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Pope Defends the Dismissed Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta – and Perhaps Further Shows His Bias

Christopher Lamb, writing for the professedly progressivist Catholic weekly newspaper The Tablet, reported on 5 January that Pope Francis has explicitly requested from the Order of Malta that it retain as its Grand Chancellor the German Knight, Albrecht von Boeselager. According to Lamb:

Cardinal Raymond Burke and the Knights of Malta’s leader defied the wishes of Pope Francis and the Holy See when they sacked a senior figure in a row about the distribution of condoms. Letters seen by The Tablet reveal that Francis specifically requested [that] no one be dismissed in a dispute that saw Albrecht von Boeselager thrown out as Grand Chancellor and then suspended from the Order. [my emphasis]

Lamb then quotes a letter sent to Matthew Festing, the head of the Order of Malta, and written by Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in which he explains that Pope Francis does not wish the dismissal of von Boeselager to take place:

“I wish first of all to reiterate that these measures [the sacking and suspension of Boeselager] must not be attributed to the will of the Pope or his directives,” the cardinal wrote in a letter to Festing on 21 December. “As I expressed to you in my letter of 12 December 2016: ‘as far as the use and diffusion of methods and means contrary to the moral law, His Holiness has asked for dialogue as the way to deal with, and resolve, eventual problems. But he has never spoken of sending someone away!’” [my emphasis]

This surprising insistence upon the way of dialogue instead of dismissal is especially astonishing to observers when compared to the recent dismissal of three CDF priests and to the refusal of Pope Francis even to give reasons for his peremptory orders to Cardinal Gerhard Müller in this case.

To return to Cardinal Parolin now. According to The Tablet, the cardinal also informed Matthew Festing, the Order’s Grand Master, that Pope Francis does very well and unmistakably “have authority in this case,” even though the Order is in several ways and, as such, an independent organization:

Cardinal Parolin says Francis would like the conflict to be resolved but raises the possibility the Holy See could take further steps against the Order – and given the defiance [sic] of the Pope in this matter, the positions of both Cardinal Burke and Festing are under pressure. [my emphasis]

What this news report shows to us is that, in this case, Pope Francis shows himself to be eager to defend a dubious man – and to threaten those who have dismissed him – who is himself known to have allowed and promoted the use of condoms and contraceptives (which are also, in many cases, abortifacients). As LifeSiteNews has recently reported, von Boeselager clearly violated in his actions Catholic moral teaching:

The NGO documents uncovered by the Lepanto Institute show that von Boeselager oversaw the distribution of condoms and oral contraceptives while he was Grand Hospitaller, the person in charge of the charitable work of the Order, through its international charity Malteser International. Documents from the World Health Organization, Three Disease Fund, Save the Children, and UNAIDS all show that Malteser was responsible for distributing and promoting contraception. The distribution and promotion of contraception were part of Malteser’s role as a grantee and partner of these organizations, the documents indicate.

What this incident shows is that Pope Francis himself refuses to use stricter chastening methods when it is about those who promote a laxer or more liberalizing moral agenda. The same applies to the recently reported incident where Pope Francis re-instated a laicized priest who had been found guilty of grave sexual abuse but whom the pope, in 2014, later called back into the active priesthood where he remains. As Michael Dougherty himself writes:

Pope Francis and his cardinal allies have been known to interfere with CDF’s [Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith] judgments on abuse cases. This intervention has become so endemic to the system that cases of priestly abuse in Rome are now known to have two sets of distinctions. The first is guilty or innocent. The second is “with cardinal friends” or “without cardinal friends.” And indeed, Pope Francis is apparently pressing ahead with his reversion of abuse practices even though the cardinals who are favorable to this reform of reform have already brought him trouble because of their friends. Consider the case of Fr. Mauro Inzoli. Inzoli lived in a flamboyant fashion and had such a taste for flashy cars that he earned the nickname “Don Mercedes.” He was also accused of molesting children. He allegedly abused minors in the confessional. He even went so far as to teach children that sexual contact with him was legitimated by scripture and their faith. When his case reached CDF, he was found guilty. And in 2012, under the papacy of Pope Benedict, Inzoli was defrocked. But Don Mercedes was “with cardinal friends,” we have learned. Cardinal Coccopalmerio and Monsignor Pio Vito Pinto [sic], now dean of the Roman Rota, both intervened on behalf of Inzoli, and Pope Francis returned him to the priestly state in 2014, inviting him to a “a life of humility and prayer.” These strictures seem not to have troubled Inzoli too much. In January 2015, Don Mercedes participated in a conference on the family in Lombardy. [my emphasis]

So here we have a confirmation, and in two cases – one a promoter of contraception (and more), the other a child abuser – where Pope Francis rejects a sterner chastening and punishment of the gravely responsible persons. However, in the recent case of the Congregation for Doctrine, Pope Francis has shown his unexplained (and likely irreversible) austerity: he has ordered the prompt removal of three well-trained and well-respected priests from their dicastery offices.

Moreover, the German Catholic newspaper, Die Tagespost, has now confirmed, on 4 January, the earlier story as reported by Marco Tosatti about the three priests who were dismissed from the CDF, and this new confirmation was made on the basis of their own distinct sources in Rome:

As is to be learned from the Vatican, the report of the Italian Vatican specialist, Marco Tossati, at the end of December [2016], according to which Pope Francis enforced the dismissal of three employees of the Congregation for the Doctrine, corresponds with the facts.

Furthermore, in this context of the pope’s own recent conduct, Die Tagespost even surprisingly uses the expression about his “rather authoritarian style of leadership” and then hints at signs that also show that “the nervousness in the inner circle of Francis and in himself is growing.”

