Fiducia Supplicans - Where Do Our Clergy Stand?

If there is any silver lining to the stinking, foggy cloud known as Supplicans Fiducia, it's that more and more people are acknowledging this papacy to be the unmitigated disaster that it is.  Over these past few days we've been hearing accounts of various dioceses and religious orders stating emphatically that they will not permit their priests to bless sinful unions of any sort, with some rejecting Fiducia Supplicans in its entirety.  Conversely we've been hearing of others who wax giddy about the prospect of priests greasing the skids of those headed to hell.

LifeSite News has been collecting these accounts and has published their summary.  For obvious reasons that summary remains a work in progress.  Therefore, keep checking that post for updates.

If you are in one of the questionable locales, as I am, consider what you will do if you should become aware of a planned "blessing of irregular couples".  That will be the sin of blasphemy and cannot go unopposed by faithful Catholics.

Why Fiducia Supplicans Is Spiritually Poisonous

Some otherwise faithful Catholics are obviously having difficulty accepting that the Vatican is so depraved that it has put out such a poisonous document.  They want to believe so badly that this pope is not so corrupt as to undermine the Church that they twist themselves into pretzels believing that there might be some redeeming quality to FS as to restore their faith in this papacy.  But therein lies their error.  They put too much faith in a sitting pope rather than in the Church's teachings and traditions as handed down through the centuries.

I will now relay some of the most frequent denial tactics that I've read on social media. Here is the text of Fiducia Supplicans.  By the way- please have the FS document open as you read this post.

"The priest gives a blessing to all people after Mass".  That is a general blessing to the congregation at large, not targeted to specific people, especially those designated because of sinful relationships.  It has always been ok to bless people and ask for God's guidance.  That begs the question of just why did the pope highlight those in "irregular relationships"?  And why is the word "irregular" used when the more truthful adjective is "sinful"?

"The theology of marriage isn't challenged"  Perhaps not overtly, but it is.  A blessing on a gay couple, even though it may not be "liturgical", does lend legitimacy to the relationship that makes those two people a "couple".   "Only individuals are being blessed, not the relationship".  Read the document.  It's right there in the title to Section 3 of the tome.

Those are two common attempts to deny the harm of FS.  Let's take another look at the thing, shall we?

Since my previous post on this topic, there have been a number of commentaries that have demonstrated the fatal flaws of Fiducia Supplicans.  I see no need for me to "reinvent the wheel as it were, so I will link to them and recommend all to your reading.  An important aside - I link to articles such as these so that you can draw your own conclusions and not just rely on my understandings of what the authors say.  We ALL have a duty, no matter our stations in life, to be informed of these matters.  Ignorance is not a morally acceptable option.

The first of these is an analysis by Cardinal Gerhard Muller.  He notes several troubling aspects of FS.  First, there is the attempt to introduce another type of "blessing".  Why?  Because the blessing already recognized by the Church demand agreement between the blessings and the Church's teachings.  Having this last sentence in mind, please pop over to the other browser window with FS open, and read paragraph 12 in its entirety.  You should be getting a sense of how insidious FS is, since it overtly calls for a new type of "blessing" that is not subjected to "too many moral prerequisites",  because they could "overshadow the unconditional power of God's love".  Absolute satanic nonsense!  The "moral prerequisites" are God's Commands.  His love and His commands stem from Him.  God does not have a split personality.

Muller goes on to say that sinful persons can be blessed, e.g., blessed to ask graces to turn from their sin.   However, paragraph 31 talks of blessing homosexual couples, not individuals.  An attempt to do that would be to cooperate in the mortal sin of homosexual conduct.  One cannot bless a couple without blessing what defines them as a couple - in this case, mortal sin.  That is both sacrilege and blasphemy.  Added to that is the guilt of cooperating with the mortal sin of sodomy.

Again, I urge you to read Cardinal Muller's entire piece.  But now we'll read what others have said.

The next article to consider was written by Father Thomas Weinandy and was published in First Things.  Father cleared up a misconception held by many.  Francis did not pen that tripe.  Rather, it came from Cardinal Victor Fernandez, aka Kissy Face, with Francis' approval.  Weinandy's main focus appears to be on paragraph 31, which is quite the poison pill amidst all that word salad.  Weinandy aptly calls it "jargon, sophistry and deceit".

In his last paragraph, Weinandy suggests the possibility that FS might have been well-intentioned.  Here I must disagree with Father.  The track records of both Francis and Kissy-Face testify against any possibility that this is well-intentioned.  It is a brazen attempt to cajole poorly-educated clergy into doing the indefensible - to normalize mortal sin in the Church's teachings.

Now let's look at what Eric Sammons says in Crisis Magazine.  He speaks a bit on the role of the pope in the Church and contrasts that with Francis' conduct.  In the writings of previous popes, their footnotes are drawn upon Scripture, doctrines, writings of their predecessors.  Not so for Francis.  Sammons states, and I think him correct, that approximately 65% of his references are his own previous teachings and/or writings.  He is his own source of teaching, in other words.

Paragraph 7 states that "the Holy Father's above-mentioned response invites us to broaden and enrich the meaning of blessings."  Sammons correctly points out that it is not the proper role of any pope to "broaden and enrich" anything.  Rather, the pope's responsibility is to teach and guard what has been handed down from the apostles.

Sammon's piece deserves a close and careful read.  I need not rehash what he said, but he does do a great job in unpacking FS, illustrating its divergence from Tradition.

More on FS soon.

A Song To Celebrate The Fiddle-Faddle Soup Document

Ipsitilla sums this up most succinctly in her latest.

Using The Papal Office To Normalize Mortal Sins Via Sacrilege

Francis today issued a mess called Fiducia Supplicans - a rather verbose attempt to legitimize the blessings of same-sex shack-ups.  I linked to the English version on the Vatican's website.  Read it for yourselves - the whole thing.  I realize it's a bit of a word salad, but that appears to be his favorite strategy - bury the poison pill in the midst of a multitude of pious-sounding platitudes.

The preface of this tome is written by none other than Cardinal "Kissy-Face" Fernandez.  He yaps about the "development" of the "pastoral meaning of blessings".  Notice those two words: development and pastoral.  It's like they are saying that for the past 2000+ years, the Church's understanding of blessings was woefully lacking.

Then the screed mentions "irregular unions" quite a few times.  Irregular?  Try "mortally sinful".  Paragraphs 31 and 32 mentions those who "recognize themselves to be destitute and in need of his (God's) help" and "who do not claim to be righteous but who acknowledge themselves humbly as sinners."  Those people, if they are sincere, will immediately repair to the nearest confessional and receive the Sacrament of Confession with the intentions of ceasing their sexual perversions and removing themselves from the near occasion of sin - that is, their sinful situations.  This is not rocket science.  We learned this in second grade as we were preparing to go to Confession for the first time.

Those who persist in "popesplaining" need to consider what was said above instead of trying to fabricate some meaning out of "blessing" that justifies this tome's proposition that gay shack-ups be blessed.  Another crucial lesson in moral theology is understanding the nine ways that one can cooperate in another's mortal sin, and thus share the guilt and punishment of that mortal sin.  I just linked to them.  This is not the first time that Francis has tried to normalize mortal sin.

The USCCB issued its own commentary regarding the FS slop.  The last sentence mentions "the imparting of pastoral blessings because each of us needs God's healing love and mercy in our lives."  Again, that is to be found primarily in the Sacrament of Confession.  Isn't it telling that this "Fiddlefaddle Soup" screed utters not one peep about the Sacrament of Confession?  It's not hard to figure out why.  In order to receive God's authentic mercy, one must actually be contrite and have a firm resolve to not fall into that sin again.  This "fiddle-faddle" thing is taylor-made for those who have no intention of forsaking their perversions, even if it means damnation in the next life.  The perverts might not be alone in their damnation.  That statement isn't a judgment, but rather a warning.

Want To Stop Those Nasty Ole Green House Gases? Easy! Just Stop Breathing!

I wish that this was satire, but it isn't.  Apparently some study done by Dr Nicolas Cowan from some British scientific think tank discovered (?) that humans release trace amounts of methane and nitrous oxide when we exhale and/or emit flatulence.  He states, "we would urge caution in the assumption from humans are negligible."

Well, suppose he's correct.  Just what in hades do these people plan to do about it?  Just how much methane did Dr. Cowan emit when he put out his hypothesis? 

The fact is that some of these envirowhackos want to limit human population to "save the planet", and the Vatican, under Francis, is right on board with this murderous agenda.  They have been for quite some time and they are getting more and more brazen about it.

In A Secret Bunker Below Vatican City....

(Parody alert!)

Once again, dear readers, we have managed to eavesdrop on the machinations of those who try to subvert and destroy the Mass of the Ages.  They can't, but oh how they try!  See here for the inside scoop.  I'd say "enjoy", but given the previous post, this is too close to reality.

Cdl Gregory: "Tradition Dies A Slow Death, Sometimes A Bloody Death"

Yes, he actually said that during a question-and-answer session in which he participated at Catholic University of America yesterday.  The meeting was called "Celebrating Diversity".  You will probably see the irony of that in a few minutes.   It's a long meeting, but the area of our focus starts at the 1:05:00 mark, when he responds to a student's question.  I'll post the video now, with some more commentary to follow.

Watch his expressions how he talks.  At the 1:12:25, when he mentions how he saw the Tridentine Mass grow in the Washington archdiocese, his face gives the impression that he thinks the TLM is some plague or pestilence.

The exchange on that question was about to end, but at the 1:13:25 mark, he says "I want to add something", then plops a blooper.  He said that, "in many of the places where it grew, the Tridentine rite, it grew because priests promoted it."  That is flat out incorrect.  The laity are the ones who clamored for it.  Granted, there were no "listening sessions" at that time, but it was largely a lay effort.  Even if priests promoted it, I for one fail to see the problem with that.  Anyway, he almost accuses priests of "creating the need".  No, Your Eminence!  Priests do not "create needs".  They may recognize needs, but they don't create them.  Now the priest might present the Tridentine Mass and then the people understand just what they've been missing for so many years, and they want it.  We see that sort of realization happening in John 2:10, when Jesus turned water into wine.  That newly transformed wine was far superior to the one that ran out.

Immediately afterwards, we see the reason for his canard when he revealed, "I think the Holy Father is right to say 'deal with the priests'."   And that was the end of that screed.  Well, we see how good and holy priests are being dealt with, and some prelates too.  The names Strickland, Burke, Muller, Vigano and others come immediately to mind.

Now regarding that quip that is the title of this post, Nick Donnelly has a great observation on how real bishops should regard tradition, particularly sacred Tradition.  

Make Acts Of Perfect Contrition

Very informative homily.

Francis On A Mission To De-Masculinize The Church

This past week, Bishop Strickland released an open letter to faithful Catholics regarding his removal from Tyler by Francis.  We thank Complicit Clergy for publishing it and now link to it.  Please read.  Strickland cites several causes for his removal, such as his refusal to strangle the Traditional Latin Mass and his opposition to the monkeyshines that emanated from the Synod on Synodality, or more accurately, Sin-Nod for Sodomy.

This past Sunday, several people from Slovakia attempted to go into St Peter's Square with a banner supporting Bishop Strickland.  LifeSiteNews has video of them being maltreated by Vatican police.  Why, one might think these cops took some pointers from their counterparts in the Capitol Police department after their thug-like behavior on Jan 6, 2021.  Watch this. 

A local DC priest, Msgr Charles Pope, put up a tweet to defend those prelates who got axed by Francis.

Msgr Pope, thank you for loving enough to speak out on this. As you say let us pray for Pope Francis and for the entire Church. Que Viva Cristo Rey. pic.twitter.com/J1m5f3q2CA

— Bishop J. Strickland (@BishStrickland) November 29, 2023

Another bishop who just might find himself the target of a "apostolic visitation" and subsequent removal is Bishop Rob Mutsaerts from the Netherlands.  From the LifeSiteNews article, it sounds like he and Strickland are of the same mindset in many ways.  Mutsaerts questioned the lack of canonical protocols that are put in place to govern the removal against bishops.

From the current issue of the Catholic Review, which is actually just a rehash of a Catholic News Service piece, we read of some of Francis' remarks to the International Theological Commission.  He said, and I quote, "one of the great sins we have had is masculinizing the Church".  Does that mean Our Lord committed a great sin when He chose men as His apostles?  Anyway, Francis told the commission that they need to take up the issue of "de-masculinizing the church".  He closed that screed by saying he "talked too much".  To that last sentence I add a hearty "AMEN!"

I believe Francis is doing a bang-up job all by himself of purging the Church of authentic, healthy masculinity.  A key part of that mission seems to be the canceling of prelates who are godly and manly enough to stand up to his nefarious plans and to be actual bishops.

Cardinal Burke - Latest Target Of Papal "Accompaniment"

Frankly, this latest comes as no surprise.  It was just a matter of time.  From LifeSiteNews today, we read that the New Daily Compass reported on Francis' alleged intentions to evict Cardinal Burke from his apartment in Rome and to terminate his salary.   During a meeting with the heads of the Roman curia on November 20th, he is reported as saying, "Cardinal Burke is my enemy, so I am taking away his flat and salary."  My!  Isn't all this "papal accompaniment" so, so ... special?

Of course this is right on the heels of Francis kicking Bishop Strickland out on his ear.  As in the case of Strickland, Cardinal Burke himself has received no official notice of these proceedings.  This almost has the feel of some mafia don giving orders for hits, all the while making plain that the chopping block orders came from him.Francis' marginalization of Cardinal Burke began early in his seizure of Peter's Chair.   Pope Benedict had appointed Burke as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura; Francis dismissed him as punishment for criticizing his "papacy".  Burke was also part of the Congregation of Bishops.  Again, Francis axed him, replacing him with the liberal Cardinal Wuerl.

Now two questions come to mind:

1. What else will Francis do to Burke?  Bear in mind that Francis is reportedly having health issues.  Burke, presently a Cardinal, is eligible to vote in the next papal conclave.
2. Who is next?

TFP Student Action Protested Appearance Of Father James Martin At Georgetown November 6

Once again the fine gentlemen of TFP Student Action spoke against dissidence and corruption, this time at Georgetown University.  Father James Martin, a sin-coddling cleric, gave an address at Georgetown.  Accordingly, the Catholic men of TFP Student Action protested the honoring of an obviously disobedient priest.  

They prayed the Rosary and offered witness against the travesty about to occur.  This was not the first time that a prayerful protest at the Healy Gates of Georgetown was conducted by the TFP; I myself have joined them several times before this.  My one regret about this protest is that I didn't learn of it until this evening; else, I would have broadcast this far and wide to call other Catholics to join them.

I post the video below.  Note that towards the end some of the confused students snarled at the departing TFP men "don't come back".  Sadly, with Georgetown's dissidence track record, it will be necessary for TFP and other good Catholics to return.

Catholic Standard And Catholic Review Repeat Our Sunday Visitor Inaccuracies Regarding Bishop Strickland

Both the Catholic Standard and Catholic Review use the same article from Our Sunday Visitor as they relay the news of Bishop Strickland's ouster.  OSV acknowledges that the Vatican has not yet given any official reason for Strickland's ouster, but it does point out a tweet that Strickland wrote last May stating that the Pope is "undermining the deposit of faith". 

All Strickland did was call a spade a spade.  Let's look back at some of the antics coming forth from this Vatican, shall we?

• A few weeks ago, he signed a document that allows gays and transgender perverts to be godparents at baptism
• While Strickland was stripped of his diocese, the German bishops who declared their intention to "bless" gay unions remain untouched.
• There is the colossal pachamama debacle during which this filthy idol was worshipped in the Vatican Garden, in the pope's presence.  Later that week, he placed a pachamama plant on the altar during Mass - a direct violation of GIRM and an act of idolatry.
• There is that insidious footnote in Amoris Laetitia, stating that de facto adulterers may receive Holy Communion while continuing their mortally sinful lifestyles
• He declared the death penalty to be inherently evil, directly contradicting 2000 year old Church teaching. 

This list could go on and on, but these will suffice to demonstrate that yes indeed, the pope is undermining the deposit of faith.

As for this October 31 address in question, LifeSiteNews diligently recorded the entire thing and published it for our reading.  Here it is.  Please read it.  Some reading the OSV article might get the erroneous impression that Strickland is calling the pope a "usurper".  In an interview with the Pillar Catholic, Strickland plainly states that such is not his view.  Rather, he was reading a letter from a friend to illustrate the confusion that this pope is undeniably causing.  He states that the pope is neglecting to clear up confusion by not answering the dubia and not issuing plain statements of belief.

Further on down the OSV article, we read that "the letter outright attacked Pope Francis' validity as the successor of St. Peter...Bishop Strickland said the letter's words were challenging but did not dispute the allegations."

I find great fault with the reporting of Our Sunday Visitor in this matter.  They utterly failed - whether by neglect or intent, I do not know - to take into account Strickland's subsequent exchange with the Pillar, during which Strickland acknowledges Francis's papacy.  OSV's sloppiness could lead the unsuspecting reader to believe that Strickland doubts the validity of Francis' papacy.  The OSV has a duty, in my opinion, to correct their reporting.  Moreover, The Catholic Standard and Catholic Review. have a duty to acknowledge their own sloppiness in their blind repetition of the OSV error without doing any "due diligence" verification themselves.

Here are more details about these matters from the Lepanto Institute.

Why Is Catholic Business Network Of Montgomery County MD Planning To Honor Pro-Abort Ike Leggett? Must We Picket?

Let me briefly rehash some of 14-year-old county history.  Around that time, NARAL implemented a strategy whereby they would force pro-life pregnancy centers to denounce themselves as inferior to abortion providers.  This happened throughout the country.

It happened in Montgomery County MD as well.  Given the heavily pro-abortion Democratic makeup of the county council, it sailed right through, although not without considerable pro-life opposition.  However, it was passed and Ike Leggett, then County Executive, gleefully signed it into law.  Fortunately, local pro-life pregnancy centers filed suit and the measure went down in flames.  It should be noted that Leggett, along with many other council members, were touted by NARAL as "partners of choice".

So why, oh why, does the Catholic Business Network see fit to give this man an award at their December 1st gala?  The purpose of this gala is to fund scholarships for needy students.  How many would-be students were aborted, thanks to Leggett and his cronies, throughout the years in Montgomery County MD?

The address for this thing is not on their website.  However, we do know that this gala will happen Friday, December 1, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.  The address is 5701 Mannelli Road in Rockville.

Their phone number is not on their website (Gee!  I wonder why!)  But there is a "contact us" page where you can leave comments.  Moreover, the president's email is listed.   Please ask them to rescind that ill-advised invitation.  Otherwise, we will most likely picket this gathering.  Please advise, via comments if you'd be interested in joining a picket, if that be the case.

BREAKING - Francis Fires Strickland, Kicks Him To The Curb

Bishop Joseph Strickland, formerly  Bishop of Tyler Texas, has always been a champion for the One True Faith, even in the face of Francis' wayward ways.  Therefore it is really no surprise that Francis fired Strickland as Bishop of Tyler.  So much for "accompaniment".  I suppose that only works if one is a flaming gay or some other type of dissident.  The true faithful, such as adherents to the Traditional Latin Mass, Cardinal Burke, now Strickland are treated like so much dung.

So what was Strickland's high crime and misdemeanor for which he was fired?  He warned his flock about Francis' so-called "reforms", such as allowing gays to baptize their babies without raising them with Catholic Faith and Morality, women to elect the next pope, etc.

By the way!  Am I the only one who thinks it interesting that this hatchet job happened today, Saturday?  It's like the Vatican is borrowing ideas from the Democrat handbook, to execute draconian measures over the weekend when folks may be less likely to pay attention.  Sorry, guys!  It didn't work!

Of course Francis is trying to make an example of him.  Let us pray that this attempt backfires, that more bishops will stand with Strickland, and more importantly, stand with the Church and her Teachings as defined over the centuries, not the last 60 years.

From The Paradigm Shift Department: Allowing Perverts To Be Godparents And Tinkering With The Papal Conclave

Canon Law, specifically articles 872-874 of Chapter 4, are quite specific regarding the requirements for godparents.  First, there can be no more than one godparent of a given gender.  The godparent(s) must living a life in conformity to Catholic faith and morals.  Clearly no one can be a godparent who not only engages in mortal sin but who champions it.  That would include those engaging in sexual relations with another of the same gender are who considers themselves "transgender".  This past Wednesday, Francis and Bishop Touchy-Kissy signed a document that gives permissions for perverts to flout Canon law.  They are giving cover for the sin of sacrilege and for cooperating in the mortal sins of the perverts to be involved.

Meanwhile, there seems to be an effort underway to "reform the papal conclave" - in other words, to stack the papal electors so that another of Francis' mindset will succeed him when Francis is called to his eternal reward (such as that may be - pray for him).  Francis is currently "reviewing" it.  The upshot is that the cardinals over 80 years of age would be excluded from the preparatory phase and - here's the crucial part - have 25% of the electors comprised of laity and women religious.  All these would be appointed by Francis.  In short, Sister Mary Pantsuit would cast a vote for the next "pontiff".

Ladies and gentlemen, when Francis yammered on about "paradigm shifts", he wasn't kidding.  He intends to distort and turn the Church into some kind of horrible caricature of its former self.  He's not even trying to hide it anymore.  Are we awake yet?

Memorares For Maryland

As most people know by now, Ohio took a dark turn yesterday as they voted to enshrine in their state constitution legal permission to slaughter helpless babies.  What many Marylanders don't know is that a similar measure will be on the Maryland ballot in November 2024.  Such a measure, should it pass, would render impossible any attempt to limit, let alone eliminate, abortion in Maryland.  Maryland would become even more the abortion mecca that it already is.

Prayer and hard work - starting now - is of paramount importance.  That is why I highly endorse the efforts of some Maryland Catholics to ask Our Lady's intercession.  To that end, they have devised a website called Memorares for Maryland.  They are asking Catholics (Marylanders and beyond) to commit to praying three Memorares per day for the intention of keeping the so-called "right to abortion" out of the Maryland state constitution.

I now copy and paste below some more explanation of just what is at stake.

The amendment’s title is   “Declaration of Rights – Right to Reproductive Freedom”. 

       This undefined “right to reproductive freedom” is described as fundamental, as a central component of one’s rights to liberty and equality*. 

       Wow!  Better not get in the way of that undefined right! 

       Let’s think of what people could claim is allowed by this fundamental but undefined and entirely subjective right of reproductive freedom:

       Polygamy, pornography, prostitution, pederasty, pedophilia, puberty blocking, parental blocking, perverted practices, public fornication, genital mutilation, transvestism, corruption of children, opposite sex hormones, uteruses implanted in men. 

       Unchecked, undefined, entirely subjective reproductive freedom can/will facilitate sexual depravity or sexual insanity.

 

Please spread the word of both this proposed amendment and this worthy prayer effort.  As I learn of other actions in which to engage, I will post the details.

Francis Issues Ad Theologiam Promovendam To Justify Twisting Christ's Teaching To Progressive Dictates

This moto proprio, released Friday November 3, is Francis' latest attempt to justify the deconstruction of Christ's teaching.  The official English translation has not yet been released, but Return To Tradition offers us an unofficial translation.

Notice that in the first two sentences, he dismisses nearly two centuries of Church teaching as "formulas and schemes of the past".  In section 4 he speaks of a "paradigm shift".  Hmm!  Why does that phrase sound familiar?  Oh, yes!  He tried that crap over five years ago! That canard was roundly debunked then and still stands debunked in its reincarnation via this new moto proprio.  To briefly reiterate, there can be no "paradigm shift" for God's teachings, like God Himself, cannot change.  If any difference arises between the Church's teachings and contemporary culture, it is the culture that must give way to the Church.  There is no "dialogue", no compromise.  The Church contains the fullness of truth and all must assent and submit to it.

With this new tome, Francis is laying the groundwork for the notion that God's timeless teachings regarding faith and morals can change, even to the point of being reversed.  Of course that notion is a pernicious lie, a heresy in and of itself.

Prelates Combatting The Sin-Nod On Sodomy

Rome breathed a little easier this past weekend as the flow of noxious hot hair known as the Synod on Synodality, aka the Sin-Nod for Sodomy drew to a close.  With that gab-fest's attendees all gung-ho about ridding the world of those evil fossil fuels, they headed home in their gas-guzzling private jets.

While most prelates are either complicit with the crimes and heresies promulgated at this sin-nod, or at least cowed into silent subservience, there are a few who still recall that they are Catholic and that their Sacraments of Holy Orders confers upon them solemn duties to uphold the Faith.  On August 22, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, TX issued a pastoral letter to the Catholics in his diocese.  In it he reiterated basic Catholic teaching regarding life, marriage, sexuality, and the Sacraments.  He warned of attempts to subvert those teachings, especially as they would likely emanate from the sin-nod.  LifeSteNews has the full text of his letter.  The Vatican acknowledged Strickland's fidelity by foisting on him an "apostolic visitation".  They met with Francis and are considering asking Strickland for his resignation.  Strickland replied by stating that he would not voluntarily resigned, although he acknowledged Francis' authority to compel him to step down.  Cardinal Gerhard Muller publicly supported Strickland, saying that Strickland should not voluntarily resign.  Archbishop Vigano also praised Strickland for his pastoral letter, stating in a tweet that "that is the way a Successor to the Apostles speaks".

The aforementioned Cardinal Muller was at the sin-nod.  He was given little opportunity to speak although he had to sit through the drivel.  I hope that counted as time off his purgatory, but I digress.  Later he commented about the "heretics and globalists" at the sin-nod and reminded one and all that God cannot bless sin.  Given the topics of discussion at the sin-nod, we surmise that he was referring to the push to "bless" gay shack-ups.

Bishop Schneider was interviewed on the "gay-union" mess, calling it blasphemy.  See the interview here. The archbishop gave a brief history of his childhood, particularly as it was impacted by governmental persecution of Catholicism.  He also reiterated the possibility that we who celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass may find ourselves having to go underground, as it were. 

Schneider emphasized that any pope is not the owner of our Faith, but rather the servant of our Faith.  God allows the sort of trials (that we currently find in Francis) to purify our Faith.  That means that we must learn our Faith on our own, through trusted books and holy priests, such as those who offer the Traditional Latin Mass.  Schneider believes that after this trial (Francis' occupancy of the papal chair), a future pope will declare ex cathedra the truths of Faith and morality that are now under a Vatican-led attack.

I will attempt no further summary of the interview; rather, I suggest that you, the reader, watch it yourself.  Suffice it to say that there was much bile poured out at the Sin-nod on Sodomy.  I will also suggest that you procure Bishop Schneider's new catechim entitled "Credo".  It can be obtained from Sophia Press at https://sophiainstitute.com/  .

November Is The Time To #SayNo2CCHD

Within a few weeks, most dioceses in the US will devote their second collections to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development - CCHD for short.  Long-time readers of this blog (and others) will recall that we've said much about the immense harm done by the CCHD - after unsuspecting Catholics have been duped into donating their hard-earned money to them.

In tonight's episode of the Anchor Team, Michael Hichborn details another chapter of his expose of the CCHD.  Towards the end of his presentation, he engages in some discussion about what we Catholics in the pews can do about them.  In the second article of the anthology to which I linked in the first paragraph is an envelope stuffer that you may wish to use when that second collection basket passes in front of you during Mass.  

Please watch the episode in its entirety, then take some action.  With the Sin-Nod droning on, it can be easy for such things as the CCHD collection to slip right by us, but we mustn't relax our vigilance.

Maryland Company That Incinerated Aborted Babies Fined By The State

Last year I wrote of two pro-life activists who intercepted a number of aborted children who were slated to be incinerated by Cesare Santangelo.  The boxes of these children's bodies were on their way to Curtis Bay Medical Waste Services. 

It seems that Curtis Bay had been incinerating aborted babies, along with assorted medical wastes for some time, arousing the ire of the Dundalk residents because of the foul stench.  LifeSiteNews informs us that Maryland had been investigating Curtis Bay even before the discovery of the murdered babies.  Curtis Bay pled guilty to 40 violations of handling protocols and ordered to pay nearly $2 million for fines and other related fees.

Exploring Maryland's Catholic Roots

At a gala for Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum in Arlington last September, Tim Flanders of One Peter Five gave the main address.  He gave a very interesting summary of the history of Catholicism in Maryland.  It is in Maryland where Catholicism first took root, championed by the Calvert and the Carroll families.  The Collegium posted the address on youtube and it is now posted below.

Baltimore Catholic Review Slobbers Over Pro-Abortion Diane Feinstein

It would be commendable of the authors and editors of the Catholic Review to actually bring the Faith to bear on their reporting of the deaths of well-known people.  They eulogized the rabidly pro-abortion senator, giving only token mention to her championing of the slaughter of innocent babies.

The piece does comment about Feinstein's anti-Catholic bigotry.  Recall that when Amy Comey Barrett was undergoing her vetting for a seat on the US Supreme Court, Feinstein said to her, "the dogma lives loudly within you, and that's of concern".  Feinstein implied that faithful Catholics cannot occupy positions of authority and responsibility, an unabashed statement of bigotry.

The article actually seems to be a reprint of an Our Sunday Visitor piece.  Still, the Review had no need to publish this puff-piece about a politician who proved in every way to be an enemy of Faith and Morals.  At the very least, these "katholyc" mouthpieces could have at least reminded their readers that we'll all face death and judgment, and that we should pray that God have mercy on her soul, particularly in light of the damage she wrought.

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Washington's Catholic Standard follows suit.

Yoo-Hoo! Francis! God's Mercy Does NOT Extend To Demons!

The average Catholic of yesteryear understood that the truly penitent could rely on God's mercy - provided that he/she was truly penitent.  The current occupant of Peter's chair, however, has cheapened the gift of God's mercy - a gift acquired through the Crucifixion of Our Lord - to imply universal and unconditional forgiveness for everyone, even if these persons. are without repentance even continuing in sinful conduct.

Now they are trying to convince us that God's mercy will be extended to demons.  You read that correctly.  The Vatican website states it quite plainly, in the "Spirituality of the Synod" document.  Look on page 31 of that pdf; it's right there, in black and white.

By the way, this cockamamie notion is literally hundreds of years old.  It is this idea that got one of the earliest great thinkers of the Church, namely Origen, condemned as a heretic.  This is one of the several heresies of this sin-nod that Bergoglio and company are trying to insinuate into the teachings of the Church and the thinking of Catholics.

Just think.  We're only one month into this dumpster fire of a sin-nod.  What more awaits us?

Traditional Versus Novus Ordo - A Step By Step Comparison

This video does an excellent job at comparing the Novus Ordo Mass with the Mass of the Ages.  It is quite eye-opening to see how much of our Faith was stripped from the Novus Ordo, leaving us with a shell of a Mass.  I take issue with their statement at the end where they say it would be better not to attend Mass if all that was available was the Novus Ordo.  Otherwise I think it would be well worth your time to watch this in its entirety.  Also, here is a High Latin Mass, for Easter Sunday, that occurred in 1940.

Archdiocese Of Baltimore - 14 Pages Of Saying Nothing Useful

Cardinal Gregory exposed his willingness to coddle sins of sodomy a few weeks ago, but he wasn't the first.   Archbishop Lori of Baltimore beat him to the punch when released a "pastoral letter" entitled "Like Every Disciple: LGBT Pastoral Accompaniment" this past July.  Concurrently, the Catholic Review published some commentary on it.  It is looooong! A 14-page verbosity extravaganza!  However, because it is chock-full of moral error, we will slog through it.

Let's count how many times certain words and terms occur in this massive missive, shall we?

• Pastoral - 16 times
• Accompaniment - 20 times
• Journey - 20 times
• Relationship
• mortal sin - 0 times!
• Repent - 0 times!
• Confession - 1 time
• Disorder - 0 times!
• Hell - 0 times
• Heaven - 1 time 
• Salvation - 1 time

These word counts are quite revelatory in regards to the priorities of the authors of these things.  The last three word counts betray the utter disregard for the most important aspect of the Church's work - to save souls from hell and to help them attain heaven.  Note also that the word "repent" is not mentioned once, even though, according to Mark's gospel, it is the first word that Jesus uttered in His public ministry.

This thing yammers on and on about "accompaniment" and "journey" and being "pastoral", but what is being completely glossed over is that to engage in sexual perversions is to commit mortal sin.  We know that if a person commits just one mortal sin and then dies without the Sacrament of Confession and/or Perfect Contrition, that he/she will spend eternity in hell.

Therefore, the first - FIRST - priority is for that person to immediately make a good sacramental Confession, confessing the mortal sins committed in number and kind.  Without that, no amount of "accompaniment" will amount to a hill of beans, for no grace can accrue to anyone with mortal sin on their soul, especially if that person is still committing that sin.  That confession must happen immediately, regardless of any "journey".  Time is of the essence.

Let's now go through this mess and look at some of the most egregious nonsense.  In the early part, the question is asked: "What does it mean to follow Christ and to belong to the Church as a person who identifies as LGBT?"  Well, so see how absurd this question is, just substitute another sin, say "drug dealer" or "spouse abuser" in place of "LGBT".  If one identifies themselves by the perversion that they practice, then they are practicing it.  So "what does it mean"?  It means that the person be told, up front and with no kid gloves, that they are endangering their souls and that their destructive behaviors must cease and that good confessions be made.  If there are falls (most likely will happen), then they must get up, go back to confession and resolve to sin no more.

Further down, we read about the "desire to truly welcome and embrace sexual minorities".  No, they are not minorities, as would be the case of racial or ethnic minorities.  A person with an unwanted same-sex attraction is no more a LGBT person than a person afflicted with a violent temper be a murderous person.  We do not identify people by their disordered inclinations, especially if they don't act on those disordered inclinations.

Moving on down, this document quotes Francis during one of his plane-interview bloopers.  This is the one where he asked "if a person is gay and seeks out the Lord and is willing, who am I to judge that person?"   Well, if this conversation occurred in the sacrament of Confession (and that word occurred only once in this 14-page mess), the priest better be evaluating this person's soul, for the latter's salvation.  Again, if a person self-identifies via his/her disordered tendency, it's fairly clear that this person is acting according to those tendencies.   As far as this person being "willing", willing to do what?  If this person is repentant of the evil tendency, then indeed there is much cause for rejoicing.  Otherwise, there is no authentic "seeking out the Lord".

As we get closer to the end of this thing, we read that "often the Church and her teaching are being presented as being against LGBT persons, as if she were the enemy of human flourishing."  Who is doing this "presenting"?  Of course the secular culture is holding out that picture, but where, oh where, do we see God's teachings regarding sexuality being presented in Church venues?  All too often, the Church pulpits are silent on this matter.  When Church officials drag their feet when good people are trying to stop gay-coddling legislation from becoming law, they are showing that they are ashamed or even opposed to Church teaching.  We certainly don't see any unambiguous presentation of Church teaching in this document!  There is not one clear, concise presentation in all these 14 pages.

I'm sure other bishops will follow suit.

Monica Miller Speaking In DC-MD Area Next Week

 

Is Jorge Bergoglio The Pope? We Need To Stop Dodging That Question

A few weeks ago, the Catholic Identity Conference was held in Pennsylvania.  It was chaired by Michael Matt of the Remnant Underground.  They are all Catholics who are faithful to Church teaching and tradition.  Archbishop Vigano had prepared a presentation to be given to the attendees; he could not come himself for he is still in danger.

Vigano's presentation was not given.  I'm not sure of the reason, and I frankly don't care.  The questions that the archbishop put forth are questions that we Catholics must face.  Those questions focus on the legitimacy, or lack thereof, of Bergoglio's occupation of Peter's Chair.  I think that many good people don't want to face the fact that the evil inside the church hierarchy is so prevalent as to have insinuated in the visible head of the Church.  Perhaps they fear the label "sedevacantist".  Perhaps they just want to stay in the good graces of local hierarchy and friends.  Whatever the reasons, they must be cast aside and these questions must be addressed.

Ann Barnhardt has the video of Vigano giving his talk.  For those who'd rather read it, here it is.  Consider what he is saying.  The time for kicking the can down the road is long past - if it ever existed at all.  LifeSiteNews posted an article about the Saint Gallen mafia and how they might have tampered with the 2013 papal election.  They may have tried that with the 2005 election, but were unsuccessful.

For the record, I now believe that there are reasons to doubt the legitimacy of the 2013 papal election.  Frankly, I don't believe the resignation of Pope Benedict was done validly, so that is another reason why the 2013 election is dubious.  I have questions about these.  I don't have answers, I cannot propose solutions, but that does not preclude me from voicing reservations.

What should be obvious to all is that evil is having its way with Bergoglio.  That has been painfully apparent for several years now.  If you aren't awake and praying your Rosaries, why not?

The Papal Posse On The Sin-Nod For Sodomy

The Papal Posse discusses the Sin-nod For Sodomy and the dubia posed by six cardinals now.

I understand that some conversation towards the end may have been cut out of this clip.  If that is the case and I'm able to locate the intact clip, I will post.

Francis Plops Another Stinker Called Laudate Deum

On October 3, we celebrated the Feast of St Francis of Assisi.  If anyone heard a rumble from his grave, well, there's good cause for it.  That "rumble" would have been occasioned by the release of Laudate Deum, an apostolic exhortation that is in reality nothing more than a deliberate attempt to whip up more "climate change" hysteria.  The first few verses are spent in vain attempts to breathe new life into tired, worn-out talking points regarding climate change: rising sea levels, melting glaciers, barely perceptible temperature increases and other "cries of protests on the part of the earth".  That last quote is from section 5 of this ungodly tome.  By the way - only a person can protest anything, for there must be intent to protest.  Someone close to Francis should remind him that planets are not sentient beings and such talk is indicative of sloppy philosophy and/or theology.

Big carbon footprint here!  For shame!

He also spills a lot of ink on paper as he whines that "some have chosen to deride these facts".  That's the start of his section 6-7 screed against those of us who refuse to swallow the pabulum that he and his progressive accomplices continually try to pour down our throats.  But, as they say, we encounter flak when we're above target.  This sort of sniveling is actually encouraging to read, for it means that we are having some success in thwarting their nefarious, one-world-government, new-order schemes.

In section 10, he takes some swipes against those big, bad fossil fuels.  I'm curious!  How does he think all those sin-nod delegates traveled to that carbon-footprint-increasing gab-fest?  The picture to the right (from EWTN) is that of the sin-nod in session.  You better believe the temperature is being kept at comfortable levels.  Now look at all that high-tech?  Everyone has their own tablet, and each table has four screens in the center.  Lots of electricity is being used.  Is all that power coming from windmills?  I didn't think so, either!

In section 15, we read about "irreversible effects of the climate crisis".  Francis bemoans the myth that "other creatures of the world have stopped being our companions along the way and have become instead our victims".  My!  Doesn't that just make you feel icky for being a human being?  I think that's by intent.  Again, we see the heretical personification of non-human entities.

In section 35, he shills for a one-world government.  In section 39, he lauds postmodern culture - by name!  Postmodern thinkers tend to deny the existence of objective reality and objective moral values.  And this "pope" praises that??  More commentary from LifeSiteNews. 

Let's do a word count, shall we?  Here they are!

• God - 11 times
• Climate - 33 times
• Jesus - 3 times
• temperature - 9 times
• global - 27 times
• church - 1 time
• melt - 4 times
• environment - 10 times

I could go on, but you see the priorities of this pseudo-pontificate quite clearly.

Ominous Yet Expected Answers To Dubia

Today, as the Sin-Nod on Sodomy approaches, Francis received a new set of dubia, another attempt to ask him to clarify his statements and actions.  This is signed by five cardinals.  The first two are the surviving two cardinals who issued the first set of dubia about seven years ago: Cardinal Burke and Cardinal Brandmuller.  They were joined by Cardinals Sarah, Zen, and Sandoval-Iniguoez.

Cardinal Burke, on his webpage, gives some critical background and information regarding the dubia, as well as its text.  Originally, five dubia were presented to Francis this past July.  Francis was rather prompt in issuing replies to them, unlike the ones from several years ago.  He did so, however, in such a way that allowed for, shall we say, "wiggle room".  Realizing the problem, the five cardinals reissued their dubia in August.  At that time, the questions were formulated so that a "yes" or "no" would be required to answer the questions.  After not receiving answers to the August dubia, the cardinals decided to make them public knowledge on October 2nd.  The full texts of the two sets of dubia, as well as the responses to the first set of dubia, are found on Burke's site.  

I should point out that the five cardinals received some key support.  Both Cardinal Muller and Bishop Scheider voiced their support for the dubia.  They praised the five cardinals for acting as true advisors to the pope and calling on him to answer the dubia.  While these dubia have not received formal answers as of this writing, recent actions seem to answer at least a few of them.  It is a case of "actions speak louder than words".

The five cardinals weren't the only ones to submit dubia to Francis.  In July, Cardinal Dominik Duka of Prague submitted ten dubia on behalf of the Czech Episcopal Conference.  These focused on the care of divorced/remarried Catholics in light of Amoris Laetitia.  Francis and Cardinal Victor "Kissy-Face" Fernandez replied that Amoris Laetitia does indeed allow those de facto adulterers to receive Holy Communion, thus committing sins of sacrilege.

During a pre-synod retreat, Father Timothy Radcliffe (where have we heard that name before?) gave an address of sorts.  He started by apologizing for his limitations.  What are these limitations that necessitated an apology?  Why, he's old, western, white and male!  Oh, the horror!  He commiserates with those who might feel "marginalized" - folks who might be divorced/remarried, in gay relationships, polygamous, etc".  Why, they "long for a renewed church in which they will feel fully at home, recognized, affirmed, and safe."  Doesn't that sound lovely?  A bastardized renewed church!  And what about that "affirmed" part?  Affirmed in mortal sin?  How will that assist the sinner as they stand before God's judgment seat?

Now recall Francis' answer to the first dubia regarding marriage, particularly, attempts by gays to simulate "marriage".  While Francis reiterated that marriage can only be between man and woman, he voiced the possibility of "blessing" gay shack-ups.   Full stop!  One cannot "bless" mortal sin.  Such an attempt would be its own sin.  Francis and many Catholics need to review the nine ways of cooperating in the sin of others, for that is what they are doing.

He's leaving it up to individual priests as to whether or not they should "bless" gay shack-ups.  So consider; he gives priests that illegitimate option, but comes down heavy-handed on them if they should celebrate the Latin Mass!  Does that make any sense?  Well, yes it does!  Both these actions are attempts to deconstruct the Church and undermine the teachings of God as revealed through His church.

Today is October 4.  This Sin-Nod on Sodomy is expected to go on all month.  Already it is proving to be a proverbial train wreck.  No doubt there will be more damage to come.

Archdiocese Of Baltimore Has Filed For Bankruptcy

A Maryland law, signed in April, will take effect this Sunday, October 1, 2023.  It will remove statute of limitations deadlines for the filing of child sexual assault lawsuits against institutions.  At that time, the Maryland Attorney General's office had released a report detailing the abuse of 600 children by 150 clergy.  That report was revised this past month and can be found here.  Only a handful of names are redacted from this one.

In a move most likely calculated to shield church assets from lawsuits anticipated as a result of both the law and the report, today the Archdiocese of Baltimore has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  Among other things, that means that any settlement of suits will be handled in bankruptcy courts, not civil courts.   They tend to be less transparent.

It Will Be A Sin-Nod For Sodomy If Cardinal Gregory's Words Are Any Indication

The dreaded anticipated "Synod on Synodality" will start next week and it promises to be a blight upon Holy Mother Church.  First, take a look at the complete list of delegates to this gab-fest, courtesy of the National Catholic Register.  Cardinal Gregory appears towards the bottom of the list, in the section entitled "members nominated by Pope Francis".  In other words, he holds no position in the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, but Francis wants him there anyway.  Others who are so esteemed (?) by Francis include Cardinal Cupich, Father James Martin, and Cardinal McElroy.  I see that Cardinal Muller is also in that list.  That list was created before Muller publicly supported Bishop Strickland, so we'll see what his fate there will be, but I digress.

Now look at this article, penned by Gregory, that appeared on page 5 of the September 14th issue of the Catholic Standard.  (Note: Should this link be "broken", please advise.  I have the printed version and would be more than happy to upload pictures of that.)  Pay close attention to the last sentence of the second paragraph.  You will see that Gregory, in his use of the term "sexual orientation", likens the intrinsically disordered orientation of same-sex and other perverted attraction to innate and benign characteristics such as ethnicity, language, etc.

This mention of "sexual orientation" is no accident, no Freudian slip.  Recall that when Gregory first come to Washington DC, he participated in a "Theology on Tap" session during which he sang the praises of Fortunate Families, a gay-coddling cabal.

Since then, Gregory has been relatively quiet regarding the gay agenda.  But now, on the cusp of this Sin-Nod for Sodomy, he's making noises as though he is once again shilling for sexual perversion.  This article was no blooper, no slip of the tongue.  It is a shot across the bow, a harbinger of things to come, particularly from this Sin-Nod.  And that is just what this gab-fest will: a nod towards the sins of sodomy and other perversions of not only morals but the One True Faith as well.

Please be praying your Rosaries and be studying the Faith on your own, for you'll get no real guidance, neither from the Vatican nor any of the chanceries from which these Sin-Nod delegates hail.  Also please do not contribute to any in-pew collection for Bishop's appeals nor for the Peter's Pence collections.  Direct any such donations to those organizations that uphold the Traditional Catholic teachings on faith and morals.

Cardinal Muller Stands With Bishop Strickland

In my previous post, the one just before this, I voiced a hope in the second paragraph that there would be other prelates besides Archbishop Vigano and Bishop Schneider who would publicly support Bishop Strickland.  Therefore I was pleased to see in LifeSiteNews that Cardinal Muller, former Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, voicing his support of Strickland and urging him not to resign.

Your Eminences and Your Excellencies, it is time to stand for Christ's teachings and to be counted as faithful prelates!

Archbishop Vigano And Bishop Schneider Stand With Bishop Strickland

Bishop Strickland made a statement regarding the news of the Vatican's desire for his resignation.  He acknowledged the pope's right to remove him from his post.  However, he says that he will not resign, thus running from the charge given to him by Pope Benedict.  I for one support Strickland's stance.  If the pope wants Strickland out, he will have to get ugly about it.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider sent to Bishop Strickland a very supportive letter, and it was shared by LifeSiteNews.  In that letter, Schneider told Strickland that future popes would thank Strickland for his fidelity to Christ's teachings.  Likewise, Archbishop Vigano communicated his thoughts to Strickland, encouraging him to continue his course and not quit his post voluntarily.  We await communications from other prelates.  Surely Schneider and Vigano cannot be the only ones who, like Strickland, understand what it truly means to be a bishop.

So what will be Francis' next move?  Whatever it is, it will have to wait.  It seems that Francis is going to address the Clinton Foundation on September 18.  This will take the form of a "special conversation" with Bill Clinton regarding favorite pet causes of the progressives, such as "climate change" and unbridled amnesty for border-crashers.  Other attendees of this conference include Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, some of our less-than-favorite left-wing governors such as the ones from California, Maryland, Illinois, Michigan.  Among others, there is a representative from an outfit called "Black Trans Liberation".  Now take a look at this guy.  Would you want to meet him in a dark alley?

Somehow when Francis chats with Bill Clinton, I suspect that he won't be calling the Clintons and the rest of that cabal to repentance for their promotion of baby-slaughter and sexual perversions.  I expect that conversation to be all happy-clappy with mutual praise and admiration flowing ad nauseum. 

Understand the reason why Francis is only too happy to chat with a pro-abortion left-wing cabal while drawing long knives upon faithful clergy.  He and the ilk led by George Soros, Klaus Schwab, Bill Gates, etc are in cahoots with each other.  Faithful prelates stand in their way because the leftwing agenda is at complete odds with the teachings of Our Lord.  Not only do the progressives consider bishops like Joseph Strickland to be fair game, but the bulls-eyes are trained on us as well.  We need to acknowledge that.

Pro-Life Activists, Please Cease With The Circular Firing Squads

Recently Kristan Hawkins of Students for Life sent an email blast to her list.  The topic revolved around the pro-lifers who were arrested and are now facing prison because of the rescue at Cesare Santangelo's baby-killing center in Washington DC.  Five of the activists have already been convicted and the others will go on trial shortly. 

I gather that some affiliates of Students for Life were concerned that their sidewalk activism might land them in jail and Hawkins was trying to reassure them that it wouldn't.  While I understand her desire to give assurances to her affiliates, she did so in a way that appears to belittle the efforts of those who engaged in the rescue of 2020. 

The body of her email blast appears below, with problematic parts highlighted.

Begin blast email.

Dear XXXX,  I've had a handful of students reach out concerned that doing peaceful pro-life activism, like engaging in sidewalk counseling or praying in front of an abortion facility, could result in an arrest. First and foremost, I'm writing you today to nip that in the bud... but I also want to give you some context. In October of 2020, pro-lifers affiliated with a different organization protested at the Washington Surgi-Clinic, operated by the notorious late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo. Their chosen form of protest was a blockade of the facility. They knew that blocking the abortion facility was illegal, and they could be arrested for a felony thanks to the unjust FACE Act, which has been a law since the early 90s. This week, these activists were found guilty of FACE Act violations, which will be appealed according to their attorneys’ statements, and they are now in jail awaiting their sentencing, which could mean up to 11 years in federal prison. These young people collectively face decades in jail. XXX, I understand the passion that drove these activists to protest this evil late-term abortion facility. What Santangelo allegedly did to at least five fully-formed babies is horror beyond words. But while I empathize AND wholeheartedly believe the FACE Act is a garbage law designed to silence pro-lifers, I don’t believe that risking arrest and eleven years in a federal prison is the way the Pro-Life Generation will abolish abortion. The activism we ask the Pro-Life Generation to engage in is always legal.   Now, you may be remembering a different 2020 incident in which Students for Life members were arrested in Washington, D.C. for sidewalk chalking. There are some really important differences between these two arrests: 1. SFLA made every effort to obtain legal permission to carry out our event in front of the Washington, D.C. Planned Parenthood. We were unjustly denied despite our peaceful activities being clearly protected by the First Amendment (as we've argued in court, due to viewpoint discrimination). We did not show up thinking anyone would be arrested for sidewalk chalking. 2. The activists arrested at Santangelo's facility knowingly violated the FACE Act. It's their prerogative to peacefully carry out pro-life activism that way, knowing they will be punished by a weaponized, pro-abortion Department of Justice. But it's just not how we do things at SFLA. I believe pro-life activism can be impactful, life-saving, and mind-changing within the confines of the law. Granted, the FACE Act is, as I mentioned, a garbage law meant to oppress Americans who believe abortion is wrong. It's representative of a pattern of legal oppression against pro-life Americans that is emerging. But we will protest and work to change bad laws - not break them. And we will not stop working as hard as possible to abolish abortion, no matter what stands in our way. Please let me know if you have any questions about our practices and beliefs as it relates to your involvement with Students for Life.

For Life,

End blast email.

I have things that I could say about those hghlighted phrases, but that would obscure my main point.  It's one thing to disagree with tactics used by others, but quite another to hold oneself superior to others because of that disagreement.  This is what comes across in this email blast.  If that was not the intent, I suggest some clarification be issued.  

The pro-life battle has many fronts.  Various good people will focus on given fronts, depending on their talents and their life circumstances.

This is not the first time I've addressed this matter.  Besides this blog, I also write for a Baltimore-based pro-life organization called Defend Life.  On page 3 of the May 23 - June 23 issue, I addressed it because of a talk given by one of the rescuers.  He too fell into the error of disparaging aspects of pro-life work that utilized tactics other than rescues.

I humbly suggest that all pro-life parties cease immediately this sniping at each other and/or engaging in self-aggrandizement at each other's expense.

The Cancellation Of Another Faithful Prelate Is On The Horizon

Please see this for an anthology of posts regarding Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, TX.  From these accounts (and posts from other sites), you can see that Bishop Strickland has been outspoken for the truth, even to the extent of pointing out papal errors.

You will note from the July 4 post that Strickland was the target of an "apostolic visitation".  One of the delightful little "visitors", Kicanas, is no pillar of orthodoxy.  Of course, in the eyes of the current occupant of Peter's chair, that is a good thing, making him quite qualified to quash bishops who actually uphold the Faith.

Just two months later, well-founded rumors are spewing from the Vatican that Francis is set to ask Bishop Strickland to resign.  While this leaves Strickland's future in doubt, to be asked by this pope to resign is most definitely a badge of honor.  By far, he is not the first.  There was Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton PA.  Fifteen years ago, US hierarchy arranged for his ouster after he took aim at pro-abortion Catholic politicians, ordering his priests to withhold Communion from known pro-aborts.  Archbishop Vigano is literally in hiding for going public about his knowledge of the McCarrick mess.  Cardinal Burke was ousted from his posts at the Vatican, to be replaced by flaming dissidents.

Speaking of Cardinal Burke, he and Cardinal Brandmuller are still awaiting answers to the dubia that they posted to the Vatican several years ago.  Yet a scant two months after a bullying visitation, they are feverishly getting ready to give Bishop Strickland the heave-ho.  Perhaps it was Strickland's pastoral letter to his flock, warning them about the Sin-nod on Sin-odomy.

I am not a canon lawyer and don't know what rights (if any) that Strickland has in this matter.  I hope and pray that he uses any rights and not just fade quietly into the night.

According To Francis, We Faithful Catholics Are "Backwards-Looking" And "Reactionary"

Whining to some fellow Jesuits while in Portugal for the World Youth Debacle, Pope Francis crabbed about Catholics faithful to Tradition, calling us "backwards-looking" and "reactionary".  He tries so hard to convince us that there is an "appropriate evolution in the understanding of matters of faith and morals".

He cited some examples, disregarding the fact that he is holding to heresy.  He went on: "today it is a sin to possess atomic bombs.  The death penalty is a sin; you cannot employ it, but it was not so before."  If he wants to yammer about "appropriate evolution", here is a case where this so-called "evolution" is so inappropriate as to be called heresy, or at least based on heresy.  The underlying heresy is in believing that God can somehow change.  He is beyond change.  He is immutable, and thus His words and thoughts are, too.  Pope St. Pius X had much to say about Francis' mindsets in Pascendi Dominici Gregis.  I suggest you read it.

Later he said, "what I don't like at all is that we look at the so-called 'sins of the flesh' with a magnifying glass..if you lied or cheated, it doesn't matter and instead, only sins below the waist are relevant".   "So-called sins of the flesh"?  Yes, Francis!  That is the term used by Our Lady of Fatima when she told the three children that more souls go to hell on account of sins of the flesh than any other sins.  I can see, though, where that might not be relevant if one doesn't believe in hell.

He said this regarding persons currently committing mortal sins of homosexual relations: "the door is open to everyone.  Everyone has their own space in the church."  After this is when he let loose with his "so-called sins of the flesh" quips.

I believe there is some "method to the madness" here.  He has two things on the horizon.  First there is this so-called "Synod on Synodality" that some have dubbed "sin-nod on sodomy".  Yes, there will most likely be some heresy regarding homosexuality that comes out of this thing.  In fact, given previous patterns regarding past meetings, the "documents resulting from the synod" are most likely written and ready to be released at an opportune time.  Of course any little poison pill will be buried amidst piles and piles of fluffy-puff verbosity.

Speaking of verbal diarrhea, be prepared for another encyclical that Michael Matt has dubbed "Laudato Si II".  Oh, joy!  Hear for yourselves.  

We need to resist the onslaughts against truth coming at us from the Vatican, just as we must resist the civil wonks who are rattling the covid sabers again.