The Vatican obfuscates even while preparing for February meeting on abuse
One would have to be blind not to see the infiltration of clerical ranks — even in the episcopate, even in the Roman Curia — by active homosexuals for whom their collars are little more than cover.
Pope Francis greets Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago before a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct. 16. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
The Vatican finally announced the members of the organizing committee responsible for preparing the meeting of the heads of the world’s bishops’ conferences this coming February 21-24. Most of the early reaction and attention has been on the membership of the organizing committee: Cardinal Blase “The Pope has a bigger agenda” Cupich of Chicago is a conspicuous presence, while Cardinal Seán O’Malley OFM Cap, the President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults, is rather conspicuous by his absence.
Cupich is a known Papal favorite, and at the center of controversy over the recent spiking of the US bishops’ proposals, which were supposed to get a vote at the recent plenary meeting in Baltimore.
O’Malley is a member of the C9 Council of Cardinal-Advisers, in addition to his role as President of the Commission for the Protection of Minors. He has criticized Pope Francis publicly for his treatment of abuse victims in Chile, and faced criticism for his inept handling of a letter detailing some of the strange proclivities of the depraved and now disgraced former Archbishop of Washington, Theodore Edgar “Uncle Ted” McCarrick.
A statement from Cardinal O’Malley issued early Friday afternoon in Boston essentially takes credit for the idea of holding the meeting, and made clear that he will, in some capacity, be taking part:
The proposal for such a meeting was developed by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, was reviewed by the Council of Cardinals and subsequently accepted by the Holy Father. I am pleased that this meeting has been convoked by the Holy Father and I look forward to participating.
It requires no stretch of the imagination to believe the idea for the February meeting did not originate with Pope Francis. The wording of the February meeting’s announcement made it sound to this Vatican Watcher as though the C9 — facing serious troubles of its own — had to twist the Pope’s arm to get him to do anything at all.
The inclusion of Cupich is theater, but the real story is elsewhere: in the stated purpose of the meeting, and in the talking points Fr. Hans Zöllner hit in his interview with official Vatican media outlets, which was released in concert with the announcement from the Press Office of the Holy See on Friday.
“As the Holy Father wrote in the letter to the People of God,” Fr. Zöllner told Vatican News and L’Osservatore Romano:
[W]e feel shame when we realize that our style of life has denied, and continues to deny, the words we recite. With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial community that we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a timely manner, realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives.
Neither the Vatican, nor the world’s bishops, simply found themselves someplace else. The problem is not that the Vatican or the world’s bishops “did not act in a timely manner,” nor is it that they failed to realize “the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives.” Bishops — and evidence suggests Popes among the bishops — were not merely slow to cotton to the magnitude and gravity of the damage done. They were complicit in it.
What’s more, the theme of the meeting is “the protection of minors in the Church” — a worthy cause and a needful thing — but what we most need from bishops is accountability, transparency, and readiness to foster a sane moral culture among the clergy, high and low. The whole reason we are in this unholy mess in the first place is that the bishops have proven themselves incapable of any of that.
There are also the promises and assurances, repeated ad nauseam — this time by Fr. Zöllner in the aforementioned interview with Vatican media — that the Pope is really serious about this:
The Holy See reiterated this clearly: “Both abuse and its cover-up can no longerbe tolerated and a different treatment for Bishops who have committed or covered up abuse, in fact represents a form of clericalism that is no longer acceptable.”
If that is so, why did Pope Francis rehabilitate Cardinal Danneels? For that matter, why is Cardinal Ezzati still in his See? Or Bishop Malone in his?
Francis’s handling of the lavender Mafia within the Vatican also begs to differ. One would have to be blind not to see the infiltration of clerical ranks — even in the episcopate, even in the Roman Curia — by active homosexuals for whom their collars are little more than cover. Such men are not abusers of children, in the main, though they do lead disorderly lives, and they do use their position within the clergy to fund their depraved purposes, shield their perverse proclivities, and recruit men into their nefarious ranks.
The Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, admitted as much in his reply to the former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano:
[T]he fact that there may be persons in the Vatican who practice and support behavior contrary to Gospel values regarding sexuality, does not authorize us to generalize and declare this or that person as unworthy and as accomplices, even including the Holy Father himself. Should not the ministers of truth be the first to avoid calumny and defamation themselves?
