The Pope - The Chair of Peter the Apostle

The following is from "The Pope" [pages 73-76]– Source: “The Fountain of Catholic Knowledge: A Comprehensive Statement of All the Truths of Holy Religion” copyright by Office of Catholic Publications, 1900. 

As I stated yesterday, one of the things I am doing for Lent is re-reading from my collection of 100+ year old Catholic books and my plan to share these writings on my blog. Today being "The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle" I thought this was appropriate. 

I really love this writing, and in particular the part about Peter answering Our Lord three times that he loves Him (this is one of my favorite Bible verses). So reading this and reflecting on it in light of our current situation with Pope Francis, a few things really stood out to me, I have underlined them in the text below. 

I'd really like to hear what your thoughts are on this book passage about the pope and our current situation. 

"The first Pope, the first Vicar of Jesus Christ, was the Apostle St. Peter.

   Who cannot recall the memorable passages of the Gospel in which Jesus Christ first promised and afterward conferred upon him the sovereignty of the universe? Our Lord was in Judea, in the country bordering upon the town of Cesarea. To try the faith of His disciples, He asked what men thought concerning Him. They answered, “Some believe that Thou art John the Baptist, other Elias, and other Jeremias, or one of the prophets risen from the dead.” Jesus said to them, “But whom do you say that I am?” And immediately St. Peter, falling on his knees, exclaimed, “Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” Then it was that the Saviour allowed too fall from His lips the words which have travelled down the centuries with such marvellous fertility, and which still shine resplendently at Rome, graven in gigantic characters above the tomb of the Apostle-“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee, That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.”

   You have doubtless often heard this passage of the Gospel read, but have you ever fully fathomed the depth and the strength of its meaning?

First of all, we see that it was God Himself who had inspired St. Peter, and had made known to him the truth of the faith.

“Flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father who is in heaven.” St. Peter was already the elect of God the Father, and for this reason he became the elect of God the Son. “And I”- the Son of God made man, the Christ, the Messiah, to whom thou hast just rendered witness-“I say to thee.” Jesus Christ to St. Pete! the Master to His disciple! God to His Pontiff! the Head of the Church, who has reigned in heaven since His ascension, to him whom He had chosen to be, in His name, and by His authority, the visible head of the Church upon earth. I say to thee, “That thou art Peter.” I change they natural name of Simon into a new and symbolic name. “Upon this rock,” this living rock, as upon an immovable foundation. “I will build My Church,” and the very strength and firmness of the foundation shall give to it so perfect a stability, and so mighty a power, that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Thou shalt teach the truth to My Church, and for this reason it shall be infallible in faith: thou shalt guide it in the path which leads to a glorious eternity, and for this reason it shall be holy. I intrust My Church to thee; I have but one true Church, as a husband has but one lawful wife. And by what clear and evident sigh shall men recognize this one true Church, among the innumerable religious societies which lay claim to her glorious title? By one certain and distinctive mark; if she rest on and centre of unity-her father, pastor, doctor, and pontiff. “Upon this rock I will build My Church.” My kingdom shall be that in which thou shalt reign. My law shall be that which thou shalt teach. Whoever shall be with thee, shall be, for that reason alone, with Me, and whoever shall separate himself from thee, shall separate himself from Me, and from life eternal.

The powers of hell shall not be able to prevail against the Church, since they shall be powerless against thee. Persecutions shall come, heresies, and revolutions. Fear not, I am with thee, and upon thee ever rests My Church, which shall endure unto the end of the world. Those who desire to break thee shall be broken against thee, since thou art the corner of attraction to the whole moral world.

And the power that I will give thee shall be proportioned to the glory conferred upon thee, and to the vast requirements of thy ministry: “Whatsoever thou shalt bind or loose upon earth, shall be found or loosed in heaven;” and thus thy voice shall be as the voice of heaven, and thy infallible dictums shall precede the dictums of the eternal truth. That which though shalt bless, I will bless; that which thou shalt curse, I will curse… Blessed is the man who is obedient to the voice of Peter!

Such is the true meaning of those scriptural words which have ever confounded, and shall eternally confound, the irrational rebellion of Protestants against the Catholic Apostolic Roman Church, which is governed by the Pope, the legitimate successor of St. Peter.

Before ascending into heaven the Son of God solemnly confirmed His promise, of which some might have imagined that St. Peter by his sin had forfeited the fulfillment. “Simon, lovest thou Me?” Jesus asked three times of his Apostle. “Yea, Lord,” St. Peter three times answered; “yea, Thou knowest that I love Thee!” thus effacing by a triple protestation of love and devotion the triple denial of which he had been guilty. Then said Our Lord to him, “Feed My lambs-feed My sheep!” The lambs of Jesus Christ are Christians who are obedient to the voice of this good Shepherd; His sheep are the bishops and priests by whose God-given power and spiritual fatherhood all Christians must be born again-born to the life eternal, by means of baptism, the sacraments, and the teaching of the one true faith.

And thus St. Peter was solemnly appointed pastor of the universal Church by Jesus Christ before His ascension into heaven.

The Pope, Bishop of the city of Rome, of which St. Peter was the first bishop, is the successor of this great and holy Apostle.

Leo XIII., the present Bishop of Rome, descends by an uninterrupted line of pontiffs from the prince of the Apostles. St. Peter commands, teaches, and governs the Christian world by means of Leo XIII., or rather it is Jesus Christ; it is Jesus Christ Himself who dwells within him, in order to be in Him and by Him,  the divine Head of his own Church. It is not the man whom Catholics revere in Leo XIII.; it is the Vicar of Jesus Christ; it is Jesus Christ Himself who covers him with His shadow, and endows him with a royal supremacy over His disciples.

The man in the Pope should be, and generally is, by the providence of God, worthy of esteem, by reason of his virtues; but even were he an utterly bad man, the divine majesty of his authority would remain uninjured; just as a father, who has a claim upon the honor and obedience of his children because he is their father, although they may know that, as a man, he has been guilty of many blamable actions. There are two persons in the Pope: the Pope and the man-as a man, he is more or less estimable, according to the virtues that he possesses; as a Pope, he is always worthy of all our reverence, and has a right to our entire and unquestioning obedience. It is not the man, it is the Pope who is always guided by the Holy Ghost.

There have been two hundred and fifty-nine popes, from St. Peter to the time of our Holy Father Leo XIII. now reigning. Of this number more than eighty have either borne the palm of martyrdom, or have led lives of such eminent holiness that they are numbered among the saints. Scarcely two or three have soiled the chair of St. Peter by notorious vice. The greater part have been men eminent either for their capacity, their piety, or their benevolence. But it may safely be affirmed that not one among them has possessed more charm of virtue than our present Pontiff, Leo XIII.

The peace of God shines from his face. The well known characteristics of his calm and equable nature are goodness and benevolence-a clear intellect, and a constant cheerfulness. His regular features, his eyes of an undefinable expression, and the calm dignity of his manner, are in him the visible signs and outward revelations of the beauty of holiness. He is at once the sovereign Pontiff and the good Father. It is a great happiness to receive the blessing of the Pope, and especially of such a Pope. It is a great happiness to be able to make a pilgrimage to Rome, and to see the successor of St. Peter celebrating the Holy Sacrifice upon the very tomb of the Apostle, and offering to the adoration of the faithful the hidden God of whom he is the Pontiff and the Vicar." 

Thoughts? 

In Christ, 

Julie

Source: The Fountain of Catholic Knowledge, A Comprehensive Statement of All the Truths of the Holy Religion Together With Notable Presentations of the Glorious Truth Triumphant – Office of Catholic Publications, 1900.  

Louie Verrecchio takes flight?

We've got a bad pope. 

There is no denying. 

Some Catholic media outlets won't say it publicly but they know it just like the rest of us who aren't ostriches. 

For example [there are so many to pick from] a pope who says hell is not eternal because any soul that has been damned will be destroyed, is speaking heresy. 

This is wrong because 1) damnation is eternal, 2) souls are not destroyed they are eternal, and 3) this is a basic teaching of the Holy Catholic Church that must be accepted and believed because Jesus Christ himself stated such in Sacred Scripture (Matthew 25:46). 

