From 10-11 March 2017, the Bringing America Back to Life Convention was held in Cleveland, Ohio. The convention was a gathering of nearly 1,500 defenders of life from different religious backgrounds and from all parts of the United States. This gathering, which included the courageous former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson, also featured many Catholic speakers such as Michael Hichborn (Lepanto Institute), John Smeaton (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children), Gabriele Kuby (Catholic German author), as well as John-Henry Westen (LifeSiteNews).
It was John-Henry Westen who proposed a larger topic that would have an impact on all pro-life work. A topic which, as he argued, affects all Christians and people of good will, namely: “After 2000 Years, Is the Catholic Church Altering Its Stance on Life and Family?” With this challenging topic, Westen addressed the serious problem that the Catholic Church — which was heretofore at the forefront of the protection of innocent and vulnerable life and of moral standards with regard to marriage and the family — seems now to be drifting away from that vocation and orientation under Pope Francis. This continued weakening of the Catholic Church’s doctrinal and moral resistance will inevitably affect all people in the world who fight for the defense of human life, since what is arguably the most powerful moral voice seems now be withdrawing, or at the very least, quieting down.
What is important for us to know in the current situation in the Church is that John-Henry Westen — after his charitable and detailed critique of the current pope — received a standing ovation, and thus found much support for his candid approach. This event might well be an indicator of the way social conservatives of different religious backgrounds perceive the grave changes that are proposed and also taking place in Rome right now.
It is also a sign that many Catholic defenders of life — especially the ones in attendance at that meeting — are increasingly critical of some of Pope Francis’ doctrinal and pastoral positions; this is even more significant inasmuch as much of this recent public criticism does not come from the expected traditional Catholic circles, but from more mainstream or “conservative” sources.
Westen, who is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the pro-life news website LifeSiteNews.com, told his audience on 11 March in Cleveland how difficult it has become for him and his colleagues at LifeSiteNews to report on Church events after the resignation of Pope Benedict and under the pontificate of Pope Francis. He and Steve Jalsevac, the other founder of LifeSiteNews, are both Catholics who had lost their way for a period of time in their earlier lives and then, under grace, found their way back to the full Catholic Truth. Having once lived a life outside of the fullness of Catholicism, they now better know from the inside how precious is the Catholic Faith and all of its teaching. As Westen put it: “without truth, we would not have come home.” “We needed the truth for our own good,” he explains. Thus they have made it their work motto to speak the truth in love — “Veritas in Caritate” or “Caritas in Veritate.” Based on this principle, LifeSiteNews publicly criticizes even prelates of the Church, “for their own good,” and while being especially mindful of the words of Our Lord about those who scandalize the Little Ones of Christ.
John-Henry Westen invited all people present — Catholic or not — to pray for Pope Francis. Until recently, he explained, the Vatican was at the United Nations a voice standing against the killing of the innocent children in the womb; however, with Pope Francis, a new tone has come into the Church. Westen reminded people of Francis’ September 2013 words, according to which “it is not necessary to talk about these issues [such as abortion, contraception and same-sex unions] all the time.” Westen recounted to the audience how this papal statement was a shock to him and his colleagues. But, he added, it then even became “much more grave.” In February 2016, Westen said, Pope Francis publicly praised as “one of the forgotten greats,” Emma Bonino, Italy’s long-term promoter (and procuror) of abortion. Bonino has never repented — at least not publicly — for her having performed such illegal abortions herself in the past.
The Canadian journalist also recounted how, during Francis’ visit in the U.S. in September 2015, there took place a private meeting between the pope and the Kentucky civil clerk Kim Davis who was punished for refusing to sign same-sex “marriage” licenses. What troubled Catholics at the time was that the Vatican tried to deny that the meeting took place and seemed embarrassed about it and never released official photos of that meeting. At the time, LifeSiteNews reported that the Vatican then claimed that there was only “one real audience” at that time in the U.S., and that one was with a former student of Pope Francis and his same-sex “partner.” According to Westen, Kim Davis was then accused by some of the public media of being a liar, while many pictures were being ostentatiously shown of the papal meeting with that homosexual “couple.”
As Westen described it, Pope Francis seems to wish to be “on a good footing with the media.” The secular media do not mind Catholics, explained the journalist, as long as they are not making a claim “of absolute truth.” Westen added: “Unfortunately, the pope has a similar approach,” seeming to “give in” with regard to the multiplying “hard cases.” As an example, the editor of LifeSiteNews quotes Pope Francis himself describing a same-sex couple where one of the two partners is a transgender. While talking about this couple, Francis called the “she” who had become a “he” a man, therefore accepting this immoral conjunction and behavior as licitly normal. The pope also called their union a “marriage.”
John-Henry Westen also explained his purpose in mentioning this candid description of these examples: “I show you things to wake you unto prayer.” “Prayer and speaking out to your pastors and bishops” is now so vital in Westen’s eyes.
Westen also mentioned the 16 June 2016 case where Pope Francis claimed in front of priests in Rome that cohabiting couples have “fidelity” and that they have “the grace of a real marriage.” Westen, who is the father of eight children, still remembers how his own daughter called him from college, asking him about these stunning papal words, since people were now believing that Pope Francis is officially accepting cohabitation. Westen continued: “I asked cardinals with whom I later spoke: was I supposed to lie to my daughter?” And he insisted that “this is a fight for our children’s souls.”
As another scandalous example, John-Henry Westen mentioned the words of then-Archbishop Blaise Cupich who said at a press conference during the 2015 Synod on the Family with regard to same-sex couples and their possible access to the Sacraments that one has to respect the consciences of the people. Here Westen insisted that one may not receive Our Lord in Holy Communion unworthily and that the words of Cupich go against Holy Scripture. Without being in the state of grace, explained Westen, one partakes in a “false communion.”
Later in his talk, Westen summed up our current situation in the Church with the words “we have thus going on now not just one heresy.” The world’s laxer beliefs have now come home to permeate the Catholic Church.
In the second part of his talk, John-Henry Westen gave a beautiful wholehearted witness to the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, explaining to Catholics and to non-Catholics alike how the Blessed Mother warned the world about the danger of hell and about the especially perilous consequences of sins against purity. Leading the audience calmly, and in detail, through the events of 1917, Westen presented how this 100-year-old message is still decisively valid for us today — and perhaps it is now even more urgent than ever. The Catholic Canadian journalist recounted how, today, most people believe that nobody goes to hell — or that “Our Lord did not mean that.” But, on the contrary, the seer Sister Lucia herself said indeed in 1954 to Father Lombardi: “Father, many [souls] will be lost.” John-Henry Westen also mentioned here that Cardinal Carlo Caffarra — one of the authors of the dubia concerning the papal document Amoris Laetitia — was told by Sister Lucia that “the final battle between the Lord and the reign of Satan will be about marriage and the family.”
