The president of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, Italian Bishop Antonio Staglianò, who was appointed by Pope Francis, created a stir recently via a viral video on Instagram.
Read more Paul Krugman wants to nuke red America from orbit
In the video, Staglianò opined that John Lennon’s famous/infamous pacifist song Imagine is the most beautiful song in the world.
Imagine that.
Staglianò actually stated, “Let’s abolish religion, let’s abolish God, let’s abolish heaven. Who says that? John Lennon, in the most beautiful song in the world, Imagine.”
The bishop made his remarks in the context of asserting that no religion — and therefore no concept, idea, or principle — should be worth killing or dying for.
Per lifesitenews.com, he concluded his remarks by stating his own interpretation of the Gospel:
“I too, like John Lennon,” Staglianò continued, “do not want a religion for which I must kill or die, I do not want a heaven for which I must kill or die, I do not want a God for whom I must kill or die. And don’t worry – this was said, before John Lennon, two thousand years ago by Jesus of Nazareth.”
Staglianò concluded by stating his interpretation of the Gospel: “Standing before the High Priest, Jesus said: Get it out of your head that my Abba, my God, my Father killed the firstborn sons of Egypt or the charioteers and horses of the Egyptian army, or that He ordered Saul to put prisoners to the sword… Get it out of your head, because my Abba is always and only love. With my Abba you can only make peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness.”
A Catholic bishop, president of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, touting a song whose lyrics read “Imagine there’s no heaven” as the most beautiful in the world seems to me to be a tad heretical. I mean, Jesus dying on the cross and being resurrected so that our sins might be expunged and we might have a chance at eternal life probably infers the existence of a heaven, no?
But he insisted that since he has a fancy Vatican job, he couldn’t possibly be a heretic.
Read more Oh no! Government employees are losing their jobs!
“Me, a heretical bishop? That’s a luxury I can’t afford,” Staglianò quipped. “I am a bishop and, moreover – with all due respect – President of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, so I cannot be a heretical bishop. If someone thinks I’m speaking heresy, then clearly they have some doctrinal confusion in their head. Where exactly would I be heretical? In saying that we cannot associate violence and punishments with the Holy Face of the Lord?”
So what the hell, screw it. Let’s hope (and pray?) that “Above us [is] only sky.”
Imagine, verse 2:
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
Imagine One World Government. Imagine being ruled by the European Union, the WEF, or the Communist Party of China. It isn’t hard to do. And wouldn’t it be great if there was no religion, too? Wouldn’t that lead to all of us around the world living life in peace?
No, it would lead to all of us being forced to worship The State as was done in the Soviet Union where the idea was acted out in real time, and to hell with individual rights and the rule of law.
And I am not a fan of killing or dying, but, let’s face it, if there is absolutely nothing for which you would die, there really isn’t much reason to live. If nothing means much to you, no principle moves you, and you aren’t willing to sacrifice for your spouse and children … is your life really worth living?
The third verse of Lennon’s Opus begins, “Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can.”
Well, the citizens of New York City under Zohran Mamdani may soon find out. They will own nothing and like it! Yay, communism! Am I right?!
Read more Chicoms continue to slip across the border
Imagine that there is no heaven, above us only sky.
Imagine a Catholic bishop thinking that is a beautiful thing.
Imagine that.
Sadly, we don’t have to.
Image: Pixabay, via Picryl // CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication