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Sunday, June 25, 2017

Pope's Jesus the blob crucifix



All I seem to be doing with our current pope is asking "why"? I sincerely just don't understand Pope Francis. I am mostly scandalized by him if I am honest. Today is yet another one of those days.

Actually, I am truly repelled today by another thing Pope Francis has done. What was he thinking? Is he TRYING to remove Jesus from our minds to push his progressive agenda? I hate to think like that, but I do each and every time something like this happens- and lets face it, it happens frequently with Pope Francis.

Now he's removed Jesus from the Crucifix...or turned Jesus into a blob on a cross - at this point who can be sure? 

From Father Kevin Cusick's tweet



Another move to be more protestant-like? Holy Communion for everyone! World Youth Day with Jesus in Dixie cups! Celebrate the heretic Martin Luther! Remove the Corpus from the cross as protestants did centuries ago. 

Yep, looking and sounding more and more protestant every day. 

God help us hold on to the authentic Faith while the Church tries to destroy its self from the inside.

In Christ and still baffled by this pope, 


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 



Fr. Kevin Cusick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MCITLFrAphorism




Saturday, June 24, 2017

Bishop Paprocki's Decree to Homosexuals


GOD BLESS Bishop Paprocki and his decree regarding same-sex "marriage" and related pastoral issues! The Church needs more Bishops like him who teach the Faith, defend the Faith and enforce the Faith!

Without such decree's the sinner is left wallowing in his sin and is the cause of scandal among the faithful in parishes all over the globe. This must not be allowed to continue and Bishop Paprocki is setting the record straight! I can only hope and pray that other Bishops will follow suit. 

Quick rundown of the Decree

1)  No solemnization or blessings of same-sex "marriages"

2)  No Church property or facilities can be used for such unions or celebrations of such relationships

3)  No Catholic items, books, symbols etc., are to used with any homosexual unions

4)  No homosexuals in homosexual relationships are allowed to receive Holy Communion and they should not attempt to present themselves for Holy Communion

5)  Priests aware of homosexuals in such relationships should talk privately to the person calling them to conversion and repentance. 

6)  In danger of death, homosexuals in homosexual relations may only receive Holy Communion (Viaticum) if they first repent of their sin. 


7) Children of homosexual couples may be baptized if there is "a well-founded hope" that the child will actually be raised in the authentic Catholic faith..."The pastor should use due discretion in determining the appropriateness of public celebration of the baptism." 

8)  A child of a homosexual couple who is "qualified and properly disposed" may be allowed to have First Holy Communion and Confirmation 

9)  Homosexuals in homosexual unions may not serve as sponsors for the Sacraments of Baptism or Confirmation 

10) Homosexuals in homosexual unions are not allowed to enter RCIA or have Confirmation unless they repent from their immoral relationship 

11) No funerals for homosexuals in homosexual relationships unless they repented before death 

12) Homosexuals are not to serve in the public liturgical ministries (no readers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion) 

13) Children of homosexual couples may attend Catholic schools, but will be taught Church doctrine including the teachings on marriage and homosexuality. Homosexual parents must agree to abide by this. 

***




In Christ and thanking God for Bishop Paprocki, 


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner



Sources: 

Decree: http://files.sj-r.com/media/news/06232017paprockidecree.pdf?_ga=2.150778419.465118032.1498326929-2072354710.1498326929

photo: https://newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/all-are-welcome-pope-francis-impact-visible-during-pride-celebrations/



Friday, June 23, 2017

Catholic quotes

Going through some old files on my computer, I found a treasure trove of Catholic quotes I had squirreled away long ago. One of them them in particular struck me so much so, that I decided to change my blog header and include it. 

I am often amazed at the foresight and prophecy of our early Catholic saints. This first quote is one such example:


"After the year 1900, toward the middle of the 20th century, the people of that time will become unrecognizable. When the time for the Advent of the Antichrist approaches, peoples minds will grow cloudy from carnal passions, and dishonor and lawlessness will grow stronger. Then the world will become unrecognizable. Peoples appearances will change, and it will be impossible to distinguish men from women due to their shamelessness in dress and style of hair. These people will be cruel and will be like wild animals because of the temptations of the Antichrist. There will be no respect for parents and elders, love will disappear, and Christian pastors, bishops, and priests will become vain men, completely failing to distinguish the right-hand way from the left." -St Nilus 5th Century AD (contemporary and defender of St John Crysostom) 


