Just over two-and-a-half years ago, Francis’ first major interview (with Fr. Anthony Spadaro, S.J.) was published, at which point Catholic writers like me, in search of insights into his already troubling pontificate, couldn’t get their hands on an English translation fast enough.
Looking back, two of my takeaways from that interview seem to stand out:
First, Pope Francis seems to imagine that a certain dichotomy, or at the very least, a noteworthy tension, exists between orthodoxy and orthopraxy; belief and practice; doctrine and spirituality.
Second, Pope Francis is a modernist.
I think it’s safe to say that both observations have since been proven correct beyond any shadow of doubt.
Now, I offer this walk down memory lane, not in order to engage in a bit of “I told you so,” but rather to suggest just how far we have fallen.
Just yesterday, the French Catholic daily La Croix published an interview of His Humbleness that by comparison has garnered very little attention.
In a way, this makes perfect sense.
With the publication of Amoris Laetitia in particular, all but the weakest of intellect and faith among us now know perfectly well what we are dealing with in Francis – a humanist, a blasphemer, and a heretic.
In other words, as it concerns this dreadful pontificate, faithful Catholics are no longer seeking insights but rather refuge.
Even so, if for no other reason than to document the extent of the crisis through which we are currently living, let’s take a look at some of what Francis had to say.
When asked how he would characterize a positive form of laicity in light of the significance of Islam in France today (‘laicity’ referring to the separation of Church and State), Francis proposed:
States must be secular. Confessional states end badly. That goes against the grain of History. I believe that a version of laicity accompanied by a solid law guaranteeing religious freedom offers a framework for going forward. We are all equal as sons (and daughters) of God and with our personal dignity. However, everyone must have the freedom to externalize his or her own faith…
The glorification of the secular State is a direct fruit of the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humane; it’s also entirely irreconcilable with the Catholic faith.
Numerous citations to this effect may be given, but I will limit myself to just three, beginning with the Encyclical of Pope St. Pius X, Vehementer Nos:
That the State must be separated from the Church is a thesis absolutely false, a most pernicious error. Based, as it is, on the principle that the State must not recognize any religious cult, it is in the first place guilty of a great injustice to God; for the Creator of man is also the founder of human societies, and preserves their existence as He preserves our own. We owe Him, therefore, not only a private cult, but a public and social worship to honor Him.
One can argue, as most churchmen will today, that the Catholic confessional State is a relic of a bygone age, but these words of the saintly Pius X are not based on passing historical circumstances in the least; rather, they express a teaching that is founded squarely upon the immutable demands of justice; i.e., that which is owed to Almighty God in all ages.
His venerable predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, writing in the Encyclical Immortale Dei spoke of the relationship between Church and State as comparable “to the union of the soul and body in man.”
Rather than seeing the Catholic Confessional State as a recipe for a “bad ending,” Pope Leo XIII painted the following image:
In the constitution of the State such as We have described, divine and human things are equitably shared; the rights of citizens assured to them, and fenced round by divine, by natural, and by human law; the duties incumbent on each one being wisely marked out, and their fulfilment fittingly insured … Furthermore, domestic society acquires that firmness and solidity so needful to it from the holiness of marriage…
Stripped as it is of its soul, the Church, what then is left of the secular State?
A lifeless body; one destined to become infested with such odious things as gay marriage, abortion on demand, and transgender rights; necrotizing society like so many maggots feasting on a rotting corpse.
In other words, the secular State is a body in rebellion against itself by virtue of its rejection of its Sovereign and Ruler, Christ the King who reigns through His Church, the very source of its life, the Same of whom Pope Pius XI stated in Quas Primas:
To use the words of Our immortal predecessor, Pope Leo XIII: “His empire includes not only Catholic nations, not only baptized persons who, though of right belonging to the Church, have been led astray by error, or have been cut off from her by schism, but also all those who are outside the Christian faith; so that truly the whole of mankind is subject to the power of Jesus Christ.” Nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society.
