On March 13, 2013, shortly after 1 pm U.S. Eastern Time, I glanced up at the live video feed from Rome on my computer and saw that white smoke was beginning to billow from the Sistine Chapel chimney.
Just over an hour later, while on my knees, I couldn’t help but get a little choked up as the doors to the balcony of St. Peter’s were finally opened and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran emerged to make the announcement for which the entire world was waiting.
Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus Papam!
In hindsight, as the one year anniversary of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio’s elevation to the Chair of St. Peter dawns, it occurs to me that the Cardinal Protodeacon’s announcement could just as easily have been:
Annuntio vobis tempore tribulationis; habemus problema! (I announce to you a time of trouble; we have a problem!)
Let’s review just a handful of highlights from the previous year:
– Like pretty much everyone else, I knew next to nothing about Jorge Bergoglio as he walked onto the balcony of St. Peter’s as Pope Francis, and yet within mere minutes, the lump in my throat turned into a pit in my stomach.
You know that it was the duty of the Conclave to give Rome a Bishop. It seems that my brother Cardinals have gone to the ends of the earth to get one… but here we are… I thank you for your welcome. The diocesan community of Rome now has its Bishop…
And so began the first papal address of the newly elected Supreme Pontiff, a discourse of roughly nine minutes duing which he referred to himself as a mere bishop no less than five times and pope not even once.
Reality really began to set in, for me anyway, as the Vicar of Christ and earthly head of over one billion Catholics bowed his head and asked for their prayers.
While certainly there is nothing wrong with praying for the pope, and indeed we must, my first thought was, This is not what we need. We need a father and a sovereign.
– From these very first moments onward, Pope Francis made it clear that his own ideas and personal preferences would take precedence over papal tradition. From his beat up shoes to his living quarters, the way he would dress and his chosen modes of transportation, things would be done his way – period end of discussion. Welcome to the new definition of “humility.”
– During his first meeting with leaders of other faiths, the new Bishop of Rome relinquished the elevated throne in favor of an ordinary chair. So much for giving the world the impression that the Sovereign Pontiff of the Holy Catholic Church reigns superior over the purveyors of false religion.
– On the ides of March, disgraced American Cardinal Roger Mahony sent out the following message via his Twitter account:
“Mass with Pope Francis: moving from HIGH Church to LOW and humble Church! What a blessing that we are encountering Jesus without trappings!”
– The following day, just three days into his pontificate during a gathering with journalists in Paul VI Hall, Pope Francis raised a red flag that only the willfully blind could fail to see.
The relevant details were described by Dr. Robert Moynihan as follows:
The moment had come for him to impart to all of us his Apostolic Blessing, but he did not do this in the usual way. In fact, he made no exterior gesture at all. He did not lift his hand, he did not move it in the form of a blessing, and he did not speak “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” out loud. He said, in Italian: “I cordially impart to all of you my blessing. Thank you.” And then, in Spanish, he explained as follows: “I told you I was cordially imparting my blessing. Since many of you are not members of the Catholic Church, and others are not believers, I cordially give this blessing silently, to each of you, respecting the conscience of each, but in the knowledge that each of you is a child of God. May God bless you!” And with that, he turned and left.
– On this very same day, Cardinal Roger Mahony went back to Twitter to say:
“So long, Papal ermine and fancy lace! Welcome, simple cassock, and hopefully, ordinary black shoes! St. Francis must be overjoyed!!”
All of this took place within the first few days of the new pontificate, and already Francis mania was making itself known.
Now, here we are a library of casual homilies, a handful of loosely worded newspaper interviews, and a 50,000 word tome Cardinal Burke still hasn’t quite figured what to call later, all of which are presented in the “new genre of papal speech not concerned with precision,” and all indications are you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Yes, my friends, habemus problema. Year number two promises to be one for the ages.
I don’t think anything could have prepared me for this Papacy. Last year, there was so much hope, expectation, optimism. It seems like Pope Francis saw all that, and decided to quite deliberately run in the very opposite direction. Of course, I can’t judge him; I get the feeling that he is out of his depth, so I guess all I should do now is pray for him.
I cringe at what is next. But one thing is clear. Traditional Catholicism will have to be saved by us. We will receive no help from Rome.
You speak the words of truth. Pope Humble is indeed a problem, and a problem, I pray is over soon.
The tweets of Cardinal Mahony turned me against Francis…so far it’s been a wise decision…God bless your work here.
Louie, I think that you might have something good to say about spiritual life for us your readers in the Papacy of Pope Francis. I find my heart hardened against him. I hate what he has done over the last year. I now find that I have no time for him, just as I have no time for Cardinal Dolan. Never before have I been in this position of, for want of better words, ‘not liking’ the Pope, of doubting the Pope so much, of so much grave questioning. I think he is bad for the Catholic Church. He was not my man. I wonder was he God’s man? I wonder how we as Catholics are supposed to get through this without falling into spiritual ruin through hatred, something I have been faced with over the last year. I hate the way I am thinking and feeling. I’m a worse Catholic after a year of Pope Francis, and that is the truth. What can I do?
Pooh Bear—you said what I was thinking, and I hate feeling that way. ASHAMED for the DAMAGE they are doing to the Faith. Of course they will answer to God for it one day, and all hope they wake up soon.
As St Basil has said: “The floor of Hell is lined with Bishops’ skulls.”
What a terrible fate!!
To keep calm during Lent– I avoid the interviews and commentaries by men that water down Our Lord’d Church and its teachings, thus confusing the flock.
Louie writes: “Year number two promises to be one for the ages.”
It already appears that one of the words of the year will be, “pastoral”.
It is therefore worth considering exactly what the Catholic Church means by this word. I suggest that a good starting point would be St. Pius X’s encyclical, Acerbos Nimis, paragraph 7 of which reads as follows:
“We must now consider upon whom rests the obligation to dissipate this most pernicious ignorance [in matters of religion] and to impart in its stead the knowledge that is wholly indispensable. There can be no doubt, Venerable Brethren, that this most important duty rests upon all who are pastors of souls. On them, by command of Christ, rest the obligations of knowing and of feeding the flocks committed to their care; and to feed implies, first of all, to teach. ‘I will give you pastors according to my own heart,’ God promised through Jeremias, ‘and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine.’ Hence the Apostle Paul said: ‘Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel,’ thereby indicating that the first duty of all those who are entrusted in any way with the government of the Church is to instruct the faithful in the things of God.“
Pooh Bear and Patt: I know what you mean about possible hate and anger at these lost men. But don’t let the enemy win you in this one. Fight back. Take what the enemy meant for your despair and destruction and turn it into an opportunity to grow stronger in virtue. How? Let Pope Francis and all the Dolans in the world help you work on your love of enemies. First, forgive them…daily…over and over again. Second, pray for them…this will help get the nasty out. Third, focus on Our True Shepherd and gain nourishment from Him. Detachment, forgiveness, actively praying for your enemies…for that is what they are right now. Take a moment to contemplate seeing them cont’d
(Pope Francis, Cardinal Dolan and all the other evil Church leaders) burning in hell for all eternity. Yikes. That should lead your soul to pity them. Recognize the truth that they are your enemies for now…forgive, pray for them…repeatedly…recognize how utterly screwed they are…and keep on doing it until you are detached, your heart is softer and you are at peace. Ask the Lord for the grace to do all the above. And when you get despondent, just stop and spend time in God’s presence (Psalm 139) or hit adoration. Stop looking at your Goliath’s and start looking at your GOD and KING who runs the show. See you in spiritual bootcamp:+) God bless~
And, dear fellow catholics, here is the main-stream press gift for the one year anniversary of the election of “Bishop of Rome” Frankie Humblestone:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/mar/12/francis-everyones-favourite-pope-video
Seriously, Frankie needs to take a LONG, HARD look at himself in the mirror and ask himself:
“HMM, I WONDER WHY THE WORLD, THE MEDIA AND MAIN STREAM PRESS IS LAVISHING SUCH AN AMOUNT OF PRAISE ON ME?”
If he did, no doubt his thoughts would run something like this:
“Well, I guess I must be a TRULY HUMBLE person for the world to NOTICE my HUMILITY and brazenly heap such praises on my person! Well done Frankie, you have done a good job. New year’s resolution, may MY humility increase ever so more this coming year!”
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Maybe Frankie Humblestone’s personal copy of the Bible is mysteriously missing the following passage from the gospels? YES, that must it!
“Woe to you when men shall bless you: for according to these things did their fathers to the false prophets.”
~ Luke 6:26
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I remember vividly the election of Francis one year ago; my heart was beating strongly as I was anxiously waiting to see who would be the putative successor to St Peter. My thought of him first coming out on the balcony was, “Isn’t he supposed to be blessing the crowd by marking the sign of the cross with his hand, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost?” That was what first worried me about Francis. As I sat glued on the computer screen right after his coming out on the balcony trying to find out more about this man, my hopes about him were instantly shattered when J Vennari posted with incredible speed (the SAME day, perhaps within a couple of hours) a YouTube video of one of the Pinocchio children masses held by Bergoglio as cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires. As weeks became months my confidence in this man grew weaker and weaker, My turning point became his decisión to “canonize” “St” JP II “The Great Religious Indifferentist”, the raucous WYD extravaganza and the instantly infamous “Who am I to judge” quote.
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Fasten your seat belts tightly this coming year dear catholics, with the rosary and the scapular holding us fast as a secure chain to the holy faith, because it is going to be one HECK of a WILD ride!!!
“All those men and women who are not [engaged in] penance and do not receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; [who] practice vice and sin and follow wicked concupiscence and the desires of the flesh; [who] do not observe what they have promised to the Lord, and bodily serve the world by the desires of the flesh, the anxieties of the world and the cares of this life: [such people] are held fast by the devil, whose children they are and whose works they perform (cf. Jn. 8:41). They are blind, since they do not see the true light, our Lord Jesus Christ. They do not have spiritual wisdom, since they do not possess the Son of God, Who is the true wisdom of the Father. It is said of these people: Their wisdom has been swallowed up (Ps. 106:27), and’ Cursed are those who turn away from Your commands (Ps. 118:21). They see [and] acknowledge, they know and do evil deeds, and, knowingly, they lose [their] souls.” (St. Francis of Assisi)
Maybe Mr. Mahoney should actually find out who St Francis really was and then reconsider how “overjoyed” he is that Mr. Bergoglio took his name. Im guessing the popes Jewish best buds wouldn’t be too happy with what St Francis had to say.
MMC,
–
Wise and holy words of advise. There is no point in pretending otherwise – that Francis and his henchmen are enemies of the holy catholic faith. That is the truth and we have to accept it if we want to help ourselves and move forward. Also, it should lead us to think HOW it is that God has punished us with such a calamity.
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“The most evident mark of God’s anger and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world are manifested when He permits His people to fall into the hands of clergy who are priests more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than charity and affection of devoted shepherds . . . ”
~ St John Eudes
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“You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you.”
~ Matthew 5:44
Pooh Bear & Patt,
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Nothing abnormal about feeling disgust with those who are wrecking the holy catholic faith. Feeling happy about all of this would indeed be truly insane. This is an opportunity for us to increase in charity by loving and forgiving our enemies. Also, given the level of insanity emanating out of modernist Rome, I think it may not be a bad idea to ignore the news coming out of the Vatican if at least for a short while to regain our tranquillity and peace of mind.
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God Bless.
Thanks folks for your advice. Now, just re-reading my own post, what would you say t those who would say that our issues with Pope Francis are more to do with the fact that he is ruffling our feathers and our comfort, just as Christ ruffled feathers and discomfort and was crucified? What would you say to that? Some might say that it is because, in their opinion, Francis is so Christ-like that he brings out the worst and the best in people. What do we say to that? Can we perhaps apply this to my having said, above, ”I hate the way I am thinking and feeling. I’m a worse Catholic after a year of Pope Francis, and that is the truth. What can I do?” Maybe I was not a good Catholic to begin with, and Francis is simply throwing more weeds on the fire? I think there is truth to that, certainly to the first bit of the preceding sentence. I am a sinner, guilty as charge. I have issues with God, with life, with my image of God etc… Any ideas?
Just waiting for Google to mark the occasion with one of their doodles.
Dear Pooh Bear,
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If somebody gives you that boloney, cite them the quote above about Christ warning those who are loved by the world. Remember: Francis is loved by a MAJORITY of UNBELIEVERS, and by that I mean ATHEISTS!!! Go figure. Francis’ virtues & humility are an utter sham, and anybody with half a brain knows it.
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My advice to you: stay close to Our Blessed Mother and Her Immaculate Heart like the Beloved disciple stood close to Our Lady at the foot of the Cross. She is our refuge in this time of apostasy and has been chosen by God in these calamitous times to lead souls safely to Her Son. Those who stay within Her mantle will be saved. Practice the 5 Saturday devotion for yourself first and those around you secondly.
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God Bless. Must go to bed now.
Thank you for your blog, you really speak to me.
If I may, I would say a word about the False Humility of the Bishop of Rome. He is, to my mind, in fact an egoist who is systematically building a personality cult. All his so-called acts of humility are well covered by the press corps.
For example, at a hotel he insisted on paying the bill with his own credit card. He could have done that over the phone from his room or sent an aid to the desk. Instead he walks up to the desk himself and of course the photographers are waiting to take the picture of the ‘humble Bishop’.
Similarly, he attends services in a small church and ‘humbly’ sits in the back. Again, the cameramen are there to take pictures. He could have said: no please not in Church during a service. No instead I’d wager his PR people were positioning the cameras.
Last Fall the Vatican (i.e. the Bishop of Rome) hired a New York public relations firm that I’ve read does work of pro abortion groups. Surprise he is on the cover of Time and Rolling Stone.
Now, I’ve read, there is coming out a Pope Magazine of some sort. His own personal publication it would seem.
I don’t mean to get into that whole Michael Voris thing again, but how can any rational Catholic not even entertain the thought that a Pope (Bishop of Rome) can be criticized.
By the way, I got an email from CMTV saying that because companies like Target have had there credit card security system breached, CMTV has not been getting month payments. REALLY! Could it be that CMTV in one Memo on the Pope destroyed years of work building a following? Just a thought!
Best
God Bless
TomV
Yes, a very sad anniversary indeed. But…. the true Catholic Faith and Tradition will not be extinguished, not by this pope or anyone else. Our Blessed Lord is the Victor now and through Eternity.
Also, one year ago the FFI Chapel we attend switched to the Vetus Ordo and it was a great blessing to the friars and people attending. Until the great injustice was perpetrated upon the FFI by Rome a few months later. Out of obedience the friars offer the Roman Canon of the Novus Ordo, of course in the complete proper manner. Even though there is a TLM available, my wife and I decided to stay with the friars in solidarity for their current suffering. So this papacy has given us only sadness, bewilderment and righteous anger.
We hope and pray the time will be short. Pax et bonum to all.
“… what would you say t those who would say that our issues with Pope Francis are more to do with the fact that he is ruffling our feathers and our comfort, just as Christ ruffled feathers and discomfort and was crucified? What would you say to that?”
Good questions. Although one’s motives might certainly be mixed (fallen nature being what it is) and there’s no reason to deny this, all good Catholics should be zealous first for the glory and honor of God, and second for the salvation of souls. When a pope works against these priorities, that *should* “ruffle the feathers” of every good Catholic and motivate him to respond constructively. I recall the dying priest in a Bernanos novel who, when asked why he was so sad, replied “Because God is not loved enough.” Quite so.
“the lump in my throat turned into a pit in my stomach.” Mr. V.that was exactly the same experience I had – actually it was a illogical fear/ apprehension as I knew nothing about Cardinal Bergoglio either –
After a year I am more concerned than ever …and even though I pray for him I don’t like this Pope and there is not one thing that he has done that I like – NOTHING ..I have tried but I have no filial affection for him – he is alien to me ..
Nonetheless I pray for him as I do not want this dislike to turn into something worse and spiritually dangerous for me..
What a horrible year for serious Catholics!
“the lump in my throat turned into a pit in my stomach.” Mr. V.that was exactly the same experience I had – actually it was a illogical fear/ apprehension as I knew nothing about Cardinal Bergoglio either –
After a year I am more concerned than ever …and even though I pray for him I don’t like this Pope and there is not one thing that he has done that I like – NOTHING ..I have tried but I have no filial affection for him – he is alien to me ..
Nonetheless I pray for him as I do not want this dislike to turn into something worse and spiritually dangerous for me..
What a horrible year for serious Catholics!
Have you guys ever considered that Pope Francis is exactly the pastor the Holy Ghost wants for the Church? Is there really a dime’s worth of difference between him and his predecessors since the council? Yes, Pope Benedict was more “high church” but he spoke out forcefully against capitalism, attended Assisi III, and spoke positively about male prostitutes using condoms. Of course, soon to be St. John Paul II was famous for his inter-religious dialogue and ecumenism.
I would urge caution in judging God’s Holy vicars especially when the same type keeps getting elected. You just might end up like this guy http://www.johnthebaptist.us/jbw_english/ who believes we haven’t had a valid pope since 1130!!
