Pope Francis on the Ten Commandments: ‘I observe them, but not as absolutes’

[Michie]

About whether he 'disregards' the Ten Commandments Pope Francis said, 'No. I observe them, but not as absolutes, because I know that what justifies me is Jesus Christ.'


ROME (LifeSiteNews) – “I observe them, but not as absolutes,” Pope Francis said of the Ten Commandments at a general audience on August 18, 2021.

Pope Francis made the statement in the context of how Christians live a moral life. He began the discourse by asking the audience a rhetorical question. “How do I live?” he said.


He responded to his own question by saying, “Do I live in fear that if I don’t do this or that I will go to hell? Or do I also live with that hope, with that joy of the gratuitousness of salvation in Jesus Christ? That’s a good question.”

The Catholic Church teaches that anyone who dies not having repented of just one mortal sin does indeed go to hell.

The Holy Father continued his message with a second question about the nature of the Commandments. “And also a second question: do I disregard the Commandments?”

The answer Pope Francis gave to this question addressed whether or not he views the Ten Commandments as binding moral laws. About whether he “disregards” the Ten Commandments he said, “No. I observe them, but not as absolutes, because I know that what justifies me is Jesus Christ.”

The audience applauded as the Pope finished speaking.

Continued below.
Pope Francis on the Ten Commandments: ‘I observe them, but not as absolutes’ - LifeSite

 

[ripple the car]

This Pope needs prayers. I am afraid he has taken the very real, valid Catholic theology of Divine Mercy and warped it into something like Sola Fidé.

“Don’t worry about works, sin, repentance, confession, spiritual growth, moral continence, or sacrifice, it’s all about Mercy!”

Not accurate. Again, pray for the Pope.

 

[Michie]

Pope: Do I do what's right for fear of Hell?

 

[ripple the car]

Pope: Do I do what's right for fear of Hell?

I have a hard time imagining previous Popes saying anything like this. It is slippery, and tricky. It is very, very easy to go from a skewed view of Mercy or a presumption of Mercy to a rejection of Law.

Isn’t this what some of the Pope’s words have hinted at? That sin is not sin if it is too hard, in light of Christ’s Mercy?

 

[Michie]

I have a hard time imagining previous Popes saying anything like this. It is slippery, and tricky. It is very, very easy to go from a skewed view of Mercy or a presumption of Mercy to a rejection of Law.

Isn’t this what some of the Pope’s words have hinted at? That sin is not sin if it is too hard, in light of Christ’s Mercy?

He tends to sow seeds of confusion and just leaves it there. Clarification is something he refuses to do. All we can do is pray.

 

[ripple the car]

He tends to sow seeds of confusion and just leaves it there. Clarification is something he refuses to do. All we can do is pray.

I know. I have to remember all the times I have horribly failed Christ, and pray for the Pope. I’m not better than him. In many cases, I’ve said worse. It is very, very easy to notice his problems. You’re right, praying for the Pope is best. Lord, have mercy.

 

[Michie]

I know. I have to remember all the times I have horribly failed Christ, and pray for the Pope. I’m not better than him. In many cases, I’ve said worse. It is very, very easy to notice his problems. You’re right, praying for the Pope is best. Lord, have mercy.

He frustrates me to no end but he is head of the Church on earth. I know God is in control. But I pray God reins him in or somehow changes his heart for more compassion for the flock. The day he explains or clarifies anything will be a miraculous answer to prayer as far as I’m concerned.

 

[Taodeching]

“No. I observe them, but not as absolutes, because I know that what justifies me is Jesus Christ.”

I find myself in a very strange position, I agree with the Pope in a certain way. Christ gave us a new commandment, well two to be precise.


And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31

So I think he is saying that we don't have to sweat every jot and tittle because if we miss up we have somewhere to go, to Christ in confession. So we can go on Saturday or whenever confession is and know that we are forgiven. Salvation is by the grace of Christ through faith (not that alone stuff) and He offers it freely to those who seek earnestly. Of course I could have misunderstood the Pope

 

[Michie]

I find myself in a very strange position, I agree with the Pope in a certain way. Christ gave us a new commandment, well two to be precise.


And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31

So I think he is saying that we don't have to sweat every jot and tittle because if we miss up we have somewhere to go, to Christ in confession. So we can go on Saturday or whenever confession is and know that we are forgiven. Salvation is by the grace of Christ through faith (not that alone stuff) and He offers it freely to those who seek earnestly. Of course I could have misunderstood the Pope

I understand that POV but he did not make it clear. He leaves everything very murky when he speaks. I do not know why exactly but he does. When you take his record into account it just does not look good. Grace does not give us license to sin. But many people think so. Therein lies the danger.

 

[Michie]

Another thing I have noticed with a lot of people is that they ask if you are doing something because you love God or fear hell. The claim is if you are just doing it to save your skin you do not really love God. I believe that is a lie from the enemy. If you love God, even if you struggle, you do not want to be eternally separated from Him. You desire to repent and do better. Of course believers fear and dread the thought of hell if it means eternal separation from God. Then you have the universalist crowd saying what they say about it. Either recreating it or saying it does not exist. So when a pope uses it as an example, my warning lights tend to go off.

 

[ripple the car]

Another thing I have noticed with a lot of people is that they ask if you are doing something because you love God or fear hell. The claim is if you are just doing it to save your skin you do not really love God. I believe that is a lie from the enemy. If you love God, even if you struggle, you do not want to be eternally separated from Him. You desire to repent and do better. Of course believers fear and dread the thought of hell if it means eternal separation from God. Then you have the universalist crowds saying what they say about it. Either recreating it or saying it does not exist. So when a pope uses it as an example, my warning lights tend to go off.

That’s an excellent point. Fear of Hell is valid. Those who don’t fear Hell at all, seem likely to either be overly-assuming that God will be merciful to them, may not be taking sin very seriously, or may have some incredibly untrue and damaging views of salvation (once saved always saved, free grace theology, etc.).

Many great Saints have worked very hard to become holy, deny themselves, and pray out of fear of Hell, and that’s not invalid. It should be inspired by and united with a genuine love of Christ, but it’s not invalid or childish. Christ Himself warns about Hell with some arguably horrible images, and He loves us. It’s not a good place. Our Lady of Fatima showed a bunch of little kids Hell. That’s pretty intense.

 

[Michie]

1. “I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any gods before Me.”
   
   This commandment forbids idolatry, the worship of false gods and goddesses, and it prohibits polytheism, the belief in many gods, insisting instead on monotheism, the belief in one God. This commandment forbids making golden calves, building temples to Isis, and worshipping statues of Caesar, for example.
   
   
2. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
   
   The faithful are required to honor the name of God. It makes sense that if you’re to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, then you’re naturally to respect the name of God with equal passion and vigor.
   
   
3. “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.”
   
   The Jewish celebration of Sabbath (Shabbat) begins at sundown on Friday evening and lasts until sundown on Saturday. Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians go to church on Sunday, treating it as the Lord’s Day instead of Saturday to honor the day Christ rose from the dead.
   
   
4. “Honor thy father and mother.”
   
   This commandment obliges the faithful to show respect for their parents — as children and adults. Children must obey their parents, and adults must respect and see to the care of their parents, when they become old and infirm.
   
   
5. “Thou shalt not kill.”
   
   The better translation from the Hebrew would be “Thou shalt not murder” — a subtle distinction but an important one to the Church. Killing an innocent person is considered murder. Killing an unjust aggressor to preserve your own life is still killing, but it isn’t considered murder or immoral.
   
   
6. “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
   
   The sixth and ninth commandments honor human sexuality. This commandment forbids the actual, physical act of having immoral sexual activity, specifically adultery, which is sex with someone else’s spouse or a spouse cheating on their partner. This commandment also includes fornication, which is sex between unmarried people, prostitution, pornography, homosexual activity, masturbation, group sex, rape, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia.
   
   
7. “Thou shalt not steal.”
   
   The seventh and tenth commandments focus on respecting and honoring the possessions of others. This commandment forbids the act of taking someone else’s property. The Catholic Church believes that this commandment also denounces cheating people of their money or property, depriving workers of their just wage, or not giving employers a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. Embezzlement, fraud, tax evasion, and vandalism are all considered extensions of violations of the Seventh Commandment.
   
   
8. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
   
   The Eighth Commandment condemns lying. Because God is regarded as the author of all truth, the Church believes that humans are obligated to honor the truth. The most obvious way to fulfill this commandment is not to lie — intentionally deceive another by speaking a falsehood. So a good Catholic is who you want to buy a used car from.
   
   
9. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”
   
   The Ninth Commandment forbids the intentional desire and longing for immoral sexuality. To sin in the heart, Jesus says, is to lust after a woman or a man in your heart with the desire and will to have immoral sex with them. Just as human life is a gift from God and needs to be respected, defended, and protected, so, too, is human sexuality. Catholicism regards human sexuality as a divine gift, so it’s considered sacred in the proper context — marriage.
   