Nevertheless, does it not astonish us somewhat that the German Bishops’ Conference’s website has immediately rebuked Die Tagespost for its alleged attempt “to silence” the “reformer pope”? That indignantly huffy article, published on the official website of the German Bishops, katholisch.de, even closes with these rather meaningful, if not celebratory, words:

The pope is having more and more difficulties. Inasmuch as only a few stand as clearly at his side – in his earnest grappling for an open and merciful Church – as Cardinal Reinhard Marx himself: the President of the German Bishops’ Conference.

 

164 thoughts on “Pope Defends the Dismissed Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta – and Perhaps Further Shows His Bias”

  1. Good luck taking down the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Francis! Too bad you sent your best canon lawyer to be their patron!

    Oh, the irony!

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  2. Pope Francis and crew have a serious optics problem: they can’t seem to realize that no one is fooled by their ‘investigation’ that this is rather an obvious attempt to besmirch Cardinal Burke. The former Grand Chancellor von Boeselager should have been removed from office and there is no defense for not removing him. None.

    “…the use and diffusion of methods and means contrary to the moral law, His Holiness has asked for dialogue as the way to deal with, and resolve, eventual problems.”

    Give me a break! What a crock of crap, dialogue doesn’t bring justice to the grave evil that has been done, nor does it promote mercy. Furthermore, these are not eventual problems these are real problems because of what von Boeselager has done, and the solution is the removal from his office by his superiors who have every right and the authority to do so.

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  3. And I thought the days of antipopes had passed with the Hohenstaufens and the Western Schism… (cynical chuckle to myself)

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  4. We are witnessing the greatest crisis that has ever faced the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Francis is an historic figure, who will appear on the short list of those who rose to the highest levels of infamy. There is no way to overstate the damage he is doing to the souls of those rendered vulnerable to Apostasy over the past 50 years. Benedict must speak now or forever suffer the eternal penalty for remaining silent when he alone could restrain Francis and his agenda.

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    • I don’t think Benedict is even capable of speaking to this now. We’ll never know what made him resign, but I have always felt that he thought he was doing it for the good of the Church. God only knows what they threatened to do if he didn’t resign.

      And now this is infinitely worse than anybody, including BXVI, could ever have imagined.

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        • Good evening, Dankin,
          Lucifer is “the master”. Bergoglio and his ilk are Lucifer’s slaves. George Soros is the visible face of the “invisible hand” (the Luciferians) which has always controlled the secular government. In caritas.

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      • Hi Isabel – I also believe Benedict was deceived and pressured to resign. I think he was a very Holy Shepherd of the Church, who made a very grave error in resigning. I also believe that God is allowing this to happen for His own Good Purposes. I have wondered for a long time how the return of Jesus could be an act of true Justice, since it ends the possibility of redemption for those who refuse to repent, in other words that final generation would not have the opportunity to repent that all the others which preceded it from the time of the resurrection until the day of our Lord’s return had. I have come to the conclusion that in those final days open to Grace and Repentance, the choices we make are so clear that redemption is no longer possible at the time of Jesus’ return. And indeed this is exactly what it was like “as in the days of Noah” as our Lord warned would be upon that final generation. From this perspective it makes sense that from a Church lost in its own apostasy there would be a pope who himself was an apostate. And just as clearly there would be those who would speak out against him because their love for Jesus, and His Sacramental Church would far exceed their love for the Institutional Church, and any false sense of Mercy it would put forth. A mercy that would be based in a profane view of Mercy rather than the authentic Divine reality of Mercy which flows from God, not man. I pray for Benedict, and as I said have great hope that he will not remain silent any longer. Until then we should thank God for providing fearless warriors such as Cardinal Raymond Burke. The meaning of Mary’s appearance to the children of Fatima becomes clearer with each passing day. We live in the times she warned were coming. It would be wise for all of us to listen to this Heaven sent Messenger.

        Reply
        • If Benedict was “pressured” to resign, that is coercion, thus, making his resignation INVALID, and, hence, he is still pope. I have said for quite some time now that the facts have become public enough to affirm this. Clearly, I agree with you, the Church is in a real crisis.

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          • There is certainly a valid & disturbing question mark regarding PB’s resignation which is not answered by stating that the people of Rome have accepted him as their Bishop. The pope is overall ruler of the most prestigious institution on earth founded by Jesus Christ Himself governing all Catholics – not just those living in Rome. When the St. Gallen Group (Mafia) came out declaring a victory in getting ‘their man’ elected it sent shivers down my spine. How can such an outcome be tolerated? Let’s hope that PB outlives PF & that we shall be afforded the true reason for his hasty resignation. What cannot be tolerated is the innovation of an ‘expanded papacy’ & this should be cleared-up by the CDF whose job it is to verify such announcements. Cardinal Müller should not hesitate to make the correction. It’s time for all the Cardinals to step out of their comfort zone in favour of upholding Christ’s Word in toto.

          • Hello Ana,

            I implore your not finding any solace, not one iota, from Pope Ratzinger. Watch him carefully since the election of Pope Bergoglio, both in his action and inaction, words and lack there of. Read his own words ( http://www.angelusnews.com/articles/how-pope-francis-new-joy-surprised-benedict-xvi ) and watch his embrace of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, both physically and intellectively. The man who once spoke of praying he be protected from the wolves, is himself one of them. In caritas.

          • I have often wondered why Benedict has said that he only resigned the governance of the papal office- not the prayerful, spiritual side. Why? There is a reason for why he has said and done everything to date- most of which- in my opinion- does not match up to reality.

          • The extended papacy is a false innovation of the usurpers of VII to gain power and shouldn’t be accepted. There is only one Seat of Peter not two & only one that can claim infallibility, so which one is it then?

          • Then why doesn’t the other one speak up? It has recently been reported that Archbishop Gänswein is the go-between PF & PB. Is he also the gaoler? Maybe the hope was that PB would have passed on by now & an illicit election would fade into the sunset?

          • Perhaps because he has been blackmailed. And, perhaps he stayed in the Vatican because he has full diplomatic immunity. I really do not know. All I do know is that plenty of evidence is now readily available that points to coercion and/or blackmail by the St. Gallen Mafia cardinals.