@Pooh Bear,
You said: “Louie, I think that you might have something good to say about spiritual life for us your readers in the Papacy of Pope Francis.
May it be of some comfort to you to know that out of all eternity, out of every time period of man’s life on earth, God specifically chose us to live in this moment of time. Takes your breath away, I think. Pray and keep the Faith.
I recall a brief exchange between two characters in the movie “Zulu”. The Brits were hopelessly outnumbered and held out against all odds:
“Private Cole: Why does it have to be us? Why us?
Colour Sgt. Bourne: Because we’re here, lad. Nobody else. Just us.” – Zulu (1964) –
Rent the movie if you don’t have it. Buck up, Lad! And pray the rosary! Peace
Bishop of Rome Bergoglio is going to be a tough act to follow, esp. if the next Pope is TRULY Catholic! How can he be accepted when restoring everything Bergoglio has destroyed will seem so un-humble! Bergoglio has reduced the Vicar of Christ to just another “average guy” and he has reduced the Papacy to a “employment opportunity”. Our Lady, help of Christians, pray for us!!
This has been the craziest year. I pray for the Pope. May he reject Modernism and the errors he has publicly adhered to. I fear it’ll only get worse so arm yourselves with the True Traditional Catholic Faith.
Ganganelli, Pope Francis is very different from even his immediate predecessors. When Belgium recently legalized euthanasia for children, there wasn’t one word from the Pope. Do you really think that Pope John Paul II, Benedict XVI or even Paul VI wouldn’t have made a very public statement condemning it in no uncertain terms?
On the other issues(ecumenism, religious liberty, the manner of saying Mass, etc.), we have two choices: either the Popes and the entire Catholic tradition from 33 A.D.-1964 were correct, or the post Conciliar Popes and VII are. Since VII is a pastoral council, and the post VII Popes have not used their infallibility, I chose the former. Both can’t be right. And the Holy Spirit doesn’t
contradict himself.
wow….
Charlemagne, I’m not saying the popes are exact carbon copies of each other but in the main they are remarkably similar. If anything, Pope Francis has spoken more about the devil than his predecessors did.
What I find fascinating is that the last six or seven conclaves have all produced popes that are pro religious liberty, pro ecumenism, anti capitalism, and pro inter-religious dialogue. Also notice that they are all anti-abortion, against women priests, against the death penalty, etc. In other words, no Martini’s or Mahony’s on the left have been elected and on the other hand no Burke’s on the right either.
Either that’s a remarkable coincidence or the Holy Ghost is leading the Church in a very definite direction.
Edu- wise words yourself:+) Thanks for helping console our afflicted siblings:+) Pooh Bear- use some critical thinking…when a Pope or anyone “ruffles” your feathers it can be for two reasons: 1) what he is saying is Christ-like and an area in your life that needs work 2) he is betraying Christ and truth and damaging souls. In the case of Pope Francis, sadly it’s the latter. If you want some good old fashioned conscience confrontation, open up the Gospel of Matthew and let the Holy Spirit gently chastise you with what you read there. And if you have a drop of nasty in your heart for the Pope, forgive asap and get free…only takes a few seconds:+) ((hugs)) God bless~
Back in the late 1980s, Mahony piloted a red helicopter around his archdiocese until it became too much of a scandal and he sold the machine. He needed a rapid way to keep in personal touch with all the pervert priests he was keeping out of jail.
Pooh Bear, MMC and Bosco have offered excellent advice. I just wanted to reiterate MMC on detachment. Remember that this is Christ’s Church, first and foremost, and Our Lord is in control. He will deal with His Church in His time and His way. While we wait and pray for the Pope, cardinals, bishops, priests and religious to be converted to Tradition, we must strive to become the best Catholics that we can be. Put some feet to those prayers with penance and good works. If you see the enemy creeping in, tempting you to despair of the condition of the Church, or your own condition, fix your eyes upon our crucified Lord. If you need to, step away from the computer. Do whatever it takes to keep your own faith strong. I also get angry over this pontificate and thoroughly bent out of shape sometimes, but God has not given to me the responsibility of fixing things. He has only given me one immortal soul that is supposed to be pursuing union with Him. If I let righteous anger run amuck and engender despair, then I am a fool and the enemy has won. These times are difficult and wearing; keep the Faith, and God bless you. God bless us all.
Louie, who is writing your Latin? It should say _tempus_ tribulationis. And what is “forsit”?
Barbara said:
”I have tried but I have no filial affection for him – he is alien to me ..”
I feel exactly the same way! I just feel totally disconnected from him, like the father who has no time or interest or care for me or for what matters to me (like the Traditional Mass?). It’s not an addiction or a fashion, Holy Father. I experience God in this Holy Mass and you call it my addiction, my fashion, like some teenager hooked on the latest jeans brand. I think Francis feeds the insecurity I feel about my own father. And I suppose that is all part of the insecurity I feel about God the Father and my own lack of faith and trust. I guess we all want our fathers to be interested in us, to have time for us, to love us. When you don’t feel the love, it’s rough. I wish Francis could hear the cries of his children. I really do. Maybe somebody, somewhere, can get to him and let him know.
Anyway, thanks everyone for all your kind replies. I’ll say my Night Prayers tonight (from the reformed edition, just so you know I am not some sort of restorationist!) and I will pray for you all in this difficult time and for Pope Francis and those who advise him.
Many of us orthodox folks are now finding out that we have been afflicted with a severe case of Ultramontanism—-from which we are now experiencing the effects of withdrawal. Many have engaged in what amounts to papalotry—with the best of intentions…………..well, our ultimate loyalty goes to Christ and the Truth of the Catholic Faith—–of which the pope is to be the #1 servant and teacher………….hang on to the Faith, pray, fast, cling to the Cross.
Ganganelli, honestly, are you really so thick, or just trying to stir the pot?
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Did the Holy Spirit pick Pope Liberius who persecuted and excommunicated St. Athanasius (the first Doctor of the Church), the upholder of the Truth Faith? In a sense, He did, but *not* for the man’s holiness or ability to lead.
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I doubt simple logic is going to work wonders with you here, but here’s some more: Did the Holy Spirit pick the countless pre-conciliar popes (all of them, that would be) who *condemned* religious liberty in the sense the Vatican now promotes it (positive right to hold error) and false ecumenism? Did He wake up in 1958 after a very long nap?
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You’re the one who isn’t thinking.
A Catholic Thinker,
It’s bad enough that you disparage the last 6 popes(including 2 that are to be canonized) but do you have to stoop so low as to spread the protestant lie about His Holiness of blessed memory Pope Liberius? You would do well to read Blessed Pius IX’s encylical here: http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9quartu.htm where he says, “And previously the Arians falsely accused Liberius, also Our predecessor, to the Emperor Constantine, because Liberius refused to condemn St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, and refused to support their heresy.”
Is Blessed Pope Pius IX wrong as well? How far does this madness go?
Nathan ,
forsit = maybe , perhaps , probably ,if only.
The plural form ‘ tempora ‘ is in Latin much more used then ‘ tempus ‘.
O tempora , o mores ! ( probably the author was Cato Censor )
O tempora! o mores!–if you’re referring to that author, it was Marcus Tullius Cicero in his First Oration Against Catiline. Best Latin class memory: a fellow student put the translation to “O My Darling Clementine”: “O the customs, O the times, O you traaaaitor, Catiline…”
Dear Ganganelli,
I undesrtand what you are trying to in order to creart balance, but it really won’t work if you think it through completely.
The popes from the Council have changed everything in the Church – mostly in PRAXIS not in official documents (although they exist with TIME BOMBS in them as the late great Michael Davies wrote) – in contradiction to perennial Catholic Magisterium – they have changed thru’ praxis – everything….liturgy, the new theology, ecumenism, religious liberty, DIALOGUE (instead of converting) …also ttheHoly Spirit does choose the Pop if the Cardinals listen to Him – it’s not automatic…
Doesn’t mean to say that the post VATII popes are not the popes …but popes shouldn’t contradict perennial Church teaching of other Popes …modernists do though and that is your answer to the question of why we have had similar popes since the council – all the popes have been modernist- inclined – and modernism is the “synthesis of all heresies” ( Pascendi Dominici Grecis by Pius) – you will understand everything if you read that encylical – he defines modernism in all its facets.
Really – I didn’t want to see this …I didn’t want to recognize the modernist in Benedict XVI for a long time because of my love for him but most relunctantly I have to accept that he was..
O help – what a mess I made of the typing and spelling mistakes – my apologies !
Barbara
Here at Rome, the election of Pope Francis caused a stir of hope and wild expectations. Everyone was very impressed and edified with the Pope asking for the prayers of everyone and their blessing, because to our mind it meant a truly humble man.
But with the events which ensued, the actions of Bergoglio made it clear that he was a nut or a crank and just a plain hypocrite. When he ignored all of us by not celebrating Holy Thursday with the Church of Rome at the Lateran, as has been time from time immemorial, we knew he was nuts. There was no greater insult.
here than to refuse to come to the table with your family. Then washing the feet of a muslim girl! In the Islamic world that would get her killed by her father!
But the final straw was his mass and lecture to us from a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean where he castigated Italy for not welcoming the thousands of illegal muslim immigrants to the country. His call to use monasteries to house them, and his insistence that Europe open its doors to them.
The man is sick and crazy. And has shown in every way animosity towards us at Rome.
My take on Pope Benedict is similar to what E. Michael Jones said. Pope Benedict fought Joseph Ratzinger. He did great things and started to steer the ship around but in moments of trial became weak. If in his capacity as Pope he wouldn’t have let Joseph Ratzinger (and the wolves) sway some of his thoughts he may have been more effective in restoring Tradition. Had he worked out his dealings with the SSPX, they could’ve taken much burden away from him. The backlash against him by even Catholics showed what the people wanted. So God gave it to them, Francis. Lord help us.
This blog needs some go-to Latinists. Volunteers?
I’m already a volunteer , although your Latin has an intended Verrecchio-style….
Anyway , to be honest , it’s ‘ Nuntio vobis ‘ , not ‘ Annuntio ‘ . Problema doesn’t exist in Latin ( I’m sure you created it, Louie…) and Accusative would be problemam and not problema ( nominative and ablative ). Maybe the best translation could be ‘ Habemus curam ‘ or ‘ Habemus quaestio ‘ . Probably today,after one year’s pontification , one could as well say ‘Habebimus afflictio’
or ‘ Habebimus poenam ‘. Habebimus = we’ll have . If you , Louie, want to ‘play’ with Latin , we can invent a Maccheroni-Latin-English new Language , in order to satisfy the ‘ newness ‘ of the Newchurch. Marco P.
Attention Louie and Catholic friends–In case you just can’t get enough of Bergoglio, there is a now available from Italy a new magazine –“Il Mio Papa”–totally dedicated to the words, actions and “antics” (?) of the Bishop of Rome. Just imagine—a magazine with full color photos entirely devoted to the Vicar of—–oops! Bishop of Rome! Rumor has it that the subscription comes with a year supply of your favorite antacid! Happy reading, folks!
And yet the Catholic Church will go on despite the great weakness of our present Pontiff in passing on the True Faith as he should. There have been other weak popes – he’s hardly the first – and won’t be the last. We still have access to the dogmas of the Faith, and can live by them, even if Francis rarely teaches them. We aren’t powerless in that we can pray and offer sacrifice for the Pope. Personally, I think that he has a bit of senile dementia going on or he’s on heavy meds. Did anyone watch that video of the address he gave to the Pentacostals? It made very little sense – just nutty rambling – even nuttier than what modernists usually say. Yes, it’s a scary time to be a Catholic, but it’s a good time to practice prayer – especially at lent. I really appreciate Louie’s articles. This is my new favorite blog.
Louie, I’d be happy to help. Whatever you do, don’t listen to lepantoguadalupe, who’s already made several elementary mistakes.
Just send me an email: nbtrap nbtrap com
Do not expect anything orthodox and sacred from this Pope. Perhaps just neo Modernist wishy-washy, mumbo-jumbo, pseudo-babbles and off-the-cuff blabberings!!!
“NEMO DAT QUOD NON HABET”
He cannot give what he doesn’t have……period….comma….Exclamation Point!!!
May Our Lord guide and protect the Holy Father, may He grant him the insight to resign from the Papacy. Amen.
Pooh Bear: It is soooooooo normal to transfer our experiences with earthly fathers, even Holy Fathers/Popes, onto our true one: Our Heavenly Father. But they don’t come close to Him…not even a step. Our Heavenly Father is PERFECT…He loves us beyond comprehension, created ALL of this beauty and life for US, gives each of us an angel to guard and protect us, sent His only Son to die on a cross for us, pursues us unrelentingly (the hound of Heaven) every moment of our lives to come into relationship with Him, is present with us always in spirit (Psalm 139), gives us Eternal Life and bliss, gives us every goodness, grace and blessing…and all if we but say “yes” to His love and good commandments that only help us. Cont’d.
So every time a fallible earthly father falls on his face, hurts you, abandons and betrays you…just look to your incredible, awesome, perfect, crazy in love with you TRUE father and bask in His joy for you:+) Give Him your heart, mind and will…and He will heal, fill, mold, and grow them so that you become who He created you to be:+) If you don’t know Him…spend time with Him…go over His attributes…check out His praises…think about/ruminate on ALLLLLL of the wonderful things He has done and is doing for you right at this moment. He is willing you into existence as you read this:+) Pray/talk to Him…let Him show you His love and plans for you:+) He rocks! God bless~
I felt a deep inner fear when he came out. Something about him just hit me all wrong.
Just had to comment on the “Popes” thread going on here. We’ve had some doozy Popes. Read Church history *shudders* There were a string of them in the Middle Ages that were horrifying. And yes, they were valid…and so yes, the Holy Spirit chose them…probably permissive will working there:+) We deem if a Pope is “good” by his adherence to the Deposit of Faith. Period. If we have Modernist Popes for a 100 years…then so be it…it is God’s punishment on us that will help purify His Church. The whole false ecumenism, “religious liberty”, and messed up liturgy fiasco is NOT the deposit of faith. Let us pray for leaders who return to the true faith founded in Tradition. God bless~
MMC, your two posts addressed to me brought tears to my eyes! Thank you. God bless you.
Michael Vorris just released this doozy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBG7AJEP1tQ
Louie it looks like Vorris has given you a response.
We’re disgraceful Catholics 🙁 We’re like Martin Luther.
The Holy Ghost does not choose the pope. The pope is chosen by the electors who if they are in the state of grace can be guided by the Holy Ghost.
Thaks for posting the link to Voris’ latest video, Tom. I could only watch the first five minutes or so, and I was quite a fan of Michael Voris until recently. I can understand that he doesn’t like getting negative comments from those on the “right” regarding the Pope. But he says that those on the right are distorting what the Pope says. Translations are sometimes a problem, but when something said by the Pope is found to be an true translation and is still very problematic in terms of lining up with Church teaching, are we to just ignore it, in the spirit of obedience, as Voris seems to be saying? Why, then, does he not use the same criteria to judge Cardinal Dolan, whom he recently criticized strongly? Why is it that Cardinal Dolan is fair game, but the Pope is off limits? He doesn’t really explain himself properly. And what’s that reasoning he uses regarding the office of the Pope and the person of the Pope? I’m not understanding that at all.
Ganganelli, I can potentially grant you your premise in a certain left-handed sense. These popes could be deliberate in the sense that we did not appreciate the wholesome, solid witness of our popes from the French Revolution through the 1950s, and it has been decided we will now be inflicted with popes who embrace errors until we no longer deserve the papal chastisement that is being imposed upon us.
Rodj,
Interesting theory but is there ANYTHING in Catholic teaching that says Our Lord’s holy vicars would be sent as a chastisement papacy after papacy after papacy…
I face-palmed when I saw Michael Voris’ latest video on the Cardinal Dolan gaff. I thought ‘gosh that takes some daring’ to criticise Card. Dolan but give the Pope a complete pass.
*sigh* I just watched the latest Vortex where MV attacks those who call out the Pope for his antics…i.e. US. He compares us to the perverts and betrayers of Christ like the Nuns on the Bus…and Martin Luther too. Says we are a disgrace. He parses out…the office of the Pope…the person of the Pope…the “style” of the Pope. Doesn’t see how we can consider Pope Francis an enemy, a material heretic etc. even though the Pope’s own words prove just that. Yes, Pope Francis is our enemy and per his own words, a material heretic. And it’s important we call out truth, nasty as it is…for it alone can set us free. We are also called to LOVE our enemies, pray for them…cont’d.
I’m not afraid of calling out the hard truths about anyone, even the Pope. I am called to pray and love all…and I do to the best of my ability:+) How MV can eviscerate every single person on planet Earth if they say/do something heretical, stupid, dangerous EXCEPT the Pope is utterly strange and philosophically unsustainable. It is the Popes who have run the wrecking ball into the Church for decades…they run the show and appoint/can discipline the Bishops. I get that some people can get out of hand with calling the Pope “evil” and going off on him…but that’s just b/c the wound the Holy Father is doing to US on a weekly basis is so deep. I don’t know what to do about cont’d
my CMTV subscription. I wanted to give MV time to wake up…I still do. I forgive him for having his head in the sand…for doing nothing as a Pope spreads scandal around the globe. It is charitable to fight against Modernist lies, even if coming from the Vatican. And then the veiled attack against the SSPX. I’m not SSPX…never been to a chapel. But I don’t blame them for wanting to find refuge and for standing for truth. If the FSSP dissolved, you would see me there I guess. Something is just “off” with MV. He doesn’t see that you can address the Pope’s errors in charity…and calling truth truth IS charity. I need to pray more for him…and grow in charity myself. God bless~
Ganganelli,
–
You do sound like a troll.