   
10. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”
    
    The Tenth Commandment forbids the wanting to or taking someone else’s property. Along with the Seventh Commandment, this commandment condemns theft and the feelings of envy, greed, and jealousy in reaction to what other people have.
    

 

[BrAndreyu]

I understand what he's trying to say, but he needs to clarify it better because the secularists are going to look at that and see something else entirely.

 

[Michie]

1. “I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any gods before Me.”
   
   This commandment forbids idolatry, the worship of false gods and goddesses, and it prohibits polytheism, the belief in many gods, insisting instead on monotheism, the belief in one God. This commandment forbids making golden calves, building temples to Isis, and worshipping statues of Caesar, for example.
   
   
2. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
   
   The faithful are required to honor the name of God. It makes sense that if you’re to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, then you’re naturally to respect the name of God with equal passion and vigor.
   
   
3. “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.”
   
   The Jewish celebration of Sabbath (Shabbat) begins at sundown on Friday evening and lasts until sundown on Saturday. Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians go to church on Sunday, treating it as the Lord’s Day instead of Saturday to honor the day Christ rose from the dead.
   
   
4. “Honor thy father and mother.”
   
   This commandment obliges the faithful to show respect for their parents — as children and adults. Children must obey their parents, and adults must respect and see to the care of their parents, when they become old and infirm.
   
   
5. “Thou shalt not kill.”
   
   The better translation from the Hebrew would be “Thou shalt not murder” — a subtle distinction but an important one to the Church. Killing an innocent person is considered murder. Killing an unjust aggressor to preserve your own life is still killing, but it isn’t considered murder or immoral.
   
   
6. “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
   
   The sixth and ninth commandments honor human sexuality. This commandment forbids the actual, physical act of having immoral sexual activity, specifically adultery, which is sex with someone else’s spouse or a spouse cheating on their partner. This commandment also includes fornication, which is sex between unmarried people, prostitution, pornography, homosexual activity, masturbation, group sex, rape, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia.
   
   
7. “Thou shalt not steal.”
   
   The seventh and tenth commandments focus on respecting and honoring the possessions of others. This commandment forbids the act of taking someone else’s property. The Catholic Church believes that this commandment also denounces cheating people of their money or property, depriving workers of their just wage, or not giving employers a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. Embezzlement, fraud, tax evasion, and vandalism are all considered extensions of violations of the Seventh Commandment.
   
   
8. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
   
   The Eighth Commandment condemns lying. Because God is regarded as the author of all truth, the Church believes that humans are obligated to honor the truth. The most obvious way to fulfill this commandment is not to lie — intentionally deceive another by speaking a falsehood. So a good Catholic is who you want to buy a used car from.
   
   
9. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”
   
   The Ninth Commandment forbids the intentional desire and longing for immoral sexuality. To sin in the heart, Jesus says, is to lust after a woman or a man in your heart with the desire and will to have immoral sex with them. Just as human life is a gift from God and needs to be respected, defended, and protected, so, too, is human sexuality. Catholicism regards human sexuality as a divine gift, so it’s considered sacred in the proper context — marriage.
   
   
10. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”
    
    The Tenth Commandment forbids the wanting to or taking someone else’s property. Along with the Seventh Commandment, this commandment condemns theft and the feelings of envy, greed, and jealousy in reaction to what other people have.

I dunno. These seem absolute to me. How could they not be?

 

[Lost4words]

He has a lot on his shoulders. He needs our prayers.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is very much alive in the church.

God bless our Pope and the church. May God guide him and protect him from the devil and all who are out for his blood

 

[Chrystal-J]

Galatians 5:14
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In this scripture, it states that the whole law is fulfilled, not weakened.

 

[Michie]

Galatians 5:14
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In this scripture, it states that the whole law is fulfilled, not weakened.

Yes but the problem is the twisted view these days of what that means exactly. Very few think of the 10 commandments.

 

[Chrystal-J]

Yes but the problem is the twisted view these days of what that means exactly. Very few think of the 10 commandments.

The Pope doesn't help things with his vague and hazy statements. Most people twist things to fit their chosen lifestyle, not how God intended.

 

[Michie]

The Pope doesn't help things with his vague and hazy statements. Most people twist things to fit their chosen lifestyle, not how God intended.

Exactly.

 

[chevyontheriver]

The audience applauded as the Pope finished speaking.

Did they understand what he had said or were they happy he was done?

Argh! Yet another Francisism. I'm glad I have him on ignore.