Sidebar
Browse Our Articles & Podcasts

Top Papal Adviser & Critic of Wealthy Embroiled in Allegations of Financial Misconduct

A top papal adviser known for his tirades against capitalism and the wealthy is under investigation by the Vatican after reports that he has been receiving over $40,000 US per month from the Catholic University of Tegucigalpa and had allegedly invested amounts of over $1 million in companies in London that “later vanished into thin air.” According to Di Emiliano Fittipaldi of Italy’s L’Espresso, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras — the coordinator of the pope’s C9 council — has fallen under the scrutiny of the pope himself since the allegations have surfaced – allegations that implicate him in the receipt of nearly $600,000 a year for up to a decade from the university at which he holds the title of “Grand Chancellor.” Despite his advocacy for the poor at the expense of the rich, when asked in a 2014 interview about the wealth of the German Church — also closely tied to the Francis pontificate — Maradiaga responded that “helping the poor does not mean being poor”. In that same interview, he nevertheless blamed the wealthy in America and Europe for the 2008 financial collapse.

Of all the members of the pope’s inner circle, it has been Maradiaga who stood out as the most enthusiastic proponent and enforcer of the pope’s agenda. He identified himself early on in his role in the papacy as a staunch progressive force, and has continued to make public statements that reinforce that impression. In a talk given in October, 2013, he claimed that the Second Vatican Council “meant an end to the hostilities between the Church and modernism, which was condemned in the First Vatican Council.” He was acting president of Caritas Internationalis when it was first reported that the international Catholic relief organization held a seat on the board of a pro-communist, pro-abortion, pro-homosexual organization known as the World Social Forum — but he nevertheless took no action. In 2014, he publicly chastised Cardinal Gerhard Müller, who at the time served as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as inflexible, calling him “a professor of German theology” who “sees things in black and white terms.” In the same interview, he said that the Church reforms championed by Pope Francis had “reached a point of no return”; a theme he reiterated in a 2015 talk in which he claimed that the pope “wants to take this Church renovation to the point where it becomes irreversible.”

He was also a point man in the attacks on the dubia cardinals, accusing them of not having read Amoris Laetitia before commenting on it and of “pharisaism” in their response to it.  He took things a step further with Cardinal Burke, the de facto leader of the dubia effort, saying that he “is a disappointed man, in that he wanted power and lost it.”

But now, it seems that the tables have turned against the brutally candid Honduran cardinal. His role as leader of the pope’s hand-picked men is now in doubt as reports of his extravagant income threaten the image of the pope’s commitment to “a poor Church for the poor.” Sources cited by L’Espresso said that Francis is “sad” about the allegations against Maradiaga, “but also very determined at discovering the truth”:

He wants to know every item of the investigation Argentine bishop Jorge Pedro Casaretto conducted in Honduras, on top, of course, of the final destination of the jaw-dropping sums of money obtained by the cardinal. … However, some other rather unpleasant items account for the rest of the sums he received according to Bishop Casaretto’s report. The pope’s trustworthy person put down on paper the serious accusations many witnesses brought forward (the audits totaled around fifty witnesses and included administrative staff of the diocese and of the university, priests, seminarians and the cardinal’s driver and secretary) also against the Auxiliary Bishop of Tegucigalpa, Juan José Pineda, among the most loyal in Maradiaga’s inner circle and de facto his deputy in Central America.

[…]

The accusations are many: “Some expenses go to close friends of Pineda, like a Mexican who calls himself ‘Father Erick’, but who never took his vows,” said a missionary. “The real name of the man is Erick Cravioto Fajardo. He lived for years in an apartment adjacent to that of the cardinal at Villa Iris. Pineda, who lived with him under the same roof, recently bought him a downtown apartment and a car. The money, we fear, came from university funds or from the diocese. We denounced this close and unseemly relationship also to the Vatican. The pope knows everything”.

In addition to unaccounted-for investments “to the tune of millions” discovered in the audit performed by Bishop Casaretto, there are possible indications of “huge flows of money” from a diocesan “media empire” and a related foundation called Suyapa. Additionally, every year, according to L’Espresso, the the government of Honduras was also transferring “tens of millions of lempiras” ($1 = 23.56 L) to the Foundation for Education and Social Communication, a second institution related to the Honduran Church which Maridaga represents. There are concerns that the Honduran Court of Auditors will launch its own probe into the finances of the diocese of Tegucigalpa.

It is unclear how much Pope Francis knew about Maradiaga’s financial activities when he was brought on board as an adviser. The pope was given a dossier on the matter six months ago, and has reserved to himself the right to make all ecclesiastical decisions as a consequence of the investigation. The question remains, however, whether the pope will take action. In the past, he has received criticism for his handling of several cases of clerical misconduct among his friends, the most significant case being that of the Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels, a member of the so-called “St. Gallen Mafia” who claims to have participated in a conspiracy to elect the Argentinian pope. Danneels was caught on tape attempting to silence a victim of clerical sexual abuse in his diocese; the book The Dictator Pope alleges that Danneels was also implicated in some way in nearly 50 of 475 dossiers on allegations of clerical sexual abuse that ultimately went missing after having been seized as evidence by Belgian police and subsequently deemed inadmissible in court for unknown reasons. Danneels was nevertheless present with Pope Francis on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on the evening of his election, and was personally invited by the pope to attend the Synod on the Family, despite his advocacy for abortion and homosexual “marriage” in his home country.

LinkedIn

388 thoughts on “Top Papal Adviser & Critic of Wealthy Embroiled in Allegations of Financial Misconduct”

  2. As I posted elsewhere today, we either have the most naive pope in Church history or the most two-faced and duplicitous. I know mistakes can be made, but I refuse to believe Francis/Bergoglio had no idea about Maradiaga’s financial dealings before making him one of his top advisers. If he truly didn’t, then from an outside perspective, Francis/Bergoglio apparently cannot be bothered to thoroughly vet the men he’s sending out to do his dirty work for him—in which case he displays an appalling disregard for honesty and PR, which inevitably leads a man to question his ability to make any decision, no matter how trivial.

    And if Francis/Bergoglio did know, what does it say that he apparently didn’t care until this exploded into public knowledge? For the man who supposedly was elected to reform the Curia, the corruption and nepotism seems to be getting worse and worse by the week.

    Reply

    • Well his kind and humble Christmas address to the Curia (in which he berated them and asserted his power and expectation of fealty), seemed to make it quite clear that he knows EVERYTHING going on around him. I think those words or some very near variation thereof are within the body of his letter.

      Reply

    • Let’s see one of the pretenses for the destruction of the FFI was because they were amassing wealth will the merciful Francis apply the same treatment to his close cronies…

      Reply

    • I do not believe for a moment that Pope Francis is naïve. It has been apparent to me from the earliest days of his papacy that he is a shrewd, devious, vindictive man. Take just one illustration of his character: the Pope’s anecdote of a woman he advised, someone who had just had her eighth child. He chided her at her bedside for having had yet another baby, then told the world this story about her as evidence that Catholics were not expected to reproduce “like rabbits”. That was at least three years ago. Don’t tell me this man is naïve.

      Reply

    • It seems extremely doubtful he didn’t know. The question I’d be much more interested in seeing answered, therefore, is who was behind the publication of this information and whether this was intended as a shot across the papal bow.

      Reply

        • As Secular Franciscan said, these prelates better stick to religion and not corruption. This cardinal shouldn’t be cooking the books. I presume
          he is totally innocent.
          The rot in the IOR stinks to high heaven. The time of stealing from
          Peter’s Pence to pay Pauline is over. Cdl. Pell was checking out the finances at the Vatican Bank, before he was summoned to Australia a month or 2 ago, because of his involvement with sex abuse cover ups.
          I presume he too is innocent
          Where
          is Cdl. Pell today?
          Is he in jail?

          Reply

          • NO! he most certainly is not! And there are many who believe he will never go to prison being innocent. He’s had a job done on him. The Hearing is just about to begin and it will proceed behind closed doors. And sorry, but there are those who ask how come Cardinal Pell was whisked out of Rome when he was on the verge of implementing an exterior independent Audit and had uncovered some 200 cases worth investigating! These Papal appointments are well and good but beware any appointment who takes his job too seriously! And with powerful people like Maridiaga with plenty to hide it seems, no wonder they wanted him back in Oz!

          • Dear convert, I was suggesting that Cardinal Pell’s situation is nothing like Cardinal Maradiega’s so why finish off your comment about how bad things are in the Church by asking whether Cardinal Pell “is in prison yet”. There are well informed commentaries out there saying the coincidence of Pell being called away from Rome when he was unearthing financial scandals is too much of a coincidence. My point is a person should be assumed innocent till proven guilty.

    • He was picked because he was corrupt. Pope Francis likes corrupt underlings because they can be controlled because the threat of exposing their corruption looms over them. Their corruption gives Francis leverage over them. Incorruptible underlings like apparently Sarah are harder to control. They can only be fired but firing them risks a backlash from other cardinals and is bad press.

      Reply

      • The Lord Jesus can still do great things for Cdl. Maradriaga if he just fesses up.
        A commentary on Luke by the Venerable Bede
        The Magnificat
        And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
        The Lord has exalted me by a gift so great, so unheard of, that language is useless to describe it; and the depths of love in my heart can scarcely grasp it. I offer then all the powers of my soul in praise and thanksgiving. As I contemplate his greatness, which knows no limits, I joyfully surrender my whole life, my senses, my judgement, for my spirit rejoices in the eternal Godhead of that Jesus, that Saviour, whom I have conceived in this world of time.
        The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
        Mary looks back to the beginning of her song, where she said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. Only that soul for whom the Lord in his love does great things can proclaim his greatness with fitting praise and encourage those who share her desire and purpose, saying: Join with me in proclaiming the greatness of the Lord; let us extol his name together.
        Those who know the Lord, yet refuse to proclaim his greatness and sanctify his name to the limit of their power, will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven. His name is called holy because in the sublimity of his unique power he surpasses every creature and is far removed from all that he has made.
        He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy.
        In a beautiful phrase Mary calls Israel the servant of the Lord. The Lord came to his aid to save him. Israel is an obedient and humble servant, in the words of Hosea: Israel was a servant, and I loved him.
        Those who refuse to be humble cannot be saved. They cannot say with the prophet: See, God comes to my aid; the Lord is the helper of my soul. But anyone who makes himself humble like a little child is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
        The promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.
        This does not refer to the physical descendants of Abraham, but to his spiritual children. These are his descendants, sprung not from the flesh only, but who, whether circumcised or not, have followed him in faith. Circumcised as he was, Abraham believed, and this was credited to him as an act of righteousness.
        The coming of the Saviour was promised to Abraham and to his descendants for ever. These are the children of promise, to whom it is said: If you belong to Christ, then you are descendants of Abraham, heirs in accordance with the promise.
        But it is right that before the birth of the Lord or of John, their mothers should utter prophecies; for just as sin began with a woman, so too does redemption. Through the deceit of one woman, grace perished; the prophecies of two women announce its return to life. (Franciscan Roman Liturgy of Hours)

        Reply

  3. I have been wondering under which rock this reptile had been hiding. Haven’t heard from him in months. He is the poster boy of the Bergoglio cartel.
    Not surprising in the least.

    Reply

  4. Some journalist in need of a Pulitzer should be doing deep research in Argentina, into the close, close relationship of Bergoglio and Gustavo Vera.

    Reply

  6. “(Cardinal Maradiaga) claimed that the Second Vatican Council ‘meant an end to the hostilities between the Church and modernism, which was condemned in the First Vatican Council.’”

    I believe the above statement is itself anti-Catholic, as it proposes that something formally condemned by a Council of the Church (i.e. modernism) can somehow be rehabilitated in a subsequent Church Council. This is mere revisionism, and it is precisely here that we can see most clearly how those who seek to build a “church-of-utopia” sin against the Holy Spirit by denying a known teaching of the Church. Such persons have become beguiled by the father of lies, who so often comes to us as an angel of light to seduce us. Let us remember:

    “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” – St. James 4:4

    And also consider this prophetic excerpt from a famous homily that many will recall with rueful irony:

    “When we walk without the cross, when we build without the cross and when we proclaim Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are worldly. We may be bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, all of this, but we are not disciples of the Lord.” – Pope Francis (his first homily as Pope, March 14, 2013)

    Reply

  8. From the article:

    The accusations are many: “Some expenses go to close friends of Pineda,
    like a Mexican who calls himself ‘Father Erick’, but who never took his
    vows,” said a missionary. “The real name of the man is Erick Cravioto
    Fajardo. He lived for years in an apartment adjacent to that of the
    cardinal at Villa Iris.

    Ya know who appreciate the finer things in life and like to live high on the hog? Sodomites.

    Just sayin’.

    Reply

    • This is the Holy Father’s Christmas Message. He doesn’t mention Cdl. Maradiaga.
      I just don’t get it. About the Vatican’s diplomatic efforts, the pope said the Holy See’s role is to be always at the service of humanity, remaining free of worldly or material self-interest.

      Dear Brothers and Sisters,
      Christmas is the feast of faith in the Son of God who became man in order to restore us to our filial dignity, lost through sin and disobedience. Christmas is the feast of faith in hearts that become a manger to receive him and souls that allow God to make a shoot of hope, charity and faith sprout from the stump of their poverty.

      Today is once again a moment for exchanging Christmas greetings and for wishing a holy and joyful Christmas and a happy New Year to you and your co-workers, to the Papal Representatives, to all those persons who serve in the Curia, and to all your dear ones. May this Christmas open our eyes so that we can abandon what is superfluous, false, malicious and sham, and to see what is essential, true, good and authentic. My best wishes indeed!

      Dear brothers and sisters,
      I have already spoken of the Roman Curia ad intra. This year I would like to share with you some reflections on the Curia ad extra, that is, on its relationship with the nations, with the Particular Churches, with the Oriental Churches, with ecumenical dialogue, with Judaism, with Islam and other religions – in other words, with the outside world.

      My reflections are based of course on the fundamental canonical principles of the Curia and on its own history, but also on the personal vision that I have sought to share with you in my addresses of recent years, within the context of the reform currently under way. Speaking of reform, I think of the amusing yet pointed remark of Archbishop FrédéricFrançois-Xavier de Mérode: “Making reforms in Rome is like cleaning the Sphinx with a toothbrush”.[1] His mot points to the patience, tenacity and sensitivity needed to attain that goal. For the Curia is an ancient, complex and venerable institution made up of people of different cultures, languages and mindsets, and bound, intrinsically and from the outset, to the primatial office of the Bishop of Rome in the Church, that is, to the “sacred” office willed by Christ the Lord for the good of the entire Church (ad bonum totius corporis).[2]

      The universal nature of the Curia’s service thus wells up and flows out from the catholicity of the Petrine ministry. A Curia closed in on itself would betray its own raison d’être and plunge into self-referentiality and ultimately destroy itself. The Church, is by her very nature projected ad extra, and only to the extent that she remains linked to the Petrine ministry, the service of God’s word and the preaching of the Gospel. That Good News is that God is Emmanuel, who is born among us and becomes one of us in order to show to all his visceral closeness, his limitless love and his divine desire that all men and women be saved and come to enjoy the blessings of heaven (cf. 1 Tim 2:4). He is the God who makes his sun rise on the good and evil alike (cf. Mt 5:45); the God who came not to be served but to serve (cf. Mt 20:28); the God who establishes the Church to be in the world but not of the world, and to be an instrument of salvation and service.

      Recently, in greeting the Fathers and Heads of the Oriental Catholic Churches,[3] and reflecting on this ministerial, petrine and curial finality of service, I used the expression “diaconal primacy”, which immediately calls to mind the image of the Servus servorum Dei, so beloved of Saint Gregory the Great. This definition, in its Christological dimension, is above all the expression of a firm desire to imitate Christ, who took on the form of a servant (cf. Phil 2:7). Benedict XVI, in this regard, has said that on the lips of Gregory this phrase was “no mere pious formula, but a true
      manifestation of his way of living and acting. Gregory was deeply moved by the humility of God, who in Christ made himself our servant, who washed and continues to wash our dirty feet”.[4]

      A similar diaconal attitude should characterize all those who in various ways work in the context of the Roman Curia. For the Curia, as the Code of Canon Law also states, “performs its function”, in the name and with the authority of the Supreme Pontiff, “for the good and service of the Churches” (can. 360; cf. CCEO, can. 46).

      A diaconal primacy “with regard to the Pope”,[5] and consequently diaconal as well, is the work which is carried out within the Roman Curia ad intra and outside of it, ad extra. This theme of a ministerial and curial diaconia reminds me of a phrase in the ancient Didascalia Apostolorum, which states that “the deacon must be the ear and the mouth of the Bishop, his heart and his soul”.[6]

      For this agreement between the two is linked to communion, harmony and peace in the Church, inasmuch as “the deacon is the guardian of service in the Church”.[7] I do not believe that it is by chance that the ear is the organ of hearing but also of balance; and that the mouth is the organ of both taste and speech.

      Another ancient text adds that deacons are called to be, as it were, the eyes of the Bishop.[8] The eye sees in order to transmit images to the mind, helping it to take decisions and to give direction for the good of the whole body.

      The relationship that these images suggest is that of communion in filial obedience for the service of God’s holy people. There can be no doubt, then, that such must be also the relationship that exists between all those who work in the Roman Curia. From the Dicastery heads and superiors to the officials and all others. Communion with Peter reinforces and reinvigorates communion between all the members.

      Seen in this light, my appeal to the senses of the human body helps us have a sense of extroversion, of attention to what is outside. In the human body, the senses are our first connection to the world ad extra; they are like a bridge towards that world; they enable us to relate to it. The senses help us to grasp reality and at the same time to situate ourselves in reality. Not by chance did Saint Ignatius appeal to the senses for the contemplation of the mysteries of Christ and truth.[9]

      This is very important for rising above that unbalanced and debased mindset of plots and small cliques that in fact represent – for all their self-justification and good intentions – a cancer leading to a self-centredness that also seeps into ecclesiastical bodies, and in particular those working in them. When this happens, we lose the joy of the Gospel, the joy of sharing Christ and of fellowship with him; we lose the generous spirit of our consecration (cf. Acts 20:35 and 2 Cor 9:7).

