Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, RIP

Recently, before his passing, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini said, “the Catholic Church was 200 years out of date.”  The former archbishop of Milan and once papal hopeful said in an interview that was released on Saturday.

Dying at the age of 85 on Friday, Martini is known for building ties between Christians and Jews and recently had discussed how the church’s failings were due to its proud and increasing bureaucratic nature.  He was known for confronting self-righteousness, pride, arrogance and hypocrisy in the Church head on.

Martini believed that the Church should humble itself and be more upfront about the accusations raised against it. "The Church must admit its mistakes and begin a radical change, starting from the pope and the bishops. The pedophilia scandals oblige us to take a journey of transformation," he said.

Thousands of people flocked to his coffin on Saturday in Milan.

A Partial Eulogy for Cardinal Martini

By St. Augustine, Doctor of Grace

Let us therefore lead good lives, and while we lead good lives let us on no account take it for granted that we are without sin.  Living a life that is praiseworthy includes begging pardon for things that are blameworthy.  But people who are beyond hope pay all the less attention to their own sins, the more interested they are in those of others.  They are looking for a chance to tear others to bits, not put them right.  Unable to excuse themselves, they are all too ready to accuse others.

And a Parting Scripture from Today's Gospel. . .

[Jesus said to the elders and leaders], “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine the precepts of men.’ “You disregard God’s commandment [to love God and each other] but cling to human traditions. “ Jesus then summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand . . .” From within people, from their hearts come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly,. All of these come from within and that is what defiles a person.” Mark 7: 1-23

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