Common Core Theology From Pope Francis And Father Spadaro

Yesterday Father Antonio Spadaro, a close confidant of Pope Francis', released a tweet in which he opined "2+2 in theology can make 5 because it has to do with God and real life people".  As Mr. Olson (author of that article) points out, this statement constitutes a direct violation of the law of non-contradiction: that is, truth cannot contradict itself.

I'd urge all to read Mr. Olson's article closely.  He points out that Spadaro realized his tweet was going over like a lead balloon and issued another, essentially stepping from the frying pan into the fire: "GOD was made flesh and shows us that he is NOT only a MATHEMATICAL reason but that this original Reason is also LOVE #BenedictXVI"  He misquotes the Pope Emeritus who actually said at Auschwitz in 2006: "The God in whom we believe is a God of reason - a reason, to be sure, which is not a kind of cold mathematics of the universe, but is one with love and with goodness."  Spadaro set up a false contradiction between "love" and "reason".  Pope Benedict XVI, on the other hand, acknowledged that love can transcend reason but never contradict it.

We heard similar blathering from the newly-installed Cardinal Joseph Tobin, who took the reins at the Archdiocese of Newark.  He stated, "to believe in Jesus is not acceptance of a doctrine or a moral code, but of a person who lives now and is the source of life".  Notice the trick of setting up false dichotomies that seems now to be a perfected art form, starting at the Vatican.  The fact is that acceptance of Jesus does entail the acceptance of the doctrines and moral teachings of the Church.  If those "doctrines and codes" are not accepted, there is no belief in Jesus.  Why?  Because those "doctrines and codes" came to us from Jesus Himself.  Moreover, they are immutable because the God who bestowed them on us is Himself immutable.  Hear the words of Our Lord Himself.  I'll link to the Douay-Rheims Bible and invite you to peruse these passages:

• John 14: entire chapter
• John 15:10
• John 16:27
• 1 John 5:3
• 2 John 1:6

Notice the emphasis is on obedience, not "experience".  Too many Catholics are seduced by emotional experiences, thinking that these "experiences" have great significance.  They don't.

Getting back to Mr. Olson's article, we see a quote from Pope Benedict's address at Regensburg in which the Pope Emeritus refutes the errors that Spadaro is evincing.  After Benedict gave that address, many too umbrage at the address - including then-Cardinal Bergoglio.  By the way - after that "spit in the eye" he gave to the then-sitting pope, now Pope Francis has the nerve to sic his underlings on the four cardinals who delivered their dubia in proper canonical fashion?  How does that work?

Some might think my reference to "common core theology" to be a tad flippant.  I believe it's quite accurate, and may actually indicate quite a relationship between Spadaro's errors and the deliberate dumbing down of intellectual life that I suspect is the purpose of Common Core.  Perhaps that is a reason that too many Catholic educational institutions are adopting Common Core.  Perhaps they not only want to glom onto federal funding but they too want to facilitate the dumbing down of Catholic intellectual and moral life - to rob the Catholic in the pew of his/her rightful patrimony in the Faith.  Is this part of the "maturation" that we Catholics were supposed to undergo in the wake of the Extraordinary Synod on the Family?  It seems that a main purpose of all this "maturation" is to divorce Catholics from their moorings in the immutable teachings of Jesus, as handed down through the Church for these two thousand years, so that we will be easily manipulated by the "god of suprises" puppet as put forth by Pope Francis to cram all manners of heresy in our faces.  We cannot let that happen.

During Pope's Visit, The Gay Agenda Is Shilled Ad Nauseum

At the papal Mass in Madison Square Garden yesterday, the individual chosen to be lector was Mo Rocca, a notorious gay media personality.  Vox Cantoris has pictures of this individual: both in his "native" element and at the Mass where he did manage to come properly dressed.  As he is a media personality Rocca's mortal sin could not have been unknown to the Mass organizers.  And who was the individual with final responsibility for the Mass?  The local bishop - Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

I've chronicled much about Dolan's many insults to the teachings of Jesus Christ, including those regarding sexuality.  Let me list a few, with links for review.

• He claimed to hope for "delicacy" while ignoring the attacks on faithful Christians.
• He was Grand Marshall in the most recent St Patrick's parade, even though they allowed a gay-rights group to march with them.  When Michael Voris questioned him about it at the parade, Dolan had Voris ejected from his presence.
• He allowed St Francis of Assisi parish to host a "pre-pride mass" before the gay orgy in the streets last summer.
• He earned the nickname "Cardinal Bravo" for that was his reaction when a college football start came out as gay.
• He refuses to confront NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, supposedly a Catholic, over his many public sins: support of abortion, support of the gay lifestyle and his public fornication with the First Concubine of New York.
• Several years ago, when Dolan was the main celebrant at St. Francis Xavier and the "gay ministry" was presented to him, he openly evinced approval of their gay-shilling activities.
• Of course he joined in the deafening silence of the nation's bishops regarding Kim Davis' plight last month.

