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.

Did The Pope Just Answer the Dubia In The Worst Way Possible?

As way of review, I link to my post in which I published the original letter of the four Cardinals.  In that letter are the five dubia as they were formally promulgated.

In September of 2016, the pope wrote a letter to some Argentinian bishops in which he said that "in some cases", divorced and civilly remarried Catholics (that is, Catholics living in the mortal sin of adultery) could receive Holy Communion.  Furthermore, that letter stated that there was "no other interpretation" of Amoralis Lamentia possible.

Comes now the news that the pope has declared that this letter that he wrote to the Argentinian bishops is "authentic Magisterium".  That is, he has attempted to change the teaching of the Catholic Church that she received from Jesus Christ Himself centuries ago.  See here for another analysis.

Does the meme to the right depict the current state of affairs of the Church?  Does this new "magisterium" rise to the level of formal heresy?  If not, why?  If so, it would seem that we may not have a pope, save the Pope Emeritus.

At any rate, it would appear that the pope has indeed answered the first of the five dubia incorrectly.  Now will Cardinals Brandmuller and Burke issue the formal correction immediately?  How much more damage must ensue before that happens?

Remnant's Michael Matt Interviews Bishop Athanasius Schneider

I'll let this one speak for itself.  Please listen to the whole thing.

Filial Correction To Pope Francis Publicized Today

On the first anniversary of the submission of the dubia to Pope Francis, the pope has abolished the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family and put in place another: the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences.  Some things to note:

• The first was established to promulgate Humanae Vitae and related teachings.  The second is tasked with implementation of Amoralis Lamentia.
• The founding president of the first was Cardinal Caffarra, one of the dubia cardinals who is just recently deceased.

We all know of the no-longer secret committee that has been established to "study" Humanae Vitae.  This teaching of the Church is crystal-clear.  We know this "studying" is simply a pretext so that it can be undermined and declared irrelevant.

However, we have now received word that 62 scholars, both clergy and laypeople, have issued a "Filial Correction of Pope Francis for the Propagation of Heresies".  This is not the correction mentioned by Cardinal Burke; that would be a fraternal correction, issued by bishop to bishop.  It is an important step in the process.  Rorate Caeli has the full text of the document.  It was actually sent to the pope last month.  However, because he treated this in the same manner as he treated the dubia, it is now public.  Additional commentary and analysis can be found here, here, and here.

We pray that this matter is resolved by the pope's issuance of corrections to Amoralis Lamentia, or even better, by rescinding the whole thing altogether.

Cardinal Burke: Formal Correction Now Necessary

As we all know, the pope has not responded to the dubia issued by Cardinals Burke, Branduller, Caffara, and the now-deceased Meisner.  The dubia were five very simple questions, requiring a mere "yes" or "no".

Cardinal Burke, in a recent interview, has stated that in light of the pope's unresponsiveness, a formal correction on some areas of the pope's teachings (particularly as found in Amoris Laetitia) is now necessary.  The pope will then be obliged to respond.  As Burke points out, the Church is being divided over various interpretation of Amoris Laetitia.  Recent comments from the Vatican favor interpretations that fly in the face of Church Tradition, i.e., the Teachings of Jesus Christ.

LifeSiteNews has summarized twelve points about this situation.  The text of the interview (at least the pertinent section) is here.   Meanwhile, Cardinal Brandmuller (another dubia cardinal) published an article about a tradition of popes reciting a declaration of faith upon their ascents to the char of Peter; it's high time that tradition was reinstated.

Let us pray that these Cardinals can proceed with all due haste, and more importantly, that the pope will respond to this correction in such a way that will preserve fidelity to the Church's timeless teachings on marriage, family, sexuality, and the sacraments.

Pope Snubs Dubia Cardinals Yet Again

As we all know, Cardinals Brandmuller, Burke, Caffarra, and Meisner issued four questions, called dubia, to seek clarification from Pope Francis regarding the intended meanings behind certain passages of Amoris Laetitia - most notably, chapter 8.  These questions were issued last September.  To date the "dubia cardinals" have received no reply.

Last April they requested a private audience with the pope to follow up on the dubia.  The request was made by a letter penned by Cardinal Caffarra.  The blogger Sandro Magister obtained a copy and it has been published on numerous sites.  I'll reproduce it below.  The letter was hand-delivered to the pope.  Sadly this letter is receiving the same treatment as did the original dubia.  If the pope grants the audience later, I'll gladly report on that development.

Now the text of the letter:
--------------------------------------------------------

Most Holy Father,

It is with a certain trepidation that I address myself to Your Holiness, during these days of the Easter season. I do so on behalf of the Most Eminent Cardinals: Walter Brandmüller, Raymond L. Burke, Joachim Meisner, and myself.

We wish to begin by renewing our absolute dedication and our unconditional love for the Chair of Peter and for Your august person, in whom we recognize the Successor of Peter and the Vicar of Jesus: the "sweet Christ on earth," as Saint Catherine of Siena was fond of saying. We do not share in the slightest the position of those who consider the See of Peter vacant, nor of those who want to attribute to others the indivisible responsibility of the Petrine munus. We are moved solely by the awareness of the grave responsibility arising from the munus of cardinals: to be advisers of the Successor of Peter in his sovereign ministry. And from the Sacrament of the Episcopate, which "has placed us as bishops to pasture the Church, which He has acquired with his blood" (Acts 20:28).

On September 19, 2016 we delivered to Your Holiness and to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith five dubia, asking You to resolve uncertainties and to bring clarity on some points of the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia.

Not having received any response from Your Holiness, we have reached the decision to ask You, respectfully and humbly, for an Audience, together if Your Holiness would like. We attach, as is the practice, an Audience Sheet in which we present the two points we wish to discuss with you.

Most Holy Father,

A year has now gone by since the publication of Amoris Laetitia. During this time, interpretations of some objectively ambiguous passages of the post-synodal Exhortation have publicly been given that are not divergent from, but contrary to, the permanent Magisterium of the Church. Despite the fact that the Prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith has repeatedly declared that the doctrine of the Church has not changed, numerous statements have appeared from individual Bishops, Cardinals, and even Episcopal Conferences, approving what the Magisterium of the Church has never approved. Not only access to the Holy Eucharist for those who objectively and publicly live in a situation of grave sin, and intend to remain in it, but also a conception of moral conscience contrary to the Tradition of the Church. And so it is happening — how painful it is to see this! — that what is sin in Poland is good in Germany, that what is prohibited in the archdiocese of Philadelphia is permitted in Malta. And so on. One is reminded of the bitter observation of B. Pascal: "Justice on this side of the Pyrenees, injustice on the other; justice on the left bank of the river, injustice on the right bank."

Numerous competent lay faithful, who are deeply in love with the Church and staunchly loyal to the Apostolic See, have turned to their Pastors and to Your Holiness in order to be confirmed in the Holy Doctrine concerning the three sacraments of Marriage, Confession, and the Eucharist. And in these very days, in Rome, six lay faithful, from every Continent, have presented a very well-attended study seminar with the meaningful title: "Bringing clarity."

Faced with this grave situation, in which many Christian communities are being divided, we feel the weight of our responsibility, and our conscience impels us to ask humbly and respectfully for an Audience.

May Your Holiness remember us in Your prayers, as we pledge to remember You in ours. And we ask for the gift of Your Apostolic Blessing.

Carlo Card. Caffarra

Rome, April 25, 2017

Feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist

Deconstructing The Faith With Amoralis Lamentia

I need not spend too much time reinventing the wheel as it were.  Suffice it to say that if one has had their eyes open and if they haven't been given over to a pollyanna-esque happy-clappy self-deception, they will understand the dangers to souls that have been coming from the Vatican, at the apparent instigation of the pope.  The Wild Voice put together a chronology (not all-encompassing, by their own admission) of doings and sayings of Pope Francis that have been, at best, most unseemly for a Vicar of Christ.

I will post after the jump break two videos.  One is a talk given by John-Henry Weston, one of the two co-founders of LifeSiteNews, given at the same conference at which Michael Hichborn spoke when he spoke of "Catholic Charities and the Culture of Death".  Weston addresses the various things that the pope has done to undermine the Faith and he does so from the perspective of the Fatima predictions.

The one following that is a homily posted by Sensus Fidelium entitled "The Road To The Dubia: Amoris Laetitia".  In it the priest lays out just why that document is a deliberate attack on three Sacraments: Confession, Communion, Matrimony.  He calls Amoralis Lamentia "a Henry VIII moment in the Church".  In the very beginning, he also gives definitions of Church Tradition, public revelation, etc.  Please invest the time to listen to these talks and to be informed.  If some, particularly parents, claim not to have the time to do so, understand that the eternal salvation of your children may well depend on you being informed about the spiritual wolves that are waiting to devour your children.  As Weston states, we must be informed so that we can both pray properly and speak in defense of the truth.  Now the videos:

Cockroaches Do Hate The Light

I wrote last week about the horrid "guidance" that Cardinal Wuerl gave to his priests and seminarians regarding Amoralis Lamentia - see here and here.  As you can see from the links, Church Militant picked up on it, too.  Usually the chancery ignores what we write, although I know for a fact that my postings are monitored.

In his own blog, Cardinal Wuerl doubled down on the errors of Amoralis Lamentia.  I cannot say the errors belong to Wuerl alone, for those errors are promulgated by many - including Pope Francis himself.  He speaks of "a small number of clergy and media supporters"..."challenging the integrity of..Amoris Laetitia".  I've no doubt that with this "small number of clergy" crack, that he's taking a swipe at Cardinal Burke and the other three cardinals for issuing their dubia.  Reminder - in issuing their dubia, the four cardinals seek not to undermine any papal teaching but to clarify it.  There are a number of bishops who now claim that those in adulterous situations can receive Holy Communion without bringing their lives into conformity with the clear, timeless teachings of Jesus Christ.

Notice how he speaks of "the determining role of individual conscience when assessing personal culpability before God and therefore before his Church."  Wrong.  An individual's conscience never trumps God's Holy Will as revealed through His Teachings in the Catholic Church.  If an individual commits sin while being aware that Jesus Christs forbids such actions, he/she is culpable, personal proclivities and inclinations notwithstanding.  He/she is bound by Canon 916 not to approach the Communion rail.  If the sin is manifest and grave, the minister of Holy Communion is bound by Canon 915 to deny that person Holy Communion, lest he be party to sacrilege.

Regrettably, the Vicar of Christ has advocated for such sacrilege to occur.  Recall the instruction that he gave to priests from his native Argentina.  A few days ago the pope joined the bandwagon, accusing us of (wait for it!)  "obeying all the commandments, all of them..this paralyzes you too".  Hmm.. I seem to recall in the Gospel of John where Jesus says, "he who loves me will obey my commandments".  But according to the pope, obedience will make us "forget so many graces received..it doesn't allow you to go forward".  Go forward?  Forward - to where?  Reminder - disobedience to God's commands - any of them - will cause the sinner to lose grace.

Cardinal Muller has rebuked such confusion.  He railed against those who use AL to "justify situations against the will of God".   He added, "adultery is always a mortal sin and the bishops who create confusion about this must study the doctrine of the Church".  He didn't mention the pope by name, but his meaning is clear.  I suspect there may soon be some personnel shake-ups at the CDF very soon.

We faithful Catholics need to pray and to educate ourselves regarding our Faith.  We certainly will get no solid education from too many of our chanceries.

Is Cardinal Muller Cowering Before Vatican Progressives?

It certainly appears that way, given the statement that he released on Sunday.  He is Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  He said that a "fraternal correction" regarding Amoris Laetitia is "not possible" because AL poses "no danger to the faith".   Edward Pentin, in the National Catholic Register, points out that the CDF lodged a large number of corrections for AL; not one of them was accepted.

Now what else happened at the CDW just a few days prior to that?  Recall that on December 26, the pope ordered Cardinal Muller to dismiss three of the priests who were working with the CDW.  When the Cardinal succeeded in getting an audience so that he could discuss the matter with the pope, the pope tersely told the cardinal, "I am the pope, I do not need to give reasons for any of my decisions.  I have decided that they have to leave, and they have to leave".  He then walked out of the room, ending the meeting right then and there.  So much for all this "collegiality".  It seems reasonable to guess that Cardinal Muller felt the pope's displeasure.  One might think of the fear that a mafia underling would feel if his don behaved like that.

Like Mundabor, I strongly suspect that Muller is in "cya" mode: that is, "cover your @ss".  While I can understand Muller's "about-face", I can in no way condone it.  I had hopes that he was a bright spot in a very dark place, but he has cowed; no John Fisher is he.  Maybe he will reconsider; I pray he does.  But if he does not, let the four dubia cardinals press forward and do what needs to be done to bring some light and truth to the higher echelons of the Church.  Maybe Cardinal Napier can join them with his own dubium.

FWIW - Thoughts On 2016 And 2017

In a few hours 2016 will end and 2017 will begin.  On a personal note 2016 has been somewhat difficult owing to two family deaths, one of them immediate.   With regards to Catholic and national life, it's a mixed bag from my perspective.

Of course Our Lord has promised that the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church.  But think about the words of that promise, for Our Lord chooses His words precisely and words have precise meanings.  When we talk about the gates of any institution not prevailing, doesn't that refer to that institution being under seige?  In this case, wouldn't the Church then be the attacking army?  Let's be very blunt about this, shall we?  At this time, the Church is taking no proactive stand against any real evil whatsoever.  I'm speaking primarily of the institutional Church, starting with Pope Francis himself for he constantly displays his divergence from the true mission of the Church to save souls.  Instead of having the salvation of souls and fidelity to the magisterium at the forefront of its actions and very existence, the institutional church, under the deliberate impetus from this pope, not only cowers before the gates of hell but in some cases (Amoris Laetitia being only the latest example) seems to be reinforcing the gates of hell.

There are pockets of faithful Catholics who are striving to keep the faith alive.  By God's grace we are finding each other and are learning to work together to counteract at least some of the mischief that emanates from the Vatican.  Within the past few weeks four faithful prelates promulgated the dubia to correct errors being caused by Amoris Laetitia, and more are rallying with them.   Unless the pope issues an appropriate response to the dubia, a formal correction to the errors of Amoris Laetitia will be issued.  In that we rejoice and pray for while correction seems to be forthcoming, it won't come without considerable angst.  In the meantime we bloggers will keep writing in the hopes of waking up fellow Catholics.  In the midst of this travail, I'm stunned by how many Catholics are oblivious to the sorry state of the Church at large.  While some of the blame can be laid at the feet of the official Catholic news outlets, the great bulk of it lies with the Catholics in the pews themselves.  Most have internet access.  With real information just a few mouse clicks away, there's simply no excuse for ignorance.

On the national front, 2017 promises to be much better than the past eight years.  During the first few days of November there was much apprehension regarding the real possibility of a Hillary presidency.  Many prayers, many rosaries were offered for the outcome of the election.  God displayed His mercy in sparing us the scourge of four more years of a quasi-socialistic dictatorship.  That's not to say that Trump will be perfect, but let's face it; Bozo the Clown would have been preferred over Hillary.  Trump's election is not so much a cure as it is a reprieve.  We now have some breathing room, some time, in which to work.  We must pray, fast, work, educate our fellow Americans regarding our heritage.  Catholics in particular must work to learn the Faith ourselves and to bring Christ's teachings into the public square.

2017 can be an opportunity to bring western civilization back from the precipace.  The question now is whether or not we will avail ourselves properly of that opportunity or squander it.

Pope Francis Demonizing Faithful Catholics During His Christmas Address To The Curia

The pope's Christmas Greeting to the Roman Curia this year was singularly lacking of any semblance of Christmas cheer.  National Catholic Register has some commentary on the address, but at the bottom of that article is the full text of the pope's address.  He speaks of the "reform of the curia" and making it "conform to the signs of our time".  Shouldn't it be conforming to God's immutable will?

We then see how he talks of "malicious resistance" to this reform, and how he says this resistance "takes refuge in traditions, appearances, formalities".  He's taking pot-shots at those faithful Catholics who adhere to God's teachings, particularly on marriage and family, and I believe he's taking deliberate aim at the four cardinals who promulgated the dubia.  Then he calls for "unconditioned obedience" to this "reform".  Where is his call for unconditional obedience to Christ's teachings regarding marriage and worthiness to receive Holy Communion?

Perhaps his ire against the dubia cardinals, particularly Cardinal Burke, may be a motivation behind another recent action of the pope's.  Recall that Pope Francis named Cardinal Burke as patron of the Order of Malta after he ejected Burke from some Vatican posts.  It seems that a senior official of the Knights of Malta was involved in the distribution of condoms.  For that he was ejected from the order.  Lepanto Institute did a very thorough investigation into the matter and found ample evidence that this official was indeed involved in that very anti-life activity.  His ouster was entirely justified.

Now why, oh why, does Pope Francis find it necessary to create an entire commission to investigate the matter?  It seems rather simple to me; an official in a Catholic organization was caught in activities not becoming a Catholic.  He was ejected from his post as a result.  Granted, when other such scandals have been unearthed, it's only when public scrutiny occurs that the offending party is disciplined (and sometimes the offender is retained).  But Cardinal Burke is at the helm of the Order of Malta, and I think it's likely that he took immediate and proper action.  So why does the pope seek to meddle after the fact?  Is he that much of a micro-manager or is this just an excuse to take out some long knives against Cardinal Burke?

In an interview with Catholic World Report, Cardinal Burke pointed out that any pope who professes formal heresy would automatically cease to be pope.  In that article, Burke goes into the provisions in canon law for such a scenario.  He also voiced hope that the pope will answer the dubia, to allay possible schism.

Cardinal Walter Brandmuller, another of the four dubia cardinals, granted an interview to Der Spiegel.  He too was questioned about the dubia and its implications.  Brandmuller pointed out that "whoever thinks that persistent adultery and the reception of Holy Communion are compatible is a heretic and promotes schism.”  As we read the article, we are reminded that Pope Francis, in his letter to the Argentinian bishops, did make allowance for unrepentant adulterers to receive Holy Communion; in other words, Pope Francis gave approval for sins of sacrilege to occur.

