Is Francis a legitimate Pope?

[Stella]

The image wasn’t meant to be an official representation but rather a local interpretation of a Holy Mother manifested by the fruitfulness of the earth.

"a Holy Mother"? I don't know what that means. If it's supposed to be Our Lady, then there must be a tradition of depicting her in this way in Amazonian culture. But I suspect these statues aren't that at all.

It was only meant to be an interpretation of the spiritual connection between the earth being a traditional fertile mother and the blessed Mother and the Incarnation of Christ. It was never presented as an official icon.

[Gandalf the Grey]

It was only meant to be an interpretation of the spiritual connection between the earth being a traditional fertile mother and the blessed Mother and the Incarnation of Christ. It was never presented as an official icon.

The concept that there even exists some sort of "spiritual connection" between something like the earth and some sort of personified or anthropomorphic concept of "a traditional fertile mother" is for all intents basically what paganism is. It's no different than the idea "celebrateling" Gaia, Kisha, Papatuanuku, Terra, Nerthus, Nantosuelta, Tonantzin and other false "mother" deities from at least a dozen other pagan cults.

You'd have to be kidding yourself if you want to believe that Mary, a woman who was completely devoted daughter of Abraham to the true God, would be in any way flattered by any such comparison of these pagan cult representations to her.

[Vern Humphrey]

So my question is for those who believe they are mature in faith, how do you determine if the Pope is legitimate or not?

You don't -- that power, to judge the legitimacy of the Pope is not granted to the laity. Francis was elected and that makes him a valid pope.

[BobCatholic]

I believe Francis is a legitimate Pope.

I also believe he is an egomaniacal narcissist in one very big area - he loves to hear the sound of his voice. All those "off the cuff" comments which are being used by the usual suspects to push their political agendas.

Also he loves his own opinion. All those "opinion" encyclicals.

[ProZak]

I believe Francis is a legitimate Pope.

I also believe he is an egomaniacal narcissist in one very big area - he loves to hear the sound of his voice. All those "off the cuff" comments which are being used by the usual suspects to push their political agendas.

Also he loves his own opinion. All those "opinion" encyclicals.

That's a serious charge against the Pope, you're not even a little apprehensive at saying this publicly?

[Doom]

I tend to assume that anyone who makes a living by public speaking or performing probably loves the sound of his voice. I also don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. Before I retired from teaching I used to my classes on the first day that "I am in a passionate, monogamous love affair with the sound of my own voice" and that once I get started it is difficult to shut me up. I was only half joking when I said that.

[BobCatholic]

That's a serious charge against the Pope, you're not even a little apprehensive at saying this publicly?

Well, I don't remember JP2 or Benedict making "off the cuff" comments that were then hyped into the universe by the LeftWingWacko media (YAY! He's one of of the LWW collective!) They had handlers who basically filtered comments through.

Now Francis, I'm hearing ridiculous Marxist themed nonsense from the LWW media about him. They are making him sound like he's been assimilated into the Borg Collective.