New Chicago Archbishop - A Harbinger Of Disaster For The Church

In many ways, the Church hierarchy in the United States was already a mess, with liberals occupying the Sees of key dioceses.  By appointment of Pope Francis, one more such individual, Bishop Blaise Cupich as Archbishop of Chicago to replace the ailing Cardinal George.  Many of us recalled his abysmal wafflings in not standing for true morality.  I wrote over the years about his derelictions, including the forbidding of his priests' participation in the 40 Days for Life campaign and being one of the cowardly bishops who refused to protest Obama's appearance at Notre Dame in 2009.

It didn't take him long to get started on his progressive rampage.  He apparently wasn't pleased that more women weren't involved in his installation Mass and made quite plain that he wants more women involved in "leadership".  Well that should just inspire more priestly vocations (yes, that is sarcastic)!

This past Sunday on Face The Nation, Cupich said of pro-abortion Catholics receiving Holy Communion that "the grace would be instrumental in bringing them to the truth".  What grace?  Is not Holy Communion a Sacrament of the Living?  I'm no moral theologian, but it seems that no grace could accrue to someone in a state of mortal sin until that sin is properly confessed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Otherwise, instead of grace comes the guilt of the sin of sacrilege.

Two other things that he said during that interview are, to be frank, whoppers.  First he stated that "I would not use the Eucharist, or as they call it 'the Communion rail', as a place to have those discussions in which people should be excluded from the life of the church."  This language has a very familiar ring to it!  Go back five years.  When Cardinal Wuerl was asked about denying Holy Communion to Nancy Pelosi, he said he wouldn't because the Church "doesn't use communion as a weapon".  My!  They do have those talking points down pat, don't they?

Then Cupich said that "the Eucharist is an opportunity of grace and conversion; it's also a time of forgiveness of sins".  It sure does sound like His Excellency is getting some sacraments confused with one another.  The "time of forgiveness of sins" particularly mortal sins (as is the support of abortion), is within the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  It is that authentic forgiveness of sin (requiring real repentance, by the way) that is necessary to receive Holy Communion worthily.  Else what you have is an occasion of the mortal sin of sacrilege.  Period.

Last week I observed that the USCCB and many bishops seem to have forgotten that their first job as bishops is to save souls.  Read this post, particularly the first paragraph that quotes the Baltimore Catechism on this matter.  It seems that not only has Bishop Cupich forgotten that basic truth, especially with regards to so-called "immigration reform" but he even had the unmitigated audacity to declare that "immigration reform", as defined by progressives, is God's agenda!  In his nonsensical statement, he says that "God has called us to a better life".  What defines this "better life"?  A life lived for God, marked by obedience to His laws, prayer, reception of the sacraments - or merely a more advantaged life?  The two aren't necessarily opposed to each other, but neither are they equivalent to each other.  It seems His Excellency doesn't get it.

Under this current pontificate, must we dread similar episcopal appointments in the future?

USCCB Doesn't Know The Church's Primary Mission

Once upon a time there was no question regarding the Church's primary mission.  As a refresher, I present Baltimore Catechism Question 137: "Why did Jesus Christ found the Church?  Jesus Christ founded the Church to bring all men to eternal salvation."  In short, the Church's all-encompassing mission is to save souls from hell and lead them to heaven.  Anything else that the Church does must be done with the aim of facilitating that first mission - not replacing it with anything else, good as that "anything else" may be.

Sadly, over the years we've seen the Church hierarchy focused more on temporal matters rather than their chief mission.  And even the "temporal matters" leave something to be desired, for all too often the USCCB and its state affiliates have fallen lock-step in with Democratic and progressive efforts.  The latest scandal of the USCCB supporting Obama's amnesty initiative is just the latest example.  It seems to matter not a whit to the bishops that once again the Messiah Most Miserable is jettisoning the rule of law to flood this country with illegal immigrants.  I've detailed before how the bishops have a financial stake in aiding and abetting the president's violation of oath of office.  In their high-sounding prattlings regarding illegals, the bishops and their henchmen blur the very real distinctions between those crashing our borders legally and those who abide by our laws.

I don't intend to focus on illegal immigration in this post.  I merely cite it as the latest glaring example of the US bishops selling their souls and high offices to facilitate progressive causes so that they can receive their "thirty pieces of silver".  Of course in all the endless screeds they vomit forth regarding illegals, we hear nary a word about the salvation of their souls.  Perhaps, though, the bishops are merely following directives that seem to be emanating from the Vatican.

Yesterday, during his homily, the Holy Father uttered these troubling words: "The starting point of salvation is not the confession of the sovereignty of Christ, but rather the imitation of Jesus’ works of mercy through which he brought about his kingdom."  Pardon my french, but His Holiness has things precisely ass-backwards.  Please see this excellent analysis by "From Rome" to understand why the Pope may have uttered heresy (albeit not solemnly).  One can see, though, how progressives would believe that this pontificate may very well be giving them carte-blanche permission to be spewing their progressive poison and touting it as "catholic teaching"; hence the slop oozing forth from the USCCB regarding immigration.

Let me make an important point on how the SinNod may have endangered souls.  Recall the interim report and its three paragraphs that were intended to compromise the Church's teachings on divorce and homosexuality.  If Archbishop Forte, Cardinal Kasper et al have their way, sins of the flesh will be validated by the Church.  Now recall what Our Lady of Fatima said to the three children about those who go to hell.  She told them that most who go to hell do so because of "sins of the flesh".  Of course she meant sexual sins.  These so-called church leaders, by their attempts to enable sins against marriage, are contributing to the damnation of souls, not their salvation.  Pray that they'll see and repent of their errors and that more prelates like Cardinals Burke, Muller et al will rise.

Let us oppose error, no matter its source.