(CNS photo/Paul Haring)
Pope Francis again returned to his critique of ‘spiritual diseases’ during his annual Presentation of Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia. This year this included his analysis of what he considers ‘good’ resistance and ‘bad’ resistance to his reforms. The fact that the Holy Father gave priority to resistance to his reforms in his critique of spiritual diseases takes on particular significance in light of the cardinals’ dubia, although Pope Francis made no direct reference to the dubia submitted by Cardinals Burke, Caffara, Meisner and Brandmüller.
Pope Francis, to begin with, made it clear that his diagnosis of spiritual diseases was not just meant for the Curia but for the entire Church. Presenting them in terms of the ascetical practices of the Desert Fathers, the Holy Father said that it was necessary to talk about diseases and treatments because every successful operation must be preceded by a thorough diagnosis, by accurate analysis, and be accompanied and followed by precise prescriptions. His objective in undertaking such an analysis of spiritual diseases is to produce a reform that becomes a permanent personal and structural conversion.
Pope Francis said that it was normal, even healthy, to be faced with difficulties during the course of reform, which can be presented as different types of resistance. He went on to outline three types of resistance to his reforms, ranging from good resistance, hidden resistance, and malevolent resistance:
Good Resistance
According to Pope Francis there is resistance that arises from good will and sincere dialogue.
Hidden Resistance
Pope Francis uses the word “nascoste” to describe this type of resistance, which has the meaning of covert, underhand and stealthy. He says this resistance arises from petrified or frightened hearts that speak empty words in the spirit of the “Gattopardismo” (A reference to a character in an Italian novel and film) who verbally says he is ready to change, but wants everything to remain as before. (The Vatican translates “Gattopardismo” as ‘spiritual window dressing’). “Gatopardismo or lampedusiano” is an Italian political term that has its origin in the novel El gatopardo, by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (1896-1957). It refers to a political approach of “changing something so that nothing changes”.
Malevolent Resistance [resistenze malevole]
Pope Francis told the Roman Curia that malevolent resistance came from distorted minds which occurs when the devil inspires “cattive” intentions, bad or wicked intentions [che germogliano in menti distorte e si presentano quando il demonio ispira intenzioni cattive]. He said that such malevolent resistance often appears “under the guise of lambs”. This last type of resistance hides behind words of self-justification, and accusations, taking refuge in traditions, in appearances, in formalities, in what is known, or wanting to make everything personal without distinguishing between the act, the actor and the action.
Pope Francis concluded his “analysis” of resistance by indicating that he welcomed all resistance, even the ones he judged less good, because the absence of a reaction was a sign of death. The Holy Father said good resistance, and even the less good, are necessary and deserve to be heard, accepted and encouraged because it is a sign that the body is alive.
Comment
Some of Pope Francis’s comments on resistance were ‘anticipated’ by Fr Antonio Spadaro, his close confidant, in his op ed for CNN about the cardinals’ dubia. He distinguished between good dialogue and bad dialogue to explain why Pope Francis responds to some debate and not others:
Fr. Antonio Spadaro: An open and interesting debate
I think that Amoris Laetitia has created an open and interesting debate within the Catholic Church thanks to Francis, a Pope who never blocks dialogue, if it is loyal and motivated by the good of the Church.
The case, however, of those who use criticism for other purposes or ask questions in order to create difficulty and division, would be different, of course.
The interesting questions of the four cardinals, in reality, were already raised during the Synod, where the dialogue was deep, extensive and most of all, frank. Amoris Laetitia is only the mature fruit of Francis’ reflection after listening to everyone and reading the Synod’s final document.
In outlining different types of ‘resistance’ it appears that Pope Francis and his inner circle are judging the motives and integrity of those who question and challenge the “reforms” which this pontificate is imposing on the Curia and entire Church. The word ‘resistance’ in itself has a negative connotation and appears to show an opposition to real dialogue. Instead of judging the actions of their critics, they appear to be judging their hearts and condemning them as coming from bad motives. Pope Francis goes so far as to suggest that some critics resisting his reforms have distorted minds inspired by the devil.
Originally published at EWTN GB. Reprinted with permission.
Nobody forces me to speak in my church.
Now that the Year of Mercy is over, watch me take away the hats of these inquisitorial beaters.
Then we will move forward, calm and relaxed.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6496009b9881cf9deec3f8621c3dfd90fa71bc1d7f9202b23ef56072ac9c28d4.jpg
…and serene!
“thorough diagnosis…accurate analysis, and…precise prescriptions.”
I love it!!! This from Mr Gobbledegook-Fudgit himself! Urrgghh. I’m so bored of hearing about this constant drivel.
Amazing! Those are such rigid concepts. Providing a lot of security too.
Let’s see. Thorough diagnosis – adultery, fornication, abortion, homosexuality. Accurate analysis – endemic in the world today (including among Catholics). Classified as sins, sub-heading – mortal. Will cause death of the soul. Precise prescription – confession and change of heart, penance, fasting, frequenting the Sacraments. Following the advice of reputable spiritual doctor. Reading the Fathers of the Church and other saints.
I wish one cardinal or bishop would have had the courage to walk out of the room. I remember reading last time he blasted the curia in a Christmas greeting, a bishop saying that they felt like walking out and many would have joined if someone did it first.
Exactly what I was thinking. How long can we and they all idly sit by? On the other hand that puts what Cdl Burke et al are doing in perspective. It’s a very big deal.
I was thinking that same thing. It would have made a public statement, and the pope would have been surprised by it, I’m sure. He has often stated that he does not like public confrontations.
It is reported that he was taken aback when one of the seminarians of the FFI publicly confronted him in their meeting of several years back.
People need to get their courage and speak out to him face to face in public.
Listen: If any Bishops walked out on him, he would immediately cast himself as “Jesus betrayed by a bunch of Judases”, and well-meaning but ignorant Catholics would think the Bishops all heretics — so damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Best that they grit their teeth and be polite to the Pope in public, and challenge him courteously in print like Burke et al.
Few have that courage because the retaliation would not be long in coming. Mercy, eh?
Yes, we can legitimately criticize these men because they have the added grace of the priesthood to increase their courage. How many of us would have enough courage to get up and walk out when a pastor preaches what we know is wrong? Maybe that’s what it will take – vote with our feet. God help us all under this terrible trial of chastisement. Stay in the state of grace!
Yes, it only takes one person to start the walk-out. I did this approx. forty years ago at a mission given by a Jesuit who was obviously Gay & didn’t like women. The Church emptied behind me & the PP got his replacement the next day.
Don’t forget that God in his wisdom gave laity the POWER OF THE POCKETBOOK. If your parish priest teaches heresy, you can write a polite litttle note of objection and place it in your collection envelope instead of cash; and encourage your fellow parishioners to do the same. Parioshioners’ protests can be ignored until they withhold support–because MONEY TALKS.
The Wall Street Journal this morning, three days before the Nativity of the Lord, proclaims Pope Francis the leader of the global left.
God help them. Or maybe not.
