A New Buzz Phrase for the Lexicon of Catholic Liberals: The "Francis Magisterium"

Just tell those recalcitrant bishops in the U.S. it's the "Francis magisterium" and they better obey!

What's a liberal pope and his liberal "magisterium" to do?..

...When his critics question his authority over innovations he's introduced into Holy Mother Church including pagan idols like Pachamama.....

WHAT TO DO?

....When his critics express horror at the company he keeps and question his giving a Vatican voice and platform to those who promote abortion, contraception, homosexuality, population control, eugenics, etc.....

WHAT TO DO?

...When his ecclesial brothers ask for clarification and he doesn't want to give it and stony silence isn't enough....

WHAT TO DO?

AHA!...add a new buzz phrase to the papal lexicon of ambiguity and confusion and get his henchmen in red and black to start jamming it.

And so enter the papal nuncio, Cardinal Blase Cupich (arguably the most powerful prelate in the United States), Bishop Robert McElroy, all his Vatican henchman, etc. to promote....

THE FRANCIS MAGISTERIUM!

Really, they should make a movie!

It began with the papal nuncio, Christophe Pierre, lecturing the bishops at their Fall meeting the other day to measure "to what extent we and our local churches have received the Magisterium of Pope Francis." I found his comments so strange I blogged about it, but had no idea how fast the phrase would "grow like Topsy." (I know that idiom is politically incorrect these days and obviously culturally insensitive and will no doubt be described as racist, but I'm using it anyway. By the way, for those benighted liberals who don't know where it came from, Harriet Beecher Stowe used it in her anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.)

Actually, let me clarify. Pierre is not the originator of the "Francis magisterium" narrative. It's been in the pipeline for several years, especially since the publication of the infamous document, Amoris Laetitia (AL) in 2015. The Deus Ex Machina blog discussed it in January 2017 with a description of the two conflicting narratives: the Universal Magisterium of the Catholic Church and the "magisterium of Francis." Every serious Catholic, who bows at the name of Jesus, must cringe at the arrogance Pope Francis displays:

One way to understand the mess that is the Francis “bishopric of Rome” is to view it as a conflict between two NARRATIVES. One NARRATIVE can be defined as the Universal Magisterium of the Catholic Church while the other NARRATIVE can be defined as the “magisterium of Francis”. Needless to say, these two NARRATIVES are not compatible in that one of these NARRATIVES can be reconciled with the Classical Laws of Rational Though, namely identity (ID), non-contradiction (NC), excluded middle (EM), while the other one CANNOT. And it is the dissonance between these two battling NARRATIVES that we are seeing playing itself out before our very eyes.

Dissonance indeed, and, as Sister Lucia of Fatima put it, "diabolical disorientation."

Francis  himself defended "his magisterium" when he wrote to the Argentine bishops saying their letter interpreting Amoris Laetitia allowing Communion for those in invalid marriages was absolutely correct and represented his "authentic magisterium"(which is anything BUT authentic). He went on to say AL could be interpreted in no other way than their heterodox position. Here's how Catholic News Service reported it at the time:

Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio [implicated in abuse cover-ups], president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, told Catholic News Service Dec. 5, "The fact that the pope requested that his letter and the interpretations of the Buenos Aires bishops be published in the AAS means that His Holiness has given these documents a particular qualification that elevates them to the level of being official teachings of the church. 

"While the content of the pope's letter itself does not contain teachings on faith and morals, it does point toward the interpretations of the Argentine bishops and confirms them as authentically reflecting his own mind," the cardinal said. "Thus together the two documents became the Holy Father's authentic magisterium for the whole church."
Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the pontifical council and a prelate of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court handling matters of conscience, told CNS that already in August, Pope Francis had ordered the Vatican newspaper to publish the Buenos Aires' bishops' guidelines and his response, which was "a clear manifestation of the pope's judgment that their interpretation was clear and correct."

The publication of both in the Holy See's official gazette even more strongly "indicates the thinking of the Holy Father and does so collegially: A group of bishops says something, and the pope associates himself with it." 

While it is up to theologians to discuss the full meaning of "authentic magisterium," Bishop Arrieta said, for a canon lawyer like himself "this sets precedence for the whole church."

Yikes!

And now we are moving into the full court press for the "Francis magisterium." When the final fallout from the Amazon Synod descends on us, we will no doubt be lectured that the heretical German Church represents by collegiality "the Holy Father's authentic magisterium" Pachamama and all. The fact that what they are doing conflicts with over 2000 years of Catholic magisterial teaching will be dismissed with a snap of the fingers and twaddle about being pastoral and accompanying souls (straight to hell). 

Thankfully, some of our U.S. bishops are rebelling against the...mmm...(A lady doesn't use the word I'm thinking!)...dishonesty. When Bishop McElroy and Cardinal Cupich began the song and dance at the bishops' meeting that retaining the language calling abortion the bishops' “preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself" is a breach with Pope Francis' magisterium, Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia took instant exception. Here's how Catholic News Agency reported the exchange in which Chaput politely called McElroy a liar:

“I am against anyone saying that our stating that [abortion] is preeminent is contrary to the teaching of the pope, because that isn’t true. It sets up an artificial battle between the bishops’ conference of the United States and the Holy Father which isn’t true.” 

“I don’t like the argument Bishop McElroy used, because it isn’t true.” 

In a rare break with etiquette, the bishops in the hall broke into applause in support of Chaput.

Keep in mind that Chaput, as head of the See in Philadelphia, should be a Cardinal, but he isn't one of the chosen in the "Francis magisterium." That questionable honor is reserved for homosexual sympathizers (if not active homosexuals), moral relativists, and "pastoral" ear-ticklers who have thrown Jesus Christ Himself (and His out-of-date teachings) under the bus!

The good news is that when evil takes off its mask, it's a lot easier to recognize in all its ugliness! The devil doesn't look much like an angel of light these days. And we have a mother who is very good at bashing the ugly demons! Say the rosary every day asking for her intercession and protection for Holy Mother Church. And pray for Francis unceasingly. I hate to think what he's in for when he stands before the seat of judgment!

Our Lady, scourge of the demons and basher of Satan, pray for us!