursday, October 1, 2015

An Open Letter to Pope Francis



Hello, Pope Francis:

I think many Americans were glued to their TV sets with all the footage of your historic visit to our country. I'm sure that TV rating soared during your arrival with the saturation media coverage. I know that many people feel that your arrival made their dreams come true, with all their hopes, dreams and longings. I have seen people shed tears at your presence. Even a poltician was brought to tears by your arrival, one who has always come off as stolid and unemotional.

The media, who are typically cynical, lavished praise on you. They praised your love for people, your gregarious spirit, and your humility. They praised your genuineness and your walking your talk. The media has been praising you for things they rarely say about those whom they cover.

In my household, the TV was tuned into the news almost all the time. We saw all the sea of humanity, many people who had traveled far and wide, just to get a glimpse of you and see you. People could not hide their happiness at receiving blessings from you. You reduced many of them to tears, tears of happiness I am sure.

As a person who believes that life is sacred and precious beginning at conception, I was glad that you did state that all people, including those not yet born, deserve to be protected. I was disappointed that you did not, to our knowledge, call on Congress to move funds from Planned Parenthood to life-affirming social and medical services for women. I was glad that you addressed the issues of poverty and reaching out to all people who exist on the fringes of society. As a parent of a beautiful, precious daughter diagnosed on the autism spectrum and growing up with differences of my own, I'm heartened at how you welcomed children with disabilities and their parents.

AS a person who has been advocating for severely persecuted fellow Christians and other religious minorities, worldwide, I must say that I'm disappointed that you did not say more to condemn this bitter religious persecution. I am thinking especially of the bitter persecution that Christians face in North Korea and in Iraq and Syria and in other parts of the Muslim world. Christians in countries like Pakistan and Nigeria suffer immensely. I was disappointed not to hear about them. Also, I wonder if you called on the U.S. President and the U.S. Secretary of State to release the fout Americans, a pastor among them, who are being held hostage in Iran's brutal prisons and who are innocent. I hope you did. You intereded on behalf of a prisoner in the state of New Jersey, to commute her death sentence (which was not a success but that is not the point here). Yes, I have issues with the death penalty, as I have heard of it it misapplied too often and it does not even serve as a deterrent against crime. But I have even more of an issue with innocent Christians and other religious minorities being imprisoned, raped, sold as slaves, beheaded, crucified and tortured. I know you do also but I did not hear much from you about this.

But there are more concerning things even than these.

I do not mean to denigrate the Catholic religion. I know you talked a lot about the Golden Rule and about our need to love each other as creatures of God, despite our differences. I understand that you have met, behind-the scenes, with Kim Davis and encouraged her to "Stand strong." It seems to me that your message was missing the majr elements of the heart of the Gospel of Jesus.

In all your messages and addresses, I did not hear you clearly call on people to repent of their sin of rebelling against God's laws, and urge them to trust in Jesus alone to save them from themselves (no Mary or additional good works needed). I understand that you did mention having a "personal relationship with Jesus" but it was not clearly explained how people are to enter into this most important relationship on which their eternal destinies hang. Pope Francis, I hope and pray that you are trusting in Jesus alone to save you from the penalty and power of sin and are not adding Mary, Catholic ceremonies, or any good works to your faith.

Followers of Jesus do good works because they are saved, not in order to get saved.

Followers of Jesus honor Mary is the godly human mother of Jesus. They worship her Son.

Followers of Jesus respect godly servants of the Most High, but don't "canonize" them. All those whose faith lies in Christ alone are saints in God's eyes.

Followers of Jesus respect you. We worship Jesus.

Pope Francis, if you are adding anything to Jesus as your hope of salvation from the penalty and power of sin, I urge you to repent of self-righteousness and legalism and trust in Jesus alone. I urge you to repent of spreading the message implying that people's good works can make them acceptable with Gog. I know that you will probably never see this but I hope that some of your followers will and that God will use it in their lives.

Praying for all,

Lisa DeSherlia

No comments: