Excerpt from an upcoming column:
In June, L’Osservatore Romano reported on a reflection given by Pope Francis.
They are today’s Pelagians who believe in the firmness of faith and are convinced that “salvation is the way I do things.” “I must do them seriously,” without any joy. The Pope commented, “they are very numerous. They are not Christians. They disguise themselves as Christians.”
It should be obvious enough that the Holy Father is once again pointing a finger directly at traditionalists, or “restorationists,” as he prefers to call them.
Compare this warning against the firmness of faith with the words of Pope Pius XI:
Now, certainly in these days when so many impediments and obstacles are raised against the true sense of Christ, and the supernatural spirit, wherein alone our holy religion consists; when Naturalism, which weakens the firmness of faith, and quenches the flames of Christian charity, holds dominion far and wide; it is of the greatest importance that a man should withdraw himself from that bewitching of vanity which obscureth good things and hide himself in that blessed secrecy, where, cultured by heavenly teaching, he may form a just estimate, and understand the value of human life devoted to the service of God alone… (Encyclical, Mens Nostra, 1929)
According to Pius XI, “firmness of faith” is precisely what we need to maintain in order to have a proper understanding man’s value relative to the God to whom our service is due. If this isn’t disturbing enough, consider the following:
With faith comes a new reliability, a new firmness, which God alone can give. If the man of faith finds support in the God of fidelity, the God who is Amen (cf. Is 65:16), and thus becomes firm himself, we can now also say that firmness of faith marks the city which God is preparing for mankind.
And from where does this contradictory treatment on the firmness of faith come? From the first Encyclical Letter of the Supreme Pontiff Francis, Lumen Fidei! I think it’s safe to assume that these are the words of his predecessor.
In any event, one thing is absolutely certain, confusion and contradiction are never a sign of good things to come.
I Trust, when your project is ready, you will be sending it, and encouraging readers also to send it, directly to the Pope, he seems to be into informal communication after all, with copies to your parish priest and bishop, and anyone else?
So many of us bloggers just grumble amongst ourselves and I wonder just how far it goes?
Yes, perhaps we could start a new blog called “Restorationist and Loving It”.
(just kidding)
How are trads Pelagians? I thought Pelagians didn’t need God (works without the divine) and that original sin didn’t fully corrupt men’s souls. Trads don’t say anything about that at all. If anything we point out the desperate need for God i.e. conversion and work out our salvation in fear and trembling…realizing we are completely dependent upon Christ for our souls since they are dark without Him. Who exactly is Pope Francis talking about? And he says they are not Christians? And what exactly is more important than our salvation? And are we supposed to hippity-hoppity around with “joy” on our face while the whole world collapses in demonic he**? Our Lord didn’t walk around “joyful” all the time…and we are to be like Him. God bless~
For someone who does not “feel” He has the right to judge, such as his comment about homosexuals in the Priesthood, His Holiness certainly does a great deal of judging. Especially when it comes to Traditional, Faithful Catholics.
“they are very numerous. They are not Christians. They disguise themselves as Christians.” pot kettle black
p.s. Peter the Rock – a rock is firm. sand lets the house sink. remember the ship of fools laughing it up on the way to hell. One should lead a holy life in order to have a happy death.
Eph 4 17 Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds; 18they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; 19they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness. 20You did not so learn Christ! —21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. 22Put off the old man that belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness…But immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. 4Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Unfortunately, with each passing day, this pontificate becomes ever more problematic.
I’ve just read a post on The Eponymous Flower site which refers to the La Stampa Vatican Insider article dated 18 Oct: “Who Advises the Pope?”. It appears the pope is surrounding himself with a brood of dangerous liberals who may end up “renovating” the Church to such an extent as to make the “clown Masses” of the ’70s seem radically traditional!
Even more disturbing, the TEF post refers to another alleged incident previously reported by the same La Stampa correspondent in which Pope Francis is reported to have deliberately interrupted a Holy Mass being celebrated by Abp Muller, to wit the Archbishop had to remove himself from his sacred duties to the sacristy and take an urgent phone call from the Pope at the latter’s direct order.
IF this is accurate, it absolutely beggars belief. What manner of true Catholic could do this! Who, believing in the Real Presence and all that implies and all that is ancillary to that belief, could possibly do this – let alone the Vicar of Christ! I find that grievously offensive and totally UN-Catholic. But when an uniformed lay person such as me finds this conduct more offensive than the Pope then: “Houston, we have a problem”.
Even for the most important message, this would still be inexcusable. But, and it gets worse, the reported message hints at something truly evil. In the words of the TEF post, the reason for the interruption had to do with: “an investigation against a Cardinal underway at the CDF against an old friend of the Pope. The Pope ordered the Prefect of the Congregation of Doctrine and the Faith, Müller, to immediately discontinue the investigation and close the case immediately.”
I sincerely hope these allegations (which are not substantiated) are not correct. However, the apparent “nepotism” shown by his Holiness in his handling (or, perhaps more appropriately, mishandling) of the Mgr Ricci affair immediately came to mind when I read this.
All in all, if these allegations are correct, God help us. It would seem to strongly indicate that Pope Francis’ vaunted (and self-proclaimed) humility, gentleness and genuineness (not to mention his integrity and sense of true justice, among other things) are not as he would have us believe. (As an aside: this conduct wouldn’t even meet the most base, minimum standards required by the secular for politicians and business leaders. Its simply outright corruption.)
