Shortly after Archbishop Gänswein explained the intentions of Benedict XVI with respect to “expanding” the Petrine ministry so as to endow it with a “collegial and synodal dimension,” I expressed my opinion:
Bearing in mind what the Catholic Church has always believed, taught and practiced, I cannot help but conclude that the resignation tendered on 11 February 2013 was invalid.
Defective intentions, however, are not the only reasons one may reasonably question the validity of Benedict’s unprecedented act.
For instance, in September of last year, I provided a detailed overview of the Vatican Bank scandal (worth revisiting, in this writer’s opinion), the timeline of which strongly suggests that among the possible threats leveled against Benedict by the wolves in order to coerce his resignation were financial ones.
Since then, Benedict has raised numerous red flags that further suggest that his hand may well have been forced. He even recently admitted that the reasons he gave for departing office in 2013 simply were not true.
Then there is the role played by the so-called “St. Gallen Mafia” – a group of cardinals that conspired to oppose Benedict XVI in order to press for the advent of a more progressive papacy; one with none other than Jorge Mario Bergoglio at its head.
All of this adds up to ample reason for anyone just this side of ambivalent to ponder, and openly so, whether or not the See of Rome was truly vacant as conclave 2013 met. If it was not, then the “Buona Sera” that was delivered from the loggia of St. Peter’s on 13 March of that year came from the lips of an anti-pope.
While I remain open to being convinced otherwise, my initial thoughts on the matter haven’t changed; on the contrary, in fact.
What you make of this mess is entirely up to you. I certainly don’t expect everyone to draw the same conclusions that I have drawn. Nor do I expect others in Catholic media to likewise dissect emerging details in an effort to discern the truth; much less do I imagine that all are even capable of doing so.
I do, however, expect everyone worthy of the name Catholic to recognize, and to treat, this situation as a matter of the utmost import and urgency.
When the Gänswein story broke back in May, I wrote:
Francis is, as we have known for some time now, a blasphemous heretic that we must not allow to draw us, or anyone else if we can help it, into error and death. On this note, even though Archbishop Gänswein’s conference is a “game changer” indeed, nothing has changed. Keep this in mind as you go about deciding for yourself what to make of this unprecedented mess.
Get that?
We cannot allow Francis to mislead us or the people we love, obviously, but we cannot stop there; rather, we must also make it our business to discern, as best we are able, exactly how our Holy Mother is being attacked.
Working out one’s salvation necessarily includes an animating concern for the condition of the Church Militant of which we are members. The two simply go together.
Apparently, not all Catholic commentators agree.
With this in mind, any number of readers have asked me to comment on a contrary approach that is born of a false dichotomy; one that alleviates all concerned of any responsibility to inquire further into the matter of Benedict’s resignation, the conclave that followed, and the actual status of the madman that most of the world considers pope.
Specifically, there are those who would have you believe that one must choose between either laboring for one’s salvation or concerning oneself with whether or not the purveyor of error and death known as Francis is truly the Roman Pontiff – as if the validity of his alleged pontificate doesn’t really matter to those of us presently living under this scourge.
This is rather like telling someone to focus on being a good son or daughter while paying no mind to whether or not the man sleeping with Mom is truly Dad or just a convincing imposter, who, by the way, also happens to be publicly humiliating her on a near daily basis and abusing her in various other ways far too numerous to number.
After all, you’re just the child. Mom will figure things out eventually!
The idea is absurd. Even so, let’s consider some of the arguments being floated to this end:
– A future pope will have to sort this mess out for us; we are unable.
The Church is mired in an unprecedented crisis that has been festering for more than five decades now.
In such an environment as this, it is entirely unreasonable – irresponsible even – to simply sit back and wait for a new conclave to elect an intrepid defender of the Faith who will right the ship and set the record straight. I mean, let’s face it, folks – the papabile talent pool is no more than ankle deep at this point.
Rest assured, Our Lord is not asking us to set aside our intelligence and ability to reason in this matter; on the contrary, we need to make use of these God-given gifts all the more in the absence of true shepherds.
Remember what we are talking about here:
The Petrine Office was instituted by Our Blessed Lord as the “permanent principle” and “visible foundation” by which “the whole multitude of believers should be held together in the unity of faith and communion.” (see Vatican Council I, First Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ, Session V, Article 4)
The stakes could hardly be any higher!
As such, no true soldier for Christ can be content to hold his peace when there is reasonable cause to suspect that a usurper may have ascended to the Chair of St. Peter; much less can he behave as if the quest for sanctity somehow requires as much. At best, this would be an exercise in faux docility; or worse, a dereliction of Christian duty.
– Even if it is possible to reasonably conclude that Francis is most likely an anti-pope, having done so won’t serve as any real remedy to the crisis, nor will it provide any meaningful degree of peace.
Not long ago, a well-known “conservative” Catholic apologist who is presently doddering about in retirement accused me of being motivated in this matter simply because I find Francis so deplorable.
Francis is deplorable, alright, but even if he bore more resemblance to Pope St. Pius X than he does to Martin Luther (difficult to imagine, I know, but humor me here), the gravity of the situation wouldn’t be diminished one iota.
In other words, whether Francis is a blazing heretic or a future saint is entirely irrelevant to the specific matter of Benedict’s resignation and the validity of conclave 2013.
Furthermore, God knows that Benedict himself is a modernist wolf. Given that he wears sheep’s clothing more convincingly than Bergoglio arguably makes him more dangerous still.
As such, there is no “rally ‘round the old guy” movement taking place on these pages, I can assure you; it’s simply a matter of facing a dreadful reality head-on.
No one in their right mind imagines that evidence of a Bergoglian anti-papacy will provide relief from the bitter reality of modern day Catholic life. The mystery surrounding Benedict’s so-called resignation is just one more component of a much deeper crisis; albeit an entirely unique one of incalculable gravity.
With all of that having been said, we must acknowledge that a certain amount of peace does in fact come from knowing the truth, which, after all, is not just a collection of facts, but rather the Person of Christ who said, “The truth will set you free.”
– Until we are informed by someone in authority, we can’t really know with certainty one way or the other whether or not the resignation was valid, or if Francis is an anti-pope, and so on. So, why even bother to inquire into the matter?
Do you really want to confine your inquiry into only those matters about which absolute certainty is attainable?
Before you answer, consider the Third Secret of Fatima, you know… the part that is still hidden; the part that those in authority have been lying about with impunity for many years; the part you likely will never see with your own eyes; i.e., the part about which you will likely never attain infallible certainty.
Now you can answer.
I didn’t think so.
– So what if we can reasonably conclude that Francis is an anti-pope? We can’t do anything about it.
Look, there are plenty of troubles besetting the Church in our day that we cannot fix; e.g., there is nothing we can do to overturn Vatican Council II, nothing we can do to rid the sacred hierarchy of homosexuals, nothing we can do to abrogate the Novus Ordo, etc.
And yet no dependable Catholic commentator would ever suggest that openly and publicly pondering such atrocities is a waste of time and energy; much less a distraction from the call to sanctity.
The pursuit of truth doesn’t always lead to resolution, but it’s never a pointless endeavor.
– Francis hasn’t attempted to use the Petrine Office to define doctrine and to bind us to error, so it matters not in the short term if his papacy is valid.
OK, so what exactly has he done?
He has only managed to set forth blasphemy and heresy in what appears to be an authentic papal instrument; thus ensuring the universal practice of blatant Eucharistic sacrilege while undermining the Lord’s very own words concerning the indissolubility of marriage – and all of this under the guise of papal approval.
One may have also noticed that His Humbleness has issued no less than sixteen documents motu proprio – more than Benedict XVI did over a period of nearly eight years; among them, directives altering the annulment process as well as the process for removing bishops from office.
He has also leveraged the power of the Petrine Office to decimate a flourishing religious order, the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, and this for the high crime of exhibiting “Lefebvrist tendencies” (otherwise known as Catholic tendencies).
He has likewise given the appearance of papal approval for oral contraception and condom use in the face of a bogus medical scare likely created by population control advocates.
He even lent the prestige of the papacy to a United Nations Sustainable Development program that calls on member states to “ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health.”
These actions effect the entire Church; indeed, the entire world!
And somehow it matters not in the short run whether they come from the Vicar of Christ or just some costumed imposter?
For some, it’s very tempting to act as if this is true, and on a certain level, I get it.
It’s “fight or flight.”
In the face of this unprecedented attack on the Petrine ministry, the “visible foundation” of the Church, some Catholic commentators will flee, and it must be said that flight has its rewards. Others will dig in and fight, which is always carried out at a cost.
I choose the latter.
And if a modern day St. Paul corrects our modern day St.Peter who then accepts the correction and rights the ship will you still have doubts about him?
Honestly, I don’t know what to make of it all myself at this point.
Pope Francis clearly and undeniably speaks heresies – but if he accepts correction and retracts his heretical statements (I know, big “IF” there), then all is well…right?
Francis has been called upon publicly to correct, retract, and clarify in such way as to affirm the Church’s bi-millennial practices and the immutable doctrine from which they flow. Common sense alone tells us he has also been corrected privately.
.
He has given us his answer in the form of his approval of the Beunos Aires bishops’ directive.
.
May he still an about face? Anything is possible, I suppose, but realistically speaking, there are no more St. Pauls who have yet to call him to account. That ship has sailed.
As a lowly pewsitter I’ve written a heartfelt letter to an archbishop friend in Europe imploring him to fight for our Lord in the face of the monstrous evil coming from Rome. One strong voice is all that’s needed to inspire others. I’m bereft that not one prelate has come forth and told Francis publicly how abominable he is. Cardinal Burke’s and Bishop Schneider’s rumblings are far too timid. It’s surreal. The imagery of the world’s bishops and cardinals locked up in their chanceries playing with dolls is apt.
Keep up the fight, Louie. I beg Our Lady to fortify you.
I think it all well and good to discuss the possibility of Francis not being validly elected as long as we keep the caveat that we don’t know. And what about the recent book Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI put out there that extols Francis and pretty much gives the impression that he realizes he is no longer Pope?
Mundabor did a good job at pointing out the pretty insane consequences of the concept of “Anti-Pope” like “what happens when Benedict dies?” “what happens when Pope Francis dies?” “what about all of the cardinals and bishops Pope Francis has elevated? All of the acts of office?”. Mundabor also wisely pointed out that we’ve had doozies for Popes in the past and centuries where we didn’t know who the true Pope was. Does that mean we don’t fight against this insanity? Of course not. But we do make sure we recognize Pope Francis as Pope until the right authority says otherwise, keep speaking the truth, keep fighting the fight, and sure, discuss the possibilities but pray and trust Our Lord will work this out in His time and way:+)
Here is Mundabor’s take on this: https://mundabor.wordpress.com/2016/09/14/francisvacantism-leads-to-sedevacantism/
I will say this…these are some bat crazy times are living in. And I am so grateful to you, Louie, for being such a stalwart fighter and leader of sanity, truth and Our Lord in these times. May He bless you abundantly for it:+) God bless~
The crux of the matter is that none of the Popes or Hierarchies since VII have been Traditional Catholic, or even just catholic. They have all been infected with the Marxist/Masonic/Modernism that entered the CC much earlier but coming to fruition at that time. Their commitment to an utterly false ecumenism gripped the Catholic world as many felt that the time had come for belligerency to cease. The notion that the ‘other side’ were never going to be required to bewail the Protestant Revolt & amend their ways never occurred to anyone at that time as it was taken as necessity. Of course, it didn’t rest there, as every infidel in the world was invited to Assisi to pray – even chanting & lighting fires to their false gods in Catholic Churches. This was followed by Satanists celebrating black masses in the Vatican itself with reportedly senior members of the Hierarchy attending. I think we can assume at this juncture the CC was totally usurped by Marxist/Masonic/Modernist cult who would stop at nothing in their hatred of Christ Our King to render His Church on earth in tatters. We can agree that a good job has been done.
