At the start of the interview Francis is asked to describe himself. His answer:
I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.Christian theology at its best. Happy for all my Catholic brothers and sisters.
Sin is the presumption of separation from the Living Divine Reality.
There is no Real Existence until sin is transcended. All actions and all states of presumed knowledge and experience are empty, painful, problematic, and sinful until the presumption of separation from the living Divine Reality is utterly transcended.
There is no truly human life without Divine-Communion, or the submission of the entire conscious and functional being to the Absolute Divine Reality within which it appears, on which it depends completely, even for the next breath.
Without that Divine-Communion, there is no true humanity, no real responsibility, no true freedom. Without Divine-Communion the individual is simply a functional entity living an unconscious pre-programmed adventure of functional relations. There is no Sacred or Divine Plane to his or her relations.
Sin or the absence of Divine-Communion is the worst cancer in the univers. It is the worst sickness. It is the most horrific disease. Its implications cover the entirety of everyone's life. The world is filled with its symptoms, and reeks with its torments and potentials, coming from all directions, most of which in their self-oblivious unconsciousness people cannot even see.
It seems to me, he (along with many Christians) confuses what he does with who is is. What he does is sin (only sometimes hopefully!). Who he is, is a saint who has been saved by Christ from his sin, to live a new life in Christ (I hope, I can't speak for him!)
The interview really is wonderfully rich. I love this man.
I am a former Evangelical having become a non-denominational Christian and I really love Pope Francis!
That said while it is certain I sin I have huge problems with this notion of being a born sinner having been cursed by God with a sinful nature.
I think it is a blasphemous Augustinian teaching which has been polluting Western Christianity ever since the fifth century. I find the Eastern Orthodox interpretation of the fall philosophically much more acceptable.
I would be very glad to learn yout thoughts on that!
Friendly greetings from continental Europe.
Lothars Sohn – Lothar’s son
http://lotharlorraine.wordpress.com
I also side with the Orthodox rather than with the Western tradition on original sin.
And to clarify, I don't think pope Francis was making a statement about Original Sin when he described himself as a sinner. I called his answer "Christian theology at its best" not because he made a doctrinal statement but because he was a leader--THE leader in many respects--and he made himself low, admitted his moral frailty and culpability.
That--leading from below in a confessional and humane way--is Christian theology at its best.
Interesting, I am eager to learn more about your views!
I greatly appreciate your blog, your intellectual honesty and love.
I plan to interview influential progressive Christians on my blog and I will probably try to contact you by email under my true name in the future.
We need more people like you to prevent the Exodus of millenials out of the Church.
Lovely greetings in Christ.
Lothars Sohn – Lothar’s son
http://lotharlorraine.wordpress.com
What Pope Francis said about the church's obsession with abortion and gay rights will really upset political conservatives who have been "using" these issues for many years to get elected.