Almost two weeks ago I reported on the bizarre social media behavior of Antonio Spadaro, the Pope’s “mouthpiece” and editor of the influential Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica. He had used Twitter in various ways to attack the “four cardinals” who had submitted the “dubia” to Pope Francis. This included using screenshots of the movie trilogy Lord of the Rings to equate the Pope’s opponents with grotesque fictional villains.
Spadaro appeared to be conflicted about the appropriateness of his actions. He alternated between acting like a man with something to hide and flaunting his prowess at trolling. He deleted one tweet, which appeared to equate Cardinal Burke with a “witless worm,” then put it back up with a jokey comment and additional jabs against his critics.
A small group of Catholic Twitter users and bloggers began to follow and report on Spadero’s actions. My posts of a few weeks ago were one part of that.
Since then, virtually all of us have been blocked by Spadaro on Twitter.
A few days after the “witless worm” post/deletion/repost, Spadaro made another juvenile pop culture attack on cardinal Burke et al.but this time it was in the form of a retweet:
In conformity with his past pattern, this tweet was also soon deleted.
Who was Habla Francisco? The name can be translated as “The Pope speaks” or “So says the Pope.” The account holder’s Twitter page showed that “Habla Francisco” had joined Twitter in September 2013 but had only made 3 tweets, all of which were retweeted by Spadaro. (They have all now since been deleted). “Habla Francisco” supposedly had 18 Followers but the account was “protected” such that no other information was publicly available.
You can guess where this is headed.
A few days ago, one of the Spadaro sleuths discovered that “Habla Francisco”‘s account could be traced to Spadaro’s own email address at La Civiltà Cattolica.
I cut off the identity of the person who posted the above, but this tweet and other similar communications were publicly shared on Twitter. The information revealed at the bottom was confirmed by multiple sources.
That’s right, Antonio Spadaro, the editor of La Civiltà Catholica and one of the Pope’s main point men in promoting Amoris Laetitia had been “retweeting” his own tweets from a sock-puppet Twitter account. These fake retweets were used to defend an Apostolic Letter and attack four cardinals of the Catholic Church.
Yesterday, Chris Ferrara claimed, only half-humorously, that the Pope’s men were acting like Mafiosi.
I agree, but they’re also acting like teenage girls.
Interestingly, Spadaro had previously styled himself as a sort of expert on the internet and social media. A few years ago he authoredCybertheology: Thinking Christianity in the Age of the Internet. The cover shows God jump starting an internet connection or linking social media users or something:
The book has two brief positive reviews. I wonder who wrote them?
According to the Amazon blurb:
The author suggests that since the Internet has changed, and is changing, the ways in which we think and act, it must also be changing the ways in which we think (of) Christianity and its theology.
God help us.
The content, as might be expected from a contemporary Jesuit “theologian,” is one part quasi-Marxist, one part quasi-new age and one large part not-so-quasi pop culture riff:
Spadaro also considers the hacker ethic in relation to Cybertheology.
Perhaps Spadaro should have considered creating a sock-puppet that wasn’t so obviously linked to his professional email address.
There’s actually more to this story. But for now at least I’m going to be cryptic about it. Suffice it to say (and I’m not joking around or trying to be overly dramatic here) if you try to go to the Mahound’s Paradise Twitter page and find that it no longer exists, know that I wasn’t the one who deleted it.
This post was originally published at Mahound’s Paradise.
Not surprising, of course.
Typo: it is not, as written 2 times in the article, “la civiltà catholica” but “la civiltà cattolica”
Thanks. This is pretty much a straight reprint, but we’ve fixed it on our end.
Got it! That’s funny, I cut and pasted it from somewhere so I wouldn’t have to remember how to type an accent mark on my keyboard. So, I’m just going to blame the internet.
Is that the action of someone guided by the Holy Spirit?
Definitely guided by a spirit. The one that you cast out during an exorcism.
The picture of God on the cover of the Cybertheology book is commonly used by Freemasons in the U.S. to depict “The Great Architect of the Universe” T.G.A.O.T.U. holding the compass of the Masonic square and compass. Interesting that a churchman would approve of this image on his book…..
Not necessarily.
I enjoy seeing the slimey ones being exposed. Only a twisted mind would think creating a hissy ‘fake’ twitter account in order to snarl at faithful Catholics was time well spent.
This is why I try to avoid social media whenever possible (except for my Disqus account, of course). Something about the Internet encourages grown men to act like temperamental, spoiled children. Which, when one looks at the behavior of those currently eviscerating the four cardinals, seems to be a requirement for defending the Pope these days, as only an intellectually immature dullard could defend his nonsense with a straight face.
For failing so dismally to cover his tracks, Fr. Spadaro the Cybertheologian deserves a big (re)boot from his boss.
Odd that you cite the image of “teenaged girls.” For the longest time this crew has evoked the vision of a bunch of mad queens trying to redecorate a display window. Only this time the window is the Church of Christ. It is at once boring, aggravating, disheartening and sickening.