At this late stage all that matters is that the Church Militant must come into the picture & demand the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in accordance with Her instructions & mandated, followed by the immediate release of the Third Secret in full. Until both these measures are publicly undertaken in accordance with Her wishes, there simply will be no answer to this appalling desecration of Her Son’s Church on earth. We know it will be done but we need to secure that it is carried out NOW, before the Lund fiasco ahead of us & the likely repercussions from it. This is what Our Lady requires of us & Her triumph will follow.
If the popes before this “Francis” would not consecrate Russia, nothing short of a miracle will make him and the bishops of the world do it now.
Our Lady asked us to pray the Rosary, do penance and make the First Saturdays of reparation. We’d better get busy.
I have written over thirty letters to Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI regarding the Consecration of Russia and the Revelation of the 3rd Secret. Additionally, I’ve written some two hundred fifty letters to American bishops. I’ve never received a reply from any of them. My hope is in Our Blessed Mother’s Rosary.
The Freemasons, the Communists and the Modernists were always intent on destroying the Church. Then the Lateran Treaty dumped an oil tanker full of cash in the lap of Pope Pius XI. Since 1929, the Vatican Bank has been creating astronomical amounts of wealth. Can you imagine anything that would motivate evil men more than a simultaneous hate of God and love of money converging together in one place, namely at the Vatican?
When I think of the dire messages given by The Blessed Mother at Quito and LaSalette not to mention the words given to Marie Julie Jahenny concerning the horrors coming to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass , I truly shudder. What we have done to Our Precious Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is beyond my comprehension and I’m filled with sorrow for my sins and the sins committed by the heirarchy.Only Our Immaculate Mother can help us. We must focus on Her Promises and her requests at Fatima. Only She can help us now. Our Lady of Fatima, Ora Pro Nobis!
Our Lady said it would be done, but late. We need to make a great noise so as to frighten them into bringing it forward. Most Liberalists are cowards at heart & could just do it to shut us up, not expecting any outcome from it.
At this point, I would welcome an anti-pope if he were actually CATHOLIC!! I’m desperate!
Ann,
Astute observations. There’s more evidence every day of the most powerful organizations on earth uniting with Pope Francis and his indifferentism. I don’t spend a lot of time reading conspiracy theories, but can’t ignore the global unity threat, because it’s so in line with what I see in the Book of Revelations.
I noticed this week that Francis “coincidentally” ended his big Assisi- revival for- Peace meeting, on September 21, the same day declared as World day of peace by the syncretic organization- United Religions Initiative, whose rules of membership include Francis’ familiar mandate -never to proselytize.
No dogma= no unchanging truth= no God= atheism–the errors of Russia continue to spread. I recently read that the “club of Rome” proposed paying women who only have one child, a one-time bonus at age 50, of $80,000 – for helping them create negative population growth, so the earth’s resources aren’t strained.
Like you, I remind myself regularly as I watch prophecy being fulfilled; that God gave it to us to provide extra hope in our times of persecution, and that hope, as you point out here, will NOT be disappointed. Revelations goes BEYOND the false prophet and beast to assure us of their downfall by Divine intervention, just as Our Lady promised the time of Peace, in the end. .
Meanwhile, we watch and pray, and do what we can to speak the truth so we will not merit being numbered among the lukewarm.
I expect more trials to come, but I understand the jubilant feeling some blogs are expressing right now, as more and more prominent voices are added to ours.
a little animated joy, doesn’t hurt: 🙂
http://connecticutcatholiccorner.blogspot.com/2016/09/theyre-coming-out-of-woodwork-now.html
Careful what you wish for **CAUTION** 😉
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Youtube+Pope+Michael&view=detail&mid=167490A489AB40858536167490A489AB40858536&FORM=VIRE
No, It ain’t me…
The Consecration will be done when there are drastically fewer people and Bishops still living.
I watched the video here with Dr. Joseph Seifert on Gloria TV, and he said that receiving of Holy Communion is a sacramental discipline. It is a doctrinal teaching from Sacred Scripture where St. Paul teaches us about receiving the Lord unworthily. A doctrinal teaching cannot be changed but a discipline established by the Church can.
Or am I incorrect?
Otherwise, he was courageous in speaking out about the heresies he pointed out in AL, asking Francis to revoke them rather than simply clarifying them.
You are not alone in your efforts. I’ve written many letters over the years as well with absolutely no response.
At least pope Michael I isn’t one of them dreaded sedevacantists.
In the world today, it is always a case of following the money. That is true within the corrupt Vatican bank.
By the way, Francis called off the investigation of the Vatican’s finances by Price-Waterhouse-Cooper. Gee, I wonder why.
Louie, please see the post by helpusLord where Gloria TV recorded an interview with Dr. Joseph Seifert who has lent his voice in protest against the heresies of AL.
Technically, I believe it is part of a discipline, but I’ve heard it explained that in the case of the Eucharist, it cannot be altered because worthy reception was already so dogmatically required by Scripture,, “He who eats unworthily….etc.”
I read Dr. Seifert’s words, keeping in mind he was a close friend of JPII, and was surprised at how traditional it sounded. I wonder if he’s done anything similar against false ecumenism such as his friend’s kissing the Muslim holy book that disavows Christ as God the Son.
I’ve done the same but gotten Vatican form letters in response.
Amoris was worded to give the impression neither the dogma nor the discipline would be changed, as reception would still be open only to venial sinners. His “change” was authorizing priests to “discern” with the sinner, that theirs is a “special case” wherein what was always treated as Mortal, can now be deemed venial. dr. Seifert could see how that whole beast would tear the Church apart and become widespread immediately, as it is doing.
Amen!
Zecheriah 13:7-9
7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that cleaveth to me, saith the Lord of hosts: strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn my hand to the little ones.
8 And there shall be in all the earth, saith the Lord, two parts in it shall be scattered, and shall perish: but the third part shall be left therein.
9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined: and I will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say: Thou art my people: and they shall say: The Lord is my God.
Psalm 23:1
1 Woe to the pastors, that destroy and tear the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord.
2 Therefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel to the pastors that feed my people: You have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold I will visit upon you for the evil of your doings, saith the Lord.
Hi Louie
You ask a good question “Pope or anti-Pope, does it really matter?”. In my opinion the self-destruction of the Catholic Church will continue right up until the day that a Real Pope performs the Collegial Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and I believe that Our Lord and Our Lady have made it clear that this will not happen before 13 June 2029 – if you like I can send to you a copy of my now completed 4-Part Study on that subject – incidentally I recently received a request for a copy from a Spanish TV Director as his TV network is working on a Fatima project. You can contact me at lauriemyers86@gmail.com. Keep up the great work you are doing.
Ezekial 34:1-5
1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 Son of man, prophesy concerning the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to the shepherds: Thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that fed themselves: should not the flocks be fed by the shepherds?
3 You ate the milk, and you clothed yourselves with the wool, and you killed that which was fat: but my flock you did not feed.
4 The weak you have not strengthened, and that which was sick you have not healed, that which was broken you have not bound up, and that which was driven away you have not brought again, neither have you sought that which was lost: but you ruled over them with rigour, and with a high hand.
5 And my sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd: and they became the prey of all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.
Well, not any more, anyway. 🙂
“At age 30, David Bawden had been elected to the (allegedly) vacant throne of Saint Peter as legitimated heir of the Roman Catholic Popes. In a conclave of 6, including David and his two parents… “
Our Lady of the Rosary wrote a letter to Pope John Paul II and to Benedict XVI. We call that letter, The Third Secret of Fatima. Both Popes read the letter, carefully. Both Popes chose to disobey The Blessed Virgin Mary with the full consent of their wills.
The Popes have their very own accountants, Dewey-Cheetum-Ande-Howe.
Actually my Aunt is the real Pope. I call her Auntie Pope.
As usual, a great post, Louie. But the part where you, in effect, are saying, “What difference does it make?” reminds me of a politician who said exactly the same thing in a situation in which it really DID matter. Pope or anti-pope? Huge difference from the standpoint of people trying to understand how any of this could be happening with someone who is portrayed as a successor to St. Peter.
Excellent point. It certainly DOES matter as to whether or not the seat is vacant.
Yes, we sedes are all a bunch of nut-cases (rolling my eyes). Sedes have been saying that the seat has been vacant for decades…..it took a true piece of excrement like jorgie boy for non-sedes to admit that , yeah….the seat may actually be vacant.