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Here is what EWTN – very much a conciliar, mainstream source – has to say of Liberius: “It is true that St. Athanasius was condemned by Pope Liberius though he was the leader of the defenders of orthodoxy against Arianism at the time. Pope Liberius was a weak man (the first Pope after St. Peter never honored as a saint)…”
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Someone who believes that every pope is to be revered as impeccable has very little understanding of the Catholic faith. “**Peter has no need for our lies or flattery. Those who blindly and indiscriminately defend every decision of the supreme pontiff are the very ones who do the most to undermine the authority of the Holy See – they destroy instead of strengthening its foundations.**” – Theologian of the Council of Trent Melchior Cano
_
People like you, who so foolishly defend popes that forced offensive, non-Catholic novelties on the Church, would do very well to heed Bishop Cano’s warning.
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Here are some more quotes from *popes* warning against bad popes – even popes that are heretics – you should ponder:
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Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523) “If by the Roman Church you mean its head or pontiff, **it is beyond question that he can error even in matters touching the faith**. He does this when he teaches heresy by his own judgment or decretal. **In truth, many Roman pontiffs were heretics**. The last of them was Pope John XXII (1316-1334).” (Quaest. in IV Sententiam).
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Pope Adrian II: “We read that the Roman Pontiff has always possessed authority to pass judgment on the heads of all the Churches ( i.e., the patriarchs and bishops ), but nowhere do we read that he has been the subject of judgment by others. It is true that Honorius was posthumously anathematized by the Eastern churches, but it must be borne in mind that he had been accused of heresy, the only offense which renders lawful the resistance of subordinates to their superiors, and their rejection of the latter’s pernicious teachings.” (Allocution III, Lect. In Conc. VIII, act. VII)
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Pope Paul IV: “In assessing Our duty and the situation now prevailing, We have been weighed upon by the thought that a matter of this kind [i.e. error in respect of the Faith] is so grave and so dangerous that the Roman Pontiff, who is the representative upon earth of God and our God and Lord Jesus Christ, who holds the fulness of power over peoples and kingdoms, who may judge all and be judged by none in this world, may nonetheless be contradicted if he be found to have deviated from the Faith. Remembering also that, where danger is greater, it must more fully and more diligently be counteracted, We have been concerned lest false prophets or others, even if they have only secular jurisdiction, should wretchedly ensnare the souls of the simple, and drag with them into perdition, destruction and damnation countless peoples committed to their care and rule, either in spiritual or in temporal matters; and We have been concerned also lest it may befall Us to see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by the prophet Daniel, in the holy place. In view of this, Our desire has been to fulfil our Pastoral duty, insofar as, with the help of God, We are able, so as to arrest the foxes who are occupying themselves in the destruction of the vineyard of the Lord and to keep the wolves from the sheepfolds, lest We seem to be dumb watchdogs that cannot bark and lest We perish with the wicked husbandman and be compared with the hireling”(Cum Ex Apostolatus Officio ).
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Venerable Pope Pius IX: “***If a future pope teaches anything contrary to the Catholic Faith, do not follow him***.” (Letter to Bishop Brizen)
I’ve never been impressed with the intelligence of Voris. Pope Francis will lead his new Church of Man with the pillars of political correctness, moral relativism and liberation theology. Look for more condescending insults of conservative/traditional Catholics by “Rockstar” (CNN headline today) Francis.
Mike, I ran some calculations and discovered that the quality of Voris’ haircut is very near the theoretical minimum.
_
Oh gosh – I am totally being a stereotypical nasty trad there, aren’t I? Louie should probably filter-out this comment.
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(Seriously – a little humor never hurt anyone. Michael Voris, I hope you will come to see the drastic, glaring error in your position some day. What a ally for Tradition – that is, for true Catholicism – you could be.)
A Catholic Thinker,
I think you are a troll with a protestant mindset. It’s clear that you’ve bought in to the protestant lies about His Holiness Pope Liberius but as Our Lord said, “let your yes be yes and your no be no” so let me ask you a simple question.
Was Blessed(not Venerable btw) Pope Pius IX correct when he said in his encyclical QUARTUS SUPRA “And previously the Arians falsely accused Liberius, also Our predecessor, to the Emperor Constantine, because Liberius refused to condemn St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, and refused to support their heresy.”?
Ganganelli, there are different opinions on Liberius, but it is a fact that he signed the excommunication of Athanasius, now St. Athanasius, the first Doctor of the Church, and it is a fact that you exhibit a very naive understanding of papal authority and papal primacy (yet still apparently feel obliged to castigate others on the Internet).
_
As for me being a troll – well, since I support the blog that I am commenting in, that makes no sense at all.
_
God bless.
Thanks for another antidote to this ludicrous papacy, Louie.
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I don’t think any public redress will be flying anytime soon from Mr Bergoglio or Mr Voris – it seems he now is, much like Francis – privy to his own little magesterium when it comes to Catholic conduct. That appalling slam against his Catholic brothers stands, by the looks, as well as the appalling biblical exegesis.
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and the man, the style of Francis? His comments are again, illogical. What he is doing is making the man and his style the Office as if a pope could do and say anything. It’s just sad. The harm this pope has done to those ‘souls’ cmtv are so concerned about. Hmm, who has the greatest audience? Bishop Bergoglio or Mr Voris….Francis…or Mr Voris. I would say Mr Bergoglio does and that the flood of faithlessness promulgated by this Jesuit has done much harm already, not the least of which a years worth of abortion and the homosexual agenda promotion. It is disingenuous for cmtv to become a pulbic apologetics promo for this Pope unless they subscribe to his beliefs and teachings and actions, which continually contradict Faith. so now that cmtv have found their moral ground away from those to the left (nominal catholics) and those to the ‘right’ (creed-reciting parrots following fashion fads and designated verbal punching bag of our ‘dear loving’ HF), I guess they will form new alliances until those alliances run afoul of the vortex magisterium.
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@Catholic thinker – none of us are nasty trads. We are simply Faithful Catholics who get fed up with unfaithful wolves in sheeps clothing using the crook and flail to silence the truth. unfortunately for cmtv and the marshalls who slam traditionalists they could never see themselves, it would seem, as capable of scandalizing souls. and that is a dangerous place to be.
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here’s one for you cmtv:
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“Old maid!”
“Fomenter of coprophagia!”
“Specialist of the Logos!”
“Rosary counter!”
“Functionary!”
“Self-absorbed, Promethean neo-Pelagian!”
“Restorationist!”
“Pelagian!”
“Mr and Mrs Whiner!”
“Triumphalist!”
“Liquid Christian!”
“Museum mummy!”
“Renaissance prince!”
“Airport Bishop!”
“Ideologue of the Logos!”
“Leprous courtier!”
“Idealogue!”
“Long-faced, mournful funeral Christian!”
“Gnostic!”
“Careerist Bishop!”
“Sourpuss!”
“Pretender!”
“Liturgical obsessive!”
“Sayer of prayers!”
“Authoritarian!”
“Elitist!”
“Querulous and disillusioned pessimist!”
“Sad Christian!”
“Pickled pepper-faced Christian!”
“Children! Afraid to dance! To cry! Afraid of everything!”
“Asker for certainty in all things!”
“Closed, sad, trapped Christian who is not a free Christian!”
“Pagan Christian!”
“Little monster!”
“Defeated Christian!”
“Creed-reciting, parrot Christian!”
“Watered-down faith, weak-hoped Christian!”
“Inquisitorial beater!”
“Seminarians who grit their teeth and wait to finish,
follow rules and smile [who] reveal the hypocrisy of clericalism – one of the worst evils!”
“Abstract ideologue!”
“Fundamentalist!”
“Smarmy, idolator priest!”
“Worshiper of the god Narcissus!”
“Vain, butterfly-priest!”
“Priest-wheeler dealer!”
“Priest-tycoon!”
“Religious who have a heart as sour as vinegar!”
“Promoter of the poison of immanence!”
“Those closed in the formality of a prayer that is cold, stingy [who]
might end up as Michal, in the sterility of her formality.”
“Older people nostalgic for structures and customs which are no longer life-giving in today’s world!”
