Earlier this week, His Holiness, Pope Francis, met with three victims of clergy sexual abuse who Pope Francis had insulted and denigrated on His Holiness Pilgrimage to Chile.
One victim who met with the Holy Father said this according to CRUX:
One of the survivors went so far as to say that he believed the pope hadn’t lied, but had been badly informed when it came to the situation in Chile. The survivor said Francis had told him, “I was part of the problem, I caused this, and I apologize to you.”
The Holy Father hit the nail on the head, His Holiness is causing so much insult, causing so many polarizing problems and would do well to apologize for his snarky, denigrating remarks concerning so many Catholics who are trying to be faithful Catholics and should also apologize for his public negative remarks about his cardinals and for not meeting the five dubia cardinals, two of whom have since died. One wonders if the stress of a pope publicly humiliating them as they sought clarification was a part of it. They are victims too.
So my most humble recommendations for Pope Francis from the periphery of Richmond Hill are:
1. Observe papal protocol and don't denigrate it--it will serve you well
2. Stop calling Catholics who are trying to be good Catholics rigid, fundamentalists, and doctors of the law (used in a negative way)
3. Stop denigrating canon law, natural law and moral law and stop, stop, stop calling those who seek and believe the truth idolators!
4. Stop giving off-the-cuff homilies especially at daily Mass, stop talking too much and off-the-cuff
5. Stop giving psychological advice veiled as spiritual advice concerning rigid people and who are fundamentalists and lovers of the law
6. Find good advisors and get rid of the ones who are wrecking your papacy
7. Move back into the papal palace and leave the Vatican Motel 6 for the roaches
8. Back the cardinals you have in the curia, change the ones you don't like and get rid of the added layer of bureaucracy with the new council of cardinals some of whom should be removed, especially the ones from South America and Germany
9. Support Pope Benedict and stop trying to undo everything His Holiness tried to do especially as it concerns orthodoxy and the liturgy
10. Stop giving interviews to those who sow confusion in the church and interviews that are confusing to say the least
40 comments:
And maybe Trump should take some of your advice too---like talking too much and off the cuff!
How many of your 10 hit-the-nail-on-the-head recommendations do you expect him to accept and actually carry out?
My prediction: None, nada. Zip, zero, zilch.
Though, for the sake of the Church--whose edifice of Faith, built by the fidelity of past popes and generations of faithful Catholics--he's tearing down, I hope I'm wrong.
Mark Thomas "refutation" in 3, 2, 1.....
Yes, President Trump and Pope Francis have very similar personalities and compulsions to speak (tweet) too much but very different moralities and spiritualities! It is very odd that we would have two similar people on the world stage with human formation quite opposite.
President Trump appears to be more assertive in protecting Catholic principles and religious liberty than Pope Francis. While President Trump battles the evil pro-abortion Democrats, Pope Francis does NOTHING. Nancy Pelosi anyone?
What if Francis is trying to cause confusion?
I am not a psychologist, but if His Holiness is intentionally trying to sow confusion I would say as an amateur psychologist who thus should not say it, that there is a psychological disorder that must be addressed
"President Trump and Pope Francis have . . . very different moralities and spiritualities!"
Indeed, one has done much, and the other little, in support of morality. (The irony lies in which is which.)
I don’t know about that, FrAJM. I think it may be an attempt at a strategy that is not working out as planned. It is consistent witha certain type of classical warfare from King David through to Mao and Sendero Luminoso. It is a good idea for someone that is not part of the current power structure. Where it is weak, as a strategy, is in the need to maintain and cultivate at least SOME allies and operatives that are synchronized with your goals. At this point it looks as if the Pope is more influenced by others than others influenced by him. Without a central vision he is vulnerable to the inadvertent explosions in his own camp, such as the Chilean bishops and the German Cardinals and theologeans.
"President Trump appears to be more assertive in protecting Catholic principles..."
Start by telling that to his two "former wives," then tell it to the married woman whose genitals he wanted to grab, then tell it to the contractors Freestate Electric or George Houraney and Jill Harth or Forest Jenkins Company or the dozens and dozens of others who had to sue The Donald to get paid for the work they did for him.
Then tell Stormy Daniels and Jessica Leeds and Kristin Anderson and Jill Harth and Kathy Heller and Temple McDowell and Karena Virginia and Briget Sullivan abd Tricia Dixon and the other women who have accused him of sexual harassment ans assault.
Catholic Principles? The man has none of any denomination.
Anonymous at 10:47.
What you are talking about is sin. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. It is rather presumptuous of you to judge someone on past sins who may in fact have repented, not even knowing if they did occur in the first place.
But it is quite extraordinary that we have a pope who places the slaughter of innocent children in the womb on the same level as immigration policy, and on the other hand, a President, like so many Presidents who have or may not have had "women problems", who seems to be sincerely trying to stop the slaughter, as Catholic doctrine would insist on, despite the opposition from Democrats and the zeitgeist.
Anon at 10:47, they are speaking of the irony not of the respective merit. Put another way, Jorge Bergoglio would be an outstanding Archbishop of Canterbury.
Anonymous Kavanaugh,
Thanks for taking the non-Catholic point of view. We can talk about Bill Clintoon and Ted Kennedy if you like.
However, here is what Trump has done to undo the damage caused by the evil Abortion King Obama;
Reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy
Defunding of UNFPA
Enactment of the Congressional Review Act H.J. Res 43 to allow states the option to prioritize Title X funding away from Planned Parenthood
Confirmation of pro-life Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court
Support for legislation in the U.S. House that repeals Obamacare and redirects taxpayer funding from Planned Parenthood to community health centers
I know this will break your heart
Victor,
Well said. You know you are addressing Kavanaugh, nominally a catholic priest.
11) Consider a well earned retirement.
Anonymous said..."Start by telling that to his two "former wives," then tell it to the married woman whose (edited out)...he wanted to grab...Then tell Stormy Daniels and Jessica Leeds and Kristin Anderson and Jill Harth and Kathy Heller and Temple McDowell and Karena Virginia and Briget Sullivan abd Tricia Dixon and the other women who have accused him of sexual harassment ans assault.
"Catholic Principles? The man has none of any denomination."
==============================================================================
It is mind-boggling that there are Catholics who pretend that Donald Trump is "more Catholic" than the Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis. They pretend that Donald Trump has done more than Pope Francis to advance the Gospel.
They despise the Vicar of Christ to the point that they pretend that Donald Trump, who has trafficked for decades in the Culture of Death, is more pro-life, Pro-Culture of Life, than His Holiness Pope Francis.
But such is the depth of contempt, even hatred, that certain "traditional/conservative" Catholics hold for His Holiness Pope Francis.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
I said that there are Catholics who pretend that Donald Trump is "more Catholic" than the Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis. They pretend that Donald Trump has done more than Pope Francis to advance the Gospel.
I believe that the following is the most striking example of that.
But first...what amazes me is that, on the one hand, said folks have insisted that Donald Trump is a foul, vile person...one who has belonged to the Culture of Death.
On the other hand, their hatred of His Holiness Pope Francis is so profound that they've pretended that as compared to Pope Francis, Donald Trump is a greater friend to Jesus Christ...a greater promoter of Christian life.
Now, to said example:
In late 2016 A.D., "traditionalists" Michael Matt and Chris Ferrara of The Remnant portrayed Donald Trump as a vile person.
================================================================================
-- Michael Matt: https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/2800-trash-talking-trump
"...Trump’s horrific banter would be a campaign killer in the America in which I grew up. Trump is no saint. Trump seems to be trying to cover something up about himself—something that looks like a perpetually guilty conscience."
"Trump is what he is. And now he’s been caught on tape saying that which should surprise only those who know nothing about billionaire real-estate tycoons who moonlight in the casino racket."
"I neither excuse nor am I surprised by his antics...Many good people may vote for Donald Trump even though they know exactly what he is."
==================================================================================
-- Remnant video of Michael Matt and Chris Ferrara:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTdCNi_q5yw
At the 2:44 mark, Chris Ferrara said of Donald Trump: "This is a guy whose on his third marriage. He's obviously in terms of sexual morality a total low-life."
=================================================================================
Donald Trump is "on his third marriage...a total low-life...seems to be trying to cover something up about himself—something that looks like a perpetually guilty conscience."
