A Cult Of Witchcraft, Liberation Theology, And Environmentlism

That seems to be the goal that Pope Francis and his sin-nod henchmen seem to have for the Catholic Church.  They are trying to beat the Church into becoming an apostate coven.

Today it was announced that the progressive Ford Foundation is funding one of the organizers of the Amazon Synod.  I leave you to study the link, although we can safely say that the Ford Foundation only ponied over the $2 million because they know that this synod will further their pro-abortion and pro-gay agenda.

Besides the Ford Foundation, another group that is supportive of the synod is a bunch of Italian wiccans.  They have waxed lyrical about the pagan ritual in the Vatican gardens and the profanation of the following Mass.  From their warped perspectives they do have reason for gloating.

It is increasingly clear for anyone with a functioning ear and/or eyeball that there is an overt attempt to twist the Church into a conduit for the progressive "new world order" mentality.  Recall the pope telling us that we had to "obey the United Nations".  In addition to prayer, we must also be contemplating practical strategies for resistance in case the apostasy manifests itself in our parishes.

Priest Disciplined By Cardinal Ratzinger (Now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) Is Driving Force Behind Amazon Sin-Nod Mess

Remember how I poked fun at the Laboris Instrumentum for claiming that the "earth cries"?  That concept comes from Leonardo Boff, the dissident and heretic behind that document and much of the sin-nod itself.  Note that he left the priesthood after he was silenced by Cardinal Ratzinger.  Sound familiar?  That's because Boff was not the only one disciplined by Benedict XVI and rehabilitated by Pope Francis.  Recall that McCarrick himself was ordered to conduct no public appearances but who had those sanctions lifted when Francis took the throne.  It's quite possible that some of the motivation here is to provide yet another poke in the eye to Benedict XVI.

Did you also catch that this sin-nod will take place in Rome and not near the Amazon itself?  Wait a minute!  What about all that highfalutin talk about "smell of the sheep" and "accompaniment"?  Now I just wonder how many private jets will be spewing their carbon footprints all over the place to ferry their well-heeled passengers to this gab-fest?  At any rate, the two surviving dubia cardinals have outright condemned the Instrumentum Laboris. I would think that by extension they have rightly condemned the upcoming sin-nod itself.

Pope Francis Channeling Juan Peron?

As we all know, Pope Francis is an Argentine native.  It is said that he is sympathetic to "liberation theology", condemned by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.  Pope Francis' sympathies to it have been evidenced over the past few years. Last week, Leonardo Boff, a leading proponent of the flawed thought system in the 1980s (and former Franciscan priest), said of Pope Francis "he is one of us".  He even indicated that Pope Francis solicited him for input for Laudato Si.  Unless Pope Francis explicitly repudiates this, I've no reason to doubt Boff's allegations.  Recall that over two years ago, a former Soviet spy claimed that "liberation theology" was a thought system invented by the KGB so that Marxist thought could be insinuated in the thinking and policies of various church bodies.  The KGB might well have found a willing ally in Pope Francis.

Liberation theology might not have been the only mental poison that Pope Francis contracted in Argentina.  Recall how Juan and Eva Peron had a virtual stranglehold on that country as they nationalized the economy, driving it to ruin.  Yes, they did much by hoodwinking much of the populace (like the Obamas managed to do for so long), but some heavy-handedness was also used.  Read this wikipedia entry and go to the "opposition and repression" section.  Bearing in mind that this wikipedia piece seems somewhat sympathetic to the Perons, even the author cannot ignore the way that Peron opponents were treated and that the Perons did hold both Mussolino and Hitler in some admiration.

We've seen how the pope seems to be emulating the Perons as he expunges from Vatican posts those who differ with him, just as Peron did at various universities and other places.  On the day after Christmas, Pope Francis ordered Cardinal Muller to expel three priests from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  The order was given without any explanation.  Read the article to get a glimpse of the atmosphere of fear that seems to permeate the Vatican.

There is also reason to believe that the pope (or at least his operatives) are behind the ongoing smear campaign against the four dubia cardinals, particularly Cardinal Burke.  From EWTN, we read that on Christmas Day, Leonardo Boff (yes, the one mentioned in the first paragraph of this post) mocked Cardinal Burke by calling him "the Donald Trump of the Catholic Church".  Come to think of it, that might not be so much of an insult after all, although it was intended as such.  At any rate, we do see signs of a coordinated campaign.  It's eerily similar to the mainstream media campaign that they undertook before the election to sway the voters towards Hillary.  Happily that media campaign was an abysmal failure, but only because people are waking up to the media's lack of credibility.

