An interview with an official FFI spokesman alleges that a minority wanted to scrap the Traditional Latin Mass, but the spokesman acknowledges that the current restrictions "deprive us of the universal right granted to us in the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum".
The Catholic Herald today reports that the Vatican maintains that Pope Francis has not contradicted Pope Benedict XVI. His Holiness has not, if you close your eyes and tell yourself he has not over and over again, only to remain unconvinced. Apparently, the Church's 'image' has 'improved' at the Vatican under Pope Francis thanks to some cracking publicity emanating from the heart of St Peter's Square and then Rio, though clearly, as we have seen it was not a pleasing WYD for the Most Holy Sacrament of the Beaker. As for the love of honesty, truth, transparency, sincerity, integrity and, frankly, respect for those in the Church's care - which includes Her religious orders, it looks rather like not much has changed since the abuse crisis.
Many people are being rather cleverly deceived into believing that this papacy marks an end to the crisis in the Catholic Church. Others could be forgiven for wondering whether this papacy in fact embodies the whole crisis rather well. Since when did it become so hard for the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church to tell the truth? What's going on?
9 comments:
Feel as though I am in the middle of a nightmare!
Sandy
Sadly Laurence it embodies the whole crises as you say.Can you think of a single pronouncement so far from Pope Francis about the the rights of the unborn, its all about the "social"Gospel.
hat else can be expected when Neo-Sillonists are in power in the church? If I have no problem reducing the Gospel to fraternity, solidarity and peace, with what else should I have a problem?
The Encyclical of St. Pope Pius X. condemning the errors if Sillonism (a modernist movement based on the "Rights of Man" and the overall liberalism of the French Revolution) is not available on Vatican´s website. Strange coincidence …
http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius10/p10notre.htm
„(…) The Sillonists who maintain the opposite view, either turn a deaf ear to the teaching of the Church or form for themselves an idea of justice and equality which is not Catholic.
The same applies to the notion of Fraternity which they found on the love of common interest or, beyond all philosophies and religions, on the mere notion of humanity, thus embracing with an equal love and tolerance all human beings and their miseries, whether these are intellectual, moral, or physical and temporal. But Catholic doctrine tells us that the primary duty of charity does not lie in the toleration of false ideas, however sincere they may be, nor in the theoretical or practical indifference towards the errors and vices in which we see our brethren plunged, but in the zeal for their intellectual and moral improvement as well as for their material well-being.
(…)
We wish to draw your attention, Venerable Brethren, to this distortion of the Gospel and to the sacred character of Our Lord Jesus Christ, God and man, prevailing within the Sillon and elsewhere. As soon as the social question is being approached, it is the fashion in some quarters to first put aside the divinity of Jesus Christ, and then to mention only His unlimited clemency, His compassion for all human miseries, and His pressing exhortations to the love of our neighbor and to the brotherhood of men. True, Jesus has loved us with an immense, infinite love, and He came on earth to suffer and die so that, gathered around Him in justice and love, motivated by the same sentiments of mutual charity, all men might live in peace and happiness. But for the realization of this temporal and eternal happiness, He has laid down with supreme authority the condition that we must belong to His Flock, that we must accept His doctrine, that we must practice virtue, and that we must accept the teaching and guidance of Peter and his successors. Further, whilst Jesus was kind to sinners and to those who went astray, He did not respect their false ideas, however sincere they might have appeared. He loved them all, but He instructed them in order to convert them and save them. Whilst He called to Himself in order to comfort them, those who toiled and suffered, it was not to preach to them the jealousy of a chimerical equality. (...) Whilst His heart overflowed with gentleness for the souls of good-will, He could also arm Himself with holy indignation against the profaners of the House of God, against the wretched men who scandalized the little ones, against the authorities who crush the people with the weight of heavy burdens without putting out a hand to lift them. He was as strong as he was gentle.
He reproved, threatened, chastised, knowing, and teaching us that fear is the beginning of wisdom, and that it is sometimes proper for a man to cut off an offending limb to save his body. Finally, He did not announce for future society the reign of an ideal happiness from which suffering would be banished; but, by His lessons and by His example, He traced the path of the happiness which is possible on earth and of the perfect happiness in heaven: the royal way of the Cross.
These are teachings that it would be wrong to apply only to one's personal life in order to win eternal salvation; these are eminently social teachings, and they show in Our Lord Jesus Christ something quite different from an inconsistent and impotent humanitarianism.
(...)"
http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius10/p10notre.htmF
Good post and a fair question - what will our leaders tell us?
In Domino,
Patrick.
I like your blog Mr. Bones and I identify completely with your consternation about what is happening in the Church.
Few really want to stare "it" in the face - as it is quite alarming since the confusion is accelerating in my view. I would like to avoid "it" too. But I am not able to.
You are not alone so keep up the good work. It is heartwarming to read your insights and smile or even laugh at your humour which helps keep us all from going round the bend.
May Our Lord continue to bless you abundantly!
Games within games, spin within spin. It just shows the strength of the power struggle in Rome. Something tells me Benedict had the "street smarts" to deal with it, but Pope Francis? Something tells me this is not his thing.
Something I hadn't thought about until I saw it on a blog yesterday, is that the Vatican has spent 40 years tip-toeing around various liberal groups in America, giving endless second chances and encouragements, but when the FFI stepped out of line it was wham! 1-strike and you're out. Unless some extenuating circumstances start emerging you can't help thinking traditionalists are getting a very raw deal and its just going to be divisive.
To Nicholas Dyson. Perhaps you do not know that the Holy Father joined the March for Life in Rome on 12 May, as reported by LifeSite News: “I invite you to keep the attention of everyone on the important issue of respect for human life from the moment of conception,” the pope told the marchers.
He also invited all to attend the Vatican’s “Evangelium Vitae Day,” which he said would be “a special moment especially for those who care about the defense of the sanctity of human life,” to take place “in the context of the Year of Faith," on 15 and 16 June. http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-surprises-40000-italian-pro-lifers-joins-rome-march-for-life/
@Tempus Putationis: Yes, the Holy Father did attend the March for Life and yes, he did make that statement. Well, gosh golly, isn't that something for a Pope?!! Good Lord in Heaven. The Pope was asked why he hasn't been heard to speak out on the huge moral issues of the day (abortion, contraception, homosexual pretend marriage, etc) and his frightening (to me) answer was that "everyone already knows the Catholic stance on those issues", or words to that effect. I'm sorry....what? Seriously? This is the freaking Pope saying that apparently we all know what we're supposed to believe and why, so he's not going to mention anything about it nor stress it. Let's talk about the poor. Sorry for this rant. It's just makes me heartsick.
It's not those actively fighting against the evil of abortion that the Pope needs to address, admonish, teach, shame, etc. on this most grave moral evil causing the perdition of millions of souls. Rather, it is the promoters, supporters, in public life and also within the Church itself.
Post a Comment