The Pope is interested in leaving deserts behind him, not gardens. The Conclave of 2013 managed the feat of electing as Pope a man who clearly has little love of Catholicism as understood before his Pontificate. Francis the Destroyer would be good remembrance of this most destructive pontificate.
PopeWatch: Deserts, not Gardens
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
More than one Eastern Rite Church exists (Byzantines, Ukrainian, Maronites, Greek Catholics, and some others). the Ukrainian Catholic Church went ahead and published its own Catechism (there are some references to JPII and Vatican II documents, among others).
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I can’t help but think maybe the Anglicans should have figured out how to remain their own independent Church, since I can’t see any reason there should be only one Western Church when their are several Eastern ones
My diocesan newspaper spends all their time gushing over: children who (no siblings but money) attend private school, Pope Francis’ hatred of Tradition and new immigrants who have not yet blended in with the middle class Americans they’ve abandoned. It’s the absolute worse strategy imaginable. They make it very very hard to remain Catholic.
I highly recommend attending an Eastern Rite Mass. The Maronite Mass, which I’m familiar with is very reverent. You don’t have to understand arabic to understand and it is very easy to follow along (especially when the priest says some of the gospel reading and entire Homily in English). The opening prayer, some of the gospel readings, the consecration of the Holy Eucharist and the invocation of the Holy Spirit are in Aramaic. It’s truly beautiful. The Pope would need to get rid of entire nations if he tries to ban the eastern rite masses.
It’s right there in Mediator Dei #58:
“The Supreme Pontiff alone enjoys the right to recognize and establish any practice touching the worship of God, to introduce and approve new rites, as also to modify those he judges to require modification.”
Throw in that totalitarian language in canon law about supreme, immediate and universal jurisdiction with no recourse to appeal and here we are.
Everything in Catholicism exists at the sufferance of the reigning pontiff. It is by his whims that all is ordered.
Paul VI and now Francis have rammed that reality home.
Th Church started as an Eastern Religion and was populated by more in that region for several decades before its move to Rome as the seat of authority. I can not help but wonder as St. Peter looks down from heaven on his successors if he considers that move was not his best decision.
Gonsidering the chaos of the Orthodox Churches I think it was essential.
Precisely. After the move physically to the West, the Eastern Churches split into their national components and finally the Orthodox separations.
Francis is vicious and gratuitously destructive, so there’s no telling what he’ll attempt before the actuarial tables finally relieve the laity of the burden of him. Faithful priests and laity have to develop their own chapels and wait out the tempest.
The Great Schism of the 12th Century, was generally speaking, based on conflicts of Papal Authority. The Churches efforts at unification have been minute since. This has been detrimental to Christianity as whole because it has allowed the strengthening of Islam because of the missed opportunity for all Christians to unite. Unity is one thing muslims do better than Christians.
St JP2 understood unification the best when he stated that the Church should be a Church which breaths with “two lungs”. The rational, juridical, organization-minded “Latin” temperament combined with the intuitive, mystical and contemplative spirit which is found in the East. Both however, must accept each other fully in order for true unification to occur.
Why has our Lord allowed such prominent confusion among his faithful? Rational people seeking truth remain confused, though completely faithful.
If it were only the Pope, it appears to be a majority of the hierarchy. I am Catholic because I believe the Church has the Truth revealed by God. Truth does not change, no matter what Bergolio or anyone says. Is the Church headed by this man still the Church founded by Jesus? A sincere question from a struggling Catholic.
Is the Church headed by this man still the Church founded by Jesus? A sincere question from a struggling Catholic.
Our response must be that of St. Peter’s; “Lord, where are we to go. You are Son of the living God.”
[ Iapologize if my quote is not perfect. ] – running late this morning.
The Church, regardless of the leadership, will always be our safe harbor. The Eurchrist and Our Lady.
Two unfailingly realities that will guide us home when all else seems lost or uncharted waters cause any anxiety. Fear not!
Remember that despite the disposition of the celebrant, we receive Jesus in his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity at holy Mass.
And the promises that Christ himself made regarding his own Church and it’s triumphant reign, the discourse he had with Peter, should fill our souls with great confidence. Not in mere men do we stand with unshakable faith, but only in Christ Jesus. Only in God do we place our trust in our future and that of His unwavering Holy Catholic Church.
Judas, his spirit, has always been accompanying the church as testimony that we are subject to unholy forces if we dont pursue holiness. We can’t rest on this journey. Either we advance or we slip. There is no resting place for the virtuous. Judas stopped advancing and yet was in Christ’s presence in extraordinary ways.
Pray. Pray. Pray.
Thank you Mr Philip.