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Bishop Displeased With Pope’s Leadership

I very recently asked Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, bishop emeritus of Corpus Christi, Texas, the following question:

161016abbottWould you say that this pontificate [of Pope Francis] has thus far been more heterodox and confusing than orthodox and edifying?

Bishop Gracida’s answer:

Yes!
He added:

Most Catholics are unaware that there have been instances in Church history when a pope either taught heresy, or failed in his duty to suppress heresy. And if it happened before, it can happen again.

For example: Pope Nicholas I said that baptism was valid whether administered in the name of the Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity or in the name of Christ only. In this Pope Nicholas was mistaken. Baptism in the name of Christ only is not valid.

Pope Honorius, in order to justify a compromise with heretics, said in 634: ‘We must be careful not to rekindle ancient quarrels.’ On this argument, the pope allowed error to spread freely, with the result that truth and orthodoxy were effectively banished.

St. Sophronius of Jerusalem, almost alone, stood up to Pope Honorius and accused him of heresy. Eventually the pope repented, but died without repairing the immeasurable harm he did to the Church due to his compromising principle. Thus, the Third Council of Constantinople cast its anathema upon him, and this was confirmed by Pope St. Leo II.

Pope John XXII said at Avignon, on the feast of All Saints, 1331, that the soul does not enter the beatific vision until the resurrection of the body, at the last day. After which, the pope was rebuked by the theologians from the University of Paris. They rebuked the pope because they knew that this theory of the pope was a heresy. It wasn’t until shortly before John XXII died in 1334 that he recanted his error.

A pope enjoys the full infallibility promised by Christ only when he fulfills all of the following conditions:

  • Teaches on a matter of faith and morals
  • Teaches to the whole world
  • Teaches after lengthy consultation with the bishops and theologians
  • Proclaims his teaching in a solemn manner before a large assembly of cardinals, patriarchs, bishops, priests and laity

Otherwise, he is merely giving a press conference and enjoys little if any of the infallibility promised by Christ.

 

Originally published at Renew America. Reprinted with permission.

Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic commentator with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication, Media and Theatre from Northeastern Illinois University. He’s been interviewed on MSNBC, NPR, WLS-TV (ABC) in Chicago, WMTV (NBC) in Madison, Wis., and has been quoted in The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. He can be reached at [email protected].

54 thoughts on “Bishop Displeased With Pope’s Leadership”

  1. Maybe it is a way forward out of this morass if the Bishops emeriti of the world begin to speak up collectively. After all they are retired, and His Humble and Most Merciful Holiness in Rome can no longer do anything to punish them. How many emeritus Bishops are there ? There surely must be several hundred at least.

    Not that we can expect any support from the Bishop Emeritus of Rome…. :+(

    Reply
    • Even if retired, and possessing no diocesan See or having the voting rights of a cardinal, a bishop is still a successor to the one of the Apostles whom his consecration is traced back. That said, just because a retired bishop does not have a canonical office does not mean that he cannot challenge Peter!
      I agree, all the retired bishops with nothing to lose except their eternal salvation for staying quiet in face of all the papal heresies coming from the mouth and desk of Francis is simply astounding. Absolutely astounding.

      Reply
  2. Good for retired Bishop Gracida. Kind of small change but we’ll take whatever we can get. Imagine having our Bishops and Cardinals in charge of a war. They would cut and run after the first shot. Pathetic. The devil is dancing night and day—for good reason.

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  3. Whilst we thank Bishop Gracida & Cardinal Caffarra for their support in ridding ourselves of the heresies & blasphemies of this Pontificate, we really need the vocal support of sitting Cardinals & Bishops who collectively will have much more clout than those who are in retirement. There is no earthly excuse for their continued silence so we have to presume demonic influence. I am sure that God has been giving them time to vigorously oppose the present incumbent of the Seat of Peter but time is running out for all of us. Our Lady said the time will come when she would no longer be able to hold up His arm but have to let it go. That time appears to be very close now. Maybe some phenomenon will occur to force the Pope to consecrate Russia to Her Immaculate Heart (as she has predicted he will do) & to reveal the Third Secret of Fatima – both much against his will no doubt. It is no use speculating whether it will be PF or his successor who will in the end carry out Our Lady’s wishes as per her instructions but she has said that the consecration will be done & will be followed by Her Triumph.

    Reply
    • I, too am very troubled that the sitting cardinals and bishops have yet to offer fraternal correction to this Pope. In fact, I would suggest, it is now too late to do so. In order to be credible, one must be prepared for the consequences of such sacrifice in doing so. Retired bishops, God bless then, have little to sacrifice.

