Everybody is a comedian, like NCR is a pope.

The phrase "everyone's a comedian" doesn't mean that everyone is hilarious. It means that everyone thinks they're. Just like the phrase "everybody is a Pope." People may think they can do a better job than Pope Francis. Take for instance NY Post's Maureen Callahan who opines that the Pope's "slam of selfish pet parents proves he never owned a pet.' Or National Catholic Reporter's
Flora Tang who frequently criticizes Pope Francis and  writes that "Pope's comments are about more than pets. They reinforce the church's narrow view on reproduction and marriage." Even Fox New

Pope Francis Appoints New Cardinals

Now to say that the National Catholic Register is unhappy with Pope Francis appointment of new cardinals is an understatement. NCR does not like that Pope Francis did not nominate a cardinal for Kyiv to appease Russia: "Pope Francis has repeatedly refused to elevate Archbishop Shevchuk out of presumed deference to the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow, which would prefer that the Ukrainian Catholic Church did not exist. Not creating Archbishop Shevchuk a cardinal not only undermines protestations of Vatican support for Ukrainian Catholics, but also gives the impression that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow holds a kind of veto over internal Catholic life in the so-called “Russian world." it writes

NCR would have preferred Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles over Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, "characterized by veteran Vatican correspondent John Allen as “one of the staunchest liberals in the U.S. bishops’ conference.” NCR reasons that "passing over Archbishop Gomez — head of the largest archdiocese in the United States — for one of his suffragan bishops is an exquisitely calibrated message. That Bishop McElroy has publicly clashed with Archbishop Gomez over pro-abortion Catholic politicians is not irrelevant to his selection. Archbishop Gomez, a gracious and dignified man, will conduct himself with customary reserve in the face of what many of his brother bishops — off the record — regard as shabby treatment."

Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke, from the newly-created Diocese of Ekwulobia in Nigeria, NCR calls a consolation prize and the process Pope Francis used to select now Cardinal Okpaleke, a failure.

In the same piece, Father Raymond J. de Souza reviews other new cardinals around the globe. He was born in Canada. His parents were born in Kenya and his grandparents were from the former Portuguese colony of Goa. De Souza has a Master of Public Administration in public policy at Queen’s University, and a Masters of Philosophy in development economics at Cambridge. His theological training was at St. Philip's Seminary in Toronto and at the Pontifical North American College, and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. He has been a Senior Fellow of Massey College at the University of Toronto since 2016.

Clearly Pope Francis' new appointments do not conform to De Souza's worldviews and implies he knows better than Pope Francis not only only how to run the Vatican, but also how to evangelize. For context, one of its authors & frequent outspoken critic of Pope Francis is Flora Tang, "a doctoral student in theology and peace studies at the University of  NotreDame. Her research focuses on post-traumatic sacramental theology, Asian American literature and #queertheology."

The implied smear about Pope Francis siding with proabortion clergy is simply that. In his Laudato Si, Pope Francis was very clear: "Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature, is incompatible with the justification of abortion"

Secondly, the Biggest Threat to China & Russia is not the USA or NATO but Christianity in general & Pope Francis specifically. Simple math: There are over 2.6 billion Christians in the world but only 1,4 billion Chinese Earlier this year, Xi told a conference in Beijing, described in official reports as the National Work Meeting on Religious Affairs, that all religions in China needed to embrace the Communist Party, expanding on one of his long-held policies. “(We) must maintain the party’s essential direction on religious work, we must continue our country’s direction for the sinicization of religion, we must continue to take the large numbers of religious believers, and unite them around the party and the government,” Xi said

But it is not surprising. More lies have been aimed at destroying the Roman Catholic Church than any other institution in the world. So much that even most Catholics believe the lies they were taught in high school or have seen on T.V. and social media and sadly the secular media will continue its attacks.  Everybody is a Comedian Like NCR is a Pope!

In an Analysis with a Misleading Title, ETWN's NCR Warms up to Pope Francis

The usually #AntiPopeFrancis #EWTN/#NCR we dubbed part of the #NewPharisees, just published a misleadingly titled piece; Clashing Visions of #VaticanII Define Present-Day Theological Fault Lines. In a previous piece we noted Crux’s Sr Editor John L. Allen Jr. either does not understand the Church or was deliberately misrepresenting here in his article Pope Francis does not understand America. Allen wrote in part: “It’s said of the pope that he doesn’t understand the United States, and that what he does get, he doesn’t especially like. Many of his bishops’ appointments seem deliberately calculated to upset the dominant ethos of the American church, and some of his policy decisions also seem designed to challenge certain aspects of the American Catholic experience.”Allen does not understand that the American Church is a member of the body The Church is not a democracy. The American Church needs to understand its place in the Catholic Church. 1 Corinthians 10:17 says “And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.”

 

Image: Stained glass, depiction Christ appearing to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and showing her His Sacred Heart | St. Francis Xavier Basilica, Vincennes, IN

We also noted that The Catholic Media aka New Pharisees – along with its acolytes, would have persecuted Pope Francis 2000 Years Ago, Along With Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Jesus. They dislike that Pope Francis did not spike the ball when SCOTUS overturned Roe V Wade, as if it was an earthly victory like the Super Bowl. They dislike that Pope Francis offered communion to so-called devout Catholics Joseph Biden & Nancy Pelosi. They love to report on disobedient priests and hail them as heroes. The implied premise is that the Holy Spirt is no longer active in the Vatican


If the Catholic Media is waging a wart on Pope Francis, what can you expect from the seculars? The phrase "everyone's a comedian" doesn't mean that everyone is hilarious. It means that everyone thinks they're. Just like the phrase "everybody is a Pope." People may think they can do a better job than Pope Francis. Take for instance NY Post's Maureen Callahan who opines that the Pope's "slam of selfish pet parents proves he never owned a pet.' Or National Catholic Reporter's Flora Tang who frequently criticizes Pope Francis and writes that "Pope's comments are about more than pets. They reinforce the church's narrow view on reproduction and marriage."


