POPE FRANCIS DEMISE HAS BROUGHT THE KNIVES OUT FOR TRUTH TO FINALLY BE SPOKEN FROM HIGH PLACES MUTE UNTIL NOW!

 Thank God for the courage of Burke, Pell, Sarah and others who spoke out while the pope was living!

Press title for Jesuit America magazine article:

Backer of Cardinal Parolin attacks Pope Francis’ push for lay involvement in church governance

PETER CARDINAL ERDO OF BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, OUR NEXT POSSIBLE POPE PETER!

 

THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER CALLS CARDINAL PAROLIN’S AUDITION FOR POPE A FLOP! YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY!

April 30, 2025 at 8:48am

 

NCR STAFF

Front-runner Parolin's audition is a flop 

Cardinal Pietro Parolin had an audition of sorts for pope on Sunday and the reviews are in and hey aren't good. Parolin, seen as a front-runner for the seat of St. Peter, said Mass for 200,000 young people in St. Peter's Square. He praised Pope Francis, but his stilted style left him unable to connect with a crowd. As one cardinal-elector told the National Catholic Reporter, the Mass was a reminder of Francis' charisma and communication gifts and that Parolin lacks both. 

BUT THEN, THE NCR FREAKS OUT OVER INSULTS HURLED AT THEIR PREFERRED CANDIDATE, CARDINAL TAGLE! THIS COMMENTARY IS OVER THE TOP AND SHOWS THE FEAR OF THE NCR AT THIS JUNCTURE IN PAPAL HISTORY:

Push title:

Social media conservatives attempt to smear a papal contender

THIS IS HOPEFUL, THE CARDINALS DISCUSS ALL THE PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY FINANCIAL, IN THE HOLY SEE CAUSED BY THE FORMER POPE FRANCIS AND THE DIVISION AND POLARIZATION IN THE CHURCH CAUSED BY THE SAME!

 This is very hopeful to read from Vatican News. The part I highlight in red is extremely important in reverence to the former Pope Francis and his governing style. 

Cardinals discuss economic situation of the Holy See at General Congregation

By Vatican News

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told reporters on Wednesday that 180 Cardinals attended the seventh General Congregation, of whom 124 were Cardinal electors.

In the first part of the meeting, the Cardinals discussed the economic and financial situation of the Holy See, with contributions from Cardinals Reinhard Marx, Kevin Farrell, Christoph Schönborn, Fernando Vergez, and Konrad Krajewski.

Cardinal Marx, coordinator of the Council for the Economy, presented several challenges, issues, and proposals from the perspective of sustainability, with the goal that the economic structures continue to support the reforms of the papacy.

Cardinal Schönborn spoke as president of the IOR Oversight Commission, and Cardinal Vergez shared several details regarding the situation of the Governorate of Vatican City State, mentioning the ongoing renovation work.

Cardinal Krajewski spoke about the activities of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity.

In the second part of the General Congregation, 14 Cardinals intervened on various topics, including the ecclesiology of the people of God and the wound caused by polarization within the Church and the division in society, (division caused by) synodality and (and division synodality has brought to) episcopal collegiality (all this was discussed) as a way (to find solutions) to overcome polarization. (They also discussed) vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Several references were made to the conciliar texts Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes, and they discussed evangelization, especially focusing on the consistency between what is lived and what is proclaimed. (My comment: these two Vatican II documents are wonderful and do provide a correction to the Magisterium of the Former Pope Francis!)

The General Congregation concluded at 12:30 PM with the prayer of the Regina Coeli.

THE FORMER POPE FRANCIS’ OLD GUARD STILL IN THE VATICAN MUST BE FREAKING OUT OVER THE DIRECTION OF THE DISCUSSIONS OF THE PRE-CONCLAVE MEETINGS AS THEY SHOULD…

Everyone is having fun trying to guess who the next pope will be. We won’t know until that white smoke leads to an aging cardinal who comes out on the loggia of the Basilica and says, Habemus Papam. And his name is…..