Catechism: 1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire." 617 The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

Catechism: 2089 Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. "Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him." 11

That said, we, the faithful (key word here) should not abandon ship. 

Our first pope, Saint Peter was corrected by Saint Paul when he was in error, he accepted the correction and that was that, as the saying goes. 

Pope Honorius I, believed that Christ had only Divine Will (Monothelitism) during his time as pope. He pushed and taught this heresy through out his papacy and many followed and believed him- perhaps because...well, he was the pope!  

They ignorantly thought that a pope could change the Faith and go against centuries of Sacred Teaching. They were wrong, and those who did not repent paid the ultimate price for it.  Excommunication and death outside the Salvation found in Christ's Holy Catholic Church. 

Pope Honorius I was not condemned as a heretic for decades AFTER his death during the Third Council of Constantinople.  Yet he was pope and the Church did not collapse or self destruct because he blathered heresy. What did happen was he created a following of a bunch of heretics who like himself were eventually excommunicated. To those of you out there swallowing the heresies of any Catholic clergy, open your eyes. Your very salvation depends upon it.

Sadly, there were others like Honorius I in the history of our Church and unfortunately, there may be more in the future. Had Honorius I accepted correction, he would not have died an excommunicated heretic. 

Now we have Pope Francis, preparing to celebrate...er...commemorate another excommunicated heretic who died outside the Church. Martin Luther. 

Will Pope Francis accept correction (see yesterday's post HERE) before he dies and is (in my opinion) declared a heretic by some future council? I certainly pray and hope so. 

Mr. Louie Verrecchio apparently disagrees with me on this -or am I reading this wrong? [my apologies if I'm reading this wrong] 

Over at AKACatholic.com in his "Pope or Anti-pope: Does it matter?" post, Mr. Verrecchio wrote the following... 

Quote: Even so, let’s consider some of the arguments being floated to this end:– A future pope will have to sort this mess out for us; we are unable.
The Church is mired in an unprecedented crisis that has been festering for more than five decades now.
In such an environment as this, it is entirely unreasonable – irresponsible even – to simply sit back and wait for a new conclave to elect an intrepid defender of the Faith who will right the ship and set the record straight. I mean, let’s face it, folks – the papabile talent pool is no more than ankle deep at this point.
Rest assured, Our Lord is not asking us to set aside our intelligence and ability to reason in this matter; on the contrary, we need to make use of these God-given gifts all the more in the absence of true shepherds.[clipped] 

My response is, look at previous councils!  This is how the Church works and has always worked. The Third Council of Constantinople- decades after Pope Honoriuos I's, death declared him a heretic and his teachings heretical.  This might very well be the case with Pope Francis himself should he refuse correction. 

So what do we Catholics do when we have a current pope speaking heresy and commemorating heretics? 

Mr. Verrecchio in his post says we have two options, "fight or flight"... 

Quote:
It’s “fight or flight.”
In the face of this unprecedented attack on the Petrine ministry, the “visible foundation” of the Church, some Catholic commentators will flee, and it must be said that flight has its rewards. Others will dig in and fight, which is always carried out at a cost.
I choose the latter.[end]

Again I ask, am I reading this correctly? 

I hope he means 'fight'...but if he means 'flight'...no!

Flight? Flight to where? Mr. Verrecchio does not elaborate- and after re-reading this a few times I am admittedly unclear as to which "latter" he is referring to. That said, my response stands for all who are considering "flight"- that is not an option for Catholics!

We do not take flight.  We are the church militant on earth. We fight! We stand with the teachings handed down to us from the Church.  We reject heresy- even when it comes from a pope. 

What we never do is take flight from Christ's Holy Catholic Church.  

We are not cowards. Our Lord is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Holy Catholic Church is His Church and as such we must cling to Her regardless of who is pope or what heresy might come from his lips. 

There is no where else to go folks. Please don't fear a heretical pope. Cling to your Faith as it was handed down to you over the centuries. Popes come and popes go. We have good ones, we have great ones and occasionally we have heretical ones. 

Do not take flight. Fight. 

In Christ, 

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 

***Addition: I truly hope that Mr. Verrecchio means "fight" and not "flight". My message in this post remains to those who have or are thinking of taking "flight" from the Church.*** 

Sources: 

https://akacatholic.com/pope-or-anti-pope-does-it-really-matter/

http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum06.htm

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07452b.htm

http://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/fetzen-fliegen/item/1611-did-pope-francis-just-deny-the-existence-of-hell

http://connecticutcatholiccorner.blogspot.com/2016/09/theyre-coming-out-of-woodwork-now.html

#Flashback Friday: The Catholic Church Then and Now

This week’s topic: The Daily Life of the Pope

Then:

A day in the life of Pope Leo XIII (and popes before him): 

Pope Leo XIII

[Quote] As a rule, the higher the dignity to which a man is raised the more weighty and difficult are the duties which his position involves. I know that this is not generally believed or understood, but it is none the less true. Life is often a weary burden to those of high estate, and there is less liberty in the palaces of princes than in the humble dwellings of the poor.

The greatest dignitary in the world is undoubtedly the Pope, the supreme head of religion upon earth, the High Priest of God, the bishop and pastor of all the faithful, the spiritual father of monarchs as well as their subjects. There is also no man in the world who leads a more trying, arduous, difficult, and laborious life. From the morning till the evening, from the first day of the year till the last, he is, to the very letter, the Servant of the servants of God, as the Sovereign Pontiffs so justly entitle themselves in the Papal bulls and decrees.

Let us consider in what manner the Pope passes the day.

Our Holy Father lives at Rome, in an immense palace called the Vatican, adjoining the Church of St. Peter’s. The vast halls of the Vatican are adorned with grandeur and simplicity; the walls are uniformly covered with red hangings, and with the exception of the pontifical throne the only seats are wooden stools. After a long suite of rooms occupied by the servants and guards, according to their rank, then by the prelates composing the Papal household, we reach the special apartments of His Holiness.

These rooms are small and still more simple than the others. And first comes the study of the Holy Father. It is here that he gives, during the day, his numerous audiences, of which we shall speak presently. The Pope is seated in an armchair of crimson velvet; before him is a large square table covered with red silk, similar to the hangings on the walls, and above the chair there is a canopy of the same color, the insignia of royal and pontifical majesty. Seats for the cardinals and princes, and two or three wooden seats, constitute the furniture of this apartment. This first room communicates with a second of the same size, and exactly similar, excepting that at the end there is a bed hung with crimson silk. This is the Pope’s bed-chamber. Then comes a third room furnished in the same manner; this is the dining room. The Holy Father has every meal alone, on a table covered with red silk like that of the study. Lastly comes the library, which is a large and beautiful room with four or five windows, and where the Pope is accustomed to hold councils with his ministers.

The Pope is always dressed in white. He wears on his head a small cap of white silk; his cassock is of white cloth during the winter, and of thin white woolen or white silk during the summer. His wide band is also of white silk, with gold tassels. 
His shoes, or slippers, are red, with a gold cross embroidered on the instep. It is this cross which is kissed by everyone who approaches the sacred person of the Vicar of Jesus Christ.

When he leaves his apartments the Pope wears over his cassock a rochet of lace, a scarlet mantle trimmed with white fur, and, lastly, a stole embroidered in gold. He covers his head with a large red silk hat a little raised on each side, and timed, with a gold tassel. The former custom of the Pontifical Court did not permit him to go out in the streets of Rome excepting in a carriage; beyond the gates of the city, he often took long walks on foot, stopping willingly to speak to the poor and to children, and giving his holy benediction to those whom he met.* All who meet the Pope uncover their heads and kneel down as a mark of the reverence due to his character of Supreme Pontiff.

The Holy Father rises early. After his prayers he goes into his chapel to celebrate the Holy Mass. This chapel is small, and adjoining the Pope’s apartment. The Blessed Sacrament is always preserved there, and the Holy Father, in his devotion to the Divine Eucharist, attends himself to the two lamps which burn perpetually before the tabernacle. His Holiness says Mass, slowly and with deep devotion; his august face is often bathed with tears while he holds in his sacred hands the hidden God of whom he is the Vicar.

Usually he says Mass at half-past seven, and assists, as an act of thanksgiving, at a second Mass celebrated by one of his chaplains. 

Afterward he recites a part of the breviary on his knees with one of the prelates of his household, and then returns to his apartments. The Pope’s breakfast consists of a cup of black coffee. The sobriety of the Italians is well known, and this is the first repast of almost all Romans. Until about ten o’clock the Holy Father works every day with his first minister, who is a Cardinal, and is called the Secretary of State.

At ten o’clock commence the audiences, a laborious task, which would be trying and wearisome if the most important questions and gravest interests of religion and society were not there discussed. Cardinals, bishops, princes, ambassadors, missionaries, priests, and great numbers of the faithful come from all parts of the world to lay down at the feet of the Head of the Church their homage, their requests, and their necessities. The Pope remains seated during these audiences. All kneel in his presence, or stand with his permission. Cardinals and princes have the privilege of sitting down. 

On entering the Pope’s study three genuflections are made; the first at the threshold, the second half way, and the third at the Pope’s feet. Then his foot or his hand is kissed, and the audience commences. As soon as it is ended, the Holy Father rings a bell, and someone else is announced and immediately introduced by one of the resident prelates. Only men are admitted in this manner into the apartments of the Pope; this is an invariable rule. Ladies are received for an audience once or twice a week, in a large hall forming part of the public museums of the Vatican.

The audiences of the morning usually last more than four hours. When they are ended, at about half-past two, the Pope passes into his dining-room and takes a frugal repast. Then he recites, on his knees, the continuation of his breviary, and, after a few minute’s repose, goes out to take a little exercise. When it is bad weather the Holy Father contents himself with walking for a little time up and down the library or in one of the covered galleries of the Vatican. 

At the decline of the day, indicated in Italy by the sound of the Angelus, and for this reason called the Ave Maria, the Pope returns to the Vatican, recites with his suite the Angelical Salutation, adding the De Profundis for all the faithful who have died during the course of the day. Then the audiences recommence. Different papers are also submitted to the Pope for his signature; the decrees of different Roman congregations which preside over the religious affairs of the whole Catholic world are submitted for his sovereign approbation and final decision. These audiences last until ten or eleven in the evening, after which the Holy Father takes a light collation, composed of fruits or vegetables; he then terminates the recitation of his breviary and goes to take some hours of that repose which he has so devoutly and laboriously earned.

Such, with rare exceptions, is the daily life of the Pope, and such a life, notwithstanding the honors with which it is surrounded, and even because of these honors, is a continual subjection, an hourly self-renunciation; also when the Sovereign Pontiff enters into the designs of God, as is so perfectly done by our Holy Father the present Pope [Pope Leo XIII], his life is complete in the sight of God, and the merits more than any other life the great and blessed recompense promised to the faithful servant. [End quote]

      *Owing to the Italian spoliation of the temporal power, the Pope never leaves the Vatican grounds.

[Source:  The Fountain of Catholic Knowledge, copyrighted by the Office of Catholic Publications, 1900;  pages 413-416]

~~~~~

Now:

A day in the life of Pope Francis: 

[Quote] DAILY ROUTINE: Francis rises on his own at around 4:30 a.m. and spends the next two hours praying, meditating on the Scripture readings for the day and preparing his morning homily. He delivers it off-the-cuff at the 7 a.m. Mass in the chapel of the Vatican's Santa Marta hotel where he lives. After Mass, Francis greets the faithful in the atrium outside the chapel, then walks a few meters into the hotel dining room for breakfast. He often will have fresh-squeezed orange juice (a papal indulgence since other diners are served only packaged OJ) and membrillo, a gelatinous paste made from quince that is popular in Argentina.  

After breakfast, Francis takes Elevator A up to the second floor to his home: Santa Marta's Room 201, though he has actually converted the entire second floor of the hotel wing into a home office. He then gets to work, either staying in the hotel or heading to the Apostolic Palace if he has formal audiences. Occasionally he takes a break to recite the rosary. After a 1 p.m. lunch in the dining room, Francis takes a siesta of about 40 minutes to an hour and resumes working into the evening, often taking care of correspondence. He tries to get in an hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament before dinner, though he confesses to sometimes falling asleep while praying. 

Dinner in the dining room is self-service, cafeteria-style at 8 p.m. and Francis has been known to microwave his own food if it's not warm enough. Before taking the elevator back upstairs, he will be sure to thank the Swiss Guard, Vatican gendarme and reception desk clerk on duty in the hotel lobby, and say good-night. He's in bed by 9 p.m., reads for an hour and is asleep — "like a log" — for the next six hours or so. [End quote]

In Christ,

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner

Sources:

Photo: http://www.necn.com/news/national-international/Pope-Francis-What-Makes-Him-Different-From-His-Predecessors-324146331.html

Now: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/09/19/glance-pope-francis-likes-dislikes-motto-daily-routine-and-favorite-foods.html

Pope Leo XII private Mass photo: https://catholicpictures.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/leo-xiii-private-mass/

Pope Leo XII photos: https://catholicpictures.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/pope-leo-xiii-3/

and https://catholicpictures.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/pope-leo-xiii-2/

http://list25.com/25-interesting-facts-about-pope-francis-you-probably-didnt-know/

beach ball: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/51170251/ns/us_news-pope_francis_i?q=Pope%20Francis%20I

red shoes: http://theratzingerforum.yuku.com/topic/2211/Pope-Leo-XIII#.V6Qo97grKUk

Don't tell me the pope is powerless!

As is my custom, I watched today's episode of Church Militant's 'The Vortex' and found myself talking back to Michael on my computer screen (I do that with the television too) and really getting sort of ticked off with him. 

He was dashing my hopes and dreams of a pope who has any influence at all in righting this ship. What *I* got out of today's Vortex (and I do hope others found something more encouraging) is "it ain't in the pope's power to fix the Church so don't bother hoping in this pope-or any pope in the future because the power is all with the Bishops. The pope has zero authority, influence or ability to fix the problems in our Church." 

How freaking depressing! I gotta say, I felt the hope get sucked right out of me listening to today's Vortex. I'm sure that isn't what Mr. Voris intended but there it is. 

The Vortex began with Mr. Voris once more scolding Catholic bloggers (and EWTN) who say anything negative about the pope's statements that too often cause chaos and confusion among the laity. 

quote: "The problem any pope faces, has faced or will face for the foreseeable future is that no matter what he does or doesn't do, the spirit of disobedience and rebellion rampant in the ecclesiastical ranks isn't going anywhere. The danger of always pointing to Rome, always saying the Pope is a heretic, the Pope is confusing, the Pope is this, the Pope is that, is that the Pope isn't the problem — just an easy target.
When outfits like EWTN start talking about confusing things the Pope is saying, the question needs to be asked: Where have you been all these years when hundreds of bishops have let the Church deteriorate and rot on the vine? Is that just a case of chest pounding to act all tough now because they have tested the winds and realize that their audience doesn't like some of what the Pope says?" 

Seemingly, Mr. Voris wants to put all the blame on the Bishops and tell us that no matter how much a pope tries, he simply can not control these bad Bishops and the Church will forever be corrupted because no pope can get the Bishops under control. 

Horsehockey!  

I simply REFUSE to believe that.  And I am NOT placing the blame alone on our current pope. Any pope who won't TRY or attempt to stand up against evil or corruption in the Church SHOULD be called out and put on the spot. The Pope is our shepherd, we are the flock.  

Right now the flock are walking around with little to no direction because THIS pope is rambling on about climate change and turning off air conditioning, while Bishops fight for immigration reform with nations, priests attend gay pride parades selling "who am I to judge" t-shirts and nuns work for birth control and abortion. What the hell is that all about?  

Don't tell me the pope has NO authority to do anything!  Sorry Michael, I do not buy that. I won't believe that. To allow myself to believe that would be to fall into despair and hopelessness.  

The fact is we need a STRICT BY THE BOOK pope who ENFORCES the Faith. If a Cardinal/Bishop shows any sort of wavering in the faith or rebellion he is removed from his position for a time(give 'em a chance to repent), and sent to uncomfortable accommodations (somewhere hot with no AC -that the pope is so concerned about- no more plush accommodations) and given ONE shot to make it right, if he refuses he is EXCOMMUNICATED PUBLICLY for the scandal he may have caused.  Do that to a few dozen Bishops and see what happens! 

There is NO reason for THIS pope to continually remove good authentic Cardinals/Bishops from prominent positions in the Church and replace them with Cardinals/Bishops who hold heretical progressive beliefs (and Michael knows who they are he talks about them all the time on his shows) other than those are the types of men the current pope wants in leadership positions. 

Michael paints a picture of popes waving the white flag to corrupt Bishops and saying "Oh well, they win, I lose, game over!" What sort of mentality is that for a Catholic to hold?

Voris goes on to say: 

quote:  "What if the Pope came out tomorrow and said no more Holy Communion in the hand, no more altar girls, no more heretics speaking at the L.A. Archdiocese Religious Education Conference, no more cardinals leading parades with gays, no more horrible catechesis being taught in schools (provided he would even know any of this) — what if he came out and did all this? Do you really think your local bishop in your local diocese, or the national conferences of Catholic bishops in all sorts of countries, would give it the slightest attention?"

Yes! What if?  

Imagine that!  A pope being pope!

What if only a quarter of the worlds Cardinals/Bishops did as the Pope said? Would that not be an improvement?  A turn in the right direction? Why can't the pope-any pope(current or future) say these things? 

And let's dream bigger! What if HALF the Bishops in the world insisted on Holy Communion on the tongue, no more altar girls, no more heretics speaking at any institute with the name "Catholic" in it? What if? 

Is it too much to dream of half the Bishops in the world listening to the pope if he said those things?  Let's take it back to the early Church.

If it's too hard to think that we can't find half, then how about a dozen faithful Cardinals and Bishops in the Church who would listen to the pope and do as he says? Would not even the number of the Apostles have an effect on the Church?  But of course it would! Look what the Apostles were able to do! 

I truly don't understand Mr. Voris today. What he seemed to be saying is we can't even have the hope of "what if" because all hope is lost if you place it in a pope to fix things, because no one will listen to the pope. That is the message I received from watching The Vortex today and I am pretty sure that wasn't the message Mr. Voris was trying to send. 

Any pope doing the Will of God can do anything...even if he only has Twelve faithful men listening to him. I truly believe that and I hold hope in that.

Voris has declined to say anything publicly about this pope, but I know he and his staff aren't blind to the shuffling of authentic Cardinals and Bishops with liberal progressive Cardinals and Bishops so that the heretical Cardinals/Bishops are in positions of power. They've reported these changes at Church Militant. And they know it happened and is happening under the authority of this pope. 

Pope Francis (and all popes) has the authority to place Cardinals and Bishops where ever he wants and he decides what sort of Cardinals and Bishops he wants in what places.  

He has the authority to decide the focus of his papacy...saving souls...saving the planet...converting sinners or leaving them where they are.

The pope is responsible for the direction the Church is taking right now, under this papacy based on his decisions.  The direction we have seen thus far is progressive- that is why the world adores him so much.  The overwhelming message the world has heard from Pope Francis is mainly global warming and 'who am I to judge'.

He has chosen a more progressive and liberal leaning Church, and to accomplish that he has demoted more orthodox conservative Cardinals/Bishops and replaced them with progressives. 

That is how this pope has chosen to lead the Church and laity along with the Bishops, who are following his lead as they work diligently to fight global warming and reform immigration laws around the world. They are following our popes lead, so clearly the Bishops ARE listening to Pope Francis.

The problem is not that Pope Francis is our pope. The problem is we have a pope who is leading us in a war against global warming and immigration reform while telling the world he does not wish to convert people to the Catholic faith. 

The Bishops are hearing that message loud and clear and like good little soldiers following the lead set before them by Pope Francis. 

We can't ignore the facts.

Michael asks, 'what if'? 

Yes, Michael, what if  the message were different? How many would follow? Half?  A quarter? Only a dozen faithful men? 

Oh what God can do with Twelve!

In Christ, 

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 

Source: http://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/vortex-rome-be-damned

*****Vote in my poll top right side bar***

UPDATE: One wonders if Raymond Arroyo got wind of Church Militant's Vortex mentioned above...

;) 

EWTN Press Release: The Papacy: A Living History

EWTN: Pius VII Excommunicated Napoleon And The Press Covered It!                                                                                                             Learn More When EWTN Airs "The Papacy: A Living History"

#God can inspire anybody, even those that are “unchurched.” “Journey Home” Host Marcus Grodi welcomes Fr. Shane Tharp to discuss his his calling to the #CatholicPriesthood. Airs 8 p.m. ET, Monday, May 4—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

Discover rare artifacts such as an invitation to a #Papal #Mass in Poland, a signed copy of “Crossing the Threshold,” and the canonizations of Saints #JohnPaulII and #JohnXXIII. Join Co-Hosts Fr. Richard Kunst and Fr. Ryan Moravitz for “The Papacy: A Living History”! Airs 6:30 p.m. ET, Monday, May 4—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

He is the next #bishop and first #Franciscan for this young diocese! On May 5, “Cathedrals Across America” takes you to the Cathedral of Christ the King as Fr. John Stowe, OFM Conv, is installed as the third bishop of Lexington, KY. Airs 2 p.m. ET, Tuesday, May 5—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

Examine #papal artifacts from St. John XXIII’s papacy such as the Second Vatican Council Ballot, the lead seals placed on the Sistine Chapel upon his death, and the canonization of he and St. John Paul II. Join Co-Hosts Fr. Richard Kunst and Fr. Ryan Moravitz for “The Papacy: A Living History”! Airs 6:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, May 5—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

A papal blessing from #Pope John Paul I, Pope Benedict XV's pocket watch, and a new addition-- an autographed photo of Pope Francis with Pope Emeritus Benedict. These are some of the latest artifacts that Co-Hosts Fr. Richard Kunst and Fr. Ryan Moravitz will discuss in the next episode of “The Papacy: A Living History.” Airs 6:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, May 6—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

Learn how to get involved with or start up your own #CatholicBibleStudy group. “EWTN Live” Host Fr. Mitch Pacwa welcomes "Catholic Scripture Study" Founder and President Gail Buckley. Airs 8 p.m. ET, Wednesday, May 6—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

Presenting #papal artifacts from #popes during the 19th Century such as Pope Leo XIII's Roman collar, a Pius IX mantle clock and a newspaper article reporting Pope Pius VII excommunicating Napoleon. Join Co-Hosts Fr. Richard Kunst and Fr. Ryan Moravitz for “The Papacy: A Living History”! Airs 6:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, May 7—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

Learn about Our Lady's #Rosary Makers International. Mike Ford, the apostolate’s general manager joins Co-Hosts Jim & Joy Pinto to talk about the organization’s mission. “At Home with Jim & Joy” airs 2 p.m. ET, Thursday, May 7—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

Why is it important for teens and young adult to meditate on #SacredScripture and practice Lectio Divina? Self-Professed "Bible Geek" Mark Hart joins Co-Host Fr. Mark Mary & Doug Barry on the next “Life on the Rock”! Airs 8 p.m. ET, Friday, May 8—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

“We may not be able to meet in the same pew but we can meet on our knees.” Renowned preachers view newly found footage of #ArchbishopFultonSheen and comment on the techniques that made him such a captivating speaker. You won’t want to miss “The Art of #Preaching”! Airs 10:30 p.m. ET, Friday, May 8—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

Author and Chastity Speaker Jason Evert discusses how to know #SaintJohnPaultheGreat even better through looking at issues he was most passionate about in his book "Saint John Paul II: His Five Great Loves." Join Host Doug Keck for “EWTN Bookmark”! Airs 9:30 a.m. ET, Sunday, May 10—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder.

Pope Benedict XVI Resigns!

Our beloved Pope Benedict XVI has stunned the world with his announcement that he will be resigning as our Pope on February 28th of this year.

Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013

BENEDICTUS PP XVI

source:

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/02/11/pope_benedict_xvi_announces_his_resignation_at_end_of_month/en1-663815

Our prayers go with you B16!!!  God bless and thank you!  We love you and are praying for you!