”

And to say that the National Catholic Register is unhappy with Pope Francis appointment of new cardinals is an understatement. NCR does not like that Pope Francis did not nominate a cardinal for Kyiv to appease Russia: "Pope Francis has repeatedly refused to elevate Archbishop Shevchuk out of presumed deference to the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow, which would prefer that the Ukrainian Catholic Church did not exist. Not creating Archbishop Shevchuk a cardinal not only undermines protestations of Vatican support for Ukrainian Catholics, but also gives the impression that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow holds a kind of veto over internal Catholic life in the so-called “Russian world." it writes. NCR would have preferred Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles over Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, "characterized by veteran Vatican correspondent John Allen as “one of the staunchest liberals in the U.S. bishops’ conference.” NCR reasons that "passing over Archbishop Gomez — head of the largest archdiocese in the United States — for one of his suffragan bishops is an exquisitely calibrated message. That Bishop McElroy has publicly clashed with Archbishop Gomez over pro-abortion Catholic politicians is not irrelevant to his selection. Archbishop Gomez, a gracious and dignified man, will conduct himself with customary reserve in the face of what many of his brother bishops — off the record — regard as shabby treatment.

So we were pleasantly surprised that in this new analysis, although it seems designed to promote two books, one by Father Blake Britton, a priest of the Diocese of Orlando, Florida, Reclaiming Vatican II and Shaun Blanchard, a theologian and senior research fellow at the Newman Institute, the Traditionalist Paradigm. In this piece, the author and Father Britton dare criticize the Traditionalists, although they might not have the Catholic Media in mind.

Blanchard's analogy included in this analysis makes my point about the title of the piece: Blanchard is quoted as saying: “The dad in the house is talking about how great last year’s Christmas was, and there are some uncles that don’t agree with that. They’re going to speak up much louder now that dad is speaking that way.” Of course the dad refers to the Holy Father and those who speak up in public are disobedient officials or priests. The Theological Fault Lines then are more like a family discussion as opposed to the implied imminent possibility of an ecclesiastical earthquake;

Father Britton is spot on; " “If Christ is alive, everything is going to be fine. Keep praying, discerning with an open heart, and let’s moved forward in a spirit of hope.

In Defiance of His Critics, Pope Francis Expected to Be In Canada July 24-30

In defiance of his many critics, who object to what he does, or fails to do, Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Canada July 24-30, 2022, some concerned for his health, but most because they want the Holy Father to resign: "Assuming Francis does go, it will mark his first outing since troubles with his right knee forced him to cancel a series of commitments, including a trip to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this month," writes Crux's Inés San Martín, while Fox's By Landon Mion writes: "Media reports have suggested that a number of events in late August, including meetings with the world's cardinals to discuss a new Vatican constitution and a visit to the Italian city of L'Aquila, could signal a resignation in the near future."  And Reuters reported that "Pope Francis has dismissed reports that he plans to resign in the near future, saying he is on track to visit Canada this month and hopes to be able to go to Moscow and Kyiv as soon as possible after that. In an exclusive interview in his Vatican residence, Francis also denied rumors that he had cancer, joking that his doctors "didn't tell me anything about it", and for the first time gave details of the knee condition that has prevented him carrying out some duties

Pope Francis apologizes to Canada's Indigenous Peoples

Pope Francis visit to Canada is a result of invitations from civil and ecclesiastical authorities, as well as the indigenous communities. on Sunday during his Angelus, the Holy Father described his journey to Canada as a penitential pilgrimage, that will hopefully contribute to a process of healing and reconciliation with the country’s indigenous peoples. During the 24-30 July visit, the Pope is expected to make stops in Edmonton, Quebec, and the northern city of Iqaluit. According to a statement from the Holy See Press Office, two nights before Pope Francis's 37th Apostolic Journey abroad, he went as is his custom to the Roman Basilica of Saint Mary Major to entrust his visit to Our Lady.  Ahead of the visit to Canada,  Pope Francis, in recent weeks, has had a series of meetings with several delegations of Canadian indigenous peoples in the Vatican. The Pope met with the delegations of Métis and Inuit on 28 March and with the First Nations delegation on 31 March. He then received all three delegations together, along with representatives of the Canadian Bishops’ Conference (CCCB) on 1 April. Live coverages begins on Monday morning, 10:00AM local time, with a meeting with the country's indigenous populations in Maskwacis.

During The Pope's Angelus of 17 July, he announced that in each of these places, at the heart of the his visit, is the desire to "meet and embrace the indigenous peoples. Unfortunately, in Canada, many Christians, including some members of religious institutes, have contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation that, in the past, have severely harmed indigenous communities in various ways. For this reason, recently, at the Vatican, I received several groups, representatives of Indigenous peoples, to whom I manifested my sorrow and my solidarity for the evil they have suffered,” he said. “Now, I will make a penitential voyage that I hope, with the grace of God, can contribute to the path of healing and reconciliation already undertaken,”  

Pope Francis met  with Métis, Inuit and First Nations delegates the last week of March,  who shared stories of their residential school experiences and the effects that still ripple in their communities. Canadian governments and churches pursued a policy of “cultural genocide” against the country’s indigenous people according to seven years of hearings, and testimony from thousands of witnesses heard by the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Our own reporting shows that Faucci-like progressive policies, corrupt tribal leaders have failed Native Americans and Alaska Natives:  Disregarding the culture and traditions of Aboriginal peoples, children were uprooted from their families to be educated in the West in residential schools appointed and managed by the Canadian government until the end of the nineteenth century 1996, from the Catholic, Anglican and Protestant churches. About 6,000 children have gone missing and their bodies are said to have been found in mass graves. Many of them may have died as a result of abuse and disproportionate punishment.

While the Pope's apology received plenty of ink, in general, it missed the rest of Pope Francis’ message as reported by the Vatican News:  “In his speech, the Pope touched on a number of topics which ranged from the elderly and future generations, to the care of the land, as well as culture and tradition. He also turned his attention to those good and decent believers who, in the name of the faith, and with respect, love and kindness, have enriched your history with the Gospel. …. I think with joy, for example, of the great veneration that many of you have for Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus.”

Father Antonio Hofmeister, archbishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil, who for some years had pastoral work in Canada, in an interview with Vatican Radio – Vatican News spoke about the implications of  Pope’s visit to Canada: "Of course, I think it’s important that all institutions that have been a part of these painful realities of residential schools follow this same path. Reconciliation goes through the recognition of truth, which is the first step. But then it is necessary to apologize and find ways to achieve this reconciliation together. Indigenous peoples’ dialogue with the church, but with Canada’s civil institutions, with society, with everyone.  According to Father Hofmeister the main obstacle might be the Canadian government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has publicly demanded a papal apology. “I’m biased, because I am a priest, but I see that the church is truly working towards reconciliation, while the government isn’t,” he said. “The government’s agenda on many issues, including family and life, is hostile to the church’s.”

Meanwhile Alberta residents are bracing for major disruptions as a result of Pope Francis; visit:  CBC reports: Access to Alberta highways will be restricted during Pope Francis's tour of the province next week and drivers can expect delays as the papal motorcade hits the road. Rolling closures are scheduled for highways across the province between July 24 and July 27 as the pontiff travels through Edmonton, Maskwacis and Lac Ste. Anne. Sections of the Queen Elizabeth II, 2A, 16, 43, 611 and 633 highways will close during his various tour stops. Motorists can expect delays and are being encouraged to consider alternate routes, the province said in a traffic advisory. Within Edmonton, multiple road closures are also expected.

When NYT Says Pope Francis Apologizes to Indigenous People in Canada is it a Hit Piece?

When the Anti-Catholic New York Times (NYT) reported on Pope Francis' apology to Indigenous people in Canada, the obvious visceral reaction was "here we go again.'  People often rewrite history for a number of reasons:  money, power, revenge, jealousy and so on.  Jussie Smollett trial comes to mind. ust earlier in the week, the NYT  published a hit piece on Joe Manchin, but failed to report on Nancy Pelosi, Diane Feinstein or Joe Biden for example.  Among other Anti-Catholic reports, the NYT 's Benedict Carey, praying is useless and may be hazardous to your health.  In an unprecedented gesture, Pope Francis visited the Russian embassy in Rome on Friday February 25, 2022 to express his concern over the war. According to the Associated Press, officials at the Vatican said they knew of no previous initiative by the pope to end a conflict in such a way. However,  Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin characterized the Pope's move as an impressive  empty gesture

Aboriginal leader at the 13th Annual Canadian Aboriginal Festival.:  Commons Wikimedia 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/45265950@N00/309157872

Pope Francis met earlier this week with Métis, Inuit and First Nations delegates, who shared stories of their residential school experiences and the effects that still ripple in their communities. Canadian governments and churches pursued a policy of “cultural genocide” against the country’s indigenous people according to seven years of hearings, and testimony from thousands of witnesses heard by the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  Our own reporting shows that Faucci-like progressive policies, corrupt tribal leaders have failed Native Americans and Alaska Natives

Consider that more lies have been aimed at destroying the Roman Catholic Church than any other institution in the world. So much that even most Catholics believe the lies they were taught in high school or have seen on T.V. and social media.  So, was the secular media reporting on Pope Francis apologizing to Canada's indigenous people another hit piece against the Catholic Church? No, but as usual, the secular media selectively quoted Pope Francis: According to the NYT, "“I feel shame — sorrow and shame — for the role” that Catholics played “in the abuses you suffered and in the lack of respect shown for your identity, your culture and even your spiritual values.”  Francis said." 

Given the NYT's and the secular media's coverage of the  Vatican, Saint Augustine words came to mind:  “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible. But The Vatican News had a similar apology: " On Friday, Pope Francis met with all three indigenous delegations and had this to say: “For the deplorable conduct of those members of the Catholic Church, I ask for God's forgiveness and I want to say to you with all my heart: I am very sorry.  And I join my brothers, the Canadian bishops, in asking your pardon.'." And better yet, the Pope's apology seems to have been welcomed: Métis National Council President Cassidy Caron told reporters “in Pope Francis’s statement today, I see that we were heard. I hear that we were heard,”  This week has truly shown that there is power in our stories and there is power in our truths.” While  Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national organization representing the Inuit in Canada, said the apology was long overdue and that he was touched by how the pope expressed his sorrow.

However, the secular media missed the rest of Pope Francis' message as reported by the Vatican News:  "In his speech, the Pope touched on a number of topics which ranged from the elderly and future generations, to the care of the land, as well as culture and tradition. He also turned his attention to those good and decent believers who, in the name of the faith, and with respect, love and kindness, have enriched your history with the Gospel. .... I think with joy, for example, of the great veneration that many of you have for Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus.”

.

Forget the Liturgy Wars - It's The Media's War On Pope Francis

Image: Stained glass, depiction Christ appearing to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and showing her His Sacred Heart | St. Francis Xavier Basilica, Vincennes, IN

Crux's Sr Editor John L. Allen Jr. Writes that Pope Francis does not understand America.  Allen writes in part: "It’s said of the pope that he doesn’t understand the United States, and that what he does get, he doesn’t especially like. Many of his bishops’ appointments seem deliberately calculated to upset the dominant ethos of the American church, and some of his policy decisions also seem designed to challenge certain aspects of the American Catholic experience." Allen appears to not understand the Church or deliberately misrepresenting her to advance his agenda - The onus is not on the Pope to understand the American Church, but for the American Church to understand its place in the Catholic Church The Church is Catholic. 1 Corinthians 10:17 says "And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body."

The core beliefs of Catholicism are found in the Nicene Creed. The Catholic Church teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church founded by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission, that its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles, and that the pope is the successor to Saint Peter, upon whom primacy was conferred by Jesus Christ. It maintains that it practices the original Christian faith taught by the apostles, preserving the faith infallibly through scripture and sacred tradition as authentically interpreted through the magisterium of the church

Meanwhile, W. Joseph DeReuil opines that "the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last month dealt a significant blow to legalized abortion, a social evil that the U.S. bishops have reaffirmed as recently as 2020 is a “preeminent threat to human life and dignity” in American society. But the response by some Catholic entities, including some Vatican officials, has been relatively muted. They have used the opportunity to highlight gun violence, the death penalty and other social ills rather than stressing the evil of abortion." The Reuil is not alone. Many others, including Carl DeMarco in his piece titled No Comment: Pope Francis Remains Silent On Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision? raised the same question, as I did, initially. The answer to Reuil et al's question is found in the piece Understanding Pope Francis “No Comment” on RvW SCOTUS Decision

ETWN NCRs Larry Chapp takes it even farther. He characterizes Pope Francis Desiderio desideravi as a big Nothing Burger, whereas Will Wright wrote in his easy titled: What You Should Know About Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter on The Liturgy – Desiderio Desideravi writes “Pope Francis begins this beautiful and relatively short reflection on the beauty, goodness, and truth of the Sacred Liturgy by reminding us of the Most Holy Trinity’s love for us and desire for us.” Edward Pentin in his piece Vatican Inconsistencies: A Tale of Two Bishops, which is merely recycled news expresses his discontent with Pope Francis selection of new Cardinals.

These are not just random hit pieces and it's now just about liturgy wars.  More like the media's war on Pope Francis continues. 

