A pope who belongs to the world - Louie Verrecchio

[Michael]

The latest scandal surrounding Pope Francis concerns the gifts he received from Bolivian President Evo Morales; a sacrilegious representation of the Crucifix fashioned out of a hammer and sickle and a medallion bearing the same communist symbol.

Now, there is considerable debate taking place in the Catholic blogosphere about whether or not Pope Francis said, upon receiving the bastardized Crucifix, “No esta bien” (This is not good). 

From a review of the video, it’s not clear to me either way, but what should be clear to all concerned is that there is a major problem with this pontificate.

Even if Pope Francis did say “No esta bien,” two entirely unacceptable and avoidable things took place:

Number one, Morales successfully executed a photo-op of himself standing next to a smiling Roman Pontiff, who happens to be holding in his hands an article that combines two mutually exclusive things – one pure evil, one the greatest gift mankind has received; namely, Communism and the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

I’d say that Morales hit himself a home run.

Secondly, a semi-private muttering of “No esta bien“ isn’t even close to good enough.

If, in fact, it actually was said, the manner in which it was spoken only confirms what we’ve long since known about this pope; he simply doesn’t take his role as guardian of the Faith and Supreme Teacher seriously. 

One wonders how Popes Pius X, Benedict XV, Pius XI, and Pius XII would have reacted to such an affront.

   

On the one hand, we might say that a firm and unmistakable rebuke would have taken place, followed by the Holy Father likely dropping to his knees in reparation for this terrible offense against Christ.

On the other, it’s more realistic to believe that such a travesty would have never taken place.

There is no way that such “gifts” would have ever made their way into the same room as the Holy Father in those days; his entourage of assistants and security personal would have immediately eliminated that possibility, if for no other reason than knowing full well that their own heads would likely roll if they allowed such a thing.

Which brings me to another aspect of this scandal; namely, the kinds of men with whom Pope Francis chooses to surround himself.

Every pope surrounds himself with men who think as he thinks, or at the very least learn to conform their thinking to his own in order to serve him. There can be no doubt whatsoever that, especially given that we now live in an age of terrorism, that any number of persons in the papal entourage had screened and approved of these magnificently offensive “gifts” well before they were given.

They even allowed Morales to drape Communist symbols around the Holy Father’s neck; like it is acceptable to use the pope as if he is little more than a mannequin!

In the best case scenario, the pope’s staff failed him, and then he in turn failed the world.

That said, it’s not as if his staff had no reason to believe that their boss would be open to posing for a politically charged photo-op.

What kind of pope allows himself to be treated as a billboard for various causes even by those who are enemies of the Church; enabling them to steal what looks to many like her approval?

The kind of pope who belongs to the world more so than to the Holy Catholic Church.

A pope who belongs to the world - Louie Verrecchio

 

[David Kaftal]

Many people think that so many souls are being lost that this must already be the chastisement. After all, they reason, what could be worse than so many souls being damned? However, Our Lady spoke of entire nations disappearing from the face of the Earth and fire raining down from the sky. And there is this as well: every soul is precious to God. It is unthinkable that God would allow evil to flourish unchecked indefinitely as the toll of lost souls increases beyond measure. In the days of Noah's flood, people had the opportunity to repent before they drowned; thus it was a merciful blessing. Souls were saved that otherwise would have been lost, and the Earth was cleansed and got a new start. Similarly, at some point, and one that certainly appears to not be terribly far off, God will chastise the human race in a similar manner, only with fire and other horrors instead of water this time.

Anyway, for what it's worth, that is the sign of the times as I see it.

[Michael]

From Vatican Insider: Francis on the poor: “I am the one who follows the Church because I preach its social doctrine”

What did you feel when President Morales gave you the crucifix with the hammer and anvil? And where did it end up?

“I was curious, I didn't know Fr. Espinal was a sculptor and also a poet. I learned about it in these past few days, I saw it and for me it was a surprise. It can be categorized as a form protest art. In Buenos Aires, some years ago, there was an exhibition displaying the works of a good sculptor, a creative Argentine who is now dead. It was protest art, and I remember one piece was a crucified Christ on a falling bomber: a criticism against Christianity but because of its alliance with imperialism. I would qualify it as protest art, that in some cases can be offensive. In this particular case, Fr. Espinal was killed in 1980. This was a time when Liberation Theology had many different branches. One of these branches used the Marxist analysis of reality and Fr. Espinal shared these ideas. I knew this because that year I was rector of the theology faculty and we talked a lot about it.” In the same year, the Society’s general, Fr. Arrupe, sent a letter to the Jesuits asking them to stop the Marxist analysis of reality and four years later, in 1984, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published the first document, which is critical, and the second, which opens up to more Christian viewpoints. Espinal was an enthusiast of this Marxist analysis and he produced this work. His poetry also belongs to that genre. It was his life, his way of thinking. He was a special man abounding in human genius, a man of good faith. Let us interpret it this way: I understand this piece and I did not find it offensive. I carry it with me. I left the decorative honours which President Morales gave me behind… I have never accepted such decorations but Morales acted in good faith, to please me, so I thought of it as coming from the people. I prayed it over and I thought I would leave them with Our Lady of Copacabana, so they go to the shrine.  The wooden Christ I took with me.”

Francis on the poor: “I am the one who follows the Church because I...

[Cathleen]

I think I am going to lose my breakfast...........  :-p

[Cathleen]

Thank you, David.

David Kaftal said:

Many people think that so many souls are being lost that this must already be the chastisement. After all, they reason, what could be worse than so many souls being damned? However, Our Lady spoke of entire nations disappearing from the face of the Earth and fire raining down from the sky. And there is this as well: every soul is precious to God. It is unthinkable that God would allow evil to flourish unchecked indefinitely as the toll of lost souls increases beyond measure. In the days of Noah's flood, people had the opportunity to repent before they drowned; thus it was a merciful blessing. Souls were saved that otherwise would have been lost, and the Earth was cleansed and got a new start. Similarly, at some point, and one that certainly appears to not be terribly far off, God will chastise the human race in a similar manner, only with fire and other horrors instead of water this time.

Anyway, for what it's worth, that is the sign of the times as I see it.

[David Kaftal]

I looked up this passage, and found the context makes the meaning different than it appears when taken by itself. Here is the entire passage:

October 16th: "Last night I made the Way of the Cross at Coesfeld with a crowd of souls who showed me the distress of the Church and the necessity of prayer. Then I had a vision of many gardens lying around me in a circle, and the Pope's situation with respect to his Bishops. He sat enthroned in one of these gardens. In the others were the rights and privileges of his Bishops and their sees symbolized by various plants, flowers and fruits. Their mutual connection, their communication and influence, I saw under the forms of threads, of rays extending from them to the see of Rome. In these earthly gardens, I saw the temporal, spiritual authority, and above them in the air I saw their future Bishops; for instance, I saw above the garden of the stern Superior, a new Bishop with the cross, mitre, and other episcopal insignia, and standing around him Protestants who wished him to enter the garden below, but not on the conditions established by the Holy Father. They tried to insinuate themselves by all sorts of covert means; they destroyed a part of the garden, or sowed bad seed in it. I saw them intercepting or turning away the roads that led to the Pope. When they did succeed in getting a Bishop according to their liking, I saw that he been intruded contrary to the will of the Holy Father; consequently, he possessed no legitimate spiritual authority. Many such scenes were shown me, and it is for me to pray and suffer! It is very distressing! I see one who has few claims to holiness about to be installed in the see of a holy deceased Bishop."

As I understand it, Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich was referring to the pope who was sitting in her day, back around 1820. The bishops who lacked spiritual authority were those with a Protestant agenda who had insinuated themselves into the Episcopacy by covert means, hence contrary to the will of the Holy Father.

 Dawn Marie said:

Interesting, I just found this....

"When they did succeed in getting a Bishop according to their liking, I saw that he had been intruded contrary to the will of the Holy Father; consequently, he possessed no legitimate spiritual authority." Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

[Dawn Marie]

Thanks David.  I looked but could not find the entire passage.  Thank you for the clarity on it.  It shows they were insinuating themselves in high places for some time.

[Jake]

Actually, he doesn't look like he's smiling in either one of these pictures, either the one with the Commie Cross or the one with the "fracking" T-shirt.  In point of fact, in the former, to my eye he's clearly frowning.  So whether he said "This isn't good" or "I didn't know this," as some have posited, it doesn't seem as if he's particularly pleased. 

.

This Pope said at the beginning that he wanted to shake things up.  He has certainly accomplished that goal.  It remains to be seen whether this shakeup is good or bad.  But there is one thing we must all remember:  God is still in charge.  No matter what Pope Francis' personal agenda may be, if he tries to implement some error and make it binding on all Catholics, he will be prevented.  In one way or another, God will move to prevent him from carrying out his intent, if it is not in line with His Divine Will.  Remember:  The gates of Hell will not prevail against Christ's Church. 

[Dawn Marie]

He was in fact not displeased at all since Marxism is at the basis of his ideology.  He said as much in a recent article.  One can hardly judge Francis by the looks he gives because he generally always has a scowl on his face.  It seems neither a mark of pleasure or displeasure, but simply the way he looks.

God does not interfere with the will of man, even the pope, even should the will of the pope be erroneous and an erroneous will he wishes to inflict upon the rest of the world.

The only thing God will not allow Francis to do is to speak in error when he declares something in ex cathedra.

The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's Church, ultimately, but the ravenous wolves are tearing down as much as they can while they can.  Just as chunks of Christ's flesh were torn off during the flogging, just as His Precious Blood was found on the ground wherever He had been during His Crucifixion and the sufferings  in the hours preceding.  So the Faith is found scattered and crushed under foot.  Only this time it is not the jews, it is the men of the Church themselves who crucify Our Lord once more and that includes Francis, who leads the charge.

The jews could not defeat Christ by arresting Him, having Him flogged, beaten, crowned with thorns, and ultimately by crucifying Him.

Death could not defeat God.  But God did allow His Son to appear in such a way, for some moments in time, from the crucifixion to the moment He resurrected from the dead, that He was defeated, and the Mystical Body of Christ His Holy Church is right now suffering no less a fate, but satan will never prevail.  God will be the victor, in spite of Francis' anti-Catholic acts and his desire to tear down anything which resembles the Catholic Faith.