“I am worried about America! I am not so much worried about its politics and economics, important though they be: I am worried about its soul. After all, politics and economics are determined by the sense of values which underlies them.” -Archbishop Fulton Sheen

“A true worshipper is one whose mind has not been defiled with any false belief.” -Pope St. Leo the Great

“Heretics think false things about God and call it their faith.” -St. Augustine


"Remember, you will be faulted not because you are ignorant against your will, but because you neglect to seek out what makes you ignorant." -Saint Augustine-

"Not to oppose error is to approve it; and not to defend truth is to suppress it; and indeed to neglect to confound evil men, when we can do it, is no less a sin than to encourage them." -Pope St. Felix III



"When all this is considered there is good reason to fear lest this great perversity may be as it were a foretaste, and perhaps the beginning of those evils which are reserved for the last days; and that there may be already in the world the "Son of Perdition" of whom the Apostle speaks (II. Thess. ii., 3). Such, in truth, is the audacity and the wrath employed everywhere in persecuting religion, in combating the dogmas of the faith, in brazen effort to uproot and destroy all relations between man and the Divinity! While, on the other hand, and this according to the same apostle is the distinguishing mark of Antichrist, man has with infinite temerity put himself in the place of God, raising himself above all that is called God; in such wise that although he cannot utterly extinguish in himself all knowledge of God, he has contemned God's majesty and, as it were, made of the universe a temple wherein he himself is to be adored. 'He sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself as if he were God' " (II. Thess. ii., 2). -Pope St. Pius X, E Supremi

"If the faith is in imminent peril, prelates ought to be accused by their subjects, even in public." -St. Thomas Aquinas

"The greatest obstacle in the apostolate of the Church is the timidity or rather the cowardice of the faithful."-Pope St. Pius X


"When lies have been accepted for some time, the truth always astounds with an air of novelty."- St. Clement of Alexandria

"Holy Communion is the shortest and the safest way to Heaven."-St Pius X

"The longer you stay away from Communion, the more your soul will become weak, and in the end you will become dangerously indifferent." - St. John Bosco 

"If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion." - St. Maximilian Kolbe 

"How I loved the feasts!.... I especially loved the processions in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. What a joy it was for me to throw flowers beneath the feet of God!... I was never so happy as when I saw my roses touch the sacred Monstrance..." - St. Therese the Little Flower

"Until we have a passionate love for our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament we shall accomplish nothing," - St. Peter Julian Eymard 

"Ask Jesus to make you a saint. After all, only He can do that. Go to confession regularly and to Communion as often as you can," - St. Dominic Savio

“Mary seeks for those who approach her devoutly and with reverence, for such she loves, nourishes, and adopts as her children.” -St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio

“Only after the Last Judgment will Mary get any rest; from now until then, she is much too busy with her children.” -St. John Vianney


“If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children.” -St. Louis de Montfort

“Given the breakdown in family life, the wholesale attack on innocent and defenseless human lives, and the violation of the integrity of the union of marriage in our society, the call to the martyrdom of witness is ever more urgent.” -Cardinal Raymond Burke

“The Church of the Lord is built upon the rock of the apostles among so many dangers in the world; it therefore remains unmoved. The Church's foundation is unshakable and firm against assaults of the raging sea. Waves lash at the Church but do not shatter it. Although the elements of this world constantly beat upon the Church with crashing sounds, the Church possesses the safest harbor of salvation for all in distress.” -St. Ambrose of Milan


“If a soul is not clothed with the teachings of the Church he cannot merit to have Jesus seated in him.” -St. Jerome

“If one yields ground on any single point of Catholic doctrine, one will later have to yield later in another, and again in another, and so on until such surrenders come to be something normal and acceptable. And when one gets used to rejecting dogma bit by bit, the final result will be the repudiation of it altogether.” -St. Vincent of Lerins

“What shall a Catholic do if some portion of the Church detaches itself from communion of the universal Faith? What other choice can he make if some new contagion attempts to poison, no longer a small part of the Church, but the whole Church at once, then his great concern will be to attach himself to antiquity (Tradition) which can no longer be led astray by any lying novelty.” -St. Vincent of Lerins

“It is an error to believe that Christ did not teach a determined body of doctrine applicable to all times and to all men, but rather that He inaugurated a religious movement adapted, or to be adapted, to different times and different places.” -Pope St. Pius X


In Christ, 


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 




Sunday, June 18, 2017

Walking across Fr. James Martin's LGBT bridge


Over on Father heretic James Martin's Facebook page, he is promoting his new book "Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity", as if the Catholic Church wasn't already respectful, compassionate and sensitive to people who are suffering with homosexuality. 
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
Father Martin says all that, all over this social media outlets and now again with his latest book on the subject. Great! 