Mad queens indeed. In more ways than one. (Queue I will survive)
just finished this post I wrote, waiting and hoping someone would make known all of this by this priest to be able to share. https://cardinalallennephew.wordpress.com/2016/11/30/__trashed/
The cover painting is William Blake’s “Ancient of Days” painted in 1794. It is, as noted by TC Corps, used extensively by Freemasons to depict, “The Great Architect of the Universe.” It is actually not so surprising that Msgr. Spadero SJ use Masonic symbolism as the Jesuit order came under the influence of the “Craft” as far back as the 1920s
http://www.christianorder.com/features/features_2015/features_may15.html
Thank you. Very interesting. Checking into it, the painting seems to be a Masonic favorite. They even out it on a t-shirt. One blurb states: “Masonic shirts are one of the best ways to let the world know how proud you are to be a Freemason; and they provide the easiest way to advertise what Freemasonry offers.”
There is little discussion of Freemasonry in the post Vatican II Church, but all previous popes, especially Leo XIII, denounced it explicitly as diabolical in nature. I am reminded of the story told by St. Maximillian Kolbe of how he was caught up in a mob of Freemasons marching on the Vatican chanting, “Satan will rule from the Vatican and the Pope will be his lackey”. The date of the occurrence was Oct 13, 1917.
Do you have a source for that quote? I find it both fascinating and believable. I’d love to be able to prove that it’s real.
I was quoting from memory from a booklet on the Knights of the Immaculata founded by Kolbe right after the Masonic episode that I have somewhere in
my library, but can not find at the moment. I couldn’t find the original source for the quote either on the internet, ( I would presume the original to be in Polish or perhaps Italian) but have attached a variety of sites wherein the quote may be found with slight variations. Freemasonry is not a friendly benefic association like its offshoots such as Rotary Clubs dedicated to political, social or economic advancement, but for those, at least the top, it is the religion of Anti-Christ aimed at the destruction of the Church and the installation of Lucifer as God’s equal to be worshipped as Prince of this World.
Saint
Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr (1894 – 1941)
Fr. Kolbe
recalls… “In the years leading up to the war, the masonic
“clique”, disapproved of on several occasions by the Sovereign
Pontiffs, governed in Rome, the capital of Christianity, with ever greater
impudence. It did not even hesitate to brandish in the streets of the City
during the festivities in honour of Giordano Bruno, a black flag showing the
Archangel Saint Michael beneath the feet of Lucifer; still less did they
hesitate to brandish masonic insignia beneath the windows of the Vatican. A
reckless hand felt no repugnance in writing: Satan will rule in the Vatican and the
Pope will serve him in the uniform of a Swiss Guard, and other things of that
kind. This mortal hatred for the Church of Jesus Christ and for His Vicar was
not just a prank on the part of deranged individuals, but a systematic action
proceeding from the principle of Freemasonry: Destroy all religion, whatever it
may be, especially the Catholic religion.” … written by Fr. Kolbe in
1939….
http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/masonicquotations.htm
“In 1917, Maximilian Kolbe watched in horror as the Freemasons, celebrating their
bicentennial, marched through the streets of Rome carrying banners depicting
Satan defeating St. Michael and declaring: “Satan will rule on Vatican
Hill and the Pope will serve as his errand boy.” Martyr and saint, Fr.
Kolbe worked tirelessly against Masonry because he knew how this enemy of the
Church insidiously effects revolutionary social changes by promoting spiritual
paralysis, moral compromise, secular humanism, and the heresy of
indifferentism.”
http://www.thirdorderofsaintdominic.org/Freemasonry.html
See also:
“Satan Must Reign in the
Vatican. The Pope Will Be His Slave.”
http://www.lepantoinstitute.org/uncategorized/satan-must-reign-in-the-vatican-the-pope-will-be-his-slave/
also:
“St. Maximilian’s strong desire to evangelize stems
from an experience he had in 1917 when massive anti-Catholic demonstrations
were organized in Rome
to mark two famous anniversaries: the proclamation of the “95 Theses”
by Luther in 1517 and the foundation of the first modern-style Freemason Lodge
in the world, the Grand Lodge of London, in 1717. In Masonic demonstrations
celebrating Freemasonry’s bicentenary, flags bearing an effigy of Lucifer were
carried through the streets by demonstrators shouting: “The Devil shall
rule in the Vatican and the Pope will be his lackey.”
https://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/KOLANTI.HTM
In 1939, on the eve of the Second World War, Kolbe wrote:
“In the years leading up to the war, the masonic ‘clique’,
disapproved of on several occasions by the Sovereign Pontiffs, governed in
Rome, the capital of Christianity, with ever greater impudence. It did not even
hesitate to brandish in the streets of the City during the festivities in
honour of Giordano Bruno, a black flag showing the Archangel Saint Michael
beneath the feet of Lucifer; still less did they hesitate to brandish masonic
insignia beneath the windows of the Vatican. A reckless hand felt no
repugnance in writing: Satan will rule in the Vatican and the Pope will serve him
in the uniform of a Swiss Guard, and other things of that kind. This mortal
hatred for the Church of Jesus Christ and for His Vicar was not just a prank on
the part of deranged individuals, but a systematic action proceeding from the
principle of Freemasonry: Destroy all religion, whatever it may be, especially
the Catholic religion.”
http://allpassingthings.blogspot.com/2016/08/st-maximilian-kolbe-hated-freemasonry.html
Thank you sir. Very much appreciated — and chillingly prescient.
http://www.lepantoinstitute.org/uncategorized/satan-must-reign-in-the-vatican-the-pope-will-be-his-slave/
Most amateurish for the consigliere. But encouraging that Pope Francis doesn’t recognize such incompetence. A sign, perhaps, that his devilish enterprise is doomed to failure sooner than expected.
Does this type of behavior not tell us all we need to know about who is right in this battle?
What this tells us is that the Vatican is run by sick, perverts.
Imagine a Cardinal creating a sock-puppet account.
But I suppose that is just true to form – him being a sock puppet.
“…acting like teenage girls”. Right, because leftist priests tend to be homosexual. Or at the very least quite effeminate and light on their feet. Fact. Deal with it, Lefties.
very amusing and not without similarity to the way some Russian media managers operate. Who would be surprised?
that said, you Catholics are really lucky with current Pope, especially if comparing with the situation in Christian orthodox church or past Catholic history, but, in my opinion, even without that comparison.
What a bunch of pathetic people the Roman Pontiff has surrounded himself with. it is apparent to anyone who pays attention how screwed up the Jesuits are and how screwed up the Church is in Argentina. Of course, we have our problems here, too.
Not stopping me. I will wake my sinful self up Sunday morning, get ready to go to Mass, wake up my son, get him ready and go to the Traditional Latin Mass. So there a bunch of knuckeheads running the Church. Jesus never promised an easy life for any of us. I am NEVER disappointed with Mass when I go to the TLM. I am joined with all my ancestors and all who went to worship in this Mass from its beginning to the present day and no words or deeds from the hierarchy, even the Pope, willo dissuade me.
As someone else has pointed out before: birds of the same feather….
Wer als Kurpfuscher der Seele auftritt braucht sich nicht
wundern, wenn viele Menschen ihr Leben nicht leben können und
weiterziehen! “Denn ich schäme mich des Evangeliums nicht” Röm 1, 16
Papst tut es!
Es gibt in der Kirche Skandale, kein Katholik kann das leugnen…
“Es
gibt in der Kirche Skandale, tadelswerte und beschämende Vorkommnisse;
kein Katholik kann das leugnen. Die Kirche hat sich immer dem Vorwurf
und der Schande ausgesetzt, Mutter unwürdiger Söhne zu sein. Sie hat
gute Kinder, und weitaus mehr solche, die schlecht sind… Gott hätte
eine Kirche gründen können, die rein ist; er hat jedoch vorhergesagt,
dass das vom Feind gesäte Unkraut zusammen mit dem Weizen wachsen werde
bis zur Ernte am Ende der Welt. Er sagte, dass seine Kirche einem
Fischernetz gleiche, in dem sich „Fische aller Art“ befinden, die aber
erst am Abend sortiert werden (Mt 13,47f). Und er ging noch weiter und
erklärte, dass es weitaus mehr Schlechte und Unvollkommene als Gute
geben würde. „Viele sind gerufen“, so sagte er, „aber wenige auserwählt“
(Mt 22,14), und sein Apostel verkündet, dass es einen Rest gibt, der
aus „Gnade erwählt ist“ (Röm 11,5). Es gibt also in der Geschichte und
im Leben der Katholiken unaufhörlich eine Menge Dinge, die dem
Widerspruchsgeist in die Hände arbeiten…
Wir lassen aber den
Kopf nicht vor Scham sinken und verbergen unser Gesicht nicht in den
Händen, sondern erheben Gesicht und Hände zu unserem Erlöser „Wie die
Augen der Knechte auf die Hand ihres Herrn…, so schauen unsere Augen
auf den Herrn, unseren Gott, bis er uns gnädig ist“ (Ps 123,2). Wir
wenden uns an dich, gerechter Richter, denn du schaust auf uns. Wir
machen uns nichts aus Menschen, solange wir dich haben… solange du
uns, wenn wir versammelt sind, gegenwärtig bist, und wir dein Zeugnis
und deine Zustimmung in unseren Herzen tragen.”
Sel. John
Henry Newman (1801-1890), Theologe, Konvertit und Kardinal, Gründer
eines Oratoriums in England. Aus: Predigten zu verschiedenen Anlässen,
Nr. 9, 2.6