We know that in all things God works for good with those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)
Amoris Laetitia, in spite of so many (unsustainable) complaints about its lack of clarity, is shining a spotlight on Catholic organizations and their leaders; revealing those who are committed to defending the truth no matter the cost, while also exposing those who place a premium, not so much on building the Kingdom of Christ, but rather on fortifying their own particular brand, revenues, popularity, etc.
With this in mind, the following quotes speak for themselves:
“Amoris Laetitia is our guidebook to building up the Catholic family as a domestic church. Moreover, it is the guidebook for our Order’s new initiative, Building the Domestic Church While Strengthening Our Parish.” – Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus (Supreme Council 2014 revenues: $2.2 billion)
“Amoris Laetitia is a timely and loving exhortation for families towards genuine charity that begins within the nuclear family. It can be described as a new road-map for a culture that has taken a sad and tragic detour.” – Fr. Frank Pavone, Executive Director, Priests for Life (2015 revenues: $10 million)
“There is much in Amoris Laetitia that is good, beautiful, and true and that helps you understand the whole document. It is packed with solid Catholic doctrine and practical application concerning our Faith … What Pope Francis is saying, and theologically he is correct, on the objective level it is possible, a pastor can discern that this woman [who persists in adultery], in that case, is not in mortal sin.” – Tim Staples, Director of Apologetics and Evangelization, Catholic Answers (2014 revenues: $7 million)
Should We Be Concerned About Amoris Laetitia? “From my perspective this story is a big nothing burger … There have always been exceptions on this [the constant and universal practice, ‘founded on Sacred Scripture, of not admitting the divorced and remarried to Holy Communion.’]” – Jimmy Akin, Senior Apologist, Catholic Answers
“If I might make bold to summarize a complex 264-page document, I would say that Pope Francis wants the truths regarding marriage, sexuality, and family to be unambiguously declared, but that he also wants the Church’s ministers to reach out in mercy and compassion to those who struggle to incarnate those truths in their lives. In regard to the moral objectivities of marriage, the Pope is bracingly clear … [Amoris Laetitia] will be of great service to many suffering souls who come to the Field Hospital.” – Bishop Robert Barron, Founder, Word on Fire Catholic Ministries (2014 revenues: $2.1 million)
“It’s a real gold mine; in many, many ways … I think the Holy Father’s mind is beautifully revealed in this document, and that mind is the mind of the man of the Church and it’s placed within the context of the richness of the Church’s teaching concerning marriage and family. That’s why a number of times Casti Connubii of Pius XI is cited, Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae, John Paul’s Theology of the Body also Familiaris Consortio.” – Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, President, Christendom College (2014 revenues: $19.8 million)
And then there are those who, too clever by half, have chosen to remain virtually silent concerning the unprecedented danger to souls that Amoris Laetitia represents; thereby averting the risk of losing support among benefactors who just might take exception to a vigorous defense of the Faith in light of the heresies put forth by Francis:
– Fellowship of Catholic University Students (2013 revenues: $30 million) Curtis Martin, CEO
– Dynamic Catholic (2014 revenues: $18 million) Matthew Kelly, CEO
– Legatus (2014 revenues: $4.6 million) John Hunt, Executive Director
– Catholic League (2014 revenues: $3.5 million / assets $37.9 million) Bill Donohue, President
Certainly there are others who deserve mention on this list, but presumably the point has been made.
Lent begins tomorrow. It is a season of fasting and penance, but it’s also one during which the blessedness of almsgiving is frequently stressed in the context of various fundraising appeals, diocesan and otherwise.
Beware!
Thanks to the spotlight emanating from Amoris Laetitia, clearly not all “Catholic” apostolates are committed to defending the Faith.
Neo Caths and Resisters have one thing in common. They wear blinders and twist facts in order to preserve the unity in what they believe is the One Holy Catholic Church. Unity is found in those who profess the same faith. Period.
1 Timothy 6:10
For the desire of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows.
Louie, you deserve much credit for talking the talk and walking the walk. It has cost you dearly, I’m sure. God bless you for being one of the very few to be willing to state the truth about the current state of the Church. Your life would have been much more comfortable and secure if you had just got along to get along. Kind of like the politicians in , D.C. Everybody gets to feed to the full at the trough. Thank you for not doing that and you can be sure that God is pleased with you and will continue to watch over you. Our Church is in the process of being destroyed by modernists and it’s happening from the inside out. It will continue to get worse till all seems lost and then Our Lady will intervene. Till then, we and especially you , Louie must soldier on. Let us think of the glory that God will give to the Immaculate Heart of her day of victory.
I would say the worst offender would be Jimmy Akins of Catholic Answers who said the Church ALWAYS allowed reception of the Holy Eucharist in some cases of public adultery. The second worst would be Tim Staples of Catholic Answers who said Pope Francis is “theologically correct”. Of course those who remain silent Michael Voris stands out because he is perceived as a “conservative” Catholic (check out Michael Matt’s video in which he made a very good case in explaining that “conservative Catholics” are indeed non Catholics.) yet not only he is silent on the heresies of Francis he and his company has been tireless in producing “fake news” to manipulate Catholics to believe Francis is trying his best to oppose heretics like Cardinal Kasper when in fact they are close allies.
I am confident that Louie is right but where does the Knights get $2 billion a year? insurance premium?
I don’t want to commit Calumny against Voris & Co. Here is his link in explaining his theology why publicly criticizing the Pope even if he teaches heresy is wrong, quoting St. Catherine of Siena. http://www.churchmilitant.com/main/generic/faq-public-criticism-of-the-pope
Is his theology right? If Voris is right, all of us are in trouble on the day of Judgment, including the 4 Cardinals, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, The Remnant Newspaper, Catholic Family News (which Voris called Reactionary Catholics), even Louie (I would say Louie might be even more direct in his criticism of the heresies of Francis than The Remnant). Can anyone comment on it? If Voris is right in his theology, we should just criticize AL’s heresies but not saying the Pope Francis knows anything about AL….
I think it would be very revealing to find out the thought process of those who support the heresies of Pope Francis’ AL (like Voris said we not criticizing the Pope publicly but only his heresies and blasphemies) either by supporting Pope Francis or being silent. Here is what is said in the Church Militant site “We have these ingredients here at ChurchMilitant.com. We understand this intrigue because of the vast amount of formal theological and philosophical education we have on staff and the professional background in secular media. We know how this game is played because we played it — for many years” http://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/vort-2015-10-28 So in a sense like Louie said they put money first and seeing this is not a battle for the glory of Christ and salvation of souls but only a “game”. Whatever at stake to them is temporal not eternal.
CMTV’s claims are total nonsense and hypocrisy and here’s why-
First let us state that we totally and completely understand their concerns that all the negativity might be a deterrent for Catholics weak in their faith, or potential converts. We get it. And if CMTV wishes to tailor its content to be more sensitive of this, assuming they know their audience base well enough, then that’s their rightful prerogative and their justified prudence.
But CMTV and Mr. Voris are full of it if they imagine that all their Bishop and Cardinal and Catholic Organization bashing are somehow totally immune from doing the same. Really? Really…? So it’s okay for CMTV to completely trash 99.99% of the Church, but somehow ignoring the 0.1% factor will somehow make a better impression on weak Catholics and potential converts? Really?
And do CMTV and Mr. Voris imagine that these same weak Catholics and potential converts are not bombarded by negativity from the mainstream news outlets etc.? Does CMTV and Mr. Voris imagine that these people only inhabit a cave with a computer whose homepage is only limited to CMTV and Catholic websites? Really?
Ah, but CMTV will claim that by somehow still emphasizing the Papacy and the Church and by holding up these magnificent marks it is sufficient enough to protect the weak Catholics and the potential converts. Oh, excuse me, Mr. Voris and CMTV, but are you actually declaring for the record that those you criticize do not do the same? Only you?
At this point CMTV and Mr. Voris are guilty of bearing false witness. Of maybe they’re just full of themselves believing that they and they alone possess the completeness of sanctified holy criticism, and that formula is patented technology exclusive to only CMTV. Only they know how to do things right and everyone else’s audience is somehow the same as theirs. Catholics strong in their faith, and potential converts looking for no-BS answers to the news they hear from Rome don’t deserve alternative outlets that will give them those facts and nourishment that CMTV refuses to address and spin as well as the likes of CNN and FOX News?
