Is the Honeymoon Over? Please, Pope Leo, say it ain't so!

One of Francis's worst moves was appointing a woman, a nun, to oversee all the religious congregations in the Church, both men and women. That was just one of his innovations, essentially changing canon law.

It is the responsibility of the clergy, not women religious or laity (neither men or women) to teach, GOVERN, and sanctify. Religious sisters and laity can cooperate in the work, but canon law prohibits their playing a juridical role. Check out this article:

Pope Leo XIV and the Prefect

Joseph Ratzinger in his book, Democracy in the Church: Possibilities and Limits, spoke of the "absolutely inadmissible de facto separation between the power of order and that of government" which relegates the sacraments to the "magical" and  ecclesiastical jurisdiction "to the profane."

Archbishop Vigano also weighed in with a reality check about Pope Leo's early days.

It is normal and humanly understandable that more than a decade of open persecution of Catholics by the one who presented himself as their Pope would lead many of us to desire a truce, hoping that Our Lord would give His Church - if not a new Pius X - at least another Benedict XVI. 

But this legitimate desire - certainly animated by good feelings and love for the Church - cannot transform itself into a virtual reality in which, even against all evidence, everything must necessarily be read as a confirmation of what we would like, and not of what is really happening. We cannot build for ourselves a "virtual church" with a "virtual papacy" that we love and serve in a consoling but unreal fiction. 

The confirmation of a notorious heretic to the Cathedra of Saint Gallen in Switzerland; the appointment of a nun as Secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, in line with the appointment of a Prefectess by Bergoglio; the repeated references to the heretical documents of his predecessor and to Vatican II; the declarations on ecumenism and synodality, and finally the acceptance of climate fraud; all place Robert Francis Prevost in evident and disturbing continuity with his predecessor, and it will certainly not be the stole and mozzetta that will change reality.

Along with this, we have evidence of a new crackdown on the TLM (Traditional Latin Mass). In Charlotte, the bishop has banned the Mass of the Ages from all diocesan churches. He's relegated it to a Protestant church in Moorefields only two Sundays a month. 

Steve Bannon interviewed Liz Yore about what's happening. Check out the interview here.

I couldn't help thinking of Antonio Gramsci as I listened to the interview. Gramsci developed a theory of Communism that replaced violent overthrow of western cultures with  infiltration and the slow march through the institutions. If you're interested read more about Gramsci here.

It looks like enthusiasm over Pope Leo was premature. Let us pray for him, but have no illusions.

More Reasons for Hope! The Young are Standing up for the Faith!

Young voters and young Catholics are increasingly more "conservative". I use that word in the sense of conservation, upholding what in the past has made the secular culture and the Church strong. 

We've known for several years that seminarians and young priests are increasingly more orthodox, a great sign for the future. A major survey in 2023 by Catholic University of America indicated that "progressive" priests are going extinct. Alleluia for that! A bit from the article:

“Simply put, the portion of new priests who see themselves as politically ‘liberal’ or theologically ‘progressive’ has been steadily declining since the Second Vatican Council and has now all but vanished,” the report asserts.

Michael Matt Reflects on Pope Leo XIV: "He is Signaling Something Completely Different!"

 

 Let us hope so! For more see the websitea.

SNAP = Scurrilous, Nasty, Avaricious and Pernicious. They Advocate for Themselves

Latest target of SNAP, a crime syndicate masquerading as a victim advocacy group!

SNAP [Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests] claims to be a victim advocacy group. What they really are is a corrupt organization best personified by an octopus. Their tentacles reach out to attach sticky pads to often innocent victims and suck them dry to fill up the SNAP treasure chests. Groups like this do not help real victims. In fact, they use victims as cover to gird themselves in a faux legitimacy, using the faces and stories of victims to fill their coffers. Perhaps we need a network for those abused by SNAP!

Evolution vs. Evocation by Fr. Tom Collins

This unpublished letter to the editor of the Richmond diocesan paper (See below.) set me thinking. Evolution has never made sense to me. Does it make any sense to you to believe that a personal God sends His Son to be born of a woman whose genealogy includes non-human ape-like creatures? Really? Does that make any sense? Jesus, the Son of God, Himself was born from a family tree that included animals who literally lived in the trees. 

Ridiculous! 

The theory of evolution makes perfect sense, however, when one considers its founder, an agnostic. If you don't believe in God, you'll fall for anything. I don't have time to go into it here, but Darwin was dishonest. Much of his hypothesis on natural selection was based on work by Patrick Matthews. (Source) He even plagiarized terms coined by Matthews. 

Historical Misrepresentation: How Many "Heroes" Were Really Villains...?

...and how many villains were really heroes? These are serious questions. As they say, the winners write the history. So always look at the reports from biased contemporaries with a jaundiced eye. Politicians who win don't make trustworthy critics of their political enemies. Neither do the losers for that matter. A little time is necessary to evaluate the real impact of movers and shakers. 

May: A Time for Remembering Our Childhood and Honoring Our Lady

 

I love to bring in my spring flowers to honor Mary. It reminds me of all the May processions of my childhood.  Mary please inspire us with a great appreciation for the beauty of the created world that we might express deep gratitude to your Son.

To Teach the Children

 

Today is the feast day (in the traditional calendar) of St. Jean Baptiste De La Salle, founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and patron saint of teachers. He founded free schools for the poor and teachers institutes to train those who would form the minds and hearts of little ones. His apostolate, like that of St. John Bosco later, was often attacked, especially by those who thought the poor should be raised only in trades and manual labor. His congregation focused on "lay" brothers who were not going to be priests, but whose work was to be in the classroom. 

Camp Kreitzer is Going to the Dog

Not Scooby!

It's been a few years since we had a dog, and probably wouldn't have one now except for 
the fact that one of our daughter's four dogs is jealous of her baby. Scooby, a little yorkie poo, doesn't like the little one to sit on Mom's lap. He also gets into it with the other three dogs, especially Rocket, a male miniature dachshund. So Scooby has moved in with the two old folks whose quiet life seems to be good for him -- except for one thing -- he doesn't get enough exercise. Five or six calm walks a day don't make the grade and Scooby is an escape artist. 

If you open the door even a little, he's out and gone down the road. It's amazing how fast those little legs can go. We were doing fairly well avoiding the escapes until the past few days when he darted by me twice rejoicing in freedom. I certainly was not rejoicing as I took off after him thinking, "Old age and road races don't go together." On the other hand, I had a chance to visit with several neighbors who participated in the rescue.

The Life of a Busy Bee (and Beekeeper)

I thought I'd share today a little about one of the hobbies my husband and I enjoy. We've been keeping bees for about ten years. At one point we had six hives, but had a bear attack on Spy Wednesday night and spent Holy Thursday putting up an electric fence. We knew the bears would be back that night to raid the candy shop again. 

This season we have three hives and that's enough work for two old people. It also gives us more than enough honey to use and share.

Anchored in Charity: Monday Morning Musing

Thoughts for the day:

I often check LifeSiteNews in the morning. Today I read John Henry Weston's commentary. I love the phrase he used, "anchored in charity." Imagine a world where all of us anchor our little boats with charity! Check out the article. It's short but pithy.:

Toward a more excellent way: speaking the truth in charity 

Sunday Meditation: Real Catholicism is This!

One of my readers left a link to a good sermon that outlines how we should respond to the pope. I found it personally challenging and a bit of a reprimand. The unnamed priest talks about "real Catholicism." He begins by making the distinction between the two ways the pope speaks, the first as the authoritative head of the Church expressing Catholic truth that is binding on the flock. 

Some Good Signs about the New Pope. Let Us Not Leap to Negative Judgment!

This episode from the series about the conclave and the new pope is well worth watching. Robert Royal feels some optimism about the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost because of his selection of the name, etc. "You can be in continuity with a previous pope and yet at the same time practice a sort of innovation," he said. That Pope Leo came out on the loggia wearing the traditional vestments (unlike Francis) was a big difference. 

Will Pope Leo Lead Us Away from the Path of Confusion?

I pray so. It's no fun to be lost, not to know which way to turn, even to wonder whether up is down and down is up. How many pilots have crashed over that kind of spatial confusion?

It’s not an uncommon occurrence for pilots, especially in poor visibility, and it’s incredibly dangerous. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, between 5 percent and 10 percent of all aviation accidents are caused by spatial disorientation, and of those crashes, 90 percent are fatal.

Habemas Papam! Pope Leo XIV

White smoke this evening heralded the election of the first American pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost. He is the least American of all the U.S. cardinals having spent years in Peru as a missionary bishop. As head of the Dicastery for Bishops for the past two years, he is probably better known by more of the cardinals. Perhaps that played a role in his election. At any rate we have a pope, Leo XIV. 

No Pope Elected on the First Ballot. No Surprise. Keep Praying

 

Austin Ruse and The Coming Trumpian Pope

 An article worth reading:

The Coming Trumpian Pope 

                        by Austin Rose

Publisher’s Note: This article was published in Crisis Magazine on February 28, 2025 

FGF Books, 5/2/2025 — A meme is making the rounds: a bull in a china shop has destroyed every plate, saucer, and cup. We are asked, “Is this what you voted for?” As a matter of fact, it is.

It is also what I voted for in 2016. The problem in 2016 was that politicized Democrat Deep Staters in the FBI, DOJ, military, CIA, federal judiciary, and Congress were in that china shop and illegally prevented the bull from doing his work. And they were cheered on by a thoroughly corrupted gutter press.

And So It Begins....The World Waits for White Smoke!

This morning at 4:00 a.m. eastern time (10:00 a.m. in Rome) the cardinals gathered for Mass. They are now in the Sistine Chapel. All those not involved in the procedure have left and the cardinals are locked in. The first vote will take place this evening. Then there will be four votes daily, two in the morning and two in the evening, until a new pope is chosen heralded by the white smoke.

"The Conclave is Coming, The Conclave is Coming!"

We are on the cusp of a new day of faith or a new day of disaster. Will the successors of the St. Gallen Mafia succeed in placing a clone of Francis in Peter's chair? Or will we see a true shepherd with zeal for the faith and for the salvation of the flock be chosen? 

There is something providential about the week of the conclave beginning with the feast of St. Pope Pius V, one of the greatest reformer popes in the history of the Church. Catholic Online describes his papacy, both the accomplishments and mistakes:

Not Veggie Tales Silly Songs with Larry; But Les Femmes Silly Poems with Mary

I was cleaning off a hot spot in my kitchen this afternoon; (There are hot spots everywhere in my house!) and came across a poem I started about books. I can't remember doing it, but it's my handwriting, so I must have. Maybe I wrote it in my sleep. I've always been absent-minded but this is ridiculous!

What triggered the creation? I have no idea -- perhaps my granddaughter's book bingo. Anyway, life is so serious these days, taking a few minutes of respite from all the craziness of the culture and the concern about the conclave appeals to me. If you feel the same way about books that I do, perhaps you'll enjoy this. And when you're done, Silly Songs with Larry is fun too.

Sunday Meditation: Baking Bread and Reflecting on the Bread of Life

One of my sisters (I have five) has sourdough mania. (That's actually the name of a book.) She came for a visit and brought us a loaf of her sourdough bread, which we enjoyed - delicious and beautiful. She experiments with making all kinds of recipes with both the sourdough starter and the sourdough discard.

If you are like me, you never heard of sourdough discard and perhaps have never experimented with making sourdough bread, so let me explain. When you first make the starter, you simply combine unbleached flour and filtered water in equal parts. You add the same amount every twelve hours for seven days leaving the mixture covered with a napkin or towel in a warm place. (I put it in the oven with the light on.) Each time you add the flour and water, you mix vigorously to add air. The starter picks up natural yeast from the air and ferments. On day seven your starter should be bubbly, doubled in bulk, with a sour smell. You "discard" all but half a cup and continue adding more flour and water once a day.

For Those Who Consider Themselves on the Side of the Angels. Are You Really?

Getty images

There are few human controversies: wars, feuds, marital strife, personal disagreements between friends, etc. where one side represents the angels and the other side the devils. Of course, sometimes individuals and groups deliberately align themselves with evil, a more serious situation. Terrorist and satanic groups (including freemasons), drug and sex trafficking cartels, etc. enthusiastically embrace evil. But even in those cases, the members often are a mixed bag. Only God knows the percentages of good and evil in a person's heart. Is there anyone on earth who has never done a good deed? I think that would be a hard case to prove in court. Jesus Himself made that clear through the words of St. Matthew:

Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

Thinking of and praying for St. Joseph's assistance is a great way to start the month of May, especially with the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope beginning on May 7th. St. Joseph served the little domestic Church of the Holy Family as its head. He guards the universal Church.