"WHO AM I TO JUDGE?" - Dr. Rich Swier

Happy one year anniversary to Pope Francis. He has taken the world by storm, curbed the role of the Vatican Second-in-Command all the while holding a “Global Open House”.

It seems almost impossible to think that a full year has gone by that we witnessed that plume of white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling the election of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, as the successor to Pope Benedict XVI, after the former pontiff abruptly resigned in early February. An entire year has gone by and the entire world has noticed.

From atheists to the liberals to the homosexuals to the media in every country, the 266th Roman Catholic pope has made a mark for himself and the Holy Catholic Church these past 365 days. I refer to his approach as a “Global Open House”. He has invited everybody to the banquet table and has gotten everyone’s undivided attention by using “5” simple words –

“WHO AM I TO JUDGE?”

Those are “5” simple words. Just a simple question…but, boy, has it garnered a ton of media attention all over the world. It basically stems from the Bible and the approach that Jesus, Himself, used in all that He did during his three years of ministry. He ate with the sinners, hung out with tax collectors and prostitutes, and never judged anybody on how they looked, dressed or acted. Jesus simply accepted every person as they were. That is so beautiful and so noble.

Jesus walked the walk as twelve men followed him, with another 1.2 billion followers closely behind them.

Coat of Arms of Pope Francis.

Skip over Saint Peter, Pope John Paul II and fast forward to the Year 2014. We once again, find a charismatic person in the Catholic Church who seems to be walking very closely in Jesus’ footsteps. Meet Pope Francis – one year later. One year as the new Holy Father. One year after shaking up the entire Vatican, the Roman Curia, the liberal media and every person he comes into contact with. And, he has come into contact with millions. And, he has yet to “judge any of them”.

Come follow me and I will make you fishers of the less judgmental. It worked 2,000 years ago. Will it work today?

In this day and age, where the liberals and the immorals have taken center stage in our society, it is easier to listen to a very open pope who has invited them all to the banquet table – regardless of what their morals are; regardless of who they voted for; regardless of what gender they marry; and regardless of their views on the abortion. Only because Pope Francis uttered those world famous words on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Rome, the entire world has now used it to their advantage. It has become a defense mechanism. It has become a manipulator.

It has become a great cliche. It is a misguided way to deflect any type of pressure from one’s actions. It is basically, “the easy way out”.

After all, if you continue saying “Who am I to Judge” every time anybody asks you a question – how can you go wrong? Heck, Jesus started it and used it on a daily basis. Pope Francis is continuing it by carrying the baton. Could you imagine me, as a former NCAA Basketball Official, telling two irate coaches on the sidelines: “Who am I to Judge?”

But, how long can one continue to use this ambiguous phrase?

St. Paul statue in front of St. Peters Basilica (Vatican). Sculptor: Adamo Tadolini. Courtesy of Ang MoKio.

And, where is Pope Francis drawing that very thin red line? Again, is the Holy Father using “Who am I to Judge” as a way to show the entire population that the real Christians and Catholics in this world are not supposed to judge and are supposed to accept everybody, regardless? That we have nothing against the gay lifestyle. Does this simple phrase open up a can of worms and now demonstrates to the entire world that “anything goes”?

Is this going to be the new phrase to replace the old one – “I am taking the 5th”?

“Taking the 5th” is the easy way out. One does not have to answer the question – even in a court of law. “I am taking the 5th”. “Who am I to judge”? Are they not almost identical?

Is it almost a cop-out? Will those five simple words that the Holiest of all Catholics made famous, now going to become the slogan and battle cry for the liberals, unbelievers and sinners? For the blatant homosexuals? For the pro-Abortionists? Is this the phrase that they are now going to use in order to manipulate the rest of our “straight” society? The phrase that they will use to get their way and continue to cram down the homosexual lifestyle to all of America?

My prayer this Lenten Season is that the well-liked Pope Francis comes strong to the entire world some time this Year 2014 – maybe during the joyous Advent Season – and explains to 6.8 billion people in the world what he meant by “Who am I to Judge”?

Claiming to be a “Son of the Holy Catholic Church”, I can only pray that once he gets everybody’s undivided attention, he sits down in front of the chalk board and teaches all of these liberals, homosexuals and pro-Abortionists that “there is a lot more to those 5 words” that he was so famously quoted for saying.

Now, are you all ready to take notes? Lesson One.

EDITORS NOTE: The featured image is by Thierry Ehrmann and is of a Pope Francis graffiti in the “Abode of Chaos” museum of contemporary art, in Saint-Romain-au-Mont-d’Or, Rhône-Alpes region, France. This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.