I don’t make use of tags on my posts, but if I did, this one would be filed under “courtroom drama / comedy.”
Realizing that many of the readers of this blog are not on Facebook, I want to bring you up to speed on the most recent, borderline amusing, snit fit launched in my direction by my “friend” (on Facebook anyway) Karl Keating.
On Saturday last, in anticipation of the “Invocation for Peace,” I posted the following observation on my Facebook page:
Among those who have reportedly been invited by Pope Francis to mock Our Lord Jesus Christ on Pentecost at the Vatican are leaders of the Druze community…
In response, Karl took to his own Facebook page to level the following indictment.
“Dear Sheikh Moafaq Tarif: I invite you, as head of the Druze faith in Israel, to come to the Vatican this Sunday, Pentecost, to mock Jesus Christ. I look forward to seeing you! Best wishes, Pope Francis.”
According to Louie Verrecchio, that’s the gist of the invitation sent by the Pope to Sheikh Tarif, who will be one of the participants at an outdoor prayer-for-peace gathering at the Vatican.
…But do you have to make [your case] with bile? Do you have to put the worst possible spin on things? Do you have to impugn the motives of the Pope? Do you have to claim that he actually WANTS non-Catholics to mock Christ? Yes you do, if your goal is to make an ass of yourself.
I had hoped to engage Karl on this directly, but he deleted my first response to his post and hasn’t had time to reply to my last attempt to engage. So, while speaking of people in the very same room in the third person isn’t my game, I’ll play. But know this, Karl, you are more than welcome to grace these pages with your commentary.
With that said, according to the prosecutor, Keating, my comments make me guilty of rendering a subjective judgment as it regards the pope’s motives in calling this “Invocation.”
My plea: Innocent on all counts!
With a renewed understanding as to why Mr. Keating no longer practices law, I would suggest that this case isn’t all that complicated. Perhaps an analogy will help.
Imagine a cab driver who decides to give free rides to the local abortion clinic to impoverished unwed young women. If I were to publicly state that the women are given transport by the cabbie to murder their unborn children, such would constitute an observation based on an objective truth. Even if the cabbie has the intention of alleviating what he sees as the suffering attached to single parenthood, it matters not. My observation has nothing to do with assigning motives.
In the case of Pope Francis and the “Invocation for Peace,” I said that inviting those who deny Christ as a matter of creed to chant from their unholy writ at the Vatican is an invitation to mock the Lord. That is likewise an observation based upon objective truth. Even if the pope has the intention of alleviating strife in the Middle East, it matters not. My observation has nothing to do with assigning motives; it stands on the objective truth of the matter.
Since, unfortunately, the prosecutor isn’t present to cross examine me, please allow me to address the distinct possibility that he does not recognize the “Invocation” as the terrible offense against the Lord that I believe it to be. Again, an analogy might help.
Imagine Karl going on an extended hiking trip. Prior to his departure, he appoints a caretaker to represent him in important matters and to run the affairs of his household in his absence.
One day, this caretaker decides to host an event at Karl’s house wherein a very select group of Catholic writers is given the opportunity to read excerpts from their works. From there, the event is to be disseminated worldwide by an eager media.
Now, imagine that among those few invited to participate is Robert Sungenis, who stands in the front yard of the Keating estate to read excerpts from an essay; the same wherein elsewhere he ridicules and discredits Karl Keating by name.
The caretaker, along with many of Karl’s closest relatives, look on attentively as Sungenis reads, and afterwards they share handshakes and hugs with him, thanking him for his contribution to the grand affair. (For those who don’t know, Robert Sungenis is Karl’s nemesis, for lack of a better word. In fact, Sungenis is the target of Keating’s latest Facebook indictment.)
Something tells me that Karl wouldn’t take too kindly to his caretaker’s behavior, even if said caretaker was simply trying to facilitate peace between bickering Catholics.
I rest my my case.
What say you, counselor?
“Now, imagine that among those few invited to participate is Robert Sungenis, who stands in the front yard of the Keating estate to read excerpts from an essay; the same wherein elsewhere he ridicules and discredits Karl Keating by name.”
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LOL – even though I didn’t know they were ‘aware’ of each other.
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p.s. if I recall correctly, the druze sect think John the Baptist is the Messiah. Tablets low on batts so correct me if I’m wrong.
Very apt analogies. Regardless…..francis DOES know what he is doing anyway. The idea that Francis may actually be an unlearned, good-natured, nitwit who doesnt know what he is doing is a tad ridiculous (a notion that even some good Catholics believe). Im sure he knows exactly what he does and im also confident he was getting groomed for years to be where he is….just as the next pope is currently being groomed.
Any cleric of any significance, with any allegiance to the Catholic Faith, is currently on the outside looking in. This Church cannot recover until it is leveled to its very foundations.
Actually, it is the neo-Catholic sycophants like Keating who are making asses and fools of themselves.
I was banned from Keating’s Catholic Answers forum for defending Tradition.
Nothing could ruffle a feather like rejecting the idea that Muslims worship the one God. Maybe Michael Voris. His name alone was like holy water on a vampire.
Whoops…I meant one TRUE God.
Louie,
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I’m sure you are actually aware of this, but the chances of you getting an honest chance to explain your position in a venue owned by Mr. Keating, is well, about the same as that of Pius XII’s cause being “fast-tracked”.
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The moderators on the forum Mr. Keating runs quickly (and usually quietly) ban anyone who begins to make a modicum of sense on their “Traditionalist” forum, and, as I’m sure you’ll recall, his attack dogs Staples & Partner provide nonsensical treatment of Traditionalism based on not just the usual calumny and lack of real information, but some outright whoppers as well. (Such as a blanket denial that six Protestant “observers” participated in the creation of our new Rite of Mass, despite the overwhelming documentation of this fact.)
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Neo-Catholics cannot defend themselves against knowledgeable Traditionalists. I experienced this firsthand when I began to debate my own Facebook “friend”, Dave Armstrong, a couple of years ago. The short of it was that everything he didn’t like – nothing but objective fact, mind you, with never a hint of uncharity or anything subjective – went missing from the comments in a hurry.
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“Error has no rights”, they sometimes state to defend such behavior – how ironic indeed, since of course the New Orientation has abandoned this Catholic doctrine in favor of the conciliar novelty of religious liberty.
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God bless,
Paul
My previous scathing criticism aside, Fundamentalist and Catholicism (Keating) was my introduction to modern Catholic apologetics long ago, and it is indeed a very good work.
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His apt description of the “spiral” (rather than circular) nature of Catholic authority has been cited by others.
It’s okay for commentators like Mr. Keating to give their opinions on those of their fellow Catholic writers, even with some sarcasm -especially when speculating on upcoming public events.
But once their criticisms are prove disastrously wrong by the outcome of said events, it behooves them to graciously “man-up” to their errors of judgment.
The public denial of the Blessed Trinity, with no public correction by the Pope, far exceeded what was needed to prove Mr. Verrecchio’s expectations respectable, prophetic and note-worthy, and Mr. Keating’s worthy of the “HEE HAWs. But we’re sure his readers will be able to see that without a rebuttal from you, Louie. It’s just too obvious .
Let’s hope it will teach him for the future, not to let his prejudices or papalotry lead him into using animal appellations that come back to bite him in the—.
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dear A Catholic Thinker,
I do not think it was scathing. {Not that it would be a bad thing if it was— }
Off-topic but important:
Update and recap on “Imam-gate”
1. The Pope invited an imam to the Vatican to say prayers at an interfaith event.
2. Departing from a pre-released script, the imam prayed in Arabic for Allah to grant victory over the unbelievers.
3. The Vatican denied that the imam said anything of that nature.
4. THE VATICAN ALTERED A VIDEO OF THE EVENT TO REMOVE ANY EVIDENCE OF THE DAMNING CLAUSE.
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Taken from:
http://gatesofvienna.net/2014/06/who-edited-the-tape/
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LOL
Memo:
“To be put in the ‘You couldn’t make it up’ novus ordo archive”
From one of the comments in http://gatesofvienna.net/2014/06/who-edited-the-tape/
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“We westerners are so ill prepared to handle what the Islamists are hurling at us. So many lies from so many quarters to wade through. Deception IS warfare. As soon as I heard that the Vatican would have Islamic prayer, I knew in my heart that it would not turn out well. Islam senses our weaknesses as exposed in our flagrant dhimmitude in response to their pushing and probing. And, of course, our collective ignorance of language and culture has certainly been helpful. As a result, their aggressiveness is emboldened and they find new ways of expression. I know that my dog likes to mark our property lines every day. I tend to feel the same way about Islam whenever it mixes with us in the West. It is no wonder that Al-Baghdadhi feels the time is right to make himself into a long desired Caliph. Islam has now touched nearly every symbol of the West from the White House to the Vatican enclave. Much of it without firing a single shot. We simply gave in and walked the dog.”
