Praise God for all the wonderful Catholics who are calling on Pope Francis to revoke his heretical statements! Michael Matt, John Vennari and Christoper Ferrara: HERE. God bless every one of them! Here's another:
Problems with Pope Francis... or perhaps just Pope Francis' STYLE (?) are popping up every where. An excellent (in my opinion) article on the 'Francis Problem' was written by Hilary White, a Rome Correspondent for LifeSiteNews.com. I am highlighting a few parts that jumped out at me, but please go read the FULL article, it's worth it. Hilary White starts with:
"ROME, October 3, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – I don’t know if I’m
the only one to have noticed, but there seems to be something strange going on
in the Vatican. No, I’m not talking about
all that, at least not directly. I’m talking about the strange, long, almost
awkward and, dare I say it, embarrassed silence, that has reigned from the
Vatican’s press office on all of Pope Francis’s extraordinary statements and
actions since his election."[clip]
They (Vatican Press Office) seem to me to be as stumped as the rest of us over Pope Francis's comments. White then mentions:
"In the nearly ten years I’ve been covering Vatican and
Catholic-related news, through three papacies now, I don’t remember a time when
the uproar caused by things a pope is saying and doing has reached so deeply
into the minds of orthodox believers. These are the people who adhere to and
defend all the teaching of the Catholic religion as a coherent and indivisible
whole, and who have always relied on clarity and vigorous defence of the faith
from Rome."[clip]
Me neither. :( And she goes on with:
"But in recent months, around the world, with either dismay and
anxiety, or with triumphant whoops, this pope’s statements – first to the Jesuit
magazine La Civilta
Cattolica and now to the Italian atheist
celebrity Eugenio Scalfari – have been interpreted as nearly a declaration
that the Church will change to suit the tastes of the “progressivists,” liberals
and secularists. And for weeks, there was nothing; no clarification, no
corrections or denials at all from inside the Vatican’s walls. The Catholic
world outside was starting to wonder just what is going on in there. Nothing, that is, until
last Thursday, when, after a Sala Stampa (Holy See Press Office) press
conference about the first meeting of Pope Francis’ new council of cardinals,
Fr. Federico Lombardi stammered out a few words in response to a deluge of
reporters’ questions.Despite the fact that they certainly must have known what was
coming, we had nothing but the Holy See’s press officer and the de facto papal
spokesman metaphorically dropping his gaze and shuffling his feet. The pope, Fr.
Lombardi said, was speaking in a “conversational” or “colloquial” manner, and
his statements were not “a magisterial document”…Not only was there no comment or clarifications in the
prepared remarks at that press conference, Fr. Lombardi had nothing prepared for
what he must have known would be the main point of interest for journalists. He
seemed, simply, to be caught off guard."[clip]
Again I say, everyone at the Vatican seems as perplexed and confused by Francis as the rest of the world. What will they do is the question? White points out confusion reigns everywhere:
"But many of us Vatican-watchers are also left wondering what
is going on inside the Press Office. The brevity and off-the-cuff, essentially
reactive character of their very few responses to date do indicate one thing
that they were probably not intended to convey. That is, it seems the usual
paths of communication within the Vatican, and their “control over the message”
have broken down.One local Rome reporter told me, “I think they must be
embarrassed that the interview went ahead as it did. I asked Fr. Lombardi if
anyone else sat in on the interview. No reply. It raises an ominous question: if
there is this much confusion and bewilderment out here, is it possible that the
same confusion reigns in there?"[clip]
See! Nearly everyone seems to be baffled by Francis. White then finishes with:
"But the evidence is mounting that that system has broken down
or simply been rendered moot. If pope Francis is now just calling up journalists
himself (if that story is to be believed) and bypassing the process by which
papal statements were vetted, clarified and perfected, then what can we expect
next?We also know that the same system that kept ambiguity or
confusion from causing problems among the faithful, also restrained those
members of the hierarchy who were inclined, for whatever reason, to back away
from the Church’s teachings. It will not have failed to cross the minds of a
certain kind of prelate and priest that there now appears to be no one minding
the store and that some things may now be said and done with less fear of
corrective action."[clip]
Most repulsive story of the week...(or one of them anyway)
The "Ghost Burger" - topped with an unconsecrated communion host and covered in red wine reduction sauce.
Quote from FoxNews article: "Kuma's Corner, a foodie destination with just a few tables, names its
hamburgers after heavy metal bands. For October, the restaurant chose to name
the burger after the Swedish band Ghost. Members of the band dress in religious
robes and wear skeleton face makeup.
It's in poor taste, said Jeff Young of New Orleans who runs the blog Catholic
Foodie.
"It's not, for us, the Eucharist," Young said. "However this wafer is a
symbol. There's a cross on it. It's like taking a flag and burning a flag."