      There is no sacrifice coming from sitting bishops, cardinals, except for one or two, who have gone under the radar. We need a Paul to speak to Peter for the love of Christ!

      No sacrifice; No love!

      Reply
  4. Francis took out of the Vatican all Ratzinger’s supporters and is filling in the spaces with ultraliberal cardinals. At the same time he has been watering down catholic teaching to make it soley an issue of being concerned for helping the poor. What you believe and how you live is not as important, so it seems.

    Reply
    • “Jesus…, six days before the pasch, came to Bethania, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life. And they made him a supper there: and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that were at table with him. Mary…took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, he that was about to betray him, said: Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the purse, carried the things that were put therein. Jesus therefore said: Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial. For the poor you have always with you; but me you have not always.”

      Successors of the apostles, particularly of St. Peter, ought to take great care that they are not successors of Judas, the son of perdition.

      Reply
      • A man who worked in the missions for 14 years is writing here: and he asked Jesus what must I do to inherit the kindgom of heaven? And Jesus answered…OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS! To serve the poor doesn’t mean anything if we don’t obey the commandments. Go and read 1 Corinthians 13: You can burn yourself but if you don’t love, it means nothing. Now go and read 1 John 5:3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.

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    • In the name of false mercy, this pope has deliberately chosen radical clergy for the synods, gone against synod procedures, is attempting to change the wording of the Magisterium, is opening up all kinds of heretical changes to church teaching, jumping on the bandwagon of climate change, abortion, radical sex education in schools, and the list goes on endlessly.

      This has been done deliberately, in conjunction with dissident clergy like Kasper, Baldisseri, and many others, after first removing faithful cardinals like C. Burke, Sarah, and others who are faithful to Church teaching.

      Bishop Gracida and others are speaking out, but who will lead the charge and confront the elephant in the room?

      Laity Rise Up : http://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/laity-rise-up

      Crisis. Where will the synod lead us to?
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqJcsl7pB7g

      US Bishops Mum on Clinton Campaign’s Anti-Catholicism

      http://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/us-bishops-mum-on-clinton-campaigns-anti-catholicism

      BREAKING: Leaked e-mails show George Soros paid $650K to
      influence bishops during Pope’s US visit
      https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-leaked-e-mails-show-george-soros-paid-to-influence-bishops-during#comment-2857097914

      The Money Trail: Why Catholic Bishops Are Silent on Hillary
      http://www.remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles
      This whole scenario is reminiscent of Hillary Clinton’s campaign – deception, lies, breaking of the law, and a smiling face to cover it all up!

      Reply
  5. Michael Voris interviewed Bishop Gracida a year ago, And Michael thought the Bishop was a big deal. However, I was under impressed, even though, at the time, I was still on the fence regarding Francis. I yearn to see bishops with fire in the belly. Otherwise, what they say is as impotent as spitting into a wind storm. Burke is soooo cautious. Sarah sticks his head up above the ramparts once in a while and then ducks for cover again. Schneider is a bit too ethereal. They don’t put their guts, their lives on the line.

    Reply
    • Why do you suppose these cardinals have gone under the radar, sort of speak? Are they afraid of schism? Afraid of Francis? Do they justify their silence with trying to do some good for the Church here and there while remaining under the radar? These are good and holy men of whom we speak.
      It is hard right now to understand their posturing, while feeding the laity with good words, holy books, etc.

      I am so very confused about this. And also that time is running out before our Lord will have to take things into His own hands…….so not leave His future children yet to be born without His Church, and living in such filth of impurity.

      BTW- I remember posting to you on CMTV. I always appreciated your comments.
      I, too, understand and share your comments regarding Bishop Gracida. But, let us have pity and mercy for a priest who, for whatever reason is now speaking.

      Reply
      • Hi cs. I remember you too from CM. I no longer accept the premise that to protest means to make the crisis in the church worse. Schism, et al. The church is rushing headlong into collapse. So if caution, discretion, silence really worked, surely we would have seen some positive results by now.

        Silence does not work. When I see the church turning around from her present course, then I’ll ACCEPT that what these “good and holy men” did not do, was the best course to take. Even the most MINIMALIST standards of Catholic orthodoxy have not been achieved over the past 50 years. It’s not just these three men. It’s Vat ll itself and the myriad ways that modernism seduced so many cardinals. It’s the way all the popes starting with Pope John XXlll, Paul Vl, JPll, Benedict, and, let’s be honest, they too were compromised by the prevailing winds of change that the west experienced in the first half of the 20th century, modernism probably(that worst of all heresies)having the most devastating consequences for our beloved Catholic Church. As though Original Sin had been abrogated in 1962. Their silence culminated in the election of this corrupt Jorge Bergoglio.