We bloggers hope to assist in a similar epiphany for Catholics in the pews so that they can understand what is happening in the Church today.  We must pray and act, but in order to do either properly, we must understand the true nature and gravity of the events occurring in the Vatican.

Pope Francis Is Keeping The Blasphemous Bauble From Bolivia

As per his usual habit, the pope gave an interview during his plane trip from Bolivia back to the Vatican.

I'll start by providing a treat to my trolls and scolds who wax apoplectic when I point out the errors emanating from Pope Francis on an almost daily basis.  When they're not avoiding me, these "tut-tut-ers" wag their fingers and chide me for being "negative" (note that they don't accuse me of being factually incorrect, just "mean-spirited" and "negative").

Well, guess what?  Thanks to Crud, I can actually agree with the pope on something!  Responding to a question on the Greek economic situation, Crud states and I quote,  "The pontiff began by admitting he’s been “allergic” to economics since he was a boy. He said his father, an accountant, would bring the ledgers of the factory where he worked home with him on weekends, and the future pope found them mysterious.  “I don’t understand it very well,” he said."  AMEN!

We also read, The pontiff acknowledged that his commentary on the economy tends to focus on the poor rather than the middle class, insisting that the poor are at the heart of the Christian Gospel. However, he called the imbalance “an error of mine” and said reconsidering it is “something I need to do.”  DOUBLE-AMEN!

Enough of that.  Let's look at other things. The remarks above had to do (somewhat) with the flawed economic principles underlying the address about which I commented a few days ago.  I had done a little bit of a "word-count" exercise.  Vox Cantoris did more, and nicely pointed out the heresy of liberation theology that ran rampant through the address.

The matter of the blasphemous "crucifix" was clarified during the interview.  I say "clarified" for he made plain (once again) his approval of the piece of trash art, calling it "protest art".  Both One Peter Five and Rorate Caeli delve into the matter; rather than "reinvent the wheel" I link to their excellent pieces.

I will say this, though.  There are some who seem to believe that by laying the monstrosity at the feet of a statue of Mary, that he was "cleverly" entrusting her to deal with the blasphemy.  With all due respect, that theory makes no sense whatsoever.  If that were truly the pope's intention, that would be classified as the quintessential cop-out.  He is the Vicar of Christ.  It would be his solemn duty to point out, in no uncertain terms, why that thing is blasphemy.  He'd have no business trying to punt his responsibility to the Blessed Mother.  "Here, mother!  You take out the trash!"  No, no, no!  That doesn't cut it by any stretch of the imagination!

But we now know that it wasn't the pope's intention at all.  In addition to waxing lyrical about Father Espinal and his embrace of marxism, the pope stated that he was bringing the disgusting bauble with him back to the Vatican.  Will that, like the beach ball, find its way to an altar?

Strange Papal Treatment Of Two Priests

We all know of the shameful treatment that has been meted out on the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.  Under Pope Benedict XVI, this traditional order was celebrating the Latin Mass and had a stellar number of vocations.  That changed when the order was basically quashed for reasons that are spurious at best.  Moreover, one of the now-elderly founders, Father Stefano Manelli, has been exiled to an out-of-the-way place and essentially placed under "house arrest".  He was even forbidden to leave the place on his 81st birthday to visit his parents' graves and celebrate Mass.  By all accounts Father Manelli is an exemplary priest.  All this is being done with approval from the highest offices of the Vatican.

On the other hand we have the case of Father Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, a progressive priest who just had his 29-year suspension lifted by Pope Francis.  This is a priest who has called Ronald Reagan a butcher while singing the praises of Daniel Ortega and the Sandanistas, and of Fidel Castro, one of the most brutal of the modern dictators.  He also espouses liberation theology.  He held public office and was suspended by Pope John Paul II when he refused to step down from public office.  There is no record of him recanting his public disobedience.

So here we have it: a backwards set of priorities when it comes to the pope dealing with his priests-sons.  He leaves to languish in exile a faithful priest while lifting the suspension of a priest who is most likely still a very progressive priest.  We all can see what is wrong with this picture.  Why does His Holiness not see it?

