Posted on 08/09/2020 6:30:49 PM PDT by marshmallow
Priest targeted for putting God above man
SAN FRANCISCO (ChurchMilitant.com) - Secular elites are blasting a California priest for his traditional presentation of the Catholic faith.
San Francisco mayor London Breed and Bay Area media are excoriating Fr. Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea parish in San Francisco, for encouraging his parishioners to attend Holy Mass — safely — during the California shutdown. Late last week, media source SFist accused Fr. Illo of making "a number of outrageously irresponsible statements that sound like they came from Fox News."
One statement SFist found "outrageously irresponsible" was the priest's empirical observation that among the "thousands of people" he knows, only three have tested positive for COVID-19, and all three are doing fine.
SFist source also found problematic Illo's comment that "The only reason to be a Catholic is to become a saint." Reporter Jay Barmann boasted, "I'm sure many contemporary Catholics would disagree with" the priest's comment. Illo's supporters, however, have noted that many saints through the ages agree with his statement, including Pope St. John Paul II, St. John Vianney, St. John of Damascus, Pope St. Clement I, to name just a few. "We are all called to be saints," says Pope Francis.
Praise for Orthodox Priest
While the San Francisco Chronicle claimed the priest "slammed" parishioners — for putting "safety over sacraments," Star of the Sea parishioners who spoke with Church Militant came to Fr. Illo's defense, describing him as "our wonderful pastor" who "has been fighting for Tradition and true faith."
The parishioners pushed back when SFist claimed that Illo "is proving himself to be a Trumpian 'conservative' — something the leftist news source intends as an insult — for trying "to convince parishioners to put their attendance at church services ahead of.......
(Excerpt) Read more at churchmilitant.com ...
Ping
You can tell who is an effective foil to the progressive, liberal, Marxist agenda by whom they instantly attack with unhinged vitriol.
This priest is obviously not just one of the good guys but also effective in his messaging. Therefore, he must be attacked and destroyed.
I pray to God Almighty for this priest and his parish.
Yeah, well. SF Chronicle has zero credibility. SFist is gargabe. Meanwhile, Fr. Illo is doing just fine. He banned altar girls a few years ago and had the SF Chronicle and SFist on his church steps the next day. Both rags forgot about altar girls that evening. Star is a Sea is a wonderful church near the Golden Gate and always super windy. Please visit when in town. Illo is a humble guy just doing his boring job.
This is the best parish in S.F. and an oasis for faithful Catholics in the city and beyond. As such, it’s a target for anti-Catholics, including those inside the Church. God bless Abp Cordileone for always having the parish’s back despite the heat it takes from multiple sides. But as the saying goes, if you’re catching flak, it means that you’re over the target.
And I suppose we should thank them for once again proving President Trump right. They are against God.
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