BTW….mundabor is an embarrassment; his crass way of speaking, as someone who runs a supposed “Catholic” blog, is sickening.
You do realize that basically all sede’s reject this stupidity just as much as you do? We believe that the seat is vacant because the vatican 2 religion is a false/anti-Catholic religion, and that anyone claiming to be the “pope” of this bogus religion couldnt possibly be Catholic, nor a pope.
Mundy doesnt know the difference between a pope who is a moral degenerate and a “pope” who espouses heresy. HUGE difference between the two.
No matter how any of us feel about Bergoglio (Pope–anti-pope–no pope), the world at large sees him as THE POPE. So does it matter what we think even if we don’t agree? Yes, because TRUTH is essential and the bottom line. Christ said “I am The Truth”. Perhaps, Our Lord is the only Truth we could count on. So what are we to do? Ride out this storm striving to be aka Catholics in a very un-Catholic world including those sitting in the Vatican. We can’t change what is, but we could pray and defend the TRUTHS of our faith given to us by Our Lord to Peter and the Apostles. The ultimate Truth—Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart will triumph. In the meantime, take heart and be strong.
Archbishop Lefebvre:
“…we persist in these truths that are strong, as Almighty God Himself is strong. And that is why we can truly say, we have the future because we keep the past, because that has not changed. Our Lord has not changed, the Church has not changed, the sacraments have not changed, the Mass cannot change, our catechism cannot change. If we have that treasure that the Church has given to us, that Our Lord has given to us for the conversion of souls, for the salvation of our souls, and that he has given to us for two thousand years, then we can be sure that in doing what has been done for two thousand years, we will also have the future. We will at least have heaven. If we do not have, here below, the earth, well we will at least have heaven, and that is the true future.
But we are also sure that one day here below this truth will come back. It is not possible that the good Lord abandon His Church, and you are the Church. You represent the Church. That which you do here in this Priory and in all the groups that wish to maintain Tradition, that is the Church, it is the Mystical Body of Our Lord that reacts against the microbes that would like to infect them. The Mystical Body reacts, it reacts everywhere…”
+Lefebvre:
“So when we get asked the question when will there be an agreement with Rome, my answer is simple: when Rome recrowns Our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot agree with those who uncrown Our Lord. The day they recognize again our Lord King of peoples and nations, it is not us who shall have rejoined them, but they who come back to the Catholic Church in which we live. “
Anyone who says that the Chair of Peter is vacant, calls Our Lord a liar and cannot be a Catholic.
Psalm 45:11
Be still and see that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, and I will be exalted in the earth.
Well, you may need to start adding a lot of non-sede, traditional Catholics (such as the some of the good posters here), to your list of those who you deem “cannot be a Catholic.” Im not really sure what you mean by saying that certain people are calling the Lord a liar; He promised us a never failing Church, that is all.
TRUTH is essential and the bottom line. Christ said “I am The Truth”. Perhaps, Our My 2 cents wrote above,
” So what are we to do? Ride out this storm striving to be aka Catholics in a very un-Catholic world including those sitting in the Vatican. We can’t change what is, but we could pray and defend the TRUTHS of our faith given to us by Our Lord to Peter and the Apostles. The ultimate Truth—Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart will triumph. In the meantime, take heart and be strong.”
What you said there is very important. The recent Remnant/CFN 3-Part denunciation of Francis, quotes part of the Summa where St. Thomas addressed correcting a brother and, COMPLETELY CONTRADICTED what we keep hearing from Pope Francis about this. (when he preaches we are not to speak of sin, and if we do, we are holding ourselves up higher, i.e. being sinful)
St. Thomas defined such corrective action as a PRECEPT, not reserved to the hierarchy, and not even to be kept private when it threatens the common good with scandal. He adds that it can be a mortal sin to OMIT such corrections, under certain circumstances, writing:
“the fraternal correction which is an act of charity is within the competency of everyone in respect of any person towards whom he is bound by charity, provided there be something in that person which requires correction.” “..fraternal correction may be omitted in such a way that one commits a mortal sin, namely, “when…one fears what people may think, or lest one may suffer grievous pain or death….”
