The Pope blames the Devil for disunion within the Church:
The devil engages in a “dirty war” by sowing divisions, the Pope said, “like terrorism.” In this way, he spreads “jealousies, ambitions, ideas, but to divide!” he said.
These divisions in the Church, Francis said, “do not let the Kingdom of God grow and they do not present the Lord as He is.”
Satan’s attacks aim to strike the Church at the very center of Christian unity, “the Eucharistic celebration,” Francis said.
He noted Paul’s criticism of the Corinthians who made distinctions between rich and poor even during the Eucharistic celebration. In contrast, Francis said, Jesus “prayed to the Father for unity.”
“But the devil tries to destroy it,” he said.
“I ask you to do everything possible not to destroy the Church with divisions, whether they are ideological, or stem from greed, ambition or jealousy.”
“And above all, pray and guard the source, the root of unity of the Church, which is the Body of Christ,” he said.
Go here to read the rest. When PopeWatch thinks of the current pontificate, the term unity does not leap to mind. If the Devil is the cause of disunion within the Church, he must be sending out bonus checks to his minions during the current papacy.
I am sure that the Pope is including the Protestant heretics in his concept of “The Church.” To him, denial of Protestants to participate in the Eucharistic meal side by side with Catholics without first repenting of the their Protestantism is a satanic division. What is, however, satanic, is their failure to repent.
In today’s responsorial Psalm; Ps 100:1b,2,3,4,5 – “We are HIS people, the sheep of His flock.”
Emphasis added, but for good reason.
Let us sing songs of praise to Him, the one who IS worthy of praise.
“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
I am hearing the Good Shepherd ask for many many prayers for Francis. Please pray for him.
This was to batter everyone else into his announcement (via the Argentine bishops) that providing communion to the civilly-remarried was the only valid interpretation of his exhortation.
He’s nothing if not transparent.
Speculating (w)idly here, but I’m thinking one of those sources of division the Pope speaks of is all those pharasiacal rigorist enforcers of a narrow and shallow orthodoxy (-praxy too!) barring the door to Communion to those hapless divorced and remarrieds we ought treat with compassion as they discern their way back to full communion whilst standing in the Communion line.
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So I guess I’ve come to the conclusion that Father Zuhlsdorf is correct about liturgical deformation being the root of our present problems, and Cardinal Sarah is right about the necessity of Ad Orientem worship.
And since I’m thinking along similar lines to Dale Price, I think I can say that I’m not speculating wildly.
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Just idly.
Preparing the groundwork/setting the stage.
“Satan’s attacks aim to strike the Church at the very center of Christian unity, “the Eucharistic celebration,” Francis said.
Rather, Francis strikes the Church at the very center of Christian unity, the Eucharistic celebration.
Malachi 1:6 A son honours his father, and servants their master. If then I am a father, where is the honour due to me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due to me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7By offering polluted food on my altar. And you say, ‘How have we polluted it?’* By thinking that the Lord’s table may be despised.
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Malachi 2 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse on you and I will curse your blessings; indeed I have already cursed them,* because you do not lay it to heart. I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and I will put you out of my presence.* …
7For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8But you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, 9and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept my ways but have shown partiality in your instruction.
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13 And this you do as well: You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favour at your hand. 14You ask, ‘Why does he not?’ Because the Lord was a witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did not one God make her?* Both flesh and spirit are his.* And what does the one God* desire? Godly offspring. So look to yourselves, and do not let anyone be faithless to the wife of his youth. 16For I hate* divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel, and covering one’s garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless.
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ By saying, ‘All who do evil are good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.’ Or by asking, ‘Where is the God of justice?’
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Malachi 3:18 “Then once more you shall see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
Pretty rich for Pope Francis to accuse others of what he himself does so well. It’s source is from the devil and it is one of the ways he plays his game. Let us pray for Pope Francis. He really needs to be exorcised.