Lent is a superstitious religious practice anchored in pagan asceticism. As an invention of Roman Catholicism, it only makes sense that the Pope would capitalize on the season of works-righteousness and decree that Catholics stop criticizing him online for 40 days.
Catholics believe – as do a number of denominations that might as well be Catholic – that Christians should dash their heads with ashes as the observance begins and proceed to deny themselves some luxury or blessing for 40 days in order to make themselves more acceptable to God in preparation of Easter. The Catholic holiday, Mardi Gras, precedes Lent, intentionally giving Catholics permission to sin as much as possible during that celebration to get the sin out of the system. Then, the fasting begins in which Lent observers talk publicly of what they’re fasting from in direct opposition to Christ’s words to not talk about your fasting (Matthew 6:16).
The Pope has another idea this year. He wants you to knock off the online criticism which has been pervasive regarding his doctrinal shifts on issues traditionally important to Roman Catholics (the Pope has routinely been charged with heresy by high-ranking Romanist theologians).
The Pope said in his remarks at St. Peter’s Square, “is a time to give up useless words, gossip, rumors, tittle-tattle and speak to God on a first-name basis.”
He continued, “We live in an atmosphere polluted by too much verbal violence, too many offensive and harmful words, which are amplified by the internet,” he said. “Today, people insult each other as if they were saying ‘Good Day.”
The term “verbal violence” is a new invention of Snowflake Culture, also called the phenomenon of Fragility. It’s a component of Catastrophization, the notion that words can somehow do violence and that people need a “safe space” from competing ideas in order to avoid personal harm.
Ironically, the Pope’s words echo recent sentiment by the evangelical “Gospel” Coalition, which has been incessantly shaming people for criticizing them in social media and on blogs from their online platform in recent weeks.