“.. if the faith were endangered, a subject ought to rebuke HIS PRELATE even publicly. Hence Paul, who was PETER’S SUBJECT, rebuked him in public, on account of the imminent danger of scandal concerning faith, and, as the gloss of Augustine says on Gal. 2:11, “Peter gave an example to superiors, that if at any time they should happen to stray from the straight path, they should not disdain to be reproved by their subjects.”
And, regarding this correction of ” superiors” by “inferiors”,
Thomas reminds us to stay motivated by charity, using a respectful, kindly tone, and to leave just authorities to mete out any punishments due. But bearing those restrictions in mind, he writes:
” Just as he who has the means wherewith to give corporal assistance is rich in this respect, so he whose reason is gifted with a sane judgment, so as to be able to correct another’s wrong-doing, is, in this respect, to be looked on as a superior.”
“also remember that when a man reproves his prelate charitably, it does not follow that he thinks himself any better, but merely that he offers his help to one who, “being in the higher position among you, is therefore in greater danger,” as Augustine observes in his Rule.”.
Finally in this section of the Summa, Thomas discusses- when ommitting a correction is allowable- which requires an assessment of whether it spurs the offender to do even greater harm, making it counterproductive.
-all good things to consider when posting.
[all the above quotes- taken from the Summa, Second part of the Second Part Question 33]
Huh? The chair’s vacant every time a pope dies, ( or resigns), and sometimes it takes a really long time till it’s filled again. No lyin’ there.
Your condemnation is contained in the Dogmatic Constitution of the the Church, Pastor Aeternus, Vatican Council I. I have a limited tolerance for the Yahoo Worthy. The very best example is given below by Mike, “Huh? The chair’s vacant every time a pope dies”. What a truly Yahoo Worthy come back.
Hi OldTradCat, God bless you for your diligence and faithfulness.
The pope serves, honors and obeys God by working to build up the Body of Christ and bring the true message of Christ to those who have neither heard it or to correct the errors upon which those who have heard it reject it, never speaking or acting in a way which might serve to destroy the faith of the true believers and prevent them from obtaining salvation, and never in a way that will leave those outside of the Church without any hope of saving their souls.
Those of us who believe (rightly) that the pope who is the Supreme Authority of the Church, the Vicar of Christ, the successor of St. Peter, has a duty and responsibility commanded by Christ to go out into the whole world, teaching and preaching the Truth, who is the Person of Christ crucified and resurrected, who sits on the right hand of Father, who is the ruler of Heaven and earth, who will come again in glory to judge the living and dead. The pope is responsible for sanctifying souls for the coming Kingdom will not admit the soul who is not pure. He is to protect the Sacred Deposit of Faith and Sacred Tradition. He is to expose error and correct it as the highest form of charity and fidelity to Christ. He is to lead all people to Christ.
Which part of this describes the words and acts of Francis?
I don’t think Bergoglio has a clue regarding the job description of Vicar of Christ. I’m not even sure he knows that as pope (true or false) he is supposed to be the Vicar of Christ on earth. Isn’t there anyone who could sit down with him and clue him in? Does anyone care??
Take a breath…you’re starting to show your true colors. If you want to start damning people, you are going to have to widen your grasp…..a lot of non-sede’s (once again) are seeing the writing on the wall . Mike’s comment isnt a “yahoo” comment , its a grammar-school level common sense comment.
The point was made that, even if Francis were not a heretic, it is still a matter of urgency to determine if he is validly pope.
excellent. One of the few who knows an anti-pope when he sees one.
Okay, out of the schoolyard. Rushintuit, could you show where Pastor Aeternus refers to saying “the Chair of Peter is vacant, calls Our Lord a liar” ? Closest reference I found was Chap 2;5″if anyone says that it is not by the institution of Christ the (L)ord himself (that is to say, by divine law) that blessed Peter should have perpetual successors in the primacy over the whole Church; or that the Roman Pontiff is not the successor of blessed Peter in this primacy: let him be anathema. ” i.e. Saying the Pope is not Peter’s successor is wrong.