        So silence is to take the easy way out. This is a fight to the death, and it’s going to take bishops with “fire in the belly” to fight against this satanic war against Christ and His church. It is a fight to the death. Anything less is betrayal. The three bishops in question do not have what it takes to take an uncompromising stand. I have no reason to doubt their doctrinal faithfulness. However, when the chips are down they will follow the line of least resistance. To borrow a phrase reportedly stated by the heretic Martin Luther – “Here I stand. I can do no other.” Christ demands no less of us, clerical and laity.

        Reply
        • I share you thoughts 1000 percent.

          It is a lonely time to walk the earth as one who is trying to be a faithful Catholic and live it.

          I would like a little bit of company from a few Church leaders from time to time, and would so appreciate
          a holy and courageous leader.

          Perhaps someone will come.

          Reply
          • Hi cs. Yes. God will never abandon His church. Keep praying. And it’s not just the church. It’s Western Civilization too. I have come to accept that God is punishing the church and the west by withholding Sanctifying Graces. The church gets Jorge Bergoglio, and the west gets more and more depraved As country after country rejects Christianity wholesale and embraces pre-Christian paganism.

            We have to pray and pray. And never stop praying. God is punishing us. But will never abandon us. I agree with you. But NOT “perhaps”. Ok?? God is raising up a “holy and courageous leader” or leaders.

          • Yes, you are right! God will give us a holy and courageous leader/leaders.
            He always did throughout time.
            The faithful are being prepared, drawn to His Truth and His strength.

          • Many feel like you do, including myself.
            I have gone to my bishop, but the silence is deafening.
            Some of my Catholic friends who are attending bible study courses, Catholic talks, etc. will tune out completely when I try to warn them about what is happening right now, in our time.
            Even priests and catechists will not listen.
            Sorry to say that dissident clergy have done a good job of lulling the sheep into complete complacency, as though there is no crisis. It leaves the faithful like myself feeling helpless – now I rest in the thought that I have done my best, and have to leave it to God – after all, this spiritual battle is the Lord’s, for whom nothing is impossible. I continue to speak out, but I know prayer is our only weapon as the world around us comes crashing down !

          • God be with you for your courage to speak. Whether we speak in soft words, or kind words, or loud words…..so many will not listen from the laity, to the priest to the bishop.
            My anger at what has happened in our Church has turned to pity for many of them who have misled and deceived the masses. I pray the good Lord takes that into consideration when He judges.

            Pray, Adoration, Rosary, the Sacraments and random acts of charity will protect and keep our hearts joined with our Lord and His Mother.
            In fact, I will be at Adoration this evening during the presidential debate tonight.
            I so need His peace, the only peace that matters.

    • But….if you went back and watched the video closely (I did), you will find that Michael Voris really started to squirm when Bishop Gracida started talking about Francis in a not so positive light. Voris’ body language told the whole story. Additionally, did you notice that CMTV either buried that video or removed it from their website? I did. Voris and company stopped mentioning and highlighting Gracida after Gracida posted on his blog comments that CMTV moderators would most surely delete.

      Reply
      • I only remember my thought – that Gracida’s comments were so very very mild. Even though as I said I was still working out who the hell this Bergoglio was. I only remember that Michael was very enthusiastic about Bishop Gracida. The bishops words, concerns had no sense of alarm or urgency. He did not address the horrific state of the church, nor this weird new “pope”. So detached. So safe. I do remember him talking about a Providential Grace he received in a conference of bishops, that enabled him, Gracida, to courageously and honestly speak his mind. I believe I had the irreverent thought , while watching Gracida speak to Michael, that this was his way of convincing himself and viewers that he had not betrayed the church. He was less than convincing.

        Anyway I stopped my Premier membership with ChurchMilitant.Com about 5 months ago.

        Reply
        • I stopped my CMTV Premium membership over a year ago after my comments about Francis got deleted, and far worse, the moderator(s) actually went in and EDITED my remarks. Apparently, CMTV has suffered a huge loss in followers and premium memberships over the Francis debacle.

          Reply
    • Look what has happened to those bishops who did raise their concerns – they have been summarily removed from their important positions –
      C, Burke, now C. Sarah, C. Pell, etc.

      This pope has clearly said that he will brook no dissent to his liberal theology :

      Papal critics threatened with excommunication as “Year of Mercy” begins
      http://voiceofthefamily.com/category/news-articles/

      Reply
      • I understand your concern, but life has gotten very comfortable for us in the west. Today in our PC culture our greatest concern is to not offend or be disliked. The faithful bishops you mention don’t want to lose their cushy jobs, their status, or be alienated.