Good Bishop From Paraguay Being Thrown Under The Bus

Bishop Rogelio Livieres of the Diocese of Ciudad del Este in Paraguay has seen his priestly ordinations suspended pending the pope's decision about an alleged situation in that diocese.  It seems that a priest who had been serving in the diocese of Scranton PA and allegations arose of sexual misconduct.  It is alleged that then-Bishop Joseph Martino had the priest (Carlos Urrutigoity) transferred to Paraguay.  Bishop Livieres has defended Father Urrutigoity, stating that the allegations are unproven.

It should be pointed out that Bishop Livieres is a strong opponent of liberation theology and a strong proponent of the Latin Mass.  The number of vocations from his diocese exceeds those of the neighboring diocese.  It has also been said that Bishop Livieres took one of his fellow bishops to task owing to the latter's sexual misbehaviors.

So we have a bishop who has instilled real Catholic life into his diocese and who has not thrown a priest under the bus without due process.  For that, the long knives are pointed at him.  By the way - several years ago we had a similar situation in the United States - Scranton PA, to be precise.  The target of USCCB venom was Bishop Joseph Martino, mentioned earlier in this post.  To get some background, I'll link to my older website.  Scroll down till you see "A Real Bishop in Scranton PA".  This is no coincidence, in my opinion.  If Father Urrutigoity was involved in scandalous behavior, he's still entitled to due process and not just condemnation by innuendo.  Is the antipathy towards Father Urrutigoity, who was assisted by both Bishops Martino and Liveres, supposed to be a warning to any other bishop who may decided to remember he's Catholic and not a progressive "liberation theology" hack?

Important Information On Just Faith

While all readers can surely benefit from what follows, I especially address this post to those of you who attended the presentation by Jack Jezreel at St Mark's today.  I've no doubt that what you heard seems to be at least benign and even helpful.  However, the Just Faith program is designed to instill in its participants sympathy for liberation theology, "gay" rights, women's "ordination" and other sundry dissidence from authentic Catholic social teaching.

My friend and Catholic Media Coalition colleague, Stephanie Block, has spent countless hours researching the programs of Just Faith, along with the books they recommend.  She has written eleven articles in her series about Just Faith.  With what she is discovering, the number of articles may yet grow.  I link to them below.

1. Setting the Stage
2. Growing in Compassion
3. The Seven Themes of Catholic Social Justice
4. Challenge and Spirituality of Catholic Social Teachings
5. Tattoos on the Heart
6. Waging a Living
7. Portrait of a Radical
8. Rising to Common Ground
9. How Much Is Enough?
10. Keeping the Earth: Just Faith and the Environment
11. Solidarity Will Transform the World
12. Journey to Justice Day

Two years ago I wrote a piece on Just Faith, focusing on the problematic individuals who were board members of Just Faith at that time.  I have found that much of the character and philosophy of any organization can be determined by the composition of its board of directors.  Right below the highlighted sentence is a link to a biographical article written by Jack Jezreel himself.  Pay very close attention to the "conversion stories" at the end.  You'll see people getting involved in "homosexual rights", "women's voices from the pulpit" (women's ordination), etc.

In all these articles, you'll notice that problematic teachings occur at the end of the recommended books and/or articles.  That seems to be a pattern, one which might suggest that while Just Faith seems innocuous enough, it is a Trojan Horse that insinuates (ever so subtly) erroneous philosophies.  While I'd like to think that such is accidental, the regularity and frequency of it indicates deliberation.

Beware before making any commitment to Just Faith.

Faithful Catholics In El Paso - Reclaiming Their Church

While they pray and petition Bishop Armando Ochoa for the reinstatement of Father Michael Rodriguez as pastor of San Juan Bautista Church, faithful Catholics in the Diocese of El Paso are working to counteract heretical teachings emanating from the Tepeyak Institute and its classes that lay teachers, etc are required to take in order to serve in various parish capacities.  As you watch the Vortex below, you'll hear how the attendees heard that "God is feminine", the hosts for the Eucharist should be made of indiginous foods.  Listen to the second person; what caused him to walk out of the class was when the teacher said "Mass is just for fellowship."  Now listen carefuly to the third person, Ms. Celeste Herget.  She relates how she was told that after death there is a "second chance", constituting a denial of the particular judgment.  Now from where did that clap-trap come?  It seems that it came from Bishop Ochoa himself - yes read this article penned by His Excellency!  We "go into overtime at the transition of death"?  This is a new one on me!

So please watch the Vortex - but scroll to the section underneath it, for I do have some observations about how this situation and Father Pavone's situation, are being portrayed in some Catholic blogs!  Click here if you cannot see embedded video.



First I'll say this right now.  While I could be incorrect, I think that Father Pavone is being railroaded.  Mark Crutcher's video set forth some issue quite nicely.  It is interesting to see some patterns in other Catholic blogs.  Some of them are piling on Father Pavone, calling him "prideful", "disobedient", and on and on.  Yet on these same blogs I can find no sign of concern or even interest regarding the situation in El Paso.  I find that to be - rather illuminating, to say the least!

Correcting Abuses Of Vatican II

A little clarification on this post title is in order.  I do not mean that the Council itself was abusive.  I am saying that the proceeds of the Council, good in and of themselves, have been abused by progressives who have corrupted then co-opted them to their own nefarious ends.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider is addressing these matters head-on.  The translation of Schneider's statements, mentioned in this Vortex, is here.  As you listen to Voris speak of Liberation Theology being thinly disguised Marxism, think back to yesterday's vote in the House, and the USCCB's reaction to the prospect of Obama Hell Scare being repealed.  Why else would the USCCB want to keep that draconian Obamacare mess on the books?  Guadium et Spec speaks against such attitudes.  If you wish, this blog does link to the Vatican website on the right bar.  Voris also states that the Pope, along with bishops in communion with him, are the only authentic interpreters of Church teaching - not the USCCB, nor RCIA, etc.  So again, what business did the USCCB have in prattling about firearm ownership by citizens?

Click here if you can't see embedded video.

St Francis' Name is Taken in Vain!

I received, via email today, my invitation from the Archdiocese of Washington to Celebrate Earth Day 2010!  How do they suggest that we celebrate this most solemnly festive of days (April 22nd, I believe)?  "By sinking your roots deep into the fertile soil of Catholic teaching on creation, the envioronment and peace."

So Catholic teaching is compared to soil?  That's an insult to the Magisterium.  At best, true Catholic teaching is being badly distorted, particularly by the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, about which I wrote on February 20.  Again, take a look at that organization's website, and don't take that first question too seriously.  They should be ashamed of themselves for such a shoddy attempt at guilt-trip inducement.  Anyway, click on the "St Francis Pledge" to see the lack of balance and outright errors contained therein.  St Francis must be spinning in his tomb.  Notice the first point, how "God's creation" is placed before the poor and vulnerable.  Then we hear about "the moral dimensions to climate change".  Ladies and gentlemen, this blog, and others, have demonstrated that at most, "climate change" is very debatable.  Good people can disagree about its very existence.  I for one believe it to be a hoax that is protected and promulgated by the politically-correct progressives that infest both civil government and some of the American church hierarchy.  In short, this so-called pledge is based on junk science.

As far as defending the poor and vulnerable, I'd suggest that in lieu of this politically-correct gobblygoop called Earth Day, that something truly helpful be done.  Most of us live near abortion clinics, where hundreds of the poor and vulnerable are murdered every day.  Find out when the murders occur at your local mill, then go there to pray and offer life-saving assistance.  Click on some of the pro-life links at the right for assistance in so doing.

Liberation Theology = Sophistry for Libertines

My colleague at "A Washington DC Catholic" (see "my blog list" at the right) linked to a good article at Catholic Exchange on the so-called "Liberation Theology".  I urge its study.  I too am hopeful that this poisonous mindset is in its demise, but its death throes are still strong.  Witness Fr Michael Pleager, the Obama lackey of Chicago who stumped for the Messiah Most Miserable and who paraded around in Jeremiah Wright's excuse for a church.

Every now and then, these "liberation theology" priests poke their heads out of the woodwork.  It's getting to be that I can almost smell them coming; it truly is something in their swagger.  At any rate, the damage that they have wrecked is considerable, and will take some time to clean up.

I too have much hope for the younger priests.  Pray for them, though.  I've seen more than one attempt by their higher-ups to quash them under thumb.  To protect those priests, I can go no further into detail.   If they can hold firm, they will eventually replace the liberation theology hacks.