In his latest interview, Pope Francis was asked about his health. For those who are praying that he may have a lengthy reign, his answer wasn’t gloomy, but it was less than reassuring.
I do have some aches and pains, and at my age ailments don’t go unnoticed. But I am in God´s hands, up to now I have been able to work steadily.
He doesn’t really look all that well to me. Watching coverage of his trip to Turkey, I thought he looked more drained than ever. A younger man would likely be exhausted from that trip as well, so who knows…
That said, watching (as a form of mortification) the Papal Mass offered at St. Peter’s Basilica for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, however, gives rise to new concerns. In the brief excerpt below, you’ll see and hear that his breathing seems terrible. And for the record, this was just before the Confiteor and well prior to the band banging out their pulse raising version of the Gloria in Creole Latin hoedown style.
(If you’ve not had the… ahem… pleasure of viewing it yet, a clip is available at Catholic Family News. Go, take a look and offer up the suffering for the Holy Souls.)
Now, let me be clear… I’m not praying for the pope’s demise (as some have been quick to accuse in the past).
Truth be known, I pray and fast often for his conversion, and given this most recent indication that his health is not very good, I would urge all concerned to redouble their efforts to do the same.
Dear Louie,
Like you, we’re praying for the good of the Holy Father’s soul, and we add to that- a petition for God to save us from the harmful effects of his words and actions.
If it’s God’s will that we suffer this for a while longer, then we know it’s to bring the greatest possible good out of it. And right now, we’re noticing more people waking up to the reality of how bad things are.
–Add Pat Archbold to that list-just today because of the Pope’s latest interview in “La Nacion:. He writes about all the reasons he had not commented on interviews in the past–all the people who had convinced him that was the right thing to do,, and then tells why he just changed his mind:
“Since the Pope does intend such informal and semi-informal communications to be part of his personal magisterium while simultaneously asserting the clarity of this body of teaching, it is necessary for me to re-evaluate my approach. With proper respect for the papacy and even accounting for a fair amount of Kentucky windage, I think it reasonable, necessary, and proper to evaluate such comments in light of clarity and continuity.
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/pat-archbold/this-papal-interview-changes-everything#ixzz3M5zRA5Mq
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/pat-archbold/this-papal-interview-changes-everything
Perhaps recalling the words of “The Confiteor” leaves him breathless.
It may put you at ease to see how well Bergoglio looks in this video from yesterday at the DSM. What he says, however, is typically awful.
Is this another sign of our ecumenical effectiveness?
The Church of England today announced its final- approval of the appointment (and installation next month), of Libby Lane, a woman- “priest”( whose husband is also a priest)–as the first female Bishop in its 500-year history. Mrs. Lane said: “I am very conscious of all those who have gone before me, women and men, who for decades have looked forward to this moment.”
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Archbishop of Canterbury- Justin Welby, who is now being hailed as “the man who succeeded where his predecessors failed in elevating women to church leadership” says he is “absolutel delighted” by the appointment.
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Six months ago in Rome, he met with the international ecumenical Catholic foundation “Chemin Neuf”, (4 of whose members took up residence at Lambeth Palace earlier this year, and visited the Monastery of San Gregorio al Celio for ecumenical vespers.)
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During his meeting with Pope Francis at the time,, they spoke of their “mutual appreciation of the recent work of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) concluding that the burdens of division continue, “but the opportunities for new collaboration and much deeper understanding between the two world communions are compelling and timely.”
–Today’s announcement certainly seems “timely”
Happy 78th birthday Holy Father, from your ecumenical partners in England?
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/ap/ap/top-news/church-of-england-appoints-first-female-bishop/njTjp/
We pray for the Pope and we pray for the Church. The actions of PF are very troubling at best. Perhaps God in His infinite wisdom is permitting this pontificate as a form of chastisement to see just how far apostasy must go before getting the attention of even the CINO’s, Neo-Catholics, Liberals, etc. Barring a conversion, what I do know is that it is going to get much, much worse before it gets better as long as PF occupies the Chair of Peter. Narcissism characterized as “humility” absent a temporal superior is a blueprint for scorn and scandal. May the Lord have Mercy on the faithful and end this soon.
“Dies eius fiant pauci, et episcopatum eius alter accipiat.”…as the Bible says.
That picture of P. Francis reminded me of someone. He looks like Alistair Sim playing Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol”! Hmmm, I wonder if he’s about to be visited by the Ghost of Christmas yet to come?