          • If this is so, and it’s likely, then he should have gone to the police. Blackmail is a heinous crime & should be dealt with by the police. He shouldn’t have abandoned his position & even at this late stage should speak against this Papacy’s attempted destruction of the CC. He has nothing to lose at his age & might bring to an end the worst Pontificate ever.

          • Gone to the police where? He is a resident of the sovereign Vatican State. The Vatican police would have to investigate. Geez:-(

            I mean we have to keep in mind for as much as many loved Benedict as a pope, we must keep in mind (unfortunately) that he knew for years about all the sexual abuse of minor cases as Prefect for the CDF, and, then, later as pope where it now appears that he did practically nothing to stop it. I wish the facts were different.

          • Why not the Vatican Police unless they were corrupt as well & if that were the case he, as Pope, must hold that responsibility, as the buck stops there? In fact, he should have just gone on to the balcony & told the world. Then abdicate. With the world watching who could lay a finger on him? But he chose to run & leave us to the wolves – the coward’s way out!

            I have always said he had a great input into VII & much of his views & writings are Modernist. He was part & parcel of that Council. As Head of the CDF & right-hand man of JPII he knew quite well what went on in the seminaries (Marcial Maciel) & like his predecessor did nothing about it. Nonetheless, what has PF done about it either? What has he done about the Vatican Bank only to sack Cardinal Pell who was having some success. The rubbish appointments all post VII popes have made & PF continues to make amount to clericalism at its worst. Sacking men like Cardinal Burke & raising up others like Cupich is hardly the sign of a man that has the good of his flock at heart. He even sacked the Head of the Swiss Guard, so they must have been doing something good. At least PB didn’t invite an enabler to attend a Synod on the Family as PF has done or said he respected the heretic Martin Luther describing him as a ‘witness to the gospel’. Nor did he meet with Italy’s leading & unrepentant abortionist describing her as one of the nation’s ‘forgotten greats’.

            They all have brought the CC down to ground level turning the Vatican into a place of sodomy & threatening talk instead of sanctity & reflection. Our only hope for a break in this chastisement is for the formal correction to succeed. If it does & we get a Traditional Pope who would consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary & reveal in its entirety the Third Secret of Fatima it could be the beginning of a new era of restoration of the CC which we should earnestly be praying for.

          • While im appalled by Pope Benedict’s silence or even seeming support for Bergoglio, I would like to defend him from some charges. First of all, I don’t think he’s a Modernist. I think he was actually someone who was so devoted to the Church that he could never bring himself to consider that VII was, at least in part, heretical and the ideas being implemented by JPII were gravely wrong. As he became more powerful, he did in fact attempt to formally correct some of these ideas.

            JPII was probably very personally devout, but he was completely confused in a lot of areas of theology and doctrine, ranging from his over the top “ecumenism” (which resulted in his devoutly kissing the Koran, among other things) to his weak governance and lack of response to the problems of homosexuality and dissent among clergy and hierarchy. One of the first oficial acts of BXVI was, btw, to get rid of Maciel, who had obviously and unaccountably been protected by JPII all those years. I don’t know how much of JPII’s thought and actions came from Modernism and how much from a sentimental and self-referential view of the Faith, the Church and the Papacy. He was delighted when people screamed “JPII, we love you,” and I think was largely responsible for the cult of personality that developed.

            BXVI detested this; I saw him at an audience once when people began to yell “Benedetto, Benedetto,” and he gestured to them very firmly to stop and then he simply turned and walked off. And I think that he tried to correct many of the intellectual and theological errors that had been incorporated into the VII Church, but he simply couldn’t deal with the overwhelming opposition, both within the Church and in the world, which hated him and called him every name in the book ( especiallly after he challenged Islam). The betrayal by his valet, who obviously leaked the dossier he had been compiling on homosexuals in high places in the Church, seems to me to have been a very decisive blow, although i don’t know why.

            However, ive always felt there was some connection with the UN and the World Court, which was considering the question of holding the Pope personally responsible for abuses committed by clergy, sort of like RICO charges. And perhaps they did. I think his reclusion in the sovereign territory of the Vatican and the fact that he literally has not set foot on other national territory (except for a brief trip to Germany, where he was transported by and stayed with the nuncio at his diplomatic residence) indicates this. So perhaps his resignation was demanded in exchange for not pursuing legally him as Pope, which he felt would have scandalized the faithful and destroyed the Church. If this was the case, he should have had more faith in us. But he was very isolated. And whatever happened, I think Bergoglio was in onit from the very beginnning.

          • At the time of VII Fr. Ratzinger had great input to the discussion & outcome of that Council due to his close association with Cardinal Frings & was considered to be a reformer. He was also close to Hans Kung & Karl Rayner. He always defended Nostra aetatae on (false) ecumenism & respect for false religions & religious liberty. As Head of the CDF he wrote De delictis gravioribus clarifying the confidentiality of internal church matters as laid out in 1962 document Crimen Sollicitationis which was used to cover-up allegations against child molesters & enablers. While he stated that civil law concerning the reporting of crimes should always be followed, he did not insist on the reporting of allegations of such crimes if reporting was not required by law. This was a great deterrent to victims & gave enablers & molesters wiggle room. In his letter to the Irish people whose belief was shattered by the Child Abuse Scandal he promised reform but when asked if Canon Law could be waived in allowing civil law to prosecute individuals where necessary he failed to respond. As he failed to mandate his Motu Propio – Summorum Pontificum – it failed miserably in Europe due to NO Bishops blocking its implementation & as local priests are terribly afraid of their Bishops it never got off the ground as it should have.