Secular Media Ignores Cardinal Ratzinger, Top 20th Century Intellect

Its high time we recognize that more lies have been aimed at destroying the Roman Catholic Church than any other institution in the world. That includes Pope Benedict XVI & Pope Francis. Sadly, even most Catholics believe the lies they were taught in high school or have seen on T.V. and social media. Just this week  Robert Sirico in a Fox News Op-Ed titled Pope Francis should let Catholics pray like Catholics tells Pope Francis he should back off. The NY Post's Maureen Callahan opines that the Pope calling "Pet Parents selfish proves he's never owned a pet. And the National Catholic Reporter says that the "Pope's comments about the Churches narrow view on reproduction and marriage." Then there is Netflix's The Two Popes. Worse, even Conservative Daily News refused this publish this piece.

The common denominator is that the the main stream media not only ignores the greatest Intellect of the 20th Century, it seems to think it can shepherd a Catholics flock much better than Pope Francis. This flock is a force so powerful, it is the one China's Xi Jinping fears more than Russia or the United States.

Earlier this month, Xi told a conference in Beijing, described in official reports as the National Work Meeting on Religious Affairs, that all religions in China needed to embrace the Communist Party, expanding on one of his long-held policies.

“(We) must maintain the party’s essential direction on religious work, we must continue our country’s direction for the sinicization of religion, we must continue to take the large numbers of religious believers, and unite them around the party and the government,” Xi said.

Collage of Main Stream Media sampling Claiming they know Better Than Pope Francis

Cardinal George Pell says "Pope Benedict is probably the best theologian among all the popes."   And the  Ignatius Press says "Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) is widely recognized as one of the most brilliant theologians and spiritual leaders of our age."

 I have  followed Cardinal Ratzinger for decades, and he is not only my favorite philosopher, ethicist & defender of the faith, but I can say he is a towering intellectual figure. Yet, if you look at the secular media, Noam Chomsky & Cornel West are considered top philosophers, without mentioning Cardinal Ratzinger

The secular media ignores Cardinal Ratzinger. Instead, it considers Noam Chomsky & Cornel West as top philosophers

In its piece promoting the book Benedict XVI: Defender of the Faith By prolific internationally acclaimed author Joseph Pearce, the Catholic Company writes:

Benedict XVI: Defender of the Faith by Joseph Pearce available from the Catholic Store

Pope Benedict XVI lived through World War II, was influential in formulating Vatican II, fought the Cold War, and helped the Church enter the Digital Age. And, he did all this while upholding the timeless truths of the faith and unity of worship through history in the liturgy. 

To understand why Pope Benedict XVI stepped down and his motivations, it is important we look at the totality of his life, faith, and priesthood.   

In this heartfelt telling of Pope Benedict’s words and works, Joseph Pearce provides invaluable insight into Joseph Ratzinger the man, before he became Pope Benedict XVI.  As Pope, Benedict XVI fought tirelessly and successfully against the forces of secularism. As an uncompromising defender of the human person, he waged an unremitting battle against the dictatorship of relativism. Within the Church, he fought against modernism, restoring the splendor of truth in his defense of orthodoxy and the beauty of the liturgy. 

Promo Material by the Catholic Store

How to Arrive at the Truth- Algorithm as gleaned from Cardinal Ratzinger's writings

Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith by Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI

The Catholic Company says that years from now, Catholics will still look back on Pope Benedict’s enduring legacy with profound gratitude. He successfully steered the Church in charity and truth against dark tides that sought to engulf Her.  

As for me and my house, we do not need to wait years. We know that Pope Benedict has been God's gift to the world

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Media Analysis: The Holy Spirit Has Departed From the Catholic Church

Analysis:  Fittingly, as we celebrate the Holy Trinity,  according to the media, the Holy Spirit has left the Catholic Church.  The Church is in crisis with disobedient, boisterous, pro-abortion, pro-LGBT taking over and Pope Francis committing the unpardonable sin! 

 And this is not just the mainstream media, but also ETWN's own National Catholic Register (NCR.). EWTN News, Inc. is the world's largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, print and digital media outlets.

After Pope Francis delivered his Pentecost homily, some, like Louie Verrecchio went  farther and characterized the Pope's homily as heretical. The National Catholic Register,  alluded to the Pope's homily as a point of division in the synodal process.  In October 2021, Pope Francis announced a two-year process of listening and dialogue of the Catholic Church, known as the “Synod on Synodality.” A “synod” is a journey of discernment rooted in the Holy Spirit.

 In the Synod on Synodality, the entire Church has been called to discern how the Spirit is moving through and with the Body of Christ ⁠— inside and outside the Church, so that we may continue to fulfill our mission to evangelize in the world."He used the same image of the Holy Spirit as an agent of disorder when addressing the Catholic-Anglican ecumenical commission on May 13: “The Holy Spirit is the one who creates ‘disorder’ — we can think of the morning of Pentecost — but then the one who creates harmony.” In that same address he spoke of an Anglican contribution to the synodal process for the synod on synodality. “As you know, the Catholic Church has inaugurated a synodal process: For this common journey to be truly such, the contribution of the Anglican Communion cannot be lacking,” Pope Francis said. “We look upon you as valued traveling companions.” All of which raises an interesting perspective on the synodal process. What if the walking together results in a walking apart? Should we expect divisions and harmony, divisions without harmony or harmony without divisions?"  as described by NCR.

Earlier, the usual suspects criticized Pope Francis.  The National Catholic Register objected to Pope Francis appointment of new cardinals  NCR did not like that Pope Francis did not nominate a cardinal for Kyiv to appease Russia: "Pope Francis has repeatedly refused to elevate Archbishop Shevchuk out of presumed deference to the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow, which would prefer that the Ukrainian Catholic Church did not exist. Not creating Archbishop Shevchuk a cardinal not only undermines protestations of Vatican support for Ukrainian Catholics, but also gives the impression that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow holds a kind of veto over internal Catholic life in the so-called “Russian world." it writes.  NCR also would NCR would have preferred Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles over Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, "characterized by veteran Vatican correspondent John Allen as “one of the staunchest liberals in the U.S. bishops’ conference.”

To be fair, NCR is not alone.  Steve Ray in his blog states; "even if Pope Francis has his own defensible reasons for not elevating Gómez to the College of Cardinals, yet there are many other capable American bishops and archbishops from Francis could have chosen. These prelates are, again, men of authentic Catholic faith who have boldly spoken out in promoting and defending the Church’s teaching, teaching that is vital to the present American cultural setting – evangelization, racism, immigration, abortion, gender theory, etc. The question arises: Why were none of these men chosen by Pope Francis? Is the passing over of these men also a not-so-hidden insult?" - This is an obvious assertion that the Holy Spirit is a non-entity in this process.  We are reminded that in Acts 16:6 Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. 

NCR's senior editors, Joan Frawley Desmond writes in the piece titled  Appointment of Cardinals Is Personal for Francis — Were John Paul II and Benedict XVI Any Different? That "the news may have taken some Catholics unawares, but Church experts who have studied Francis’ approach to the creation of cardinals and noted how he has departed from the practices of his two immediate predecessors are not surprised" as he  has chosen prelates who represent the margins, geographic and theological justice, care for migrants and “a more pastoral orientation rather than a strict doctrinal orientation within the life of the Church.”  She goes on to write that "“you can see a very personal signature when it comes to Pope Francis’ appointment of cardinals,” said Msgr. Martin Schlag, a professor of Catholic social thought at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.. Francis’ approach arises from a desire to create a “Church of the poor,” she added.  By contrast, “John Paul and Benedict’s appointments were more institutional,” and their appointments were thus more likely to be “linked to a traditional metropolitan see. You would name the archbishop of Vienna, not the auxiliary bishop.” Here Matthew 16:23 comes to mind:  "Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”"

Scriptures in Luke 14:10 tell us: "“Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests." Desmond goes on to compare Pope Francis' approach to that of Pope Benedict XVI  and Pope John Paul. "Benedict XVI certainly appointed cardinals who did not correspond to his ideas in everything,” acknowledged Peter Seewald, “The appointment of cardinals is a political issue; there were always certain compromises. Certainly, he made cardinals of bishops who later were not at all in his line, like Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising,” who would support the blessing of same-sex unions and reception of Communion for the divorced-and-civilly remarried in specific cases.  While Francis’ list featured Church leaders unknown to most Vatican watchers, thus underscoring his preference for deeply personal choices designed to bring voices from the margins into the center of the Church.

"John Paul also may have hoped that pastoral experience would modify the views of Carlo Maria Martini, who had been an academic until his appointment to Milan. That didn’t quite work out.” Indeed, John Paul has received considerable criticism for his mixed record in this area, as some of his choices provided lackluster leadership" Desmond added.

Without question, Pope Francis' elevation of San Diego bishop Robert McElroy has created shockwaves among the media.  While bishop McElroy has been among the most vocal champions of Pope Francis’ pastoral agenda among the U.S. hierarchy, frequently echoing the pope’s prioritization of environmental concerns, migration and a more welcoming approach to LGBTQ persons. I’m in favor of it,” McElroy told NCR at the time on the question of women deacons. “My view on it is [that] women should be invited into every ministry or activity we have that’s not doctrinally precluded,” he said.

McElroy’s selection by Francis also comes at a time when the U.S. church has been roiled by debates over whether pro-choice Catholic politicians should be denied Communion, most recently led by Archbishop Salvatore Cordielone of San Francisco, California who last  month announced he would bar U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi from receiving the sacrament. McElroy, by contrast, has warned against the “weaponization” of the Eucharist for political ends.

Clearly the last straw for the media and Vatican critics is Pope Francis' last attribute of the Holy Spirit as he described it in his Pentecost Homily: "And finally, oddly, the Holy Spirit is the author of division, of ruckus, of a certain disorder. Think of the morning of Pentecost: he is the author… he creates division of languages and attitudes… it was a ruckus, that! Yet at the same time, he is the author of harmony. He divides with the variety of charisms, but it is a false division, because true division is part of harmony. He creates division with charisms and he creates harmony with all this division. This is the richness of the Church."  This is the heretical passage! Even though Jesus said something similar in Matthew 10:35 " For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law"  We recall that many people, including his disciples,  believed the Messiah's arrival would immediately bring a new age of peace and prosperity to Israel. Jesus, though, never taught this. Instead, He warned that His arrival on earth would bring a new era of division and belief in Him would become a dividing line between Gentiles.

Pope Francis is accused as committing the unpardonable sin because of  the way he described another attribute of the Holy Spirt in the penultima paragraph of his homily:  "And finally, oddly, the Holy Spirit is the author of division, of ruckus, of a certain disorder. Think of the morning of Pentecost: he is the author… he creates division of languages and attitudes… it was a ruckus, that! Yet at the same time, he is the author of harmony. He divides with the variety of charisms, but it is a false division, because true division is part of harmony. He creates division with charisms and he creates harmony with all this division. This is the richness of the Church."  Despite the fact that charisms, is by definition  "gifts of grace" (charismata), described by St. Paul as gratuitous blessings of an extraordinary and transitory nature conferred directly for the good of others. Indirectly they may also benefit the one who possesses the charisms, but their immediate purpose is for the spiritual welfare of the Christian community and that the Pope's entire homily was dedicated to contrasting the works of the Holly Spirit to those of the Evil One:. Where the fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. Charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.  An the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. While some Christians accept these as a definitive list of specific attributes, others understand them merely as examples of the Holy Spirit's work through the faithful.

Below is an excerpt of Pope Francis Homily describing the Holy Spirit:

Pope Francis Pentecost Homily Attributes of the Holy Spirit: Excerpt 

God does not want to make us encyclopedias or polymaths. 

The Spirit makes us see everything in a new way, with the eyes of Jesus. 

I would put it this way: in the great journey of life, the Spirit teaches us where to begin, what paths to take, and how to walk.

Jesus speaks of it in the first verse of the Gospel, when he says: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (v. 15). If you love me, you will keep ... this is the “logic” of the Spirit. We tend to think the exact opposite: if we keep the commandments, we will love Jesus. We tend to think that love comes from our keeping, our fidelity and our devotion. Yet the Spirit reminds us that without love as our basis, all the rest is in vain. And that love comes not so much from our abilities, but as his gift. He teaches us to love and we have to ask for this gift. The Spirit of love pours love into our hearts, he makes us feel loved and he teaches us how to love. He is the “motor” of our spiritual lives. He set it in motion within us. But if we do not begin from the Spirit, or with the Spirit or through the Spirit, we will get nowhere.

 The Holy Spirit is an active memory; he constantly rekindles the love of God in our hearts. We have experienced his presence in the forgiveness of our sins, in moments when we are filled with his peace, his freedom and his consolation. 

We always remember the things that go wrong; we listen to the voice within us that reminds us of our failures and failings, the voice that keeps saying: “Look, yet another failure, yet another disappointment. You will never succeed; you cannot do it.” This is a terrible thing to be told. 

Yet the Holy Spirit tells us something completely different. He reminds us: “Have you fallen? You are a son or daughter of God. You are a unique, elect, precious and beloved child. Even when you lose confidence in yourself, God has confidence in you!” This is the “memory” of the Spirit, what the Spirit constantly reminds us: God knows you. You may forget about God, but he does not forget about you. He remembers you always.

