In a brief segment (video below) on Fox & Friends this morning, Steve Skojec, from the website 1Peter5, squared off with Monsignor Kieran Harrington, Vicar for Communications for the Diocese of Brooklyn, on the impact of Amoris Laetitia.
First, congratulations to Mr. Skojec for speaking the truth with composure and charity, most notably when he very rightly pointed out what should be obvious to every Catholic over the age of reason (and yet is missing entirely from the text of Amoris Laetitia):
“In order to be forgiven for something, you have to be sorry…”
To this, Monsignor Harrington rudely interrupted to say, “That’s not true. Mercy is a free gift; it’s not merited.”
Given adequate time to respond, which unfortunately he was not afforded, I have no doubt that Steve would have politely handed Father his proverbial lunch.
And while I have no doubt that he will do so in a follow-up piece on his blog (which I invite you to look for there), knowing that we share certain readers with Steve, and likely viewers of Fox also, I’m going to engage Msgr. Harrington’s deception here as well.
First, what Steve Skojec said is indeed true. Consider:
The ordinary means established by Christ for the forgiveness of sins following Baptism is the sacrament of Confession.
Not only does one need to have at least “imperfect contrition” (the bare minimum amount of sorrow in fear of damnation) for one’s sins in order to receive absolution (otherwise known as forgiveness), one also needs a firm purpose of amendment to remove from one’s life the occasions of said sins, and resoluteness to sin no more (though it is understood that one might fall in spite of that purpose.)
That said, Msgr. Harrington would have been correct (albeit somewhat off-point) had he simply asserted, “Mercy is an unmerited gift.”
As it is, he also insisted that Steve’s comment isn’t true, and in so doing led the ignorant into error.
You see, it is both the case that one must have contrition in order to be forgiven, and mercy is an unmerited gift. There is no contradiction here.
It may help to consider that salvation itself an unmerited gift, and yet in order to avail oneself of that gift, something is required of us; e.g., Baptism (of water, blood, or desire), dying in a state of grace…
It is likewise true that we did not earn the mercy of God that makes forgiveness possible; Christ alone merited this gift for us by His passion, death and resurrection.
And yet, in order to avail ourselves of the forgiveness made available by the unmerited mercy of God, it is necessary for us to act; to seek it with sincere contrition and a firm purpose of amendment.
The one thing we must never do is commit the sin of presumption, but this is precisely what Msgr. Harrington, inadvertently or not, invited viewers to do.
As such, Msgr. Harrington has a serious duty to correct his errors before the full weight of the souls that he misled comes to rest on his shoulders at death.
God bless Steve. Pray for the liberal Monseigneur’s reversion to the One True Faith.
The gloves are off now.
“No one can be condemned forever, because that is not the logic of the Gospel! Here I am not speaking only of the divorced and remarried, but of everyone, in whatever situation they find themselves.”-Pope Francis, March 8, 2016
Louie, upon reading your last comment, “As such, Msgr. Harrington has a serious duty to correct his errors before the full weight of the souls that he misled comes to rest on his shoulders at death,” I thought of St. Peter’s statement to Our Lord: “To whom shall we go; You have the words of eternal life.”
I do not know how to escape the conclusion that Pope Francis is giving us words leading to eternal death.
Isaiah 5:4-7 What is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? was it that I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it hath brought forth wild grapes?
And now I will shew you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be wasted: I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down.
And I will make it desolate: it shall not be pruned, and it shall not be digged: but briers and thorns shall come up: and I will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it.
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel: and the man of Juda, his pleasant plant: and I looked that he should do judgment, and behold iniquity: and do justice, and behold a cry.
Isaiah5:18-25 Woe to you that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as the rope of a cart.
That say: Let him make haste, and let his work come quickly, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know it.
Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
Woe to you that rue wise in your own eyes, and prudent in your own conceits.
Woe to you that are mighty to drink wine, and stout men at drunkenness.
That justify the wicked for gifts, and take away the justice of the just from him.
Therefore as the tongue of the fire devoureth the stubble, and the heat of the dame consumeth it: so shall their root be as ashes, and their bud shall go up to dust: for they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and have blasphemed the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Therefore is the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched out his hand upon them, and struck them…
Steve has a very good follow-up here! Go read!
http://www.onepeterfive.com/my-visit-to-fox-news/
That was a total waste of time as these “debates” on news channels, when they relegate both parties a total of about 3 minutes (combined) to state their case, usually are. I would love to see that degenerate who is posing as a priest go up against an actual Catholic (Im not saying that this guy Steve isnt an actual Catholic, only that Ive never heard of him) in a true debate.
Of course bergoglio, along with the entire vatican 2 sect, is leading souls directly to hell. Any well formed Catholic teenager can see this. The guy is total evil.
Thank you, Louie, for your long hours spent on de-coding this nightmarish, modernist document —- a document that would have been put on the “forbidden books” list in happier days of true Catholicism.
I have made an extra donation for all your hard work that you have done in your last post analyzing it for us, your readers.
God bless you.
My above comment should have been put on your last post.
Click on Johnno’s link above, rich. It is worth the time.
Steve Skojec has a 40 minute video on that link, as well. My family thought that was good, too.
Well said Servant of Our Lady. This document along with laudato “save-the-dolphins” Si, should be along with of the “Divine mercy” devotions in the Index Librorum Prohibitorum where they belong.
Im watching it now. It seems that Steve was just as disgusted with the whole on-air set up as I was.
For those of you still defending Catholic truth, Pope Francis has some words for you in Amoris Laetitia:
99. “rigid.”
273. “rigid.”
286. “rigid….rigid….rigidity.”
298. “rigid.”
308. “rigorous.”
I just hope that those few faithful Bishops stay “rigid” and don’t cave in to the pressures of an evil (at least from what we can see) Pope and his minions.
No criticism heard today at Mass – and at an SSPX chapel no less.
Just wondering whose defending Catholic doctrine besides us bloggerheads
1 Cor 6:9-10 Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, Nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God.
correction: “whose” should be “who is”
I dont think you can adhere in any way to the vatican 2 documents (as a WHOLE) and be faithful to the Church. I believe that even the most “traditional” vatican 2 bishops are severely lost as long as they treat that council as being Catholic in any way.
The SSPX priest didnt mention this at mass today?? Seriously?
In retrospect, and in defense of the SSPX I would say that this exhortation just came out and as such may need to be fully read and digested before officially commenting on it. With THAT being said I would expect the SSPX to condemn amoris laetitia within the next week. If for some reason the SSPX as an order does not take a stand against it then that will be a major problem.
Our (SSPX) priest criticized the document, but not by name and not in depth. Basically, he said that those who propose such errors in the Church are like the hirelings we heard about in today’s Gospel and that we should not accept these erroneous ideas about marriage. I got the impression that he intends to discuss it more in next week’s sermon.
Yes, GMU, they ALL belong on the “Index Librorum Prohibitorum,” along with many of the V2 documents and the encyclicals of the past 50 years.
Our “good shepherd” should be protecting his sheep from these dangerous modernist documents/devotions, not promulgating them.
—–
And the proper title for the “forbidden books list” —— “Index Librorum Prohibitorum.”
Thank you.
I agree, rich. I think Louie has said the same in previous posts.
We have to get rid of the whole V2 mindset.
Monsignor Kieran Harrington is from my Diocese of Brooklyn. He directs NET TV, which is the Diocesan TV Channel, called New Evangelization Television, in a known Liberalized Diocese, one noted for “Creative Impediments” in the Brooklyn Diocesan Marriage Tribunal in order to grant Annulments.
At one time, the Brooklyn Diocese, which includes both Brooklyn & Queens, had 190 Active Catholic Elementary Schools. Today it has 85 CINO Schools(Catholic In Name Only) at the Elementary Level, due to Mergers & Closings.
Something tells me that Msgr Harrington was taught in the Era of The CINO Schools.
Mercy is granted in the Sacrament of Penance.
The Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Akita, Japan,
to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa
October 13, 1973
“My dear daughter, listen well to what I have to say to you. You will inform your superior.”
After a short silence:
“As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests.”
“The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres…churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.
“The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them”
“With courage, speak to your superior. He will know how to encourage each one of you to pray and to accomplish works of reparation.”
“It is Bishop Ito, who directs your community.”
And She smiled and then said:
“You have still something to ask? Today is the last time that I will speak to you in living voice. From now on you will obey the one sent to you and your superior.”
“Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.”