“Young people addicted to fashion!”
“Pastry-Shop Christians!”
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-“[public preachers] who grit their teeth and wait to finish,
follow rules and smile [who] reveal the hypocrisy of [their apostolate]– one of the worst evils!” the pope said it.
Wow. Just watched (couldn’t even finish it) Vorris video about bad trads. Just one word: pathetic.
@Edu – it is pathetic in it’s proper usage. I don’t think it’s an accident. I think Voris has ‘big plans’ an distancing himself from ol chums might be part of the necessary work to be done – I must say, he’s doing that part like a house on fire.
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Pope St. Pius X: The First Duty
of the Pope is Ensure Purity of Doctrine
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In the first lines of Pascendi, the 1907 Encyclical against Modernism, Pius stated that one of the “primary obligations assigned by Christ to the office divinely committed to Us of feeding the Lord’s flock is that of guarding with the greatest vigilance the deposit of the faith delivered to the saints, rejecting the profane novelties of words and the gainsay of knowledge falsely so called”. He explains that in the face of this Modernist heresy, “We may no longer keep silence, lest We should seem to fail in Our most sacred duty …”
A Catholic Thinker,
Well God Bless you too but I feel compelled to defend the papacy. When I would engage the Orthodox in apologetics I would literally laugh at them as they had to admit that patriarch after patriarch of the most important Eastern sees had been heretics. They would struggle mightily to show that we Catholics had unorthodox popes as well. They would flail away with Honorious or Liberius and I would come back with is that all you got? Show me your proof and of course they had nothing.
The truth is that NONE of Our Lord’s Holy Vicars has ever been unorthodox. As Pope Damasus said way back in 382 “The first see, therefore, is that of Peter the apostle, that of the Roman Church, which has neither stain nor blemish nor anything like it”
We have to look to those Popes, those Pontificates that were Good Shepherds and use them continually as the bar by which to judge the presentation and fruits of this one, if we don’t we will end up being converted to modernism. Christ has those for him or against him. no inbetween.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
I admit that I also was surprised by MV and his Vortex on CMTV today. I hear him complain about Raymond Burke getting dumped and what Dolan said. Plus he was upset about the Pope’s remarks on the plane coming home from Rio. And he talked about his address to the faculty of Notre Dame. But that is it. He appears to have no qualms about the plight of the FFI or the new clampdown on the Latin Mass in Texas. Maybe he’s afraid to speak out because he might lose his job. This seems to be a recurring problem with anybody who even dares to just question anything Francis says or does. I heard a well known woman radio personality today call him LARGER THAN LIFE. It bothers me.
Ganganelli, it is a bit amazing that you honestly believe no pope has ever been “unorthodox” – when numerous POPES have declared that other POPES were not only “unorthodox”, but (at least) material heretics. See my quotes above.
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“The first see, therefore, is that of Peter the apostle, that of the Roman Church, which has neither stain nor blemish nor anything like it.” Here is the big problem here – you do not understand the critical difference between the See and its occupant! This is the basic problem all neo-Catholics have: not understanding the critical difference between Church and churchmen.
_
If you were to engage in apologetics with Protestants you would quickly learn that you NEED to acknowledge that popes are not always close to impeccable, and are even capable of personal heresy. The only thing they are NOT able to do, thanks to the protection of the Spirit, is bind the faithful to error.
_
I feel the need to repeat this quote: “Peter has no need for our lies or flattery. Those who blindly and indiscriminately defend every decision of the supreme pontiff are the very ones who do the most to undermine the authority of the Holy See – they destroy instead of strengthening its foundations.” – Theologian of the Council of Trent Bishop Melchior Cano
Half way through todays (3/13) Vortex, I cancelled my subscription.
The boy has lost it. Hubris has taken hold of him. He needs a retreat and not on a boat or a ranch. He needs to stop talking and spend some time reflecting. 40 days in the desert – so to speak.
@TomV – me too. holding to the faith and as Michael Matt said, in the latest Remnant TV, confirming each other in that Faith is crucial always, but especially now. For me, trust is as crucial – I trust God Almighty Who Knows how this all ends – He wins, but we have never been called on to shut down and let traitors run the Church. When you pretty much have only Catholics who live the spirit of VII and want nothing to do with the Church of Christ and His Saints around you – you have to share your faith elsewhere, find that confirmation elsewhere. That CMTV could take this POV with of unconfirming their brothers in Faith, for the sake of a personal view on this papacy (this horrendous papacy) says a lot. I’ll get over the cmtv betrayal just like the betrayal of priests and catechists me, and I’m sure most of us, have had to ride out.
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in the Remnant TV Michael Matt also brought up the possibilty of when these sorts of apostolates online will no longer been legal. I have thought of that. Then it really will be just the rosary and the sign of the cross that will be left with our Faith. Meanwhile, the confirmation of our brothers and sisters in faith is not something we can be cowed out of; not by a pope and not by a personality.
I just wonder if Voris stand is not closely connected to the future of Father Z!
Since they were together on that cruise, if Voris starts pointing the problems of this papacy it could bring problem to Father’s way of living. Isn’t it under an Italian Bishop?
There is already a deacon (Protect the Pope) who has been asked by his bishop to pray in silence….
I think there is an undercurrent of silent persecution right now against any clergy dabbling with “gossip” and “rumors”…
This is my humble opinion, and only explanation for Voris “urticaire” (hives in French…)
@marie, there is a ‘ silent [and not so silent’] persecution right now’
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here’s another case in point:
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http://mundabor.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/protecting-the-pope/
A Catholic Thinker,
I have had many debates with protestants and have always admitted that Popes are capable of personal sin so that is not an issue. What is at issue is whether or not a Pope is capable of being unorthodox or being a material heretic. There is NO support for such a position in Catholic teaching. Your quotes(save one which I will get to) argue for no such thing.
The one quote that would lend credence to your theory is that from Pope Adrian VI. Protestant liars have been using it in their anti-papal apologetics for hundreds of years. But if you turn to a Catholic source like the Catholic Encyclopedia you will find that the alleged quote was “was published without his knowledge from notes of students, and saw many editions.” Even if you believe his students notes were correct, it came from 1512 which was a full 9 years before he became Pope!! I assume you didn’t know this so I will not hold you responsible for spreading this protestant lie about the papacy but I hope you will not use it in the future and further the protestant heresy.
In light of Louie Verrecchio’s and Michael Matt’s extremely charitable responses to Voris’ attacks, in which they assumed only the best of motives on his part, this latest rant of Voris, in which he unjustly assigns the worst possible motives to his critics, is just plain sad. Sad for him, I mean. The man needs our prayers.
@Jeff – methinks Mr Voris might just be getting warmed up on his new ‘enemy’, as well, hopefully not.
Tom, thanks for posting the link to MV’s Vortex, I would not have seen it otherwise. The comments were disabled for his video. That’s too bad because I wanted to offer that he take solace in Boehner’s letter to the Pope – “Boehner invites Pope to Congress” – printed in today’s news. Boehner really likes the Pope, he falls within Voris’s pretty clear guidelines, and so this is an opportunity for MV to make new friends.
Nathan ,
please explain me the ‘ several elementary mistakes ‘ I made , so I too can learn Latin better .It’s never too late….Thank you !
Ganganelli,
I demure. St. Alphonsus dei Liguori states emphatically, “Who can be ignorant that the Pope can be obnoxious by reason of his errors?”… You, rather, fail to distinguish between the different qualities of heresy:
1) heresy the sin or interior moral act, 2) heresy the verbal proposition, 3) heresy as an exterior manifest profession, 4) heresy as a canonical crime, 5) pertinacity in heresy…only if you have all 5 qualities, do you become a formal, manifest, and public pertinacious heretic, and thus loose office.
When the judgement of the Church says so, either by Papal decree, canonical norm, or juridical act or judgement.
So, yes, no pope has been a formal pertinacious heretic and deposed by the College of Cardinals…but yes, many popes have said things unorthodox, and Bergoglio for one, is a public manifest heretic, having pubically and manifestly denied truths of the faith; whether he is pertinacious in these denials is a question to be judged by the College, if they ever act to depose the man…but for the mean time, it is lawful to ignore and resist the man on account of his errors, because that what it means to be obnoxious…
Oh, and Louis…
In Latin you put the verb at the end of the sentence…
Problema habemus!….because putting the verb last puts emphasis on having the problem…
But the truth is that the College gave us the problem… Bergoglio may be nuts, or simply shameless to do anything for attention, but the College is totally responsable…
TEMPVS TRIBULATIONIS – a biblical excerpt…but neuter accusative: otherwise, spot on!
Ganganelli,
I am not aware of anything official or authoritative in the Catholic faith that precludes what I stated to you in my previous post here.