After mentioning many other scandalous incidents — such as the ecclesiastical threats addressed to the priests and current seminarians of Malta if they were now to oppose the novel teaching of Amoris Laetitia; Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia’s controversial sex-education program; Paul Ehrlich’s presence and comments at a Vatican conference in Rome; and the fact that the dubia still remain unanswered by the pope up to today — Westen pointed to the possibility that perhaps “we will [soon] be meeting in homes again” for Holy Mass on Sunday. However, we have to “hope and fight,” added the journalist; “to pray and to spread the truth” are now so vital. With a good cheerful tone in his voice, Westen said that there is hope that we will win this battle in the end, because “Christ will win!”
After this Catholic witness of a journalist warrior, the 1000 people in the audience rose to their feet in well-deserved applause. Such praises for a controversial topic would have been unthinkable just a year or two ago, but this is further evidence of how drastically times have changed.
John-Henry Westen’s talk can be listened to on these two following links:
https://www.facebook.com/LifeSiteNews/videos/10155186114403203/
sequence, after a short interruption:
ttps://www.facebook.com/LifeSiteNews/videos/10155186124948203/
This post has been updated.
A “Field Hospital for the wounded” requires doctors that know how to heal.
The evil of our day is perverted human love. Abortion, contraception, masturbation, homosexuality, pornography and divorce all spring from this perversion.
The disease: True love is maximum personal pleasure, sex and convenience. Press a button. Get pleasure. Repeat as necessary.
The cure: True love comes from God, and is expressed in personal fidelity, and embraces sexuality and self-giving leading to its fruit, new life and happiness.
That is the only diagnoses that can explain broken matrimonial bonds and sexual perversions.
The only cure for this disease is the time honored formula that leads through Sacramental Confession to Eucharistic Communion with God. Communion is not possible without reconciliation. Non-Reconciled Communion is bad, fatal medicine.
A field-hospital with any other message than that is a danger to the well-being of souls. We in “the Field” know this personally. We are desperate for support from our “Doctors”.
Can we stop saying sex and start calling it sexual reproduction? Shortening it helps the opposition’s argument that it’s nothing to do with procreation. It’s just a pastime or sport (these days even a spectator sport!) It has a purpose. We here all know this, but maybe we should try and hammer it home to those who’ve lost sight of the fact. The Frankfurt school know that control of the language can control people’s thinking. Let’s take our language back.
I agree. I used that word in the context of the “disease”.
I call it “procreation”
No. A field hospital for the wounded requires doctors that know that they people are sick. But this field hospital is one where the doctor says you are fine as you are. We might as well raze it down because apparently there are no more wounded.
A man who walks in to the field hospital with a gangrenous wound in his arm knows he is in crisis. He does not want a pat on the head, a bandaid and flowers to make him feel well.
His cure is going to hurt. He wants it to hurt, because he wants to be better; he wants to live. He may even be willing to give up his arm in exchange for life. He wants the doctor to be as serious about his injury as he is.
Your analogy works for physical wounds, but for spiritual wounds it is mostly the reverse. A persistent mortal sinner wants his sins approved. Perfect example: sodomites and transgenders.
In either case, you have to recognize the injury and the threat. These sinners simply do not know they are injured because they can’t or won’t see.
But going to the hospital and asking for help implies they know their sin is a fatal injury in need of healing and want help. What then? Then the Doctor must give them an accurate, perhaps painful diagnoses and path to healing, Romans 10:14, not false comfort.
Conviction of sin precedes repentance from sin.
You have to hate the sin before you can leave it.
Going to the hospital means the desire for healing has begun. The Doctors must then do their part.
We thank God for the 4 courageous cardinals who presented the dubia, and specially for C. Burke who has initiated the Correction Process, and Abshp. Schneider for his clarity on Catholic doctrine.
To LifeSiteNews and onePeterfive – the cheques are in the mail. Keep up the good work in promoting truth.
The field physicians distinguishing instrument is the amputation saw.
Thank God for men like John-Henry Westen. He could have spoke for multiple hours, without repeating himself, on the current crisis involving Pope Francis and his cadre of sycophants who have been as busy as bees spreading the Modernist Heresy at the Highest levels of the Church.
May many more such conferences take place everywhere and may none of the presenters hesitate to speak the Truth of the Crisis in the Church.
Amen!
Modernism it is. In a way “Modernism” is a weak word to me, as although it unmasks sordid evil and really the most mundane and profound depravity, I keep thinking of Samsung Galaxy S8s versus smoke signals lol! Yes Westen is truly living life to the fullest.
John 10:10
Douay-Rheims Bible
Amen to “Fr. RP” here above. I need to donate more money to LifeSiteNews.com! Mr. Westen and Mr. Jalsevac deserve help!
Don’t Forget OnePeterFive in the donations! 🙂 And yes, we all need to donate more to LifeSiteNews as well. Every good and faithful organization should get our help and the faithless USCCB etc. should not.
Thank you for summarizing this talk so well Ms. Hickson. I feel very appreciative for Mr. Westen’s important message, and gratified that it was so well received.
There can be no doubt we are in uncharted waters with this pope and the current magisterium. All that Mr. Westen has pointed to, and more besides, have made us come to some unhappy conclusions. So much has changed, these times are simply unprecedented.
It cannot be simple mathematical coincidence, all this occurring as a lead-up to the significant year 2017, and of course, Fatima. Does anyone else feel as I do, dismayed that he has chosen now as the time to beatify the little seers Jacinta and Francisco? The timing of it, as he prepares to go to Fatima, it is very convenient, is it not? I do not want him to be the one to beatify those child saints. It feels like a photo-op for him. Simply unbelievable to feel that way. God help us.
People are waking up. Even First Things had an article that was critical of Pope Francis today
Yes, I am one of those “conservative” Catholics who woke up about a year ago to the problems with this pontificacy.
You have coined a fine word there, Comrade. “Pontificacy” is so much more apt for this oaf in Rome’s regime than any other political adjective I can think of.
Any one of these scandals all by itself is a gigantic offense. One by one these stories cause a painful rent in the psyche. I tend to forget about them. Reading this account I thought: “Oh yeah, he said that too, didn’t he?” I’m sometimes still guilty of trying to root an out for Pope Francis. If a lay peer were to propose any of these things I would jump all over the issue with a fiery zeal. Faced with Pope Francis I fall and scruple whether I have a deficit of humility or wisdom.