Today is Trinity Sunday. This would be a good time to give Bergoglio a catechism lesson. The One, True God is the Triune God–Father, Son and Holy Ghost. One God, 3 Divine Persons, Indivisible. You don’t have to understand it–it’s a Mystery. You only have to BELIEVE It! Padre Pio compared this mystery with BREAD—flour, water, yeast. Take away one component, there is no BREAD!
Here’s another: The Vatican press office also literally edited Fr. Gruner out of a photograph in which he & John Salza were being blessed (along with a statue of Our Lady of Fatima) by Pope Benedict XVI.
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Hard evidence of this is contained in Salza’s book “The Consecration of Russia”.
Thank you for defending the truth and God’s honor.
That’s crazy. But this deception is crazier still (and more morally repugnant); the reason being that they are trying to cover up the tracks of their crime which lead to this incident. They are trying to hide from the world the true nature of Islam, which according to Francis is a “religion of peace”, and the true fruits of ecumenism. Deep down, they KNOW that a lot of Christians throughout the world would be outraged if it were widely divulgated that an imam had prayed for victory over infidels in such a holy place, the very same location where St Peter was martyred.
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“And this is the judgment: because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil. For every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved. But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God.”
John 3:19-21
Fox News reported today that the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv is flying the gay pride flag right below the U.S. Flag, in support of the Gay Rights celebration going on in the city. Apparently the same thing has been done at a couple of other embassies, too.
We think this calls for Catholic action-at least some emails or phone calls demanding that this Government stop pushing its support for what the Scriptures and the Church says is sinful and an abomination before God. The majority of Americans are not gay, and not in support of the lewd conduct gay rights celebrations promote, and that is not homophobia, its our right and part of our freedom of religion. So flying a flag in support of them does not represent who we are as a people, and only fans the flames of hatred from Islamic radicals who think they serve God when attacking us, because we are immoral. How dare the ambassador pollute and demean the flag that represents our Country, with this symbol of immorality.
Dear Louie. Speaking of “Catholic Slanders”, have you been following what’s been going on in response to an article by Hilary White at LifeSiteNews about Pope Francis kissing the hand of a pro-gay activist priest?
http://www.lifesitenews.com/blog/mugging-by-catholic-bloggers
Hilary White and LifeSiteNews have come under the same type of attack that you have for merely presenting the facts about the Bergoglio papacy. As an example of the foul nature of the attack, here is an example that LifeSiteNews says was “posted on the Facebook pages of various well-known and prolific Catholic writers”
> “lying a__holes who attack the Church”
> “Two sentences that make me turn on my bullshit detector: ones that start, ‘Guess what Pope Francis just did?’ and ones that start, ‘According to LifeSiteNews . . . ‘”
BTW, I would like to ask again that you add LifeSiteNews to your “blog-roll”. Although they are not strictly a Catholic site, they do a lot of reporting on the Church with regards to pro-life issues including issues related to the family. You know all the moral issues that Bergoglio says that we are too “obsessed” with.
Here’s more from LifeSiteNews editor Steve Jalsevac. (I am afraid this will sound all to familiar to you, Louie.)
“—>
Why the scandal of such ad-hominem attacks are permitted by well-known Catholic websites is a puzzle. LifeSiteNews is only one of many victims who have been targeted and at times harmed by these all-too-frequent, very uncharitable, and careless blog postings over the years.
Productive dialogue is impossible without mutual respect. Still, we never close the door to future communications if circumstances change. Many of us on the LifeSiteNews team have gone through major life conversions, so we understand the importance of forgiveness and charity.
One of our team did attempt to reach out and dialogue. Unfortunately, all attempts to respond to the criticism charitably, humbly, and privately, resulted in further, public attacks against the professionalism and integrity of LifeSiteNews, and on the personal character of LifeSiteNews personnel.
<—"
Watch out. Now the Novus Ordo heirarchy are trying to ‘rehabilitate’ Pope St Pius X to suit their evil agenda:
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“…his [Pius X] condemnation of modernism obscured the positive parts of his ministry. He was remembered as a Pope of condemnation, but, instead was truly a great reformer, a great innovator. Yes, he condemned modernism, but he, in fact, was very modern, which is obvious through his reforms.”
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So, the Novus Ordo version of Pius X ‘great reformer, great innovator’, begins. Remember for the Novus Ordoite, black is white and white is black, good is bad and bad is good.
