How Francis-Mercy Is Harming The Church

In a talk given to a meeting of Italian Catholics a few days ago, Pope Francis flat out said that the Church must submit itself to all sorts of "change".  All sorts?  Yes.  He opined that "our times require a deeply merciful Church that is unafraid of change".  What are the assumptions implicit in that statement?  They are:

• "Our times" are somehow different than all the other epochs in the thousands of years that human beings have walked the earth, despite the fact that our human natures remain the same.
• Implicit (maybe explicit) in this statement is an assumption that until now, the Church hasn't been "deeply merciful".  In fact, the Church has always been merciful, proclaiming the truths of God and being about the mission of "saving souls" via the Sacraments and teachings.  If the pope is truly concerned about getting back to mercy, perhaps he can recall the primary mission of the Church is to save souls from hell, not to be a front for "social justice", community organizing and environmentalism.
• That the Roman Catholic Church, although it is the Mystical Body of Christ and entrusted with the Teachings of Jesus Christ and His Sacraments has been deficient in "mercy" during its two-thousand years of existence.
• "Change" in the Church is somehow a pressing necessity in this era, although it seems the pope just can't bring himself to be specific about the "change" he thinks the Church needs.  Perhaps he just doesn't want to tip his hand.
• All change is good.  That sentiment is clearly indicated by lack of distinction between "good change" and "bad change" in his talk.  Whether or not the pope intended it, the "change" mantra seems reminiscent of the "hope and change" slogan utilized by Obama.

Here's a very telling and ominous statement from the pope:  "Before the problems of the church it is not useful to search for solutions in conservatism or fundamentalism, in the restoration of obsolete conduct and forms that no longer have the capacity of being significant culturally,  Christian doctrine is not a closed system incapable of generating questions, doubts, interrogatives -- but is alive, knows being unsettled, enlivened. It has a face that is not rigid, it has a body that moves and grows, it has a soft flesh: it is called Jesus Christ."

There's so much mess in here so let's take it from the top.  Notice the jabs at "conservatism and fundamentalism"?  Why didn't he also say that "it isn't useful to search for solutions in novelties that occur to progressive minds out of the blue"?  Sometimes what isn't said is just as indicative as what is said.  Couple this statement with the crack about "obsolete conduct and forms that no longer have the capacity of being significant culturally".  Who or what is the pope allowing to be the determinant of obsolescence and significance?  The truths of God, of Jesus Christ, are timeless as He is eternal.  They do NOT change!  If they appear to be at odds with the culture at large, it's because the culture itself requires change to be in conformity with the Word of God as represented by Catholic doctrine and teaching, not vice versa.  As Pope St John Paul II wrote in his book "Sign of Contradiction", the Church, as she obeys God, will often speak and act in ways not in accordance with the world's dictates.  We cannot try to be "significant" to a culture steeped in sin lest we entangle ourselves in that sin.  We are not to assume the "smell of the sheep" but rather to exude the odor of sanctity.

Unfortunately it seems that this false "Francis-mercy" is infecting too many churches.  I blogged a few days ago about Our Savior Parish in Manhattan hosting a hare krishna idolatry session in front of its altar.  We now have more startling details: one being that a Cardinal was in attendance.  In that link you will find a short video of the sacrilege.  And yes, it is sacrilege; some are of the belief that this Church will need to be reconsecrated to purify it of the effects of the idolatry.

Then in the Diocese of Buffalo, NY, the pastor saw fit to put a sign outside the Church of St Columba Brigid that said "Jesus had two dads and He turned out just fine".  No one can doubt what the pastor intended to convey.  Fortunately the bishop of that diocese intervened and ordered its removal.

The hare krishna thing was not the first act of idolatry permitted to occur in a Catholic Church.  I was just made aware of a video in which a muslim carries on in a Catholic Church.  The video did not identify the Church but the video makes plain that this is a Catholic Church.  I hope that since this incident occurred that the church was reconsecrated.  Below the video I'll have more commentary.



The Bellarmine Forum has a post that addresses these atrocities in light of Our Lady's apparitions in both Fatima and Akita.  There is no doubt that she has given us ample warning.  Sadly, it seems that the Church, as a whole, is still not listening.  I realize that what Our Lady is asking of us seem to no longer have the capacity of being significant culturally (where have we heard that before?), but so what?  Again, the world does not call our shots.  Our Lord does.  Despite the fact that the Vatican seems hell-bent on hindering us, we need to pray and proclaim the truth before it's too late.