Now consider both these interviews together.  On the one hand, Cardinal Brandmuller states that someone allowing for Holy Communion to be given to unrepentant adulterers is a heretic and promotes schism.  In that same article, Pope Francis is fulfilling that definition of "heretic" in his letter to the Argentinian bishops.  On the other hand, Cardinal Burke points out that a pope formally professes heresy automatically ceases to be pope.

Faithful Catholics, do we understand the gravity of the situation?  Depending on how Pope Francis treats the dubia, the Catholic Church might well find itself in schism.  If he states formally the heresy that those in public mortal sin can receive Holy Communion, it seems that he will have ejected himself from Peter's chair.  The Church might well find herself in schism.  As hard as it is to admit, schism would be far preferable than the Church being led into error.  As you read further down the LifeSiteNews piece, Pope Francis himself seems to understand that he could well divide the Church.

Cardinal Burke On EWTN Dec 15

In this interview with Raymond Arroyo that was released yesterday. Cardinal Burke answers his critics and restates the need for the dubia and for fidelity to the timeless teachings of Jesus Christ.

Church Militant! Stand With The Four Cardinals!

Randy Engels, who wrote "Rite of Sodomy", one of the first books to expose the gay infestation within the Catholic Church, issued an open letter to Pope Francis on the occasion of the filth that poured from his mouth during that interview a few days ago.  Here it is at it is published at Renew America.  When the pope uttered almost identical bile three years ago, she had written a letter then.  My one disagreement with Ms. Engels is that the pope wasn't only referring to "false news", but "nasty things, even if they're true".  As we know, "nasty" is a term ascribed by subjective judgment/feeling, not by the merits of objective truth.  In other words, the pope was slandering all of us who seek to shine the light on his attempts to undermine Holy Mother Church.  Did he feel the need to trot out that vile insult in a lame attempt to discredit those of us who are shining the light on Amoralis Lamentia and the de facto schism that is becoming more and more apparent?

Perhaps, as Ms. Engel suggested, he was actively trying to desensitize Catholics to the sinfulness of various perversions in order to make things like Amoralis Lamentia more palatable.  Let's look at the title of that document itself - Amoris Laetitia.  Some have criticized my coined term for the document, but perhaps the actual name is problematic itself.  Blogger Ann Barnhardt has issued her own commentary about the papal vulgarity and noted that a Latin definition of "amoris" is sodomy.  I googled it myself and sure enough, it is one of the translations of "amoris".  Yes, it's only one of five definitions, but might we be looking at some deliberate "double entendre" here?  Given past history, I'd say that's a reasonable possibility.

Meanwhile more faithful Catholics are openly protesting Amoralis Lamentia.  Two leading Catholic philosophers, Germain Grisez and John Finnis, issued a 37-page letter to Pope Francis, asking him to condemn some errors that they believe could arise from Amoralis Lamentia.  (The link to the letter on the First Things article is broken.  Go here and download it in case it "disappears")

Yesterday I mentioned a meeting that Bishop Schneider chaired, regarding the AL mess.   He gave a talk at that meeting.  He detailed times throughout history when prelates either defended God's teaching against man's sinful fancies (such as St John Fisher standing against Henry VIII) or when they capitulated to public demand (Aaron the first Jewish high priest making the golden calf).

Now let's look at another aspect through the lens of Our Lady of Akita.  The message of that apparition is quite similar to that given by Our Lady of Fatima, namely, that if there isn't repentance, God will chastise the earth.   Two phrases from Our Lady's message of Oct 13 come to mind.  First, cardinals and bishops will be opposing each other.  Given Archbishop Pinto's rebuke of the four cardinals (apparently at Pope Francis' behest) and Cardinal Tobin's attack on Archbishop Chaput, we see that prophesy playing out before our very eyes.  Another piece of the prophesy that is unfolding as I write this is "the Church will be full of those who accept compromises".  Indeed, the upper eschelons of Church hierarchy seem to be dominated by those who work to undermine her mission to save souls.  Getting back to Fatima, Sister Lucia dos Santos predicted that the "final battle between Christ and Satan will be about marriage and the family."

No one with at least one functioning eye ball in their skull can deny that all these events are happening as we breathe.  What must we do?  First, we remember that we are part of the Church Militant.  We're not the "church mellow", not the "church meely-mouth", not the "church mediocre".  Each and every one of us is called to step out of his/her own insular existence and take up the fight.  It means doing precisely what Our Lord commanded as He communicated through His Mother at Fatima and Akita.  We must also take our public stances - each and every one of us - alongside the four cardinals to demand that the teachings of Jesus Christ be upheld in our Church.

Amoris Laetitia Or The One True Faith - Each Catholic Must Choose

A few weeks ago I wrote how Cardinal Farrell knotted his knickers because Archbishop Chaput had the audacity to act like a real bishop.  The latter issued guidelines for Catholics in his own diocese, telling his flock that Church Tradition took precedence over Amoralis Lamentia.  Now it seems like Farrell will soon be taking pot-shots at Archbishop Sample for doing the same thing.  Sample's clear and accurate statement "accepting an erroneous judgment of conscience is neither mercy nor charity" will not sit well with Farrell and the others who hope to exploit ambiguity so that God's teachings may be undermined.

Thankfully we do see an increasing number of those who are standing with the four cardinals in approval and support of the dubia.  A number of churchmen issued an open "Letter of Support Of The Four Cardinals From Catholic Academics And Pastors".  Church Militant TV interviewed Dr. Joseph Shaw, one of the signers of that letter.  When asked whether or not he believes schism is brewing, he replied, "it seems appropriate to use the language of schism."

He was commenting on a statement made earlier by Bishop Athanasius Schneider.  When asked if the pope's silence in regards to the dubia increases the risk of schism, he replied that "a certain type of schism already exists in the Church."  In a meeting this past Monday he remarked, "the reaction to the dubia is a proof of the climate in which we actually live in the Church right now.  We live in a climate of threats and of denial of dialogue towards a specific group."  Of course that specific group is those who faithfully adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ despite the rubbish found in Amoralis Lamentia and other progressive flim-flam.  At that Monday meeting, also in attendance were Cardinals Burke and Brandmuller, two of the four cardinals; Bishop Schneider chaired it.  Amoralis Lamentia was discussed, as well as courses of action to be taken.

Professor Roberto de Mattei, also in attendance, stated that "it is important to comprehend that today there is a clear choice between fidelity to the Church, to the perennnial Magisterium, or infidelity, which means errors, heresy and apostacy."  He has taken his stand with the four cardinals against the mess found in Amoralis Lamentia.  Each and every Catholic faces that choice, like it or not.  Ora et labora.

Radcliffe Debacle In Light Of Amoralis Lamentia

Some of my blogging colleagues reposted a story from last year regarding Father Timothy Radcliffe, a former Master General of the Dominicans who is now an open homophile.  That last term is not to imply that he himself is embroiled in the gay lifestyle (although there is reasonable probability of that) but it does signify that he is a willing enabler of such sinful conduct.

Initially I declined to do so, simply because his appointment by Pope Francis to the post of Consulter for the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace was last year's news.  In retrospect, I see my colleagues' wisdom in so doing for the recent events regarding Amoralis Lamentia and the dubia do put the Radcliffe matter in a new light.

Recall how Radcliffe stated that "gay sex..can be expressive of Christ's self-gift".  Of course this statement is pure blasphemy, to equate mortal sin with Christ's love for mankind.  But now consider the interim relatio report from the sin-nod from two years ago.  It drew much-justified criticism because it too suggested that mortal sin can "contain positive values".  And yes, the pope was well aware of this content before the document was promulgated with his approval.

No reasonable, honest person can deny any longer that there are efforts afoot by progressives in the Vatican (and that includes Pope Francis) to undermine the Teachings of Jesus Christ Himsef regarding faith and morality.  While it's true that the pope cannot solemnly proclaim error, he can accomplish nefarious ends by other, less flamboyant methods such as introducing confusing documents (such as Amoralis Lamentia), appointing dissidents such as Radcliffe to influential posts and by removing faithful prelates from their positions of influence.

Cardinal Burke, one of the authors of the dubia, has asked that rosaries be offered "so that bishops and priests will have the courage to teach the truth and defend the faith against all her enemies, both within the Church and outside the Church.  And may all confusion be dispelled from the Church."  While he made that appeal specifically for Dec 1, this intention is obviously one that deserves ongoing prayers.  Let us also pray that Pope Francis does restore clarity, as requested in the dubia.  But if he doesn't, let us pray that these cardinals follow up with the corrective measures as briefly described by Cardinal Burke.  The festering boil of heresy within the Church must be brought to a head so that it can be lanced and the infection treated.

Glaring Evidence Shows The Need For The Dubia

If there are lingering doubts as to the necessity for clarification of the mess known as Amoris Laetitia (or as I call it, Amoralis Lamentia), let these facts show why the dubia must be taken seriously.

Today it was announced that Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego has ordered his priests to give Holy Communion to adulterous Catholics.  In other words, he is ordering his priests to commit mortal sins of sacrilege in offering Holy Communion to unrepentant adulterers AND to contribute to the mortal sin of sacrilege on the part of those who desperately need the medicine of repentance.  Of course no faithful priest can do that.  Such is the way that Amoralis Lamentia is emboldening those who care not one whit for the Sacraments of Matrimony, Eucharist and Penance.  Recall that one of the dubia questions deals with this very topic.  We pray for these priests as they are being put into a horrible position, that they have the courage to withstand the evil even as it emanates from their own bishop.  We pray even more who will acquiesce to this sinful suggestion with glee.

