Gianna Jessen Rightly Rebukes The Pope - Father Z, Take Note!

My post from Friday stated quite clearly that there would be immense fall-out from the heresies regarding marriage and fornication that the pope recently uttered.  Father Zuhlsdorf also posted that day; while he seems to understand the nature of the errors, he takes a recklessly dismissive attitude regarding the harm that not only will but is in fact happening right now.  Behold his closing statement: "Don’t have a spittle-flecked nutty.  Just shake your head with a smile as you flip to another page and say, 'Bless him, he sure likes to gab with people, doesn’t he!'”

Bear that most irresponsible suggestion in your mind as you read this statement from Gianna Jessen from her twitter feed.  Many in the pro-life movement are familiar with Ms. Jessen,  In the late 1970s she survived her mother's attempt to abort her via saline abortion.  She has since gone on to be an advocate for the pre-born and for disability rights (she has cerebral palsy as a result of the abortion).

never thought a pope could make me cry. and PLEASE don't tell me i am really not reading what i am reading. pic.twitter.com/P48JZGvrZv

— Gianna Jessen (@giannajessen) June 17, 2016

Is that what Father Zuhlsdorf would call a "spittle-flecked nutty"??  I don't believe Ms. Jessen is Catholic but I can be fairly certain her sentiments are echoed by thousands who, attempting to live Christian lives (Catholic and Protestant), have once again found themselves mocked by the current occupant of the Chair of Peter.  We should be able to expect far better than that.  Recently, when Bishop Robert Lynch announced his retirement, Bobby Schindler issued his own statement saying, "in my family's experience, Bishop Lynch was like the man spitting in the hand of a person in need."  When the pope puked out the heresies regarding both marriage and fornication, he too spit into the hands of those looking to him for spiritual nourishment.  In Matthew 7:9-10, Our Lord spoke of those parents who give bread and fish as opposed to stones and serpents.  Last Thursday we were all handed a bunch of stones and serpents.

We also read in Matthew 18:6-7 Jesus' rebuke of those who cause scandals, saying that "it were better for him had a millstone be hanged about his neck and that he should be drowned.."  Was Our Lord simply having a "spittle-flecked nutty"?  He took scandals quite seriously.  It would behoove us to do the same.

Father Z And Catholic Lane Are Wrong Big-Time

Today, via Pewsitter, I read two particularly vapid and banal pieces that had as their end the minimizing of the damage being done by Pope Francis' ill-advised utterances.  See here and here.  A rebuttal is needed, and Mundabor stepped up admirably to the plate.  I suspect Mundabor was commenting on Father Z's piece but it could apply to the Catholic Lane one as well.

Both of the authors of the articles seemed hell-bent on trying to stifle some very appropriate concern and even indignation.  Their "don't worry, be happy" approach is, in my opinion, does not conform to what Scripture and Tradition teaches as the appropriate response to evil.

These authors who attempt to paint "smiley-faces" on outright heresies emanating from the Vatican must be contradicted as vehemently as the heresies themselves for they give the Vatican heretics aid and comfort by their (hopefully misguided) attempts to silence our warnings and rebuttals.

More Maturation Department: High Vatican Official Orders Theft Of Mail During Synod

Do you remember the book, "Remaining In The Truth Of Christ"?  This was a book by five wise prelates defending the Church's timeless teachings on marriage.  It caused many in the Vatican (perhaps the pope himself) to gnash their teeth.  I believe it was the resultant vindictiveness of these officials that caused them to evict Cardinal Burke from his posts of influence.  Comes now the news from Kathnet via Fr. Zuhlsdorf's blog that hatred of this book's truth occasioned yet more sin from these officials.

During the sin-nod, Cardinal Burke and his co-authors wanted to ensure that all the synod fathers had their own copies of the book to educate their deliberations.  They sent each of them a copy of the book through the official Vatican mail system.  Someone amongst the progressive elements got wind of the mailing of these copies - and stole the copies from the mailboxes of the sin-nod fathers!  Yep!  That's right!  There are indications that this theft was ordered by none other than Cardinal Baldiserri, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.  One might hope that this is incorrect, but too much nonsense has emanated from this man to allow any reasonable doubt.

