Peter Pumpkinhead

One of my Priest friends told me the other day that this song reminded him of Pope Francis. I don’t exactly agree with him, but it’s an interesting thought. (I don’t agree with the notion that most Catholics should be seen as jealous, small minded, controlling, etc., simply for being faithful Catholics.)

“The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead”

Peter Pumpkinhead came to town
Spreading wisdom and cash around
Fed the starving and housed the poor
Showed the vatican what gold’s for
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who’ll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?
Oh my!
Peter Pumpkinhead pulled them all
Emptied churches and shopping malls
Where he spoke, it would raise the roof
Peter Pumpkinhead told the truth
But he made too many enemies…
Peter Pumpkinhead put to shame
Governments who would slur his name
Plots and sex scandals failed outright
Peter merely said
Any kind of love is alright
But he made too many enemies…
Peter Pumpkinhead was too good
Had him nailed to a chunk of wood
He died grinning on live TV
Hanging there he looked a lot like you
And an awful lot like me!
But he made too many enemies…
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who’ll pray for Peter Pumpkin
Hooray for Peter Pumpkinhead
Oh my oh my oh!
Doesn’t it make you want to cry oh?

A Basketful of Struggles

This quote from the comments over at Harvesting the Fruit really sums up some of the struggles I’ve had in the Papacy of Francis.

A decade ago a wave carried me to the shores of the Catholic Church. In March it abruptly halted, and the tide of indifferentism and apathy that pulled and then kept me away for 20 years has returned. If what this pope has been teaching the past 9 months is true, then all the painstaking hours I’ve spent, re-learning the faith and trying to live it out is false. Pope Francis wanted to make mess: well, He has in this Catholic’s life. After 10 years of certainty, I again question whether the Church is the one true faith – or, more correctly, that a ‘one true faith’ even exists. Either Francis is right and the Church is not what I thought it was, or He is wrong and…. the Church is not what I thought it was. I am stuck. Fatherless, Motherless, rudderless, confused… I thought I had rediscovered the pearl of great price… now, I don’t know what it is. This doubt and questioning could not have come personally at a worse time. I am desperately afraid.

I ask for your prayers, please.

There’s this also regarding the Jewish faith, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

And so much more.

The Codgitator brings up this point also:

And lo–! As if right on cue, thanks to Jonathan in this thread at Bones on the same malapapalism, I became privy to another exegetical epiphany from Pope Francis:

‘[T]he first and the greatest of the commandments, and the one that best identifies us as Christ’s disciples [is]: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you”’. — Evangelii Gaudium §161

Compare this with:

‘“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ — Matthew 22:36-37

I am aware of John 13:34-35–”A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another”–, but the pope’s written assertion in E.G. manifestly conflates our Lord’s words in Matthew 22.

It’s a struggle for many.

But my ultimate take comes back to a Priest who got up and spoke during our Priest Convocation two years ago. (He actually is the Priest who married my parents.) But he got up and said that if we younger Priests didn’t like what his generation was doing, then we just had to wait for them to die.

God love them, and so do I; but… I’m willing to wait. I’m reminded of Hezekiah smashing the Nehushtan.

There’s a new generation coming down the line. And whatever happens in the meantime, many, many Priests, Religious and Faithful are willing to wait, to watch, to pray.

And to heed the call of Christ in His Church, every day.

The Rev. Kenneth Allen