The Pope Makes Me Want to Cry!

Pray for Pope Francis and poor Holy Mother Church!

Pope’s new document has ‘very, very troubling’ parts: EWTN panel

Pope Dissolves Religious Order in Belgium that was Bringing in Vocations

Young People Are Leaving the Church in Droves

Muslim Converts to Pope Francis: If Islam is a Good Religion, Why Did We Convert?

A Father Explains Why He Resists the Pope's Errors in Amoris Laetitia

On Pope Francis and His "Friendship" With Scalfari: Is the Confusion Deliberate?

The conversations between Pope Francis and his atheist journalist "friend" continue again and again to be sources of conflict with quotes that are clarified as "not quotes" and statements that are said not to reflect what the pope really said. But, it seems, the points in the quotes are seldom refuted.  

Are the pope's discussions with Scalfari
a deliberate decision to sow confusion?
Phil Lawler urges Catholics to ask their bishops to
 "Bring back clarity in an age of confusion."

Confusing eh? And is that the point? If Pope Francis owned a company called Confusion Unlimited he could be described as a very successful CEO.

With regard to the pope's relationship with Scalfari, a friend on Facebook used the following analogy about Pope Francis who, as persona Christi, is called to protect his bride, the Church. It describes his relationship with his buddy Scalfari who, as an atheist, doesn't even recognize the bride. I think the analogy is spot on! 

Is Logic Dead? Situation Ethics Seems More Alive than Ever!

Socrates was forced to drink Hemlock for asking
questions that disturbed people. Sound familiar?

I was browsing blogs today and am disheartened by the apparent inability to think on the part of seemingly intelligent people whom I believe love the faith. 

Two I read are totally on board with Francis mercy and both engaged in condemning "rigidity" as in, the cardinals who issued the Dubia are "rigid" for asking five simple yes and no questions about how to interpret Amoris Laetitia. 

The bishops of Argentina, on the other hand, who developed a creative and loose approach to doctrine that undermines the moral law are compassionate. 

Oh gosh! I recognize this. Been there, done that. It's Situation Ethics all over again. I think I'm back in Mr. Reilly's immoral moral theology class at Trinity!

Please, wake me up; I think I'm having a nightmare!

Sunday Meditation: Do You Love Me?

In today's gospel Jesus asks that question of Peter --- three times. Why three times? To make up for the triple betrayal on Good Friday. I was reflecting on Peter's betrayal this morning in the light (or the dark) of the pope's apostolic exhortation. I admit outright that I haven't read more than the first few pages yet, but people I respect have read it. And they are saying things that don't exactly bolster one's confidence in the outcome we'll see following the promulgation of this encyclopedic exhortation.

What Are We to Make of This? Pope Francis, Who Are You?

Mayoral Conference Features Only Loony Left US Politicos, Hailed by Francis as “Conscience of Humanity”

How I want to believe we have a pope who is truly a man after God's own heart. How difficult the pope makes it for me to believe it. This latest Vatican meeting adds one more confusing (and toxic?) ingredient to the papal soup pot.

What a photo op for these ghouls of the left all of whom favor ripping babies limb from limb and call sodomy "marriage." But for the pope to label these death peddlers the "conscience of humanity!" It sets my head spinning and my heart aching.

The Confusion is Spreading! "It Can't be Loving not to Live the Truth!"

In an interview with LifeSiteNews, Cardinal Raymond Burke warns that the confusion is spreading:

LifeSiteNews: Since the extraordinary synod on the family, we have entered a period of uncertainty and confusion over several “hot-button” issues: communion for divorced and “remarried” couples, a change of attitude towards homosexual unions and an apparent relaxing of attitudes towards non-married couples. Does your Eminence think that this confusion is already producing adverse effects among Catholics? 

Hey What? You the Think the Synod on the Family Will Change Church Doctrine?

In my imagination I was sitting on the steps of St. Peters reflecting on the Extraordinary Synod of the Family and its final report. Into my musings walked a charming young lady, thoroughly modern Catholic Millie, who stopped to chat and express how thrilled she was with the outcome of the Synod. She is looking forward to the Church changing its teachings and entering the modern world. We sat on the steps of St. Peters sharing the following exchange.

Millie: (Bubbling over with joy and enthusiasm) Oh, aren't you delighted about the Extraordinary Synod on the Family? It gives me such hope that I'll finally be able to go back to Communion. My first husband and I were so young when we got married. We had no idea of the seriousness of what we were doing. And I just hate not being able to go up to Communion with my children.

Another Head Scratcher from Pope Francis

Pope Francis with fellow bishop?

Pope Authorizes Protestant be Buried as Bishop

Can this be true? Why should anyone evangelize if there is no "coming home." If a bishop in a Protestant sect is truly a bishop and can receive a requiem Mass where he is honored as bishop of the Catholic Church what possible motivation can there be to enter full union with the Church? I would like to see no problems with our current Holy Father, but these issues are truly baffling. And when you think of Catholics in different parts of the world martyred for clinging tenaciously to the fullness of the faith, you wonder why they bothered? Were they and are they just "rad trads" of their day who are so foolish they can't see that we are all brothers and no one needs to convert? Is this the new evangelization Pope Francis style? I'm confused. Does yes mean yes and no mean no or is it all if, maybe, and sometimes these days.

Confusion in the Church Contributes to Confusion in the Culture

This morning I was having a "stop the world I want to get off moment." Watching the Democratic convention can certainly do that to you. There's something downright diabolical about the whole thing: the worship of Obama including the statue made of salt (oops...sand), the sale of items that make Obama out to be a "prophecy fulfilled" and compare him to Jesus, the removal of God from the platform, the celebration of child-killing and sodomy. And then there is the upcoming head shaker of Cardinal Dolan scheduled to give the closing prayer. Wow!