Anyone who is familiar with the websites and persons they criticize knows full well that they too go out of their way to emphasize that this is a temporary crisis, that has been known and foretold by God and which go through lengths to strengthen and preach the magnificent Office of the Pope going all the way back throughout the centuries to St. Peter. Not just doing PR damage control for the present pontiff.
Certainly Mr. Voris can cite some examples that might go too far and be offensive beyond necessity about the Pope, or also show suitable concern against Sedevacantism, but he has no right to paint every critical site with the same broad brush and then go to the extra error of proclaiming that everyone should join him in the grand cover-up of the Pope.
Where does Mr. Voris draw the line then? Since Mr. Voris and CMTV like to deal with hypotheticals, what if Mr. Voris and CMTV had intimate knowledge that the Pope was sexually abusing young children? Would Mr. Voris and CMTV decide it’s best to censor themselves and not report this to the authorities so that they can cover their eyes and cover the ‘nakedness’ of their father? How far does Mr. Voris’ loyalty go? Does he consider the victims? And if sexual assault is bad, then what about spiritual assault or the assault of heretical screeds that can send one to Hell? And if they care about the Holy Father so much then would it not be right to uncover his eyes to heresy and criticize his errors in charity? Or do sons just ignore the peril of their Father’s hurling themselves into the abyss, because it’s not their place to do so? Madness!
This is a serious question. Would St. Catherine of Siena do likewise and tolerate any of this? Or is Mr. Voris and CMTV missing the context of both Siena and of the account of Noah’s nakedness, or themselves deliberately distorting this to cover their own hypocritical nakedness?
Was St. Catherine of Siena talking about a heretical Pope? A Pope proclaiming error and immorality? Or is she merely discussing a Pope’s own personal failings?
As already addressed directly to Mr. Voris by Michael Matt and others. Nobody cares about the Pope’s personal problems. Even if the man’s personal behavior is like that of a devil. Only when he intends to proclaim and promote things contrary to the Faith and promote scandal in this way. That the Pope may be a drunkard or sleeping with a mother/daughter pair is irrelevant. We do not reject or resist his authority based on that. HERESY on the other hand, which can drag us all to Hell, is another story. Perhaps they can ask St. Catherine about this.
As for the account of Noah, Voris completely distorts it’s meaning to read into it what he wants to see. Nowhere have we ever witnessed this novel interpretation of using it as an excuse to censor the Truth. Consider the absurdity of what Michael Voris is saying.
First off, the Biblical account is dealing with sexual euphemisms here.
– Why would Noah be upset at Ham for merely walking by and seeing him naked when it’s his own fault for getting drunk.
– Was it because he told his brother’s about his father’s embarrassment and did nothing to cover it up?
– But if at this point Ham told Sem and Japheth, then what was the point of ‘covering it up’? Who else was around other than them? Everybody else in the world died in the Flood. So everybody on Earth already knew now.
– In that case, why did Noah curse Canaan, Ham’s son? What did he do? And where did Canaan suddenly come from?
– Considering the use of the term ‘nakedness’ and the author being Moses, we see the same term of ‘nakedness’ being applied to sexual moral laws in the Torah “Thou should not lie with thy mother, she is they father’s nakedness”, the point of the story here makes sense in light of the fact that Noah cursed Canaan, the son of Ham who did not yet exist.
– Ham had intercourse with his mother while Noah was drunk. His father’s ‘nakedness.’
– Ham told his brothers about it, the hint being “now’s your chance, you can do it too!” The Earth’s population needed to be replenished after all…
– Shem and Japheth, however, did not do as Ham did, but rather their ‘covering up’ was a refusal of sin, and a respectful act of comforting and honoring their mother, and attempting of hiding her shame from her husband and also to protect his honor in his mind, as she had just been likely raped by her own son Ham while Noah was careless.
– So they trying to hide this act not from everyone else, but from Noah? If so, he eventually found out, likely because she became pregnant with Canaan. So CMTV’s interpretation of hiding the father’s act makes no sense because now everybody around knew but him. It was something they were keeping from the Father. Not CMTV’s upside down interpretation.