Given this rather long list above, I believe it safe to assume that Dolan knew full well of Rocca's mortally sinful lifestyle well in advance of yesterday's Mass and approved his appearance anyway.

With the above in mind, consider some of the individuals who were placed in positions of authority at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, where the pope also put in an appearance.  Thanks to the work of the Lepanto Institute, we had learned that the president of World Meeting of Families has been a regular donor to pro-abortion political candidates.  Now we have learned, again thanks to Lepanto, that Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter was named Honorary Co-Chair of the World Meeting of Families.  In his political career, he has promoted abortion and "LGBT rights".  Lepanto attempted several time to contact the Archdiocese of Philadelphia but they never responded.  It is reasonable to believe that all this was done with the approval of Archbishop Chaput.   Nutter announced that he intended to use this new bully-pulpit to promote the gay agenda and even to bring it to the pope if given the opportunity.  On Saturday, when he spoke before the pope at Independence Hall, Nutter did precisely that.

I'd venture a guess that Pope Francis had no knowledge of either of these atrocities.  The responsibility for these lays with both Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Chaput.  Given that the pope is headed for the Ordinary Synod on the Family next week, I might opine that these two episodes are more of the #maturation effort.  After all there's only one more week for that.

Naomi Klein Acknowledges Truth Of Environmentalism; Can We Acknowledge Truth Of This Papacy?

About six weeks ago it was reported that Naomi Klein had been invited to participate in a Vatican environmental summit.  At that time we all suspected that she was using "climate change" to promote socialism.  The Heartland Institute (a common-sense scientific organization that was denied access to the Vatican as they tried to offer their input) has discovered that Klein herself admitted her modus operandi.

They discovered this rather direct quote from her regarding climate change: "The really inconvenient truth is that it’s not about carbon—it’s about capitalism. The convenient truth is that we can seize this existential crisis to transform our failed economic system and build something radically better."  Could she possibly have made her aims more explicitly clear?

Here's another "inconvenient truth" that I'd ask my "pope-cannot-be-criticized" friends to consider.  Unless Pope Francis is a completely clueless moron, he understands quite well where Klein stands in regards to climate change and socialism.  The same can be said for the others that he has let into the Vatican: Maradiaga, Sachs, Schnellnhuber, etc.  Are we truly to believe that all this progressive infiltration can be ascribed to "bad advisors"?  Whatever else the pope is, he is not some naive lil' ol' bumpkin; one does not become bishop and cardinal with those traits.

Personnel is policy, and the pope knows his personnel.  Regarding the office of Vicar of Christ, all Our Lord promised us in that regard is that the pope would never solemnly promulgate error - and that's it!  A sitting pope can do much damage without invoking infallibility; it has been done in past centuries and there is no reason on earth to presume that the same cannot happen now or in the future.

Pope Francis recently decided to call September 1st a "World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation".  Well, consider that in light of Klein's self-revelation and her continued influential role at the Vatican.  This is nothing more than brainwashing maturation to disarm prepare us for the sin-nod and further UN encroachment on our lives.

Let me suggest an alternative prayer intention for September 1, and this is not an original suggestion.  Let us keep our pope and bishops in prayer and pray that they remember their high offices and to place the salvation of souls as their one and only priority to obey the God Whom they serve.

From The Maturation Department: Cupich, Harbinger Of Looming Sin-Nod Disaster

I have documented the ways in which Bishop - now Archbishop - Blaise Cupich has disgraced his miter and crosier.  The latest crack that was supposed to be his statement regarding the Planned Parenthood videos was simply the latest.  I needn't rehash it all here; please review this anthology of posts.

Several of my blogging colleagues have expressed their dismay over Cupich's words and deeds:

• From ChurchMilitant.TV
• From Tenth Crusade
• From St. Corbinian's Bear
• From Vox Cantoris

No doubt we are just a sampling of those sounding the alarm regarding Cupich.  In the light of the evidence regarding Cupich's progressive, as opposed to truly Catholic mindsets, what does Pope Francis do?

Pope Francis appointed Cupich as a delegate to next October's Ordinary Synod on the Family.  We all knew that he would be an alternate delegate to replace any regular delegate who might be rendered unable to attend.  But now he's a full delegate.  Is this disgusting appointment part of the "maturation" that the pope said we had to undergo at the close of last October's sin-nod?  If nothing else, this appointment is a harbinger of the mess that will the sin-nod that will happen two months from now.