Book recommendation: Bleeding Hands, Weeping Stone: True Stories of Divine Wonders, Miracles and Messages by Elizabeth Ficocelli Description: Miracles are real! And the history of the Church, from ancient times to the
modern day, is full of them. God in His mercy has not only given us the revealed
truths of Scripture and Tradition, but in all times and places has exercised his
power on earth in extraordinary ways: to teach, correct, warn, and inspire His
people according to the needs of the age. In Bleeding Hands, Weeping Stone,
popular Catholic author and speaker Elizabeth Ficocelli reveals history's most
magnificent miracles. Some of them are quiet and simple, some of them are
dramatic bordering on outrageous but all of them are signs of God's loving,
providential hand at work in the world, continually inflaming our hearts to
greater faith and more ardent love. In brisk, easy-to-read accounts, perfect for
bedtime or the break room, Bleeding Hands, Weeping Stone relates the amazing
(but true) stories of: -The woman who stole a Host from church and hid it at
home, only to find that it had turned to real human flesh. The apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary that put an end to human sacrifice in
Mexico and the miraculous image she left for us there. -The pious farm girl who
prayed to share in Christ's Passion, and received miraculous wounds on her head,
hands, feet, and side. For twelve years until her death she lived on nothing but
the Eucharist. -The arrogant knight who demanded the largest Host at Communion
and was swallowed up by the stone floor of the church! (You can still see the
holes today.) -Saints who could levitate, glow with inner light, or appear in
two places at once, and whose bodies did not decompose even hundreds of years
after death. -And many more miracles, from the obscure and near-forgotten to the
most significant apparitions and prophecies of our faith. You're sure to enjoy
reading and sharing these stories of God's miraculous workings in history. But
Bleeding Hands, Weeping Stone does more than tell stories: it explains why God
performs miracles, and what our disposition should be towards them. So let these
pages deepen your faith in God's ever-present love and care.
LifeSiteNews is hosting a "Day of Prayer and Fasting for Pope Francis" because of the confusion caused by his recent interviews.
From their website: A Pope is likely the most prayed for of all persons on earth. Everyday, he is
mentioned in every Catholic Mass and he is prayed for in a special way by most
religious orders and members of most Catholic movements around the world. So,
regardless of whatever weaknesses and poor judgement he may have, there is real
hope that any newly elected Pope will grow into a holy, great leader as a result
of those prayers. However, right now we need to add to all the usual prayers some extra special
prayer and fasting for Pope Francis because of the current circumstances.
Non-Catholics are most welcome to join in as well because of the huge influence
on the world that a Pope can have. To encourage this most necessary prayer, some of the LifeSiteNews staff have
set up a special Pro-Life day of prayer
and fasting for Pope Francis Facebook page. The date set for this prayer and fasting is this Friday, Oct.
4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the Pope’s patron. Check it
out here. You are
encouraged to add a post noting that you are joining in. Also invite friends and
family to take part in the effort to pray for Francis. If we do this, then we can be assured that we have done the very best thing
possible in response to this controversy. Words have their limits compared to
prayer. It appears that Francis needs a stronger guiding light to help him in his
incredibly challenging role. Inspired, courageous, authentic spiritual and moral
leadership is desperately needed to fill a great vacuum of such leadership in
much of the world in our time. If that does not happen, other, extremely unpleasant things are certain to
soon fill that vacuum. We don't want to go there.
Saint of the Day St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) The son of a rich merchant, Francis spent over a year as a prisoner of war, where he experienced a conversion. Inspired by the Gospels, he dressed in rags and begged for food. When his family disapproved, he formally renounced his wealth and inheritance. He preached in the streets, visited hospitals, served the sick, composed hymns, and regularly performed manual labor. When hundreds started following him, he received the blessing of the pope to start the Franciscans. Soon, his followers numbered in the thousands. While on a retreat meditating, Francis received the stigmata. He died with the words "Bring my soul out of prison" on his lips.
One of my favorite blog posts of the week is "Norman Anderson on Church donuts". Norman was a guest blogger on Fr. Longenecker's Patheos Blog today.
"Guest blogger Norman Anderson is married to Marjorie and is a Catholic father of high schoolers Kevin, Marybelle and Hazel. He works as a claims adjuster at Skinner’s Insurance Incorporated. He attends St Martha’s Catholic Church in Adam’s Falls, North Carolina. Norman is a suburban hermit."
For my last 'Quick Take' I am going to share a link to an article I wrote on the DANGERS of watching, believing or following the "Long Island Medium" Theresa Caputo. I am sharing this archive article because the "Long Island Medium" returns with new episodes this month and people are charmed and amazed by her "abilities" with no regard for WHERE those abilities come from. Please read the article and share with friends, this is dangerous to get mixed up with- most especially for children watching the show. For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary! In Christ, Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner
