St. Bernard of Clairvaux vs. the Anti-Pope

St. Bernard of Clairvaux choking a demon!

Today is the feast of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), surely a saint for our time. He opposed anti-pope Anacletus II who remained on the papal throne until his death. Anacletus's anti-pope successor, Victor III, repented and resigned after two days and acknowledged the true pope, Innocent II. We are not the only ones living in confusing times.

Pope or Anti-Pope? Frankly, Friends, I'm with Rhett Butler -- "I don't give a damn."

Peter or Judas? Who is Pope Francis?

The Lord is in charge of handling the "damn" part!

I'm writing this because of a rather acrimonious discussion on my friend and colleague Susan's post the other day about whether Francis is the pope or an anti-pope.

I don't agree or disagree with Susan. I just don't know and have decided to set that particular fight aside because it doesn't change anything for me.

All I have to do is live according to the teachings of the Church as handed down from the apostles and the magisterium throughout the millennia.

It's that simple!

So I study doctrine. I read the Scripture. I pray and receive the sacraments. I talk to my spiritual director. And I resolve to be among the sheep rather than the goats. And...I fight for the true faith.

Anti-Pope. That's my final decision.

Please tell me this idol isn't the Virgin Mary.

After waffling back and forth, and not really caring too much, to tell the truth - because I knew that if Francis was truly the pope, he was evil anyway - I am finally weighing in on the controversy. Is he, or is he not the true pope? Was he validly elected by misguided Cardinals (because the Holy Spirit does not elect the pope - men elect the pope (albeit men/Cardinals corrupted by the spirit of the world, therefore listening to that spirit and not the Holy Spirit) or was he invalidly elected because of the collaboration of the St Gallen Group - the St Gallen Mafia, as they have become to be known? By the way, St Gallen, Switzerland, was the #1 vacation destination of Mr Theodore McCarrick. He went there almost every year. Just thought I'd mention that fact for its obvious implications.

Various bloggers and internet personalities have argued back and forth on this one question for months, if not for the past 6 years since Francis announced on The Balcony that he was...well, just plain old "Francis". The longer he is pope, the more vigorous are the arguments because, as the years have gone by, Francis has caused more than alarming discontent among the Catholic Faithful.