            I believe that the Vati Leaks scandal was a set-up & the butler made a scapegoat which was most probably why PB absolved him & let him go free. The dirt going on in the Vatican would sicken anyone yet we know that JPII & PBXVI turned a blind eye for as long as they could. Marcial Maciel’s friendship with JPII was off the rails & leads one to regard blind disobedience as bad as the actual crimes. PB did eventually as Pope get rid of him but tremendous harm had already been done by that time.

            You could certainly be correct in assuming that the UN & other bodies were intent on bringing him before the Court of Human Rights to answer for predator priests & enablers in the Sex Scandal, but if we now have an extended papacy as a result that would not be acceptable. It leaves the impression that somehow PB could be deemed to have never relinquished Papal Infallibility & if this is so we should be informed by Cardinal Müller. If not, he should be required to retire properly & return to Cardinal status, even if he had to continue to live under Vatican protection. There can only be one pope sitting on the Throne of Peter at any one time.

          • In the summer of 1989, I went to the Vatican while on active duty with the Reserves. At the time I was still in the seminary. I remember on my third day there, I went to Cardinal Ratzinger’s office when he was Prefect of the CDF to implore his assistance. I intended to pass along all the heresies that priests and other seminary faculty members were teaching. A priest who worked in the office for Cardinal Ratzinger told me that the cardinal was in Germany for an event. I sat down with the priest (long since forgot his name) and presented him with all my concerns/complaints. He told me that if I filed a formal complaint, Cardinal Ratzinger would have to notify my bishop of such. He then told me that I should remain quiet and not file any complaint if I ever wanted to be ordained a priest. Because I so desired to become a priest, I left the CDF office without filing anything. In the end, none of that mattered. I got the boot from the seminary anyway for confronting the priests in the seminary who tried to teach outright heresy. So, this video is quite true in how the Vatican operated then and now. Do not ever dare to complain about any Modernist or pedophile cleric or bishop if you ever want to become a priest. Some lesson I came home with in the summer of 1989.

          • Tyranny reigned in all seminaries & nunneries & probably still does. The CC has lost most of its best vocations as a result. Only yes men & women remain constant. There is/was never room for desisters, even when there is a personal obligation in so doing.

          • Benedict, whatever else he said, said he was resigning “in such a way that the SEE will be vacant.” So that answers your question.

          • If that’s the case, why is he still wearing papal garments & residing in the precincts of the Vatican; and why is it we have now an extended papacy? I sense there is far more to PB’s abdication than has been revealed. I hope we don’t have to wait for the historians to tell us what we rightfully should know now.

          • Being “pressured” to do something does not eradicate free will and, therefore, responsibility. People are pressured all the time but are not “coerced” in any strict sense, and there is no evidence that Benedict was coerced. To this day, Benedict’s mental faculties are cogent and clear, and his resignation was and remains valid.

          • Kevin, we will have to agree to disagree. There is plenty of evidence if we only have eyes to see and do a little research. I have done a lot of research and co-wrote with my friend (MyFaithRunsDeep, otherwise now publicly known as John J. Arechiga whom Mr. Matt at the Remnant has now published some of his work). Hopefully, an article will soon appear on Mr. Matt’s website. I would encourage you to visit the Remnant and read a few of the articles.

        • Pope Benedict has been in the center of the Vatican 2 travesty for the whole ride, he and the shake and bake saint John Paul are equally to blame for the disaster.

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          • Hi Mike – I agree they both opened doors that should have been left closed, but, I believe they kept the ones Francis is opening firmly closed, and that is the difference between the three papacies. PJII and Benedict made mistakes, and the foremost did indeed come when trying to implement the aspirations of Vatican II, but even though they both played pivotal roles in that doomed Council, I think they both tried to correct many of the errors that were fundamentally anti Catholic. God will judge them, for, in their case He alone knows what was in their hearts and in their wills. That is not the case when one considers Francis, he is clearly deserving of damnation. His will is not a mystery, nor his love for the unholy spirit who he clearly serves.

        • Assuming that BXVI wanted to speak out, what if the case was someone is preventing him from doing so? We don’t know his exact situation in the Vatican and how much freedom he has to move around and talk to the people he wants to speak to. Who is trustworthy in the Vatican?

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          • Hi Dd – This is what God did for Peter when he was imprisoned, perhaps He will do the same for Peter’s Successor, Acts12:6-17.

            6 The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. 11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

            12 As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were praying. 13 When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. 14 On recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.” 16 Meanwhile Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed. 17 He motioned to them with his hand to be silent, and described for them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he added, “Tell this to James and to the believers.” Then he left and went to another place.

            If Benedict has the will, God will find the way. And I imagine that if anyone is a trustworthy servant of God, at the Vatican, then they have been put into a very restrictive box by Francis.

    • Didn’t Steve have an article last year about a rarely heard apparition of Our Lady in the 1600’s in Latin America somewhere? The words I remember are about ‘one who keeps silent who should speak’ or something to that effect. At the time of reading it I thought how extremely relevant it is for today.Steve maybe we need to re-read that past story.

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    • That is a tragedy of classic proportions. That poor man! To have served Christ with distinction all his exemplary life and have it end like this. Bergoglio will certainly pay the price, but that’s small comfort to Joseph Ratzinger. May God have mercy on him.

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      • Hi Winslow – Perhaps his greatest service to Christ is still to come for Benedict. I think Francis is somewhat restrained while Benedict lives, I fear what might happen when this final restraint is removed. It is hard to even imagine, the effect of unleashing such an unprecedented evil within the Church.

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        • I think Cardinal Burke is a much greater restraint on Francis than Pope Benedict, who seems to be in the King’s good graces. I believe, if BXVI was a threat to him, we would have heard from him by now. He had plenty of ammunition.

          But in truth, Bergoglio is unrestrained. He is far too arrogant to restrain himself in any way.

          Reply
          • Hi Winslow – You might be right, but I think the agenda Francis is pursuing will be become much more intolerable, for faithful Catholics, in the days that are ahead of us. The cup of God’s wrath is clearly rising to the brim. In the end, His Will will be done.