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http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pius-x-is-misunderstood-says-leader-of-pontifical-committee-for-historical-sciences
The occupiers of Rome – that is the enemy in Catholic clothing – need to be seen for what they are; if we continue to support these perverters of Catholic Truth who is to blame we can longer recognise the Truth?
dear salvemur,
If I may, to your point, from The Remnant yesterday,
“——–the Vatican Committee will have to play down Pius X’s most stunning accomplishment and one explicitly mentioned as a reason for his canonization by Pius XII: his brilliant condemnation and suppression of modernism–”
http://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/fetzen-fliegen/item/731-st-pius-x-misunderstood-only-by-vatican-committees
de Maria – I hope we get more articles from Remnant etc. stating who Pope Pius X was – the great bulwark against pretty much everything this miserable novus-ordo heirachy stand for. Also, hopefully people won’t buy the this campaign of double-speak that the enemies seem to want to launch on the teachings of Pius X. Already Bergoglio has attacked the authority of Pius X with the Herzl wreath, just as Montini attacked that of Pope Pius V by throwing away the standard of Lepanto. One can see a definite symbolic undoing of the Pius’ and other previous popes by the interlopers.
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Pope Saint Pius X: “Once again the serious events which have been precipitated in your noble country compel Us to write to the Church of France to sustain her in her trials, and to comfort her in her sorrow. When the children are suffering the heart of the Father ought more than ever to go out to them. And so, now that We see you suffer, from the depths of our fatherly heart floods of tenderness break forth more copiously than ever, and flow to you with the greater comfort and sweetness.” [Could you imagine such words of comfort for the Faithful coming from the mouth of one of the vii-interlopers?]”These sufferings, Venerable Brethren and beloved sons, now find a sorrowful echo throughout the whole Catholic Church; but We feel them more deeply still and We sympathize with a pity which grows with your trials and seems to increase day by day…Our enemies have on this been under no misapprehensions. From the outset, and with the greatest clearness of vision, they determined on their objective; first to separate you from Us and the Chair of Peter, and then to sow disorder among you… As for Ourselves, We have accomplished Our duty, as every other Roman Pontiff would have done. The high charge with which it has pleased Heaven to invest Us, in spite of Our unworthiness, as also the Christian faith itself, which you profess with Us, dictated to Us Our conduct. We could not have acted otherwise without trampling under foot Our conscience, without being false to the oath which We took on mounting the chair of Peter, and without violating the Catholic hierarchy, the foundation given to the Church by our Savior Jesus Christ. UNE FOIS ENCORE – Encyclical Of Pope Pius X promulgated on January 6, 1907.
http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius10/p10cst.htm
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“first to separate you from Us and the Chair of Peter, and then to sow disorder among you…” What Pope Saint Pius X saw happening in France applies across the entire Church these days.
The liberals et al. really can’t brook ANY opposition. Point out anything Truthful and you get labelled a ‘satanic anti-catholic’, no matter if your position is in line with the Christ, His Magisterium, His Saints and 1900 years of Popes.
***ALERT***
Louis…have you seen this?…from the president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences (!!!)
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pius-x-is-misunderstood-says-leader-of-pontifical-committee-for-historical-sciences?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zenit%2Fenglish+%28ZENIT+English%29
It is truly breathtaking how ou-in-the-open the dismantling and destruction are.
I read the article, and was starting to get a nosebleed from all the “forward motion” attributed to St. Pius X regarding the Roman Curia. F. Ardura’s discussion of modernism, involving “context” and “relativizing” was tangle of confusion with which I finally parted ways.
dear Ontarienne69,
I know. One has to keep a first aid kit on hand before diving into this stuff. Seriously.
brethren,
Now that we have our zeal ignited by the distortions of the admonitions of Pope St. Pius X, and our nausea threshold after Pentecost has been raised, let us grab our first aid kits, and dive into this:
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_25031993_principles-and-norms-on-ecumenism_en.html
One of my favorite parts of the above piece was…
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“(Francis) characterized anti-Semitism as generally a phenomenon of the political right rather than the left, though not as a “strict rule.”
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Seriously, what the heck is wrong with this guy?…does he have to make a stupid, asinine statement about absolutely everything?
Michael,
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For reference, the original article:
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http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-kisses-the-hand-of-gay-activist-priest-allowed-to-concelebrate-mass
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I myself spent quite a bit of time commenting there (Paul Folbrecht).
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Unfortunately, LSN’s follow-up to the article was largely a back-peddling, accusing themselves of harmful speculation.
sorry…the quote above isn’t from the referenced piece. I was reading a bunch of articles yesterday, and at some point the craziness all starts to blend together.
Amen to that. I sometimes wonder if Bergoglio is mentally ill. I do believe that he is crafty and deliberate, and never a “loose canon”. But still, he might also be mentally ill.