– Especially hilarious in light of the fact that this account was RECORDED IN GENESIS AND THE BIBLE SO NOW EVERY GENERATION OF PEOPLE ON EARTH KNOW OF IT, so good work Shem and Japheth on the splendid cover-up job!
– Incest & other kinds of sexual infidelity are also types that foreshadow conflict, such as that war between Israel and Canaan. Canaan, being the offspring of incest, no doubt would have felt shame, and bitter about having to be a slave to his uncles and hating Noah, and thus being bitter against God. So in this state founded a city and raised a people who would likewise be the most sinful race on the planet that God destroyed them through Joshua and gave their land to Israel. A point also illustrating how the consequences of one’s sin can effect generations of people. Our sins have everlasting consequences!
– Shem and Japheth’s ‘covering up’ could also be referring to an act of reparation, similar to how God covered Adam and Eve with the skin of a slain sacrificial animal. So it’s possible they also made an act of reparation to God on behalf of Ham and their mother.
How this account serves as an excuse for CMTV makes no sense. If the Pope’s nakedness is already apparent through his own volition in the mainstream press, and through his own Papal documents and interviews that he authorizes and publishes publicly, then everybody already knows of it, and CMTV is too late to cover it up, unless they somehow imagine they now have authority to censor the words the Pope himself wishes to spread throughout Christendom!
If so then are not CMTV and Mr. Voris themselves resisting the Pope in their own way and not lying down on his lap and admitting that there is no other interpretation of Amoris Letitia other than what Francis acknowledges in the actions of the Argentinian Bishops? Where is Mr. Voris and CMTV’s loyalty to the Pope then? Do they not see that many can notice the duplicity of their actions? Do they think nobody saw the Pope’s visit and words to the Anglicans? What is there for Voris to cover up?
Voris and CMTV and neither capable of reassuring the weak Catholics and scandalized converts they claim to be protecting as the days go on, nor are they capable of covering up Papal statements, events and official documents that are released and broadcast to the world. They are impotent, and in their impotence they attack those good and faithful virile Catholics who do not share their lukewarm sterility.
St. Catherine of Siena would spit in CMTV’s direction, especially when they pick and choose what she says to suit their preferences. Here’s what she said in her Dialogue with respect not to the Pope but simply to the regular bishops and priests and how we should treat them:
“…[It] is my intention that they be held in due reverence, not for what they are in themselves, but for my sake, because of the authority I have given them. Therefore the virtuous must not lessen their reverence, even should these ministers fall short in virtue. And, as far as the virtues of my ministers are concerned, I have described them for you by setting them before you as stewards of… my Son’s body and blood and of the other sacraments. This dignity belongs to all who are appointed as such stewards, to the bad as well as to the good.
…[Because] of their virtue and because of their sacramental dignity you ought to love them. And you ought to hate the sins of those who live evil lives. But you may not for all that set ourselves up as their judges; this is not my will because they are my Christ’s, and you ought to love and reverence the authority I have given them.
You know well enough that if someone filthy or poorly dressed were to offer you a great treasure that would give you life, you would not disdain the bearer for love of the treasure, and the lord who had sent it, even though the bearer was ragged and filthy… You ought to despise and hate the ministers’ sins and try to dress them in the clothes of charity and holy prayer and wash away their filth with your tears.
Indeed, I have appointed them and given them to you to be angels on earth and suns, as I have told you. When they are less than that you ought to pray for them. But you are not to judge them. Leave the judging to me, and I, because of your prayers and my own desire, will be merciful to them. [1]”
So CMTV and Michael Voris ignore St. Catherine of Siena about the bishops and priests they freely criticize and judge, but then for some reason only listen to her when it comes to the Pope?
HYPOCRISY!
Especially when it is obviously that St. Catherine is referring NOT TO HERESY, but to their own personal FALLING SHORT IN VIRTUE. Do you imagine St. Catherine would’ve respected the likes of Fr. Martin Luther and other Protestant-turned priests?
