September | 2023 | Manifesto for a Lay Pope

Why is suffering the first word people associate with our Christian faith

I am a sinner I have sinned against those I Love and those who Love me but I am saved because Jesus sacrificed Himself on the Cross to atone for my sins and I Love Him for the suffering He endured in atonement for my weakness .

But I do not truly Love Him if I fixate on his suffering and death . I can only truly Love Him when I Love Him not because He died on the Cross but because He is risen from the dead.

Why are our places of worship and our homes not full to overflowing with Joyful, astounding , wonder filled images like the one above. Suffering should not be the first word people associate with our Saviour .

The Cross has a sacred place within our understanding of Christ’s sacrifice particularly across Easter but it is time to take our Lord down from the Cross throughout the rest of the year and refill our Places of worship and our homes with images of sheer uncontrollable Joy at what He has done for us . Throughout Lent we must ensure that the Cross with the crucified Christ is returned to be the foremost and prominent image of our Communion within our homes and places of worship so that we never forget our Saviours sacrifice for our salvation . However if we truly understand what Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross was for we should adorn those homes and churches with images that are Life affirming and overflowing with astonishment and resonate Hope and sheer happiness not pain, loss and defeat.

It is time to take Christ down from the Cross

Peace and Love

The Lay Pope

Manifesto for a Lay Pope. My promise to you; If I am elected Pope I will decree that:

To ensure that the centre of our Christian faith is an affirmation of Christs resurrection and not His death all Catholic Diocese will be instructed to remove images of the Crucified Christ from their Churches and homes to be replaced by life affirming, joyful, astounding and awe filled images of our Risen Saviour .

During Lent images of the crucified Christ will be returned to the homes and places of worship of the faithful in order that due reverence may be afforded to the pain and suffering of our Saviours sacrifice in atonement for our sins.

“I may speak in tongues of men or of angels but if I am without Love I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. I may have the gift of prophesy and know every hidden truth; I may have Faith strong enough to move mountains but if I have no Love I am nothing. I may dole out all I possess or even give my body to be burnt but if I have no Love I am none the better. Love is patient; Love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful nor conceited nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offence. Love takes no score of wrongs; does not gloat over others men’s sins but delights in the Truth. There is nothing Love cannot face; there is no limit to its Faith, its Hope and its Endurance.”
1 Corinthians 13: 1-7

my e mail is : the laypope@yahoo.com

“Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you “

Have you ever read this passage from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans 12:1-2 .

“Think of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.”

We are asked to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Will of God . There is no ambiguity here .We are not being asked to offer part of ourselves in Gods service . It’s all or nothing .

Such a demand sounds daunting at first, almost impossible given the demands of all too complex daily lives . However it’s far more simple than this . Gods Will is that we as Christians are compelled to live out our human existence , resonating His Love , Justice , Peace , Mercy, Joy and service to the poor and destitute in everything we do at all times and in all places . His Will is that we offer our whole selves , our living bodies , as a holy sacrifice to resonate these wonderful qualities in His name to all humanity . To be a living sacrifice to His Will we simply need to personify Love, Justice , Peace , Mercy , Joy and service to the poor and destitute wherever we go . Always and everywhere ! If we do it will make us Christians people that other people want to be around and if we are doing Gods Will through acts of Love, Justice , Peace , Mercy, Joy and service to the poor and destitute and they are around us then they are around God at that same time . That’s true evangelisation 😊

I am a lay Catholic campaigning to become the next Bishop of Rome. Read my Manifesto at thelaypope.com

Peace and Love… God Bless you and yours

I can be contacted at thelaypope@yahoo.com