Let’s review the facts.
The most recent several popes have embraced some degree of actual error with regard to the faith. Yes, it is true. It is completely incontrovertible and irrefutable, if the Catholic faith has any normative substance still and is not to be reduced [perhaps by people like you?] merely to nominalist, relativist, papal magisterialist positivism, which cannot possibly what the Catholic faith is supposed to be.
It is also incontrovertible that God does not want us to follow any errors, even if they come from a supreme pontiff. I trust I don’t have to labor to back that one up.
Given that situation with our recent popes, the two plausible Catholic approaches are either 1) these recent popes come from God’s passive will, but not His active will, or 2) if from His active will, then their infliction upon us serves some divine purpose, while we are not to be embracing and following their errors.
After canceling my subscription of CMTV, I received an e-mail asking me Why?
FYI I sent the following to CMTV:
Michael Voris and the Pope.
If one day he can brutally tear into the Cardinal Bishop of New York, then why is it the next day he is so denigrating about those who criticize the man who identifies himself (not as Pope) but as the Bishop of Rome?
I have no problem with Michael’s opinion; but his denigration of dedicated ‘traditional’ (pre-Vatican II) Catholics is unacceptable.
We dedicated traditional Catholics are getting ‘hammered’ by the Vatican II crowd and our ship is sinking. This Bishop of Rome may go down in history as the coup de grace of traditional Church.
Michael a defender of the traditional Church on one hand and defender of the Bishop of Rome on the other is a contradiction based on a sophist’s distinction between the Pope and the Papacy.
The Church is in essence the sacred teachings – the Word of God. The Church is not the Pope. Has he not heard of the Borgia Popes and all the other sinners who have held that title?
Popes are men. Therefore they are flawed. They are sinners. They are not promised Heaven and subject to eternal damnation. Therefore, they are subject to criticism.
This Bishop of Rome suffers from Hubris. He is systematically using the public relations firm he hired to build a personality cult. He doesn’t function as a Pope or a Bishop. The role of each is to teach and led. He does not teach, he confuses. He does not lead his flock; he wanders about saying things and going places that suit HIM! Leaving the flock confused and aimless.
I most respectfully submit that in my most humble opinion, Michael may need a retreat. Not on a cruise ship or a dude ranch, but ‘40 days in the desert’ (so to speak).
God Bless
Tom Verso
one priest once wrote that the Cardinals give us the pope, then the Holy Ghost must work, hopefully with, but as some cases testify, in spite of the incumbent. this is free will – we either give it to God and dutifully follow Christ, or keep it for ourselves and serve the devil instead.
lepantoguadalupe, obliged.
“Annuntio” is the correct form used in the traditional announcement. “Problema” does exist in the Latin, though only as a word borrowed from Greek; that said, I don’t think it’s the right word to use in the sense of “We have a problem”. Also, “problema” is neuter, so the accusative is “problema”, and “habemus problema” is grammatically correct. Finally “habemus quaestio” and “habemus afflictio”, which you suggested, should be “habemus quaestionem” and “habemus afflictionem”–though again, these are probably not the best words to use as being governed by “habemus”.
well said Tom. I got the same email – basically said the people cmtv were
slandering simply are willing to call foul foul. but, now like the double double witches, when it comes to what everyone on the planet knows about this pope, they’ve swallowed the potion – fair is foul and foul is fair – except it isn’t.
I do remember the Queen once using the phrase, ‘annus horribilis’, a horrible year.
Dear Nathan ,
thank you for your corrections. However , I have too something to say . The classical expression for elected Popes has always been ‘ Nuntio vobis…’ I have checked in many places. I found ‘problema’ as existing in Latin only in one vocabulary out of seven .I guess it was used only by a tiny Greek- Latin intelligentsya, and extremely rarely. I said, not suggested in reality . ‘ afflictio ‘ because I imagined what the believers could have thought one year ago knowing the reality of today ; so, it was sort of a sarcastic joke ! I – and my wife ,teacher of Latin – think ‘cura’ is most probably the best choice among thirty words for ‘problema’ we found. She wasn’t at home when I wrote the e-mail ,hence my grammar blunders . Anyway , I ‘nuntio ‘ you as official Verrecchio’s translator for this site. Congratulations! Marco P.
I think Voris may have gotten fed up with Novusordowatch and his followers hounding & bashing him in social media. Just a thought.
I can no longer watch Voris since all this has blown up. A shame. Tom Verso, God Bless and very well written as many other comments here.
Someone on Vericast called me a “Latinist Onlist”….. Um, I dont know any Latin, other than what our fine priest (kinda) forces us me to chant during to low mass. He is trying to make it a high mass.
Well, we sound pretty good!
So stop it with the Leftist elitism, I’m utterly tired, especially since ther is a Novus Ordo (in Latin, Ad orientum right after our TLM) at the same chapel!
Cardinal Tauran got it all horribly wrong. He should have spoken these words as he stepped onto the balcony of St Peter:
“ANUNTIO VOBIS MAGNO MALO ATQUE TEMPUS TRIBULATIONIS. HABEMUS EPISCOPUS ROMANUS”
“I announce to you a great misfortune and a time of tribulation. We have a Bishop of Rome.”
–
Anybody feel free to correct me on the Latin above.
Rodj,
You wrote, “The most recent several popes have embraced some degree of actual error with regard to the faith.”
That is the heart of the matter. You(and all who criticize our Popes) need to substantiate that claim. Take any Pope you want…from Peter to Francis and tell me where he has specifically “embraced some degree of actual error with regard to the faith.” If you can, I will have to do some apologizing to protestants I have debated with over the years.
Well, when Francis calls a pentecostal preacher his “brother bishop” then that shows a clear indication of indifferentism.
Ganganelli, my claim of error does not necessarily mean official magisterially binding error. In open, public, but non-authoritative pronouncements, we certainly have errors.
—
From Pope John Paul II: “It will continue to be an explicit and very important part of my mission to repeat and emphasize that our attitude to the Jewish religion should be one of the greatest respect.” Error. All other religions, including post-resurrection Judaism, are untrue religions with evil. Respecting the persons is one thing; respecting falsity in doctrine and morals is something else. Yes, error.
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From Pope Benedict XVI, please refer to his New Year’s 2011 address on religious freedom. A strong current of error to claim that anybody has a natural right to publicly spread error, contravening Church teaching and presumably Aquinas to boot.
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From Pope Francis: ” Many of you are Muslims, of other religions, and have come from different countries, from different situations. We must not be afraid of the differences! Fraternity makes us discover that they are a treasure, a gift for everyone!” Error. The untrue religions of the world are not a spiritual treasure and gift. They don’t even have the right to exist.
—
I’ll happily accompany you to the protestants you’ve debated to help ‘apologize’, if you wish, and explain the matter to them. I’m sure much of what you told them was actually true, by the way, so don’t be too hard on yourself.
Rodj, I don’t see the error you see in Pope Benedict’s address. He is speaking against secular governments that persecute Christians. He also speaks of those from different religions that seek Truth, which he affirms is found in Christ. He also speaks against relativism and syncretism, which he specifically names. He does not say that false religions have a right to exist. He says the state should not persecute those honestly searching for Truth and reaffirms that it is the Church’s duty to bring individuals to the fullness of Truth in Christ’s Church. What am I missing?
JamesTheLesser
He says that all persons have a natural right to publicly proclaim their religious beliefs, regardless of what doctrinal errors such untrue religions have. This does contravene what the Church had taught and stood for prior to 1958, and can be found in Mirari Vos, Quanta Cura, Syllabus of Errors [Pius IX], Immortale Dei, and Libertas.
Also, don’t forget that Aquinas wrote along similar lines and saw no problem with confirmed heretics being subject to punishment and execution.
Technically nothing wrong with honestly searching for the truth, but that does not give somebody the right to publicly proclaim doctrinal error while they’re searching, and a Catholic state has the right, if not the responsibility, to suppress public error that besmirches the full truth of Christ.
Rodj, I don’t see any of those as errors. Would you also say that Pope Pius XI was wrong for stating that “Catholics are sometimes lacking in a right appreciation of their separated brethren, and are even wanting in brotherly love, because they do not know enough about them. People do not realize how much faith, goodness, and Christianity there is in these bodies now detached from the age-long Catholic truth. Pieces broken from gold-bearing rock themselves bear gold.”?
While I appreciate the offer to accompany me to the protestants who I have debated in the past, I would rather you not. Honestly, your opinions are devastating to Catholic truth. After all, if Pope after Pope after Pope after Pope can be wrong now then ipso facto they could have been wrong at ANY time in the past.