  5. So Benedict, who was constantly castigated and mocked in the media for how he handled the abuse cases, was actually tougher on the abusers than Pope Francis the Merciful, who is hailed as a “reformer?”

    Color me surprised…

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    • I strongly recommend that you read The Keys of This Blood by Malachi Martin. The chapter entitled The Judas Complex is alone worth the price of the book.

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  6. Hopefully by the end of this month PF will have a lot more to worry about than the dismissal of the Grand Chancellor von Boeselager. He will have to decide whether or not he can continue in the Papal Office while refusing to clarify his Papal Exhortation Amoris Laetitia which is leading to the corruption of Catholic teaching. Who knows, perhaps the very Seat of Peter upon which he presently sits may well be taken by the man he most disiikes at this moment, Cardinal Burke.

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    • Ana, as much as I’d love to see that scenario, Bergoglio is (a) not going to answer the dubia and (b) will be luxuriating in his five star hotel until he is carried out feet first. I honestly think he will move on to excommunications. He’s power crazed, nobody is opposing him very effectively, and he has a bunch of either self-assured or terrified flunkies behind him who would literally kill to keep him in power.

      Think about Hitler or Stalin – and they even had military opponents.

      No, something much worse is going to happen this year.

      Also, watch Fatima be taken over to be used as a vehicle for promoting Islam.

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      • I don’t expect him to answer the Dubia but when the formal correction itself is issued & the further steps that may have to be taken, I hope that some sense of duty will prevail amongst his followers. It has been reported that a lot of them are keeping their distance since the bad-mouthing of the Cardinals & his use of vile language against rigid fundamentalists (Traditional Catholics). His mouthpieces also jumping to his support hasn’t gone down too well & his continued rampage of pontifical offices ousting the ‘conservatives’ in favour of liberals (usually of inferior intellect) is shaming the Papal Office & the Vatican Administration. There must come a point when sufficient Cardinals can take no more & fraternally request PF to step down. It would save embarrassment all round & just maybe save a glimmer of his unholy reputation when the history of these times comes to be written.

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        • Yes, I agree. I think our Lord needs to see more sacrifice from His prince’s of the Church.
          They have abandoned Him for too long, in love of their power and ego,( even a holy prelate can succumb to this). But some have remained throughout it all! May their holiness inspire others.

          You are charitable to Francis when you speak of saving him embarrassment all round
          And you are so right. He is our pope and deserves that compassion of trying to protect him from humiliation for his sake and that of our Church.

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          • Its just a game of “Simon says”. That is how we have ended up in the mess right from the middle on Vatican II. An over emphasized super Papalolatry.

          • True.

            And even if most did support Pope Francis, unlike Fr. Spadaro, most of them can do math. Pope Francis is 80; Cardinal Burke is 68.

            Even a cursory reading of the history of the papacy tells us that there have been wild swings back and forth between factions.

            It wouldn’t be very smart of a younger bishop to badmouth someone when it is quite possible that the person being badmouthed could be his next boss.

            We have no idea how long Pope Francis will reign, but his reign could end tomorrow, with Cardinal Burke being elected pope by March 1. Then what would a bishop do who’d been attacking him?

            Not smart.

          • It depends on who he is and what he stands for. Cardinal Burke will not embrace cheap retribution. That’s not who HE is.

          • I hope that silence does not in this case mean consent. Maybe there is a good reason for some. At some point in time, silence in the face of evil is to approve it. When? I am not sure, but I hope the opposition has a good reason. His appointments are not orthodox in their statements. He consolidates his position day by day.

          • Those who are silent have decided their jobs are more important than serving Christ. The red clericals Cardinals wear is supposed to signify their willingness to shed their blood for Christ and His Church. What a joke! They’re not even willing to defend orthodoxy. Don’t mention shedding blood.

    • I pray for that. In the book “The Lord of the World” has predicted that the last pope will be a bishop. Has God intervened the presidential election and saved USA from the path of destruction of NWO.? Of course, Catholic Church too.

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      • I would like that too but I think the next Pope will be the very last according to various prophecies (well summarized by Yves Dupont in “Catholic Prophecy”). This, among other things, would strongly imply Francis is truly the antipope of the “church of darkness” which will eclipse the true Church for a few years (cf Catherine Emmerich et al). The next Pope by all accounts will literally be heavenly appointed, after the global chastisement which we have merited. This will end the 5th age of the Church which started with Luther’s revolt. Given we are 500 years from Luther, 300 from the beginning of Freemasonary and 100 years from Fatima, there is a frightening symmetry to it. Bear in mind that Francis appeared exactly 50 years after the alleged enthronement of Lucifer in the Vatican (cf “Windswept House”) by Malachi Martin.

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  7. The Tablet is quoted as saying that Burke DEFIED Francis by firing the grand chancellor. Based on what has been reported, this is a LIE. The initial letter from the Vatican and the follow up letter from the Vatican were both issued AFTER the firing. While the letters certainly indicated the Pope’s displeasure, it is a LIE to say that the firing was any kind of an act of defiance. Should be noted that neither letter from the Vatican CLAIMS that Francis was defied or disobeyed AT ALL. Besides, it was not an issue for the Vatican to interject itself into anyway.
    God bless Cardinal Burke. God bless this very illuminating article and Maike Hickson for the faithful reporting.
    So, tell me, what am I missing in my assessment of the Tablet?

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    • This is EXACTLY correct Albert!! All this ‘displeasure’ from Francis came AFTER the firing! These cohorts of his LIE BIG TIME! The Pope needs to stay OUT of this as Malta is a sovereign government body that Rome has no legal business in interfering with. Somehow, I’m not all that worried about this situation, as Cdl. Burke can run circles around Francis in the Canon Law dept.

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  8. I like how Cardinal Burke was supposed to have placed Pope Francis’ “wishes” in the matter above all else. L’eglise, c’est moi!

