Pope Francis is dead. He died this morning. I've been doing my Monday chores praying for him. I threw in the wash remembering that he was once a newly baptized innocent babe clothed in the pure white garment. Did he wear the papal white in innocence and love for our Savior? Actions speak louder than words and so many of his actions were scandalous and ugly. Only God knows his eternal destiny.
We all have so much for which to answer, we would do well to pray for Francis as we will hope for prayers when we ourselves die. God will judge the state of the man's soul. And now we can stop arguing about whether Francis was a true pope because we are all for now sedevacantists. The chair of Peter is truly empty.
The mainstream media's coverage of the pope's death is, unwittingly no doubt, an ironic condemnation. CBS reports that Pope Francis, "challenged deeply rooted norms and made it his mission to change the perception of the Catholic Church around the world." Who can argue with that assessment? Francis spent his pontificate undermining Church tradition, those "deeply rooted norms" that protected the faith. How many abandoned the Church during his confusing and scandalous pontificate?
Francis cast doubt on doctrine many times. He coddled homosexuals and abortionists without challenging them to "go your way and sin no more." In fact, he put them on Vatican academies. He cast doubt on the existence of hell and, therefore on sin. He continued and expanded syncretism, professing that the Catholic faith is just one path to heaven.
CBS went on to describe the Francis legacy saying, "He was brilliant at playing to the press." Is that a compliment? It seems to me that Francis played everyone. He played Church politics continually. CBS reporter Seth Doane interviewed EWTN'sRome correspondent, Francis Rocca, who called Francis "a polarizing pope." One is tempted to laugh and call that a massive understatement. Rocca said, "The pope hated abortion, but he wanted to play [it] down, with respect to social and environmental and economic issues, or at least put them on an equal plane."
Did the pope hate abortion? If so, how does one explain his praise for Italy's leading abortion rights champion, Emma Bonino calling her one of Italy's "forgotten greats." How does one explain naming notorious anti-life members to pontifical organizations? How many babies have "forgotten greats" murdered by abortion? Could that statement be any more shocking than if a Jewish rabbi called Hitler one of history's "forgotten greats?"
What are other media saying?
NBC called him "a reformer who rattled the Catholic Church's conservatives and inspired some progressives." USA Today made an even more laughable statement saying he was "a humble reformer who sought to make the Catholic Church more inclusive." Humble? Really? Making the Church more inclusive? By banning the Traditional Latin Mass and all the sacramental forms that my parents and grandparents celebrated for most of their lives? It would be more accurate to describe Francis as a proud deformer who undermined the faith. I would like to know what elements of his character illustrated his humility because I sure didn't see it.
But just like the mainstream media told us Barack Obama was the smartest president in history, we will now hearing how "pastorally sensitive" Francis was and how much he worked for unity and fraternity. Of course, he wasn't interested in unity with those mentally ill Catholics who embrace the Traditional Latin Mass or even orthodox dogmas. They were expelled from the unity of their parishes and sent to the gulags of gymnasiums and auditoriums, unwelcome in the churches they help to build. And even those places are disappearing.
Francis told Catholics to "make a mess" and that is the legacy he left us: a mess.
So now we wait for the next conclave to begin. No doubt the behind the scenes plotting by the wolves is in full throttle. Let us pray that the God of surprises will bring their machinations to nought and that a pope after God's own heart, a true shepherd, will mount the papal throne.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Earth pray for us.
I loved Pope Francis. I read all of his writings and found them to be deeply thoughtful, while also urging me to live a more prayerful life. Having been educated for 12 years by the Jesuits, I saw many of my beloved high school and college instructors in his words, wisdom, and style. May perpetual light shine upon him as he rests with the saints.
ReplyDelete"Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29I know that, after my departure, ravening wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30And of your own selves shall arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." St. Paul, Acts !0:28-30. Actions speak louder than words.
DeleteWow. I’m not sure what in my comment prompted your derision. I said I loved him and found his work meaningful. I will add you into that ‘more prayerful life’ and move on.
DeleteI was expressing disagreement, not derision. I apologize that it came across that way to you. Pope Francis has done terrible damage to the Church and, while I agree that many of his words were orthodox and beautiful, his actions often did the exact opposite, like naming pro-abortion and pro-euthanasia members to the Pontifical Academy for Live. My oldest brother had a terrific Jesuit education. Sadly, many Jesuits today create serious scandals like Fr. James Martin. Fr. Hardon, a totally orthodox priest, used to subtly allude to the persecution he received at the hands of his brother Jesuits. I have to be honest, I did consider Francis a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Delete.... excerpt from an email written to me by a soldier of Jesus Christ, July '2010
ReplyDelete“The Popes of Vat-2 were not only NOT at all powerless to stop the apostasy of the past 50 years – THEY LED THE CHARGE AGAINST CATHOLIC TRUTH AND TRADITION.
They could have stopped the diabolic trend at any time by threatening to excommunicate the revolutionaries. This is what St. Pius X did and was able to keep even liberal bishops and cardinals under control. The V-2 pope chose instead to allow the Bride of Christ to be ravaged and beaten down and scores of souls to perish – a crime which we are not permitted to ignore or play down......
They – these popes – were more responsible for the bishops’ treason against Christ than anyone else. They failed to fulfill their duties of state, to feed and protect the flock that God entrusted to them. They let millions fall into hell. They let country after country uncrown Christ the King. They let the Abomination of Desolation take the place of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on our altars. They opened the floodgates to a torrent of heresies, blasphemies, and sacrileges. And they contributed to the great worldwide apostasy of the present age and to the emerging crypto-Judaic Totalitarianism which is fast descending upon the world once consecrated to the Holy Redeemer.
These popes are no more innocent of these crimes than the bishops. In fact, they have the greater guilt because they have been giving the greater grace and greater responsibility therefore will be held much more accountable than the worst of the bishops. If Benedict would REPENT, ADMIT HIS ERRORS, ADMIT HIS TREASON AGAINST CHRIST, but he continues with the main feast going to all the gluttonous vultures of every stripe, who only want to destroy the Church and obliterated the very name of Jesus from the world of man.
Benedict has one foot in each camp – both the camp of Christ and the camp of His enemies. Catholicism is either 100% - or it becomes Protestantism. The only criteria for a pope being loyal or disloyal to Christ, is his conformity to Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium. Certainly, we must pray for Pope Benedict XVI (which the sedes sinfully and scandalously refuse to do), but we must not support him which would make us collaborators in the destruction of the faith and damnation of many souls…….The only thing that matters is our compliance with Church Teaching as expounded by the Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium.”
Pope Francis (RIP) has been a very obedient pupil of his predecessors, he was the result of what was planted decades ago, and systematically (like a drop of poison) promoted and put into practice, causing confusion and loss of faith among legions of Catholics.
(my emphasis)
Pray the Rosary now more than ever. Francis succeeded handily in stacking the College of Cardinals. We need a miracle in that conclave.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your candor, Mary Ann, and your honest reply to Anonymous. And yes, let us pray the Rosary to save the Universal Church. Mother Mary, pray for us. Come, Holy Spirit, Come.
DeletePope Francis promoted the covid vaccines. This made it difficult if not impossible for Catholics to receive religious exemptions from vaccine mandates. Others no doubt willingly got them because he said so. How many people have suffered terrible illnesses because they got the vaxx? Advocating for the vaxx (I believe the Vatican itself mandated them for their employees) and closing churches is not Catholic.
ReplyDelete