The Catholic catechism is also perfectly clear that homosexual "acts" are intrinsically disordered and of grave depravity.
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, 141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." 142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
What Father Martin NEVER says is the issue here. He overlooks all the Catholic catechism has to say on the matter of homosexual acts being a sin and the need to repent of sin.
2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.  
2396 Among the sins gravely contrary to chastity are masturbation, fornication, pornography, and homosexual practices.


Currently there is an on going discussion on Martin's Facebook page over his neglect to mention the Church's complete teaching on homosexuality.

Comments from Fr. James Martin's Facebook page:
Matt Beard writes:  Fr. James Martin, what is your aim here? If your argument is that the Church built by Jesus Christ should welcome all people in His spirit of charity, then you are absolutely right. That is fairly obvious and should be uncontroversial. Looking down this thread, however, I see lots of comments suggesting that the Church should essentially redefine the entire theology of marriage. Both Scripture and Tradition - the joint deposit of our Catholic Faith- prohibit such a move. It should be noted that heterosexuals are by no means immune to sexual sin. Pornography, masturbation, contraception, and fornication are all mortal sins that would strip a straight person of the right to receive Holy Communion without first going to Confession. The Church has long taught that a person's sexual orientation is morally neutral, but his sexual behavior is not. Helping people identify and avoid their sins is at the very heart of the Church's mission to save souls. It is not compassionate, pastoral, or acceptable for the Church to abdicate its mission, even with the best of intentions. Christ Himself loved and welcomed sinners, but He always admonished them not to sin any more. The Church, too, must speak the truth in love.
Fr. James Martin responds:



Upon seeing this, the question came to my mind "Then what?" 

What happens after the "encounter"? Jesus told people to "go and sin no more" does Father Martin say that?

I decided to find out, so I purchased Fr. Martin's "Building a Bridge" book today and downloaded it on my Kindle for $12.99 from Amazon. Then I sat down and began to read. The book is short, made up of 'Why I am Writing" and the "A Two-Way Bridge" chapters divided into "Respect: The Church and others TO LGBT people", "Compassion: The Church and others TO LGBT people", "Sensitivity: The Church and others TO LGBT people" and then the same chapters flip now going from LBGT people TO the Church, ending with meditations and scriptures and finally a prayer. 

Let's start at the beginning. 


"Why I am Writing" by Fr. James Martin 

Quote: "So when New Ways Ministry, a group that ministers to and advocates for LGBT Catholics, asked just a few weeks after the Orlando tragedy if I would accept their "Bridge Building Award" and give a talk at the time of the award ceremony, I agreed." 

First, New Ways Ministry has been constantly condemned by the Holy Catholic Church ( http://www.usccb.org/news/2010/10-028.cfm ) and Fr. Martin knows it. Promoting them in public and in his book is just outrageous. 
USCCB writes: New Ways Ministry is an organization based in Mount Rainier, Maryland, that describes itself as "a gay-positive ministry of advocacy and justice for lesbian and gay Catholics and reconciliation within the larger Christian and civil communities." From the time of the organization's founding in 1977, serious questions have been raised about the group’s adherence to Church teaching on homosexuality. In 1984, the archbishop of Washington denied New Ways Ministry any official authorization or approval of its activities. At that time, he forbade the two co-founders of New Ways Ministry, Sr. Jeannine Gramick, SSND, and Fr. Robert Nugent, to continue their activities in the Archdiocese of Washington. In the same year, Sr. Gramick and Fr. Nugent were ordered by their superiors to separate themselves from New Ways Ministry. Although they resigned from leadership posts, they continued their involvement in New Ways Ministry activities until 1999, when the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that because of errors and ambiguities in the approach of Sr. Gramick and Fr. Nugent they are permanently prohibited from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons.
         In reference to his decision not to grant any approval or authorization to New Ways Ministry in the 1980s, Archbishop James Hickey of Washington cited the organization's lack of adherence to Church teaching on the morality of homosexual acts. This was the central issue in the subsequent investigation and censure of the founders of New Ways Ministry, Sr. Jeannine Gramick and Fr. Robert Nugent. This continues to be the crucial defect in the approach of New Ways Ministry, which has not changed its position after the departure of the cofounders.
And "No one should be misled by the claim that New Ways Ministry provides an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching and an authentic Catholic pastoral practice. Their claim to be Catholic only confuses the faithful regarding the authentic teaching and ministry of the Church with respect to persons with a homosexual inclination. Accordingly, I wish to make it clear that, like other groups that claim to be Catholic but deny central aspects of Church teaching, New Ways Ministry has no approval or recognition from the Catholic Church and that they cannot speak on behalf of the Catholic faithful in the United States."[clipped for length]
Fr. Martin is very clearly in this book promoting New Ways Ministry, even giving them kudos for their help. Also, his award from New Ways Ministry is what inspired his book title. New Ways Ministry is giddy with Fr. Martin who attempts to give them credit that Christ's Holy Catholic Church has been denying them for years because they are spreading heresy and confusion among the LBGT communities. This should be a red flag to any knowledgeable Catholic- most certainly the clergy who put their stamp of approval on this book- scandalous! Talk about giving the laity mixed signals! 
"Respect" (Chapter One) 
Quote: "Respect also means acknowledging that LGBT Catholics bring unique gifts to the church- both as individuals and as a community. These gifts build up the church in special ways, as St. Paul wrote when compared the People of God to a human body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Every body part is important: the hand, the eye, the foot. In fact, as Paul said, it is the parts of the body that "we think less honorable" that deserve even greater respect. Many LGBT people have indeed felt "less honorable" in the church. So, following St. Paul, it is to these members and to their gifts that we should pay even greater respect. "Those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor," he writes.Just consider for a moment the many gifts brought by LGBT Catholics who work in parishes, schools, chanceries, retreat centers, hospitals, and social service agencies. Let us "honor" them, as St. Paul says." [clipped] 
So we are to "honor" people who are called by God "abominations" for the acts they are committing? Clearly, I am not speaking of chaste and celibate people, but rather homosexuals engaging in homosexual acts- which the catechism clearly states is sinful. I bring this up, because Martin has continually praised homosexual unions (I wrote about it in my post "Fr. Martin another Pied-Piper of Hell" back in 2015) over the years. 

Martin then goes on to bemoan the handful of times LBGT have been fired from positions in the Church because they have caused scandal by their homosexual unions (he declares this is "a sign of unjust discrimination" #2358 in the catechism). 

He worries about the hurt feelings of the LBGT people, but not the scandal homosexual unions cause the rest of the laity. He goes on to ask the question "Do we give pink slips to those who practice birth control?" How would anyone know who is or isn't using birth control? A "married" (as if!) homosexual couple are PUBLIC sinners, flaunting their immoral grave sin for all to see. The Church has a moral duty to correct them and NOT allow them to scandalize the faithful. Martin doesn't like correction, in fact, not once in his entire book does he call homosexual acts sinful nor does he tell the LBGT community that they must repent of homosexual acts because it is a mortal sin. 

Martin twists so many scriptures by leaving out the obvious point...Jesus accepts sinners in love...blah, blah, blah. Jesus of course loves sinners, we are all sinners, but what Jesus said was "go and sin no more". That phrase is never mentioned in Martin's book, or from what I can see on any of his social media outlets. 

Martin wants to "encounter" the sinner and leave them in their sin! I can think of nothing more cruel! It's like spitting in Jesus' face. Jesus loves us all and he wants us to enter Heaven, to do that we must ALL repent of all our sins, whatever they may be. If not, we have only one destination to look forward to. Hell. 

Fr. Martin talks about being "sensitive" to LBGT people by changing our language. 
Quote: "One way to be more sensitive is to consider the language we use. Some bishops have already called for the church to set aside the phrase "objectively disordered" when it comes to describing the homosexual inclination (as it is in the Catechism #2358)."
That is ridiculous! Homosexual acts ARE disordered. The natural order which God made man and woman is for each other- to procreate. That is what is natural to God's creation of man and woman. To be "inclined" to same sex acts is by definition disordered to the natural order! 

It doesn't matter that Fr. Martin says this is "...needlessly hurtful. Saying that one of the deepest parts of a person-the part that gives and receives love is "disordered" in itself is needless cruelty".

It is not 'needlessly hurtful' nor 'needless cruelty'! And too bad if the truth hurts! Lies that lead to Hell will be a whole lot more painful! Martin is clueless as to what true love is. Love is not the lust of sex, love is about wanting to get yourself and others to Heaven because that is what Jesus wants for each of us. Eternity with him. There is only one way that can happen- repenting of all our sins, not wallowing in them and crying about hurt feelings because the Church won't condone your sins.

I could go on and on, but I am going to end with what screamed off the pages of this book to me from the first introduction pages to the end of the book. 

It's when Martin brings up the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) which he rightly points to as a story of true compassion. 

Unfortunately, he twists it the wrong way and completely overlooks the point. The Good Samaritan didn't merely "encounter" the poor beaten and robbed man, he helped heal him of his wounds by biding up his wounds and seeing to his care until he was healed. He didn't leave him in the near death state he found him in

The Church has always done this for Her wounded. To cure the wound, the Church must tell the person what is sin, so the person can confess the sin and turn from it. Repentance is what we are called to, each one of us! If the person continues in the sin, the wound is never healed. 

Homosexual relationships are one-way tickets to Hell if not repented of, the exact same way fornication and adultery for a heterosexual is.

Fr. James Martin's book spouts about "encountering one another" and "accompanying one another", again I ask to where?  His book never answers, you just keep walking back and forth over this bridge to no where, because sin and the need to repent are never mentioned. 

Just keep on "encountering" each other until Judgement day, see where that bridge leads you.



In Christ, 

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 


Links: 

USBBC on New Ways Ministry: http://www.usccb.org/news/2010/10-028.cfm








Wednesday, June 14, 2017

What the hell has Pope Francis done now?


Pro-Abortionist Nigel Biggar appointed to the Pontifical Academy for Life by Pope Francis
Quote LifeNews: "The Pontifical Academy for Life promotes protections for human life at all stages and supports research on moral and bioethical issues. It is influential world-wide in promoting Catholic teachings on abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research and other issues involving life and family.
Biggar, a professor of theology at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, has made past statements in support of abortion and possibly even limited euthanasia, The National Catholic Register reports."
Our Holy Father - who is supposed to uphold, teach and advance the Catholic faith, has just placed an abortion advocate to the Ordinary Members of the Pontifical Academy for Life. 

What the hell?! 

Seriously, this sort of crap infuriates me! 

It's like putting Nancy Pelosi in charge of the Pro-life March!  

Biggar:  “I would be inclined to draw the line for abortion at 18 weeks after conception, which is roughly about the earliest time when there is some evidence of brain activity, and therefore of consciousness. In terms of maintaining a strong social commitment to preserving human life in hindered forms, and in terms of not becoming too casual about killing human life, we need to draw the line much more conservatively.”

“It’s not clear that a human foetus is the same kind of thing as an adult or a mature human being, and therefore deserves quite the same treatment. It then becomes a question of where we draw the line, and there is no absolutely cogent reason for drawing it in one place over another.”

So Biggar is "inclined to draw the line for abortion at 18 weeks after conception" while Christ's Holy Catholic Church teaches all abortion is opposed to moral law.  Pope Francis just tossed moral law out the window and replaced it with a pro-abort who isn't "clear that a human foetus is the same kind of thing as an adult".

What the hell were you thinking Pope Francis?  

The Catholic Church
Catecism #2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. 75God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes. 76
Catechism #2274 "Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual.... It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence."

Biggar doesn't believe what the Catholic Church teaches on life, so why on God's green earth would the pope put such a man in the Pontifical Academy for Life? 

I am, once more, completely baffled by the actions of this pope.

He worries about the scandal some priests in Nigeria might be causing because they opposed his choice in a Bishop (see my post from yesterday), but he apparently has no worries about the scandal HE causes by putting a pro-choice abortion supporter on the Pontifical Academy for Life. 

I can't help but think of the prophecies of Anne Catherine Emmerich about those inside the Church working hard to destroy it from within. 

Unbelievably sad. 