His duplicitous, dictatorial comportment; his narcissistic superiority complex; his genius talent for commandeering all that is sacred for his self-serving agenda; his every notion regarded by himself and his sycophants as doctrinal revelation — all make him well deserving of this dubious honor.
Nevertheless, the man is seriously deficient to be in charge of anything.
Including the global left.
This was one of his ugliest, most unhinged performances yet. It was a steady stream of threats, followed by ravings that everyone in the Church had to be ´utterly obedient¨ to the Roman Pontiff in the “exercise of his singular, ordinary, full, supreme, immediate and universal power.¨
The guy is a freaking leftist dictator. I think he is going to try to make everyone, certainly all members of the clergy, take some kind of oath of obedience to him personally. Those who don´t will be out.
Now that is a very real possibility
The man is downright scary! He is calculating and power driven. He is of the world and pretends to be otherwise. How did he become the Vicar of Christ?
He is the flowering of 150+ years of Freemasonic planning, which suborned the Jesuit Order into hypocritical lip-service while undermining the Papacy.
Remember he is a Jesuit – they are good at deception. Under the guise of Mercy, mercy, mercy he has desecrated the most holy rite in the Church – the Eucharist. Also, his celebration of Martin Luther’s 500th anniversary is unconscionable –
Pope to Commemorate Protestant Revolt
http://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/fetzen-fliegen/item/2842-pope-to-commemorate-protestant-revolt
The faithful bishops and cardinals need to oppose the impostor in the Vatican en masse – there is safety in numbers.
He’s worse than Stalin, Mao, Hitler and many other brutal dictators of the world combined. His ugliness must come from the ugliest guy, Satan. Thanks God for making him exposed himself. Cease to be pope or face the College of Cardinals. You the one have cunning mind and inspired yourself by the devil. He starts acting like rebellious, prideful archangel Lucifer now. Justice will fall upon you. Domine, libera nos a malo.
But not before he splits the Church and “excommunicates” those true to the faith who resist his false teachings. Every dog has his day, and Satan’s day is not done until the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and we’re obviously not there yet. Our sufferings have only just begun. 2017 is going to be a disastrous year for the church and for the world.
His ugliness is one of the things that makes his evil undeniable.
He’s going to clean house until there is nobody left to oppose him.
And we thought Herod was bad.
I believe he is “The False Prophet” of the Apocalypse.
Yes very likely.
Isobel, imagine having to sit there and take it? How I long for some day when even one of these cowards leaps from his chair and shouts: “Demon!” and runs, yes, runs out into the fresh air.
I can’t imagine how they do it but I can’t believe they’re not talking about it as soon as they get out the door.
The pope wants to have his legacy continued after he’s gone, but it appears to me that he’s setting himself up for a reaction at the next conclave.
Who wants to listen to something like this ad infinitum?
It would be poetic justice if Cardinal Burke were elected as pope next go around. He’s only 68. From what I have read, the folks in Rome are already talking about the next conclave. Sort of sad, but that’s life I guess.
Pope Francis: “Dear brothers and sisters, it isn’t wrinkles we need to worry about in the Church, but blemishes!” (Christmas Message to the Roman Curia, December 15, 2016)
St. Paul: “That he might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27)
It is Pope Francis who is malevolent, not those who resist his reforms. May God soon deliver us from this treacherous pope.
God will.
One cannot know for sure, but I’m very much interested in the prophecy of St Francis of Assisi when he said that there will be a non canonically elected pope who will cause much confusion.
Dear Pope Francis, Just answer the questions from the dubai and be done with it. Yes? No? Maybe? Only God knows the answer? Or is there some reason you can’t (or won’t) give a simple and straightforward response? There are enough problems in this world and in the Church; there is no need to beggar trouble. And honestly, I don’t care what the motivation of the Cardinals might be (for good or for ill). Lead the way as the Vicar of Christ, show us Christ’s example. Susan
Just answer the questions YES or NO, stop obfuscating with this blustering dissimulation. Maybe some of the momma’s boys in red hats will grow a back bone and defend the ancient faith and put this Masonic plant out on his moronic face.
Refugees of Tradition? But I though Francis loved ALL refugees! https://nonvenipacem.com/2016/12/22/today-francis-answered-the-dubia-and-gave-us-some-more-trippy-band-names/
No, he loves the Muslim migrants and ignores the Christian refugees.
WOW! I just cannot stomach this. “Under the guise of lambs……..taking refuge in traditions.” Dig dig dig to the Fantastic Four ! Don’t you mean taking refuge in Tradition!!! The irony is that the true lambs are the four Cardinals who have comported themselves with such serenity, firmness, and respect. What do they get? Treatment similar to the treatment that the Lamb of God received. Alleluia to them.
Uhhhhhhh….Pope Francis…
“Tradition” is 1/2 of the authority of the Church.
The other half is Holy Scripture.
You know…the stuff you have misquoted to advance your Freemasonic agenda*.
{Evangelii Gaudium 161}
Wow we are getting rid of a dictator president and now we need to ask God to relieve us of another. So instead of addressing the Cardinals directly he is using this platform just like Obama does to wack anybody down that doesn’t agree with him without using their names but we know who he is referring to. God help us!
The man is diabolical. Stop bloviating, Bergoglio, and answer the dubia.
C’mon…
What else IS this Pope going to say under the circumstances?
LOL.
Re good resistance, hidden resistance and malevolent resistance:. If the dubia presented by the four Cardinals doesn’t qualify as good resistance, I’d like to know under which type it would be classified.
So the Christmas greeting to the Curia was all about himself and his diabolical reforms? Nice.
Did he mention baby Jesus, the manger, salvation, no room-at-the-inn, Mary, a star, the shepherds…….?
Or most prominent this advent: the smell of his disillusioned sheep?
“Pope Francis goes so far as to suggest that some critics resisting his reforms have distorted minds inspired by the devil.”
Pot.Kettle.Black.
That’s EXACTLY what I was thinking.
We REALLY have to ramp up our Rosaries!!!
Reform denotes a change in order to improve.
There are more than a few operatives on the contemporary scene, let alone through history, who commandeer this term for their agenda. Shouldn’t we reserve “reform” for after the proposed change has proved beneficial? Its use before the proposed change has even been accepted, let alone enacted, has something of hype about it. Something that you would expect from a used car salesman.
An accomplished restructuring will prove to be either a reform or an abysmal failure.
Hype is only useful when you have nothing upon which to stand.
Haven’t we learned that lesson yet?
Alluding fraudulently to demonic intervention, threats and engendering fear – the emperor has no clothes.
Isn’t that like calling everyone a racist! Or a fake-news mongerer! Or whatever you can come up with to shame someone….
The notion of shaming came to my mind, too.
When you take a fair look at all that is transpiring during this pontificate I am struck over and over again with the similarities to what we have been experiencing here in the States during the Obama administration and particularly during the election cycle. The continual demonizing, the ridicule. The commandeering of all that is good, and enlisting it in the effort to deconstruct itself. It is bizarre.
Maybe there is an omen here. Demonizing didn’t win the election for the Democrats, so maybe not signing the Dubia & calling the faithful out for trying to keep the True Faith won’t work for the Modernist PF & crew.
he is exposing himself more and more now. he is like the snake trapped, whose rattle and hiss only serve to make him noticed, yet the creature cannot really help himself.
just a thought.
I think you’re right. It’s possible that Francis believed that he wouldn’t have any serious opposition to his “reforms.” Given the state of the Church for the last 40 years, I’m not surprised that he would think that. But thank heavens that good orthodox Catholics are resisting Francis’ humanist, unCatholic agenda. Apparently, the poor man is just going to keep having fits of temper which he directs at the opposition. It’s embarrassing for me, as a Catholic, to see such behavior in a grown man.
Before all this was occurring, some people in my parish got together to do a study of “The Joy of the Gospel” by Pope Francis. 80% of the book was poorly written, garbled and criticized all walks of life contained in the Catholic Church. We gave it our best shot, but to no avail….When this situation started occurring, I just thought how sad this is…..PF continues with a barrage of criticism at the normal, trying hard to please Jesus element of our Body of Christ. Since I have lived 60+ years and have had to come up with some discernments about people (without judging of course!…..) I see in this pope a very deep hatred of humanity. He knows very clearly what Pres O knew – dismantle the Family and society as a civilization – under God will proceed to failure because humans break apart. Without love, faith, and hope in tangible circumstances – how will they climb in spirit to God?
We are essentially being led by individuals who are possessed of a
pathological “self-contempt” for the very institutions, structures,
bureaucracies for which they are responsible. Left-wing deconstructionism by its nature is incapable of relinquishing its disingenuous, passive-aggressive, counter-intuitive rationalizations, turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse.
Whether it be Pope Bergoglio with his tossed salad notions and verbiage, his heterodox comrades, the euro-socialists or the American secular materialist parasites, it is self-destruction on steroids. The embrace of Pope Bergoglio and his ecclesiastical cartel with the proponents of this cultural/civil decay is well displayed on a daily basis with their personal comportment, their rants and raves, their contempt for the laity. Would they have any regard for the laity they would be about bringing them to a knowledge of the faith (catechesis), a deeper living out of the faith (ascesis). But no, we get “Secularism 101” – feel’n good without being good with its corollary “spirituality.” Not to be too judgmental, they do have an excuse for substituting their own garbage for Holy Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Magisterium. How can they teach what they don’t believe?
That we are sitting in a collapsed cesspool can no longer be denied. The heterodox are essentially denying human experience, grievously wounded by sin, ascribing that reality any number of other monikers from their academic treasury of psychoanalysis, sociology or the gnostic sciences – but curiously little orthodox theological reflection, which arises from faith, not speculative skepticism and plain disbelief in the Mysteries of the Faith.
There is no doubt from my experience that the vermin account for at least 85% percent of the inhabitants of the “theological academy.” Perhaps we should be thankful that this vile era is playing out with the rising to the surface of the heresy rife within the Church for at least fifty years, surely far longer. Light is the best disinfectant.
You have a very nice understanding of things. You also know that since we are in a temporal creation, all things (in their time) will dispose themselves of corruption because that is the science of the creation in temporality. So, yes, all this rises like a boil on the skin and will certainly need of Holy Pure Light to disinfect us all! I have a real inkling that I can hardly wait for the deterging of spirit and matter!
Malicious resistance to the teachings of the Catholic Church that takes refuge in reforms is from the devil.
These prelates (and many priests and Faithful) have taken secure refuge in the Truth as provided in the Gospel and affirmed throughout history by the Magisterium in the Faith and Tradition of the Apostolic Church. Therefore the resistance you speak of is clearly not “malevolent” but rather initiated with profound love for Jesus Christ, His Church, His Sacraments, and with great courage for the benefit of the mystical body of Christ and the integrity of the office of the Successor of Peter. With every word from your mouth, more and more are recognizing who you really are.
Thank you Jeremiah. My thoughts also. Many years ago while these faithful clergy were working for Jesus Christ and His Church, I am thinking that the “Boys From Brazil” (euphemism for the Nazi/dictator types who fled to South America) realized that if they got one of theirs as a pope, they would rule the world – because they are of evil. From Seer/Victim Soul Maria Valtorta (Jan. 17-18, 1944) she wrote for Jesus: “…This son of Satan proclaims a new faith which is a tragic, sacrilegious, cursed caricature of My Faith. A new gospel is being proclaimed, a new church is being founded, a new altar is being set up, a new cross is being raise, a new sacrifice is being celebrated. A gospel, church altar, cross, sacrifice of man. Not of God.” That was in Hitler’s day – in order for them to overpower the most powerful Church on earth (Jesus’) they had to wait many years to incubate someone who would not be suspect. Is this a reality event in our day? We shall see the “reforms” and stand by the Dogmatic and Holy Tradition, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the One, Holy, Catholic, Roman & Apostolic Church based on the Altar of a Martyr, A Cross with Jesus Crucified, and some serene prelates who rejoice at the chance for this persecution and various lay persons who really love Jesus, the Real Jesus – because I think we’re really going to suffer through this pope.
“From Seer/Victim Soul Maria Valtorta” Are you serious? Her book , The Poem of the Man God was placed on the list of proscribed books! Deservedly so.
Chloe – there is no list of proscribed books and there hasn’t been for quite a while. If you have read the Poem of the Man God and didn’t like it, that’s yours to own. I have enjoyed it thoroughly through the years and that’s mine to own.
Sorry Patty, but enjoying a book is not a legitimate argument as to whether it is ok to read it. The fact that list of proscribed books no longer exists (more’s the pity) does not mean that it’s now ok to read the books that were on it. This from Pope Benedict XVI when asked about thi!. Specific. Book. We live in interesting times and it is now hard to find decent guidance. We should not reject the teaching from a time when we did have it. The book actually claims that Our Lord and His Holy Mother were both subject to temptation to sexual sin!!!! Good Grief!! How can any Catholic take such a book seriously?? In answer to whether I have read the book? No! I do not intend to risk my immortal soul on something that theologians with far more wisdom than I will ever have have outright condemned.
…”Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries.” CCC 66. There are seven deadly sins we as humans have the chance at one time or another in our lives. I think that Jesus and His Mother would have in one way or another overcome all of these deadly temptations in order to become the Holy Victors and trample Satan underfoot. It’s not an improbability. We weren’t there every moment of His Life so we don’t know. We know Jesus was fully Human. Perhaps if you read the story, you would not be such a severe judge. Like you, in wanting not to be mislead, I chose many years ago not to watch t.v., read novels or fantasy stories (i.e, Chronicles of Narnia) or cute stories about what people think God is. I do not idolize sports or movie stars, leaders or peoples, and needing to educate myself I found that reading Holy Scripture, front to back and again and again was very satisfying. I read it. I didn’t judge it. When the Poem came across my spiritual journey in its correct time, I read it – and to my surprise I realized my soul was not disturbed in the least and through the story as a whole I realized I had learned some things I could actually take into my daily life and see the results. People say (the people who cannot read the book), oh it’s way too sweet, oh Jesus was tempted of sexual sin, oh, the characters, oh, the descriptions. But, no one can say, the Gospel, morals, or theology is changed from what has been revealed in the New Testament. There are imprimaturs and nihil obstats from Archbishops who thought to spend the time to read The Poem — do not fear, it is safe and Catholic. St. Faustina’s writings of which we now have recognized for a Feast Day of Mercy! were also placed on the “List.” The fact that any books were placed on the “List” was to give time for the slow wheels of the Vatican to read these books and study the authors and situations surrounding the authors. It was not meant to be a blanket condemnation for all time. I certainly hope you do not watch t.v. or watch fantasy movies with movie stars or have sports heroes. The time spent in front of the electronic box spewing evil thinking, morals, and lifestyles will ruin your immortal soul quicker than salt melts in water.