Rodj, Benedict is not talking about false religions having a right to practice in Catholic countries. He’s talking about secular states persecuting Christians. He states that individuals have a right, natural law written in their hearts, to seek Truth. Which he affirms is Christ and His Church. He’s attacking secularism. Secular states snuff out ALL religion, no matter what degree of error he may be in on his journey to Truth. He’s primarily speaking against hostility against Catholics.
Mundabor wrote about MV’s Vortex quit well per usual. I am so saddened by all of this. We Trads always seem to get hit from every side…and it’s always the roughest when it’s one of your own that has turned and shot at you. I always wondered how MV did it all…he works so hard, so long hours. Yes, TomV…he needs a retreat…needs to find the Logos, the truth and courage that led him to this path…and not some neocath, emo, TLM loving, Pope blind idolotry, “I just wanna be part of something” Church…but the hard, true, spiritual, and sacrificing Church. Let’s use this as an opportunity to forgive offenses willingly, love and pray for those who persecute us cont’d
let’s use what the enemy wanted as a tool of despair to use as a weapon to grow us in authentic charity. I love the TLM…it’s the true mass…but it’s needs to be paired with the true Church…the church without V2 and the wreckage of it’s latest Popes and leaders. How about we pray for CMTV? How about we pray for MV to have his eyes opened? How many of you would jump back in a heartbeat if he did a “Sorry…” Vortex? If he tried to lead with courage, truth, intellectual honesty, and authentic charity that uses scandal in the Church to not only correct but to grow us in loving enemies and teaching us about heresies? Let’s pray he comes home just like the father of the prodigal:+) God bless~
Ganganelli March 14, 2014 1:57 pm.,
If you quote a Pope, you should give the reference…
I ask you, if 100 popes say that 1+2=4, does 1+2=4?
What say you?
Good idea, MMC. I’ll pray for Michael Voris and CMTV. Our Lord knew what He was doing when he implored us to love our enemries and pray for them, though a very difficult thing to do. But if we pray for them, we are more likely to speak truth with charity. Not the false charity of the neoCaths or celebrity converts, but to speak clearly in all truth, as the saints have done (such as St. John Mary Vianney and so many others) but without rancor. To criticize but not condemn. If we pray for those who are wrong, we are also less likely to fall into the sins of despair and/or extreme anger, which can lead to SVism or leaving the Faith altogether. Self-righteous anger is not a bad thing if tempered properly. Perhaps Michael Voris has been influenced too much by the Opus Dei folks. If so, that’s not going to be an easy thing for him to shake.
Catholic at Rome,
The fact that you believe Our Lord’s Holy Vicars could teach error akin to 1+2=4 is, at the very least, offensive to pious ears.
And why should anyone convert to this religion of yours? Why should a protestant believe the teachings of a Leo XIII or Pius XII if they can ignore the teachings of a JPII or Francis?
@Ganganelli,
They are errors, in comparison to what the Church has classically taught. Even certain non-traditional priests who stand by and defend Second Vatican Council documents, such as Fr. Brian Harrison, have stated that these recent popes have enunciated public error in these areas.
@JamestheLesser
I wish you were right, but everything we have indicates he’s talking about everything, including what Catholic states will now be permitted and not permitted to do. Pope Benedict XVI has clearly written that the classical doctrine in this area is now unacceptable and needed to be changed.
@Ganganelli 3/14 3:40 pm
What evidence do you have that Leo XIII or Pius XII made an error? Doesn’t their teaching stand in pure continuity with the faith of the ages? It does. If you think it doesn’t, then the obligation is upon you to show how it doesn’t.
In contrast, JPII and Francis have clearly made certain statements that stand in contradiction to what Leo XIII and Pius XII stated. Both cannot be right. Pope Benedict XVI has explicitly stated that he does not affirm what was held by certain earlier popes on certain subjects. They cannot both be right, and the truth cannot be one thing in 1950 and another thing in 1990.
Denise,
–
“Perhaps Michael Voris has been influenced too much by the Opus Dei folks. If so, that’s not going to be an easy thing for him to shake.”
–
Exactly the same thought came into my head. These fellows act very much like a sect, that is why their influence can be so hard to shake off. I know this personally through family members on my mother’s side. And like all sects, they exist very much for themselves (indeed, puffed up with pride they consider themselves superior to other church apostolates), helping each other out for success, influence etc My criticism goes entirely to the organization itself, not to individual members some of whom no doubt are very fine persons.
@Ganganelli
.
“Have you guys ever considered that Pope Francis is exactly the pastor the Holy Ghost wants for the Church? ”
.
Quite often, actually. But if so, the Church is even more of a mess than I thought it was already. In the NuCatholic Church, “teddy bear Masses” are OK, and count as Catholic worship, while the Old Mass is hounded. The SSPX is building yet another seminary, which is excellent news – whereas the unspeakable “New Pentecost” sicced up over the Church by J23 & the appalling Paul VI has devastated & corrupted the Church. So wonderful is the renewal we are now cursed with that that over 100,000 priests have left the priesthood, heresies have spread like knot-grass, the Faithful abound in ignoramce of the Faith, the West is thoroughly de-Christianised, ambiguous & deceitful documents like those of ARCIC are approved by “Catholic” bishops, churches are closed to become mosques or flats, scandals multiply.
Rodj, you may be right. The entire situation in the Church really drags me down.
I feel spiritually drained.
I apologize if I frustrated you.
Pooh Bear, I know how you feel. If it is ok I will post a link that may be of help to you, as it has been to me. St. Basil, Economy of Silence
http://archives.sspx.org/miscellaneous/st_basils_economy_of_silence_in_the_face_of_heresy.htm
Jimmy,
The grass often seems greener on the other side. 20 years ago I attended the one SSPX chapel that existed in Phoenix. Since that time, the city has added about 2 milion people. Know how many chapels the SSPX has in Phoenix now? Still just the one. So clearly the VAST majority of Catholics leaving the Church are not heading off to traditionalist chapels. So if they’re not traditionalist, where are they going? Well in my neck of the woods, it is the ubiquitous non-denomination evangelical Churches that are growing like crazy. I had the misfortune to attend one of these Churches and, let me tell you, their ‘liturgies’ would make you pine for Deacon Sandy’s church.
Thanks Denise:+) You are right in all you said…it’s not easy to love our enemies but it does help us. And righteous anger is good for the soul…we just have to watch we don’t sin when we do it:+) Prayer for MV and CMTV! I had no idea about this Opus Dei connection…is Michael a member? I can’t believe he would support a philosophy based on money he gets from people but rather truth.
The Remnant has a GREAT set of articles about Pope Francis and our duty to correct errors. Please check out the multi-article arc called “The Francis Affect: The Gathering Storm” God bless~ http://www.remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/364-the-francis-effect-a-gathering-storm
Ganganelli,
I am glad that you called my religion my religion, and thus showed it is not your religion.
I have quoted you the teaching of a Doctor of the Church, approved by the Popes for his impeccable orthodox in matters of theology, but when confronted with the exposee of your own papolatry, which no Pope has ever taught, you hide behind false straw men to pretend your sin and error do not exist.
MMC, I don’t think that Michael Voris is a member of Opus Dei. In one of his videos from about two years ago (or perhaps three), he said that he thought that Opus Dei was the best hope for the Church (or words similar to this), but he stated that he was not a member. I don’t know if he still feels this way regarding Opus Dei, but my understanding is that the Opus Dei folks believe that the Pope should never be criticized.
Thanks for posting a link to the Remnant article – it’s a good one.
From Pope Francis Little Book of Insults:
“Fomenter of coprophagia!”
JESUS:
From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”
Now it seems to me that such a term as “Fomenter of coprophagia!” is not one that should be on the heart of a man or in his mind. I think that one phrase alone is cause of grave concern.
I don’t want to judge Pope Francis but the words, his words, stand on their own merit.
The more I hear about Opus Dei the more worrying they sound. The have a couple of rather liberal fellows as head of the ‘Catholic Voices’ media spokesperson operation in the UK set up before the UK papal visit. Some of the stuff I’ve heard coming from them has been wrong. Particularly on the subject of AIDS/condoms and Pope BXVI’s comments. Now we hear Greg Burke, Opus Dei and former FOX Newsman, is heading the Pope’s PR operation.
Catholic at Rome. You should establish your own Inquisition and begin to issue your own formal denunciations and excommunications. You are quite sure that the Holy Ghost did not want Pope Francis but you act as though the Holy Ghost has chosen you to teach the, um, faith.
What is your evidence; what miracles have you performed?
The political label, papolatry, is a real give away; it denotes a sect and it is a novelty that began in the pages of a schismatic rag, The Remnant.
Such is the tradition of the craven sedes