Some good things are being reported by way of rumor and wishful thinking, perhaps.

One commentator says this which I think is a good thing as they would be more of Pope Benedict’s school of thought of inner healing, clear teachings, beautiful liturgies, beautiful papacy and orthodoxy:

Prominent among these emeritus kingmakers are names like O'Malley, Ruini, Piacenza, Bagnasco, Cipriani, Antonelli, and Onaiyekan. They are there, talking to everyone, listening more than talking, and generating a kind of consensus that is not based on ideology, but on memory. They [the younger ones] are not looking for a new Pope with a program, but with solidity.

The Jesuit rag, America, has stated, and with a little anxiety, no doubt, that the buzz words (code words) in the pre-conclave discussions are “clarity, confusion and unity.” Obviously, the former Pope Francis never provided true clarity, he sowed confusion and undermined unity.” All of these things are the antithesis of what the papacy should do.

Even post-Catholic and Jesuit, Fr. James Martin, voices the concerns of those who want the LGBTQ+++ ideology enshrined in Catholic doctrine and practice. They are filled with anxiety that the next pope will reverse the processes towards a post-Catholic heretical new morality as it concerns sex and anything goes that the former Pope Francis initiated with loose talk and blessing same sex couples actively engaged in various forms of sodomy and other sexual disorders and gender dysphoria. Who is the Church to judge?

And I am reading that Cardinal Parolin is still considered a front runner. I think he will be a calming influence in the Vatican and the Church and could bring some healing in terms of the chaos the former Pope Francis caused. 

However, the Pillar reports this morning that a Chinese diocese has just named a new bishop while the Church has no pope to confirm it. 

This is what Parolin caused. This has angered many Asian bishops and clergy and laity. Pope Francis approved of this kind of thing.

So, I am not so sure Cardinal Parolin will be elected, but we’ll have to wait and see. 

THESE TERMS ARE HARD NOT TO USE AS THEY HAVE BEEN USED FOR SO LONG, PROGRESSIVE/LIBERAL, CONSERVATIVE/REGRESSIVE

While I alternate between the use of the terms conservative and liberal for Church matters, I do think it is better to best to use orthodox and heterodox to describe the polarization in the Church that has existed since Vatican II and on steroids today because of the pontificate of the late Pope Francis, RIP.

Orthodoxy and heterodox give religious and theological significance to these two groups. 

For example, a papal candidate who embraces the social teachings of the Church that go back to the 1800’s is orthodox but in political terms would be seen as liberal or progressive. Orthodox Catholics must be careful about criticizing any Catholic who takes seriously the Church’s social teachings which are in fact, in political terms, progressive or liberal. These are orthodox.

Heterodox papal candidates who want to ordain women, active gays and so-called transgendered people and start processes of blessing LGBTQ couples, triads or polygamists, which will lead to accepting these as “sacramental marriages” are progressive and liberal in the political sense but clearly heterodox if not heretical. 

A papal candidate that forgoes the tradition of papal trappings can be very orthodox but appear as a liberal or progressive when if fact they aren’t.

Thus so-called traditional Catholics should be very careful about seeing papal candidates through a political lens. One can be very pastoral and have an outreach to those most in need of salvation but be very orthodox. 

The heterodox don’t care about the salvation of souls, only embracing the sinner and the sin.

 The heterodox don’t love sinners and can’t differentiate between the sin and the sinner. They might be traditional and conservative but they are still heterodox.  

THE CONCLAVE IS SET TO BE A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE BACKWARDISTS, AND WANT TO CONTINUE POPE FRANCIS' POLARIZATION AND PAPACY AND FORWARDISTS WHO WANT A NEW DAY AND CHURCH UNITY IN ORTHODOXY AND CLARITY

The third Mass of the Novemdiales, the nine days of mourning for the late Pope Francis, was celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday afternoon and presided over by Cardinal Baldassare Reina.