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  9. From The Tablet article:

    “…..as far as the use and diffusion of methods and means contrary to the moral law, His Holiness has asked for dialogue as the way to deal with, and resolve, eventual problems. But he has never
    spoken of sending someone away!”

    Except for Burke, of course. He was removed from the Apostolic Signatura and “sent away” to Malta. Then there was the clearout at Cardinal Sarah’s Liturgy congregation a couple of months ago when all of the members were “sent away”. Then there was the case at the CDF a couple of days ago when three priests were “sent away”.

    It appears very much as if everything depends on exactly whom is being “sent away”. When the mood suits, Francis appears to be a big fan of “sending away” those whom he finds problematic.

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  10. The Grand Master of the SOVEREIGN Military Order of Malta has already made known his reply to the Secretariate of State where he labelled the Vatican’s ingerence in the Order’s internal affairs as “unacceptable”.
    I can’t imagine which are these “further steps” threat the Pope is alluding to.
    Excommunication? Laughable and grotesque…Card. Burke’s dismissal? Possible but everyone would understand that the main reason isn’t about his position in the Order of Malta and he would become the first martyr of Franci’s persecutions.
    Has anyone some better clues?

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  11. I wonder how the dialogue went between Pope Francis and the Pontifical Academy for Life, you know, before he slashed its every member as well as the pro-life oath and the Lejeune Oath. Jerome Lejeune pray for us, as I pray for you daily that you are in the presence of our Divine King in heaven. I will not slash your love for disabled children, as it has been very inspiring to me as I raise my daughter who has a learning disability.

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    • I wonder how the dialogue went between Pope Francis and the Pontifical Academy for Life

      Duct tape on the mouth of the Pontifical Academy for Life and two words from the Pope: you’re fired. I suppose PAFL communicated their assent by blinking 🙂

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  12. You should contact that German.paper directly as I have done . Ask them in German or English What is Francis doing acting like a vengeful paranoid against CDF while Coddling Homosexual deviants and condom.pusher wayward clerics in Italy , Argentina and Knight of Malta. Shame on Francis to say the least.

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  13. “I wish first of all to reiterate that these measures [the sacking and suspension of Boeselager] must not be attributed to the will of the Pope or his directives”

    The Order of Malta should send a letter back to the Vatican clarifying that, to the contrary, they would never attribute such measures to the will of Pope Francis. They should clarify that the fact the Pope is against such measures actually serves as encouragement that the measures are on the right track; and that if the Pope were in favor of such measures, then they would seriously have to rethink them as potentially the wrong way to go.

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    • I think there may be another way of reading this. As I understand it the Grand Master asked Boeselager to resign and he refused. The Grand Master then ordered him to resign as a matter of obedience and went to the Pope and I understand that the Pope agreed with the Grand Master. But then Pope Francis had second thoughts and tried to back out – hence the above quote – i.e. ‘it wasn’t me who did the sacking’.

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  14. If, as their mother, I had been as “merciful” to my children as Pope Francis seems intent on forcing our holy Mother Church to be, I would have lost custody of them to the government. It is not merciful to withhold the truth. It is not merciful to punish those who honestly do their work. It is not merciful to bully your opponents – even if you smile and kiss babies. About two years ago, I began to realize this is the pope of our chastisement. Now I realize he is also the tool to be used in the chastisement. At least we know who ultimately wins, but I feel concern for my children, nonetheless.

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  15. Enough! Reality Check. The Pope is a heretic. What he continually espouses and promotes as magisterial teaching contradicts previous Popes and 2000 years of the magisterium. Divorce and the Eucharist are just the foot in the door for him. He cavorts with child killers and sodomites. They are next up for communion ( Bishops in US doing it for years and not a peep). Look for women Deacons. Married Preist. He has the apparent support of most Bishops and Cardinals. The infiltration is continuing. When most imams teach against the Koran is it still Islam? Where is the REAL CATHOLIC CHURCH? I see no relief from the present apostasy. If you hold to Tradition, Scripture, and the 2000 year old magisterium, what do you do? Where can you go? We are truly a minority. Most do not know or agree with him.

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    • Good evening, Parrish,
      Pope Bergoglio, from a res ipsa loquitur foundational understanding, is a false prophet, as he preaches a false gospel, while at once he inhabits a false (anti) church, all for the purposes of the Anti-Christ. One who preaches a false gospel cannot be within the True Church, One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. The question remains open whether he is the False Prophet, which would cause us then to expect the existential manifestation of the person of the Anti-Christ. In caritas.

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      • We have no TLM in our Diocese. Two percent of the population professes to be Catholic. Most homilys are about “Luv”. Most appear to be satisfied. I agree with you but there must be a visible Church. To whom shall we go. I am almost done but fear for grandchildren yet unborn.

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        • May Almighty God bless you and yours’ Parrish,

          It is exquisitely difficult, my friend in Christ. The specific answers to these dilemmas that we face existentially are not answerable oft times in ways that seem consistent with the practice of the One True Faith and yet we know of the suffering of our Catholic brethren behind the old Iron Curtain, for instance. It is just that in the here and now, we have an iron curtain which has established itself from within the confines of the physical Church in this world. An utterly and completely diabolical reality proffered by the minions of Lucifer who wear the robes of the Church, just like Pope Leo XIII warned us of in “Humanum Genus”. We are there my friend. We are in the midst of the unimaginable time where the Enemy has been unleashed behind “enemy lines”. He has set up camp and he has been indistinguishable from us. Now, with Francis, that is all changing. The evil has been in our midst since VCII in ways that it had never ever been before. Hold fast to the Faith, as it remains until the end of time perhaps with a greatly diminished availability of the Sacraments but it remains nonetheless. In God alone do we indeed trust. In caritas.

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    • The relief will come when 1) the Third Secret of Fatima is revealed (I.e. the exact words of Our Lady, NOT the Vision) and 2) when the Holy Father and all the bishops of the world consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Cf. http://www.fatima.org.

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      • How can we ever expect an heretical Pope and his heretical Bishops, some openly promoting sodomy, to do this? This Pope is more like Luther in theology than ALL the prior magisterium.

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      • It will take a new Traditional Pope to carry out Our Lady’s wishes. Maybe the formal correction is a step in the right direction. Lets hope it is made very soon.

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  16. Message to Fr Spadaro and the usual defenders of PF: You all continually say that PF cannot be judged by anyone except God. Well, so be it. Unfortunately for PF et al, God can easily see blatant double standards, hypocrisy and wilful dishonesty all based on advancing a leftist, modernist, progressive and ultimately destructive agenda. If only we had a true Vicar of Christ rather than a vicar of Kasper!

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  17. How is it that a man who becomes pope does not understand that contraceptives are abortifacients? How is it that a pope cannot see the grave scandal that exists to place a priest back into the public where he can, once again have access to vulnerable children. To coddle the wicked and chastise the innocent and holy is the charism of this pontificate. This is the Demon and his tool ofFreemasonry in action.

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    • That’s the third reading for the Second Thursday of the Great Fast (Lent). Isaiah 6: 1-12, Genesis 5: 1-24 and Proverbs 6: 3-20 are the three readings for the day (Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic calendar).

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      • He is either ignorant or a lier. Either should be sufficient to disqualify one from public office, especially his. It not these he is either an ignorant or willing tool of the Devil.

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  18. Inzoli I also read he was found guilty in an Italian Court of abusing over 8 children and he told the victims what he was doing wasn’t wrong. This bling pedophile was laicized. It is corrupt to revoke it. Francis at 80 is acting like dictator Peron and also acting erratically. He has to go! Concerning the Knights of Malta. They are a sovereign country because of territory they retained when Napoleon occupied Malta and the Francis needs to back off. He has no jurisdiction .

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  19. Seems to me the Order of Malta should ignore whatever the Pope says. What actual power does he have over them anyway as long as they control their own assets? Asset control is the key to independence being that Pope Francis no longer is capable of moral authority.

    Let’s take an example. What would Steve Skojec do if he was excommunicated by Pope Francis for being responsible for the critical blog One Peter Five? If it were me I would immediately set about telling the world about it as another example of a Pope who had gone over the edge.

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    • A case is building up against PF. Tyranny in the Vatican will not do. You can’t bring Marxist policies into the Papal Office. All popes prior to this one fought such ideology & that must be continued. Also the fight against Masonic practices. The pope must at all times uphold Catholic Doctrine only – he has no other role but to lead his flock towards Heaven, not in the other direction. This isn’t happening so he is a failure & must be replaced at once. No more prevarication – the Hierarchy must act & tell us not to follow him. Then he will go.

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      • Agree completely. Pope Francis must be replaced ASAP. If this is not done soon I expect divine intervention which may not be pretty.

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  20. The last vicious gasp of the modernist Jacobins was to put this stupid moronic fool in the Papacy and bring such dishonor to the office by his sycophantic ass slobbering on all the heretics and false religions the world over and enabling adultery and faggotry to be talked about in polite company. The “smoke of Satan” has entered the sanctuary- how can it get any worse, and we know it will. Where did this generation of blind fools come from, this imbecile was born in 1937, and all his confreres and collaborators in the Catholic Church’s suicide are all on deaths door. Good riddance you loser, there are other Popes in Hell- you’ll have good company.

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    • Hello Mike,
      Jorge Mario Bergoglio was ordained in 1969. The same year that the “church of Satan” was formed in San Francisco by Anton LaVey. The same year that the Novus Ordo Missae was forced upon Christ’s Mystical Body, His Church. The mass of the “religion of man”, Freemasonic from its utter essence as it was contrived by a son of Freemasonry, hence Lucifer himself, Annibale Bugnini. That ideological mass was arguably the wellspring of the anti-Church, which would rise up from the very vineyard of the One, True Church of Jesus the Christ, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. The diabolical masquerade, the writ large deception, seems to have found its nascent genesis in 1969, which is a special year for the minions of hell to be known in their “numerology”, hidden right before our eyes, as “1969” contains three 6’s with the inversion of the two 9’s. Lastly Mike, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was actually born on Dec. 17, 1936. If you look to Saint Maria Faustina Kawalska’s Diary, entries 823 and 824, you will read specifically what she suffered on that very day and how she offered that day for priests. She had never known such suffering possible both interior and exterior. She spoke of “one mystery which unites me with the Lord”, which no one else even in eternity knew of for His purposes. Could it be the mystery of the son of perdition or his false prophet? No one can know. As an aside, the hedonistic, sex and drug fest, “Woodstock”, also happened in that incredibly darkened year of 1969. In caritas.

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  21. If you see in the website of the Diocese of Crema (http://www.diocesidicrema.it/leggi_news.asp?id_news=1168) there is the Decree of June 26th, 2014 concerning Father Mauro Inzoli, whose title is “Truth and mercy” (Verità e misericordia). What is incredible is that the Bishop quotes in his Decree a text by Card. Kasper… Just note that Mauro Inzoli was a priest from CL (Comunione e Liberazione), which was a very conservative movement. Sounds very strange that in the last years the movement has completely changed, and is now more than supportive to Pope Francis. Should we assume that there are “other” reasons to this kind of change?

