Father Jesusmary Missigbètò, expelled from Opus Dei after being suspended for publicly criticizing Pope Francis’ alleged support for same-sex civil unions, writes to the Holy Father in response to his sanction.
Jesusmary Missigbètò, who is prohibited from preaching, confessing and celebrating Mass in public due to her public criticism of the Holy Father, writes to Francis on the occasion of his sanction, which he considers unfair, and insists in a public letter to the pontiff that he cannot stop criticizing the papal action because, “since 2016, you yourself have seriously failed to “respect and obey God and the People of God”. Indeed, before being Pope and bishop, you are a priest and, according to the Code of Canon Law, “clerics, in leading their lives, are obliged in a special way to seek sanctity, since, having been consecrated to God by a new title in the reception of orders, they are dispensers of the mysteries of God at the service of his people”.
The Ivory Coast priest accuses the Pope of having “propagated heresies and seriously damaged good customs.”
“Allow me to point out to you, Father, where your mistake is: you are confusing the “laws of coexistence” with the “laws of protection”. Coexistence laws are related to LGBTQ ideology while protection laws are related to human discrimination. There are protection laws for children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, migrants, prisoners, etc. All these people have the right to consideration and humane treatment, but they do not require special laws of homosexual coexistence.
The priest charges against the Holy Father for a more current issue, that of denying the Holy Eucharist to those who publicly and actively defend abortion. “Is it morally correct to give the Sacrament of the Eucharist to publicly pro-abortion politicians who do not renounce abortion? God and the Catholic Church have always answered ‘no’ (cf. Code of Canon Law 915-916). Unfortunately, you have answered ‘yes’. In fact, on September 15, 2021, he publicly agreed, with incredible support from Cardinals Ladaria, Peter Turkson, Wilton Gregory, Archbishops Paglia and Michael Jackels, etc. (cf. my fourth open letter). On June 29, 2022, he certainly knowingly and premeditatedly allowed Nancy Pelosi, publicly known for her support of her abortion, to receive the Holy Eucharist at the Vatican, during a Mass celebrated by you, and knowing full well that this was publicly prohibited. her by her resident bishop. Thus, it induces the Catholic Church to disrespect its own laws given in the Code of Canon Law and disrespects God and the Catholic People.
And he concludes: “My sanction this morning makes it clear that you, Bishop Fernando Ocáriz and Cardinal Marc Ouellet still retain the capacity for moral judgment. Why, then, their guilty and scandalous silences before cardinals who seriously lack “respect and obedience to God and the People of God”? Cardinal Hollerich, SJ (who has publicly said that “the Church’s teaching that homosexuality is a sin is false”), Cardinal Marx (who has publicly said that “homosexuality is not a sin”), Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi (who allowed Father Gabriele Davalli to bless a gay couple at a Mass on June 11, 2022), Cardinal Blase Cupich (who allowed Father Joe Roccasalva to allow a gay couple to give the homily at a Mass on June 19, June 202yssssssssssshe above comes from a Jul2, Father’s Day), etc.
The above comes from a July 5 posting on Infovaticana.
I think the priest was misgendered in the first sentence of the second paragraph. Otherwise, I missed a doctrinal development in the Church.
I know nothing of this priest, but I will pray for him. Much of what he said is echoed by many in the pews. Heretics are tolerated by Francis, while good bishops doing their pastoral duty, especially in the case of Archbishop Cordileone as he sanctioned Pelosi, are derided. He has punished this priest while the German bishops thumb their noses at the Faith. What is Francis trying to convey? That anything goes? Forget doctrine? Do your own thing? His papacy has been confusing and dry. We pray for better from our Holy Father.
This is a complete mischaracterization of the Pope!
No it is spot on…
Heretics are tolerated by Pope Francis? What are you referring to? I googled and found nothing.
Good bishops like Archbishop Cordileone are derided? I googled and again found nothing.
He corrected the German bishops. They did not respond appropriately, in my opinion.
He punished this priest? This priest really is doing something that is harmful to his soul and to the souls of those who hear him.
There is a very small, very loud anti-Pope faction (which is a sin) in the Church which takes to the Internet with its false witness and lies about the Pope.
This priests is not really doing that, at least. When you disagree with the Pope, you should really work on yourself.
If a “leftist” disagreed with the Pope and wrote an open letter, I imagine your response would be different.
Please try to get to a place of Truth with the Holy Spirit.
What you wrote is grave sin. Perhaps not mortal sin because of ignorance but there is also culpable ignorance.
Stupid thing to go to hell for. (All sins are.)
I wish I knew how to contact Fr. Janvier in order to send him personal and financial support. All the Christian faithful, including priests, have a right to communicate with our bishops, especially the Holy Father Francis.
Religious trivia:
The largest basilica in the world
(yes, bigger than St. Peter’s) is
in Ivory Coast.
When you try to please everyone you mess up. Jesus’s way was and Still is; love one another as I have loved you. Same sex marriage will never be accepted by God, he made men and woman end of story! LGBT will never be accepted by God, he made us Male & Female he never makes mistakes. We are not to hate or destroy the lives of those who are in those situations, we are to try our best to enlighten them to who God is and why their A toons are sinful. I personally will always defend what God has made and the way things are supposed to be through him. LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU,Amen.
