Father Stravinkas reminds us that no one is suffering more under this misbegotten papacy than faithful priests:
What about seminarians? Maier shares the following: “When pressed, none of the bishops I queried could report a single diocesan seminarian inspired to pursue priestly life by the current Pope. None took any pleasure in acknowledging this.” Again, this parallels my own experience from lectures and retreats I have given to numerous seminarians. In fact, in my spiritual direction of seminarians, I have also had the unenviable task of trying to convince them (and young priests as well) not to give up on the priesthood, so dispirited are many by Francis.
Perhaps most surprising to many is that seminarians of my acquaintance, many of whom had barely made their First Holy Communion in the waning years of the John Paul papacy, name him as their model for priestly life and ministry; Benedict is likewise highly valued by our seminarians – most of whom maintain a respectful silence about the current Pontiff, lest they show disrespect or even disdain. That is quite telling. It also explains why seminary numbers are so far down, precisely over the past eight years. Frankly, why would a young man find inspiration in a man who had even called seminarians “little monsters”?
I bring up this unpleasant topic because in just the two weeks before Holy Week, priests got four papal “pokes in the eye.”
Go here to read the rest. This Pope has a bee in his bonnet against orthodox priests and especially young orthodox priests. Nothing beats being led by someone who hardly resists an opportunity to remind you of his utter disdain.
Not to be a Dr. Pangloss (the eternal optimist from the novel Candide) but, once again, God has given us this man for a reason which we have to realize can be an opportunity to better our faith.
If Jesus allowed Satan to debate Him with God’s own words and codified that Biblically, for us to learn, then ought we not take this opportunity to double down own true faith, and, just like St Paul to Peter, firmly, but respectfully challenge this pope on his public aberrations and diminishment of the faith? I don’t know, but it is a fair question.
The Francis effect? By their fruit you will know them.
The lefties that run the Church don’t want clerical vocations.
It was not God who gave us this man, it was the leftist, lavender Cardinals who are to blame. The next one will almost certainly be the same if not worse.
Douay-Rheims Bible. Luke 18:8
“I say to you, that he will quickly revenge them. But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth?”
Take the good, leave the rest, regarding the helmsman.
If we are to do anything worthy of being a son, friend and ambassador of Christ, we must look at Luke 18:8 and decide for ourselves what we can personally, concretely do to answer the question with a YES.
That’s our takeaway.
We are the Church.
We don’t crumble because of poor leadership. We engage the culture and strengthen the Church. This is our time folks.
We won’t have another life to do things we wished we would of done when the curtain finaly drops.
Take this Act and make the best of it while you have a breath inside you.
Pray, encourage the young and old alike and remember the shoulders we stand on. They are pure spirit and there to be called upon in moments just like ours. Saints in Heaven, pray for us!
Helmsman come and go.
The Ship’s owner knows what is going on. In Him I Trust.