This same bishop also ordered his priests to welcome "LGBT families".  That phrase in quotes is an oxymoron.  Two same-sex adults in a perverted relationship can never constitute a true family.  No real "family" can exist in a situation based on mortal sin.  Again, McElroy is commanding his priests to validate sinful situations - something that no priest can ever do.

We see similar affirmation of mortal sin in the Archdiocese of New York.  Joseph Sciambra has details of a "retreat" being offered to those embroiled in perversion at St. Francis of Assisi parish.  Apparently that parish is quite a cesspool in that regard.  And let's not ever forget what happened in my own parish over four years ago when Father Marcel Guarnizo withheld Holy Communion from a flaming lesbian and was punished by Cardinal Wuerl for being a faithful priest.

So now one can see the confusion that Amoralis Lamentia is causing.  I believe this confusion is being intentionally created.  The progressives in the Vatican do not want to overtly state their intentions to junk the Traditions of Jesus Christ so they wish to do so by subterfuge. This is why so many of them hate the dubia-letter posted by the four cardinals; it is forcing the progressives to be up front about their goals, and they understandably find themselves threatened.

We saw the utter defensiveness of some a few days ago.  Today we saw a reaction from the Vatican that can only be called "lashing out in fear and guilt".  The Dean of the Roman Rota, Archbishop Pio Vito Pinto, actually threatened the four cardinals by saying that they could have their cardinalates stripped from them - for daring to ask for clarification.  Jeff Mirus of Catholic Culture also took note of the fear and guilt that seems to be all over Pinto.  Cardinal George Pell came to the defense of the four cardinals, wondering how anyone could actually disagree with a question.  He's right; by definition, a question is not a statement of fact or opinion so there's nothing in it with which one can disagree.  Will we soon hear that Pinto is drawing aim at Pell's cardinalate?

We must continue to pray.  Pray that the pope indeed does clarify AL to be in conformity with the timeless teachings of the Church.  But if he won't let us pray that the festering boil of heresy will come to a head so that it can be lanced and healed quickly.

Amoris Laetitia And Dubia - Separating Wheat From Chaff

Slowly but surely the Dubia that the four cardinals submitted to Pope Francis is bringing a lot of dissent and heresy to light.  The head of the Greek Bishops' Conference (I won't even attempt that name) wrote to the four cardinals and flat out accused them of heresy.  One Peter Five has the text of the letter, and it is a beeyute!  He opens the letter by stating that the four cardinals should turn in their red caps (I don't know the proper term) and then accuses them of heresy, apostacy and scandal.  One wonders if he actually read the dubia, for all it does is ask the pope to clarify some passages in Amoris Laetitia that seem to contradict the tradition of the Church.  Or maybe he did read them and is simply trying to frighten others into not considering their input.

Cardinal Cupich seems to be mouthing similar things - almost as if they were all given "talking points".  I have written about the sword-crossing between him and Archbishop Chaput when the latter reaffirmed Church teaching in his own diocese.  In an interview, he told Edward Pentin that those who have "doubts and questions" regarding Amoralis Lamentia need "conversion in their lives".  I and others have written extensively about Cupich's dissidence many times.  Please read that list for yourselves for I haven't time nor space to detail just why Cupich may be the one needed conversion.

One wonders if that head of the Greek Bishops' Conference might have such strong words for his German counterpart.  Archbishop Robert Zollitsch openly declared his belief that "Christ did not die for the sins of the people as if God had provided a sacrificial offering, like a scapegoat."  He believes that Jesus only offered "solidarity with the poor."  Now that is heresy.  Will the Greek head say anything about that?  Will the Pope have a rebuke for this heresy-spouting bishop?  I think we'll hear crickets and Zollitsch will retain his post.

However, it does seem that the four cardinals are not standing alone.  Polish Bishop Josef Wrobel says "the four cardinals did well in asking for clarification about Amoris Laetitia".  He added that AL "is not written well".  He offered that as a potential excuse reason for its lack of clarity.

Two American bishops share the same last name: Tobin.  That's about all they share.  Bishop Thomas Tobin of Rhode Island opined last July that AL was "marked by ambiguity and that's intentional on the Holy Father's part, I think...so people can do just about whatever they want."  This bishop has consistently stood for the truth.  On the other hand we have Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis.  In the previous link I detailed some issues we've had with him.  He called the four cardinals "troublesome".  Well, it might actually be a good thing to be regarded as "troublesome" to a progressive.  We know now why Joseph Tobin received his red hat!

Bishop Athanasius Schneider published a letter in which he defended the dubia and the four cardinals as a "prophetic voice."  In his letter, Schneider takes aim at the progressive syncophants who lobbed ad hominem attacks at the four cardinals without offering any real clarity, comparing the current situation to that of St Hilary of Poitiers and Pope Liberius.  The letter is worth careful study.

Then there is Bishop Jan Watroba, also of Poland.  He remarked on the ambiguity of AL, saying that he "preferred the clarity of Pope St. John Paul II".  I pray that these three bishops retain their posts and aren't sent to "diocesan siberia", if you get the drift.  I also pray that many more bishops join them to stand for the teachings of Jesus Christ.

LifeSiteNews is conducting a petition effort to ask the Holy Father to respond to the dubia.  Please sign and pass along.

A Little Humor In Light Of The Dubia

What is happening with the dubia is ground-breaking and must be covered with prayer.  Still, I must admit that the following caused me to laugh! 😀

Papal Reactions To The Dubia

Tomorrow there will be a consistory at the Vatican to formally create the new Cardinals.  Traditionally before such gatherings, the pope has held pre-consistory meetings with already existing cardinals before the ceremony.  This time he canceled it.  Understandably a number of eyebrows are raised, particularly because Pope Francis has often lauded "dialogue" and "collegiality".

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to postulate a reason for this cancellation.  That reason is the Dubia written by the four cardinals, requesting formal clarification regarding doctrinally questionable segments of Amoris Laetitia.  A response from the pope has been requested.  Can anyone doubt that it would seem grossly disingenuous of the pope if he didn't at least mention it at any meeting of cardinals.

The Dubia is formatted in such a way that it must be answered with "yes" or "no", with no "in-between" responses feasible.  In an interview, the pope had this to say: "Some, as with certain responses to Amoris Laetitia, persist in seeing only white or black, when rather one ought to discern in the flow of life.."  "Discern in the flow of life"?  What the hell does that mean???  Might it be a clever way of saying "go with the flow"?  If so, what flow?  Who/what determines the flow?  Are we even (in the pope's mind) even allowed to ask that question, because, well - the god of surprises!!!  Faithful Catholics have news for him.  Has he considered that at the end of time there will either be heaven or hell?  Doesn't that truth seem to be rather "black and white"?

Elsewhere in the interview he says critics of Amoralis Lamentia "don't understand" that the Church "exists only as an instrument to communicate to men God's merciful design".  As I learned my Baltimore Catechism, Jesus Christ founded the Church to help us get to heaven.  That is done by administration of the Sacraments, as well as promulgation of Christ's teachings.  His teachings on faith and morals are quite direct, "black and white".  One either obeys or disobeys them.

I will post now a video of yesterday's episode of World Over, where Raymond Arroyo interviews Robert Royal and Edward Pentin.  The whole thing is worth watching, but pay close attention between the 27:10 and 29:09 marks, where Pentin relates what his sources told him, that the dubia has the pope "boiling with rage".  While we'd hope for a calm response to the letter, at least we know that the dubia isn't being ignored - at least privately.

Let us pray that the pope reaffirms the Teachings of Jesus.  Barring that, let us pray that these cardinals stay the course and that others join them.  Vox Cantoris has words about that.  Now the video.

Must The Four Cardinals Formally Correct The Pope?

Earlier this week we learned of the attempt of the four cardinals to seek clarification from Pope Francis regarding the heretical statements in Amoris Laetitia.  The questions were formatted in such a way that they must be answered in the positive or negative - no "in-between".  In September they had posed their questions to the pope privately but received no reply.

Yesterday the National Catholic Register published an interview between Edward Pentin and Cardinal Burke regarding these questions.  Towards the end, Pentin asked His Eminence about any "next steps", should these publicized questions not be answered.  The cardinal spoke of "taking a formal action of correction of a serious error".

That more or less leaves the proberbial ball in the pope's court.  Whether or not such a formal action would be deemed necessary is largely up to him.  Unfortunately, he has given us an indication of his inclinations.  Recall that several months ago, Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia issued guidelines that plainly stated that divored/remarried Catholics may not receive Holy Communion unless they live as brother and sister.  He was directly contradicted by Cardinal-designate Kevin Farrell.  Farrell plainly stated that those de-facto adulterors could receive Holy Communion while continuing in their mortal sin.  Now recall that the pope picked Farrell to head the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, as well as naming him a Cardinal.  With that in mind, it is reasonable to deduce that with regards to the heresies embodied in Amoralis Lamentia, that Farrell and the pope are of like mind.

Let us pray that the pope will ponder carefully the correction that the four Cardinals are trying to offer him.  But let us be prepared for what will likely follow in the wake of continued papal obduracy.