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    • Dear Cesare Baronio,

      I would, with humility, submit that what they demonstrate is the perspicacious development of the Hegelian Dialectic of Synthesis in its intellective understanding over time; as they are patient, and at once then, they apply masterfully the artful use of the double entendre’ in their praxis, as if in the hand of a maestro. People then ask, “how could they have changed so?”, when indeed they are who they are, as are we all. Only with God’s grace can we choose the good over the evil, each miserable one of us, each and every time our free will acts. They patently reject God’s grace, in a cacophony of howling and screeching, that gift both freely given and completely undeserved; as they hate Christ, while they continue to persecute Him even now, in His Mystical Body, His Bride, the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, outside of which there is no salvation–extra ecclesia nulla salus. Although they know this as a deFide teaching of the Church, they reject it. As can only be understood from within that rejection of caritas as Caritas Himself, they have done the bidding of Lucifer in this life, as they have disseminated a false ecumenism, the likes of which would make Jacques Maritain now blush. They know unmitigated misery alone in this life, a precursor to the infinite and eternal desolation of self which awaits them, into eternity in hell. As misery so loves company, they tirelessly work to draw as many souls into the eternal perdition of fire as they can, to accompany them in the infinite abyss, each perfectly alone, yet perfectly tormented without Almighty God, for ever and for ever again. Pray, fast, and sacrifice for their miserable souls, as they cannot truly know what awaits them. In caritas.

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      • Dear Mark,
        thanks a lot for your kind words. Unfortunately we are facing a real apostasy, as we never saw before.
        And this kind of apostasy is the worst one, because it comes from the chief of the Church, who is persecuting good people and complimenting bad people.
        I’m sorry I cannot write in fluent English, otherwise you could read my comments here:
        http://opportuneimportune.blogspot.com

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        • Well Cesare,

          You write far better English than I do Italian, as I am unilingual. We most certainly are amidst the greatest apostasy as this rests res ipsa loquitur, with the pontiff at the helm, either in the person of Bergoglio, or Ratzinger as the architect and enabler. For now choose your poison. The Dubia will soon clarify it for us or it would seem. In caritas.

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  22. Beware the man who makes a great show of his “Humbleness.” The truly humble make no show of it, don’t talk about it or draw attention to it. they just show it through example and their holiness Those who make a show of it are usually the biggest bullies I’ve run into in life. Actions do speak louder than words, and talk is very cheap.

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  23. Should any of us be surprised by the disparity between Bergoglio’s desire for “dialogue” in regard to the justifiably dismissed Grand Chancellor of the Knights of Malta, and his arrogant demand that Cardinal Muller sack three long-serving CDF priests, while contemptuously refusing to give a reason? Liberation theology adherent Francis has demonstrated many times that, should he make it to heaven, he will be the leading contender for the role of Patron of Hypocrites.

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    • No one should be surprised at ANYTHING this man does anymore! If we all don’t know by this time WHO this man is, or WHO he is working for, we are blind, deaf and dumb.

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  24. Isnt interesting that a proven child molesting priest is reinstated by Pope Francis or a bishop (Deneels) who protects and hides evidence of proven child abusing preists is promoted to help change Church teaching on the family and sexual sin and we hear not a word from the main stream media about it. Yet good holy bishops are in a dioceses where a previous liberal bishop protected priests acused of abuse. These new holy bishops are immediately removed as if they were guilty for what the previous bishop did. This due to derogetory coverage by the media that is filling the news with propoganda and the efforts of the new Francis administration. It looks a lot like they are working together.

    I pray that God takes back control of the Church soon since millions of souls are being lost due to both confusion and a lack of truth.

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    • The case of Bishop Barros of Osorno, transferred to Osorno from the Chilean Army, directly implicated in abuse, according to some victims, and the cause of fearsome protesters, even angry Catholics going to Rome, only to be jeered by Pope Francis, showed there was already something wrong, early in 2015. I pray that the four Cardinals can at least somehow push this appalling occupant of the Chair of St Peter to resign.

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  25. Such bold hypocrisy, he clearly fears nothing. His recent statement to the gentleman in charge of the three dismissed priests from the CDF, “I am the pope!” says all we need to know. He sees himself as all powerful, and maybe he is. I see very little standing in his way in his abuse of Christ, the church, the faith, the flock, and the men who dedicated their lives to God’s service. One must admit, thus far he’s been very successful, even against the man who stands most at the forefront of any resistance, who is right in his crosshairs. This gets crazier by the day. This has become embarrassingly worldly, like a bad soap opera. Little is certain. I would say, well, God will not allow the gates of hell…but that feels like small comfort at this point. It is true of course, but ultimately true, it may not be fulfilled in our time. At this moment in time it looks as if the gates of hell are prevailing. Catholicism itself, is uniquely vulnerable to a rogue and evil pope, which everything indicates we now have. Now what.
    May God help the church, and cast out the demons. May He bless and protect our faithful clergy, and sustain us, as we face an increasing test of our faith in the days when the church to all appearances abandons us.

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  26. May I add some outside the catholic Box in these thoughts. Thoughts by the way back in the aftermath of WW2 were taught in the English Catholic Church so blessed by the conversion of the literary genii in the UK from the 1900’s on. I will remind of some names. Belloc, Chesterton et al. WE are a church compelled by action. “Go out and teach all Nations” how easily written off and forgotten. In the last few years we say let us tell God He will straighten it out He will not and never has. He sent prophets and straightened out the Jews for their lack of faith and fortitude. We need a prophet a great prince who will descend upon Rome. A David and he will not be a priest but he sure will when he comes put Rome to the sword that Christ promised us. I am sure he is around. Most of what I read here is senseless jabbering and hubris and seems to call God to do something. If we love Him or in retrospect the Mystical Body of Christ then take up arms of one kind or another and take action and then pray when we face the enemy down. Is Bl Mary and the imperfect as such Consecration of Russia cause Bl Mary to use a sword against her church. You must be nuts and fruitcakes to expect her to do so. Never was rgeir a prophecy she would..

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  27. If prophesies are to be fulfilled … how else will we get there than to have the unfolding of chaos and compromise and the appearance (perhaps more than appearance) of impropriety. Make a mess, indeed! Either God lied and the gates of hell will prevail or God speaks the truth and the gates of hell will not prevail. Place your bets, folks.

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