The first thing you are supposed to tell them is that Jesus Christ died so that sins can be forgiven. Ask if they are baptized. We are Catholics so sometimes we assume other Christians are baptized and some of them aren’t.
I read a couple of this priest’s letters to the Pope. Too shockingly disrespectful and impudent, for a man in the highest position of power on earth, in the entire Catholic Church– to read such extremely critical, humiliating letters! Bad move! Suicide! What on earth did this poor priest expect? Pray for the errant “big boss,” instead. And teach your congregation Christ’s Truth. Keep your big mouth shut about the Pope. Popes are not in power forever. Christ, our Church’s true head and Founder, is forever our High King, in Heaven. Tiny mice don’t tease a great big lion, and pull his tail. If they do– they will end up very quickly, right in the lion’s jaws.
He was probably encouraged by Peter Kwasniewski’s explicit and prolific writings attempting to undermine papal authority because Kwasniewski doesn’t want any liturgical changes after the 1950s to hold and he thinks the Novus Ordo Mass is illegitimate and corrupt.
No, it had nothing to do with Dr. Kwasnewski, a brilliant, highly-educated Catholic layman, with his own unique views– or any other mere Catholic layman. It had to do with the priest himself, upset terribly, for very obvious reasons, in his profession. Unlike a mere Catholic layman– this priest made serious vows of obedience to his Bishop, at ordination– and must have obedience to the Pope, as a priest. And the Pope is the “big boss,” for both the priest and his bishop.
“unique” views? Schismatic views.
Dr.Kwasnewski is a brilliant, highly-educated, orthodox Catholic layman. His views are shared by a huge number of faithful, devout Catholics. No, none of them are “schismatic.” They are all faithful to Christ. Pope Benedict shares many of their views, but he has his own views. And our current Pope has his own views, too. None are “schismatic.” Dr. Kwasnewski is of a younger generation of outstanding, faithful, orthodox, lay Catholic leaders. A pair of outstanding, top Catholic lay philosophers whom I really admired, were Dr. Dietrich von Hildebrand, of Germany, and his wife, Alice, of Belgium. Both fled Hitler and immigrated to America. Dr. von Hildebrand was called the “20th Century Doctor of the Church,” by Pope Pius XII. The Franciscan University of Steubenville promotes the works and legacy of Dr. Dietrich von Hildebrand, through the Hildebrand Project.
Kwasniewski has espoused resistance to efforts to phase-out the TLM. He’s advocated disobeying legitimate Church authority over the liturgy, attempting to argue that if the pope suppresses his beloved TLM, he doesn’t have to obey the pope.
Kwasniewski is a Protestant. He’s a TLM Protestant. He thinks he gets to decide what is Catholic and what isn’t. It doesn’t work that way. He thinks he’s his own magisterium. He’s not.
Pope Benedict has his own views, many of them totally different fron the current Pope. The current pope totally upended the fine works of his two predecessors. But Pope Benedict would never say that he is “anti-Pope Francis,” for example. Neither would Pope St. John Paul II, if he were alive. Much too childish! Instead, simply state your own personal views. You are not a great, world-renowned leader in Dr. Peter Kwasniewski’s field, and have no qualifications to possibly evaluate and “judge” his outstanding work and contributions. Want to take one of Dr. Kwasniewski’s college classes, and apply for a Master’s or Ph.D. in a Catholic university Philisophy or Theology program?? Want to prepare for, and hope to pass, a vocal audition to be accepted into one of his fine choirs? Dr. Kwasniewski deserves your respect! And beyond that– you are entitled to your own personal beliefs.
I already have those degrees. I am well qualified to judge that Kwasniewski is not in communion with the Church in matters of liturgy and doctrine concerning papal authority.
Pope Francis was completely within his authority to undo Summorum Pontificum. SP wasn’t working; it was hurting the church because trads like Kwasniewski were using the TLM as enclaves or bubbles to foment anti-Vatican II sentiments.
Kwasniewski needs to accept the Novus Ordo Mass as the Roman Rite’s normative liturgical expression and accept the phase-out of the TLM, or else he’s not thinking with the Church regarding liturgical reform.
Mark my words, Kwasniewski will secede to the SSPX rather than accept the legitimate authority of the pope if the pope says or does something he disagrees with. He’s not Catholic, he’s Kwasniewskian.
Think about that.
Dr Kwasniewski is a great and well-respected professor in his field of Philosophy and Theology, as well as Music. He has written more than twenty books, and composed over a thousand works of music. When you do your Ph.D., maybe you can do your doctoral dissertation on “Why I disagree with Dr. Peter Kwasniewki” on this or that philosophical or theological point. BTW– which Catholic university do you teach at? Do you hold the Teaching Mandatum from your local Bishop?
Professors in the field of Philisophy and Theology all develop their own particular viewpoint, which is brought out in their doctoral dissertation, and beyond. Their doctoral dissertations often end up as a published book, sold in bookstores. There is room for every particular viewpoint, and each one has something fascinating to offer. Pope St. John Paul II’s viewpoint, and Pope Benedict’s viewpoint, were each very different, for example.
Pope Benedict’s great Sunmorum Pontificum worked just beautifully, bringing tremendous good to our Church– as many great prelates stated — including ours. Pope Benedict is a fine scholar, but the current pope is not. Dr. Kwasniewki is likewise a fine scholar. He signed a letter, along with many other Catholic scholars, in support of the Dubia of the four Cardinals. 1He has signed many other documents, together with many prominent Catholic scholars, correctly calling out the Pope on matters like Amoris Laetitia, the Pachamama incident, and many other papal faux pas. We have several fully Church-approved groups of priests in our Church, who, like the world-renowned scholar, Dr. Kwasniewski, are devoted to the old Latin Tridentine Mass– the FSSP, ICKSP, etc. There is room in our Church for different types of Masses. Anyone with advanced degrees in Philosophy and Theology should have great respect for our Church’s great history, and fine liturgical heritage– especially the great Tridentine Mass.
In my comment of July 10, at 9:28pm, I made an error. I meant to say that Dr. Kwasniewski has about 150 musical compositions, and over 1,000 published articles.
In my comment of July 11, at 6am, I correctly placed quotation marks around titles of documents, like “Summorum Pontificum,” “Dubia,” and “Amoris Laetitia.” Unfortunately, the editors removed all of my quotation marks.
I am wary of some authors who are priests as well.
In general, any time somebody publishes a lot of books, I always wonder why.
We learned a lot with Father Corapi.
Be careful about numbers of books of great authors! Fr. Corapi was a degenerate scoundrel. Pope Benedict has written 66 books, 50 German titles, 3 encyclicals, and 3 exhortations. Pope St. John Paul II wrote numerous books, plays, and poetry, plus papal encyclicals, apostolic exhortations, letters, and constitutions, apostolic letters– etc. Ven. Abp. Fulton J. Sheen was a prolific author, too!
No the good priest is simply telling the truth and being a Roman Catholic priest.
Only great, big, huge Cardinals in the Vatican– as well as Abp. Vigano– can get away with criticizing the Pope. And they are careful– such as, the case of the four cardinals who wrote the Dubia (which the Pope never replied to). But Abp. Vigano is not careful– yet, so far, I don’t think he has been threatened by the Pope, with the loss of his vocation. Any priest must be very careful, about criticizing his Bishop or the Pope. And bishops also must be careful.
This priest would have been so much better off without the Internet in his life.
From the very beginning of the Papacy of Pope Francis, I was miserable. Bad choice. I often was telling the priest in Confession, how badly I felt about this Pope. How I even wished at times, to leave the Catholic Church– but there is no other Church to go to. I felt like this Pope was running me out of my own Church, founded not by him, but by Christ. A hijacking of our Church, by wrongful, anti-Catholic liberalism and heresy, near-apostasy. Well, it helped ease my soul, to talk about the Pope, in Confession. I only go in “the Box,” traditional-style, for this Sacrament– it helps retain the proper Sacramental character. Well, no matter which priest heard my Confession, even at different churches — he was always a comfort to me, because all of the priests said, that they had the same problem— and agonized over it. And they also would say, that they read books by Cardinal Sarah, and other faithful, orthodox Catholic prelates, sought to follow Christ more deeply– and prayed for the Pope. “This, too, shall pass.” We’ll get through it. Christ is much higher than all of this! I became totally firm, in my conviction to remain in the Catholic Church. My final end (and I don’t have too many years left) — is all between Christ and me. Can’t change the world. What will I do– for my soul?
You never know what the devil will use to tempt you. I am glad that the priests were able to help you.
They can help you, too. The poor Ivory Coast priest badly needed help from a wise, trusted confidante, on how to deal with his feelings of frustration.Those letters should all have been torn up and burned, right after being written– for his own good! What will this poor, ex-Opus Dei, suspended priest do, when this papacy is long gone– and forgotten? A martyrdom by the Pope, and Opus Dei– all for nothing!
Maybe he thought he was being a prophet. It didn’t profit him. I guess he was both unprophetable and unprofitable.
Father, please flee to the S.S.P.X. or the F.S.S.P. and Institute of Christ the King they will welcome you with open arms. Opus Dei is just another Novus Ordo outfit pretending to be traditional its not!
If you are getting stressed out from things you read about the Pope on the Internet, please do a prayer like the secret of Sanctity or the prayer of silence as described in Cardinal Sarah’s book.
When you get upset and stressed, parts of your brain shut down. Try to remember “Count it all joy.”
James 1:2-3 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Unless you’re rich or have wealthy backers and are willing to go into hiding like Archbishop Vigano and Bishop Schneider, best not to criticize the pope publicly.
But this priest showed more courage than either Vigano or Schneider have shown. They’re hiding because they know what the consequences will be if they show their mugs around the Vatican.
Abp. Vigano wrote a very fine letter in support of this priest. I read it on LifeSiteNews and in other places.
There’s more to this story. This priest has been tweeting disrespectful, insubordinate things about the Holy Father. He’s not being persecuted. He’s getting his just desserts.