Argentine Cardinal Ravasi Committed Idolatry Last November

Rorate Caeli (ht, by the way!) has the article - along with video - of Cardinal Ravasi doing homage to an animist "goddess".  What a travesty to see a Prince of the Church commit a mortal sin of idolatry, in the name of misguided "ecumenism".  I use the word "idolatry" for that is what it is - a sin against the First Commandment, committed in public by a cardinal no less.

Ravasi is also president of the Pontifical Council for Culture.  If that phrase sounds familiar, it's because that office spewed forth the "bimbo video" and the "bsdm art".  Given the idolater that is at its helm, it's really no wonder that such vomit was spewed forth from that council.  Please note that both those travesties were publicized shortly after Ravasi committed the very public idolatry.

Is all this part and parcel of the "maturation" that the pope wants us to undergo?

From The Maturation Department: Does God Disobey Himself?

During the Easter Season, the weekday epistles are taken from the Acts of the Apostles while the Gospel reading is from the Gospel of John.  Two days ago we had the reading in which Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin and ordered to stop preaching.  The two apostles replied they'd obey God rather than man.  It is on that reading that the Pope based his homily for that Mass.

His theme was rather odd.  It was a push for "dialogue".  Ladies and gentlemen, if there's one thing God did not command the apostles to do, it was to engage in "dialog".  No.  They were commissioned by God to proclaim the Gospel, to baptize all and to teach them everything He commanded.  No pointless "back and forth" was ever required.  God never dialogued with anyone.  Oh, there were conversations, but not dialogue as with equals.  He taught, preached, commanded - but did not dialogue for He has no equal.

He then went on to say of the pharisees, "they had studied the history of the people, they had studied the prophecies, they had studied the law, they knew all about the theology of the people of Israel, the revelation of God, they knew everything, they were teachers".   No, they did not know everything.  In fact, Jesus Himself rebuked them for their lack of knowledge when He declared to them, "you err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God".  (Matthew 22:29)  I believe that once again we see the attempt to portray those who honor Sacred Tradition in honor as not much more than "stick in the mud" types who can be dismissed as those who don't "dialogue" with every silly fad that blows their way.

He uttered this rather odd statement: "The one who doesn't know to dialogue does not obey God."  The Bible and Sacred Tradition do a rather decent job in spelling out sins that offend God.  I'd wager that if anyone searched the entire Bible (any version!), the writings of Church doctors and other time-honored writings of the Church for any hint of "dialogue" as being a requirement of true Christianity, that not one mention would be found.

We see another curious phrase: "newness of God".  No such thing!  God is NOT "new" as He existed even before time began.  He is eternal.  News Flash!  "New" and "eternal" or NOT synonyms!  Is this a throw-back to the "god of surprises" excrement?  An attempt to induce mistrust in the Traditions and Teachings of Holy Mother Church?  Another "maturation" effort to brainwash us for the next sin-nod?  Louie Verrecchio has some excellent commentary; I refer you now to his post.

To sum up, the world is in desperate need of real shepherds who will preach God's word, teach His Commandments, administer the Sacraments of the Church.  We need no useless back-and-forth jabber-jawing as though those steeped in sin can somehow better the Church.  Should this dalliance with "dialogue" continue, I suspect that may be a cause in real wrath to come.

From The Maturation Department - Rabbitgate And Rotagate?

You might remember that at the close of last October's sin-nod that Pope Francis gave an address.  In it he said we had a year to be brainwashed into swallowing the undermining of Tradition regarding marriage and family "mature".  Almost immediately the "maturation efforts" began in earnest and the bile continues to spill.  The rabbitgate incident is just one of the latest installments in our "maturation lessons".

It cannot be difficult to discern what is meant by "rabbitgate".  We all recall the interview during the trip from the Philippines to Rome last week.  When I put my post onto facebook I got all sorts of scolding, with folks claiming that I was just going with mainstream media and that the pope really didn't rebuke the poor expectant mother.  I was also remonstrated for not considering the sources.  Well, guess what, "first-hand sources" indicate that he rebuked her for being pregnant.

I link now to commentary from Mundabor.  He in turn links to a video produced by Louis Verrecchio; the latter shows video of the actual interview, with the Pope speaking Italian.  Both Mundabor and Verrecchio are Italians who speak the language.  Both verify the Italian verb for "rebuke".  So now irrefutable proof exists that the pope rebuked a pregnant woman for - being pregnant.  Just what good did he expect that rebuke to accomplish?  If the woman was already under stress owing to previous c-sections, the last thing she needed was more stress as she tries to carry the pregnancy through to birth.  For all the yap and yammer about being "pastoral", I cannot see how that papal behavior filled that bill.

Vatican damage control has leaped into action (they're getting a lot of practice these days).  We heard yesterday from the Vatican's State Department that "Pope Francis was surprised that his words on responsible parenthood were not widely taken in the sense that he intended them."  The rest of the article is just as ridiculous.  NEWS FLASH!  When millions of people, all from widely differing perspectives and languages, are gleaning very similar, if not identical messages, perhaps the fault for that lies not with the listeners, but the delivery and/or content of the message itself!  Got that??  I would ask why they haven't learned from confusion caused by previous disastrous interviews, but I think I know the answer.  Confusion is precisely what they want - confusion regarding God's first command to mankind to "be fruitful and multiply", confusion regarding marriage and sexuality, confusion regarding the transmission of life.  In other words, we're supposed to "mature", a la "sin-nod" style.

Now onto rotagate  Recall that a few months ago, Cardinal Burke was relieved of his post as head of the Roman Rota and shuffled to the Knights of Malta.  The bulk of duties of the Roman Rota is to hear cases for marriage nullity.  Shortly before the October sin-nod, Cardinal Burke co-authored a book called "Remaining In The Truth Of Christ".  I have a copy and urge all to get their own.  Cardinal Burke's piece is entitled "The Canonical Nullity Of The Marriage Process As The Search For Truth".  In a nutshell, Cardinal Burke cautions against tampering with a process that has developed over hundreds of years: a process developed to rigorously search for the truth behind individual cases.  What he wrote flies in the face of the tinkering that was proposed at the sin-nod.  My strong suspicion is that the Cardinal was removed from all positions of real influence at the Vatican owing to his standing for truth in the face of the progressive juggernaut underway there.

This past Friday the pope met with the Rota (sans Burke) as they begin a new year.  Among other things, he urged Rota member to "have great care and sensitivity to the importance of a formed conscience – or lack thereof – in regard to the nature and purpose of marriage, and the ways in which conscience can affect the very validity of marital unions.."  Whether he intended to do so or not, he just gave divorcing couples a Mack-truck-sized loophole to have any kind of marriage declared null.  Would that statement have been made if Cardinal Burke had been in the room?  Did we hear more "maturation" going on?

Prayer ALONE Just Won't Suffice

Today's Vortex details the efforts by the progressives to brainwash help Catholics to "mature" towards embrace of sodomy and other vices against marriage coupled with sacrilegious Holy Communions.  Actually, Voris didn't use the word "mature" but I do in the sense that Pope Francis invoked that term in his final address of the SinNod.

There certainly is a bombardment; I've written a bit about that already and I'm sure more is to come.  It is this bombardment, this maturation process, that must be resisted.  We have to speak out and oppose the errors.  I'll take the thought a step beyond Voris's and say we must resist the errors that come even from the Pope himself.  I emphasize that the Pope does not err when he speaks solemnly of faith and morals, but there have been other serious errors.

To my friends who think they can retreat into prayer alone without confronting the error and maybe getting some "dirt under the nails" as it were, I join Voris in insisting that you come down from the "heads in the clouds" mentality.

Introducing The Maturation Department With Marquette's LGBTQ Masses

A few hours ago I said that I'd be adding to that list quite a bit over the year.  I didn't think, though, that I'd be adding to it so soon.  To accommodate all these additions, I now institute my "maturation department".  I do so to point out these things as they occur as I believe they may well be part of a coordinated effort to get the decent bishops to swallow pro-sodomite poison by the time the ordinary synod rolls around next year.

The Cardinal Newman Society reports that Marquette University started conducting "LGBTQ and allied community Masses" on October 22, 2014.  It appears that these things will be held monthly.  The Louis Joliet Society, a group of alumni, parents and other interested individuals are raising concerns regarding how - and even if -  Church teaching will be communicated and upheld properly during these Masses.  Both they and the Cardinal Newman Society have broached these questions with University officials; neither have received any response to date.

I rather think we can guess the answer to that.  Note that Masses are being offered, with no mention of Confession.  During these Masses, will Holy Communion be denied to practicing gays?  If not, mortal sins will be committed during these monthly Masses.

Please notice that this practice was inaugurated on October 22, the time of the SinNod (or just thereafter).  This is no coincidence.  Have we yet discovered another tentacle of this "maturation squid"?

Cardinal Burke gave two interviews last week.  In one, he stated that "there is a strong sense that the Church is like a ship without a rudder" and he's "praying very fervently that this coming year that this confusion will stop.."   Good Catholics will join His Emnence in this prayer. But we must also consider that there are dangerous elements within the Church hierarchy that seek to foster this confusion so that they can more easily introduce their doctrinal poisons more easily.  We must be alert this coming year to such tactics as we pray.