Our Lady of Knock, pray for us.
Deeply appreciative to read of Mr. Westin’s bold presentation and for 1Peter5’s reportage. That being said, each episode here recounted is no small agony on a deep spiritual and doctrinal level. The spineless cowardly behavior of Pope Bergoglio is mortifying and a scandal. To magnify the tragedy he has handlers that are either oblivious or complicit to his erroneous perspectives and farcical comportment.
Outstanding article. Mr Weston’s speech has great insight and truth. Thanks so much for sharing. To date I thought I had read all the subversion this pontificate had wreaked. I read this article and learned more. It can be very, very disheartening but that is what Satan’s wants. As Mr Weston points out we must move forward with good cheer and trust in Our Lord and as he stated we all must pray for Francis conversion. Pray that he recants these errors and heresies that he has acquiesced to through his silence and pray that he listens to and allows himself to be guided by the Holy Spirit and not man. His obedience and that of many prelates and priests to Our Lord is required. If not many souls will be lost and they will be held accountable for them when their time comes.
I liked your advice “to be of good cheer”.
Happy warriors, as it were.
Please allow me to be the devils advocate for a moment. The problem with many pointing out the errors and terrors of Francis is that they think that all we need is to go back to the good times under Benedict and JPII. My friends, Francis is not the problem, he is only the symptom or fruit if you like of the revolution since the psuedo-V2Council. Squarely putting the blame on Francis is actually not fair because he is only the recipient of the baton which now needs to go forward. Since V2 we have had a progressive decimation of the faith; first the theology, then the liturgy, then ecumenism and finally morality and the family. We must join all the dots to get the picture.
You are very correct. The decline of moral values in the Church started occurring right from the great false council V2, under every pope from John XXIII onwards, but it has reached its climax with the present pope. If the Popes are like this then the Church is in real trouble. Because majority Catholics are taught to obey the Pope under any condition so they will accept heretical viewpoints if they come from the Pope since they know no better. May God help our Catholic Church by deposing these wolves in sheep’s clothing who are unfortunately legitimately seated on the See of Peter so that makes the situation in the Church so much more dangerous
You have it right, Vatican II started the decline of the Church and the current Pope is its zenith. Bergoglio, had he been a faithful Catholic, could have reversed the process. Instead he has accelerated it.
Keep the Faith. Christ is watching and He will not leave us orphans.
Don’t blame an inanimate Council. Blame the man who has free will and certainly knows what he is doing.
Are you saying that the bishops at the Council and the popes proceeding it did not know what they were doing? Baloney! They knew exactly what they were doing and excuses such as “the majority of the Council Fathers were not aware of how the documents would be interpreted” holds no water. Abp. Lefebvre smelled the rats within days of the the Council opening but only a minority of bishops headed his warnings and sided with him. I dare you to read his book “I accuse the Council” and you will see.
First I am blaming Francis for his actions, not a Councilor.
There was some ambiguity in V2 which allows wrong interpretation. Francis has used that process diabolically and cleverly.
“we will [soon] be meeting in homes again” for Holy Mass on Sunday. However, we have to “hope and fight,”
Yes!!
Abby Johnson was not a nurse. She was the head of a planned parenthood location. Please correct
Thank you for this correction, the text has been updated.
As an example, the editor of LifeSiteNews quotes Pope Francis himself describing a same-sex couple where one of the two partners is a transgender. While talking about this couple, Francis called the “she” who had become a “he” a man, therefore accepting this immoral conjunction and behavior as licitly normal. The pope also called their union a “marriage.”
I don’t think it is possible to fully realize the implications of the above quotation on the very core of human self-awareness: that humankind is made in the image of God, and, definitively, male and female (Genesis 1:27), which is reaffirmed explicitly by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself — the Son of God — in the 19th chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel. Hearing words that contradict the primordial reality of God-ordained human maleness and femaleness coming from the mouth of a pope is a trauma so great that it cannot be fully comprehended. The devastation to millions of souls, including ours, the suffering, despair, and capitulation that such a morally euthanizing statement causes when it comes from the Vicar of Christ in incalculable and imponderable.
We have seen the depths of human misery and depravity put on display for all the world to gawk at and shake their heads at. How can this be, coming from a pope?
It is surely the time when we must ask, as our Lord does:
“Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help? I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” – Luke 18:7-8
Let’s really pray and offer our sufferings for the deliverance of Pope Francis and his hand-picked clergy, who have fallen under the spell of diabolical disorientation, of which Sr. Lucy warned us. And let us pray that we ourselves will not similarly succumb to its temptations. Finally, let us pray that Cardinal Burke, Bishop Athanasius, and other faithful clergy will walk in love and courage as they fight for the True Faith, and that the Lord will raise up many and holy priests, bishops, and cardinals to help guide the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church back to fidelity and evangelical mission.
This transgender movement is from the pit of hell. You have aptly described the moral desolation of the pope embracing it. It is cosmic in the scope of evil that on the world stage he would call a woman by a male pronoun. The entire moral order was smashed. How darkened the intellect of our shepherds to remain silent. So many souls destroyed by such perversion. So many children coming of age damaged by this madness. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
I am attending a professional development conference and during the break I was assaulted by seeing a normal looking man dressed in a woman’s dress…I am dumbfounded speechless and disgusted …I wanted to ask ladies in the group if they would feel comfortable sharing the bathrooms with this transitioning person…God help us we are lost
Yes, there is such an individual in my professional circle and all I can do is pray for us all. It is a gigantic man who obviously is taking hormones, applies makeup heavily, has big hair, goes to the tanning parlor and wears short skirts and probably size 12 stilettos to work. I’m sure my company thinks they are being “ever-so-pc” and this person seems competent in the job, but it is painful to behold. It is abominable really. We are subjected to a continuous lie.
I no longer shop at Target for this exact reason. If businesses want to add private bathrooms for special needs, parents with young child(ren) and/or for transgender individuals, that’s fine. But to risk privacy and safety for all … I want no part of it.
I am reading your post as the gentleman is standing next to me….I just pray for him but I just can’t believe our culture has come to a point where this is thought as normal and the silent apathetic Christian majority just doesn’t care especially our shepherds
As in the days of Noah …. are we there yet? I think the silent apathetic Christian majority has compromised itself to the point where it is all love, tolerance, unity and speak only positive uplifting things. To say that something is wrong, sinful and against the natural law and moral teachings of the Holy Scripture is “judgmental” and “unloving” and “unkind.” All of this (sexual and gender deviancy) is from the very pit of hell. Many individuals in our culture have rejected God and have seared their consciences. God has given them over to a depraved mind. I think it is only going to get worse as the day of the Lord’s return approaches. Yes, pray for the man. There is nothing else to do.
You are right only a direct intervention from Our Lord will change things,..the most hurtful part for me is that almost all my loved are part of the silent and constantly label as judgemental and unloving
Brother against brother … father against son …. that’s what Our Lord said, Eugene. Your “family” may be friends and strangers (soon to be friends) who share Jesus’ teaching and a true Christian and Catholic worldview. Yes, it is hurtful. I have the same situation.
I believe many people who are awake, aware and alive in Christ are likewise suffering. The clergy will also be divided — some will be faithful and others not. The wheat and the tares grow together in the field, but there will come a day of harvesting and a day of separation.
We live in a sea of wickedness. On the day of the US Supreme Court ruling re: same sex marriage, I felt within my soul a foreboding of truly awful things to come. I believe we are headed for God’s chastisement and the fulfillment of Bible prophesy and revelations. Pray.
Many of us are going through this pain; the word of God sure is a double edged sword particularly on this topic.
By the way in Canada where I live our “Catholic” prime minister will be introducing into law mandating the use of gender neutral terms under penalty of fine or imprisonment that’s after pledging support of 600 million dollars to international reproductive and sexual rights
Anyone who hasn’t done so already please donate to Lifesite news. Unlike the diocesan publications they do not receive funding from the Bishops and their chancery offices.
Thank you to Lifesite and all for this article and the many others exposing the wrongdoing in the Vatican and elsewhere and for your much needed talk, Mr. Westen. As a solid Catholic pro-life sidewalk counselor, I am thankful to note that Catholic pro-lifers seem to be the ones who are aware of what is really going on in the Catholic Church and the world.
However, it’s a shame that many, many Catholics are not aware of the nonsense emanating from Rome and the sad state of affairs with Bergoglio. They don’t get online to read the blogs, but instead, they read their local diocesan “fluff” pieces of “news”. I’ve tried telling them about what is going on and they are seriously in shock and are in denial. Theres always the ol’ ‘mistranslation’ excuse for Francis, because they just are too fearful to allow themselves to believe that he might be in error or say or do something wrong. I told them that the Spanish speaking people were up in arms about what came out of the Vatican and they read directly what Francis said in Spanish. I suggested they look online at his exact words. However, I doubt they’ll do it. Sadly, they’re so afraid that they just want to put their heads in the sand and hope it all goes away and some new visionary will rescue the whole situation! That seems to be their same attitude about standing up for life. Pathetically, they hide or run away or try to “sing a little louder” to ignore the reality going on around them, because they are too “uncomfortable” and they let someone else stand up for life. Cowards everywhere!!! They are afraid to say anything against what Francis says or does. It’s as if they’re afraid that they’ll be immediately catapulted to hell, if they do. Well, I don’t doubt that one can go to hell for sins of omission!
Thankfully, at least, we have some solid Catholic blogs and online new sites exposing the evil. Also, there are the brave Cardinals with the dubia, even though Francis chooses to ignore it and the ‘toadies’ around him try to cut down the very Cardinals who brought it out into the open.
The part that concerns me the most regarding Francis’ nonsense is that so many bishops and priests are completely silent on these vital issues to the Catholic Church and the world. Where is their outrage!?! Where is their courage!?! Why won’t they stand for the Truth and let the chips fall where they may!?! Is not God important to them!?! Doesn’t God come first for them!?! Don’t they care about the Most Holy Eucharist!?! Don’t they care about the Holy Catholic Church and the many souls that may be lost!?! What good is it to be a priest, but not do your duty!?! They will one day be judged as priests and therefore have a great deal for which to answer!
I thank God for you brave Catholic pro-lifers who aren’t afraid to tell the truth. May God richly bless you all!
God bless you and your work. You are such a fine witness for truth. I get the same response from Catholics in my circle. So willfully blind.
Thank you very much. You are too kind. I believe we spoke before regarding praying for our straying or “on the wrong path” loved ones. These are very difficult times. Thanks for your kindness and understanding. 🙂
Yes, I share your frustration and understand what you are saying about those with heads in the sand. We are in a very serious spiritual battle, perhaps one of the worst in the Church. Many refuse to acknowledge this and retreat to safer ground with many excuses. I am a convert to the Catholic Church and am willing to fight this battle as I cherish what I came to see as the fullness of my Christian faith from which I was in my own ” battle” for truth as I came into His Church. So perhaps I am ” battle ready”as others are not. We MUST be spending more time in prayer, the Rosary and our Blessed Mother are waiting for her children to come to her. We must live and breath in Christ with love for ALL of God’s children whether they know Him or not, whether they ignore what is happening or don’t care. We must speak face to face with our priests, Bishops and all who will listen and pray for those who will not. The messages of Fatima are coming true- especially the third secret of Fatima. I agree with Westen in that we may be” meeting in homes for the Mass” as time goes on.
Do not loose hope, this is what the evil one wants us to do.
Abide close to Him in the Sacraments and in Adoration of Him as our strength comes from Him!
Thank you. I wrote a much too long piece in reply & I think it was cut… So, anyhow, I just wanted to thank you for your comment and ask for prayers for myself & my loved ones & for pro-lifers & their loved ones & especially for priests & religious & their families, friends, relatives & neighbors.
I haven’t lost hope, but I think I need to pray for more hope in these troubled times. “Pray, Hope, & Don’t Worry”, Saint Padre Pio told us. It’s time for more prayer, sacrifices, fasting, & almsgiving! God bless you & yours & all the dear pro-lifers & their families. God bless all those involved at Lifesite!
It is a good sign that people are cheering now, it will be an even better sign if they follow through later and confront all those who follow Francis into heresy. This might be harder than we think now. I know it will be very difficult to abandon my parish, if it becomes clear that they support the unholy agenda of Francis. It will be hard to reject the persons I have grown to love in that parish. That is the situation Francis seems to be determined to create for many of us. CatholiSchism might end up tearing friends and families apart. I find that a sobering thought. Not to mention the persecution that will flow from the world who supports Francis, and whom we also must reject, perhaps to the point of being martyred. Best to cheer now, and gird our loins as well.
Once the schism occurs (as Akita says), yes, we will be having masses in homes and garages while the heretics own the buildings, headed by Francis. It will be like the early days of the Church. But as La Salette says, there will be a return to the faith in a large number after the major chastisements hit and fire falls from the sky which wipes out a “great part” of humanity as Akita says.
It seems now that things have got too far for even Mother Mary’s intercession to stop the wrath of God falling on the false part of the Church. But even the true Church will be affected by the chastisement since many prophecies from the Marian apparitions say that when the chastisement finally comes it will affect the good along with the bad. The bad gang being the bigger one will be able to persecute the good and so many good Catholics will have to become martyrs during this time and the blood of the martyrs will do the atonement that is necessary on the behalf of the body of Christ which is the true Church
Hi Alwyn – I might be wrong but I think I heard that martyrs go straight to heaven. Sign me up.
U r right. Martyrs have that privilege. But all true Catholics will be default signed up for martyrdom, without any sign up password. So u r in brother
Hi Alwyn – Sounds Good.
Just like jihadists.
Hi Kyler – Christian Martyrs do not resort to violence, they accept persecution and even death before they would renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. Does that sound like any jihadists you have heard of? By the way have you started a dialogue with “The Great Stalin”, yet? I think you are about the same age.
Yes they do. Where do you think Muslims learned it? Why do you keep posting drivel about some other account. Stop. If you can’t offer something o substance then do not reply to me again.
Hi Kyler – I can assure you that the Muslims never learned violence from any of the Christian Martyrs. This is as simple as I can make it, Kyler – Jihad=Hate Christian Martyrdom=Love. I sincerely hope that helps.
It is simple alright. You don’t know much about the history of religion huh?
Hi Kyler – I know enough to know when a person isn’t capable of doing much more than blowing smoke, Kyler. Why don’t you present your theory to :The Great Stalin”? I think you would both make a lot of sense to each other. Go for it.
You are quite obsessed with that poster huh? Okay. Wow me. Your education? Sources? Last book you’ve read on the topic?
Hi Kyler – Actually I see a lot of similarities between you two. I would really enjoy reading the posts between the two of you.
Drivel. Do not reply to me with such again.
HI Kyler – Opportunity lost for both of you.
More drivel. Can you control yourself?
Hi Kyler – Yes, I can control myself, Kyler.
Apparently not.
Hi Kyler – Imagination is a dangerous thing, Kyler.
See? You can’t control yourself. It is why your life turned out like it did.
Hi Kyler – My life has turned out pretty darn well, Kyler. Maybe you have a perverted understanding of what controlling yourself means. What say you?
Details?
Stop trolling. First and last warning.
How was it trolling? Warning? I take that as a threat. Bad choice.
Bye Felicia.
Hi Steve – Thank You. Equal Moderation for all with Malice toward none works well.
Like I said before. I decide who adds to the conversation and who detracts from it. You’re still not on the top of the first list. Learning not to feed the trolls is almost as valuable a skill as learning not to become one.
Hi Steve – I don’t even get an assist on the Kyler Incident? I am not a troll and will never be one, by the way.
Sorry Steve! None of these replies to Kyler were here when I added my comment. They’ve only popped up after I refreshed the page.
Very bad choice Frank. 1968 was a horrible year in some ways huh?
If there is any life that is looking more and more miserable by the minute it seems to be yours. I mean there’s the ignorance for one thing.
No. It is you who should wow us. You can start right now.
No Kyler. It is you who do not know much about the history of religion. Your ignorance stinks to high heavens.
You are so wrong! Christians were are martyred for witnessing and not denying the faith..Muslims believe it is their duty to kill non muslims and if they die doing so they will go straight to heaven
That is an opinion. Your facts and sources? Have you studied Christianity at the same age Islam is now?
Have you studied the Koran that specifically teaches the killing of infidels, please quote where Jesus ever said such a thing
Why not god? The Bible is full of murder by him and for him. But, unlike you, I have studied very major holy text on this planet. I study mythology daily.
Kyler, we have a fairly extensive set of articles on Islam here. I think you’ll find that they challenge your assumptions.
https://onepeterfive.wpengine.com/category/interfaith/islam/
No, thanks. I will take my actual education and ability to research over your pitiful propaganda. Your sources?
If you read them, you’d know our sources. The principal author is Andrew Bieszad, an Islamic scholar who is fluent in Arabic and has been studying the foundational texts of Islam for nearly 20 years.
He actually encourages people to do their own homework, and provides links to the best translations:
https://onepeterfive.wpengine.com/islam-101-crash-course/
So, one souce eh? Brilliant.
Once source who points to many other sources. And yes, far, far more brilliant than anything we’ve yet seen from you.
Says yet another anonymous poster.
You are so utterly dumb if you think Steve is anonymous. The depth of your ignorance is beyond words.
You mean the propaganda that you swallow from somewhere else. You just said you like myths.
Kyler you are reminding me of the type of debate I would have on the NcR website. You have revealed yourself as an atheist I will ask God to touch your heart for conversion. May He have mercy on you and may He bless you.
LOL. Mythology indeed.
Kyler. Absolutely nothing like jihadists!!!
Jihasdists are full of hate. They choose to blow themselves up imagining going to heaven while they imagine they are sending all their victims to hell.
A Christian martyr does not take their own life or the lives of others. They are the victim of someone else hate.
A Christian martyr is ‘A person who chooses to suffer, even to die, rather than renounce his or her faith or Christian principles. After the example of Christ one does not resist one’s persecutors when they use violence out of hatred or malice against Christ or his Church, or some revealed truth of the Catholic religion’
If you told me that a Pope like Francis would come to rule I would say your crazy,well we got him an it’s a shame,he is horrible,he praises Homosexul couples he brings to te Vatican an abortionist an he has appointed some very liberal Bishops an Cardinals,I thank Francis is a disgrace to the seat of Peter an we all need to pray for him because Francis is a terrible Pope.
A great 5 part series at Rorate on “The Church and Asmodeus”. Don Pietro Leone (pen name) talks extensively on the Traditional teachings on marriage and family; then contrasts that with more recent innovations.
Looking for solid ground wherever I can find it.
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-church-and-asmodeus-part-1.html
The obsession Pope Francis has with being “mediagenic” is truly repulsive.
An octogenarian concerned with frippery such as his image in the press is someone who is in grave danger of having wasted his time on earth. He need only consult a few very old and venerable documents to learn which matters should occupy his thinking as he approaches the grave along with the rest of us.
There are four of them, as I recall, and the number of “Likes” on various websites is not among of them.
