Pope Francis’s public remarks have a decidedly Ignatian slant. Consider this from his weekly audience–about what Ignatius calls “disordered attachments:”
We have to empty ourselves of the many small or great idols that we have and in which we take refuge, on which we often seek to base our security. They are idols that we sometimes keep well hidden; they can be ambition, a taste for success, placing ourselves at the centre, the tendency to dominate others, the claim to be the sole masters of our lives, some sins to which we are bound, and many others. This evening I would like a question to resound in the heart of each one of you, and I would like you to answer it honestly: Have I considered which idol lies hidden in my life that prevents me from worshipping the Lord? Worshipping is stripping ourselves of our idols, even the most hidden ones, and choosing the Lord as the centre, as the highway of our lives.
Simple but beautiful message which we should reflect on. Thank you.
What a great reflection on the modern version of the rich young man in the Gospels; there are more attachments than wealth to be conscious of.
The perks of a pope are the very same things that common people will ask themselves if they are “idols”. Since acceptance to the papacy requires that those perks are not detrimental to his or her (ha) soul, and then it is OK to think of the perks as essential and helpful to take upon the self
along with the same adornments lavished on the church itself. When the
pope sees that these things are beneficial, they are no longer idols, we suppose. If those things can interfere with the growth of spirituality within the common laity, we may presume that they can also interfere with the souls of church leaders and all the host of those who enjoy
the luxurious environment of the Vatican and its powerful satellites.
Thank you so very much for sharing this with us.