Does Bergoglio even believe in the Holy Trinity? The Divinity of Christ? Perhaps the dubia should include those questions, also.
Does he or any of his comrades?
I am becoming convinced these men are a bunch of atheists. They have some adherence to the notion of some kind of transcendence out of a philosophical nostalgia, but it is not motivating their engagement with existence.
This appears to be a masquerade and it is well overtime that it be blown out of the water. God willing it will come to pass in the new year.
The Bergoglians have got to go.
I don’t know about others, but I’ve grown weary of this man. I can barely manage to read articles that tell me what he has said, much less read his actual words. One might think this week, after yet another murderous Muslim attack, this time in Berlin, we would hear some words of contrition from him for the near-lunatic immigration policies he has insistently urged on Europe. But no. Instead we get only pious protestations against amorphous “violence,” as if violence were itself a person rather than a phenomenon. Like most liberals, he seems incapable of listening to his own words and catching in them any hint of hypocrisy.
It’s time for vicious Nationalism and expulsion of those who pull the levers of our immigration policies in Europe and the United States.
Not vicious, –just healthy Nationalism.
Written in the dirt on the back of a van on the motorway yesterday, I saw more Catholicism than from PF this Christmas “Rest in peace, Polish truck driver in Berlin”. Does he care at all for the victims of the policies he supports or the people he persecutes? May God send us a good and holy pope. I would be perfectly happy if that pope was a converted Francis. Please dear Lord, HURRY! Deus in adjutorium meum intende, Domine ad adjuvandum me festina
I went to a (UK) Catholic Sixth Form College around 30 years ago. At that time it was 90% Baptised Catholics, probably 9% other Baptised Christians and a few others.
Now my son goes to the same college. The College has certainly grown in size, but it still claims to be a Catholic College, and is still under the “guidance and control” of the Diocese.
At a genuine guess 30% of the students are now Muslims. And whilst the precise location that it is in is a very Muslim area, the town and surrounds from which most of the students come is in no way one of the towns that you would think of when considering which areas are Muslim.
The darkness deepens and we have no place to go. Read the Book of Job. Our Dear Father in Heaven knows all, sees all, hears all. There will be Justice and Mercy and He will give us our reward for being faithful in this day of trial. Don’t let the darkness overtake your world (I’m speaking for myself here, Johnny) but see the Light that is there for those who want to see, to see.
Barbara, Mike, James, and Chloe: I wrote to a friend this morning saying we may soon find ourselves obliged to choose between the pope and truth, and that I never thought I’d ever say such a thing. I’m over 70, brought up Catholic, and save lapses into youthful sin, never veered from the Church’s path. That said, I think Jesus is making things painfully clear right now for all of us; because of this clarity, we don’t have to fear overmuch error of understanding on our part. I chose to speak above of the pope’s suggestions to European leaders for exactly that reason, viz. that it’s crystal clear these political and secular recommendations of his are nothing short of catastrophic. Isn’t that oftentimes how Jesus speaks to us, with examples only the willfully blind can misunderstand? Is He saying to us, If the pope can be so egregiously wrong about something so simple but at the same time important, can’t he be equally wrong about matters of far greater weight in the great scheme of things? I don’t want to misjudge the actions or words of anyone, especially the pope, but I’m being led ineluctably to conclusions that I don’t like especially.
When in doubt, compare the teachings of this Pope with those of St Thomas Aquinas. When you are in doubt, God will not judge you for following St Thomas. For instance, google “Thomas Aquinas immigrants” and “Thomas Aquinas Islam” to see what the well-run State should do, and what the individual prudent Catholic should do, when faced with the crisis of Muslim Migration now overwhelming us. The Angelic Doctor is far more common-sensical and trustworthy moral guide than the leadership of Frau Merkle & the EUSSR, or Pope Francis.
Good point, Adrian. Even for those not schooled enough to have read Thomas, encouraging a situation likely to eventuate in open civil war cannot seem like wise policy, or to be grounded in sound teachings. Yet, knowing this, the pope makes no apology nor does he amend in any way his bad suggestion. Today we learn the Berlin Muslim mass murderer came to Europe through Lampedusa, a “refugee.” Yet we also learn his family is still in Tunisia, seemingly alive and getting along; his mother showed the press photos of the terrorist before he left his homeland to cause havoc the other side of the Mediterranean. What kind of “refugee” is this? Of course, all of us remember Pope Francis’s comments about Lampedusa. No one wants to see people die at sea, but the pope’s notion that the thing to do was import them all to a totally foreign land and culture….
On 23 September 2017 will occur in the sky over Jerusalem “the Great Sign” of Rev. 12: 1-2. Right after that, major persecutions in what looks like a major war spreads like fire over the earth. Prepare now, stock up on imperishable foods as you can, be in the state of grace and pray for the grace to be faithful unto martyrdom if it should be demanded of you.
If “gattoparadismo” is a political approach of changing something so that nothing changes.
Then what is someone changing the teachings of the Church while saying he isn’t? Could it be “malevolent deception?
I seriously believe PF is the anti-pope that supposedly will be in the Chair of Peter. The more he speaks, the more cruel and anti-Catholic thing’s come out of his mouth! I’ve had a gut-awful feeling about him since day one and he’s proving this to be the case. Check this other Catholic website where he’s name calling the four Cardinals who choose to do God’s will and ask for the Truth, for clarity and this is his comment.
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/6542/0/pope-lambasts-clergy-motivated-by-devil-in-annual-christmas-address-to-the-curia
This puts me in mind of a superb film, “Mister Roberts”, with Henry Fonda as a navy man in charge of a ship with a captain (played by James Cagney) who is absolutely paranoid and power mad. He goads and bullies everyone on the ship, including the brave but beleaguered Fonda, and the treatment of the poor enlisted sailors (that would be us) is terrible. He uses the same tactics as Bergolio, accusations, maneuvering, and meanness, to accomplish his goals, until finally one day, Fonda’s character finally cracks and looks at him and asks, “How did you ever get command of a ship? I realize in war time they have to scrape the bottom of the barrel, but where did they ever scrape you up…”.
Our captain is bad, he’s far worse than the captain of that ship. I am hoping our faithful Cardinals have the courage of the fictional Mister Roberts. Bullies must eventually be stood up to, by somebody.
Cardinal Burke has announced that he and his colleagues will publish a “correction” of the Pope’s ambiguous teaching after the Christmas season.
