Is This How the Schism Begins? In the name of love (Amoris Laetitia)?

Well, the division in the Church is intensifying because of the disastrous document Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). It has become increasingly clear that the pope intended the ambiguities in the document to allow sacrilegious Communions and that some liberal bishops are dumping Church doctrine in the name of the pope's faux "mercy." The progressives are showing exactly how unmerciful they are as they threaten the cardinals who had the courage to respectfully ask for clarification to alleviate the confusion that is upsetting so many Catholics. That these men are being vilified and attacked shows the bad faith of those clerics who want to make the Catholic Church one more Protestant sect not in the image and according to the dictates of our head, Jesus Christ, but in the image of people like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other rebels. Pray for Holy Mother Church, study the doctrine, and discern the spirits. There are many wolves in cassocks. Recognize them for what they are, don't listen to their ear tickling, and keep the faith!

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!

Paradigm Shift Chapter Six, "A New, Subjective Morality Without Absolute Imperatives"

“Philosophical relativism and the primacy of praxis” (accepted practice or custom) “inevitably lead to ethical relativism, according to which there are no moral absolutes.”  I agree completely with this opening statement by Jose Ureta in Chapter Six of Paradigm Shift.  Yet Pope Francis seems to say it’s not a real problem.  Responding to Eugenio Scalfari who asked, “Your Holiness, is there a single vision of the Good?  And who decides what it is?”  Francis responded,

“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil.  We have to encourage people to move toward what they think is Good….

…..everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them.” 

Tuptim and Topsy discover that Pope Francis and Obama are twins

Tuptim: More coffee, Tops? My treat.

Topsy: Yes, thank you! I’ll have the usual – a small extra bold with a little cream.

Tuptim: That’s the real stuff! I wonder what kind of coffee Cardinal Walter Kaspar orders? A milk chocolate magic mocha with cinnamon and whipped cream dotted with nutmeg Sulawesi?

Topsy: What’s that?

I order what Obama orders

Tuptim: No clue…just saw it on the menu and it sounded so odd that immediately I thought of him.

Topsy: Hmmm…I wonder what kind of coffee Pope Francis orders when he’s wandering around Rome on foot and stops by Starbucks to pay out of his own pocket? And Obama too. That would be interesting.

Tuptim: Well, whatever it is, they would be the same because Pope Francis and Obama are practically twins, aren’t they?

Great Discussion on Amoris Laetitia: Ambiguous and Problematic

Doesn't she mean Rome?

Fr. Gerald Murray and Robert Royal engage in an intelligent discussion on this "problematic" document. There is "always an excuse. There's no limit on the excuses."

I totally agree with Fr. Murray in the video below. He's a canon lawyer and is concerned about the language and the "excuse cards" that give people a free pass to sin. And that is the implication of Amoris Laetitia. Those people making excuses need their consciences stirred up because their very salvation may be at stake:

Fr. Gerard Murray: Puts the Claim of a Two-Thirds Approval by the Synod Fathers to the Lie

"Go your way and sin no more." John 8:11

The Pope Francis idolaters are busy as bees promoting the falsehood that two-thirds of the Synod Fathers approved of giving Communion to the divorced and invalidly remarried. Is it true? NO! The disputed paragraphs now being treated like doctrine did NOT receive the necessary two-thirds vote of the Synod but were ordered to be included by Pope Francis himself. It appears we are now seeing exactly why that happened as the Synod is distorted by the modernists. (It's deja vu! The "Spirit of Vatican II" has reincarnated as the "Spirit of the Synod.") 

Hold the Applause: An Analysis of Pope Francis' Post Synodal Exhortation -- Part I

I've seen a lot of chatter about how relieved people are that Pope Francis did not approve married priests for the Amazon in his post synodal Apostolic Exhortation.

Well, I've read it and frankly I found it alarming and hypocritical on many fronts.

But before I get into that let me remind you to......

PUT THE APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION, QUERIDA AMAZONIA, IN CONTEXT:

Deja Vu: Did the Ambiguity of Vatican II Lead to Amoris Laetitia?

I'm reading the short book on the Ottaviani Intervention which was published in 1969 before the Novus Ordo was officially sanctioned. In his letter sent to Pope Paul VI, Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani wrote:

…the Novus Ordo represents, both as a whole and in its details, a striking departure from the Catholic theology of the Mass as it was formulated in Session XXII of the Council of Trent… [my emphasis, et ad infra]

…It is evident that the Novus Ordo has no intention of presenting the Faith as taught by the Council of Trent, to which, nonetheless, the Catholic conscience is bound forever.

The intervention was not the work of Cardinal Ottaviani alone, but of theologians and other members of the hierarchy concerned about the changes in the Mass that downplayed the elements of sacrifice and even the doctrine of Transubstantiation.

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.

Pope Francis, It's Sin, Not Climate Change or Other Progressive Fads, that Endanger Us!

The world fawns over this pope!

As we continue to reflect on Amoris Laetitia, consider these wise voices:

Female Doctor tells Pope to his Face: “Evil, in this world, comes from sin. Not from income disparity or “climate change”.

Reflections on “Amoris Laetitia” by Fr. Gerald Murray

Pope Francis' "pastoral" approach flies in the face of Church teaching. And the fact that the world loves him is more than troubling; it's alarming. Here are several paragraphs from Fr. Murray's long reflections. Keep in mind that he is a canon lawyer. He knows what he's talking about:

The publication of Amoris Laetitia brought an end to this discipline. [Denying Communion to the divorced and invalidly remarried] Now, the Church’s help and accompaniment of people publicly known to be living in “an objective state of sin” [305] has changed, as set forth in footnote 351 (and somewhat obscurely in footnote 336): “In certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments.” The footnote refers to two statements Pope Francis made previously encouraging pastors to act with mildness and wide latitude when administering the sacraments of penance and the Holy Eucharist.

Fr. Tom Collins Raises Questions Growing Out of Amoris Laetitia

Is Pope Francis a Beatles fan?

I'm always interested in what Fr. Tom has to say since he sees things clearly according to the perennial, unchanging doctrine of the Catholic Church. I also know him to be a man of prayer and integrity. So, listen up, folks. 

Realizing that a majority of people will not give Amoris Laetitia the careful discerning attention requested by Pope Francis, below are some questions that may be raised through a perfunctory (politically correct) reading of that apostolic exhortation as a sign of the continuing “evolution” of Church teaching: 

Topsy and Tuptim Finish Chapter Nine of Amoris Laetitia: "It's a Wrap!"

Tell Topsy and Tuptim I surrender.

Chapter Nine Paragraphs 313 --325

Topsy and Tuptim leave the last session of their study group with relief. Out in the parking lot they give each other high fives congratulating themselves for slogging through all 260 pages of Amoris Laetitia and surviving the dissenting drivel served up by Fr. Jimmy and Sr. Joanie. With nothing to celebrate about the document, the ladies nevertheless rejoice in their Catholic faith and the fact that they know Christ will never abandon His Church. Tuptim declares with enthusiasm, "That's a wrap!...Finally!" They make plans to meet later at Papa Benedetto's Italian Restaurant to enjoy the prix fixe dinner as a reward for successfully navigating the murky waters of the exhortation without losing the faith. Like special agents completing a mission, they want to debrief and consider their next step. And so, at 6:00 p.m. they arrive for their reservation where the hostess shows them to a corner table. They choose their selections off the menu and order glasses of wine with an order of calamari. When the wine arrives, Topsy proposes a toast.

Chesterton, Dale Ahlquist, and the Civil War in the Church

I'm a great fan of G.K. Chesterton and the American Chesterton Society. Let me amend that statement. I am a great fan of Chesteron and was a great fan of the Society. Dale Ahlquist, its founder, has done a splendid job bringing Chesterton to a modern culture that knew little about him. If Chesterton isn't yet a household word, there are many in the last two decades who have come to know him through Dale's work and programming on EWTN. I congratulate him for that.

Unfortunately there's a "but." The first problem for me was the Society jumping on the hate-Trump bandwagon. Up to that time I belonged to the Society, had attended several of their annual conferences, and subscribed to Gilbert, the Society's magazine. I did not renew my subscription, however, after the Society's taking sides that would have, if successful, guaranteed Hillary Clinton's election. After several anti-Trump articles, the final straw was a suggestion from one of their main writers to enter Chesterton's name on the ballot as a write-in. What insanity! So I did not renew my subscription and have no plans to attend another conference.

Random Thoughts and Questions on the Pope and the Vatican...

...with links.

1. Is the pope so clueless he really believes Islam is not a religion of submission that justifies murdering and enslaving its enemies?  (See The Church and Islam) Kirkpatrick writes:

The Church’s handling of the numerous cases of [what Pope Francis calls] “Islamic abuse” has the potential for causing a greater scandal [than the sex abuse scandal]. The similarities are striking. Once again we have Church leaders who deny that there is any serious problem.

"By Their Fruits Shall You Know Them" - and by their Nutty Nuns too!: The Seamless Garment of Lust

Fr. James Martin, S.J. and Sr. Jeannine Gramick,
promoters of the seamless garment of lust.

When clergy and religious go wrong, they go very wrong and we see evidence of that every day and all around us especially with those who attack God's law against sodomy, a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance. They, of course, are kinder than Jesus and happily tickle the ears of those on a fast track to hell. Clearly, these clerics and religious have more in common with the high priest Caiphas, who didn't believe in the resurrection of the body, than they do with Jesus who proclaimed the truth and called sinners to conversion. On Judgment Day many misled by their lies will curse them for it.

Let's take a look at a few:

First there's Fr. James Martin, an all-too-typical example of today's Jesuits who are more likely to be defending lust and other capital sins in the name of tolerance, than teaching doctrine. Martin's new book, Building A Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity, is all about building a bridge to hell.

Sex-Ed Program Unveiled at World Youth Day: Another Poisoned Fruit of Amoris Laetitia

Fred Rogers was smarter than the
Pontifical Council for the Family.

Vatican Approves Immoral Sex-Ed Program

This came as no surprise to me. When I read Amoris Laetitia (AL) it was clear that the document wasn't just targeting the indissolubility of marriage. It also targeted our children. I was shocked when hardly anybody paid attention to the disrespect shown toward parents in the document.

Topsy and Tuptim pegged it when they discussed Chapter 7, although they glossed over the paragraphs on sex ed. But it was clear as a bell that parents and extended family can't do the job of raising children. Nope, they need "the professionals."

Score a Major Touchdown for Team Lucifer Thanks to the Maltese Bishops and Amoris Laetitia!

What would Padre Pio say? What would JESUS say?

Bishops of Malta  give adulterers permission to go to Communion if they feel "at peace with God."

The bishops have essentially annulled the doctrine on the indissolubility of marriage and they did it in the name of Amoris Laetitia. NOW will the pope respond to the dubia?

Canon lawyer Ed Peters calls it a "disaster." And, of course, it is.

A New Buzz Phrase for the Lexicon of Catholic Liberals: The "Francis Magisterium"

Just tell those recalcitrant bishops in the U.S. it's the "Francis magisterium" and they better obey!

What's a liberal pope and his liberal "magisterium" to do?..

...When his critics question his authority over innovations he's introduced into Holy Mother Church including pagan idols like Pachamama.....

WHAT TO DO?

....When his critics express horror at the company he keeps and question his giving a Vatican voice and platform to those who promote abortion, contraception, homosexuality, population control, eugenics, etc.....

As Today's Gospel Says, Actions Speak Louder than Words!

"Observe all things whatsoever they tell
 you, but do not follow their example.
For they preach but do not practice."
Matt 23

Jesus advises his listeners in today's gospel to obey what the Pharisees say, but not to imitate their actions.
That's a good lesson for us as we face the crisis in the Church. Let's look at some recent actions of members of the hierarchy (and the pope) and reflect on the consequences of those actions for the faith of the little ones in the pew.

Jesus was always concerned about simple believers and the responsibility of the teachers not to scandalize them. Today we are exposed to scandal on a daily basis from within the Church herself by false shepherds. And it is a serious threat to the faith.

• Amoris Laetitia: It goes without saying at this point that the actions arising out of the document Amoris Laetitia undermine the indissolubility of marriage.

Does This Make Heresy Official? Pope Francis Raises Buenos Aires Affirmation of Adultery to Status of "Authentic Magisterium"

You too can be Henry VIII and
annul your own marriage!

Pope Francis has raised his letter to the Buenos Aires bishops affirming their interpretation of the Amoris Laetitia, along with their original letter, to the status of an Apostolic Letter. He also stated this is part of the "authentic Magisterium" of the Church. The pope did this in the form of a papal rescript. Rorate Caeli explained what that is and followed with a question:
troubling document

"Rescripts are responses of the pope or a Sacred Congregation, in writing, to queries or petitions of individuals. Some rescripts concern the granting of favours; others the administration of justice, e.g. the interpretation of a law, the appointment of a judge." Rescipts generally have the force of particular law, however, as in this case, only "when they interpret or promulgate a general law, are they of universal application." Since papal rescripts answer an inquiry - could this rescript be a direct reply to the dubia of the Four Cardinals?

Rorate goes on: