The following comes unedited from July 24 and July 28 postings on the Sacramento diocese website.
Wed., July 24
Globalization and the technological innovations driving it raise many moral questions and pastoral challenges. This was
experienced before. The invention of the printing press centuries ago pushed the Church into the difficult period of the Reformation. It is hard to imagine the Reformation without the extraordinary technological advance of the printing press. Today, religion, politics, business, and even sex are being redefined by the binomial brilliance of the byte. The disciples of Jesus may be, should be, uneasy as we move from parables given on the seashore to papal messages sent by twitter. (By the way, the staff pushed me on twitter. You can check it out on https://twitter.com/bishopsoto.)
Still, there are opportunities for those who grasp the beautiful of the divine innovation we call the Incarnation. Jesus took on our humanity to save us. The Church struggles in every age to draw humanity and all the best endeavors of humanity into the saving mystery of Jesus. We can too easily despair of this happening. Pope Francis has reminded us today at the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, “Christians cannot be pessimists!” Every now and again, there comes a good reason not to do so.
So, I was celebrating Mass today in Rio de Janeiro. After the closing doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer in Portuguese, “Through Him and with Him ….”, I smiled as the choir sang A-AA-men, A-AA-men, A-A-men, Amen, Amen. For those who cannot figure out my clumsy onomatopoeia, think back to the old film, The Lilies of the Field, with Sydney Poitier, 1963. Sydney Poitier, gets the nuns in a small convent to sing an old Black Spiritual. This old hymn has found its way into many Catholic liturgies as the Great Amen to the Eucharistic Prayer. I regularly would hear it in jail while celebrating Mass. The inmates wanted to sing it just like Sydney Poitier did in the movie. Well, here I was listening to an old African-American Spiritual sung at a Portuguese Mass in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Was a 50 year old movie still influencing liturgical music or was Catholic tradition doing what it always does in storing the treasure trove of humanity’s goodness for the greater glory of God?
On another note, this evening, most of the Sacramento delegation and I joined the youth pilgrims from the United States and their bishops in a beautiful holy hour of Eucharistic adoration. There was about 3 thousand, I figure, of the approximately 9 thousand American youth in attendance. In the song and the silence the young congregation was able to savor the wondrous mystery of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was a good way to end another day of WYD 2013.
Sunday, July 28
It is 4 p.m. on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro. The music from the main stage of World Youth Day, 2013 has just finished with one last version of the theme song, “Cristo nos convida: “Vehham, meus amigos!” Cristo nos envia: “Sejam missionários!” (Christ invites us: “Come, my friends.” Christ sends us: “Be missionaries!”) The long shadows of the late sunny afternoon are extending over Copacabana Beach. There are still a good number of young pilgrims enjoying the surf and sand of Rio. Enough so that the coast guard is still patrolling on jet skis for those who fall unsuspectedly under the powerful pull of the waves. Most have found their way back to their homes or hotels. Certainly, the airports are already congested with travelers making their way back to all the many places on the globe from which they came.
The report was that three million young people and families! came for the closing Mass. I attended both the vigil yesterday evening and the Mass this morning. Both events bring to a culmination the “Jornada” of the youth. “Jornada” means day or journey, an interesting overlap of meaning. Whether Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or French — a version of this word “jornada” is used. So, it was a dramatic conclusion to a surprising jornada…
To read the original postings, click here.
WYD, I would never let my children go to this jamboree.
Why should we listen to Soto who has functions the feature pro-abortion, pro-sodomite public figures just like he did when he was here in Orange County.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Today, religion, politics, business, and even sex are being redefined by the binomial brilliance of the byte.
Sex being ‘re-defined’? Really? How so? I am curious?
It has a lot of peer pressure to it.
Abortion, and contraception just to name a couple. Remember that prior to the mid-70s abortion was illegal in the USA.
“This old hymn has found its way into many Catholic liturgies as the Great Amen to the Eucharistic Prayer. Was a 50 year old movie still influencing liturgical music or was Catholic tradition doing what it always does in storing the treasure trove of humanity’s goodness for the greater glory of God?”
Bishop Soto, I’d suggest a few things…the reason for the use of this response to begin with is because of the nonsense the “spirit” of Vatican II created and the laity has to suffer through today. A 50 year old movie isn’t the influence, it’s the lack of reverence so apparent in many of the churches today.
Instead of flying off to Brazil (it’s amazing how rich dioceses and the USCCB are!), why have you not apologized for the machinations within your own diocese? Unless Assemblyman Perez’ convening of the assembly in the cathedral is normal (and your greeting of Toni Adkins), St. Francis Parish’s gay programs are a normal event, your kotowing to Muslims by not allowing the Robert Spence to speak, then it seems you don’t mind the scandal you have caused.
Thank you for a very uplifting article. The Pope made very good comments about gay priests. However, his “Who am I to judge?” comment will cause a lot of anger with Catholics that hate gay people.
You are right about that, it seems the Pope is giving a wink and a nod to more sodomite priests… I think its time for me to go to the SSPX exclusively… tired of this non-judgmental nonsense… mean while faithful Catholics are kicked in the teeth….and you are right I despise gays and everything you people have done to this culture and the Church… of course you seen nothing wrong with this
The weakness of what the Pope said, PA, is that he is contradicting himself, like it or not. He recently called for help getting rid of the problem with gay curia members; and now he is caving in by letting the whole issue go. The only possible reason is intimidation, not holiness. Now, ask yourself what level of intimidation is underway to make a pope back off? What relationship might this have with the questionable death of Pope John Paul I (One, not Two)? Way I read the Pope, PA, is that he finds himself drowning in intimidation and corruption, and managed to publicly send out a call for help. What do you gays think about that, PA?
Hate the sin, love the sinner. Pope Francis left out the first part, but he and the Catholic Church still hates, and will always hate, homosexual acts.
Righteous wrath or hate without action is a sin.
AMEN TO THAT SKAI! Totally what the church teaches…
The Pope also said that homosexual acts are sinful!!! The media is conveniently leaving this FACT out!
Thank you RR……I hate how the pro-gay rights crowd is having a feast over what this Pope is saying. We need to pray for our Pope because his comments can be used to twist the truth and what our church is really here for. This gay mafia is having a free for all…they are like mad dogs fighting over the last piece of meat and they are violent.
I try not not to read negative stuff from our Pope that give out the tone that it he undermines church and teachings…it will cause scandal on my soul…but these wicked gay activists are watching and magnifying what they can to DE-sensitize sin.
They try to give out the impression that the church is changing….Thy hate our Lord so much that they would give that impression that our Lord changes and contradicts His own holy word. This is disgusting and truly evil in my book! I get a warning signal in my brain and something tells me to flee….I don’t want to sin so I do.
While It is true he did not exactly say what the press says he said. It is also true that he should be more circumspect in what he says to the anti-Catholic Press. This is causing great scandal amongst many of the faithful and he will have to answer for it.
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Abeca: I think that the Pope should come out and make a statement correcting the media on what he actually said. The media and the gay mafia are running with this and confusing weak and lukewarm Catholics and it is causing scandal. Only solid Catholics who understand Church teaching understood the meaning of what he actually said. I don’t think the Pope said anything that is contrary to Church teaching, but he said it in a way that the media and the gay agenda could twist it to look like the Pope is accepting of homosexual sex acts. I knew PA and friends would be right here twisting what the Pope actually said. He was true to form.
Mr Fisher and RR yes I agree with what you both said. This is very sad to me…we shall continue to pray for this Pope.
PA “hate gay people”….we have gone over this before mister…knock that off….geeze…you sure hate…..
Pope Francis asks the youth to be missionaries and then oks the gay agenda. What are the youth supposed to preach and teach? Looks like this is one more pope who is frightened to do what he has requested bishops and laity to do. He furthered Pope Emeritus’ request that bishops become holy by asking them to practice what they preach, so as to avoid hypocrisy. And then he asks the world to help solve the problem of gay bishops in the curia. Now he says homosexual activity is ok, as long as it is confessed and forgotten. And of course to focus not on holiness of the Word of God but merely on helping the poor. Oh well, he’ll grow old and die, and then we’ll have a new pope who hopefully can muster the chutzpah to step up to holiness instead of simply talk it up.
Skai, there are so many errors in your post that it is hard to know where to begin. Let me cut right to the middle of your post, which seems to be its core: You say, “Now [Francis] says homosexual activity is OK.” Where did he say that? If he didn’t say that, and indeed he did NOT say that, then your whole post falls apart.
Also, as I have pointed out before, he NEVER anywhere “asked the world to help solve the problem of gay bishops in the curia.” You made that up entirely out of your mind. And once again, without a basis in the truth about what Francis actually says and stands for, the rest of your conclusions fall without even having to address how illogical they are.
You’re right the Pope didn’t say it but what he said about gays could lead Catholics to more confusion. What were the results after Dolan met with the President.
Joe: Skai is obviously confused. I guess that proves your point!
Francis and again this proves that you are in bad will…..
Joe you are correct on what you just said….the confused ones are the pro-gay activists here….
He said it.
I agree with your comments – Also, don’t forget the price tag for this event in the excess of 159 Million Dollars – It’s madding what this amount of money could do for the sick and homeless people – Also, it’s very upsetting to me that all these Bishops found it necessary to travel to Brazil and spend thousands of dollars of our hard earned money that was meant to help the poor – This whole agenda is frighting with no end in sight –
159Million?! Maybe he backed off his warning about the gay curia so as to allow the funding to proceed.
Wow. Do you even think about what you post before you press that “post comment” button?
Scandalous and uncharitable comments from you are rife on a Catholic site such as this… Look at the plank in your eye before you post further inanane comments such as this… Oh, for a real site admin….
Where does the cost estimate of $159 million come from?
Eric, the London Telegraph is reporting the cost of the papal visit at thirty five million pounds. Not $135 million.
So at 35 million pounds, that would make for ten pounds per person who attended the largest event, the mass on copacabana beach. All the rest of us who went to his other events, saw him on the street, watched him on TV or the internet got to ride along for free.
Is a once-in-a lifetime encounter with Chrit’s Vicar worth ten pounds? I’d think so. My ticket to see the San Francisco Giants last week, wayway up in the nosebleed section, cost more than twice that. A movie a popcorn and soda costs that much. Parking for an afternoon in a major city can cost that much.
Besides that, this was a 35 million pound injection right into the economy of one of the poorest countries on earth. If half of it came from donors in the US and Europe, maybe it was a good charitable benefit, even before getting to the spiritual benefits of the visit.
The Pope did not say anything which contradicted Church teaching (in the 20+ year old) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”.
See CCC: #2357, 2358, 2359, & 2396.
The secular press has no clue what the Church teaches, because they do not know they should use the CCC as a reference to check teachings out.
Pope Francis NEVER said – – ‘homosexual acts’ or ‘homosexual activity’ – – is ever permitted or OK.
Please do NOT misquote Pope Francis.
In addition, the question about “gays” was with reporters, not speaking to the youth.
In answer to reporter’s questions about ‘women Priests’, Pope Francis said that would not be possible.
This is also in conformance with Church teaching (and included in the CCC).
Yes, OSCAR dude, Pope Francis said what he said and the obvious play on it is gay. If you cannot see that, then you need to take a refresher course on common sense.
Oscar is correct. I had the chance to see the entire statement of Pope Francis, not just the sound bites of the secular media.
Pope Francis did NOT say anything that was not in full accord with the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”.
The secular media seems to think this is something new by this Pope.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict also encouraged us to study the CCC at home.
Anne you may say that but if his message was clear, then why are we having so much confusion caused by it? I guess like I said before, the media and gay activists are having a free for all day…feasting on misleading the crowds.
Our Pope needs our prayers….the gay mob is truly a dangerous one…one that is trying to deceive and use what our Pope said to their advantage by twisting….how many Catholics will be confused or mislead…many more I’m sad to say…so the lay faithful need to come to the rescue by exposing their tactics and defending the intentions of our Pope….
On the news reports that the Pope is ok’ing the gay agenda, I have found one counter spin, rather one attempted counter spin, by a priest, but fails. They are simply afraid to go up against the gay agenda. It seems incredible.
Yes, SKAI, the secular media got it wrong AGAIN.
Pope Francis is saying nothing new about gays that is not already in the CCC.
Unfortunately due to the lack of promotion to read the CCC by Bishops, Priests and the rest of us, many do not know what the CCC states.
Temptation/SSA (same-sex attraction) is not a sin.
Acts are sinful.
Skai you are right, what the Pope said and if that is what he said could have brought more confusion….so I will offer prayers for this Pope to be more humble and realize that his words are being watched, so he can be more clear and not come off as lukewarm. So lets keep him in our prayers, I wish I could meet him and discuss with him my concerns. I really wish I could but since it may take a miracle for that to happen, I will have to count on our heavenly Mum Mary and Jesus to inspire our Pope and for them to deliver my message of concerns. We must believe and trust. There is nothing I can do but that. Maybe write him as well… we will see.
God bless you Skai…you are a good soul…Christ be with you always!
This is just a minor historical corrective. The “Amen” mentioned in the article, and indeed made famous in the Poiter classic, LILLIES OF THE FIELD, is however not an “old spiritual” anonymously handed from bygone generations. It’s author and composer was the late, great Jester Hairston, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at a church near St. Mary’s in Taft, CA. not too many decades ago. It’s global spread was due, not just from the film, but by a sort of universal archtypealogy not dissimilar to the spread of “Silent Night” throughout Christendom. Little factoid.
The Holy Father did not endorse homosexual orgies or anything of the sort. He merely gave the kind of response Jesus did when encountering the woman caught in adultery: “then neither do I judge you.”
Pope Francis also made it clear he approaches gay and straight people in the same way, expecting, it seems to me, honesty, a desire for holiness, and good will on their part.
Like Crd. Dolan, he omits saying, as Christ said, “Go, and sin no more”.
It makes one look and feel so magnaimous to forgive someone, and it is what we are commanded to do, but by not issuing a rejoinder that it is not something that the trespasser can do with impunity, your good intention is undermined. It is what we are called to do when we chastise our children…forgive them but reinforce that teaching moment or we will not see a change in behavior. I think there’s a real danger in having people pleasers that love being adored and fear rejection in places of authority, to be honest. They only want to be loved, but let’s face it, without the ability to say no to evil they are condoning it.
PS. I should be more specific and qualify that. I do not mean Pope Francis! Naturally, he is all about love and forgiveness and is living testimony to what the Church should be in the world. I suppose, like Skai, I feel the bishops should be the teachers and the shepherds and I was emphatically speaking of the shepherds. As Peter said…”Therefore I exhort the elders among you as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion but voluntarily according to the will of God, and not for sorted gain but with eagerness. Nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
Sam, you absurd error is this, that the only point in the parable is the forgiveness of the woman caught in adultery; however, the Lord judged the men who were preparing to stone her for it. The gays are in the same category as those men, and not in the category of the woman caught in adultery. You gays are shameless, remorsely and self righteous … you are the pharisees of our era, and pride yourselves on how stiff your necks are.
Skai, you’re calling ME gay?
And here I thought it was you who was gay, with all your nonsense! :-(
Sam if you thought Skai was gay…that shows how ill you discern….you are suffering with that and how can anyone trust what you say since you can not judge well……
Sam here is another one to prove how much in err your thinking is:
Saint Bernardine of Siena, a preacher of the fifteenth century, makes an accurate psychological analysis of the consequences of the homosexual vice. The illustrious Franciscan writes: “No sin has greater power over the soul than the one of cursed sodomy, which was always detested by all those who lived according to God. . . . Such passion for undue forms borders on madness. This vice disturbs the intellect, breaks an elevated and generous state of soul, drags great thoughts to petty ones, makes [men] pusillanimous and irascible, obstinate and hardened, servilely soft and incapable of anything. Furthermore, the will, being agitated by the insatiable drive for pleasure, no longer follows reason, but furor. . . . Someone who lived practicing the vice of sodomy will suffer more pains in Hell than anyone else, because this is the worst sin that there is.”
I have read this from reliable Catholic facts:
Up until Vatican Council II, the language of ecclesiastical documents was habitually clear and accessible, continuing the line of coherence of the Magisterium through the centuries. The body of doctrine thus being built constituted a supremely true, good and beautiful ensemble, a worthy reflection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom.
After Vatican II, however, ecclesiastical language often forsook such characteristics. Now more, now less, we find in it the presence of two opposing currents of thought: the traditional doctrine of the Church and progressivism. For this reason, often a text can lend itself to different and even contradictory interpretations—a lamentable but obvious fact to someone who has any experience reading post-conciliar documents.
I can see why more and more people detest the modern views that almost seem as if they are contradicting actual church teachings on homosexuality and I can now understand why some are concerned about how the CCC actually goes about it as well, here is a quote I found from a book that explained it even better and this is why we need to pray for our church leadership all the more for their falling for many deceptions:
On October 1, 1986, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published its second document on the subject. It was called Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, signed by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and approved by Pope John Paul II. The document was prepared with the intention of repressing abuses taking place in debates about homosexuality, even in Catholic ambiences, as well as correcting “an overly benign interpretation” to “the homosexual condition itself ” which some had given to the prior document of the Holy See on homosexuality (n. 3).
To this end, Cardinal Ratzinger distinguishes between homosexual tendency and behavior: “Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder” (n. 3). Cardinal Ratzinger says that the act is intrinsically evil and that the inclination is objectively disordered without being a sin properly speaking. This is in accordance with Catholic doctrine. The Cardinal also states: “Homosexual activity is not a complementary union, able to transmit life; and so it thwarts the call to a life of that form of self-giving which the Gospel says is the essence of Christian living. This does not mean that homosexual persons are not often generous and giving of themselves; but when they engage in homosexual activity they confirm within themselves a disordered sexual inclination which is essentially self-indulgent” (n. 7). Thus, on affirming certain current principles of moral teaching, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith begins to praise homosexuals: They are often generous and giving of themselves. This makes it appear as if he were seeking legitimacy for them.
This hypothesis is more strongly confirmed in the text below, in which he writes: “It is deplorable that homosexual persons have been and are the object of violent malice in speech or in action. Such treatment deserves condemnation from the Church’s pastors wherever it occurs. It reveals a kind of disregard for others which endangers the most fundamental principles of a healthy society. The intrinsic dignity of each person must always be respected in word, in action and in law” (n. 10).
Everybody who crosses him gets called gay.
Hey, when you’re right, you’re right . . .
Sam not really and I will tell you why. Because you can not compare sodomy to the sins of woman caught in adultery! NOT AT ALL! This is heretical to think the least or to try to confuse the two or to assume. If that was so our Lord would have given some parable to that but not at all. He has already spoken about how serious homosexual acts are. But far more dangerous is the gay agenda that is pushed, they are no innocent woman caught in adultery, no they are violent and angry folks who want to force acceptance and will crucify anyone standing in their way. So this is the truth and can not be misunderstood! An innocent woman caught in adultery will not push her agenda and provoke others to commit adultery as she did…she has not agenda but only her only own passions for one person or who knows…The good Lord knows and that is why he was merciful to these women but today’s pro-gay mob is no innocent at all.
Sodomy has always been taught as a very serious sin, higher so that it cries to the heavens for vengeance, so your assumption confuses the truth and can be misleading. So please re-think and put the puzzle together so the truth will shine more brightly in your heart and of others.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, writing about sins against nature, explains: “However, they are called passions of ignominy because they are not worthy of being named, according to that passage in Ephesians (5:12): ‘For the things that are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of.’ For if the sins of the flesh are commonly censurable because they lead man to that which is bestial in him, much more so is the sin against nature, by which man debases himself lower than even his animal nature.”
What our Pope should be reminded of :
Saint Catherine of Siena, a religious mystic of the 14th century, relays words of Our Lord Jesus Christ about the vice against nature, which contaminated part of the clergy in her time. Referring to sacred ministers, He says: “They not only fail from resisting this frailty [of fallen human nature] . . . but do even worse as they commit the cursed sin against nature. Like the blind and stupid, having dimmed the light of their understanding, they do not recognize the disease and misery in which they find themselves. For this not only causes Me nausea, but displeases even the demons themselves, whom these miserable creatures have chosen as their lords. For Me, this sin against nature is so abominable that, for it alone, five cities were submersed, by virtue of the judgment of My Divine Justice, which could no longer bear them. . . . It is disagreeable to the demons, not because evil displeases them and they find pleasure in good, but because their nature is angelic and thus is repulsed upon seeing such an enormous sin being committed. It is true that it is the demon who hits the sinner with the poisoned arrow of lust, but when a man carries out such a sinful act, the demon leaves.”
Skai also gave a good answer because our Lord was speaking of the men in the crowd who were throwing the stones….Skai excellent comments….I enjoyed that one….good common sense there …God bless you!
If Bishop Soto (and other Bishops) want to counteract the immoral culture,
why are they not actively and publically promoting the reading of the “Bible” and “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” at home so that people will KNOW their Faith?
Or are they depending upon the secular media and “Catholic” politicians to teach all of us the Faith ?
People can not teach what they do not know.
DOTTIE,
WELL PUT!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
DOTTIE AMEN TO THAT! I TOTALLY AGREE….the media is not Catholic…they will magnify only what they want to appear to their way…
Which US Bishops joined the “Prancing Prelates” at World Youth Day?
Those old men who were dancing with the under 21 crowd looked silly and certainly undignified.
It was embarrassing to see our Church leaders bouncing, shaking and twirling around on world-wide TV and the internet.
Although the singing was not done in English – the dancing done by the Bishops resembled the ‘Hokey Pokey’.
Not good.
The bishops seem to know plenty about “hokey pokey”.
Church leadership is making itself and the Church look like complete loonies to non-Catholics who have not been informed of Catholic historical goodness. The Church is functioning without competent leadership, and it keeps getting worse. They keep celebrating youth, but forget that they were once part of youth and look what happened to them. It is not youth who will save the Church, but they turn youth into an idol and dance before it. The youth is to the bishops as the Golden Calf was to the idolaters in the story of Moses. The youth is the bishops’ golden calf because that is the future of money and prestige for the episcopacy. The popes have called for holiness but then back off the effort in their own lives.
That nonsense gives me more reason to leave for the SSPX or the Eastern Rite….
I didn’t know that there was hokey pokey stuff…wow…I use to think that World youth day was suppose to encourage our youth in our faith…I didn’t know it was as bad as people here make it seem….I was hoping to send my kids someday before they grow older …..I don’t know what to think…I don’t want to be rigid in my thinking because I really want to help our kids grow in their faith but if it’s gonna cause them to lose it…I just don’t know anymore….such a sad time..I grew up in the NO mass and I am stronger in my faith now more than ever, of course I thank Jesus for my gran-mum’s love, witness and prayers for us…I tried getting my older child to grow more in her faith in a Latin Parish but she seemed to have rebelled over it more ….
We need to keep our youth in our prayers and reach them at their level but never compromise the importance of what makes our faith beautiful either!
During WYD Week, the Church of Our Lady of Carmel, Ancient Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, was the home for young Extraordinary Form pilgrims. There were catechesis sessions by Msgr. Fernando Rifan, bishop of the Apostolic Administration St. John Vianney, and the Holy Latin Mass at different times, sung by Brazilian and international choirs. There are some great pic up from these events on Facebook, I think you can type in this after the .com part of Facebook:
/media/set/?set=oa.653596401336773&type=1
Hope
Canisius you stay true and faithful, if some of the leadership goes bad, then let God deal with them but you stay faithful and loyal….
Abeca there is only so many blows to the soul that I can take…unfortunately the corruption is not some but most of the hierarchy has proven either to be corrupt or will ignore it. We have Church that is almost completely feminized there are no men left to lead and protect it. I feel there only so much I can take
Oh yes, follow the SSPX with its neo Nazi Archbishop. Oh that’s right, one of four founding bishops had to be thrown out for being neoNazi. Oops.
Paula,
Thank God not all of them were participating. If you looked closely, some had looks of disgust on their faces. Those are the ones we can possibly follow, forget the others.
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Canisius,
I know how you feel, but SHE wants you to stay with Her Son. She has told us to stay with Tradition!
If even a Pope goes against Tradition, we do not have to follow. Many Saints have told us that, including Saint Popes!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
YFC, you sound envious of the neo nazis … Is there something you’d like to tell us?
The Sacraments are valid in SSPX churches. The Sacraments in the Orthodox churches are also valid. When popes or other bishops say things that make no sense, then by default they give up the authority of their words.
“Hope”
Yes Canisius,.. always! Jesus I Trust in You!
The Gospel according to St. Matthew Chapter 14 Douay Rheims Catholic Bible
[21] And the number of them that did eat, was five thousand men, besides women and children. [22] And forthwith Jesus obliged his disciples to go up into the boat, and to go before him over the water, till he dismissed the people. [23] And having dismissed the multitude, he went into a mountain alone to pray. And when it was evening, he was there alone. [24] But the boat in the midst of the sea was tossed with the waves: for the wind was contrary. [25] And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking upon the sea.
[26] And they seeing him walk upon the sea, were troubled, saying: It is an apparition. And they cried out for fear. [27] And immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying: Be of good heart: it is I, fear ye not. [28] And Peter making answer, said: Lord, if it be thou, bid me come to thee upon the waters. [29] And he said: Come. And Peter going down out of the boat, walked upon the water to come to Jesus. [30] But seeing the wind strong, he was afraid: and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying: Lord, save me.