God is at work, all day, every day. In these days of mass apostasy, God is still calling people to Him.
“After 2000 Years, Is the Catholic Church Altering Its Stance on Life and Family?”
No, but it looks that way. This was a very hopeful article, thank you.
Bravo for this brave soldier for life and for Christ! He is correct that there is no help for moral and pro-life truths coming from the Vatican these days where earth worship and accompaniment for sin seem to be in the forefront.
Pope Francis is a dud. Thank God for brave laymen like Westen and especially also for heroic clergy, like Cardinal Burke, who are respectfully asking questions and pointing out the contradictions coming out of Rome under Francis.
Hi Steve,
If you have the time, can you look at the merits of this article and maybe write an article based on it?
https://abyssum.org/2017/03/27/election-of-francis-pursuant-to-universi-dominci-gregis/
Thanks.
We are prayerfully considering converting to Holy Orthodoxy. The West post schism has lost its way. We need to return to the faith of the Apostles as handed down to them by Christ.
Holy Orthodoxy – where you can divorce and marry as many as three wives. That is not what Jesus taught.
Where you can contracept. That is not what Jesus taught.
As hard as it is, we have to stay put and man up. There is nowhere else to go.
I thought the same thing for 45 years. I challenge you to read up on Orthodoxys view of marriage from their sources. Google Fr Josaih Trenham and watch some of his videos. The Catholic Church changed the faith in the Middle Ages. Catholics are trapped between post Vatican 2 modernism and a slower post Schism modernism. Their (our) baseline on the traditional side is Trent. 500 years post Schism. We have replaced Christ with the Papacy. We say that we have unity in the Pope. What has been the fruits? Schism from the Orthodox, Protestant Reformation, Enlightenment, French Revolution, complete abdication to Judeo Masonic powers that now run the west. Being in bed with the satanic pseudoscience that we pretend is true science. We are asleep in the west. But we have the pope. I never would have believed I would write such things. I have simply prayed, sought truth, studied church history from the church fathers. Their theology and practice is that of the Orthodox.
Sorry but I won’t be listening to the opinions of any Orthodox priest on youtube. I know the Faith, and if he is Orthodox, he does not have it.
Listen, if you deny that the office of the papacy was founded by Christ Himself you are lost. Much of what you write is nonsense. We have replaced Christ with the Papacy??? The Catholic Church changed the Faith in the Middle Ages?? We are in “schism from the Orthodox” rather than the other way round??? The Protestant Revolt is a fruit of the papacy??? Are you kidding me??
It is the holy Catholic Faith you should be devoting your time to learning n this time of crisis, not Orthodoxy!
Do you want to let Bergoglio and his henchmen to cause you to lose your soul? Because that is what will happen if you walk away.
So my salvation is entirely based upon the acceptance of the papacy? We homeschool 9 children to seek nothing but the Logos. To follow Christ above all else. We have a single income and dedicate 100% of everything we do and have to the reunification of our entire family in heaven. I spend all of my free time on church history, seeking the truth among the fake history our culture is manipulated by. We place Christ, what He taught and said, his sacraments, his Way above all else. I have loved nothing but the truth. Pursue nothing but the truth. Ask for nothing but the truth. We are 2000 years into Christianity. I see little of the faith as handed down to the apostles in the west. Great, heroic people yes. When one studies the early church and practices what the practice they find Orthodoxy. The oldest verision of what we practice in the west is based on middle age distortions of the faith based on power and geopolitics. Faithful to the magisterium becomes an Orwellian mantra thet keeps good well meaning people from growing in Christ. They are stuck in a Trent vs V2 vs Francis soap opera. Our faith is about following Jesus Christ. His way. He never killed, hit, mamed. He loved and sacrificed and spoke truth. He never converted people by force or violence as we did in the Middle Ages. Everything about our faith should be to know , love and serve Christ. Scour this forum. Are we preoccupied with Jesus or with the political Intrigue of a system that in no way looks like the first seven ecumenical councils or reflects the way all Christians practiced the faith in the first thousand years. As for my salvation my dear brother, please pray for me, the greatest of sinners.
Mike, your salvation is dependent, among other things, on having the virtue of faith in your soul when you meet your Maker. That includes believing everything He has revealed, including all that we find difficult to believe, such as in this present time.
If you place Christ above all else as you say, then why now do you doubt His words to Peter?
Running away to Orthodoxy is simply looking for certainty where it is not to be found.
When one studies the early church one finds: Orthodoxy? Yes, for the Eastern Church was truly Catholic for the first ten centuries..
As for what my own preoccupation is, it is the salvation of souls, those of myself and my family first, then everyone else. Do you seriously think you won’t find political intrigue in Orthodoxy? It was after all political intrigue which led to the schism of Orthodoxy from the True Faith.
You are running away my friend. Just like the apostles at the Passion. And where will you run to when your Orthodox coreligionists fail to live up to your ideals? Then you will find you have led not just yourself, but the souls of those dearest to you, away from the True Faith. Is this what you want?
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventris Tui Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Holy Virgin please keep Mike and his family in the True Church and give then the strength to persevere in this hard trial. Amen.
Most of the early Fathers interpret “upon this rock I will build my Church” to mean what Peter said to Christ immediately before. You are Christ the son of the living God. That truth revealed to Peter is what the church is built upon (God). The church is not built upon Peter (man). Why did not Peter set everyone straight in the council of Jerusalem. It was Paul and James that actually ended the dispute. Believe me, I am well versed in your mind set. I lived it myself as I travelled away from the V2 Catholicism I grew up in. As we had children and became serious in our faith we ran the Traditionalist gauntlet. We admired (and still do) Archbishop Lefebvre, Bishop Williamson, pondered the Siri Thesis, have many friends in FSSP, considered SSPX (neo vs resistance), CMRI andd all the apparitions here there and in between. We prayed and prayed and prayed. God eventually brought us to the Byzantine Catholic Church. Kudos to those who actually know what it is and that yes it is “valid”. The BCC is in a nutshell Orthodoxy in union with Rome. As you can imagine it has many sub factions as well. When one learns the theology of the early church it becomes at odds with much of middle age theology. Modern theology doesn’t count as it is modernistic gobbly gook. The church becomes real. It challenges you like never before yet you relax in that challenge. You are no longer uptight but are endlessly working on improving yourself as a follower of Christ. Sin, rather than an offense against God, is missing the mark. You start to improve, not because you are avoiding hell but because you desire union with Christ. I don’t approach my marriage not to get Divorced. I love my wife and want unity in Christ with her forever. If you knew our life you would not call a move to Orthodxy running. It is the hardest thing practically speaking we could possibly do. We lose everything comfort wise. It is more akin to claiming a huge mountain in terms of earthly comfort. We would lose much as most of our Catholic friends would shun us. Our Catholic friends, by the way, make up most of our friends. Of course there is political intrigue in Orthodoxy. Neither of us can name any earthly organization where political intrigue does not exist. What Orthodxy has is a unity of what they believe and preach the Gospel. It has preserved the true tenants of the faith. I challenge anyone who reads this to attend a Divine Liturgy, Orthodox or Byzantine Catholic. There IS another option. Pope Francis has nothing to do with our move. We love Arch Bishop Schneider. We would still be prarefully considering the same if God willing he were pope. Running, practically speaking, would be placing my head in the sand of cognitive dissonance pervasive throughout all aspects of society, inside and outside of the true church. Our Catholic children are losing their faith left and right. I see in Orthodoxy the preservation of what Christ taught. I see their best chance for preserving their faith in Orthodoxy. Our faith is about Jesus Christ. Period. He left us a way, he left us sacraments, he left us a flexible structure to sustain this way of living. These popes have safeguarded usury, an Catholic educational system that steals souls, clown masses, life teen masses, girl altar servers, communion in the hand, Eucharistic ministers, contraception by inaction, divorce by annulment, gay priests, buffoon bishops and cardinals caught up in wordy adulation, deferring of sacraments such as Eucharst and confirmation often time locked behind coed sleepovers and poor catechesis. They are safeguarding this things. What they are not concerned with is the true faith. The good God does not expect us to endlessly search the Internet, have a degree in world history, theology, Latin, cannon law, encyclopedic knowledge of papal encyclicals, the ability to know of an apparition is valid, etc etc for our salvation. The faith was and is simple. If the Apostles could travel In all directions and cultures and spread the true church in their day then it must be simple. After 2000 years we have made a mess of a simple faith. The Catholic Church also recognizes the legitimacy of Orthodoxy. The Balamand declaration declares such. No loss of soul necessary.
So the TL;DR version of what you just posted is: you are leaving because you are scandalised by the Church’s failings and see in her stead an oasis of idealism which is Orthodoxy.
And I ask you again: where will you run to when the Orthodox scandalises you?
We are prarefully considering a move only if led by the Holy Spirit. The move would be to grow closer to Christ and the fullness of how he asks us to live. It would not be a reaction to being scandalized. That, to your point would be a disaster as one would learn the warts of ones new community very quickly and be constantly moving. Being ignorant of Orthodoxy caused us to go round and round and round and round in the west. Searching for truth because we dared to ask tough questions. We seek Christ and his ways. You have called this running a couple of times now. We want nothing more than to follow Christ into the fullness of what he intended the faith to be knowing that in all places it will be administered by imperfect humans. To your last question – we will follow Christ until the day we die, wherever, however we find the fullness of Him. Only He knows where that is for us personally. We are not running away from anything. We do not live in fear. I run into burning buildings for a living. I know what fear is. Christ says follow me. We are. Where this leads only He knows.
And if you seek Christ apart from His Bride, your search will never end.
God be with you brother.
God be with you too. I wish we were neighbors. We would be great friends!
I understand, I am edified by your long and conscientious wrestling match with this. Your proposed solution is not the one I would make. Go slow. And God bless you and your family.
Go slow.
Peace of Christ to you I just want to comment that I read your dialogue with “hows the boy”.
I wish you both were our neighbors!
Bless you both.
I do not walk in your shoes, and may not agree with your decision to leave the Church, but such a heart for Christ is deeply moving. Please remember, many of us here in the Church, share all you wrote about your love and zeal for Christ, and the messiness in the Church, and oh so many things you wrote. Please don’t forget us and pray for us, as we try to muddle through all this for a love for Christ and what i believe with all my heart, His Church. I just cannot seem to separate the two.
God be with you and your family.
Mike you don’t want to be my neighbor in a pagan country like Germany!!!! ;+) Wherever you are, be sure the situation is better than it is here, where only 1 in 10 of the Catholic population go to Mass on Sundays, and the Church loses 300,000 souls per year (100,000 through death, 200,000 through deregistering at the tax office).
Actually one of my closest friends here is a Lutheran deacon who is so convinced that they have it wrong about John 6 that he said he would never preach a sermon on the Bread of Life discourse. I asked him what is stopping him from joining the Tiber Swim team and he said “pomp” :+(
God Bless you. Germany is horrible for a Catholic. You are heroic for simply being on this forum and standing firm in your faith. The German bishops take the destruction of the church to a whole new level. The German people are a remarkable people who have been the victim of unprecedented lies and circumstances in the last 100 years. Enough said. I was in Leubeck in June and was blown away by all the beautiful churches that were once all Catholic but are now museums. I was able to get to mass after being up for more than 24 hours and it was horrible!! Surrounded by such architectural grandure and yet such a listless and uninspiring mass that would only bring tears to the eyes of a Freemason. God Bless you. Stay strong and keep fighting. You are truly heroic.
I am a convert from evangelical fondamentalism, and this reminds me of the typical language used in those cultures…
The catholic church is being attacked since the beginning of the church.
I see it more as a proof of what she claims to be (The Church), than a stumble block to believe it.
Sure, the catholic church is more “militant” in many ways… But, I think it is again a proof that she has “something” that propel her to spread the kingdom of God, more than any other forms of christianity. The whole world was evangelized by the catholic church centuries before the evangelicals did (in the 19th centuries… protestants went to Asia and America…the catholic went there in the 16-17th centuries)… And since a few decades, the orthodox started to do some foreign missions… by mere imitation I would argue…
Why. Because, like the protestants in Europe (ANGLicans, Lutherans,etc), orthodox christianity has consistantly become part of a national identity, with as many churches as there was kings.
‘Most of the early Fathers interpret “upon this rock I will build my Church” to mean what Peter said to Christ immediately before. You are Christ the son of the living God.’
Dear Mike, Regarding your above comment, might you consider reading this http://www.catholic-pages.com/pope/hahn.asp
Shall pray for your family! God bless!
Thank you for the link. God bless you as well.
Totally Agree. I wish I could upvote you multiple times! There is no where to go.
@ Mike: Furthermore, Our Holy Mother Church is being abused by the very person(s) who should be protecting and safeguarding her. This is the Church that Our Lord founded…. which in her Magisterium holds the fullness of the faith. The one that Our Lord gave us.
There is no way we should be leaving Our Mother Church. …we stand still, stand tall and work, as Cardinal Burke is doing, as many orthodox Catholic bloggers are doing, to expose the abuse, and to work to stop it.
the question will then be: which “holy orthodox church” will you convert to ? There are dozens of them.
Ultimately, you will be the final judge, and will join Luther with his “conscience” leading him to not recant. Luther too claimed that he was led by the Holy Spirit. As claimed Calvin, and 30000 others denominations founders.
What I mean is that, putting yourself in a position of “being led by the Holy Spirit to convert to Holy Orthodoxy” is really nothing but – in my estimation – putting yourself in the position to choose which church is right, instead of receiving what God has given.
I cannot speak for Luther. There were many forces at play. Many entities had a vested interest in the weakening of western Christendom. What we as Catholics are not allowed to admit is that he had some valid complaints with the church. He simply went the wrong direction for whatever the varied reasons must have been. We see the results of this mess clearly today. What is lost in all this is that this second great split in Christendom is the result of the first split and a papacy that went from a brotherly primacy to one of supremacy unprecedented in the history of the church to that point. This is the problem with most Catholics baseline for the true church being Trent. Trent was a reaction to the reformation which was a reaction to the Gregorian reforms which was enabled by the Great Schism. Tragic for the world. i ask anyone reading this. Why are they where they are. Akin to how do you know what you know. How well researched are the strongholds of your belief system. That is where the Holy Spirit comes in. Not as a rubber stamp for the dubious decisions of ones life. The Trinity is the bedrock of all decision making. Our constant companion as we read, discern, evaluate, choose, seek, etc etc. The west has lost the mystical unknowing aspects of following Christ and instead relies upon incomplete versions of history neatly packaged into a story that is mostly black and mostly white. To be sure of what one believes one must not dig too deep into history. When one starts to question it becomes very readily apparent how little we really know. That is why we need the Holy Spirit to guide us.
I wish you were my neighbour Mike! I have 8 children and I’d say there is a good chance they’d be about the same age as yours. You could have come round and our families could have had a good chat together about this. I can’t help thinking from your comments that you’ve not for some reason had good examples around you.
‘What we as Catholics are not allowed to admit is that he had some valid complaints with the church. He simply went the wrong direction for whatever the varied reasons must have been.’
Why not? It’s what I understand. Some valid complaints, some misunderstandings, personal problems, and went in the wrong direction.
I’m also struggling to understand how you don’t feel you can find Christ in His fullness in the Catholic Church. You say you are looking past the scandals. Yet you mention them.
I do very much understand your desire to raise your children to love the Lord their God. And so many are leaving the faith just as soon as they can. This concerns my husband and I very much. All of our friends feel pretty much the same way. We’re all wondering what we can do.
The way I’m thinking is: Teach them their faith well. In our family we don’t hide or gloss over anything. We talk about it. Teach them to pray, by being a person of prayer yourself. Be an on fire for God person yourself. ‘love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength.’ Be aiming to be a saint. Children can’t follow an example they haven’t seen. And then we have to leave the rest up to God. We are parents for life. We’re going to love them, and lead them, pray and fast for them, sacrifice for them our whole life long through everything.
I’d like to recommend a book if I may: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Intimacy-Father-Gabriel-Magdalen/dp/1905574436/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DAD3FA462ZFT67A1MJ3Z
God bless you and your family!
Please prayerfully consider the testimony of converts:
http://chnetwork.org/converts/?fwp_denominations=eastern-orthodox
What does all of this say? Good Catholics want the truth. Good Catholics hear heresy coming from the Vatican under Pope Francis. When good Catholic hear that Pope Francis speaks heresy they give great approval with applause. Lesson to be learned by Bishops: do your job, speak the truth Catholicism.
That much is at least encouraging. More and more of the Fathful are waking up to the reality of who Francis is and what he stands for.
Pope Francis was highly criticized for speaking words in 2013 that were almost identical to the words of Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 which at the time went virtually unnoticed.
“It is not necessary to talk about these issues [abortion, gay marriage, contraception] all the time. The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent. The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently. We have to find a new balance, otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel.” — Pope Francis, September 2013
“I remember, when I used go to Germany in the 1980s and ’90s, that I was asked to give interviews and I always knew the questions in advance. They concerned the ordination of women, contraception, abortion and other such constantly recurring problems. If we let ourselves be drawn into these discussions, the Church is then identified with certain commandments or prohibitions; we give the impression that we are moralists with a few somewhat antiquated convictions, and not even a hint of the true greatness of the faith appears.” — Pope Benedict XVI, November 2006
Here is why these remaeks are not equivalent: Benedict was referencing the set of topics he was likely to encounter during an interview with the secular press, whereas Francis’s remarks have been directed to Catholics with respect to our duty to live the Gospel, to evangelize and to model Christian virtue in our daily lives.
I would say they are absolutely equivalent. If I include the closing statements for each idea for each quote above, the concerns are identical albeit worded differently:
Pope Benedict XVI: I “Therefore consider it essential always to highlight the greatness of our faith – a commitment from which we must not allow such situations to divert us.” Notice the use of the word US, and his use of the word “divert”.
Pope Francis: “The proposal of the Gospel must be more simple, profound, radiant. It is from this proposition that the moral consequences then flow.”
In both cases, Benedict and Francis are concerned that the profundity, radiance and greatness of our faith gets lost in hot-button issues. Pope Benedict says it’s essential to highlight the greatness of our faith… in other words, the hot-button issues are not the greatness of our faith!
Thank God for Mr Weston. But the question that has apparently no answer is who put the supporters of this heretic Pope in their positions of power and why? For the most part it was others , rather than him. Do we really think the problem ends with him. Most of the heirachy are in apostasy.
Here is one possible theory:
https://onepeterfive.wpengine.com/vatican-conspiracy-against-pope-benedict-for-pope-francis/
To sum up: it is possible that certain influential cardinals felt drawn to Cardinal Bergoglio, believing he would promote particular values– rather than follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
The problem is partly the cardinals that have influence. (Mahoney, Daniels, Marx, etc. ) Pervert protectors and conspirators. I am afraid the Pope is promoting the exact values wished by these electors.
Excuse the spelling please.
I just listened to this vid from Sensus Fidelium.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g3ICLVmWCs
and I really believe we should all listen to what Fr has to say.
I’m thrilled that so many people applauded Westen & gave him a standing ovation, none the less! That gives me a great sense of hope and feeling not so on the fringe with this!