Is it really that outlandish to believe?  Consider that during the sin-nod, they were chomping at the bit to tinker with God's laws concerning marriage.  If they had so little regard for the Sixth Commandment, why should they uphold the Seventh Commandment?  I might add there was sin against the Eighth Commandment as well, as they were trying to stifle the truth regarding God's intent for marriage and family.

We must pray, watch and speak out.  As tumultuous as the last sin-nod was, I believe the next one will be far worse, if these revelations are any indication.

PS - I just checked out Mundabor's coverage of this and he reminded me of a less-than-stellar incident in which Pope Francis bragged and joked about stealing a Rosary from a corpse's hand.  I did post about it at the time; see this.  Can it be that Cdl Baldiserri was simply following his pontiff's precedent?

Intelligent Words To Address The Pope's Very Unintelligent Remarks On Economic Redistribution

In response to the Pope's very irresponsible suggestion for "redistribution by the state" (see yesterday's post), two online articles have appeared that address fundamental flaws in His Holiness' economic thinking.

The first is by Craige McMillan and this appeared in World Net Daily.  Among other things, he pointed out that the United Nations, whom the Pope was addressing, have been known to skim taxpayer funds for themselves instead of disbursing it to the poor.  That was the crime of Zacchaeus and most of the Roman tax collectors.  They really were crooks.  Zacchaeus was announcing his repentance via a vow to make the reparation dictated by Old Testament law.  He echoed also the reply I left for "Papa Alex": that God requires private, personal charity from each of us.  We cannot designate any government to act as a surrogate on our behalf in the discharge of charitable duties.  It will not satisfy God's laws.  Moreover, when has government ever done anything of that sort effectively?

Father John Zuhlsdorf also weighed in; here's his thorough, line-by-line analysis of the papal address in question.  He asks his own questions.  I'll echo a few of them here.

• Do we all recall that a UN agency recently suggested that the Church was guilty of torture for promulgating its teaching against abortion? (That occurred to me, too, as I was reading it.)  Why is the Pope appealing to the UN for anything?
• The Pope, hailing from Argentina, comes from a country whose economy has been spiraling downward.  Why should we listen to anyone from Argentina regarding economic matters?
• Finally, "How about talking about something other than what has been shown time and again to be a disaster?"

Finally, let me point out that the Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen often linked the traitor Judas Iscariot with the "social justice" philosophy, going so far as to call Judas "the patron saint of social justice".  Here is a brief piece he wrote.  

Catholics In The Public Square

The Holy Father has released his message regarding Lent 2012 (click here if you can't see embedded video).



Please notice that he did not say anything about "carbon fasts", unscrewing our lighbulbs or using less water when we bathe.  He speaks of conversion and of fraternal correction.  We might recall that the first of the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy is to Admonish the Sinner.  It means precisely that.  While we speak the truth in charity, we also recall that if we don't speak the entire truth, we exercise no true charity.

I commend to your reading this excellent article by Judie Brown, president of American Life League.  While she applauds the recent statements of the bishops in the wake of Obama's act of tyranny, she reminds us all that in many ways the bishops bear the blame for allowing themselves to be silenced and for not admonishing the pro-abortion politicians who claim to be Catholic.  She seems to complement the Holy Father's address quite well.

Both Mrs Brown and Father John Zuhlsdorf call for such fraternal correction from the bishops in the case of Nancy Pelosi, who flat out said that she supported Obama's act of tyranny against not only Catholics but all peoples of good conscience who are now seeing themselves threatened for abiding by those same conciences.  (click here if you can't see the video on Fr Z's post).  I echo Father Z's call for obedience to Canon 915 on the part of Cardinal Wuerl and Archbishop Niederauer in Pelosi's case.