      Here let me allude to another danger: those who betray the trust put in them and profiteer from the Church’s motherhood. I am speaking of persons carefully selected to give a greater vigour to the body and to the reform, but – failing to understand the lofty nature of their responsibility – let themselves be corrupted by ambition or vainglory. Then, when they are quietly sidelined, they wrongly declare themselves martyrs of the system, of a “Pope kept in the dark”, of the “old guard”…, rather than reciting a mea culpa. Alongside these, there are others who are still working there, to whom all the time in the world is given to get back on the right track, in the hope that they find in the Church’s patience an opportunity for conversion and not for personal advantage. Of course, this is in no way to overlook the vast majority of faithful persons working there with praiseworthy commitment, fidelity, competence, dedication and great sanctity.

      To return to the image of the body, it is fitting to note that these “institutional senses”, to which we can in some way compare the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, must operate in a way befitting their nature and purpose: in the name and with the authority of the Supreme Pontiff, and always for the good and the service of the Churches.[10] Within the Church, they are called to be like faithful, sensitive antennae: sending and receiving.

      Antennae that “send”, inasmuch as they are capable of faithfully transmitting the will of the Pope and the Superiors. For those working in the Holy See, the word “fidelity”[11] is particularly important, “since they spend so much of their energy, their time and their daily ministry in the service of the Successor of Peter. This entails a serious responsibility but also a special gift, which as time goes by should lead to a relationship of closeness to the Pope, a closeness marked by interior trust, a natural idem sentire, which is expressed precisely by the word ‘faithfulness’”.[12]
      Antennae too that “receive”. This involves grasping the aspirations, the questions, the pleas, the joys and the sorrows of the Churches and the world, and transmitting them to the Bishop of Rome in order to enable him to carry out more effectively his task and his mission as “the lasting and visible source and foundation of unity both of faith and of communion”.[13] By this receptivity, which is more important than their preceptive role, the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia enter generously into that process of hearing and synodality of which I have previously spoken.[14]

      Dear Brothers and Sisters,
      I have used the expression “diaconal primacy” and the images of the body, the senses and antennae to make clear that, in order to reach the places where the Spirit speaks to the Churches (history, that is) and to achieve the aim of our work (salus animarum), it is necessary, indeed indispensable, to practice discernment of the signs of the times,[15] communion in service, charity in truth, docility to the Holy Spirit and trusting obedience to Superiors.

      Here perhaps it is helpful to mention that the names of the different Dicasteries and Offices of the Roman Curia indicate the very realities that they are called to promote. Their work, if we think about it, is of fundamental importance for the entire Church and, I would say, for the whole world.

      Since the work of the Curia is quite extensive, I would limit myself this time to speaking in general of the Curia ad extra, that is, of certain basic, select aspects from which it will not be difficult, in the near future, to set forth and examine more deeply the Curia’s other areas of activity.

      The Curia and its relations with the nations:
      In this area, a fundamental role is played by Vatican diplomacy, as the sincere and constant effort to make the Holy See a builder of bridges, peace and dialogue between nations. As it is a diplomacy at the service of humanity and the human person, of outstretched hand and open door, it seeks to listen, to understand, to help, to support and to intervene quickly and respectfully in any situation, for the sake of narrowing distances and building trust. Its only interest is to remain free of all worldly or material self-interest.

      The Holy See is thus present on the world scene to cooperate with all peoples and nations of good will. It strives to reaffirm the importance of protecting “our common home” from all destructive forms of selfishness, to state that wars lead only to death and destruction, to draw from the past the lessons needed to help us live better in the present, and to build a solid and secure future
      for future generations.

      Meetings with Heads of State and with various Delegations, together with the Apostolic Journeys, are its means and its goal.

      For this reason, the Third Section of the Secretariat of State has been established. It is meant to show the concern and closeness of the Pope and of the Superiors of the Secretariat of State for diplomatic personnel and for the men and women religious and lay people serving in the Nunciatures. The Third Section will deal with issues involving persons working in the diplomatic service of the Holy See or preparing for this service, in close cooperation with the Section for General Affairs and the Section for Relations with States.[16]

      This particular concern is based on the two-fold dimension of the service carried out by diplomatic personnel: as pastors and diplomats, in the service of the particular Churches and of the nations where they work.

      The Curia and the particular Churches:
      The relationship between the Curia and Dioceses and Eparchies is of paramount importance. In the Roman Curia these find whatever help and support they may need. This relationship is grounded in cooperation and trust, and never on superiority or conflict. The basis of this relationship is set forth in the conciliar Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops, which explains at length that the work of the Curia is carried out “for the good of the Churches and in service of the sacred pastors”.[17]

      The Roman Curia thus has as its point of reference not only the Bishop of Rome, from whom it receives its authority, but also the particular Churches and their Pastors throughout the world, for whose good it functions and acts.

      In the first of these yearly encounters, I spoke of this characteristic of “service to the Pope and to the Bishops, to the universal Church, to the particular Churches and to the entire world”. I pointed out that: “in the Roman Curia, one learns – in a special way, “one breathes in” – this
      twofold aspect of the Church, this interplay of the universal and the particular”. And I went on to say: “I think that this is one of the finest experiences of those who live and work in Rome”.[18]

      The Visits ad Limina Apostolorum, in this sense, represent a great opportunity for encounter, dialogue and mutual enrichment. I have preferred, when meeting with Bishops, to have an open and sincere conversation that remains private and goes beyond the formalities of protocol and the customary exchange of speeches and recommendations. Dialogue between the bishops and the various Dicasteries is also important. In the course of the Visits ad Limina that resumed this year after the Jubilee year, the Bishops told me that they were received well and listened to by all the Dicasteries. This makes me very happy., and I thank the Dicastery heads present.

      Here allow me, at this particular moment of the Church’s life, to draw our attention to the forthcoming Fifteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which has as its theme Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment. To call upon the Curia, the bishops and the entire Church to give particular attention to young people does not mean considering them alone.

      It also means focusing on a critical theme for a combination of relationships and pressing issues, such as intergenerational relationships, the family, pastoral work, social life, and so forth. The Preparatory Document makes this clear in its Introduction: “The Church has decided to examine herself on how she can lead young people to recognize and accept the call to the fullness of life and love, and to ask young people to help her in identifying the most effective ways to announce the Good News today. By listening to young people, the Church will once again hear the Lord speaking in today’s world. As in the days of Samuel (cf. 1 Sam 3:1-21) and Jeremiah (cf. Jer 1:4-10), young people know how to discern the signs of our times, indicated by the Spirit. Listening to their aspirations, the Church can glimpse the world which lies ahead and the paths the Church is called to follow”.[19].

      The Curia and the Oriental Churches:
      The unity and the communion that prevail in the relationship of the Church of Rome and the Oriental Churches present a concrete example of richness in diversity for the whole Church. In fidelity to their own bi-millennial traditions and in ecclesiastica communio, they experience and realize the priestly prayer of Jesus (cf. Jn 17).[20]

      In this regard, at my last meeting with the Patriarchs and Heads of the Oriental Churches, I spoke of the “diaconal primacy” and likewise stressed the importance of further study and review of the sensitive question of the election of new Bishops and Eparchs. This must correspond, on the one hand, to the autonomy of the Oriental Churches and, at the same time, to their spirit of evangelical responsibility and desire to strengthen constantly their unity with the Catholic Church. “Everything should be done with the thorough application of that authentic synodal praxis which distinguishes the Oriental Churches”.[21] The election of each bishop must reflect and strengthen unity and communion between the Successors of Peter and the entire College of Bishops.[22]

      The relationship between Rome and the East is one of mutual spiritual and liturgical enrichment. Indeed, the Church of Rome would not be truly catholic without the priceless riches of the Oriental Churches and lacking the heroic testimony of so many of our Oriental brothers and sisters who purify the Church by accepting martyrdom and offering their lives so as not to deny Christ.[23]

      The Curia and ecumenical dialogue:
      There are also areas to which the Catholic Church, especially after the Second Vatican Council, is particularly committed. Among these is Christian unity, which is “an essential requirement of our faith, a requirement that flows from the depth of our being believers in Jesus Christ”.[24] It involves a “journey”, yet, as was also stated by my predecessors, it is an irreversible journey and not a going back. “Unity is made by walking, in order to recall that when we walk together, that is, when we meet as brothers, we pray together, we collaborate together in the proclamation of the Gospel, and in the service to the least, we are already united. All the theological and ecclesiological differences that still divide Christians will only be surmounted along this path, although today we do not know how and when [it will happen], but that it will happen according to what the Holy Spirit will suggest for the good of the Church”.[25].

      The work of the Curia in this area is aimed at fostering encounter with our brothers and sisters, untying the knots of misunderstanding and hostility, and counteracting prejudices and the fear of the other, all of which have prevented us from seeing the richness in diversity and the depth of the Mystery of Christ and of the Church. For that mystery is always greater than any human words can express. The meetings between Popes, Patriarchs and Heads of the different Churches and Communities have always filled me with joy and gratitude.