Then, WSHTF, watch the fireworks as PF tries to “fire” them.
Francis’ answer to the precise, concise dubia is ad hominems that blatantly call into question the integrity and goodwill of the Fab Four who had the courage and love for the Church and the faithful to pose them. This will lead to a formal correction to be issued by these good men (probably before the end of next month, based on a recent suggestion by Cardinal Burke), and only God knows what happens after that; but already members of the College and beyond are beginning to “take sides.”
What I find most vexing of all is that the most consistently vibrant, growing area of the late 20th and early 21st century Church has been where there is orthodoxy, the very target of our Pope’s most consistently exhibited contempt.
Here’s another website with bad news about PF.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/family-leaders-alarmed-at-popes-personal-invitees-for-synod
“IF YOU KNOW WHO RULES OVER YOU, ASK YOURSELF WHO (or what) YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CRITICIZE”
Jorge Bergoglios reign as anti-pope “Francis” is nearing an end. He, his benefactors and followers have left the church they imagine they are leading. No one who has fervently sought and found the truth regarding what has happened to church since Vatican II and his invalid election is following.
Guys! Dolls! Everything is unfolding as it should!
Several months after the first “Family” synod in October 2014, His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke gave an interview and a subsequent clarification. He said (and I paraphrase) that he would “resist … if necessary … if it comes to that.” The handwriting was on the wall, folks. (cf. Daniel 5:6)
I knew at that moment that Cdl. Burke would deal with the issues presented by Holy Father and his cohabit– er — collaborators — with skill and all due discretion, and that it would take time.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/what-cardinal-burke-really-said-about-resisting-pope-francis-87675/
“Just stand back, and watch a master of the truth handle this, Pat.”
I will not be disappointed.
Disgusting. I hope he goes to heaven soon in 2017.
I think God might have a different idea of sending him someplace else……
Please God not! We cannot wish that fate on anyone!
The reason for saying this is that we do not know if he’s even going to heaven as James B. states so its best not to make a comment either way. Yes, we do need to pray for him but also that he gets struck off his high horse (like St. Paul) and begins to see the error of his ways!
Sigh! I know his actions and words make it look like he’s heading down rather than up. Please God, with prayers he’ll wake up before it’s too late. I keep hoping he’s the pope in Don Bosco’s vision who is told he has left Rome and turns back. Only time will tell. He’s hard to like, and many refuse to pray for him. It’s the difficult ones that need the prayers most.
Well you know, the ‘Year of Mercy’ is over so he can now blast all the good Cardinals & Bishops who choose to listen to God instead of him
http://www.crisismagazine.com/2016/god-not-author-confusion
Pope Francis did refer to the dubia: “All this is to say that the reform of the Curia is a delicate process that has to take place in fidelity to essentials, with constant discernment, evangelical courage and ecclesial wisdom, careful listening, persevering action, positive silence and firm decisions.”
See, his silence to the dubia is a ‘positive silence’ for the dubia are negative because they come misguided minds that are befouled by the ‘refuge of tradition’ and inspired by the Devil and are ill intended so they provoke a “…malicious resistance, which spring up in misguided minds and come to the fore when the devil inspires ill intentions (often cloaked in sheep’s clothing). This last kind of resistance hides behind words of self-justification and often accusation; it takes refuge in traditions, appearances, formalities, in the familiar, or else in a desire to make everything personal, failing to distinguish between the act, the actor, and the action.”
Clear or Ambiguous…? But, then again ‘Who am I to judge’, as I am one who is befouled by the tradition of the Church and actually dare to hold absolutes as actual absolutes.
Wow. Benedict XVI warned against the “tyrrany of relativism” –and behold, he appears to have been succeeded by “The Tyrant of Relativism” himself . . . . 🙂
To all of the Pope cannot be deemed a heretic by his lessers, answer me this: if a Pope were to deny the Divinity of Christ would anyone have the right to say him wrong and in heresy? And if in he would be in heresy then he would no longer hold the Catholic Faith…so then how could he possibly be head of the Catholic Church having denied the Faith?
PS: I am not saying the PF has done the above, I am laying out a hypothetical situation.
Father you are correct. However, absent that concrete written declaration of heresy we are stuck. I’m afraid the constant discussion of this problem – is he a heretic or not – takes us away from the real problem – Catholics sitting on their hands at Mass Sunday after Sunday having heresy preached at them by dissidents without a blink.
Will there be Faith on the earth when the Son of Man returns? Would Jesus have asked this question unless there was the real danger that there wouldn’t be? Francis is leading many souls into a new Church and he is preaching a new Gospel. He will pay the price for that, but what price will those pay who went along?
In the book of Revelation, The Red Dragon’s tail sweeps 1/3 of the stars (= high ranking clergy who should be trustworthy teachers) from the heavens. I think it reasonable to suppose at least 1/3 of the laity will “go with the flow” and follow them into apostasy. To ensure this group doesn’t include you, say the rosary daily and follow the advice of Our Lady of Fatima.
Ok I’ll bite… If a Pope were to deny the divinity of Christ, publicly let’s say, by all means “lessers” from all over would likely declare him a heretic. You present an extreme example, the fruition of which is so improbable that it borders on ridiculous. That PF is asking shepherds of the Church to act more pastorally in no way violates any major tenet of the Catholic faith, let alone Christian values and principles.
As PF has alluded to, the question underlying all this “resistance” is that of intent. In the spirit of Christian unity/peace/mercy/forgiveness, we need to ask if maligning the pope and those who support him is helpful in terms of fulfilling the mission of the (universal) Church. Is it good for our souls to be in a perpetual state of disdain and derision? And above all, how do we treat our neighbors and “the least of these?” This, I would argue, is the the measure of our true faithfulness to Him, and aims at fulfilling our Lord’s two greatest commands. A rigid “keeping of the laws” (valuing form over substance) will not achieve this and has potential to impoverish our spiritual lives.
Thus, PF’s admonishments to the shepherds of the church serve two purposes: 1) to realign the Church’s mission with the more basic (and universally understood) tenets of the gospel–a distancing from elitist/imperial modes of the past; and 2) to protect both shepherds and sheep from spiritual impoverishment. These are not evil and/or heretical endeavors in any way, shape or form (obvious to most), unless one erroneously assigns “malevolent” attributions to them.
Most here will dismiss and ridicule this “modern” perspective but it is truly the way forward for the Church. All living things must learn to evolve and adapt or risk becoming extinct. As PF has said (about a year ago speaking to a church gathering in Florence), “Christian doctrine is not a closed system incapable of generating questions, doubts, interrogatives — but is alive, knows being unsettled, enlivened. It has a face that is not rigid, it has a body that moves and grows, it has a soft flesh: it is called Jesus Christ.”
Amen to that… and Merry Christmas to all!
I would contend that your argument presents some serious problems, ScottG. Most importantly, if you think that Pope Francis seeks to realign the Church’s mission with more basic and universally recognized gospel tenets, I counter that such is pretty much the essence of what Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Zwingley, King Henry VIII, and others tried doing. We refer to these efforts as the “Reformation”, but they didn’t have much interest in fidelity to Christ.
If you wish to further argue that Pope Francis intends to eliminate elitist/imperial modes of the past, I would point out that not only is he a head of state by virtue of his office of the papacy, but that the Church is not a democracy, thus it should not behave as though everyone has equal authority.
Lastly, if Pope Francis seeks to protect the faithful from spiritual impoverishment, he has done this very poorly. Amoris Laetitia almost seemed to give carte blanche to people to live in a state of mortal sin if they wished, giving only very equivocal recognition of the Church’s actual teaching.
One of Pope Francis’ key drawbacks seems to be his intent to try to “reach out” to the whole world by any and every means possible and at any cost.
The recently ended Year of Mercy had worthwhile intentions, that of provoking the world to repent of sins. Such does not work well in this world. A person will not repent of sins when the person believes that sin, itself, does not exist.
Throughout that whole year, Pope Francis and his Curia seemed very reluctant to define anything as sinful at all.
Look how Pope Francis threw the Chinese Catholics under the bus to cultivate “better diplomatic relations” with the deceiftul Chinese Communist government. Look how he left Catholics on Lampedusa, but prefered to bring Muslims to the Vatican– when Muslims migrants continually persecute Christian migrants. St Thomas Aquinas reassures us that “Charity begins at home” and that Christian migrants deserve priority over the Muslims. But Francis likes to play to the PC secular press, whose darling he is. He forgets what his Master said, “Beware when all men speak well of you. . . . ” Francis seems to like winning popularity contests in the MSM. I and others like me find this unattractive and a betrayal of the Gospel he purports to teach.
John, we see things differently and that is fine by me. I am under no illusion that I will convince anyone here, I just think it’s important for people to understand there is an alternate POV other than the perpetual disdain and derision we see here. I stand by my comments and I stand by our reform-minded pope.
In terms of argument, I will only offer that “reaching out” to others and spreading the good news (i.e. gospel) is what we are called to do. I’m surprised you would make that statement. PF’s penchant for emphasizing the gospel rather than sin/mortal sin represents a shift in focus, not an undoing of past teaching. This is part of the aggiornamento the Church so desperately needs and, as I stated above, is clearly the way forward for the people of God.
ScottG, if you believe that you see disdain and derision here, I think you ignore the degree of contempt that has been dished out over the last several decades on any hint of Traditional idea or intent.
As for what the Church needs, I do not think the world has any need for more of Pope Francis’ version of emphasizing the gospel. He tends to do so at the expense of emphasizing the hard, but necessary, Truth of Catholic faith. He ultimately will confirm the Church’s teaching, but only after a great deal of song and dance about loving one another.
I do not believe the world or the Church have any need for yet another talkative voice to halfway confirm people in sin. We really need a talkative voice who will declare unequivocally that some things are, in fact, gravely sinful. We cannot expect anyone to repent of anything if we don’t provoke them to recognize sin for itself.
As to the way forward, I have yet to hear of large numbers of people converting to Catholic faith, nor even seeking repentance from sins, to demonstrate the merit of Pope Francis’ apparent style. I recall being somewhat uneasy about Pope John Paul II being viewed as a quasi-rock star, I don’t like Pope Francis “folksy” style at all. He is my spiritual father, or at least, he is supposed to be. He is supposed to tell me to seek heaven, avoid sin, and grow in maturity with Christ, even when that is difficult. He is not supposed to be my best buddy to sit down and watch a football game together with a beer. If anyone would do that, it should be my priest, not the leader of the worldwide Church.
It’s interesting to look at the statistics regarding number of seminarians, parishes, dioceses, etc. at the time of Pope Pius XII compare to today… Vatican II worked out oh so well, eh? The current statistics are pretty easy to find. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e48b0e8cde2f588af00fbba1da17764413044df5b0600f591f54e74a3a0a33c9.jpg
It is impossible to emphasize the gospel apart from sin. The Gospel is the announcement of the redemption of man from the jaws of sin through Christ Jesus. That we can be free is an essential part, so essential that one of the seven sacraments of the Church deals exclusively with freeing people from sin. It is impossible to emphasize just the gospel and de-emphasize sin. One can only see the gospel as such (good news) if one sees the reality of sin. Otherwise, it seems unnecessary, even cruel. You miss the entire point of the gospel if you think this.
Pope Francis speaks of many good things, using language which inspires and reassures. However he “Jesuitically” also slips in an occasional but deliberate moral ambiguity which can and does confuse those who are not very well catechised in their faith. This is like offering wholesome food beautifully presented but which has a drop or two of poison sprinkled on it.
One must look sharp with this Pope’s teachings, so as not to be poisoned with the modernism which Pope St Pius warned about, and the relativism Pope Benedict XVI warned about. We have been warned about Modernism and Relativism; so have no excuse for not being aware of the Modus operandi of this Wolf in Shepherd’s clothing.
Doctrines never change. They are eternal truths.
I seem to recall having considered similar concerns with John Paul II at one time. I cannot claim to be an expert on the matter, but I have the impression that the pope only has primacy insofar as he is consistent with the teachings of his own office. If that is true, then I should think that a worldwide body of bishops and cardinals would be required to declare a pope to be a heretic, then the College of Cardinals would be required to convene to select a new pope.
I think you are right.
St Robert Belarmine is the Doctor of the Church who is the expert on the Papacy and problems of this sort. You can look his writings up online and read in detail what *should* happen. But it won’t. Too much Satanically inspired apathy, confusion, and fear for the College of Cardinals to act as you suggest. Also notice that Pope Francis is swiftly filling the College of Cardinals with “Modernist” cardinals who share his values.
Pope St Pius X condemned the Modernist Heresy; but now it is part of the “corporate culture” of the institutional Church. This is why the Apocalypse calls it “the great Apostasy”: the cultural institutionalizing of the Sin against the Holy Spirit. (The Chastisement is standing at the door. . . .)
From the article: “According to Pope Francis there is resistance that arises from good will and sincere dialogue”.
So when four cardinals pose five questions to Francis, he refuses to answer.
So much for dialogue.
This clown show is getting really old.
I have an idea floating around in my head. I do not know whether it is bravely wise or quixotically foolish. The priests in our (very large) parish seem unwilling to address the moral underpinnings or, more to the point, lack thereof of Amoris Laetitia. They dance around, every weekend, and never come close to addressing the issue of divorce and ‘remarriage.’ This was true before the document, but especially afterward, failing, at all to correctly label such activity as an offense to the clear words of Jesus as a violation of the 6th Commandment. This bothers me greatly, as I believe this to be moral cowardice and a lack of love toward the congregation. This, I believe to be true, whether in this circumstance or contemplating it and not knowing the seriousness of the violation…because they don’t realize the consequences of their actions…especially when timid or mealy mouthed clerics can’t summon the courage to aid their flock!!
To cut to the point: Do you think it unwise to make up a simple flier in a THIS (pertinent Sripture and CCC) vs. THAT (pertinent paragraphs[305] and footnotes[351]) along with a quick primer on the Dubia, sort of a Cliff’s Notes version of the current dilemma…and then distribute it on cars or in pews? The vast majority of our parish have been made purposefully ignorant of the serious death match that is going on for the soul of Jesus’ Bride, His Church. Thoughts? The situation gets me so fired up over this suppression of Truth. So many are just so UNAWARE of the danger of this diabolical plot by Pope Francis and his many minions to blot out and virtually destroy the sanctity and permanence of the marriage covenant. Am I wrong, foolish, correct or faithful to His word…and to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ??? I have not felt this strongly before in my fifty years on earth. I just feel called to actually **DO** SOMETHING to warn the flock (do the priests’ job) or to make the priests aware of the extreme anxiety that their inaction is causing the faithful in the parish!!! Such a Catch-22. I do not want to be called to account by our Lord when I could have warned others of the mortal danger of going over this cliff…my sin (and theirs) of omission. Also, am I alone in feeling this way? Disturbing that I should say this, but this would be my version of “sidewalk counseling” or protesting in front of an abortion clinic!
I would not do it. You will be labeled such that you oppose your priest. The WHOLE focus would be on what you did to embarrass him, and NO ONE would discuss the content. This is reality. Have you spoken directly to your priest? Have you tried to gather a few who could go with you to talk to him? Is there a way to write him a letter if a direct conversation to not possible? Have you simply asked him to preach on the sanctity of marriage? And if he says no, asked him why he won’t?
Can you vote with your feet and go to a different parish? Is there a Latin Mass in your diocese you could attend?
Millions are in your shoes and don’t even have the understanding that you have. Thank God for that, and offer up all your suffering for this poor priest. That may be your only recourse.
Thank you for your your suggestions. The other parishes, unfortunately, are even worse, staffed with either extreme ‘Spirit of Vatican II’ types or very, very effeminate men. Barbara, I have broached the subject before, respectfully and with a smile, but have not gotten any traction. I seems that they either do not care or do not want to offend, or both. Frank, I have not tried to get on the parish council. Perhaps, I will give it a try. It just shouldn’t be this hard to get people who are supposed to be working together, interested in *actual* repentance of the sins of their flock and the salvation of their souls! It’s disheartening, especially when we should be on the same team. Blessings to you, both!
I agree with Barbara that a leaflet campaign is not The way to go, and with her suggestions for approaching the priest. This would be in accord with the Lord’s instructions in Matthew xviii, 15-17. I do think that some effort to point parishioners toward the truth may be justified if the steps she suggests are taken and fail to produce any results, although passing out leaflets probably won’t be effective in any event, and might even get you into legal difficulties if the pastor decides you are a troublemaker–he could declare you a “trespasser” and have you arrested for even showing up on the property.
I would instead try to find out who is on the parish council and start working on one or more of them, if possible, or even try to get on the council yourself. Get into parish ministries and meet others who may also be bothered by the lack of serious preaching on the truths of marriage and divorce. Try to get them onto the council with you. The enemy has achieved great harm to the Church by working patiently from within. This is how we must respond, one brick at a time, all the while praying and making offerings as Barbara suggests.
Yesterday Bergoglio decided to send commissioners to the Order of Malta, as he did for the order of Franciscans of the Immaculate. The reason is the removal of the Grand Chancellor by the Gran Master and the Cardinal Patron of the Order, after he distributed condoms (sic!) in a hospital in Africa. So now Bergoglio disavows once again Card. Burke.
The news is here: http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/6499/0/breaking-order-of-malta-top-official-removed-from-post
Just imagine yourself sitting in the room with the Pope listening his ridiculous ranting, criticizing others for what he himself does, unable to recognize why his “subjects” would have a problem with what is plainly heresy, etc. They would be thinking that this man is simply mad and unable to recognize reality because he no longer recognizes truth. Conclusion: We do not recognize him as a true Pope; he is a madman who is in the control of the devil.
It is quite remarkable how he constantly projects his own wickedness onto others.
that’s straight out of the Saul Alinski play book for radicals
No. He’s not a madman, he’s a Jesuit, and the Jesuits have been corrupt as a disobedient order dedicated to the NWO and a Marxist view of history for a couple of generations now. Read “The Jesuits” by Malachi Martin and you will understand how we got this Jesuit Pope.
You can get second-hand copies of this excellent book online.
Agree. I have read The Jesuit and the other apocalyptic books by Malachi which all sound so ‘happening now’.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit: Either Sacred Scripture or Pope Francis. It’s our choice now.
Jeremiah 6:16
Thus says the Lord:
Stand at the crossroads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way lies; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, “We will not walk in it.”
Thanks Red – staying solely with Sacred Scripture. Probably should just read Sacred Scripture as no one has asked me to be so involved in this — but this is disconcerting — I love the quiet ancient paths of the Lamb of God -the quote brought immediate relief to my soul!!!!
Dear Pope Francis, if you’re so certain you’re right, why fear to answer the cardinals? Dialogue should go two ways. When you attack the motives of those who disagree with you, you obviously aren’t assisting dialogue and it appears to prove you have something to hide.
I really hate to put the cart before the horse, but for those of us that have the use of reason and a truly formed Catholic conscience, it is apparent to at least me that Francis has lost the papacy. Sorry, Cardinal Burke, for getting too far ahead of you. However, it is undeniably apparent that Francis is a material, manifest heretic for all who have eyes to see.
Not only is “global warming” now part of the Church’s moral theology (and mortally sinful if we do not recycle, etc.), but adultery is perfectly fine, and, now, Francis has directed that all seminarians studying for the priesthood MUST agree that issues involving global warming, and the JUNK SCIENCE which supports it, must be taught to these young men.
I have had quite enough. I am done with Francis and have washed my hands of him.
I pray for his soul, but the Chair of Peter is vacant- in my opinion. May God have mercy on his soul.
Not so fast! Hold out a bit longer…
Last Sunday our Priest gave an excellent homily on the situation in the Church today, citing various problems with past Popes as well. The point of his homily that went straight to my heart and that of my wife and even my son-in-law when I told him about it later {he doesn’t attend there} was this:
At various times in the past, Popes have done terrible things. It’s a fact. But in each of those occasions, just exactly what they were doing was not and could not be fully known until later. And LATER the CHURCH in each event settled the issues.
The Church teaches that no one may judge the Pope…but another Pope. We see that in the case of Honorious. WE may certainly observe and must make assessments and when we hear teaching that appears to conflict with past teaching as it so often appears to do with this current Pope, but it is and will be the job of a future Pope to bring closure and clarity to the chaos.
OUR FAITH DOES NOT RESIDE IN THE DECENCY, INTELLIGENCE, EVEN THE ORTHODOXY OF ANY POPE. OUR FAITH IS IN JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.
Personally I praise God for Pope Francis, for it is His “ambiguous} pontificate that is finally bringing to light WITH TOTAL CLARITY the hideous excesses and heresies that have for 50 years lived a camouflaged life throughout the Church.
A fight rages in the Church today. DURING any fight, one must hold out in faith that one’s “champion” will win. When I used to box, I knew there would be rounds I didn’t look so good. right now we are in the middle of a round where we are taking punch after punch. It doesn’t look good. But the final bell hasn’t rung yet.
Now, as we look at the situation today, many are feeling and sensing and observing the same exact things you are. There IS reason {are reasons} to ask questions not just about the meaning of the Pope’s teaching but indeed about his status as Pope.
Let us not forget; The members of the Sankt Galen “Mafia” {their word} have been reported to have publicly stated their violation of Pope St John Paul II’s law on lobbying for election of Popes, a law that in its violation may nullify the election of a Pope. Might a future Pope take this issue up? Then we have the utter deluge of statements by Francis that are increasingly impossible to reconcile with Church teaching assuming words have any meaning at all.
I can say with total confidence that the Seat of the Papacy is NOT vacant. It is not vacant because Pope Francis has been, as far as we know, elected to that seat but further and no ruling by the Church has been uttered demonstrating His loss yet, but also, even if a future Pope declared him a heretic or illicitly elected, we still have Pope Benedict.
The Seat is not vacant.
Wait for the fight!
The “correction” that is coming WILL SETTLE NOTHING. But it will, I submit, trigger the REAL fight.
This is the first round. We are just testing reach. In the round to come the haymakers are going to get thrown and I for one am chomping at the bit to watch this fight all the way to the final bell.
We may well have Benedict. But, short of Francis either being deposed, or his election declared invalid, Benedict apparently will say nothing as to the real reason he stepped down. I still believe that the facts that have trickled out certainly seem to infer that Benedict did not have complete freedom regarding his resignation. Why else would he not only remain so quiet on all the events happening, retain the wearing of the papal white, the “pope emeritus” status, and then practically hole up inside the Vatican never returning to his home country of Germany? I want to know the answer to all these questions.
Like, you, I’d like to know the answers to your questions, but I probably never will.
Besides, I cannot honestly say I am a huge fan of Pope Benedict for that matter, but I don’t have questions about his legitimacy. Point is for me, I am coming to realize that the Pope himself is not as big a deal to me as it once was though in the case of this one I am troubled by the damage to the faith of many I fear is being done.
In hindsight, other than the restoration of the TLM, Benedict turned out to be quite a disappointment. He was not quite the “Rottweiler” many expected. To this day, I think he was blackmailed into resigning. Just my opinion. We will probably never know.
While I do not always agree with the views espoused by this blog, I do agree that I am not at all pleased with this Pope. I am not aware of any reforms he has made that have been healthy changes to the Church, but I have seen much discord being tolerated and advanced. He seems incapable of making a clear statement regarding the actual status of SSPX within the Church, he also seems incapable of declaring whether doctrine means anything regarding who may receive communion or not. He theoretically should be the uniting influence in the Church, but he seems more interested in making messes. He does not seem to have any concern for cleaning them up.
The Devils Delight
I’m done with going to those that deceive casting pearls to those that do not believe.
Why join with pretenders seeking a gold crown when all they desire is to take you down?
Poetry is not a game that some make it to be not the glory of look all, how pretty is me.
So much more then some ever dare to find its hearts of deep soul and generous giving mind.
So as some walk in ‘pride’ upon plastic clouds cloaked in deceit and hidden in darken shrouds.
Consider those that ‘humbly’ dare to bare it all with no demands to be given the golden ball.
Yes, ‘this world rewards such as those that plot against those truly sincere and demanding not.’
R.J. Lindley
His reform at its core is for priests to “accompany” laity in their erroneous conscience…which conscience can be sincere or sinful. But Christ confronted consciences clearly…He didn’t join erroneous consciences in quasi empathy. He confronted softly the woman taken in adultery and the Samaritan woman at the well…but He never joined Himself to their consciences in an exculpable “understanding”. He also told both the woman caught in adultery and the man cured from 38 years of illness (Jn.5:5) to…”sin no more”. The latter man then went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Christ who told him to carry his pallet on the Sabbath. Christ therein experienced a mega ingratitude from a man He had just cured of 38 years of illness.
This is what Francis has been running from perhaps all along….no matter if he visited the rich or the poor. He never experiences revenge ingratitude for witnessing against real sin because when faced with real sin, he finesses the moment but does not say “sin no more lest something worse befall thee”…Christ words in Jn.5:14. Note…Christ not only said sin no more but also asserted that hell is far worse than 38 years of illness…” lest something worse befall thee”. Christ knew as God that this man received the original 38 years of illness as punishment from God for sin ( see Deut. 28:22…” the Lord will smite you with consumption and fever”) unlike the innocent health related suffering of Job and Tobias…hence the “sin no more” part in Christ’s words.
Unlike Francis, Christ could be caustic with the poor…noting that 9 of the lepers He cured…never thanked Him. For Francis, this ingratitude would be perhaps understandable and he would not note it but would accompany them in their ingratitude via empathy with their overall situation of perhaps still being poor. But we follow Christ not a man who seems to be softer than Christ…” judge not by appearances but give just judgement” said Christ.
A priest visited my elderly relative in the hospital yesterday. She is not Catholic. He asked her what her religion was and she told him she was an Episcopalian (in name only). He asked to bless her, saying something to the effect that Pope Francis was working on a solution to bring the three religions together — Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran. She let him give her a blessing (and for that I am grateful). But what if she decides to go to a Catholic Church and receive Communion? This is a frightful thought to me. The V2 rot has reached far and wide, and Francis appears to be doubling down on his false ecumenism while simultaneously attacking those within the fold who hold to tradition and the teaching of Christ Jesus.
Take every complaint of Francis and use a mirror which shows a perfect fit; a classic case of projection/ gaslighting.
join the Resistance
https://youtu.be/jHtiEi52KPY
Rejecting the words of Jesus Christ about marriage is a reform? No, it is sin. Can Francis really not know that?
Francis has it exactly backwards…..as usual.
The headline should read “Malevolent Resistance to Tradition Takes Refuge in ‘Reform”
The Vatican 2 wing of Hell awaits for all the miscreants wearing collars since 1958, all the homosexual pederasts who brought such grievous disgrace on the Church, and the diseased Masonic Protocal enabling Popes lead by Il Duce Francis. The Plot Against the Church and the Alta Vendita laid it all out, we are witnessing the perceived (by them) triumph of the world wreckers and their Father Satan. But of course we know the ending already, unfortunately we have to live through this bastard first.
We are now seeing the “fruits” of Liberation Theology,” be uttered forth by this pope, who was ordained a Jesuit priest during the rise and reign of that Jesuit thinking and implemented by the late Fr. General Arrupe, who became disobedient under the then reigning popes. Recall the late Great Saint John Paul !! seriously admonishing and reprimanding a kneeling priest before him about that theology, during one of the Pope’s visits to the West.
Pope Francis f/k/a Cdl Jorge Bergoglio = Pure Demonic not Diabolical Disorientation
I am so tired of this same rhetoric from PF. He just states over and over again how anybody questioning the things he does as somehow being evil and then provides no basis for his accusations.
I suppose because he is Papa Francisco, he is not to be questioned.
The worst part of all this to me is that he credits his actions to the work of the Holy Spirit.