Posted on 03/06/2017 3:53:20 PM PST by NYer
The papacy is meant to unite the Church, not divide it.
Almost four years into the papacy of Pope Francis, the division his teaching (or lack of teaching) is causing has reached a crisis point.
Phil Lawler’s article (“This Disastrous Papacy“), published last night, deserves to be read and considered seriously. I, too, had a visceral reaction when I read Pope Francis’ homily last Friday.
Now comes a report from the UK Times that the group of liberal cardinals who agitated for Cardinal Bergoglio to become pope are now convinced that he is leading the Church towards schism and he ought to step down. It is worth registering with the UK Times website for free to read the whole article.
Now, I understand and agree that is a serious wrong to force or foment that the pope resign. I also think it is highly unlikely that Pope Francis would resign. Nor am I calling for and suggesting that he should resign.
What I am saying is there is serious discord in the Church, Pope Francis is inexplicably refusing to resolve it, and his (in)actions are causing a crisis.
Whatever your view of this papacy—positive, neutral or negative—it should be obvious to all that something is wrong in Rome. Dysfunctional is the word that comes to mind.
Vatican financial reform abandoned, cardinals openly sniping at one another, the clergy sex-abuse response falling apart, bishops saying diametrically opposed things to one another — this isn’t a “messy” Church as Pope Francis has sometimes said he wants, this is a Church drifting and directionless.
If all of this were happening under the pontificate of Pope Benedict or Saint John Paul II, the media would be having a field day, calling Pope Francis a failed leader and urging a vote of no confidence from his curia.
Instead, the liberal media is happy to let Pope Francis off the hook because the liberal media loves where this is headed – schism, discord, confusion and chaos.
As faithful Catholics, we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to what is unfolding.
With Lent upon us, I am urging us all to renewed prayer and fasting on behalf of the papacy in general and Pope Francis in particular.
And I am urging all of us, in private and in public, to speak out about what is happening.
Finally, in our individual capacities, and always with charity, I am urging us to encourage and demand that our priests and bishops defend the constant and perennial teaching of the Church.
Now, please pray with me:
Prayer to St. Joseph, the Protector of the Church
Father, you entrusted our Savior to the care of Saint Joseph.
By the help of his prayers may your Church continue to serve its Lord,
Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Catholic ping!
This pope needs to get his Marxist, Islamist loving ass out of the Vatican.
BTTT!
The liberal Cards may be realizing that they can successfully transform the Church into an Anglican clone that they will be satisfied with except the part about the income falling to less than operating expenses and less thn enough to support their very comfortable lifestyle.
FRANCVS DUMVASS 2013
Much like the GOP, the Conservatives in the Curia need to grow some courage and overwhelm the Liberals attempting to destroy the foundations of decency.
I actually blame his PR team and advisors; they are misreading international reporting of his comments and seem unable to understand the undercurrents.
“This pope needs to get his Marxist, Islamist loving ass out of the Vatican.”
Therefore, this pope is anti-Christ.....
Why should Christians take in the worshippers of a false prophet?
Why should Christians adhere to a godless, socialist world government run by elite atheists?
Why has Christian genocide been silenced?
Why weren’t they taken in by world “leaders” instead of being left to die?
The pope should be removed. If he isn’t, you can kiss the Catholic church goodbye.
I am sorry to see what’s happening to the Church under this pope. I’m not Catholic, but many in my family are, and I’m praying for things to get turned back around.
For years, I resisted the idea that the false prophet talked from Revelation could come out of Rome, but sadly, this pope makes that scenario much more plausible.
This papacy needs prayers for what? To end as quickly as possible.
I’ve ex-communicated myself.
I feel abandoned. As a Catholic convert under Pope Benedict, I believe everything that drew me to the Church has been undermined.
We have an obligation to pray for the Pope because of the words of Jesus Himself: “Pray for those who persecute you.”
Second it.
Say the Rosary & Chaplet of Mercy Daily, look for a Church that says Mass in Latin (Tridentine Mass), pray, pray, pray
Yup. If you ask me Frankie Boy was a plant. But by whom I’m not sure. Soros maybe?
Libera nos, Domine
Excommunicated yourself? You would so easily fall into this most obvious of traps, and hand the victory to the Enemy?
My friend, ponder this tagline.
Do not despair. Perhaps Pope Francis is our punishment. If that’s the case, God will be merciful towards us. We are, after all, His Church.
Christ will never abandon you. Sadly, those who at present control His Church have abandoned Him.
"In all things we suffer tribulation, but are not distressed; we are straitened, but are not destitute; We suffer persecution, but are not forsaken; we are cast down, but we perish not" (2 Cor 4:8)
"Behold I command thee, take courage, and be strong. Fear not and be not dismayed: because the Lord thy God is with thee in all things whatsoever thou shalt go to." (Joshua 1:9)
"Now the law entered in, that sin might abound. And where sin abounded, grace did more abound." (Romans 5:20)
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