        Does this please Christ? Did He not say we will have crosses? What are those bishops prepared to sacrifice for their Saviour and His church? Because that’s what it’s going to take – great sacrifices to halt the Bergoglion demolition of the Catholic Church.

        Every single one of the 12 apostles/bishops suffered a brutal death, with the exception of St. John, because they chose death over betrayal of Christ. The bishops we are referring to are defeated by their soft souls and spiritual mediocrity.

        Reply
          • I’ve seen you in Ann Barnhardt’s CB in her posts for The Remnant., so you’re no stranger to the controversy swirling around good bishops and who will defend the church against apostate Bergoglio.

            I’ve reluctantly come to the conclusion that it’s grasping at straws to hope that Burke, Schneider or Sarah is going to take on the much needed mantle of leadership. Or, that Benedict XVl is till pope. Since the 2 Synods, I saw Cardinal Sarah as a possibility. He has that look of a man, deeply Catholic, brilliant and capable of getting a tough job done. For whatever reason he is a “reluctant saint”. The pressures to go along, to keep your mouth shut, in the corrupt Vatican must be horrendous.

            But that’s what it’s going to.take, to swim against the tide, for any bishop to step into the breach.

            Ann, who lives by the motto, “take no prisoners”, has persuaded herself that Benedict is still pope. She accepts that he has a lot to answer for before God. And not that she thinks Benedict will save the church, but that he IS STILL the pope.

            I’m afraid Ann, in spite of her brilliance, is indulging in wishful thinking.

  6. Well, those Popes mentioned in the article had a few heresies. Jorge has thousands of them. So on Jorge’s death bed, we better bring him THE VERY LARGE LIST!

    Reply
  7. I think the good bishop should look at the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas regarding the Sacrament of Baptism. St. Nicholas I…also known as St. Nicholas the Great…was not guilty of false teaching.

    Reply
  8. What pope failed to stop the spread of the heresy know as contraception? abortion? pornography? IFV? embryonic stem cell research? euthanasia? Our Lady of Fatima said that the errors of Russia would spread about the world. She didn’t say, so go ahead and do nothing to stop it.

    Reply
  9. Very interesting article. Comparing the Papacy of Francis to previous unsound Papacies is useful. One benefit of doing so reveals that Pope Francis is not so much making theological “mistakes”, but acting willfully to change the Church to conform itself to an evil age. Never before in the history of the Church has there been the resignation of a Pope designed to accommodate the election of a man so willing to undermine the Faith of Our Fathers. It is as though an unholy timetable demanded this unholy Papacy at this particularly unholy time.

    Reply
    • Yes there is this parallel with the Pagan secular Governance of the world. A rush to be seen as open to all things Pagan along with all its evil. There is this fermenting confusion which causes problems at the local Parish between Liberal Catholics and the Traditional Catholics who adhere to the authentic teachings of the Holy Church vs the Catholic Spring Revolutionaries that John Podesta made so clear in his email. This is the submerged Schism from the Revolutionaries that are pushing back the Sacred in the Holy Catholic Church. The big question is how to deal with it from the Traditional side.

      Reply
      • Hi GtG – In the end the Truth always emerges, and those who love the Truth will remain faithful to It. Pray for those who no longer seek the Purifying Power of the Truth – they face eternal damnation. Those who value the Sacramental Church and Her unchanging Teachings will find a sturdy shelter as the reign of terror that is soon to be unleashes upon this earth puts our Faith to the test. Resolve all things first to the Words spoken by Jesus Christ, they are meant to guide us out of the darkness. Jesus I Trust in You.

        Reply
      • Beware the genetic fallacy.

        I believe what is cited in the link they posted.

        Vatican 1 did investigate the matter of the putative papal heretics and concluded there were no such men.

        As for the Sedes, I don’t agree with them. Franciscus is Pope.

        Reply
    • Couldn’t help it, but your comments reminded me of Hillary Clinton’s mis-handling of classified documents and the subsequent lying, shredding and destroying of evidence; FBI Comey’s final determination after “investigations” that it was merely “carelessness” on her part, no crimes, no big deal, all is cool.

      Reply
  10. amazingly amusing since the Pope has just come out with a disdain for GMO foods of which mmmmmmmmmmmmmmacdonalds is a 100% user. Check U tube for the hamburger that nevver rots

    Reply
  11. are we not to defend the Mtstical Body of Christ? What will God do if we fail in our duty? He will surely beat up on us all. Manly cowards seems to be our vocations.

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  12. This is a step in the right direction, however weak. I wonder if Church Militant will ban this Bishop from posting or interviews!

    Reply
  13. Thank you for that wonderfully very clear and unconfusing teaching about the heretical Popes in the history of the Catholic Church.

    Reply

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