      The Curia, Judaism, Islam and other religions:
      The relationship of the Roman Curia to other religions is based on the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and the need for dialogue. “For the only alternative to the civility of encounter is the incivility of conflict”.[26] Dialogue is grounded in three fundamental lines of approach: “The duty to respect one’s own identity and that of others, the courage to accept differences, and sincerity of intentions. The duty to respect one’s own identity and that of others, because true dialogue cannot be built on ambiguity or a willingness to sacrifice some good for the sake of pleasing others. The courage to accept differences, because those who are different, either culturally or religiously, should not be seen or treated as enemies, but rather welcomed as fellow travellers, in the genuine conviction that the good of each resides in the good of all. Sincerity of intentions, because dialogue, as an authentic expression of our humanity, is not a strategy for achieving specific goals, but rather a path to truth, one that deserves to be undertaken patiently, in order to transform competition into cooperation”.[27]

      My meetings with religious leaders during the various Apostolic Visits and here in the Vatican, are a concrete proof of this.

      These are only some aspects, important but not comprehensive, of the work of the Curia ad extra. Today I chose these aspects, linked to the theme of “diaconal primacy”, “institutional senses”, and of “faithful antennae that transmit and receive”.

      Dear Brothers and Sisters,
      I began our meeting by speaking of Christmas as the Feast of Faith. I would like to conclude, though, by pointing out that Christmas reminds us that a faith that does not trouble us is a troubled faith. A faith that does not make us grow is a faith that needs to grow. A faith that does not raise questions is a faith that has to be questioned. A faith that does not rouse us is a faith that needs to be roused. A faith that does not shake us is a faith that needs to be shaken. Indeed, a faith which is only intellectual or lukewarm is only a notion of faith. It can become real once it touches our heart, our soul, our spirit and our whole being. Once it allows God to be born and reborn in the manger of our heart. Once we let the star of Bethlehem guide us to the place where the Son of God lies, not among Kings and riches, but among the poor and humble.

      As Angelus Silesius wrote in The Cherubinic Wanderer: “It depends solely on you. Ah, if only your heart could become a manger, then God would once again become a child on this earth”.[28]

      With these reflections, I renew my personal best wishes for Christmas for you and your dear ones. Thank you!

      Reply

  11. I said on the very day he was elected,”Never trust a Jesuit” Anyone who thinks this Pope does not know what he is doing or what those he has appointed around him are doing, are very naive.This man is as crazy as a fox.

    Reply

  12. I think we can give up on this Pope being the one to “clean financial house” at the Vatican. Not to say he didn’t inherit an atrocious mess from his predecessors.

    Reply

    • let’s not give up hope yet. Let’s see if Cdl. Maradiaga admits to any wrong doing.
      Isaiah 40:31New International Version (NIV)

      but those who hope in the Lord
      will renew their strength.
      They will soar on wings like eagles;
      they will run and not grow weary,
      they will walk and not be faint.

      Reply

    • The Vatican Bank should have been abolished years ago.

      There is no reason for the Pope to be involved in charitable works, except in his own diocese.

      There is no reason for ANY money to be flowing to the Vatican, except what is needed to pay the utility bills, and salaries for actual employees.

      The Church is almost everywhere in the world. Let the dioceses raise money for charitable works.

      The embezzling, sodomizing Cardinals would evaporate if the ocean of money were to dry up.

      Reply

  14. When you have alot of money, you have alot of power and influence. Apparently this guy has alot of both.

    Anyway, my point is, millionaires live a much different life than we do.. We couldn’t imagine how it would be to have millions on top of millions.

    This guy is in the Vatican’s inner circle. They will dummy up and act bewildered.
    But they want assurances nobody follows the money trail .

    Reply

    • pride is the root of all evil and greed is too,
      in my humble opinion.
      For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. Timothy 6: 10

      Reply

      • Example: the comedian who got himself in trouble with alleging women,,, his net worth came out at a legal hearing,
        $400,000,000.00.
        And I didn’t think he was that funny.
        Anyway just imagine waking up tomorrow and you own that much money.

        As you mentioned above the threat of mortal sin doesn’t go away, it persists even more than before.

        Reply

  15. Communist party leaders have the money and power too, not the people. Maradiaga is perfectly consistent with such self-serving “service.”

    Reply

  16. Is there anything connected with the Vatican that is not corrupt, heretical or homosexual? There should be a serious investigation to determine if there is anything good and holy in the Vatican. If not, it should be destroyed. Right?

    Reply

  17. Sack the hypocrite and heretic. If Pope Francis fails to sack another of his friends there should be loud and universal demands for his resignation.

    Reply

  18. BOŽIĆNA DEVETNICA
    _____________________

    Sedmi dan: O PUTOVANJU DJETETA ISUSA U EGIPAT

    Sin Božji je s Neba došao da bi spasio ljude, ali čim se rodi ljudi su ga počeli na smrt progoniti. Herod bojeći se da će mu ovo dijete oduzeti kraljevstvo planira kako ga ubiti. Sv. Josip je u snu bio obaviješten da uzme Isusa i njegovu Majku i bježi u Egipat. Josip obavijesti Mariju i spremno posluša, uze nešto alata od svoga zanata koji će mu poslužiti da bi radio i preživio u Egiptu skupa sa svojom siromašnom obitelji.
    Marija sa svoje strane uzima siromašni zavežljaj rublja koji će poslužiti novorođenom svetom Djetetu zatim se približava kolijevci i u suzama govori svome Sinu koji spava: “O moj Sine i Bože ti si došao s Neba kako bi spasio ljude, a oni čim si se rodio traže da te ubiju”. Uze dijete sa suzama i te iste noći skupa sa sv. Josipom pođe na put.

    Promatrajmo koliko su trpjeli sveti hodočasnici na tako dugom putu i bez ikakve ugodnosti. Dijete još nije moglo hodati te su ga naizmjenične morali nositi u naručju Marija i Josip. Na putu za Egipat pustinjska zemlja na otvorenom im je bila jedino mjesto za ležaj noću. Djetešce je plakalo zbog hladnoće a Marija i Josip iz samilosti. A tko ne bi plakao videći Sina Božjega, siromašnog progonjenog kako bježi lutajući po zemlji da ne bude ubijen od svojih neprijatelja.
    ________

    Molitva:

    O drago moje Dijete plačeš i to s pravom jer si tako progonjen od ljudi koje toliko ljubiš. O moj Bože kojega sam i ja svojim grijesima progonio, znaj da te sada ljubim više do sebe samoga i nemam veće muke od prisjećanja da sam prezirao tebe najveće dobro. Oprosti mi moj Isuse i dopusti mi da te nosim u mom srcu cijelog puta mog života koji mi preostaje te da mogu s tobom ući u vječnost.
    Toliko puta sam te odagnao iz moje duše vrijeđajući te, ali sad te ljubim više od svega i kajem se što sam te uvrijedio. Ljubljeni moj Gospodine, ne želim te više ostaviti, a ti mi daj snage da se oduprem napastima, ne dopusti da se od tebe više odvojim, daj da radije prije umrem nego da ponovno izgubim tvoju milost. O Marijo nado moja daj da uvijek živim i umrem ljubeći Boga.
    ________

    Litanije u čast Božanskog Djeteta Isusa

    Gospodine, smiluj se.
    Kriste, smiluj se.
    Gospodine, smiluj se.
    Kriste, čuj nas.
    Kriste, usliši nas.
    Oče nebeski, Bože, smiluj nam se.
    Sine, Otkupitelju svijeta, Bože, smiluj nam se.
    Duše Sveti, Bože, smiluj nam se.
    Sveto Trojstvo, jedan Bože, smiluj nam se.

    Djetešce Isuse, pravi Bože, smiluj nam se!
    Djetešce Isuse, Sine Oca vječnoga,
    Djetešce Isuse, Riječi Tijelom postala,
    Djetešce Isuse, Oče vječnosti,
    Djetešce Isuse, željo naroda,
    Djetešce Isuse, očekivanje pravednika,
    Djetešce Isuse, ljubimče svih svetih duša,
    Djetešce Isuse, začeto po Duhu Svetom,
    Djetešce Isuse, koje se nisi ustručavalo krila Djevičina,
    Djetešce Isuse, koje si uzelo obličje sluge,
    Djetešce Isuse, koje si pohodilo Elizabetu u krilu svoje djevičanske Majke,
    Djetešce Isuse, željom od Marije i Josipa iščekivano,
    Djetešce Isuse, od Djevice u Betlehemu rođeno,
    Djetešce Isuse, u pelene povijeno i jasle položeno,
    Djetešce Isuse, koga su anđeli navijestili i pastiri pohodili,
    Djetešce Isuse, kod obrezanja ranjeno,
    Djetešce Isuse, kojemu je bilo nadjenuto preslavno ime Isus,
    Djetešce Isuse, kojemu su se poklonili Mudraci,
    Djetešce Isuse, koje je Djevica Marija u hramu prikazala,
    Djetešce Isuse, koje je Herod progonio,
    Djetešce Isuse, koje je sveti Josip s Majkom poveo u Egipat,
    Djetešce Isuse, učitelju poniznosti i poslušnosti,

    Jaganjče Božji, koji uzimaš grijehe svijeta, oprosti nam Gospodine!
    Jaganjče Božji, koji uzimaš grijehe svijeta, usliši nas, Gospodine!
    Jaganjče Božji, koji uzimaš grijehe svijeta, smiluj nam se!

    Pomolimo se:
    Bože, Tvoj se Jedinorođenac pojavio u našem ljudskom tijelu, te smo spoznali da nam je izvana sličan. Daj, molimo Te, da nas On iznutra, u duhu, obnovi. Po Kristu, Gospodinu našem. Amen.

    (Sv. Alfons je ovu devetnicu je zamislio kao pripravu za slavljenje Božića. Molitva devetnice počinje 16. prosinca)
    (Iz molitvenika “U službi malog Isusa”, s odobrenjem Nadbiskupskog stola u Zagrebu, 11. rujna 1978.)

    Reply

        • My cell phone internet is not so easy for this old man to use as is my PC at home, where I could use methods to cut, paste and translate. I am not much of an app guy.

          I am an oldie, but a goodie.

          Reply

          • God bless your aged head, Karl. How disconcerting for us older folks to see the rapidity of this tsunami washing over mankind. This is Satan’s time, and he is attacking the young especially.

          • i am 40 already out for tecnics made us before retireed God dont he is none marketing only kidz age 4-35are for tecnics older Outlaws as myself????
            2017-12-22 14:11 GMT+01:00 Disqus :

          • me 2 old laptop ! we can talk private on google hangout i google convert user fri google translate as i speak but not 1classtranslator but due for my using Not sending spam im not russian Im from Sweden speak polich porugues spannish german all slavik language among croatian, sincerely Suzana saloma

      • Karl … You can use the Google Translate tool to translate the Croatian text that Suzana saloma posted above.

        Just access the following link:

        https://translate.google.com/

        01. COPY the Croatian text above and then PASTE it into the translation box located on the left side of the Google Translate page.

        02. Select the DETECT LANGUAGE option above the box and it will automatically determine that the original text is Croatian.

        03. Above the second translation box (located on the right of the screen), select the language you want the Croatian text translated into (i.e. English) and click on the blue TRANSLATE button.

        04. Text should now be translated.

        Take care,

        242

        Reply

      • CHRISTMAS DEVICES
        _____________________

        Seventh Day: ABOUT THE JOURNEYS OF ISUS IN THE EGYPT

        The Son of God came from Heaven to save people, but as soon as he was born, people began to persecute him. Herod fearing that this kid will take away the kingdom plans to kill him. Sv. Joseph was in the sleep aware of taking Jesus and his mother and flee to Egypt. Joseph informs Mary and reads willingly, takes some tools from his
        craft that will serve him to work and survive in Egypt together with his
        poor family.
        Mary,
        on the other hand, takes away a poorly dressed laundry that will serve
        the Newly-born Holy Child, then approaches the cribs and tells their
        sleeping son in tears: “O my Son and God, you came from Heaven to save
        people, and as soon as you were born you are seeking to and kill you “. He took a child with tears and that same night together with St. Josipom went to the road.

        Let us observe how much the holy pilgrims were suffering on such a long journey and without any kind of comfort. The child could not walk yet and had to carry it alternately in the arms of Mary and Joseph. On their way to Egypt, the desert country in the open air was the only place for their bed at night. The child was crying because of the cold, and Mary and Joseph were in suspicion. And who would not cry to see the Son of God, the poor persecuted to
        run away wandering in the land not to be killed by his enemies.
        ________

        Prayer:

        O my beloved Child, you cry and do it right because you are so persecuted by the people you love so much. My
        God, whom I persecuted for my sins, know that I now love you more than
        myself, and I have no more trouble remembering that I have deceived you
        the greatest good. Forgive me my Jesus and allow me to carry you in my heart all the way
        of my life that I have left so that I can enter into eternity with you.
        So many times I bothered you from my soul by insulting you, but now I love you more than anything and I’m sorry to insult you. My
        beloved Lord, I do not want to leave you, and you give me strength to
        resist temptations, not to let you separate from me, let me rather die
        before I lose your mercy again. O Mary, give my hope that I always live and die by loving God.
        ________

        Litany in honor of the Divine Child Jesus

        Sir, be merciful.
        Christ, be merciful.
        Sir, be merciful.
        Christ, listen to us.
        Christ, listen to us.
        Father of Heaven, O God, have mercy on us.
        Son, Redeemer of the world, God, have mercy on us.
        Holy Spirit, God, have mercy on us.
        Holy Trinity, a God, have mercy on us.

        Child Jesus, true God, have mercy on us!
        The Child Jesus, the Son of the Eternal,
        Jesus, the Word of God,
        Child Jesus, Father of Eternity,
        Children Jesus, the people’s desire,
        Jesus, the expectation of the righteous,
        Children Jesus, the pet of all the holy souls,
        Child Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit,
        The child Jesus, who did not shake the wings of the Virgin,
        The child Jesus, whom you have been looking for servants,
        The child Jesus, who visited Elizabeth in her virgin mother’s lap,
        The child Jesus, desiring Mary and Joseph,
        Child Jesus, born of the virgin in Bethlehem,
        Jesus, in the diaper, and in the breast,
        The child Jesus, whom the angels warned and the pastors visited,
        Jesus, in the circumcision of the wounded,
        The child Jesus, whose name was prefixed by Jesus,
        The child Jesus, whom the Wise men were bestowed upon,
        The child Jesus, whom the Virgin Mary presented in the temple,
        The child Jesus, whom Herod persecuted,
        The child Jesus, whom St. Joseph brought with his Mother in Egypt,
        The child Jesus, the teacher of humility and obedience,

        The lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, forgive us the Lord!
        Lamb of God, who takes the sins of the world, hear us, Lord!
        The lamb of God, who takes the sins of the world, be merciful to us!

        Let’s pray:
        God, Your only-begotten has appeared in our human body, and we have come to know that the outside is similar to us. Come on, please, let us inside, in spirit, renew. By Christ, our Lord. Amen.

        (St. Alfons conceived this nineteenth as a preparation for the celebration of Christmas.Canimation prayer begins on December 16)
        (From the prayer “In the service of little Jesus”, with the approval of the Archdiocese of Zagreb on September 11, 1978)

        Reply

  19. Give enough rope to them and they will finish hanging themselves.
    This is typical of communism; they like so much the poor, that they fabricate many in order to continue the business. If at the same time you boost the lack of sexual morality to alienate people, then you have the present formula of pornomarxism and you become the mambo king. I think we, the laity, must stop this usurpation.

    Reply

  20. I assume this is the same Maradiaga who endorsed the huge copy in his own country of the fake shrine of Medjugorje?

    http://www.medjugorje.hr/en/news/catholic-university-%E2%80%9Equeen-of-peace%E2%80%9C-in-honduras,7249.html

    http://www.ourladyprays.org/pope%E2%80%99s-top-advisor-with-ivan-in-honduras/

    Of course, this may have been due to an excess of devotion to Our Lady. Or it may have been because he spotted what loads of clergy have spotted before him – visions, real or fake, are great money makers. Maybe we will finally get a proper verdict from the Vatican on this disgusting fraud now that Maradiaga is discredited. Or maybe money will still talk louder than faith.

    I assume it is the same Maradiaga who protested that the abuse crisis was exaggerated by the Jewish-controlled media?

    http://nationalpost.com/opinion/alan-dershowitz-virulent-anti-semite-on-short-list-to-become-next-pope

    Never mind, perhaps his commercial sponsors will keep some money rolling in…..

    http://www.belltron.com/en/testimonials/cardinal-oscar-andres-rodriguez-maradiaga

    Reply

    • Thank you, William, for this timely reminder. If we assume — I suspect mistakenly — that Bishop Jorge Bergoglio and later Pope Francis knew nothing of the financial hanky-pank surrounding Maradiaga, can it still be at all reasonable to believe he knew nothing of his close adviser’s rabid anti-Semitism? Doesn’t he occasionally read the papers?

      Reply

      • rabid anti semitism, huh?

        You know, while reading you one is always aware of the hateful opprobrium you are ever anxious to spew at others. It clings to you like odor clings to an alley cat.

        It is what it must have been like to stand near Senator Kennedy during a late night vote in the Senate with the whiff of booze always so present and redolent.

        I’ll see you Alan Dershowitz and raise you an Abe Foxman

        +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++==

        Letter to Alan Dershowitz on Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga

        February 21, 2013

        Alan M. Dershowitz

        Professor of Law

        Harvard Law School

        Dear Alan:

        Your recent campaign singling out Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras as a “notorious anti-Semite” has prompted us to revisit our files and history with him, particularly the controversy over his 2002 remarks in an Italian-Catholic magazine, where he implied that media coverage of the child sexual abuse scandal was part of a conspiracy by the Jewish-controlled American media.

        After a careful review of the record, we were troubled to find that some of the events you are using to build your case against Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga, who is reportedly on the list as a possible successor to Pope Benedict XVI, have been misunderstood or taken out of context. I am especially troubled by your conclusion that he is an anti-Semite when, in fact, the record strongly suggests otherwise.

        In May 2002, after his interview was published in the Italian-Catholic publication 30 Giorni, wherein he outlined a conspiracy by an alleged Jewish-controlled American media to exploit the controversy over sexual abuse by U.S. Catholic priests, ADL wrote letters to many of the top cardinals in the U.S. expressing outrage and calling for them to “immediately and forcefully” condemn his remarks. I immediately received a written response from Cardinal William Keeler, the then-Archbishop of Baltimore. We connected by phone, and eventually it came about that I had an opportunity to speak by phone with the Honduran cardinal himself.

        You write that Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga “refused to publicly apologize or repent.” In fact, the cardinal apologized to me directly and reassured me that he understood why his remarks were so offensive. He indicated that they did not reflect the church’s views and promised that he would never say those words again. We made his apology public on our website, and consequently it was reported by the media. He has kept his word ever since. In the 11 years since this incident we are not aware of his once repeating the offense. Moreover, until this interview was brought to our attention, there was no record of Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga making anti-Jewish statements. We have other information in our records concerning him prior to 2002 that would seem to reflect on him positively. For instance, Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga was involved in interfaith dialogue as part of ADL’s Jewish-Christian outreach in partnership with CELAM, the bishops’ conference of Latin America.

        In tagging him an “out and out Jew hater,” I believe you have done a disservice to Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga and to Catholic-Jewish relations. You build the case by suggesting, inaccurately and misleadingly, that Cardinal Maradiaga “blamed the Jews” for the scandal surrounding the sexual misconduct of priests, which is a vast overstatement. We re-read his interview. He never went that far.

        Nothing can excuse what Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga did say in that interview, which was basically a rehash of the age-old conspiracy theory that Jews control the media. But it is nevertheless dishonest and unfair to tarnish this cardinal’s reputation based on this one incident. As I have always said, “One incident does not an anti-Semite make.” By our standards, we believe that Cardinal Maradiaga does not come anywhere near deserving of that label. I hope that you will recognize this as well, and reconsider your outspoken campaign against him and correct the record publicly.

        Sincerely,

        Abraham H. Foxman

        National Director

        Anti-Defamation League

        ANTI-SEMITISM GLOBALLYINTERFAITH & INTERGROUP RELATIONS

        ++++++++++++=

        Apologise for your hatred, defamation, calumny, and libel, Johnny.

        Reply

          • I was about to remind you that I do not correspond with hardcore anti-Semites like you (I remember your past rants). Then you post again and provide more proof of your disease. Get cured.

          • Johnny boy. You have no idea how valuable your response is for it exposes to all just what a low life you are.

            You get caught out in public in an act of vile libel, calumny, and hatred and your response is to double down and project your hatred onto others.

            A normal man would be embarrassed to have been caught out publicly doing what you got caught doing but you are not a normal man, you are a SJW and so, you respond as SJWs always do.

            You fell hook, line, and sinker, for the dirty tactics of Alan Dershowitz but you can not admit you were wrong for doing so. No, as a man ever anxious to be the first Catholic to identify otters as an anti semite, you can not admit you were fooled and so you must try and evade responsibility and blame others.

            Johnny Boy , you are a museum quality Social Justice Warrior.

          • The hidden (Talmudic/Cabalistic) agenda of Judaism and Freemasonry is to supplant the natural and spiritual laws of the universe (God) with the tyranny of the Illuminati bankers. They will define reality. For example, homosexuality is being “normalized”. What is healthy (i.e. marriage, family) is deemed sick; what is false (i.e. climate change) is deemed true; what is obscene and ugly (modern art, entertainment) is deemed beautiful. This is the New World Order.

            The Cabalist bankers have been waging war on humanity for centuries. Ordinary Jews and Masons are in “jeopardy” by virtue of their association with this EVIL scourge.

            According to the Old Testament, Jews must wait for the Messiah before re-establishing “Israel”. But the Talmud says, the Messiah is already here and it is the “Jewish people” themselves. By “Jewish people” they mean the Illuminati bankers who sponsor and run organized Jewry. (The synagogue of Satan today!)

            For example, the Talmud Kethuboth 111a, states: “The Messiah is without metaphor the Jewish people.”

            The Cabala teaches that God (“En Sof”) is not moral, and has no characteristics. God is composed of nature. Since the highest expression of nature is man, he is God. And since only Jews are human, and above the level of beast, Jews (i.e. Illuminati bankers) are Divine.

            According to the the Jewish Encyclopedia, the Cabala teaches that the relation between man and God is erotic, “religion being identical with love, sensual pleasure, and especially intoxication.” (Ch VI)

            The Passover song “Only the Kid” heralds the day when all the world’s great nations destroy each other in war, and only “Israel” is left. (Chapter XIV)

            Have no illusion, mankind is being inducted into a Satanic cult based on the Talmud and Cabala. Gradually society is being sedated and offered up as a tribute to Lucifer by his disciples, the Illuminati bankers. Mankind is doomed to an “ersatz life”, a perpetual rerun of the past.

            “Anti-Semites” are protecting the Illuminati by blaming the “racial” Jew. The true villain is the Illuminati banker and his lackeys of every ethnicity and “religion,” who embrace the Satanic ideology of the New World Order.

  21. There is no doubt whatsoever as to his misappropriation of the perennial Magisterium of the Church along with Pope Bergoglio and the chain of fraudulence that upholds this usurpation of the papacy.
    Those who cannot be trusted in small things cannot be trusted with greater riches. The lot of them have demonstrated at the very least gross negligence in the exercise of their pastoral responsibility. The money is small pickins compared to the malfeasance with which they have handled the priceless treasure of Holy Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the perennial Magisterium.
    Maradiaga’s — vowed to evangelical poverty as a religious, as a Salesian — misappropriation of money is nothing compared to his support of a papacy gone berserk. Drunk on hubris.

    Reply

      • Thank you — I was unaware of that, and it makes sense. But you would think he might have developed an appreciation of evangelical poverty’s inherent value and not have been so quick to jump into the water of high finance.

        Reply

      • Phew! That’s a relief. According to the Wikipaedia entry on Maradiaga:

        “Since December 2001, he has received a pension of 100,000 lempiras a month from the budget of the President of Honduras, published in Acuerdo Ejecutivo 046-2001 published December 7, 2002, in La Gaceta.[3][4]”.

        Great to see politicians, as always, being so generous with the taxpayers’ money. And Oscar can enjoy the taxpayers’ generosity without any tiresome vows getting in the way.

        Reply

  22. Here’s what the Pope said, at the end, to his Curia:

    “I would like to conclude, though, by pointing out that Christmas reminds us that a faith that does not trouble us is a troubled faith. A faith that does not make us grow is a faith that needs to grow. A faith that does not raise questions is a faith that has to be questioned. A faith that does not rouse us is a faith that needs to be roused. A faith that does not shake us is a faith that needs to be shaken. Indeed, a faith which is only intellectual or lukewarm is only a notion of faith. It can become real once it touches our heart, our soul, our spirit and our whole being.”

    This is Satan speaking through the mouth of this sad excuse for a Pope. Just think of Jesus’ Holy Church which He describes as a ROCK. Our Church was left to us, by Jesus Himself, to be untroubled, a true means of growth but not by numbers alone, a faith that answers questions but does not raise doubts, a faith that cannot be shaken by heresy, a faith that is to be roused but not changed, a faith that is to be intellectual as well as devotional.

    Every time this man speaks there is a forked tongue at work. If Pope Francis is to be converted before he dies we must beg Our Lady for this grace for him. How will he answer for the graces of office he is given every moment? He appears to turn away from these graces of office and turn inward to his own pride, arrogance, and ideology.

    When I read that last paragraph of Francis’ harangue to his hapless Curia I saw his whole papacy in a nut shell – make a mess. Yes, thanks for that sage advice.

    Reply

        • Oh no doubt absolutely, we know how this ends . We are living out prophecy – I think it’s a terribly exciting time to be alive to watch the sheep being separated from the goats!

          Reply

          • We’re not going to live out some Prophecy. The Catholic Church is going through a Crisis of Confidence.

            And really… we need to also reach out to the Goats too. We are a Church that Proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Whole World. Non Christians even. Muslims.. Sikhs. Computer Addicts.

            Our Church needs a Renewal. A Realignment of Sorts. We need a Kick in the Head. Or maybe we need a Triple Bypass.

            Our Church will never fall. It will continue to be Christ’s Instrument of Hope to the World.

          • I agree we will not live out some Prophecy – but I do think we are living out the crucifixion stage of the church. The resurrection will be next.

  23. As a veteran of the fight against the Boston homosexual predators’ scandals, I find it difficult to believe Bishop Jorge Bergoglio and later Pope Francis knew nothing of the huge financial shenanigans being perpetrated by one of his closest friends and advisers. I remember this excuse coming from the mouths of the likes of Bernard Law and his lieutenant and then Bishop of Manchester (NH) John Brendan McCormack. It did not convince me then (correctly so, it turns out) and it does not convince me in the current case.

    Reply

  24. IANS liven in So. Flo. and he used to be a communicant at a Parish where there Pstor was fast friends with the Cardinal.

    The Pastor spoke about him with grave reverence but back, a score of years ago, IANS knew he was not what the Pastor thorough he was.

    But, this is not the only suspect gang of nine.

    Click on this link to read about the devious and diabolical O/Malley of Beantown

    http://www.whatswrongwiththeworld.net/2009/06/more_on_boston_caritas_christi.html#more

    Reply

  25. A little jot here on how to thwart the mentally sick pedophile priests in our church.

    The Vatican should and in the spirit of , all-embracing, all-inclusive, ecumenical gobbledygook, send our suffering priests to Muslim Rehabilitation Center for correction. Conversely they send their suffering priests to the Vatican’s Rehabilitation Center.

    Reply

  26. Steve: Just weeks ago, you were wondering out loud whether 1P5 was serving any purpose.

    As long as we have a Pope who surrounds himself with crooks and sodomites who need to be exposed, Catholic websites will serve a purpose.

    Reply

      • And speaking of MV, his is the only website that blocks my posts. Maybe it’s because I refuse to call him Pope Francis. Strange, because most of the comments on their blog are worse than anything I’ve ever said.

        Reply

        • Their moderation policy is quite inconsistent. It is not only aggravating but at times I actually feel embarrassed for them. I’ve been rebuked more than once — even told that I was permanently blocked. I waited a few months and they let me back. That said they offer an invaluable service. It just discourages me from going there.

          Reply

          • Yes, inconsistent describes it perfectly. The worst they’ve ever done is remove my posts, never commented on why. I do think it’s the name/title thing in my case.

        • For years I’ve heard about MV, but I never paid him to much attention. There are just too many Catholic pundits competing for attention. But, some months ago, I saw a You Tube “debate” between Steven Crowder and MV. I was not really impressed with MV’s performance. Crowder, a fallen-away Catholic and now Evangelical Protestant, was better prepared, and was full of Protestant talking points (most were incorrect). MV seemed defensive; he also appeared at pains not to engage Crowder, lest Crowder got offended.

          Reply

          • I’ll have to look that up. When I first began checking the internet because Bergoglio was giving me the creeps and I wanted to see if anyone else felt the same, ChurchMilitant was my first discovery. But I pretty much quit going there, at least regularly, because he seems to me too inconsistent.

  30. “Something has got to give!”

    LifeSite news had an article regarding a priest in the diocese of Milwaukee, who professed his homosexuality at Sunday Mass from the pulpit, with his bishop’s approval. I think CMTV covered this as well.
    Had I been a parishioner at that blasphemous ” celebration” , with children; I would find a lawyer and sue the diocese for scandalizing my children, as the there is a duty from the Church to not promote and celebrate pornographic behavior!!!!
    But, perhaps, under this misfit of a human being, called Jorge Bergoglio, that has all changed.
    There is an EROSION of morals, of whatever is left of purity within the Church to offer mankind.

    Bergoglio must be renounced by the cardinals. I am a broken record, I know. How can I look at Cardinal Burke, Cardinal Mueller, Cardinal Sarah and not shake my finger at them? How can I respect even these men? Am I wrong here?

    My nerves are wrought. But, not in despair. Just completely fed up.

    Reply

      • That diocese has been under a demonic influence for some time now, long before this bishop came to town.
        The effects of homosexuality within the Church are catastrophic to her.
        For something like this to take place, should cause a Red Alert for every parishioner who attends one of these Novus Ordo Masses……….all bets are off!

        Reply

    • You are certainly not wrong. Those three you mentioned are almost beyond his reach. He took Cardinal Burke off the high court, then put him back on so he can’t take him off again without blowing his cover; he’s already fired Cardinal Muller and marginalized Cardinal Sarah who, in any event has too high a profile globally for him to chance an adverse reaction. They are the three who are in the best position to drop a hammer on him.

      Reply

      • Cardinal Burke and Cardinal Sarah are important, I believe, in the sanctification of the Church, and will be of great benefit. I am not so certain about their ability to be strong and resilient in the fight for orthodoxy to be fought for in the Church. The one person, a bishop, who appears soft spoken, but without pause, who would fight for the Church, in my opinion, is Bishop Schneider. He is as steady as one can be, and in my opinion, whatever it is worth,
        would do as Christ asks of him, without hesitation to popularity, ” false unity”, etc., etc., etc.

        I could also see Bergoglio, listing Burke and Sarah as those ” renegade martyrs” he spoke of in general, during HRH’s last meeting with the cardinals. This is why thick skin will be very necessary for whomever it is will
        say, ” NO, to Bergoglio,” with all due respect of course, God forbid a cardinal confronts this man for what he is doing to the Church.

        How does a cardinal such as Burke or Sarah, surely read what we all read and MUCH MORE and just sit,
        and sit, and sit and sit? No, the game is up. All hands should have been on deck long ago.
        This crew of cardinals is still from the ” old school” of sentimentality and novelties, and a maladaptive preoccupation for ” unity in the Church.”

        Reply

        • Cardinals Burke and Muller have been in the thick of it and have shown themselves not fit for the task. You’re right to assign them to the ‘old school’ which teaches that the Pope is God on earth. That obviously went out the door with the arrival of Bergoglio, but they will have none of it. They have “a… preoccupation for ” unity in the Church” and there’s nothing wrong with that as a boilerplate charism of the Church assuming the Church hasn’t gone off the rails, which it has. The good Cardinals haven’t caught up yet.

          Yes, Bishop Schneider is “as steady as one can be, and in my opinion, whatever it is worth, would do as Christ asks of him, without hesitation to popularity,” but he has been doing that since AL was unleashed on the Church. Before the ink was dry Bishop Schneider lambasted Bergoglio from pillar to post and none of the major players paid any attention to him, not least Bergoglio himself who, if he perceived Bishop Schneider as any kind of threat, would have stripped him of his office in a New York minute. He a courageous defender of the Faith, but, stuck in the boondocks of South Asia, he has no effect at all on the outcome of the game.

          A couple of years ago I said Bergoglio will keep pushing his agenda until his hubris gets the better of him and he goes a step too far. He’s getting close to that now. When it happens, something will happen. Keep the Faith.

          Reply

    • At Sunday Mass was definitely the wrong place to do that.
      I do think priests abuse Catholics’ Sunday obligation by knowing that whatever they do they will probably get away with it in Mass.

      I went to an Easter Sunday Mass and found myself trapped in an invalid Mass. (Totally invalid – no consecration). What amazed me was that everyone there still went to Communion. Those serving stood at the front saying ‘Body of Christ’, ‘Blood of Christ’ and it wasn’t!

      Imagine if the congregation, knowing what had happened had actually stayed in their pews, (chairs whatever). Now would the priest have been ashamed?

      They use Catholics for their own ends.

      I do wonder if Catholics are so very gullible that even if the devil himself got up to preach they would stay to hear.

      Reply

  31. As someone kinda said elsewhere, it’s funny how it’s all coming back to bite him in the a*s, especially after his annual “Christmas rant” against those who remain faithful to Christ and His Church. Well, it would be funny if it weren’t so horribly sad.

    Reply

  32. Sounds about normal for our times, speak out against the wealthy while amassing a huge fortune. Best way to cover corruption I guess.

    Reply

  33. “Fake News”(?)

    A spokes-transgender for Fr. James Martin in a recent press release stated that:

    “His elegance has taken leave from his sinisterial duties to go on a “black sabbatical” to a Tibetan monastery
    to “administer” to a group of Hare Krishna devotees in search of surprising enlightenment.”

    When pressed by passers-by {no journalists were available} for greater details about his trip; duration of stay,
    ecumenical potential, actual logic of said trip in the first case, a black sabbatical?, and hey! what sinisterial duties
    do you mean…………..? No comment ensued.

    The PR agent refused to divulge additional detail but alluded to his elegance by opining:

    “Fr.Martin is a very “gifted” “Priest” with all the bells and whistles ordered neatly around a kaleidoscope of colors
    and light which shine in all directions, and his passion for high adventure in clouds of ecumenical splendor have
    given rise to his chosen destination and determined pathway”

    updates upon request…..( please resist! )

    Reply

    • It’s a big….. Mess.

      Ironically Fr. James Martin was filling in for my Pastor at the Church I go to, and he seemed like a very good Priest. Of course this was like 6 Years ago…..

      Reply

      • 6 years ago people were under Pope Benedict and usually on their best behavior. Now it is as if someone has opened all the cage doors in the zoo. “who am I to judge”.

        Reply

        • It’s like someone cracked open the Bees Next.

          Just saying…… Whoever becomes the Next Pope will have a Massive Mess to clean up in addition to the normal usual messes the Church has.

          Reply

          • I keep saying it, but can you imagine even a moderately Catholic Pope who is willing to stand firm on some aspect of traditional Catholic doctrine?

            The fight will be on, and I suspect there will be whole provinces who leave.

            Proclaiming, a la Luther, they are the true Church naturally.

          • Don’t use the Words Conservative or Liberal. They don’t help matters.

            We don’t fit into one political Party or another. We encompass the Whole Spectrum because Our Faith is Universal aka Catholic. We speak up for the Unborn, the Sanctity of Marriage and for the Poor not because it is.. Politics but because we are Catholic.