That Francis is one with those who stand in direct opposition to the Social Reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ was made evident earlier in the interview when he was asked why he so often speaks of the “roots” of Europe “without ever describing them as Christian.”
Francis explained:
We need to speak of roots in the plural because there are so many. In this sense, when I hear talk of the Christian roots of Europe, I sometimes dread the tone, which can seem triumphalist or even vengeful. It then takes on colonialist overtones.
Ah yes, that dreaded triumphalism by which one proclaims the objective reality that Francis cannot bear to acknowledge; Christus vincit! Christus regnat! Christus imperat!
More repugnant still to those who hate the one true Faith, as Francis plainly does, is that Christ the King conquers, reigns and commands this very day through, with, and in His Mystical Body, the Holy Catholic Church.
That hatred (yes, hatred) was even more clearly expressed later in the interview when he suggested:
Today, I don’t think that there is a fear of Islam as such but of ISIS and its war of conquest, which is partly drawn from Islam. It is true that the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam.
So far so good! But just as one is tempted to believe that a step has been taken in the right direction vis-à-vis this partial acknowledgement that Islam is indeed, in its soul, a religion of violent conquest, he who despises the Holy Catholic Church and her mission says in the very next sentence:
However, it is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest.
Did you get that?
The same idea concerning a ‘war of conquest’ is a possible interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel wherein the very words of Christ are recorded!
This is precisely what hatred – the stock and trade of the Evil One – does to a man; it darkens the intellect, distorting reality to the point where it is no longer fully perceptible.
We’ve seen this act before, all the way back in the Garden of Eden, in fact.
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate…” (Gen 3:6)
Under the influence of the serpent, Eve lost sight of reality; her vision became distorted to such an extent that she “saw that the tree was good for food” when in fact it was quite the opposite.
In the present case, Francis looks at the life-giving mission that Jesus Christ gave to His Church as found in the Gospel according to St. Matthew, and he sees something akin to the Qur’an and its Satan-inspired text calling for Jihad.
In truth, the Reign of Christ the King, and thus the rightful mission of His Church, does indeed entail conquest, but certainly not of the sort associated with Islam which leads to eternal death.
In his sermon given on the Feast of Christ the King in 1979, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (who will, without any doubt whatsoever, be raised to the altars as a canonized Saint should the Church regain her former glory), said in reference to Quas Primas:
Pope Pius XI explains perceptively that Our Lord Jesus Christ is King by conquest. By what conquest?
It is because Our Lord Jesus Christ has conquered all by His Blood, by His Cross and by Calvary. ‘Regnavit a ligno Deus,’ God has reigned from the wood; i.e., from the Cross, Our Lord has conquered all souls, whomsoever they may be, by right – a strict right.
How fitting it is that the interview under discussion was published in a periodical named for the Cross from which God has reigned in Christ by conquest; the same that Francis is pleased to reduce to an instrument of mere coexistence with His enemies.
The true Christian soldier, and more importantly, the truly faithful Roman Pontiff, does not shy away from asserting the Sovereign Rights of Christ the King, nor is he bashful about continuing His conquest in faithful adherence to the mission of Christianizing the nations.
By contrast, Francis is pleased to draw parallels between the Divine Commission given by Christ and the mutinous designs of His adversary.
Let’s not be afraid to identify all that has been mentioned for what it is; namely, a crystal clear indication that the current Bishop of Rome is operating, in no small measure, under diabolical influence.
In other words, his most impactful words and deeds are not the fruits of Divine guidance, but rather do they reflect the deadly hand of the Master Deceiver.
There can be no mistaking it; we are being chastised most severely at this very moment. The Lord has withdrawn His grace – the just reward for having ignored the wishes of His mother.
This is a solid food that many simply are not mature enough in the Faith to digest, and yet, it’s the truth.
Our Lady of Fatima, ora pro nobis!
“Cemo o Cifai”, a phrase spoken by the Distinguished Dr John Rao, can be directed at the current Apostate Bishop of Rome.
It means “Are you an idiot, or do you just act that way”, which since The Walking Heresy of Papa Bergoglio, is appropriate.
To compare The Gospel with the Mission of The Jihadists, does show the man to be Diabolically Disoriented.
“It is necessary that we undertake a crusade, a crusade which is based precisely upon these notions of immutability, of sacrifice, in order to recreate Christianity, to re-establish a Christendom such as the Church desires, such as She has always done, with the same principles, the same Sacrifice of the Mass, the same sacraments, the same catechism, the same Holy Scripture. We must recreate this Christendom! It is to you, my dear brethren, you who are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, that our Lord Jesus Christ addressed Himself in saying: Do not lose the fruit of My Blood, do not abandon My Calvary, do not abandon My Sacrifice. And the Virgin Mary who stands beneath the Cross, tells you the same thing as well. She, whose heart is pierced, full of sufferings and sorrow, yet at the same time filled with the joy of uniting herself to the Sacrifice of her Divine Son; she says to you as well: Let us be Christians; let us be Catholics.
Let us not be borne away by all these worldly ideas, by all these currents of thought which are in the world, and which draw us to sin and to hell. If we want to go to heaven we must follow Our Lord Jesus Christ. We must carry our cross and follow Our Lord Jesus Christ, imitating Him in His Cross, in His suffering, in His Sacrifice. ”
Archbishop Lefebvre
“And I beg you, my dear brethren, to be the leaven – the leaven of the Catholic Church, of this love for the Catholic Church, in all your regions, in all your families, in all your homes. Remain children of Mary. Pray to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Meditate on the lessons that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary gives you. Then you will be true Catholics. You cannot be children of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, in a full and holy manner, without being the best children of the Catholic Church. This is what reassures us that we are indeed true sons of the Catholic Church.
So I am convinced that when you return home you will be true representatives of the Catholic Church, and that you will do all you can so that she continues, despite the difficulties, despite the trials, despite the contradictions. We must all pray together today for you to be witnesses. Just as the apostles received the Holy Ghost through the Virgin Mary, and went forth to give witness to the Gospel throughout the world, so you also must be the witnesses of the Virgin Mary, of the Holy Ghost that you have received through her, and give witness to your faith in God, of your faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ, of your love for the Church, wherever you may be. This is what God desires.
You are the Church! You are the Catholic Church! So let us remain in this Church of the Virgin Mary. Let us confide in her. Let us confide to her our families, especially our children, who so need the help of the Virgin Mary to remain in the true Catholic Faith.”
Archbishop Lefebvre
He’s certainly diabolical, Im not very convinced that he’s disoriented though….Im pretty sure he’s doing exactly what he wants to do.
This man deposed himself two years ago.
According to Scripture you are a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, by adoption through baptism into Christ. For JB to say “We are all equal as sons (and daughters) of God and with our personal dignity” blurs the distinction between being simply a creature of God and an adopted son. A creature who has been adopted as a son is not equal to one who has not been so adopted. To say otherwise means that one believes Baptism does not have the effect of divine filiation . The un-baptized are not “sons and daughters” nor are they our “brothers and sisters,” they are heathens who have not been cleansed of original sin. Using such terms blurs reality. Making indistinguishable those who are in the Church and those outside of it weakens the faith because it makes the act of entrance into Christ, into the faith, through Baptism, seem superfluous and unnecessary.
Galatians 3:26-29 For you are all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ’s, then are you the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.
Acts 2:37-38 Now when they had heard these things, they had compunction in their heart, and said to Peter, and to the rest of the apostles: What shall we do, men and brethren? But Peter said to them: Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Conflating islamic jihad with the great commission is flat out one of the most evil things I’ve ever heard. God have mercy on what remains of HolyMotherChurch.