He wants a clone of Pope Francis to continue the deconstruction of the Catholic Church to make it something different.  He wants no changes to the direction of the Church that Pope Francis has initiated.

Cardinal Reina must have been reacting to Cardinal Müller who is quoted in the New York Times as rebuking Pope Francis as divisive, like “all dictators,” “That is his style, to divide,” Cardinal Müller told the NYT. “All dictators are dividing.” 

There are many who would like to be flies on the wall of the Conclave. Pope Francis' pontificate has polarized even the cardinals and the entire Church. 

Someone will need to bring the inner healing that Pope Benedict desired and Pope Francis reversed. 

If Pope Francis could reverse Pope Benedict, another pope can certainly reverse Pope Francis. Pope Francis has initiated that process were previous popes can be canceled, including now Pope Francis. 

Those of Pope Francis' school of thought and leadership know this and they want to stop what Pope Francis started so that Pope Francis won't be canceled.

I think the next Pope, even if progressive, will try to be a healer. 

But the Cardinals in the Conclave better fasten their seat belt because this Conclave is going to be a bumpy ride for them and maybe a long conclave. Time will tell.

IN ALL OF ROME, WAS THERE NOT A HEARSE LIKE THIS?????

TWO MILLION PEOPLE WENT THROUGH SAINT PETER’S BASILICA TO VIEW THE BODY OF POPE JOHN XXIII!

 This is a great video. We are told that for the first time in history, the Basilica remained opened throughout the night for the faithful to pay their respects to the deceased pope and to pray for the happy repose of His Holiness’ soul. 

Two million faithful, yes, you read that correctly, two million faithful passed through the doors of the Basilica to see and pray for the deceased Pope John XXIII.

THE REASON FOR SO MANY FAITHFUL AT POPE FRANCIS’ FUNERAL MASS

The faithful gathered into St. Peter’s Square on Saturday for Pope Francis’ Funeral Mass. The crowds extended to the Tiber River. 

Today, Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis was to canonize Blessed Carlos Actus. This weekend too is the Jubilee for Teenagers. 

As you can see from the Vatican Discastery for Evangelization, they estimated over 80,000 young people to attend, along with their family members and chaperones. Thus, that would be well over 100,000.

The canonization of Blessed Actus was canceled just this past Monday after the pope’s unexpected death. 

But the young people and their families and friends were already arriving in Rome for this weekend’s events, to include, most especially, Sunday’s canonization of Blessed Carlos Actus. 

This in part, explains the huge crowds at the pope’s funeral on Saturday and for so many, extending again to the Tiber River, for Divine Mercy Sunday’s Mass which was for the Jubilee of Teenagers.

The Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization had organized a Jubilee of Teenagers for the weekend of Acutis's canonization, with over 80,000young people from around the world expected to attend. The jubilee is still set to take place, but will revolve instead around a pilgrimage to the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica.

DOES CARDINAL PAROLIN HAVE A SNOWBALL’S CHANCE IN HELL TO BECOME THE NEXT POPE. I GUESS, BUT I JUST DON’T THINK HE HAS THE PERSONALITY NEEDED…

The first video is a synopsis of the Divine Mercy Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square with Cardinal Parolin celebrating it. The second video is the full Mass including the Cardinal’s homily.

This Mass is part of the 9 days of Masses at St. Peter’s, either outside or inside, to pray for the happy repose of the soul of Pope Francis. 

However, Divine Mercy Sunday is also a part of the Vatican’s ramped up celebrations during the Holy Year which brings so many pilgrims and tourists to Rome, especially at this time of year. 

The Piazza is packed which hasn’t been seen in the last 6 years or so. The Pope’s funeral, pilgrims in town for Blessed Carlos Actus’ canonization (which was canceled due to the pope’s death, but pilgrims had non-refundable airline tickets and thus came and showed up for the funeral and Divine Mercy Sunday celebrations). 

I suspect Pope Francis would have celebrated this open air Mass for Divine Mercy as a part of the Holy Year celebrations and because of his personal devotion to Divine Mercy. 

Is Parolin “PAPABILE? They say he is, but I think there is a lot of baggage associated with his time as Secretary of State, from the debacle of the secret Chinese accords to mismanagement of investments that led to Vatican trials, the London deal being the biggest.

But he comes across to me as detached, aloof and dour. I just don’t think he has the out-going personality which in today’s world is needed in the papacy. What do you think? 

To his credit, he does chant is parts of the Mass and nicely so!

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SUMS UP TIMOTHY CARDINAL DOLAN’S HOPE FOR WHAT THE NEW POPE WILL BE LIKE

I copy this from a google search which showed an AI summary of Cardinal Dolan’s criteria for the next pope. Interesting, no?

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, has publicly expressed a desire for the next pope to embody a return to tradition and clarity in teaching. While he has not explicitly called for a specifically "traditional" pope in the sense of one adhering to pre-Vatican II practices, he has suggested that the next pontiff should offer a more refined and traditional approach to the Church's teachings and practices. 

Here's a more detailed look at what Dolan has suggested:

• Clarity in Teaching:

  Dolan has emphasized the need for the next pope to offer clear and consistent teachings on the Church's doctrines. 
• Refinement of Tradition:

  He has also called for a pope who can help to refine and preserve the Church's rich traditions. 
• Emphasis on the Human Element:

  While not specifically mentioning traditionalism, Dolan has highlighted the importance of the next pope demonstrating a human connection with people, as Pope Francis did. 
• Not Necessarily "Conservative":

  While Dolan is considered a conservative within the Church, he has also expressed that the next pope should reflect Pope Francis's style and be a "good shepherd". 
• Not a Frontrunner:

  Despite his influence, Dolan is not seen as a frontrunner for the papacy. 

In essence, Dolan's vision for the next pope seems to be a figure who can both offer a more traditional approach to the Church's teachings and practices while also retaining the positive aspects of Pope Francis's papacy, such as his emphasis on the human element and his ability to connect with people. 

IN DEATH, PILGRIMS AND TOURISTS GATHER IN HUGE NUMBERS TO VIEW THE MASS IN SAINT PETER’S SQUARE AND THE PROCESSION TO THE BASILICA OF SAINT MARY MAJOR

In recent years, the crowds for outdoor papal Masses have dwindled in number compared to other popes and even the first five years of Pope Francis. That changed in death as Pope Francis’ death and funeral, thanks be to God, saw tremendous numbers of the Faithful and curious turning out for the various rites and processions. It wasn’t anywhere near the number for St. Pope John Paul II’s funeral rites, but impressive nonetheless.

The funeral rites for Pope Francis were splendidly planned and carried out. As far as I can tell, post-Vatican II traditions for the funeral rites were followed except for the pope’s body viewed in the casket rather than outside of the coffin. 

The novelty, not seen in anyone’s lifetime, was the procession from St. Peter’s to St. Mary’s. Thanks be to God for the splendid Roman day. The streets were lined with the Faithful and curious. 

The only fly in the ointment for me was that the coffin was on the back of a Dodge Ram pick-up truck and not of a recent model at that! Certainly the Vatican could have done better with an actual hearse with the capability of showing the casket. 

At any rate, southern rednecks loved the pickup truck but I doubt it will evangelize them and lead them to the true Church. 

For the record though, I believe that both Pope Pius XII and St. Pope John XXIII died outside of the Vatican and their bodies, brought by a splendid hearse, traveled the streets of Rome to return to the Vatican and far more people lined the streets. But that was a different time in the history of the Church, pre-Vatican II, when most Catholics were Catholic and attended Mass weekly. 

