Pope Francis has been a breath of fresh air for many Catholics seeking greater liberty and a growing concern for conservative Christians who take issue with his comments about homosexuality and other cultural issues.
But the pontiff’s latest statement is sparking an uproar from believers around the world. Pope Francis sent a tweet Tuesday that absolutely violates the truth of Scripture:
“The Christian who does not feel that the Virgin Mary is his or her mother is an orphan,” Pope Francis tweeted. As of the time I wrote this column it had been retweeted about 4,000 times and many of the responses were unkind.
Some suggested the pontiff is “completely bonkers,” while others asked if he had been inhaling too much incense, and yet another told the Argentine Jesuit to stick with the “peace is good” stuff. It gets worse from there, but it’s not appropriate to attack the man for his unscriptural tweet. It’s more appropriate to share the truth.
Mary the Mother to the World?
First, let’s explore how the pope expanded on his exaltation of Mary. During his weekly address in Rome, the pope positioned the Roman Catholic Church as a “mother” to the world and encouraged Catholics to follow Mary as an example of godly motherhood.
“In our catecheses, we have often noted that we do not become a Christian on our own, but by being born and nurtured in the faith in the midst of the people of God, that is the church. She is a true mother who gives us life in Christ, and in the communion of the Holy Spirit, brings us into a common life with our brothers and sisters,” the pope said.
“The model of motherhood for the church is the Blessed Virgin Mary, who in the fullness of time conceived through the Holy Spirit and gave birth to the Son of God. Her motherhood continues through the church, who brings forth sons and daughters through baptism, whom she nourishes through the Word of God.”
What About Romans 8:14-15?
So, let’s start dispelling this error with Scripture. Romans 8:14-17 shines light on the issue of orphans in Christ—there are no orphans in Christ:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
Jennifer LeClaire is news editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet and The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can email Jennifer at jennifer.leclaire@charismamedia.com or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.