"...good people...know exactly what he is."
Again, "traditional/conservative" Catholics have built such hatred of Pope Francis, and attacked and defamed him to such an extent, that they've pretended that Donald Trump, as compared to Pope Francis, is a greater friend to Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church.
They have pretended that Donald Trump, who has trafficked for decades in the Culture of Death, is more pro-life, Pro-Culture of Life, than His Holiness Pope Francis.
Incredible.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
"What you are talking about is sin."
No, what I am talking about is a man with no principles, let alone "Catholic" principles.
Repentance is not shown by saying "I'm sorry," but by changing the way one lives and shunning sin.
As to saying I'm sorry, Mr. Trump has stated that he has not done so. When asked in an interview whether he had asked God for forgiveness for his actions, Trump replied, "I am not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don't think so," he said. "I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't."
Referring to the evil done by others takes nothing away from, in fact, has nothing to do with, whether Trump upholds "Catholic" values. He doesn't.
MT,
I saw a picture of PF slobbering over Abortion King. Nuff said. Get lost
What I have found most interesting in regard to Pope Francis/Donald Trump discussions is that President Trump serves as a shining example as to the great charity and mercy that His Holiness Pope Francis possesses.
Catholic supporters of President Trump have portrayed Mr. Trump as a "total low-life"...noted his vile comments about women...portrayed him as sleazy.
Nevertheless, despite the vile portrait that many Catholics supporters of President Trump have painted of Mister Trump, His Holiness Pope Francis has displayed great charity and mercy toward President Trump.
Rather than have met and spoken cordially to this or that sinner, "traditionalists" have sought from Pope Francis fire and brimstone condemnations of this or that sinner.
Should he desire, Pope Francis could fulfill that request beginning with Mister Trump.
However, Pope Francis has treated President Trump charitably.
In regard to his respectful treatment of Donald Trump, Pope Francis has revealed that his (Pope Francis') heart is filled with Catholic charity and mercy.
Pope Francis has viewed and treated Donald Trump as a child of God...as a man created in God's image.
That is more than many Catholics have done in regard to the hateful manner in which they've treated the Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis.
Our great and holy Pontiff, Pope Francis, is a merciful follower of Jesus Christ.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Mr Thomas:
What is mind-boggling is that Mr Trump is more Catholic in a certain of his moral policies than is the pope.
"What is mind-boggling is that Mr Trump is more Catholic in a certain of his moral policies than is the pope."
Mr. Trump has NO moral policies. He is completely transactional. When it serves his purposes to lie, he lies. When it serves his purposes to cheat, he cheats. When it serves his purposes to say he favors abortion, he says so. When it serves his purposes to say he is against abortion, he says so. When it serves his purposes to marry and divorce, he marries and divorces. When it serves his purposes to say he had no knowledge of the $130K payment to Stormy Daniels, he said so. When he is forced to admit that he DID have knowledge of the $130K payment to Stormy Daniels and paid his lawyer back for making the hush-money payment, he has Rudi Giuliano say so. When it serves his purposes to call a native-born American Judge Curiel biased because that judge has an Hispanic last name, he calls him biased. When it serves his purposes to call women "fat," "weak," "ugly," "low I. Q.," "a dog and a liar," "with the face of a pig," "no longer a 10" he does so.
Mr. Trump has NO moral principles.
"Trump has made 3,001 false or misleading claims since he was sworn into office — an average of 6.5 untruths per day. A cottage industry of Trump fact checkers struggles to keep pace with the president’s pronouncements. So frequent are his erroneous statements, in fact, that the debate has shifted from whether he makes them to whether they matter."
Victor said..."Mr Thomas: What is mind-boggling is that Mr Trump is more Catholic in a certain of his moral policies than is the pope."
Please offer examples of that. Thank you.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
In the interests of clear thinking and even-handedness:
Can we all agree on the following propositions?
(1) We should be pleased if some of President Trump’s public decisions and policies have promoted some important Catholic universal moral principles.
(2) We should be displeased if some of President Trump’s other public decisions and policies have not promoted, or have even violated, some important Catholic universal moral principles.
(3) We should be prepared to judge and condemn President Trump’s private and public personal conduct that violates Catholic universal moral principles.
(4) We should not judge the state of President Trump’s soul.
(5) We should stand ready to forgive President Trump for any public decisions and policies or any private or public personal conduct that violates Catholic universal moral principles.
If we can agree on these propositions: Now substitute President Obama or President Clinton for President Trump. Same result?
There is perhaps one more important proposition:
(6) We should try to identify the relevant public decisions and policies, and the relevant private and public personal conduct, as accurately and objectively as possible.
Yet Kavanaugh supported Obama who as an Illinois state senator voted down legislation that would require healthcare professionals to save the life of a baby that survived an abortion. Obama, a real principled and moral guy, in the Dr. Mengele mode. You knew Obama was lying when he opened his mouth.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday focusing on protecting freedom of religion and exploring new ways faith-based agencies can partner with government to effectively provide services.
The executive order on Thursday shows that Trump understands the benefit of the government partnering with faith-based groups, said Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, legal adviser for the Catholic Association, a group advocating the rights of conscience and religious liberty.
“The order also restates the government’s commitment to protect freedom of conscience and religious liberty by increasing oversight of federal programs,” Picciotti-Bayer said in a statement. “Everyday Americans respond to God’s call to serve, offering their time and talents to aid and assist their neighbors. People of all faiths, and those with no faith at all, find compassion and professionalism in the care they receive from groups motivated by faith.
“Today’s executive order hails their work—a wonderful product of the rich religious pluralism of our country,” she said.
Yes indeed, Anonymous 2, agreed...
The Pope needs to step down and seek a job at MacDonald's or Wal Mart where he belongs.
Gene, maybe he and Kavanaugh can work together "charming" the customers!!
In my own efforts to be even-handed I watch quite a lot of FOX news as well as MSNBC (less of CNN which I usually find to be very tedious and uninspiring most of the time nowadays). However, I missed the following piece by Trump supporter Neil Cavuto. Regarding proposition (6) in my earlier post, readers will have to make their own judgments about the accuracy of Cavuto’s factual claims about President Trump’s numerous misstatements, as well as how these alleged misstatements are to be evaluated under proposition (3) (specifically, the Catholic universal moral principle against bearing false witness):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcw8aoGxgss
A misstatement is not false witness.
Just one example of Mr Cavuto's disingenuousness on this is
when he stated that Trump said that the Russians never interfered in the election.He then quotes Pres. Trump as saying he never said the Russians had not meddled in the election.
Mr. Cavuto, there is a difference between interfering and meddling.
Interfering is much more serious than meddling. What you quote the President as saying is more precise.
I could go on...
Gene:
I agree. As I am sure you understand, that is why I chose the neutral term “misstatement” and left open the question of how such misstatements, which are legion, should be evaluated. I do not know the state of President Trump’s mind. I will leave that up to Robert Mueller. =)
I commend the following piece “Live not by Lies” by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, which I have just read and which is described as “a call to moral courage [that] serves as light to all who value truth.” It is a rousing challenge to all of us, wherever we stand on the political spectrum:
http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles/SolhenitsynLies.php?/articles/SolhenitsynLies.htm
Trump makes a lot of careless statements, but I do not believe he is malicious. He is not that articulate and, when he speaks "off the cuff," he often bungles it. He is a business man, a "positive thinker" and, in his effort to be optimistic and paint everything as a huge success (as many business men do), he often does misstate or exaggerate. This is unfortunate, even annoying, but I do not believe it is a deliberate attempt to mislead. I like what Trump has done so far, I like what he wants to do. I hope he succeeds.
This whole debacle does paint a sad picture of how far to the Left we have drifted when there is such an outcry and such hatred for a conservative, patriotic, optimistic leader who believes America is a great nation and is not ashamed to want us to be the greatest nation on earth. We have become so jaded as a society that we have entered a self-destructive and dangerously cynical era.
Gene:
I still prefer Solzhenitsyn to Trump. =)
Although Solzhenitsyn is challenging his fellow citizens in the then Soviet Union, what he says seems equally applicable to our own seriously compromised situation. And although what he challenges them (and us) to do seems almost impossible, especially nowadays in our “post-truth” world, it is surely an ideal worth striving for, much as a faithful Catholic life is an ideal worth striving for. Here, then, is an extract from Solzhenitsyn’s essay:
When violence intrudes into peaceful life, its face glows with self-confidence, as if it were carrying a banner and shouting: “I am violence. Run away, make way for me—I will crush you.” But violence quickly grows old. And it has lost confidence in itself, and in order to maintain a respectable face it summons falsehood as its ally—since violence lays its ponderous paw not every day and not on every shoulder. It demands from us only obedience to lies and daily participation in lies—all loyalty lies in that.
And the simplest and most accessible key to our self-neglected liberation lies right here: Personal non-participation in lies. Though lies conceal everything, though lies embrace everything, but not with any help from me.
This opens a breach in the imaginary encirclement caused by our inaction. It is the easiest thing to do for us, but the most devastating for the lies. Because when people renounce lies it simply cuts short their existence. Like an infection, they can exist only in a living organism.
We do not exhort ourselves. We have not sufficiently matured to march into the squares and shout the truth our loud or to express aloud what we think. It's not necessary.
It's dangerous. But let us refuse to say that which we do not think.
This is our path, the easiest and most accessible one, which takes into account out inherent cowardice, already well rooted. And it is much easier—it's dangerous even to say this—than the sort of civil disobedience which Gandhi advocated.
Our path is to talk away fro [sic] the gangrenous boundary. If we did not paste together the dead bones and scales of ideology, if we did not sew together the rotting rags, we would be astonished how quickly the lies would be rendered helpless and subside.
That which should be naked would then really appear naked before the whole world.
So in our timidity, let each of us make a choice: Whether consciously, to remain a servant of falsehood—of course, it is not out of inclination, but to feed one's family, that one raises his children in the spirit of lies—or to shrug off the lies and become an honest man worthy of respect both by one's children and contemporaries. . . . .
And he who is not sufficiently courageous even to defend his soul—don't let him be proud of his “progressive” views, don't let him boast that he is an academician or a people's artist, a merited figure, or a general—let him say to himself: I am in the herd, and a coward. It's all the same to me as long as I'm fed and warm.
And this is the text omitted at the ellipsis in the preceding passage:
And from that day onward he:
• Will not henceforth write, sign, or print in any way a single phrase which in his opinion distorts the truth.
• Will utter such a phrase neither in private conversation not in the presence of many people, neither on his own behalf not at the prompting of someone else, either in the role of agitator, teacher, educator, not in a theatrical role.
• Will not depict, foster or broadcast a single idea which he can only see is false or a distortion of the truth whether it be in painting, sculpture, photography, technical science, or music.
• Will not cite out of context, either orally or written, a single quotation so as to please someone, to feather his own nest, to achieve success in his work, if he does not share completely the idea which is quoted, or if it does not accurately reflect the matter at issue.
• Will not allow himself to be compelled to attend demonstrations or meetings if they are contrary to his desire or will, will neither take into hand not raise into the air a poster or slogan which he does not completely accept.
• Will not raise his hand to vote for a proposal with which he does not sincerely sympathize, will vote neither openly nor secretly for a person whom he considers unworthy or of doubtful abilities.
• Will not allow himself to be dragged to a meeting where there can be expected a forced or distorted discussion of a question. Will immediately talk out of a meeting, session, lecture, performance or film showing if he hears a speaker tell lies, or purvey ideological nonsense or shameless propaganda.
• Will not subscribe to or buy a newspaper or magazine in which information is distorted and primary facts are concealed. Of course we have not listed all of the possible and necessary deviations from falsehood. But a person who purifies himself will easily distinguish other instances with his purified outlook.
No, it will not be the same for everybody at first. Some, at first, will lose their jobs. For young people who want to live with truth, this will, in the beginning, complicate their young lives very much, because the required recitations are stuffed with lies, and it is necessary to make a choice.
But there are no loopholes for anybody who wants to be honest. On any given day any one of us will be confronted with at least one of the above-mentioned choices even in the most secure of the technical sciences. Either truth or falsehood: Toward spiritual independence or toward spiritual servitude.
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