THIS RORATE CAELI POST GIVES GREAT INSIGHTS INTO CERTAIN “PAPABILE” MOST OF WHOM I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THEY ARE OR WHERE THEY STAND IN TERMS OF ORTHODOXY OR HETERODOXY….

 

A RORATE Guide to the Cardinals and the Conclave

by Serre Verweij

April 26, 2025

[Read our previous piece on the Conclave here.]

The spectre of the coming conclave hangs ever over the heads of more than 130 cardinal electors and 1.2 billion Catholics. Speculation is rife. Will the next Pope be like Pope Francis or more ‘conservative’, like Pope Benedict?

This question is crucial. The Vatican is dealing with grave financial problems. Pope Francis has not been able (or willing) to solve this problem, in spite of the fact that it was part of the reform mandate he received in 2013. The Vatican has also become rather discredited on the foreign policy level. Even worse is the risk of schism resulting from the radical German bishops and their allies in Belgium and Switzerland The Anglican church was torn apart by disagreements over homosexuality. Only an orthodox Pope can ensure this doesn’t happen to the Church of Christ. 

The stakes are even higher due to the extension of the Synod on Synodality. The ‘ecclesial assembly’ in Rome in 2028 risks (further) disempowering the bishops of the Catholic Church and creating a new governance structure, where the Pope and (handpicked) laymen and laywomen (and activists) call the shots. Early in Francis’ pontificate progressives, and even some moderates, were hoping for greater collegiality between Rome and local bishops’. Instead, the opposite happened. Francis’ divisive policies and unfinished curial reforms have destabilized the Curia itself and raise the possibility of laywomen serving as prefects and providing dictates to the bishops of the world. 

The next Pope will need knowledge of canon law, theology and the inner workings of the Curia. Who is up to the task? What heretics or corrupt figures might be put forward? Rorate Caeli has previously warned of a repeat of the 2013 conclave, where false candidacies and rumours were used to distract from the real progressive candidate, Jorge Bergoglio. Who could the real candidates be and who are the false leads?

Unlikely progressives

Read more »

AND NOW THAT POPE FRANCIS HAS ENTERED HIS FINAL RESTING PLACE, RIP, THE DEBATES ABOUT HIS PAPACY WILL HELP CARDINALS ELECT A NEW POPE AS WE RESET AND GO FORWARD

Francis in Full(press for full article)

Bishop Robert Barron became quite frank about Pope Francis' papacy. He begins his critique with listing the great things Pope Francis accomplished, especially being a pastoral pope and a pope of the streets with the language of the streets.

But then he turns to what needs to be refined and reset:

And yet, what one reads in almost every assessment of the late pope is that he was, at the very least, “controversial,” “confusing,” “ambiguous.” Some commentators would go so far as to say that he was heretical, undermining the ancient traditions of the Church. I do not at all subscribe to that latter position, but I sympathize to a degree with the former characterizations. Pope Francis was a puzzling figure in many ways, seeming to delight in confounding expectations, zigging when you thought he would zag. He famously told the young people gathered for World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro to “hagan lío” (make a mess), and sometimes he appeared to take pleasure in doing just that. 

One of the messier moments of the Francis pontificate was the two-part Synod on the Family, which took place in 2014 and 2015. The fact that Walter Cardinal Kasper, a long-time advocate of allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion, spoke at the outset of the gathering indicated rather clearly the direction that Pope Francis wanted the synod to take. But he was met with stiff resistance from bishops, especially from the developing world, and when the final document appeared, the famous Amoris Laetitia, the question seemed oddly unresolved, open to a variety of interpretations. When the pope’s apologists pointed to an obscure footnote buried deep in the document as providing the requisite clarity, many in the Church were, to say the least, incredulous. And when four cardinals petitioned the pope to resolve a number of puzzles (dubia­, in the technical jargon) that Amoris Laetitia had raised in their minds, they were basically ignored. 

There are indeed many beautiful insights in Amoris Laetitia, but they were largely overlooked due to the controversy and ambiguity that accompanied the document. Indeed, in the wake of its publication, a sort of “doctrinal anarchy” was let loose, as various bishops’ conferences gave the document varying interpretations, so that, for example, what remained a mortal sin in Poland seemed permissible in Malta. If a primary responsibility of the pope is to maintain unity in doctrine and morals, it is hard to see how Pope Francis met that obligation throughout that synodal process and its aftermath. 

And he oddly did not seem to learn from this situation. In 2023, after the first round of the Synod on Synodality (more on this anon), Pope Francis’s doctrinal chief, Victor Manuel Cardinal Fernández, issued the statement Fiducia Supplicans, which allowed for the possibility of blessing those in same-sex unions. To say that a firestorm broke out in the Catholic world would be an understatement, and the opposition was led, once again, by Catholic leaders from the non-Western sphere. In an astonishing display of unity and courage, the bishops of Africa said that they would not enforce the teaching of Fiducia in their countries, and the pope backed down, permitting them to dissent from the document. That all of this unfolded immediately after a gathering of four hundred leaders from around the Catholic world, who were never consulted on the matter, simply beggars belief. Once again, the pope struggled to maintain the unity of the Church.

At times, too, the pope’s admirably generous instincts appeared to lead him into saying doctrinally imprecise things or countenancing problematic behaviors. An example of the first would be his endorsement, on a number of occasions, of the proposition that all religions are legitimate paths to God, like differing languages speaking the same truth. Now, given his clear enthusiasm for evangelization, I want to be generous in my interpretation of his words, construing them perhaps along the lines of the Second Vatican Council’s assertion that there are elements of truth in all religions. But I think it is fair to say that the pope at least gave the strong impression of religious indifferentism.  

As an example of his countenancing of problematic behaviors, I would point to the (in)famous Pachamama incident at the Synod on the Amazon in 2019. Though there remains a good deal of confusion about the purpose of the placement of the Pachamama statue in the Vatican Gardens during a prayer with the pope, it is certainly fair to say that it generated much controversy and that the various attempts to explain it only made matters worse. Once more, the pope found himself in the middle of a self-created and completely unnecessary kerfuffle, the man supposed to guarantee unity at least implicitly undermining it.

No one doubts that Pope Francis was rhetorically gifted, not in the academic manner of John Paul II or Benedict XVI to be sure, but in the manner of a parish priest adept at popular homilizing. And his speech very often had an edge. Here are a few of his gems: “Mr. and Mrs. Whiner”; “liquid Christian”; “pickled-pepper-faced Christian”; “weak to the point of rottenness”; “Church who is more spinster than mother.” And I believe it is fair to say that his rhetorical venom was, more often than not, directed at conservative Catholics. Here are a few more zingers: “the closed, legalistic slave of his own rigidity”; “doctors of the letter!”; “Rigidity conceals the leading of a double life, something pathological”; “professionals of the sacred! Reactionaries”; and, most famously, “­backwardists.” 

I know that these withering criticisms often deeply discouraged orthodox Catholics, especially young priests and seminarians, whom the pope once referred to as “little monsters.” On one occasion, during the first session of the Synod on Synodality, the pope spoke to the assembled delegates. This sort of direct papal intervention was extremely rare, for, to his credit, the pope did not want excessively to sway or dominate the discussion. He spoke, in a sarcastic tone, of young clerics in Rome who spend too much time at the clerical haberdashery shops, trying on hats, collars, and cassocks. Now, there may indeed be some immature priests and students who are preoccupied with such things, but it struck me as exceedingly strange that this was the topic the pope chose for this rare opportunity to address some of the top leadership of the Church. 