You, however, may well object: these are nice words, but I have problems, hurts and worries that cannot be removed by facile words of comfort! Yet that is precisely where the Holy Spirit asks you to let him in. Because he, the Consoler, is the Spirit of healing, of resurrection, who can transform the hurts burning within you. He teaches us not to harbor the memory of all those people and situations that have hurt us, but to let him purify those memories by his presence. That is what he did with the apostles and their failures. They had deserted Jesus before the Passion; Peter had denied him; Paul had persecuted Christians. We too think of our own mistakes. How many of them, and so much guilt! Left to themselves, they had no way out. Left to themselves, no. But with the Comforter, yes. Because the Spirit heals memories. How? By putting at the top of the list the thing that really matters: the memory of God’s love, his loving gaze. In this way, he sets our lives in order. He teaches us to accept one another, to forgive one another and to forgive ourselves; he teaches us to be reconciled with the past. And to set out anew.

The Spirit teaches us what paths to take. We see this in the second reading, where Saint Paul explains that those “led by the Spirit of God” (Rom 8:14) “walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (v. 4). The Spirit, at every crossroads in our lives, suggests to us the best path to follow. It is important, then, to be able to distinguish his voice from the voice of the spirit of evil. Both speak to us: we need to learn to distinguish the voice of the Spirit, to be able to recognize that voice and follow its lead, to follow the things he tells us.

The Holy Spirit will never tell you that on your journey everything is going just fine. He will never tell you this, because it isn’t true. No, he corrects you; he makes you weep for your sins; he pushes you to change, to fight against your lies and deceptions, even when that calls for hard work, interior struggle and sacrifice. Whereas the evil spirit, on the contrary, pushes you to always do what you want, what you find pleasing. He makes you think that you have the right to use your freedom any way you want. Then, once you are left feeling empty inside – it is bad, this feeling of emptiness inside, many of us have felt it – and when you are left feeling empty inside, he blames you and casts you down. He blames you, becomes the accuser. He throws you down, destroys you. 

The Holy Spirit, correcting you along the way, never leaves you lying on the ground, never. He takes you by the hand, comforts you and constantly encourages you.

Whenever you feel troubled by bitterness, pessimism and negativity – how many times have we fallen into this! – then it is good to remember that these things never come from the Holy Spirit. Bitterness, pessimism, sad thoughts, these never come from the Holy Spirit. They come from evil, which is at home with negativity. It often uses this strategy: it stokes impatience and self-pity, and with self-pity the need to blame others for all our problems. It makes us edgy, suspicious, and querulous. Complaining is the language of the evil spirit; he wants to make you complain, to be gloomy, to put on a funeral face. The Holy Spirit on the other hand urges us never to lose heart and always to start over again. He always encourages you to get up. He takes you by the hand and says: “Get up!” How do we do that? By jumping right in, without waiting for someone else. And by spreading hope and joy, not complaints; never envying others, never -- envy is the door through which the evil spirit enters. The Bible tells us this: by the envy of the devil, evil entered the world. So never be envious! -- but the Holy Spirit brings you goodness; he leads you to rejoice in the success of others.

The Holy Spirit is practical, he is not an idealist. He wants us to concentrate on the here and now, because the time and place in which we find ourselves are themselves grace-filled. These are concrete times and places of grace, here and now. That is where the Holy Spirit is leading us. The spirit of evil, however, would pull us away from the here and now, and put us somewhere else. Often he anchors us to the past: to our regrets, our nostalgia, our disappointments. Or else he points us to the future, fueling our fears, illusions and false hopes. But not the Holy Spirit. The Spirit leads us to love, concretely, here and now, not an ideal world or an ideal Church, an ideal religious congregation, but the real ones, as they are, seen in broad light of day, with transparency and simplicity. How very different from the evil one, who foments gossip and idle chatter. Idle chatter is a nasty habit; it destroys a person’s identity.

The Holy Spirit wants us to be together; he makes us Church and today – here is the third and final aspect – he teaches the Church how to walk. The disciples were cowering in the Upper Room; the Spirit then came down and made them go forth. Without the Spirit, they were alone, by themselves, huddled together. With the Spirit, they were open to all. In every age, the Spirit overturns our preconceived notions and opens us to his newness. God, the Spirit, is always new! He constantly teaches the Church the vital importance of going forth, impelled to proclaim the Gospel. The importance of our being, not a secure sheepfold, but an open pasture where all can graze on God’s beauty. He teaches us to be an open house without walls of division. The worldly spirit drives us to concentrate on our own problems and interests, on our need to appear relevant, on our strenuous defense of the nation or group to which we belong. That is not the way of the Holy Spirit. He invites us to forget ourselves and to open our hearts to all. In that way, he makes the Church grow young. We need to remember this: the Spirit rejuvenates the Church. Not us and our efforts to dress her up a bit. For the Church cannot be “programmed” and every effort at “modernization” is not enough. The Spirit liberates us from obsession with emergencies. He beckons us to walk his paths, ever ancient and ever new, the paths of witness, poverty and mission, and in this way, he sets us free from ourselves and sends us forth into the world.

And finally, oddly, the Holy Spirit is the author of division, of ruckus, of a certain disorder. Think of the morning of Pentecost: he is the author… he creates division of languages and attitudes… it was a ruckus, that! Yet at the same time, he is the author of harmony. He divides with the variety of charisms, but it is a false division, because true division is part of harmony. He creates division with charisms and he creates harmony with all this division. This is the richness of the Church.

Brothers and sisters, let us sit at the school of the Holy Spirit, so that he can teach us all things. Let us invoke him each day, so that he can remind us to make God’s gaze upon us our starting point, to make decisions by listening to his voice, and to journey together as Church, docile to him and open to the world. Amen

While Desmond, NCR senior editor, Joan Frawley Desmond, characterizes Pope Francis' appointments as "personal All the media "reports"  Criticizing Pope Francis used qualities attribute to the Evil One and not the Holly Spirit.  Perhaps the Holy Spirit has left the Catholic Church.  I would me remis if I said I agree with the elevation of Bishop Robert McElroy or the support of Father Martin.

RELATED

WTN'S Larry Chapp's Commentary supports my argument:  The Holy Spirit Has Departed From the Holy Catholic Church 

Media Analysis: The Holy Spirit Has Departed From the Catholic Church 

The Catholic Media would have persecuted Pope Francis 2000 Years

The Catholic Media - along with its acolytes, would have persecuted Pope Francis 2000 Years Ago, Along With Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Jesus

They dislike that Pope Francis did not spike the ball when SCOTUS overturned Roe V Wade, as if it was an earthly victory like the Super Bowl. They dislike that Pope Francis offered communion to so-called devout Catholics Joseph Biden & Nancy Pelosi. They love to report on disobedient priests and hail them as heroes. The implied premise is that the Holy Spirt is no longer  active in the Vatican.

The Catholic Media & its acolytes would have reviled against Jesus for appointing Matthew a disciple. The Apostle Matthew, also known as Saint Matthew and Levi, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the Gospel of Matthew. When Jesus called Matthew to follow him, he was a tax collector (or “publican”)—one of the most reviled professions in ancient Judaism. (Matt 9:9, Mark 2:14)

Then there is  the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14)
a Pharisee and a tax collector went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee prayed about how good he was, but the tax collector asked for God’s mercy as he was a sinner. Jesus said that it was the tax collector who went home justified before God. He concluded, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Catholic Media and its acolytes would have reviled Peter & Paul for partaking of pulled pork and not require gentiles to be circumcised 

The Catholic Media acolytes echo their messaging - refer to comments by a Craig R H Laurent to the piece titled 

The Catholic Media’s War On the Pope Continues

They accuse the Pope of being a Marxist. "" Pope” Francis is a hypocritical Marxist, when he proposed the redistribution of wealth. Of course, that did not include the wealth of the Vatican" - Craig R H Laurent

In Matt 19:21 A young man asks Jesus what he needed to do:  "Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me""

In Acts 5: Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property, but they kept back part of the proceeds for themselves and gave the rest to the church, placing the money at the apostles' feet. Ananias, on hearing this, immediately fell down dead. Everyone in the church was filled with fear.


Matthew 26:6–13. While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

After all, Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you” (Matthew 26:11).


"Francis clearly refuses to understand the Muslim Middle East situation with Israel. The pseudo “Palestinians” are Arabs and nothing else. There is no such thing as a “Palestinian.” Those who call themselves “Palestinian” have a constitutionally provided home in Jordan. Pope Francis chooses to ignore that." Craig R H Laurent

“"Pope” Francis REFUSES to see that Islam is a satanic political philosophy intent on domination by any means! Pope Francis’ expertise lies only in the area of destroying the Roman Catholic faith."" Craig R H Laurent

In the 1900s Eleven-year old  St. Maria Goretti forgave her murderer Alessandro Serenneli  - Maria Teresa Goretti is an Italian virgin-martyr of the Catholic Church, and one of the youngest saints to be canonized. She was born to a farming family. Her father died when she was nine, and the family had to share a house with another family, the Serenellis

2000 years before, the shortest way for Jewish people to go north from Jerusalem or south from Galilee was to travel through Samaria. However, for hundreds of years the Jews and the people of Samaria had been enemies. They did not agree about where God's people should worship. Jews worshipped at the Temple in Jerusalem.  But Jesus heals a Samaritan ( Luke 17:11). The story of the Samaritan woman, also known as the woman at the well, draws our attention to the central themes of the Gospel. By approaching her, Jesus demonstrates His care for all. We can also be inspired by the Samaritan woman's excitement in sharing the good news of Jesus (John 4:4) And in Matt 5:43  "“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous


"That destruction has been considerable. He has no business inserting himself into politics. That inept man even proposed a “UN of Religions” – how stupid can he get? There is NO war on religion, but there is a war on CHRISTIANITY!" Craig R H Laurent

But throughout the book of Acts people who were followers of Jesus weren't called Christians but they were called followers of The Way or people of The Way. They were not simply committed to a cultural practice or obligation, but they lived in complete devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“A completely free market does not work,” he (“Pope” Francis) claimed. “Markets in themselves are good but they also require a fulcrum, a third party, or a state to monitor and balance them.” “In other words, [what is needed is] a socialist market economy." Craig R H Laurent 

Pope Francis has a point. Besides the Liturgical Wars in the Church, there's the Climate Change Wars. Climate change is a threat.
But to fight hunger & poverty is much cheaper than fighting climate change- but not good for corporate greed.  Thersabricated hunger as an excuse to fight climate change

Just as #RiversOfBlood keep flowing in Ukraine Enabled by China, corrupt media, politicians, corporate greed & feckless, NATO & USA leadership.

Germany is by far Russia's biggest trading partner.  Germany paid for Russian oil pipeline while refusing to pay NATO her share.

Corporations like Bank of America & the NBA use Euphemisms like human rights to promote infanticide,  but are silent about Russia & China's human rights violations

Germany Inc & Corporate America could end the war today, but  Never Again has been replaced with It All Depends!


And as Pope Francis said

"What we are seeing is the brutality and ferocity with which this war is being carried out by the troops, generally mercenaries, used by the Russians. The Russians prefer to send in Chechen and Syrian mercenaries. But the danger is that we only see this, which is ....

And note the interest in testing and selling weapons. It is very sad, but at the end of the day that is what is at stake here"

Since 24 February, nearly 12.8 million people  have been displaced in Ukraine.

The Catholic Media and its acolytes think they can do a better job leading the Vatican.  Everybody is a comedian like ETWN is a Pope.

Understanding Pope Francis "No Comment" on RvW SCOTUS Decision

I was caught by surprise this week when memes started circulating in social media accusing Pope Francis' of being silent regarding the US Supreme Court's historic decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, reminiscent of the old NFL Super Bowl MVP  player ambushed by the media that asked him:  "And now, now, what are you going to do?" And the response of course was:  "To Disneyland!"

Carl DeMarco's piece titled No Comment: Pope Francis Remains Silent On Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision?  was yet another reminder. My initial Peter-eresque response was. "Right- why hasn't he spoken yet?" Then I remembered Matthew 16:23: "Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” - 

DeMarco goes on to write: "Since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Pope Francis has remained largely silent on the historic ruling returning the power to restrict abortion to the states, despite church leaders from around the world applauding the decision" 

So, why the question?  Who is the audience?  Does that mean Pope Francis doesn't care?  That he thinks it's not a big deal? That he's irresponsible? After all, even Catholic Media's reporting  like EWTN, National Catholic Reporter, National Catholica Register and so on suggests that the Holy Spirt has departed from the Catholic Church. If the audience is the Pope's flock, they all know what he thinks. We see it daily and or on Sunday services. There are signs all over the place celebrating life.  The Pope Himself, prioritized the X World Meeting Of Families (WMOF), in Rome June 22-26, 2022. At the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis calls the faithful to follow Jesus, who did not respond to opposition with anger and bitterness, but instead made a “resolute decision” to continue on to Jerusalem, knowing that rejection and death awaited Him there".  The Diocese of Rome and the Vatican Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life jointly released the official prayer for the Church event titled  “Family Love: Vocation and Path to Holiness"

If the intended audience of  Pope Francis is not the traditional Catholic Church, but for presumably for pro-Abortion Catholics or non believers, the audience expects the Pope to spike the ball and add fuel to fire?  We already know.  When a reporter asked Pope Francis about Joe Biden, a self described devout Catholic promoting abortion, the Pope answered:  What must the pastor do? B

e a pastor, don’t go condemning.” The Pope's views of the LGBT community are similar but consistent with  Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Often time silence speaks louder than words, but the secular world and the Pope's critics prefer to react like Peter would.

