"Vestments soothe, but appointments alarm." John Henry Westen

When Pope Leo walked out on the balcony in Rome clothed in the traditional vestments, one hoped that the exterior matched the interior. Did we have a pope who would restore the faith of our fathers and set us back on the right track? Or would we soon be disillusioned and see that we had a man walking in the footsteps of Francis. 

Sad to say, the pope just made another disastrous appointment, promoting Fr. Thomas Hennen to be Bishop of Baker, Oregon. Here's a bit about this homosexual-promoting cleric from Hiraeth in Exile. ["Hiraeth is a Welsh word that means grief, sadness, longing, nostalgia, or homesickness for something or someone lost or departed." from We Learn Welsh website]:

For those keeping score, Fr. Hennen is no obscure cleric. As Vicar General of the Diocese of Davenport and rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hennen has helped steer diocesan policy on “sexual and gender minorities,” drafting guidelines that repackage ambiguity in the pastel tones of pastoral accompaniment. What makes this more grotesque is that Hennen was once affiliated with Courage International, the only mainstream Catholic apostolate that dares to call same-sex attracted persons to chastity. That was over a decade ago. Now, he talks of “LGBT+ Catholics” and “transgender persons” with the rhetorical confidence of a James Martin press release....

Fr. Hennen’s new post, Baker, Oregon, might seem insignificant. It isn’t. Baker is a test case. It’s how you smuggle heterodoxy into America’s remaining strongholds of tradition. Bit by bit, one appointment at a time. Fr. Hennen was trained in the Traditional Latin Mass. That fact will now be wielded as a shield. “Look,” the defenders will say, “He’s liturgically sound!” as if incense could cover the stench of doctrinal erosion.

This is the same game the Vatican has played since Summorum Pontificum: use traditional aesthetics to neutralize traditional theology. And once the faithful are disarmed by the smells and bells, in comes the “pastoral accompaniment” to finish the job.

Bishop Joseph Strickland, cancelled bishop of Tyler, TX, also raised the alarm about this latest disastrous appointment:

We face a troubling reality: instead of correcting the trajectory set by Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV is doubling down on it.

Fr. Hennen isn't the first homosexual-promoting appointment by Leo. Read this also from Hiraeth:

The Truth Comes Out: John-Henry Westen Fired for Making LifeSite too Traditionally Catholic

Pope Leo may turn out to be more dangerous than Francis. He is certainly more charming and has a style that is less abrasive....and he wears the vestments...and says lots of great things....and smiles and smiles. But remember, Fr. James Martin was ecstatic over Pope Leo's election. Will he be made a bishop next? 

Leo XIII reigned during the time of the Industrial Revolution. Was Pope Leo XIV's selection of his name an ironic choice, a joke, part of a masquerade to advance the revolution in the Church? His appointments already indicate the revolution remains on track. He does not appear to be the great American hope that many anticipated when he came out on the balcony. 

As for the drama over the firing of John Henry Westen from LifeSite News, it looks more and more like, despite the nay sayers, it was about his criticism of Pope Leo. Did the board members voting for his ouster want a place at the table with the new papacy? Time will tell, but LifeSiteNews is no longer a go-to site for me for the truth. I'll be visiting from time to time to see the trajectory, but they're P.R. over Westen's exile seems to be clothed in dishonesty. It's hard to credit dishonest voices with a love for the truth. 

Oh, by the way, Steve Jalsevac, in a now deleted tweet, confirmed that John Henry Westen was fired for his orthodoxy and his goal of evangelization according to the Council of Trent. All the smoke about losing readers and funding problems was just that -- smoke.

See the entire Jalsevac deleted tweet here! 

Pray for Holy Mother Church. She is definitely a battered bride.

Lord Jesus, have mercy on us.

Mary, Queen of the clergy, pray for us.