The more I observe and reflect on this papacy, the more it seems to me that the relevant biblical, Marian and other Saints’ prophecies may be beginning to align. (And this is all reinforced by the current frenzied social madness wherein, all of a sudden, the Church is under attack from so many different angles. It really does seem as though Satan has been let loose on the world and is attacking with increased effort – and why? Because he knows his time is short.)
So, while Pope Paul VI saw “the smoke of Satan” enter the Church as long ago as the ’70s, by now there may well be a raging conflagration in the Vatican.
My heart went out to the “Pelagian Youth Choir” who joyfully serenaded Pope Francis at WYD Rio with Latin hymns. Link here:
http://kneelingcatholic.blogspot.com/2013/07/pelagian-youth-choir-serenade-pope.html
Do they know the Pope has been insulting and condemning them and other traditionalists in most hateful terms?
Bless their young souls. But perhaps it’s better they keep their innocence intact.
The quoted reference does not use the words: traditionalists or restorationists
George Weigel http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/10295?CFID=61415315&CFTOKEN=48479720:
The liveliest parts of the world Church today are found where Catholics have embraced this vision of a communion of disciples in mission; the dying parts of the world Church are those that cling to the false idea of Vatican-II-as-rupture. Pope Francis, who urges the Church to avoid being “self-referential” and to get about the business of spreading the healing message of the Gospel, is very much a pope of the new evangelization, which he understands to be a fruit of Vatican II.
What I do not understand–well one of the many things that the Holy Father says that I do not understand but then I only have a Masters in Moral Theology–is the way he disses the Rosary. I thought he loved Our Lady! It was she who gave us the rosary and she who repeatedly has asked us to pray it. That is just one thing…
George Weigel?
Magdalene,
Please, do you have a link or reference to this dissing?
“The liveliest parts of the world Church today are found where Catholics have embraced this vision of a communion of disciples in mission; the dying parts of the world Church are those that cling to the false idea of Vatican-II-as-rupture.”
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How blessed we are to be in the Church at a time when there are three living popes: Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, and Pope Weigel. I cried when they announced “habemus papem” and Pope Weigel came out on the balcony of his papal home in Washington D.C to wave to the frenzied crowd. I remember the palpable excitement in the air when he called Vatican III and pronounced the Council of Trent null and void. What heady days those were! I’ve read Pope Weigel’s encyclical “Sementem Confusio in Ecclesia” at least a dozen times; and who can forget when he proclaimed the “Really, Really, New Evangelization” or the “Year of Contraception”? I miss him so much….
samwise: Not really. The Church in the Pope’s homeland has mostly left and turned charismatic Protestant. The most flourishing vocations in the Church are occurring in the SSPX. As for North America:
http://www.churchmilitant.tv/dispatches/
The VII spirited Churches are in fact disappearing at an alarming rate.
@ Jack Archer:
Why employ the ‘hermeneutic of rupture’ when all of the Apostles employ a ‘hermeneutic of continuity?’ Apostolic Succession (Magisterium) determines interpretation of Church teaching, not Mr. V, Weigel, me, etc. The Magisterium says there is a “hermeneutic of continuity” and the majority of Catholic faithful agree.
@roguehop:
How can the most vocations come out of a sect that has separated itself from Holy Mother Church? I’m afraid you live in a bubble–all of the men I know in seminary, including my son’s godfather–are in communion with the Pope and the Bishops. Geographically that’s MN, OH, IL, FL, MA, MI—-are you from Utah or something?
I’m not going to bother.
Bergoglio seems a good follower not of Christ, but of His antithesis…
Sam: The SSPX have been keeping the faith they were given, they haven’t changed – then a pope made excommunications, then another pope dismissed those excommunications. the way I see it we should looking with shame towards our SSPX brethren and asking them to teach us the faith again – all the way to Rome.
samwise: p.s. when we have a Bishop of Rome who often refuses to bless people, who receive ‘blessings’ from protestant ministers, and who sends greetings to Muslims over ramadahm that ‘god’ may bless them – Who is Catholic? who is understanding apostolic succession and the special work of the Holy Ghost? the uniqueness of Christ, the absolute necessity of Christ? The SSPX have kept the Faith – even St Athanasius was excommunicated at some point. Remember the Church burned St Joan at the stake? By their fruits and the fruits of the SSPX are good – without them would we have any memory now of what Christ’s Church of Saints wrought by the workings of the Holy Ghost should be? Would the FSSP have emerged?
@Samwise wrote: “The Magisterium says there is a “hermeneutic of continuity” and the majority of Catholic faithful agree.”
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At one time, the majority of Catholics agreed with Arius, as did the majority of Bishops. Athanasius Contra Mundum, and all that. “My pope, right or wrong” is not what Christ left us. He left us the truth and a human authority over that truth – and an awesome responsibility on that authority. When they abrogate their responsibility, the human authority is to be called on it. Schism? No, never! Defending truth? Yes, always!
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By the way, I believe the pope should get the benefit of the doubt. Louie believes that, too, he’s made it very clear. But when the pope shows an unmistakable pattern of error that removes all doubt about his meaning, there remains no benefit left to give. Error must be confronted, even if it is one voice, crying in the wilderness.
New Protestantized Mass. New sacraments. New calendar. Wacky ecumenical extravaganzas with every goofy world religion outside of Satanists and neopagans. A council that rambles about everything and goes nowhere. If this is continuity, I’d hate to see chaos.