News of Bishop Strickland Removal Highly Exaggerated. It Rivals only News of Church welcoming Transsexuals and homosexuals

Pope Francis critics and the Main Stream Media in attempts to disrupt the recently successfully concluded synod, kept poking at the bear hoping to see anger. Didn't happen.

Instead, Pope Francis referred to John 13:34 and said, "To reform the Church, love God and love, others."  

For example, consider ETWN's Daniel Payne's Anti Pope Francis Propaganda: "Read Pope Francis’ response to the dubia presented to him by 5 cardinals - The pope has not responded to the August set of dubia."

Or JD Flynn's Pope Francis answers a dubia — Does inaction speak clearer than words? " Famously, the current synod, in a sense, got underway 48 hours before its formal opening with a set of dubia, or doubts, submitted to the pontiff by five conservative cardinals. In responses to those dubia released by the Vatican, Francis, among other things, offered a cautious “yes” to the blessing of same-sex unions on a case-by-case basis, and a basic “no” to women’s ordination while allowing for the possibility of further study."

Reuters' Philip Pullella
writes "In very rare move, Pope dismisses conservative US bishop Strickland"  Yet, the coverage of the firing of Bishop Strickland pales, in comparison to the scandalous story days earlier about the Church welcoming transsexuals and homosexuals. 

Professional journalists generally abstain from using adjectives. Pallella in using the term "conservative US bishop", he indicts Pope Francis right off the bat. Pullella also reports that "Strickland is 65, 10 years shy of the usual retirement age for bishops. Strickland had said earlier this year that he would refuse to resign if asked." What he doesn't report is that Bishop Strickland was directly entrusted to continue Jesus' mission through Holy Orders. Holy Orders requires faithfulness and obedience: Holy Orders is the sacrament by which bishops, priests and deacons are ordained and receive the power and grace to perform their sacred duties. The sacred rite by which orders are conferred is called ordination. The apostles were ordained by Jesus at the Last Supper so that others could share in his priesthood. According to the Catholic Catechism (1536) Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry.:

The Church also teaches (CCC 891 ) That the pope " head of the college of bishops, enjoys infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful - who confirms his brethren in the faith he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals. . . . The infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when, together with Peter's successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium," above all in an Ecumenical Council. When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine "for belief as being divinely revealed," and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions "must be adhered to with the obedience of faith." This infallibility extends as far as the deposit of divine Revelation itself.


In his piece Pullella continues writing that Bishop Strickland "has been particularly critical of the pope's attempt to make the Church more welcoming to the LGBT community and attempts by Francis to give lay people more responsibility in the Church and opposed a recent synod."

 The unwelcome LGBT rhetoric is close to the one articulated by the 
Head Of Hizbullah's Shari'a Council in Lebanon. He wants to kill gay people, because he is afraid of being infected by them. He accuses elderly Jewish people of spreading homosexuality and compares them to the people of Sodom who were "stoned to death" 

Yet Bishop Strickland's criticism and others is not new, but roughly 2000 years old. In the early years of Christianity, thephilosopher Porphyry, was a major critic. In his book Against the Christians, along with other writers like Celsus and Julian. Porphyry argued that Christianity was based on violence, corruption, superstition, polytheism, homophobia, bigotry, pontification, abuses of women's rights,sectarianism and that women exercised too much power in the Church.

Scandalous! Can you imagine 2000 years ago Jesus speaking to a lose woman at the well? The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come back.” The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a husband.” Jesus answered her, “You are right in saying, 'I do not have a husband. John 4:15 

Or what about dinning with sinners?
"The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. 32I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” Luke Chapter 5:30

According to David L. Gray "Being that both Pagans and Christians were using the art of rhetoric to persuade hearers to follow their way, it is a testament to the divine beauty of Christianity that truth was able to persuade so many, even in the face of persecution prior to the Edict of Toleration (A.D. 260 – 303) and the Edict of Milan (A.D. 313)" Writes 

Pullella's "reporting" is also like a typical politician's guilt by association fallacious reasoning: "Strickland is a strong supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump and is seen as a hero by conservative U.S. Catholic media outlets that are aligned with Trump"

As previously reported the US Catholic Media outlets Pallella refers to, would have crucified Pope Francis 2000 Years Ago.


Although there's some truth about the "conservative Catholics" LifeSiteNews, a self-described Canadian Catholic conservative anti-abortion advocacy website and news publication, in a post on X announcing the news about Bishop Strickland writes "In removing Bishop Strickland from the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, Pope Francis has canceled one of the most faithful, forthright and vocal bishops in the United States." 

LifeSite got one put of three right: the "vocal" part. A Wikipedia entry reads: "LifeSiteNews has published misleading information and conspiracy theories.

Earlier this year,  Father Mike Schmitz in his daily podcast The Catholic Catechism In a Year Day 115 made a Passionate Plea for Church Unity echoing the letter to Laodicea's where the community is reprimanded for being lukewarm (Rev 3:15–16: To Laodicea.* “To the angel of the church in Laodicea,* write this:
“‘The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God’s creation, says this: “I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot.* I wish you were either cold or hot.

So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

Surely the media coverage of Bishop Strickland's removal is not what Father Mike had in mind.  As Catholics, we may disagree on policy, never on principle, where the principle is: The Church Christ founded welcomes everyone, particularly the sinners, because we all are.


RELATED 
Certain arguments against Christians:Porphyry, Against the Christians (2004).  Fragments, 

Criticism of Christianity

ARGUMENTS OF CELSUS, PORPHYRY, and THE EMPEROR JULIAN, AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS

Pastoral precedent: Vatican traces blessing distinction to #PopeBenedictXVI

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' language surrounding pastoral blessings -- which the Vatican said can be spontaneously given to people in same-sex relationships -- is not entirely new for a pope, a Vatican editorial said, and can even be traced back to his immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.