In Christ, 


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 


Sources: 

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/06/13/170613b.html

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/06/13/philosopher-who-backs-legal-abortion-appointed-to-vatican-pro-life-academy/

http://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2015/02/blessed-anne-catherine-emmerich.html

http://www.lifenews.com/2017/06/14/vatican-names-pro-abortion-philosopher-to-pro-life-academy/

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Sunday Review



This post is about some things that caught my eye this week. The good, the bad, the ugly and the ironic. 

Before I get to that, I've come to the conclusion that the Holy Father has an extremely narrow view of the world. All his constant talk of helping the poor (a given for any decent human being) and pushing for a larger role of women in the Church (deaconesses etc) and of course more "dialogue" is because Pope Francis, for all his globalist talk doesn't actually look at the global Catholic Church. I think he sees only the environment he was in and applies that to the entire world. 

What the Church and status of people are/look like in Argentina is not what the Church looks like in the United States, the United Kingdom or any where else. This article by Rome Reports reflects my thoughts on the influence Argentina has on Pope Francis and the Bishops of Argentina. 

On Friday, Pope Francis (again) talked of expanding the role of women in the Church...
quote Catholic OnlineIf women are able to freely put their gifts at the service of the entire community, "the way in which society understands and is organized is positively transformed, reflecting better the substantial unity of the human family," he said.
Because of this, a beneficial model for society is one that amplifies the presence of women in social, economic and political life at the local, national and international levels, "as well as in the ecclesial," he said.
"Women have the right to be actively involved in all areas, and their right must be asserted and protected even by legal means wherever they prove necessary."
This, Francis said, involves "expanding the spaces of a more incisive feminine presence."
 
And: 
quote: However, "women can also become fully involved in exchanges at the religious level, as well as those at the theological level," the Pope said, noting that many women "are well prepared to face encounters of interreligious dialogue at the highest levels and not just from the Catholic side.""This means that the contribution of women is not limited to 'feminine' arguments or to encounters of only women," he said, adding that dialogue "is a path that man and woman must accomplish together."
...has he seen the Church in the United States? Women run nearly everything! I'd like to hear the pope speak to the problems in the United States...abortion, euthanasia, birth control, fornication- specifically the number of Catholics who live together before marriage, immodest clothing- when was the last time anyone ever heard about dressing modestly so you don't cause someone else to lust? There are dozens upon dozens of topics that Catholics in the United States (and other countries) need to hear our pope discuss, but all we get is more social agenda speeches about women's roles and the environment. It's disheartening. 

*** 


Now for the Good, the Bad, the Ugly and the Ironic stuff...

The Good... 

This story is from last month but I apparently missed it. A friend sent it to me this week. The fantastic story of Father Maniyangat, who died and was taken by his guardian angel to Hell, then Purgatory and finally to Heaven where Jesus spoke to him telling him “I want you to go back to the world. In your second life, you will be an instrument of peace and healing to My people. You will walk in a foreign land and you will speak in a foreign tongue. Everything is possible for you with My grace.." 
Quote: "First the angel escorted me to hell. It was an awful sight! I saw Satan and the devils, an unquenchable fire of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, worms crawling, people screaming and fighting, others being tortured by demons. The angel told me that all these sufferings were due to unrepented mortal sins. Then, I understood that there are seven degrees of suffering or levels according to the number and kinds of mortal sins committed in their earthly lives. The souls looked very ugly, cruel and horrific. It was a fearful experience. I saw people whom I knew, but I am not allowed to reveal their identities. The sins that convicted them were mainly abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, hatefulness, unforgiveness and sacrilege. The angel told me that if they had repented, they would have avoided hell and gone instead to purgatory. I also understood that some people who repent from these sins might be purified on earth through their sufferings. This way they can avoid purgatory and go straight to heaven. I was surprised when I saw in hell even priests and Bishops, some of whom I never expected to see. Many of them were there because they had misled the people with false teaching and bad example."

Source: Priest Testifies to His Experience of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory After Death and His Return to His Body

I highly recommend reading this story if you haven't already! Good stuff! 

***

The Bad... 

Whenever we see Catholic clergy leading people into mortal sin it is bad, there is nothing, zero, nada good to be found in this story for Catholics in the United States. 
Quote: "CHICAGO, June 9, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — American Cardinal Blase Cupich has written a glowing introduction to the English translation of a high-ranking Vatican prelate’s new book that calls for Holy Communion to be given to civilly-divorced-and-remarried Catholics living in adultery as well as to cohabiting Catholics." 
and...
"Coccopalmerio, president of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legal Texts, argues in his book that Amoris Laetitia “could allow access to Penance and the Eucharist for the faithful who find themselves in an irregular union.” He explains “irregular union” applies to “all those who are married only civilly or living with a de facto union or tied to a previous canonical marriage.”
He argues that Amoris Laetitia allows for Catholic couples regularly committing acts of adultery to only have a “desire to change and the inability to do so” in order to receive Holy Communion."
The seeds of Pope Francis' Amoris Laetitia are being reaped and the crop is deadly weeds spawned from Hell. 

Source: U.S. cardinal writes forward to new book approving Communion for adulterers 

While that is bad, there is hope coming from the Bishops in Poland (God bless them!)

For more hope read: Polish bishops’ conference calls civilly-divorced-and-remarried Catholics to ‘true conversion,’ not communion

***

The Ugly...

This is ugly and evil. Yesterday in New York City a large group of people decided to protest something (I really don't understand what exactly) by getting completely naked covering themselves only in body paint and walking down the streets of New York in front of families, children and tourists who had no idea what they were in for. 

It was disgusting. As Wayne Dupree puts it..."These Americans decided to walk down the streets of New York City with nothing but just body paint in protest of freedom I guess. Most will call it repulsive and childish. I call it a spirit of evil." 


I agree with Mr. Dupree. 

Source: Liberals Go Super Extreme! Body Paint Protests Through NY City

*warning: don't click the video of the "protest" its full of nudity


***

The Ironic... 

Pope Francis is speaking out about "the people being scandalized" by priests and he's putting his foot down! The irony is he's not worried about the scandalized folks still reeling from the things he's said ('who am I to judge?', 'don't breed like rabbits' etc) or by liberal priests leading people toward Hell with heretical teachings. Nope. Rather the pope is putting his foot down (rightly so) to prevent people from being scandalized because priests in Nigeria are protesting the pope's pick for Bishop



Imagine for a moment, that the following statement by Pope Francis were about the people scandalized by priests supporting the LBGTQxyz agenda, or "Catholic" politicians supporting abortion, birth control, euthanasia etc., or priests giving Holy Communion to people in mortal sin, or Catholic clergy and parishes marching in gay pride parades! All we can do is imagine, because our Holy Father is silent on these scandalous situations and the damage it is doing to the laity. 


Quote: According to the pope's remarks posted by Kaigama, Francis said, "I think that, in this case, we are not dealing with tribalism, but with an attempted taking of the vineyard of the Lord." The pope also referred to "the parable of the murderous tenants" in Matthew 21:33-44.
"Whoever was opposed to Bishop Okpaleke taking possession of the diocese wants to destroy the church. This is forbidden," the pope said.
Francis said he even had considered "suppressing the diocese, but then I thought that the church is a mother and cannot abandon her many children."
Instead, he said, every priest of the diocese, whether residing in Nigeria or abroad, is to write a letter to him asking for forgiveness because "we all must share this common sorrow."
Each priest's letter, he said, "must clearly manifest total obedience to the pope" and indicate a willingness "to accept the bishop whom the pope sends and has appointed."
"The letter must be sent within 30 days, from today to July 9th, 2017. Whoever does not do this will be ipso facto suspended 'a divinis' and will lose his current office," the pope said, according to the posts.
"This seems very hard, but why must the pope do this?" Francis asked. "Because the people of God are scandalized. Jesus reminds us that whoever causes scandal must suffer the consequences."
If only our Holy Father would put his foot down over the things that actually scandalize Catholic laity on a daily basis around the world! We'd have a whole new Church! Guess the people who are scandalized by these things just don't bother the Pope much.

Source: Pope tells Nigerian priests accept bishop or be suspended



In Christ, 

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 




Sources:

http://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=75145

http://www.romereports.com/2017/06/10/the-homeland-that-shaped-pope-francis

http://catholicsay.com/priest-testifies-to-his-experience-of-heaven-hell-and-purgatory-after-death-and-his-return-to-his-body/

https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-tells-nigerian-priests-accept-bishop-or-be-suspended

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/u.s.-cardinal-writes-forward-to-new-book-approving-communion-for-adulterers

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/polish-bishops-conference-calls-civilly-divorced-and-remarried-catholics-to