Your last poignant words:
“There can be no mistaking it; we are being chastised most severely at this very moment. The Lord has withdrawn His grace – the just reward for having ignored the wishes of His mother.
This is a solid food that many simply are not mature enough in the Faith to digest, and yet, it’s the truth.”
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Yes indeed, Mr. Verrecchio. Well said.
You have reiterated the sentiments of Lucia of Fatima when she said during her interview with Fr. Fuentes in 1957:
“If we despise and reject this last means (Our Blessed Mother), Heaven will no longer pardon us, because we will have committed a sin that the Gospel calls a sin against the Holy Spirit. This sin consists in openly rejecting – with full knowledge and will – the salvation that is put in our hands.
Also, since Our Lord is a very good Son, He will not permit that we offend and despise His Blessed Mother. We have as obvious testimony the history of different centuries where Our Lord has shown us with terrible examples how He has always defended the honor of His Blessed Mother.”
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http://traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/g23ht_Interview.html
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Our Lady of Fatima, ora pro nobis!
Thanks for Louie for this great article. I remember being a new convert to the Faith and was shocked in reading Francis’ interview. I was struggling and tried to figure out if I should have converted to Orthodox instead. So I made an appointment to see a priest (non traditional), at the beginning he was trying to do damage control so I went paragraph by paragraph with him and asked him to show me which part that sounds Catholic to him. Finally he said I should just ignore what Francis said because he was not speaking Ex Cathedra (which at that time I had no idea what it meant probably the first time I heard that term). That was the starting point for me to convert to real Catholicism. Now I wonder if my Baptism was valid since my Baptism into the Church was an adult Baptism based mainly on the pseudo Catholicism of EWTN (watched all the episodes of Journey Home by Marcus Grudi). Maybe I should asked for a conditional Baptism because my original faith was based on heresies.
“know perfectly well what we are dealing with in Francis – a humanist, a blasphemer, and a heretic”
Well Fr. Gruner said Francis is not a Catholic, either he lost his faith or he never had the Catholic Faith. Like all the Vatican II Popes he is an (at least material) Apostate. Not sure he is an obvious blasphemer (against the Blessed Trinity? Our Lady? Christ? the Holy Ghost? God the Father?).
I totally agree. I am daily shocked by the comments this Pope makes – however this last one, equating Islamic jihad with Our Blessed Lord’s Great Commission is so shocking as to make me wonder if this Pope actually hates Christianity.
Bergoglio is a revolutionary of the worst kind. That’s why he was elected. That is why we should not expect any of the “Princes of the Church” to fight this evil. He is THEIR man. Burke and Co. are a part of the revolution. God help us.
Insightful and disturbing reflection. Thank you
I agree that this must be a punishment from Our Lord but, as is His purpose, this is an instructive punishment. Francis is clarifying what the Faith is and what the Faith is not by being a full-fledged Modernist. I have learned so much under his reign! Ha…despite the Evil One.
“He who is not with Me is against Me.” There is no “in between”. Anyone who thinks they could walk a fine line between Novus Ordo “catholic” and AKA Catholic will eventually realize they are on a tightrope. They cannot stay there forever. They will fall!
Excellent point! I wonder how much internet traffic increased over the past 3 years to sites like the Catholic Encyclopedia and traditional blogs that offer writings of the Church Fathers and pre VII popes. I know I’ve learned a lot about my Faith in a very short time.
“Ha…despite the Evil One” Indeed! :–)
I’m very grateful there are people dedicated to sorting through these press releases that tend to leave me only with more questions. In light of all the facts you revealed about this one, Mr. V, I’m wondering what you think about the latest hints coming out that the SSPX is very near reconciling with the Vatican?
As a fisherman, I can’t help the feeling these modernists are just trying different baits and lures on the good Bishop, waiting to set the hook and reel him in. With every interview, he’s sounding more hopeful. But with every post you make, I see more reason not to go anywhere near them right now. I wonder if my concerns are overboard.
http://m.ncregister.com/daily-news/sspxs-bishop-fellay-little-by-little-rome-is-giving-us-all-we-need-for-reco/#.Vz38yDP2bIW
“In other words, his most impactful words and deeds are not the fruits of Divine guidance, but rather do they reflect the deadly hand of the Master Deceiver. ” So, in other words, are you sayin’ that his less impactful words and deeds ARE the fruits of Divine guidance? Or that the Trinity dwells in the same person w/the unclean spirits (Matt 12:45) who live in those who disobey God’s commandments, teach others to disobey God’s commandments, and willfully and knowingly (I’m going to say something a heretical here) spread the gospel of the AntiChrist? Yeah, that’s real traditional, LV! No wonder you go to St. Alphonsus–the Master Deceiver is there, but so is Jesus Christ (right there in the same host!).
“There can be no mistaking it; we are being chastised most severely at this very moment.” Tell it to your iphone as you videotape yourself, Dives (and Divas)!
“The Lord has withdrawn His grace – the just reward for having ignored the wishes of His mother.” What about “I will not leave you orphaned” or “and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world?” Are you now joining Francis in calling Jesus Christ a liar ? It is true that Jesus Christ is with the anti-Christ VC2 sect you frequent as much as He is w/Jewish synagogue or heretical protestant sects, but that does not mean that He has withdrawn His grace from the faithful or His Church. There are still Catholic clergy preaching the true faith and administering the true sacraments (pre-VC2/Catechism of Trent): that’s “strong medicine”–not half truths and heresies designed to impress and keep you on the Fatima Center conference-banquet circuit.
Some of us come to the logical conclusion as to what is going on, and what the true reality is, sooner than others.
Starting in 1929- Pius XI introduced financial corruption into the Church and ignored Our Lady’s request for the Consecration of Russia.
Pius XII maintained the Vatican’s financial status quo while also ignoring the request for the Consecration of Russia.
John XXIII, a Freemason, paved the way for Montini, a Communist.
John Paul I looked into the dealings of the Vatican Bank and died suddenly.
John Paul II not only turned a blind eye toward the Vatican Bank, he was more than happy to find that he had tens of millions of dollars at his disposal for Poland’s Solidarity movement.
John Paul II’s reign was diabolic in a way that makes Pope Francis look like an amateur. Think about it; after the assassination attempt, Wojtyla proclaimed that he was the “Bishop Dressed in White” and deceived the world. He blatantly Consecrated the “world” instead of Russia, all the while knowing that it wouldn’t be accepted by Heaven. Then in a pathetic display of his apostasy, he summoned the world’s religions to Assisi to pray for peace.
Say what you will about the horrors of the current Pontificate. Pope John Paul II will go down in history as the most evil Pope that the world has ever known. John Paul II inaugurated liturgical abuse and World Youth Days, the idea that all religions are equal and everything else that Jorge Bergolio stands for.
Hi helpusLord:
Research this blog for a post approx. two weeks ago. Louie laid out his thoughts about full SSPX reconciliation. I believe he is very enthusiastic.
If it does come to pass, I will be joyous. I pray the SSPX resuscitate my diocese, mired in sodomy-friendly prelates and modernism.
You dont lay down with the dog lest you get fleas. The desire to become one with the apostate v2 church by the SSPX (regardless of the fact that as a sede I have MAJOR issues with the SSPX) is unconscionable. Shame on Bp Fellay if he makes any agreement with these people. The mere thought makes me sick.
I cant disagree with you, but lets not forget the role that the jacket and tie clad Fr Ratzinger played in the formation of the evil council.
Pope F: “States must be secular. Confessional states end badly. That goes against the grain of History.” In Anno Domini 301, Armenians became the first people to make Christianity their official state religion. The Armenians are still around, and still Christian — despite centuries of persecution by Mohammedans, genocide by the Mohammedan Turks, 70 years of enslavement by the communist Soviet Union, current attacks by Mohammedan Azerbaijan and, worst of all, secularism urged by the demonic U.S. State Department.
(U.S. foreign aid to Armenia is based on advancing U.S. policy agendas. A U.S. State Department report on Armenia decried, “No antidiscrimination laws apply to sexual orientation or gender identity. Societal attitudes toward LGBT persons remained highly negative, with society generally viewing homosexuality as an affliction. Societal discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity negatively affected the employment, family relations, and access to education and health care of sexual minorities.”
Link: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/204468.pdf
Contra Pope F, if the U.S. govt. succeeds in secularizing Armenia, it will mean a final genocide for them.
And the same for every people, including us and U.S.
Push the button, Louie! Push the button!
Great article, Louie. St. Pius X-always so refreshing to read his words. You made one
minor/major mistake in your wording below:
Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (who will, without any doubt whatsoever, be raised to the altars as a canonized Saint should the Church regain her former glory,)
Perhaps you meant “when” instead of should, right? Our Lady of Good Success and of Fatima on those two separate occasions assured us that her Immaculate Heart will Triumph! Yahoo!! Our Lady of Good Success promised that the church will be restored and that we WILL have a very Holy prelate. Also, I recently read the words of Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser from the 1600s who prophesied that God will also give us an earthly King at that time who will be reigning in this future time of peace when the church and proper hierarchy is restored. I hope we live to see it. How awesome that will be. UNIMAGINABLE! like a fairy tale or something. We are such poor peasants during such a plush and luxurious time.
Also, I hope God saves the canonization of little, precious Jacinta for that era. Right?
So can Armenian be saved in their religion? My understanding is they are not Catholics.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-umb5rSjklLE/VVJ0Hy2MTyI/AAAAAAAASaU/1zBHNdy4rmw/s1600/Jacinta-marto-fatima-portugal-1917.jpg
How much Archbishop Lefebvre loved Our Most Blessed Virgin Mother!
We never hear words like this about Our Lady even from the very “best” of our prelates.
Oooo, I wish he would, too. He must not keep an eye on the comments section.
I think the phrase in Italian is “Scemo o ci fai?” Which is a truncation of the phrase “Sei scemo, o ci fai.” “Scemo” here as an adj. with the hidden second person sing. of the verb “essere”, “to be”.
Or it could come from the phrase “Sei uno scemo, o ci fai,” in which “scemo” complements the verb “sei”, “you (s.) are”. Scemo here being a noun meaning dolt or silly. (Interesting enough, “scemare” as a verb means “to be reduced.” Therefore, one may say of the Novus Ordo Mass that it is a “scemo” version of Mass of All Ages. Or, in other words, it is “the scemo Mass”, or, dare I say it, the Mass for the “scemi”, being the plural of “scemo”. But don’t get confused here, “scemo” has nothing to do with the Latin derived English word “scimmian”, which means “chimp” as in “chimpanzee.” Now that would be utterly offensive.)
I maintain that “Ci” here in front of “fai” is used as a reflexive pronoun for the hidden second singular person complementary to the second person singular of the verb “fare”, “to do (Engl)”, “facere (Lat.).” “Ci” may also have derived from the Latin pronoun “Hic”, “Haec”, “Hoc”, wherein the Italian tongue softened the hard Latin “c” and aspirated a vowel after it.
— the Pedantic One*
*See what happens when you’re not a modernist. If its not one thing its another.
St. Benedict of Norcia, ora pro nobis.
In the interview he also said SSPX needs to agree Vatican II has value ( I am sure he didn’t mean Vatican II shows how a Church Council can be evil).
See this related post:
Pope Francis hates the Catholic faith
https://akacatholic.com/pope-francis-hates-the-catholic-faith/