[31] And immediately Jesus stretching forth his hand took hold of him, and said to him: O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? [32] And when they were come up into the boat, the wind ceased. [33] And they that were in the boat came and adored him, saying: Indeed thou art the Son of God. [34] And having passed the water, they came into the country of Genesar. [35] And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent into all that country, and brought to him all that were diseased.
[36] And they besought him that they might touch but the hem of his garment. And as many as touched, were made whole.
To be honest Catherine, I really, really want to see His wrath because it is needed now more than ever, to clean up the mess. Its obvious the Bishops are complicit, personally I would love to take Chancery Offices and use force to clean out the corruption… I will admit my Faith is being very tested right now…..don’t know how this ends
Canisius it’s human to feel what you feel and you have noble ways too but don’t let pride dictate your feelings….pride destroys. I know it’s difficult to trust because of what you went through but trust in the teachings of the church that God wins. Trust in that. I don’t know if you can trust this saying but it sure helps humble me and to trust God more:
The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
As it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His Will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him
Forever and ever in the next.
Amen.
also this prayer from St. Francis:
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
Why should chancery officials and workers not regard your post as a threat of violence, Canisius?
Canisius,
She said “in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph”!
Believe me, many of the faithful are now being sorely tried.
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Enough, Canisius. Just leave, already.
Canisius, you endured and won; gays such as YFC and peter have no concept of the meaning of “endure”, and they are ignorant of the term “win”. When the Divine Wrath hits, what are these pink worms going to do? I think some of the faithful will be in a position to see the belly of the beast explode and countles of these gay worms and maggots spewing out like from the exploding belly of a dead bloated cow, and like what happened to Herod the Jewish king who called for the death of Jesus. Yes, the bishops are among the worst in Church history, but the most they can do anyway is join the faithful in the communion of the saints. But the faithful really do not need the bishops at all, for we have prayer and we have the knowledge of the Saints and we have the Sacraments, whether by actuality or by desire in the case of their absence. The bishops when bad are irrelevant; why worry about them instead of simply ignoring their childishness and obscene lack of faith. If they choose to play gay, boycott them as they boycott our Lord.
Canisius thanks for hanging in there…you don’t want the enemies to be happy if you leave…stay so they can leave instead and you have the rights to freedom of speech….enjoy it before their mafia tries taking that away too.
Canisius, you want to see God’s wrath?
You’ll come to that soon enough, no need to rush.
Sam shame on you…
Sam… you must be apart of the weak non-judgmental crowd that has infected the Church…@Peter,,, make me leave little man,,,go back to phallus worship….YFC I am violent….and its very purifying…especially when used against leftists…CCD print all of this
YFC before you accuse me of anything, you leftist have more blood on your hands than anyone. Because of weak clerics who refuse to preach the Truth of the Gospel how many souls have been and will be lost to the fires of Hell where the violence done to those souls will last for eternity. Catholicism is not a pacifist religion we are called to defend Truth, something you YFC could never understand…..
Canisius, you very much misunderstand the Faith. Please read the Gospel. Why do we have so many martyrs who went peacefully and joyfully to their deaths?
@Anon and there were thousands of other martyrs who died violently defending the Faith at Tours, Lepanto and the Vendee as well, Perhaps you have the misunderstanding of the Faith…..
Canisius, those battles were important. But we are not being called to fight against invaders now. We are called to evangelize like the American martyrs. You were a soldier, were you not? Did you make your own orders or did you obey your superior? I thought the whole point of boot camp was to break the will of the soldier so that he follows orders without hesitation. Are you a soldier for Christ? What orders have you been given?
Jesus extolled the faith of the Centurion, and nowhere in that Gospel account did Jesus tell that veteran officer of the Roman Legions to give up his day job. Jesus gives the faithful peace even in the midst of hellish catastrophe. Jesus is always the same, and did not go through any sensitivity training course between the times He was involved in destroying various social threats to the people He has shepherded, whether attacks from outside His “camp” such as the numerous wars written up in the Old Testament or the traitors He dumped 20 thousand of into a hole that opened up in the ground … mentioned by Him, as I recall, in the Gospel. He also has not removed scourges such as disease or starvation. The Fall and the remedies are in full swing: So what is the Peace of Christ? Could the Peace of Christ be Jesus Christ Himself??? Peace in one’s heart in the midst of pain and suffering and/or including while battling this pain and suffering innovatively could possibly be, maybe, Jesus in one’s life … say through faith or even moreso through unity with God in the Holy Eucharist. Why do the liberals always attempt to manufacture some program or social protocol and slap a sign on it which says “This is true peace”?
Two of Jesus’ apostles asked Him to bring down fire from Heaven on His enemies, but he didn’t. Also, to note, Jesus did not tell them that it was not an option though, or that it should never be done. But the materialists, aka the liberals, want Heaven on earth and they want to rule over it. Often they pretend to succeed, and show us Heaven … their concocted version … by all the modern material products that comfort our lives. The symbol of this for me is padded church pews.
Canisius, in one of the Prophets, one of them is complaining to God that he is the only man of faith left on earth. But God informs him, no, that He has another 8000 true faith prophets dispersed and undetected by His enemies. “Smaller, holier Church” comes to mind here. I think discernment should include an examination of what might happen if a pope goes off the end of the plank.
Skai, spot on smaller but holier is where we are headed, perhaps we will be forced back to the catacombs within 50 years…
Sandro Magister, a well-known, fairly conservative Vatican commentator @ chiesa.com, had previously commented on Francis’ tendency to make off the cuff comments (previously about his comments regarding the Curia and the specificity of naming them as “gay mafia”). News media are going to use this opportunity to press their own agendas. Today (7/30/13 am broadcast) on Natl Public Radio, well-known dissident Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese seized the Pope’s words to assert that this meant that openly [active] homosexual individuals can now be ordained to the priesthood again after the Ratzinger years. Oh my, Bergoglio, where do we go with this now?
Pope Francis has to learn to not make off the cuff remarks to the Media which will twist or print only the words that fit into their pro-gay agenda. He has to be more measured in his responses and not accept interviews that are not pre-planned and will only allow certain questions. Now the headline news of the LA Times is something like “Pope is pro-gay” !!!! Let’s pray for the Pope to be prudent at all times! Regarding the “Bishops Dance” refer to Church Militant.TV for video with the same title. Nothing worse than dancing prelates looking like fools – no dignity here! Our Church needs to stop ACCOMODATING to any thing at the expense of Tradition. Hand me a valium!!!!
Pope Francis has negated his authority.
I’m sure you, Skai, will be happy to take over the See of Saint Peter.
No need right now, Sam, as the sea upon which the Barque of Peter sails is calm. Just wait for the storm, though, and find out what happens with abysmally weak bishops.
Anne Lopez very well said….He needs to be more prudent. You are right and I agree with what you said…you pretty much summed it up!
Bishop Soto does not write well, does not express well, seems to represent a kind of faith vacant episcopacy. The Church has often through Her history attracted intelligent and well educated people, but seems today to have no interest in that. Thus, many such souls are left leaderless and this explains why so many of them are grabbed by the wolves. The shepherds may rival history’s least capable, the worst ever in the Church.
“Bishop Soto does not…express well?”
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!
Were you trying to say that the bishop does not express HIMSELF well?
Sam, I’ve read lots of stuff, plenty enough to see that the writing of this bishop is not done well. Do you credit excellence to bishops simply because they are bishops? Do you know what critical faculties are? Do you worship men who are bishops? Do you believe that a bishop is the second coming of Christ? Or that a pope is God incarnate? Have you reviewed your personal Catholicism to see how it might line up with infallible doctrines? Lastly, why would you be comparing me with Bishop Soto? You need to critically think about doing that, Sam.
When will WYD come to an end? And pray for the Franciscans of The Immaculate that they will have the TLM restored, when it was just robbed from them.
Jesus founded His Church on Peter, and guaranteed not the succession of Peter but guaranteed the Church. For example, if tomorrow the world ended and Christ made the Second Coming, is there any reasonable soul who would believe the Orthodox Church faithful would not make it to Heaven simply on the basis of not recognizing the papacy? Any aghast readers out there think they can pull up the infallible Church teachings that would mitigate this argument? Spare me the emotional diatribes and spare it with the regurgitational garbage’ … if you can come up with the infallible doctrines on this, go for it. PA, just keep you mouth shut otherwise, ok? But if you can blog the infallible doctrine, then go for it.
In other words, the bottom line is whether to depend on the pope for your salvation. Why would you want to do that?