This whole CMTV/Voris episode is a sad joke. It would have been better if they just hadn’t said anything at all against others and simply stated that it was their own personal policy not to put in any negative opinions about the Pope, and admitted that they themselves don’t have a solution and are conflicted, so please understand their situation and pray for them, they’ll try their best.
But no, instead they tried to put themselves above everybody else, and exposed their hypocrisy for doing so.
If the people they were criticizing were criticizing the Pope for his own personal failings and using these as ground for rebellion, then indeed they’d be right and this is what St. Catherine meant. But open heresy and treason against Christ Himself is a whole other can of worms that St. Catherine didn’t have to deal with outside of the Pope falling behind on his duties to reign in corruption of his court and return to Rome. But he was not a heretic and therefore she respected him.
This is why stakes and burning embers used to exist. Seriously.
It should also be noted that Mr. Voris and CMTV do not accept the SSPX. They believe they are in schism, and believe so against even the actions and words of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. So again they themselves do not follow what they propose about respecting the words of the Popes, but feel they can criticize others for critiquing the Popes on other issues. But their pet beef against the SSPX trumps that of even the Popes. Do they really think that just because they omit the name or mention of the Pope, that by criticizing the words and deeds of Popes in a roundabout way that they’re fooling anyone? Is this some magical loophole they’ve discovered?
And it should be noted that when it comes to topics such as Fatima and the Consecration of Russia, CMTV and Voris turn into fragile fairies, and would never touch upon any of this controversy, except to dismiss it and have their staff appeal to the discredited Sr. Lucia letters hosted on EWTN. I’m sure the Queen of Heaven and Spouse of the Holy Spirit is pleased by their cover-up job. I believe they’re savvy enough to realize that if they ever did attempt a hit-piece video to absolve the Vatican and Popes of the Fatima scandal that they would be torn to shreds and are themselves aware that things don’t add up. The documentation is too thorough that Voris and CMTV would have to engage in deliberate deception to attempt to spin that one. So the best they can do is self censorship and avoidance.
One didn’t need to wait for Francis and Amoris L. to see where the spotlights were shining. The separation of the sheep and goats already began with the Fatima cover-up. Many then are worthy of the name of ‘Ham’ for their likewise treatment of their Holy Mother while the ones while authority are drunk with the wine of the Ecumenist branches.
Its well to remember at this time, the Season of Lent that Christ Himself was betrayed by one of His own, with a kiss. In the Agony in the garden we read how desolate He was in His soul for the coming chalice and the writers opine He saw all the sins of this World up until the end of time. This would include the hirelings, and their false scripts such as AL and the various Vatican 2 pomps and deceptions. The three sheep soon fell asleep, when asked to keep watch and pray with Him, which included Peter, James and John. Many have written in this blog that the silence of the hierarchy save for the four who raised the dubia, is deafening.
The Church of course goes on to the end of time, with or without the Head Shepherd, who worse than falling asleep, is engaged on a night with armed men and torches, stalking Him in the moonlight to hand him to those who would put him to death.
The Francis effect, derogatory comments about Our Lord as a failure, need we repeat his reported blasphemies, all trending to the dissolution of the status of the Church in the world and its supremacy and absolute necessity for salvation. Francis’s fawned humility over slippers, accommodation and other measures of rank that go with the Papacy- can mean one outcome – for him alone and others in hi troupe.
Any wonder He was so desolate at the final Gethsemane stop over.
Ouch, CMTV was just smoked. Thorough response Johnno, nice work.
I can’t help but appreciate CMTV, they started out so well and are earnest. I don’t know, we have so few friends, maybe I just am hoping to keep folks under the tent. But I hear what you are saying, and do agree with you, even though I appreciate the effort they give to things, and I think they are earnest Catholics.
I disagree with CMTV’s attitude on criticisms of Pope Francis. I attributed it to a financial donor who set the rules for CMTV. That’s just my assumption, since money seems to drive everything. I could absolutely be way off on that.
As for criticism of the pope, and our responsibility, I feel uncomfortable criticizing, but it is impossible to stay quiet with what we are seeing. I have to trust entirely that God knows my heart and intention. I feel as if I am defending the faith and the Church, however poorly. Surely He knows what we are trying to do. It is unnerving at times.