We all know that since Vatican II and during the papacy of Pope Paul VI, a grotesque polarization has taken place in the Church. I feel the blame from day one has to be laid at the feet of the progressives who sought to create a new Church after Vatican II angering and polarizing Catholics who did not and could not believe this could take place.
Pope St. John Paul II tried heroically to bring the great discipline of the Church back to the various polarized factions. Pope Benedict continued this interior healing during his papacy.
The progressives were apoplectic at Pope Benedict's election declaring a grotesque Armageddon would take place during His Holiness reign--it did not happen! He proposed but did not impose.
But from the very moment Pope Francis set foot upon the Loggia, His Holiness was a polarizing figure, from day one.
His indelicate name calling (reminiscent of Trump's similar temptation) polarized priests and bishops and religious.
His Christmas greetings to his curia were a source of polarization in Rome and we are now seeing how well that has helped to end the infighting in the Curia which is now on steroids in terms of polarization.
And then we all know of the polarization caused by the manipulation of the synods and a footnote that was in fact a planned worm to change Catholic moral teaching--very polarizing.
Until the Holy Father understands that His Holiness is the cause of the current meltdown in the curia, and the ongoing polarization in the Church, he won't understand what is happening.
13 comments:
Exactly so, Father.
I have been VERY reticent to criticize PF, but we are really hurting in this family. Our adult kids are very worried and expressing gradations of misery. You knew them all, Father, as they grew up.
Oldest son-in-law, whom you married to our oldest daughter. a 41 y.o. Corneal Surgeon and product of 16 years of Catholic schooling and with his kids now in Catholic school, just sent us this (he NEVER has commented on Church anything in all the years I’ve known him):
“This whole thing has been extremely hard to watch unfold. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to becoming significantly disillusioned.”
Our second daughter’s husband with a child in Catholic school (which they really can’t afford, but are committed, so we help them) is on the fringe of pulling out.
Our son in California right now is trying to convince his lady-friend to commit to RCIA so they can marry. Guess what she’s saying...
I no longer know what to say to them.
I'm pretty sure he knows, given the fact that he reportedly said "I Might Go Down in History for Having Split the Catholic Church," and his "make a mess" philosophy.
Your comments are heartbreaking. I am speechless and asking God’s grace to help you, your family and everyone disillusioned and confused by this disgusting reality. You are not alone, but we Catholics have to trust that God will end this nightmare and help preserve our personal faith anf the Catholic Faith. God bless you.
The undeniable fact is that Francis could care less that he is scandalizing anyone. He has said on more than one occasion that he knows some in the Church think he is a heretic. His response was not to show care and concern for those Catholics. No he dismissed their concerns as silly and stated he just doesn’t look at their websites. He could care less that this is happening because he knows that not a dam thing will come of it. The archbishop’s letter is probably 100% true but let’s be real. Most bishops have no backbone and could care less. All they care about is their creature comforts. NOTHING will come of this letter. Don’t get your hopes up that the barque of Peter will straighten on its course. Not going to happen with Francis and his minions in control. This just means that he will be emboldened. We all thought the last synod was bad. We haven’t seen anything yet.
Thank you, Father; as always you are a trusted voice. It is so hard for you and all of us, but God wins in the end...
This morning our priest had two points:
1) Don’t leave Peter because of Judas.
2) God allows evil so that Good can flourish.
This should solidify for our generation the difference between Who we worship and who we admire.
What is transpiring and coming to light in the Church is disconcerting and disheartening, but we should pray to God that our brothers and sisters in Christ be given the grace so as not to succumb to disillusionment by abandoning the Faith. Our Church needs the the spiritual support of faithful Catholics more than ever at this moment in her history.
Many of Jesus' followers left Him because they found His teachings too difficult to accept.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
If we leave the Church, we will no longer be following Christ, but abandoning Him.
Bee here:
To Anonymous at August 26, 2018 at 5:59 PM about his(her) adult children feeling the shaking of their faith:
Refer your kids and their spouses to Matthew 7. Jesus gives a discourse about moral behavior, and then says,
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits."
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” Matt. 7:15-20; 24-27
Tell your kids this is a test of faith. Tell them they cannot put their trust in people, religious or not. Humans are fallible, even those who are good and strive to be holy. Tell them they must put their faith only in God...the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Tell them they must make it their business to know the doctrines of the Church, especially the guys. Tell them to get a catechism, either the Catechism promulgated by Pope John Paul II, or one published before 1960. Tell them to read and study it, understand it, and accept the teachings there. That is hearing the words of our Lord, and acting on them. Tell them if someone in the Church or who claims to be a religious person says anything contrary to what is known doctrine, they should reject it out of hand. Tell them to pray with their family every day.
Tell them this is not the time to leave the Church, just because some of the leaders are questionable. The Church has Christ in the Eucharist. Tell them not to leave Our Lord, because He is the only hope to make it through this in one piece. Tell them the personal holiness of the priest is irrelevant to Our Lord's presence. Tell them to cling to Jesus.
Jesus, after He spoke to the crowds about eating His flesh, and drinking His blood, witnessed a vast turning away from Himself, and so asked His apostles, will you also leave? Peter said, where would we go Lord? You have the words of eternal life. Tell your kids to think of that.
For your part, pray for them, that they should not be sifted like wheat.
God bless.
Bee
We and the Church will survive, the loss of this Peronist
It is all fine and good to cite examples like Judas and others who betrayed or left our Lord as a result of his difficult teachings.
But it is necessary to explain, especially to someone who has truly studied Catholic teaching, how it is -- in light of Vatican I -- that the present situation with Francis can occur in line with the teachings of that council. Simply citing Matthew 7 doesn't quite address the issue. The present situation is surely a test of faith, and the answer is to stick to Jesus. In my mind, though, the question is how one does that without falling into some erroneous belief about the nature of the Church and the hierarchy, especially the papacy. Things are not quite as simple as "the Church will survive." Of course, the Church will survive. But that's missing the question!
Bee here:
Marc at August 27, 2018 at 10:38 AM said, "...the question is how one does that without falling into some erroneous belief about the nature of the Church and the hierarchy, especially the papacy."
I'm not sure what "erroneous belief" about the nature of the Church and the hierarchy you might mean. Perhaps one had an erroneous belief prior to this crises that is now being exposed?
God bless.
Bee
That very well could be true, Bee. I don't have a specific erroneous belief in mind.
It would be erroneous, for example, to believe that the pope can teach error. As an example, it would be incorrect to believe that the pope can change the Catechism to include an erroneous teaching on some matter of faith and morals that is contrary to the magisterium.
If a person claiming to be pope attempted to do so, one would have to address the question without doing violence to the teaching of Vatican Council I.
Addressing that situation could very well expose and erroneous belief of one sort or another that a person has about the papacy.
Bee, just wondering how old your children are?
Mine are ages 41, 38, and 37. Lecturing “kids” at these ages can be very counter-productive.
God bless
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