        • I came back into the Church at the beginning of Pope Benedict’s reign. I sat through Sunday after Sunday of preaching against Rome and against Benedict. Every Sunday there was the little barb in each homily. So I began to study and learn and loved everything Pope Benedict wrote. Living off the hard crust of worship reduced to a valid Mass is pretty trying.

          Since Pope Francis, we now pray for the Pope in three different ways at each Mass. The Spirit of Vatican II has given way to the Spirit of Francis.

          Like all winds it will blow over. Pope Francis is not an eternal Pope. All his fans and supporters will retire or die off. I suspect it will be a very small Church where we are and with no money.

          But the good news is that there are foreign priests, younger, who are assistant priests. They are fine. Not everyone likes them at all. But they are quite faithful in comparison to the rest. So we support them and they support us. The others deliver their usual ‘do your best’ homilies and the dry crust of validity (some fall here but I wouldn’t stay in the parish if that happened to us). If we want new life we have to be there to receive it and support the assistant priests who are rather bullied by the liberal parishioners and the liberal clergy. But we love them as they are a true face of the Church.

          Reply

      • When I converted, I knew something was not right.

        I believed {and still do} the teachings of the Church but over and over I kept saying to myself “If the leaders actually believed this stuff the Church would look a LOT different”. When I noted the effeminate weakness I saw in the leadership I was scolded as being weak in my faith since “The Holy Spirit chooses the Pope” and “Gates of Hell…” and the gist of it being as one fellow said “The Church was fine before you converted and its fine now” the implication being, in a simplistic way God takes care of the CC {and implied…we don’t have to…}. When I would speak up, I was told “That’s Protestant. Catholics don’t do that”.

        EVERYBODY in leadership was…”orthodox”.

        Now we see them for what they really were inside. In some ways, that is good. we now know who the enemy is. Having said that, the good that can come from honesty and the truth will only be manifest when discipline is administered to those who deny and disparage the teachings of the Church. If mass excommunications, laicizations and even interdicts are not in the Church’s future, then the Church will effectively, that is, “on the street” be nothing more than an Italian branch of the Anglican Communion.

        I personally see no other option than “war” inside the Church. A leader or leaders must rise up who will aggressively purify the Church and thereby make Her teachings clear to a dying world.

        Right now, as an ex-Methodist and Lutheran, and one-time worshiper in Anglican, Reformed and Evangelical groups, I see little difference between the public face of Catholicism and that of mainline Protestantism.

        Reply

        • There is no difference. Mainline Protestants and this pope share the same religion. After normalizing homosexual behavior comes the emergence of women in ordained positions. I know all their arguments and strategies. Also if you have a schism,they get the real estate.

          Reply

          • The Pope is not the Church he is a servant of the Church. If the Pope fails the Church does not fail. Christ had both Peter and Judas fail but the Church began and here we are. Pray for the Pope and suffer for the faith. That is the time we are in. Its hard but surely God is preparing each to be able to stand without support in the world. If Vatican II did one thing right, it gave the laity the call to be holy in the fullness of sanctity as lay people.

            So that is what we do. It doesn’t mean compromise or facilitating things which are not of the true faith. If these things come up avoid them and if they become constant find a safer Catholic place of worship. Just expect God to provide.

            In a way it is a great time to be Catholic as each of us has to be one in truth and not just in name.

          • A year into the current pontificate I couldn’t defend the man’s statements anymore. His misquoting of Jesus and replacement of God with man in para 161 of EG was the last straw for me.

            I remember commenting that as an ex-Lutheran, he appeared to me to simply be a liberal Lutheran, which has subsequently become a fairly common descriptor.

            You are dead right about the process of liberalization Modernism represents. The stages that the Protestants went through are right now being repeated in the CC.

            I pray for a restoration of the faith.

        • There is a huge difference. Mainline Protestantism doesn’t have the deposit of Faith. Just because those at the top are unfaithful to the Church doesn’t mean that the Church has changed. It is just that the Church is suffering neglect and impoverishment of faith in light of what the Church has always taught. The unfaithful cannot change the Church in itself. They can take sacred space, increase their influence, but they have no power over the Church.

          The Church is a living body, a gift of the Holy Spirit. Where the teachings of Christ in the sacred deposit of Faith there is the Holy Spirit. So there is a realm of difference.

          The truly faithful are the suffering Church that is all. What the enemy wants is for everyone to abandon the Church. But we can’t we must stay and suffer without being unfaithful.

          Reply

          • You missed my point or didn’t read my post.

            Theologically, there is a difference, but what I said was “I see little difference between the public face of Catholicism and that of mainline Protestantism.”

            You and I can reflect on the teachings of the Church, but those who peek in from the outside see theological chaos, leftist politics, secularism, corruption and “Massism” {the notion that all one needs to do is “go to Mass” and live however one wants otherwise}. It is pervasive, and the Pope is only part of the problem.

            This is a crisis the equal of several in the history of the Church. As Bishop Schneider says, it is the “little ones” who will affect the restoration. Certainly we cannot see it coming from the leadership the idea that the laity can’t do anything because the laity has no authority is ridiculous. Such a notion conflates authority with effective action and promotes all of the above weaknesses of Catholic culture today.

  35. Cdl Maradieaga has been the poster-boy for Latin American Liberation Theology for decades. How has it worked out for him in his native land of Honduras? How has the Catholic Church fared under his leadership. As late as 1995, 76% of Hondurans were Catholic. However, by 2015 that number stands at 47%. That is a historic drop in any nation. Catholics in Honduras are now a minority.

    Reply

  36. I can envision a scenario where the US Government (in order to get Francis to cool his critical remarks on capitalism and the US) lets them (the Vatican) know that the US has certain phone intercepts and so forth (pictures pulled off of iphones etc.) that might just get released to the public.

    Trump can play hard ball, and likes to.

    Reply

    • Hah ! You just used Donald Trump.

      The Problem is who ? Cardinal Burke ? Might Drain the Swamp but…..

      Hey ! How about some of the random Cardinals ? Myanmar ! Or… Papua New Guinea. Or hey about that guy from Quebec !

      Reply

    • A big DITTO to you for this post.
      Oh yes we do indeed.
      We need a cardinal or two to be able to see Evil, identify it, and attempt to remove it.
      No more, ” Oh, but the Holy Father said this or that……or ” Why the HolyFather has not really changed Dogma after all.”

      I am hoping some of these mama boy cardinals get a backbone and learn from President Trump on how to be a leader and protect!

      Reply

  41. “…despite his advocacy for abortion and homosexual “marriage” in his home country.”

    This is *real* cancer.

    Reply

  43. I remember just shortly after Pope Francis was elected. Do you remember the German Bishop or Archbishop who was suddenly hauled up for spending lavishly on a Bishop’s Palace being renovated. Something like that. He was clearly according to the press not the model of Bishop, Francis wanted in his ‘poor’ Church. So the very public shaming of this Bishop and PF received his resignation. All very tidy.

    So here now we have PF’s friend with not a renovated Palace but a personal income which is embarrassing not only in its amount (and all the other money advantages noted in the report) but received…not from taxed German Catholics, who are wealthy by comparison to their global neighbours, but rather from Hondurans. Honduras is the second poorest country in South America. South America is a poor continent.

    Pope Francis doesn’t depose this Cardinal but covers it up – certainly in comparison to the German Bishop Cardinal Oscar is privileged in this respect. The news of this shocking, it is very very shocking, this prelate receiving an income off the backs of the poor in Honduras.

    I expect that Cardinal Oscar will be quietly retired on the 29 December. He won’t go back to the Honduras. He will stay in the Vatican in some quiet role out of sight and out of mind. That will be the plan. Hide the scandal.

    The best that could happen is that the Honduras government try to extradict him if they can.

    I am so ashamed of this Vatican. I do agree that Cardinal Pell and others have come close or know about all this among other things and just get shown the door.

    Reply

  44. Isaias 1:21

    How is the faithful city, that was full of judgment, become a harlot? justice dwelt in it, but now murderers. [22] Thy silver is turned into dross: thy wine is mingled with water. [23] Thy princes are faithless, companions of thieves: they all love bribes, the run after rewards. They judge not for the fatherless: and the widow’s cometh not in to them. [24] Therefore saith the Lord the God of hosts, the mighty one of Israel: Ah! I will comfort myself over my adversaries: and I will be revenged of my enemies. [25] And I will turn my hand to thee, and I will clean purge away thy dross, and I will take away all thy tin.

    Reply

  45. Smoke, fire, etc etc. I wonder if ALL the records of Banco Monte Del Paschi have been safely “deleted,” and if the “suicides” have stopped.

    The stories linked in this article are mind-blowing in themselves. I don’t know how I missed the one in 2015 but Providence is funny that way. It certainly confirms the hunches I’ve been having for the last few years.

    Reply

  52. No wonder at all. I’d be surprised if any of the 8 was really faithful to his vocation like cdl. Ottaviani or abp.M. Lefebre. God makes surprises doesn’t He ? So, it’s quite natural that the present Pope and his cronies surprise us.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Popular on OnePeterFive

Share to...
BufferCopyFlipboardHacker NewsLineLinkedInMessengerMixPinterestPocketPrintRedditSMSTelegramTumblrVKWhatsAppXingYummly