To me, it indicated a curious fixation on, and demonization of, the more conservatively minded. And what made matters even more mystifying is that Francis had to have known that the Church is flourishing precisely among its more conservative members. As the famously liberal church of Germany withers on the vine, the conservative, supernaturally-­oriented church of Nigeria is exploding in numbers. And in the West, the lively parts of the Church are, without doubt, those that embrace a vibrant orthodoxy rather than those that accommodate the secularist culture. Many of the pope’s expressions and stories were indeed funny, but one would be hard pressed to characterize them as invitations to dialogue with conservative interlocutors. 

By way of conclusion, I would like to say a few words about synodality, which I believe Francis himself would identify as his signature theme. I was privileged to be an elected delegate to both sessions of the Synod on Synodality. For two months, I listened to and spoke with representatives from all over the world, and I learned a lot about how Catholics respond to challenges in remarkably diverse cultural milieux. I very much enjoyed the conversations, both those formal exchanges around the table, and even more so, the informal chats during coffee breaks. I came to understand the pope’s Jesuit-inspired process of prayerful discernment. 

I also came, I must admit, to appreciate the limits of synodality. Though every dialogue was lively and informative, very few of them moved toward decision, judgment, or resolution. Most were stuck at what Bernard Lonergan would call the second stage of the epistemic process, namely, being intelligent or having bright ideas. They didn’t move to Lonergan’s third level, which is the act of making a judgment, much less to his fourth stage, which is that of responsible action. So respectful were we of the “process” of conversation that we had almost a phobia of coming to decision. 

This is a fatal problem for Christians entrusted with the evangelical command to announce Christ to the world. The upshot is something that I believe is repugnant to what Pope Francis has consistently said he wants the Church to be: extroverted, mission-oriented, not stuck in the sacristy. I wondered at times during the two rounds of the synod whether synodality represented a tension within the mind and heart of Francis himself. 

Of all of the popes in my lifetime, Francis is, by far, the one I knew the best. I was with him for three Octobers: the two already mentioned, and a third for the Synod on Young People in 2018. During those wonderful months, I saw him practically every day and had a few occasions to speak to him. I also encountered him on an ad limina visit and at a handful of other audiences. I always found him gracious, funny, and approachable; once we had a short but intense spiritual conversation. I considered him my spiritual father and sincerely mourn his passing. Requiescat in pace.

 

AWAITING THE LAST JUDGEMENT AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD…

 

MUST WE COUNT? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS…

 I saw a brief video of CNN celebrity Anderson Cooper in Rome. He was completely thrilled as he watched the body of Pope Francis carried in procession through St. Peter’s Square. He said, and I loosely quote, that no Catholics had ever seen anything like this!

All he had to do was google papal funerals from the past to see that every pope, in recent history at least, had had their body processed through St. Peter’s Square and all of them, except for Pope Francis, were processed with the bodies fully exposed, not in a coffin. And all of them at the translation of their bodies had far more people in attendance. Pope Benedict was not afforded the dignity of the translation of his body through St. Peter’s Square. Pope Benedict XVI was scandalously placed in a van under the cover of dark and brought to the Basilica. 

In addition, if Anderson Cooper had compared photos of the number of people in St. Peter’s Square for the translation of the pope’s body to the Basilica, he would have seen just how small the congregation was for Pope Francis compared to other popes. It was a scandalously small group of people.

Now, reporters are gushing that so many people are viewing the body of Pope Francis, with some taking “selfie” photos of the dead pope and mourners. 

As I type this on Friday and the last day of viewing Pope Francis’ body, about 130,000 have passed through the Basilica to view Pope Francis.

How does that compare to the Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI and his abbreviated funeral rites and viewing? Keep in mind Pope Benedict had ceased to be the active pope for over 9 years at the time of his death:

His death ended a nine-year period during which an incumbent pope and a retired pope both lived within Vatican City. Benedict's body lay in state in St. Peter's Basilica from 2 to 4 January 2023, during which around 195,000 mourners paid their respects.

Here are photos of St. Pope John Paul’s and Pope Pius XII’s translations of their bodies, JPII’s in color:

And St. Pope John XXIII: