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Ryan Penza • 7 years ago

''...but these are only four cardinals. In the Church, we are more than 200 [cardinals].”

Seriously?!?!? - But us laity are millions. And we stand with The Word of God, regardless of what the Pope says.

veritasetgratia • 7 years ago

The problem is the laity are confused about what is right.

Deacon_Augustine • 7 years ago

The Catholic laity are not confused about what is right - its just the rest who are confused.

Fr. RP • 7 years ago

So, am I to conclude that the Four Cardinals (and the other two who signed the Dubia for the private correspondence) are no longer Cardinals? If the whole college is with Pope Francis and Amoris Laetitia then does that mean that the Four (+2) are no longer members of the Sacred College? Yet they are members of the Sacred College, so the whole College is not with Pope Francis regarding Amoris Laetitia.

Furthermore, the damnable elements of Amoris Laetitia were voted down in the 1st Synod and those elements were only included due to Pope Francis' personal intervention to keep them in whatever the post 1st synod report was called. So, one can easily deduce that there are even more than the Four (+ the anonymous 2) who are not with Pope Francis regarding Amoris Laetitia (or other things as well.)

It seems that certain Cardinals are not well trained in Logic...

Eric P • 7 years ago

Father, in a few moments I will be accompanying a young man with graduation from his RCIA class. I have encouraged him to embrace the faith and have intentionally not brought up this debacle to him as I find it embarrassing and I think it might shatter his journey into the faith. Please pray for him. His name is William. God bless.

Fr. RP • 7 years ago

I will pray for him. However, you need to beg the Holy Spirit to assist you in helping William to understand that things are not all that rosy right now.

Remind him that there was trouble in the Apostolic College from the beginning: Judas the Iscariot. And even St. Peter was rebuked by both Jesus (for thinking like a man of the world) and St. Paul (for giving in to the Judaizers.)

If you don't tell him eventually he will find out on his own and that may very well injure his faith. You don't have to go into all of the dramatics of the current situation, just that there is dissent in the Church and it's God's Divine Will to permit it for He will use it to bring about clarity of Truth.

I always inform people who come to me to join the Church that they need to be prepared to uphold the faith against other members of the Church, even members of the hierarchy, who have gone off the liberal progressive deep end.

Julius • 7 years ago

Father, I occasionally bring these things up with people who are learned but cannot see. One cant even bring these things up with seminarians (or ex-seminarians) because in their formation they're not taught how to discern (to use Francis current buzzword) the true faith with the counterfeit one, reality from virtual reality. There are some good intentioned Catholics who have absolutely no idea that we're in a crisis, the fourth biggest (to quote Bp. Schneider). I want everyone to know what's going on but for those who aren't ready for it's a case of Russian roulette on how they will take and understand it.

Fr. RP • 7 years ago

Agreed. that is why I said he didn't need to get into details, just that he needs to be prepared to defend the faith, even in the Church.

One of the most cunning tricks of the Devil is to use the Truth to lie to someone: " the gates of hell shall not prevail" becomes "if the Pope said it, it must be ok" or "well its common practice in the Church (say communion in the hand etc...) or the Church permitted it, so it must be fine."

Guest • 7 years ago
Fr. RP • 7 years ago

Oh and I am sure you know this already but just to be clear: That Priest is a Heretic and should be reported to his Local Ordinary (the Bishop) and the Congregation of Clergy and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cover the bases.

Guest • 7 years ago
Richard Malcolm • 7 years ago

If you live within the Archdiocese of Chicago, you might take a look at St. John Cantius on N. Carpenter Street. You will certainly not find priests offering such heterodoxies there.

@FMShyanguya • 7 years ago

Several months ago I visited Chicago and went to Mass daily at Holy Name Cathedral. Surprise, surprise, every day the Mass was said by a different priest and to my recollection, all their homilies were solid, Mass was said with reverence, there was no holding hands or orans posture during the Our Father and some parishioners received on the tongue.

Fr. RP • 7 years ago

Dear Erica,

I agree, that is why I said that he needs to inform William that he will need to be able to defend the Faith even in the Church:

"Remind him that there was trouble in the Apostolic College from the beginning: Judas the Iscariot. And even St. Peter was rebuked by both Jesus (for thinking like a man of the world) and St. Paul (for giving in to the Judaizers.)

If you don't tell him eventually he will find out on his own and that may very well injure his faith. You don't have to go into all of the dramatics of the current situation, just that there is dissent in the Church and it's God's Divine Will to permit it for He will use it to bring about clarity of Truth.

I always inform people who come to me to join the Church that they need to be prepared to uphold the faith against other members of the Church, even members of the hierarchy, who have gone off the liberal progressive deep end."

I never allow someone to enter the Church thinking it is all sunshine and roses, never. I always tell them that there always have been problems, sometimes there are less sometimes there are more and this is one of the times that there are more.

Also, one must consider the state of the new convert, some can handle much more right away (I was one of those types) some need to treated more gently: always tell them that there are problems and divisions, give some examples so they are prepared, but don't sit there and poor it on for four or five hours (to get into all of it would take much longer that) as that will probably cause them to run away. Even Jesus said: "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." (Jn 16:12)

We are not talking about sin and morality here: one should never be permitted to enter the Church without knowing what the Church teaches about sin and morality and fully accepting that teaching, otherwise they simply have not converted.

At least William has Eric to help him along the way...

Al The Silent Crusader • 7 years ago

Very well said, and, sadly, true.

Christopher • 7 years ago

Dear Father RP, I'm in your gratitude for writing this, because I had never considered the reality of stating the "Gates of hell shall not prevail against our Lord's church." You are stating clearly that we have to remain truthful as Catholics to our faith and therefore need the courage to always remain aware of becoming too soft or malleable. Praying for you!

ArthurMcGowan • 7 years ago

My father told us at the dinner table that we were living in another Protestant Reformation. He said there were millions of people who were born and died during the Protestant Reformation who never heard of the Protestant Reformation.

He said these things about 50 years ago--possibly before the Council had even ended.

Concerned parent • 7 years ago

It is hard to defend the Catholic Church today with all the clergy abuse, the liberal theology of P. Francis and his dissident followers, and the intervention of George Soros in the affairs of the Catholic Church - see -

THE POPE'S BOSS -- Wikileaks: Pope and Soros An Unholy
Alliance

http://remnantnewspaper.com...

'The Rigging of a Vatican Synod?' Edward Pentin with
Raymond Arroyo

EWTN https://www.youtube.com/wat...

We have to totally depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to expose and destroy the evil in our midst.

The synods were diabolically manipulated in such a way as to cause division, confusion and break up. It sounds like "Alinsky" strategy.

MarcAlcan • 7 years ago

A friend's son was supposed to be received into the Church but he backed out because of the Pope's errors.

May the Lord pour out His spirit upon William so that He will be steadfast in faith, and constant in love for Him who is our beginning and end.

Not another one • 7 years ago

This is why the SSPX is a refuge for Catholics and attendance at their Masses and reception of the Sacraments they administer is perfectly legitimate in the midst of this terrible crisis.

Eventually the crisis will be resolved, but in the meantime we are duty-bound to protect the Faith we have been given.

Two2trees • 7 years ago

That first part (thinkers being scared away by Bergoglio) is bound to be more and more common.

Maggie • 7 years ago

Yes, this pope is a scandal and I do not know how to explain him to new Catholics. I try to put the best face on things but interiorly it is a different story.

Two2trees • 7 years ago

I say that there have been lousy popes before. But a lousy pope is actually proof that Christ's promise that his Church would withstand the gates of hell is true.

MalachyBernard • 7 years ago

No Father it is simply that the 4 Cardinals are not members of his church which started some time in the 1960s, which had suddenly discovered mercy after the preceeding 1900 years. Unity in diversity is the calling card of the modernist, who sees no problem in asserting that revelation can be found in different religions etc Anything but that judgemental, rigid, neo-pelagian straight jacket known as Traditional Catholicism.

MSDOTT • 7 years ago

On Fr Z's blog, he says it appears that the pope is intending to strip Cardinal Burke and other cardinals of the cardinalate,...

Two2trees • 7 years ago

In a way, that is a good thing at least for their souls in that they would be literally punished for being in Christ's name.

Jeremiah • 7 years ago

Or in the Faith...

Guest • 7 years ago
Fr. RP • 7 years ago

Let them take allergy medicine and carry a hanky.

Margaret • 7 years ago

That's fantastic. 👏👏

MarcAlcan • 7 years ago

Logic? What is that?

LB236 • 7 years ago

If I have to hear one more person blame the division and confusion in the Church on anyone but the Pope, I am going to lose it. It's like someone has built a "Pope Francis Excuse Machine" that keeps popping out a different scapegoat every time Francis does something/insults some group (usually faithful Catholics) that results in said division. Eventually, they have to run out of other people to blame besides the root of the problem . . . right?

Peter • 7 years ago

Exactly. Where was this division before Francis?

Not another one • 7 years ago

Well, we have to face up to the fact that it started with Paul VI, and was fueled on by John Paul II and Benedict.

Go back to the last known true practice of the Faith, which you will find at the nearest SSPX chapel, and sit tight.

William Murphy • 7 years ago

Spot on. Every time I read something crazy from Pope Francis, you can bet some spokesperson will rush forward to explain that the Pope doesn't really mean what he really said or didn't really say what he really meant or has been misinterpreted or mistranslated. My current favourite was his declaration on the plane from Krakow to Rome that there was no link between Islam and violence. This provoked almost universal derision. Needless to say, Austen Ivereigh, one of his biographers, rushed out an article explaining how Francis was being very clever and denying ISIS the propaganda high ground.

JohnnyCuredents • 7 years ago

The more these Francis partisans talk, the more they sound like US Democrat & media operatives confidently telling us why Hillary Clinton could not possibly lose the general election.

@FMShyanguya • 7 years ago

They never learn even from one another. Sheer blinding arrogance.

Llámame Jorge • 7 years ago

You seekers of certainty in all things!

There is one thing necessary to know.

The whole Sanhedrin was with Caiaphas.

The whole College of Cardinals is with me.

https://uploads.disquscdn.c...

Fr. RP • 7 years ago

Well, there were at least two members of the Sanhedrin who were not with Caiaphas: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus...and they were correct in their not going along to get along approach to ecclesial affairs.

Fr. RP • 7 years ago

Pope Francis the unifier...everyone getting along through the healing balm of the Papal hug: A Muslim, A Jew und der Papst. A Kufi, Yamaka and Zucchetto all healed by a hug.
Precious...

Two2trees • 7 years ago

I always appreciate your peteresque visits, your kind, loving, benevolent and immeasurably pastorally fluid (yet humble) humanity. Surely we are more unlimited by your presence.

[Practicing my Bergoglian accent.]

Guest • 7 years ago
Llámame Jorge • 7 years ago

Nostra Aetate.

Now get back to being joyful.

If you ever were in the first place.

https://uploads.disquscdn.c...

Wisdom is a Tree of Life • 7 years ago

Psycho Picture!

Two2trees • 7 years ago

Pastoral.

Wisdom is a Tree of Life • 7 years ago

Pastorally Psycho!

Old Penguins Fan • 7 years ago

One finger pointed away, three others pointed back at him.

Not another one • 7 years ago

What a little thug.

Fr. RP • 7 years ago

Do you know who he (you) is giving the "what for" to?

Not another one • 7 years ago

A public manifestation of religious indifferentism, which Pius XI called apostasy.