Ministers of truth ought to be the first to avoid calumny and defamation. Truth, however, is a defense against slander. (So, why not try Viganò?) The accusations Archbishop Viganò leveled against the character and proclivities of men in the Curia may be misplaced. If they are, then true and genuine solicitude for their good names should compel the Holy See to vindicate them with more than a nasty letter from an underling.
In any case, Cardinal Ouellet’s riposte still not only concedes the broad point about the presence of a so-called “lavender Mafia” inside the Curia, but also demonstrates a rather cavalier attitude toward it and its members — as if it were no concern of the Vatican unless the hapless official in question gets himself convicted of a go-to-jail felony. In the case of Msgr. Pietro Amenta — erstwhile judge on the Roman Rota — that’s what it took, and even then, he was allowed to resign shortly before copping a plea to escape jail time.
“Give him time,” urged Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, referring to Pope Francis, when asked on the sidelines of the October synod what the faithful ought to do in the face of burgeoning crisis and apparent paralysis at the highest echelons of Church governance. Francis has given himself until February.
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Christopher R. Altieri is a journalist, editor and author of three books, including Reading the News Without Losing Your Faith (Catholic Truth Society, 2021). He is contributing editor to Catholic World Report.
Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, pictured here in 2014, took up his new post as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in September 2023. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA
Pope Francis at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Oct. 5, 2016. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA
CNA Staff, Mar 13, 2024 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
March 13 marks the anniversary of the election of Pope Francis as the 266th successor of St. Peter. Here is a timeline of key events during his papacy:
2013
March 13 — About two weeks after Pope Benedict XVI steps down from the papacy, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is elected pope. He takes the papal name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and proclaims from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Let us begin this journey, the bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another.”
March 14 — The day after he begins his pontificate, Pope Francis returns to his hotel to personally pay his hotel bill and collect his luggage.
July 8 — Pope Francis visits Italy’s island of Lampedusa and meets with a group of 50 migrants, most of whom are young men from Somalia and Eritrea. The island, which is about 200 miles off the coast of Tunisia, is a common entry point for migrants who flee parts of Africa and the Middle East to enter Europe. This is the pope’s first pastoral visit outside of Rome and sets the stage for making reaching out to the peripheries a significant focus.
Pope Francis gives the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 2, 2013. Elise Harris/CNA.
July 23-28 — Pope Francis visits Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in World Youth Day 2013. More than 3 million people from around the world attend the event.
July 29 — On the return flight from Brazil, Pope Francis gives his first papal news conference and sparks controversy by saying “if a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” The phrase is prompted by a reporter asking the pope a question about priests who have homosexual attraction.
Nov. 24 — Pope Francis publishes his first apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). The document illustrates the pope’s vision for how to approach evangelization in the modern world.
2014
Feb. 22 — Pope Francis holds his first papal consistory to appoint 19 new cardinals, including ones from countries in the developing world that have never previously been represented in the College of Cardinals, such as Haiti.
March 22 — Pope Francis creates the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The commission works to protect the dignity of minors and vulnerable adults, such as the victims of sexual abuse.
Pope Francis greets pilgrims during his general audience on Nov. 29, 2014. Bohumil Petrik/CNA.
Oct. 5 — The Synod on the Family begins. The bishops discuss a variety of concerns, including single-parent homes, cohabitation, homosexual adoption of children, and interreligious marriages.
Dec. 6 — After facing some pushback for his efforts to reform the Roman Curia, Pope Francis discusses his opinion in an interview with La Nacion, an Argentine news outlet: “Resistance is now evident. And that is a good sign for me, getting the resistance out into the open, no stealthy mumbling when there is disagreement. It’s healthy to get things out into the open, it’s very healthy.”
2015
Jan. 18 — To conclude a trip to Asia, Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Manila, Philippines. Approximately 6 million to 7 million people attend the record-setting Mass, despite heavy rain.
March 23 — Pope Francis visits Naples, Italy, to show the Church’s commitment to helping the fight against corruption and organized crime in the city.
May 24 — To emphasize the Church’s mission to combat global warming and care for the environment, Pope Francis publishes the encyclical Laudato Si’, which urges people to take care of the environment and encourages political action to address climate problems.
Pope Francis at a Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on June 17, 2015. Bohumil Petrik.
Sept. 19-22 — Pope Francis visits Cuba and meets with Fidel Castro in the first papal visit to the country since Pope John Paul II in 1998. During his homily, Francis discusses the dignity of the human person: “Being a Christian entails promoting the dignity of our brothers and sisters, fighting for it, living for it.”
Sept. 22-27 — After departing from Cuba, Pope Francis makes his first papal visit to the United States. In Washington, D.C., he speaks to a joint session of Congress, in which he urges lawmakers to work toward promoting the common good, and canonizes the Franciscan missionary St. Junípero Serra. He also attends the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which focuses on celebrating the gift of the family.
Pope Francis speaks to the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24, 2015. . L’Osservatore Romano.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis begins the second Synod on the Family to address issues within the modern family, such as single-parent homes, cohabitation, poverty, and abuse.
Oct. 18 — The pope canonizes St. Louis Martin and St. Marie-Azélie “Zelie” Guérin. The married couple were parents to five nuns, including St. Therese of Lisieux. They are the first married couple to be canonized together.
Dec. 8 — Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy begins. The year focuses on God’s mercy and forgiveness and people’s redemption from sin. The pope delegates certain priests in each diocese to be Missionaries of Mercy who have the authority to forgive sins that are usually reserved for the Holy See.
2016
March 19 — Pope Francis publishes the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, which discusses a wide variety of issues facing the modern family based on discussions from the two synods on the family. The pope garners significant controversy from within the Church for comments he makes in Chapter 8 about Communion for the divorced and remarried.
April 16 — After visiting refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis allows three Muslim refugee families to join him on his flight back to Rome. He says the move was not a political statement.
Pope Francis at the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Feb. 24, 2016. Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
July 26-31 — Pope Francis visits Krakow, Poland, as part of the World Youth Day festivities. About 3 million young Catholic pilgrims from around the world attend.
Sept. 4 — The pope canonizes St. Teresa of Calcutta, who is also known as Mother Teresa. The saint, a nun from Albania, dedicated her life to missionary and charity work, primarily in India.
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 — Pope Francis visits Georgia and Azerbaijan on his 16th trip outside of Rome since the start of his papacy. His trip focuses on Catholic relations with Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
Oct. 4 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to Amatrice, Italy, to pray for the victims of an earthquake in central Italy that killed nearly 300 people.
2017
May 12-13 — In another papal trip, Francis travels to Fatima, Portugal, to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. May 13 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Marian apparition to three children in the city.
July 11 — Pope Francis adds another category of Christian life suitable for the consideration of sainthood: “offering of life.” The category is distinct from martyrdom, which only applies to someone who is killed for his or her faith. The new category applies to those who died prematurely through an offering of their life to God and neighbor.
Pope Francis greets a participant in the World Day of the Poor in Rome, Nov. 16, 2017. L’Osservatore Romano.
Nov. 19 — On the first-ever World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis eats lunch with 4,000 poor and people in need in Rome.
Nov. 27-Dec. 2 — In another trip to Asia, Pope Francis travels to Myanmar and Bangladesh. He visits landmarks and meets with government officials, Catholic clergy, and Buddhist monks. He also preaches the Gospel and promotes peace in the region.
2018
Jan. 15-21 — The pope takes another trip to Latin America, this time visiting Chile and Peru. The pontiff meets with government officials and members of the clergy while urging the faithful to remain close to the clergy and reject secularism. The Chilean visit leads to controversy over Chilean clergy sex abuse scandals.
Aug. 2 — The Vatican formally revises No. 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which concerns the death penalty. The previous text suggested the death penalty could be permissible in certain circumstances, but the revision states that the death penalty is “inadmissible.”
Aug. 25 — Archbishop Carlo Viganò, former papal nuncio to the United States, publishes an 11-page letter calling for the resignation of Pope Francis and accusing him and other Vatican officials of covering up sexual abuse including allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The pope initially does not directly respond to the letter, but nine months after its publication he denies having prior knowledge about McCarrick’s conduct.
Aug. 25-26 — Pope Francis visits Dublin, Ireland, to attend the World Meeting of Families. The theme is “the Gospel of family, joy for the world.”
Pope Francis at the 2018 World Meeting of Families in Ireland. Daniel Ibanez/CNA.
Oct. 3-28 — The Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment takes place. The synod focuses on best practices to teach the faith to young people and to help them discern God’s will.
2019
Jan. 22-27 — The third World Youth Day during Pope Francis’ pontificate takes place during these six days in Panama City, Panama. Young Catholics from around the world gather for the event, with approximately 3 million people in attendance.
Feb. 4 — Pope Francis signs a joint document in with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, titled the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.” The document focuses on people of different faiths uniting together to live peacefully and advance a culture of mutual respect.
Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, signed a joint declaration on human fraternity during an interreligious meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Feb. 4, 2019. Vatican Media.
Feb. 21-24 — The Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church, which is labeled the Vatican Sexual Abuse Summit, takes place. The meeting focuses on sexual abuse scandals in the Church and emphasizes responsibility, accountability, and transparency.
Oct. 6-27 — The Church holds the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, which is also known as the Amazon Synod. The synod is meant to present ways in which the Church can better evangelize the Amazon region but leads to controversy when carved images of a pregnant Amazonian woman, referred to by the pope as Pachamama, are used in several events and displayed in a basilica near the Vatican.
Oct. 13 — St. John Henry Newman, an Anglican convert to Catholicism and a cardinal, is canonized by Pope Francis. Newman’s writings inspired Catholic student associations at nonreligious colleges and universities in the United States and other countries.
2020
March 15 — Pope Francis takes a walking pilgrimage in Rome to the chapel of the crucifix and prays for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. The crucifix was carried through Rome during the plague of 1522.
March 27 — Pope Francis gives an extraordinary “urbi et orbi” blessing in an empty and rain-covered St. Peter’s Square, praying for the world during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pope Francis venerates the miraculous crucifix of San Marcello al Corso in St. Peter’s Square during his Urbi et Orbi blessing, March 27, 2020. Vatican Media.
2021
March 5-8 — In his first papal trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis becomes the first pope to visit Iraq. On his trip, he signs a joint statement with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemning extremism and promoting peace.
July 3 — Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis, is indicted in a Vatican court for embezzlement, money laundering, and other crimes. The pope gives approval for the indictment.
July 4 — Pope Francis undergoes colon surgery for diverticulitis, a common condition in older people. The Vatican releases a statement that assures the pope “reacted well” to the surgery. Francis is released from the hospital after 10 days.
July 16 — Pope Francis issues a motu proprio titled Traditionis Custodes. The document imposes heavy restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Dec. 2-6 — The pope travels to Cyprus and Greece. The trip includes another visit to the Greek island of Lesbos to meet with migrants.
Pope Francis greets His Beatitude Ieronymos II in Athens, Greece on Dec. 5, 2021. Vatican Media
2022
Jan. 11 — Pope Francis makes a surprise visit to a record store in Rome called StereoSound. The pope, who has an affinity for classical music, blesses the newly renovated store.
March 19 — The pope promulgates Praedicate Evangelium, which reforms the Roman Curia. The reforms emphasize evangelization and establish more opportunities for the laity to be in leadership positions.
May 5 — Pope Francis is seen in a wheelchair for the first time in public and begins to use one more frequently. The pope has been suffering from knee problems for months.
Pope Francis greeted the crowd in a wheelchair at the end of his general audience on Aug. 3, 2022. Daniel Ibanez/CNA
July 24-30 — In his first papal visit to Canada, Pope Francis apologizes for the harsh treatment of the indigenous Canadians, saying many Christians and members of the Catholic Church were complicit.
2023
Jan. 31-Feb. 5 — Pope Francis travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. During his visit, the pope condemns political violence in the countries and promotes peace. He also participates in an ecumenical prayer service with Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Moderator of the Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields.
Pope Francis greets a young boy a Mass in Juba, South Sudan on Feb. 5, 2023. Vatican Media
March 29-April 1 — Pope Francis is hospitalized for a respiratory infection. During his stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, he visits the pediatric cancer ward and baptizes a newborn baby.
April 5 — The pope appears in the Disney documentary “The Pope: Answers,” which is in Spanish, answering six “hot-button” issues from members of Gen Z from various backgrounds. The group discusses immigration, depression, abortion, clergy sexual and psychological abuse, transgenderism, pornography, and loss of faith.
April 28-30 — Pope Francis visits Hungary to meet with government officials, civil society members, bishops, priests, seminarians, Jesuits, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers. He celebrates Mass on the final day of the trip in Kossuth Lajos Square.
Pope Francis stands on an altar erected outside the Parliament Building in Budapest’s Kossuth Lajos’ Square during a public outdoor Mass on April 30, 2023. Vatican Media
June 7 — The Vatican announces that Pope Francis will undergo abdominal surgery that afternoon under general anesthesia due to a hernia that is causing painful, recurring, and worsening symptoms. In his general audience that morning before the surgery, Francis says he intends to publish an apostolic letter on St. Thérèse of Lisieux, “patroness of the missions,” to mark the 150th anniversary of her birth.
June 15 — After successful surgery and a week of recovery, Pope Francis is released from Gemelli Hospital.
Aug. 2-6 — Pope Francis travels to Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day 2023, taking place from Aug. 1-6. He meets with Church and civil leaders ahead of presiding at the welcoming Mass and Stations of the Cross. He also hears the confessions of several pilgrims. On Aug. 5, he visits the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima, where he prays the rosary with young people with disabilities. That evening he presides over the vigil and on Sunday, Aug. 6, he celebrates the closing Mass, where he urges the 1.5 million young people present to “be not afraid,” echoing the words of the founder of World Youth Days, St. John Paul II.
Pope Francis waves at the crowd of 1.5 million people who attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal on Aug. 6, 2023. Vatican Media.
Aug. 31-Sept. 4 — Pope Francis travels to Mongolia, the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign country. The trip makes Francis the first pope to visit the Asian country that shares a 2,880-mile border with China, its most significant economic partner. Mongolia has a population of about 1,300 Catholics in a country of more than 3 million people.
Pope Francis meets with local priests and religious of Mongolia, which includes only 25 priests (19 religious and six diocesan), 33 women religious, and one bishop — Cardinal Giorgio Marengo — in Ulaanbaatar’s Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul on Sept. 2, 2023. Credit: Vatican Media
Sept. 22-23 — On a two-day trip to Marseille, France, Pope Francis meets with local civil and religious leaders and participates in the Mediterranean Encounter, a gathering of some 120 young people of various creeds with bishops from 30 countries.
Pope Francis asks for a moment of silence at a memorial dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea on the first of a two-day visit to Marseille, France, Sept. 22, 2023. A Camargue cross, which comes from the Camargue area of France, represents the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. The three tridents represent faith, the anchor represents hope, and the heart represents charity. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Oct. 4-29 — The Vatican hosts the first of two monthlong global assemblies of the Synod on Synodality, initiated by Pope Francis in 2021 to enhance the communion, participation, and mission of the Church. Pope Francis celebrates the closing Mass of the synod at St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 29. The second and final global assembly will take place at the Vatican in October 2024.
Pope Francis at the Synod on Synodality’s closing Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 29, 2023. Vatican Media
Nov. 25 — Pope Francis visits the hospital briefly for precautionary testing after coming down with the flu earlier in the day. Although he still participates in scheduled activities, other officials read his prepared remarks. The Vatican on Nov. 28 cancels the pope’s planned Dec. 1–3 trip to Dubai for the COP28 climate conference, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech, due to his illness.
Dec. 18 — The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issues the declaration Fiducia Supplicans, which authorizes nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples and couples in “irregular situations.” Various bishops from around the world voice both support for and criticism of the document.
2024
Jan. 4 — Amid widespread backlash to Fiducia Supplicans, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, publishes a five-page press release that refers to Fiducia Supplicans as “perennial doctrine” and underlines that pastoral blessings of couples in irregular situations should not be “an endorsement of the life led by those who request them.”
Jan. 14 — Pope Francis for the first time responds publicly to questions about Fiducia Supplicans in an interview on an Italian television show. The pope underlines that “the Lord blesses everyone” and that a blessing is an invitation to enter into a conversation “to see what the road is that the Lord proposes to them.”
Feb. 11 — In a ceremony attended by Argentine president Javier Milei, Pope Francis canonizes María Antonia of St. Joseph — known affectionately in the pope’s home country as “Mama Antula” — in a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. The president and the former archbishop of Buenos Aires embrace after the ceremony. Pope Francis, who has not returned to his homeland since becoming pope in 2013, has said he wants to visit Argentina in the second half of this year.
Pope Francis meets with Argentina President Javier Milei in a private audience on Feb. 12, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
Feb. 28 — After canceling audiences the previous Saturday and having an aide read his prepared remarks at his Wednesday audience due to a “mild flu,” Pope Francis visits the hospital for diagnostic tests but returns to the Vatican afterward.
March 2 — Despite having an aide read his speech “because of bronchitis,” the pope presides over the inauguration of the 95th Judicial Year of the Vatican City State and maintains a full schedule.
March 13 — Pope Francis celebrates 11 years as Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
This gets more disgusting each day that passes! Putting Cupich in charge of ANY meeting to get to the bottom of this disgraceful problem is like putting the fox in charge of the chicken house! We as lay people must make our feelings known! Shame on all those that are a part of this homo-heresy. How can they put on their vestments? Bishop Barron, Bishop Strickland, Bishop Morlino, Fr Mark Goring, please help us! Join together and help us!
Altieri writes that “Francis has given himself until February”. Maybe “time (really) is greater than space…” Maybe God writes with crooked lines. Maybe the Holy Spirit will intervene in some concrete way…
(1) Maybe the (scripted?) four-day event in February will be extended?
(2) Maybe a progress report will be announced for the (disappearing?) canonical trial of ex-cardinal McCarrick?
(3) Maybe the broadened need of the February gathering will not remain (evasively?) narrowed to only the “abuse of children and young people”?
(4) Maybe the proceedings ghost-writers will at least footnote the relevant 300-page dossier prepared for Pope Benedict and handed off to Pope Francis?
(5) Maybe the beast will be called by its real name (?), which is not “clericalism.”
St. Augustine had something to say about our appetite for such word games. He wrote: “But to return to the word ‘lust’. As lust for revenge is called anger, so lust for money is avarice, lust to win at any price is obstinacy, lust for bragging is vanity. And there are still many other kinds of lust, some with names and some without. For example, it would be difficult to find a specific name for that lust for domination which plays such havoc with the souls of the ambitious soldiers and comes to light in every civil war” (Book XIV, Ch. 15).
As for the “ambitious… in every civil war”—what about the “lust for domination” in the civil war now so close to dividing in the Church? Maybe the arms’ length term “clericalism” is useful, something like asbestos gloves. BUT clericalism is only one symptom; it is not the real thing. The lofty infiltration exposed (so to speak) by the McCarrick Malignancy is what it is.
Cupich is one of the most arrogant, immoral, and heterodox Bishops in the world, who clearly uses his position for the sole purpose of elevating himself to greater positions of power, authority and esteem in the secular world, rather than preaching the Gospel and saving souls.
He also treats the laity of the Catholic Church with the utmost contempt.
I’m surprised Bergoglio didn’t put Uncle Ted on the organizing committee. After all, he knows the depths of the problem experientially. Surely sufficient time has elapsed and now is the time for mercy. It must be the time for mercy since no canonical trial has commenced regarding the transgressions of the perpetrator…
Do they honestly believe that in our fractured — nay, shattered Church — those in any camp hold the Bergoglian crew of episcopal keystone cops to have any credence at all? The show is over. The audience has left. You are entertaining only yourselves. It is pitiful.
So long as many of these prelates refuse to insist upon calling these actions mortal sins and to take seriously what the Mother of God has told us regarding the gravity of all sexual sins, I cannot take them very seriously as a group. As many have noted, the horrendous abuse of minors and the cover up is but one aspect of the problem. The practice of homosexuality by priests is part of the same problem. All followers of Jesus Christ are called to chastity, period: bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and laity. Can we do this? Not on our own. We can only do this with sanctifying grace and we do not get sanctifying grace when we are in mortal sin. Most people are on the road to hell because of our sins of the flesh. Bishops and priests should bear in mind that they will have stand before God to explain why they did not warn those to whom Jesus has committed to their spiritual care. I am grateful that God did not give me the burden of priesthood in this wickedly pagan society. We need to pray for all bishops and priest.
so receiving the sacrament of confession over and over again and then sinning immorally again and going back to confession and not showing a sincere and heartfelt sorrow for ones sin is a sin in itself not raising ones soul with christ is a sacriledge enough already
.
A point of clarification. Truth is a defense against a charge of defamation in American jurisprudence. It is not a defense in English jurisprudence or in canon law.
In the good ole days of the USSR, the Communist Party would place a political officer in each military unit in order to guarantee the loyalty of the troops and their commanding officers to the Communist Party The maintenance of Communist Party’s power over a coercive regime was of paramount concern. The good of the proletariat was only theoretical. Guess what Cupich’s appointment represents! [HINT: Instead of red, their favorite color is lavender.]
“Tell me, Father Walsh, “who have been the worst persecutors of the Church, tell me?” Father Walsh knew the Pope wanted to answer his own question, so he didn’t answer. The Pope said, “The Church’s worst persecutors have been her own unfaithful bishops, priests and religious.” He went on, “Opposition from the outside is terrible; it gives us many martyrs. But the Church’s worst enemy is her own traitors.”
Source of your quote?
In 1960, the priest who pulled me into the Church told me the best proof of Her divinity’s was that Her leaders had not been able to destroy the Church for 2000 years. And they will not be able to do so now!
Pray for Her.
Cardinal Cupich appears to be a leading apologist, along with Cardinal Tobin and Father Martin, for the homosexual lifestyle both in society and in the Church.
His selection to head this conference means that the outcome is pre-ordained. Active clerical homosexuals will be protected and all the blame will be assigned elsewhere.
What no one seems to get is the Vatican has always been a place of shady deals, intrigue and careerism. The papacy we have today is not the papacy of Peter, Linus,Gregory or Leo.
The Vatican has always been slightly corrupt, saints or even just good men did not always act as as faithful vicars of Peter. The Vatican has been,always will be a place where holiness and filth mix. Put your faith in Christ and true religion, in the Scriptures and Tradition. Pray for those who are the Church as something to be used and get on with life. Christ is victorious!
After reading all of this and the comments I have to wonder did anyone listen to what Pope Francis has said recently? He is calling for all priests and religious guilty of sexual abuse of minors to turn themselves into the authorities and accept the punishment they deserve as well as prepare themselves for the spiritual punishment they will receive. He also acknowledged that Homosexuality in the clergy and seminaries is largely responsible for the incidents of sexual abuse. It seems to me that the writer of the article and many of those commenting have an axe to grind with Pope Francis and are ignoring what he is saying and already predicting a failed meting in February before it actually takes place.
The concern of many Catholics, including myself, is that Francis talks a good talk, but it’s the same ol’ talk he’s been giving since 2013–and he has mostly failed, in my estimation, in addressing both causes (homosexuality, related matters) and key culprits (McCarrick, others). So, for a pithy example of the repetitive talk, see this recent post by Christopher Altieri.
“He also acknowledged that Homosexuality in the clergy and seminaries is largely responsible for the incidents of sexual abuse.” When? Where? He did make comments about seminarians and homosexuality, but I’ve never seen him connect homosexuality with the sexual abuse crisis.
“…already predicting a failed meting in February before it actually takes place.” Alas, it’s fairly easy to predict, if the past 5-6 years are any indication.
This gets more disgusting each day that passes! Putting Cupich in charge of ANY meeting to get to the bottom of this disgraceful problem is like putting the fox in charge of the chicken house! We as lay people must make our feelings known! Shame on all those that are a part of this homo-heresy. How can they put on their vestments? Bishop Barron, Bishop Strickland, Bishop Morlino, Fr Mark Goring, please help us! Join together and help us!
Altieri writes that “Francis has given himself until February”. Maybe “time (really) is greater than space…” Maybe God writes with crooked lines. Maybe the Holy Spirit will intervene in some concrete way…
(1) Maybe the (scripted?) four-day event in February will be extended?
(2) Maybe a progress report will be announced for the (disappearing?) canonical trial of ex-cardinal McCarrick?
(3) Maybe the broadened need of the February gathering will not remain (evasively?) narrowed to only the “abuse of children and young people”?
(4) Maybe the proceedings ghost-writers will at least footnote the relevant 300-page dossier prepared for Pope Benedict and handed off to Pope Francis?
(5) Maybe the beast will be called by its real name (?), which is not “clericalism.”
St. Augustine had something to say about our appetite for such word games. He wrote: “But to return to the word ‘lust’. As lust for revenge is called anger, so lust for money is avarice, lust to win at any price is obstinacy, lust for bragging is vanity. And there are still many other kinds of lust, some with names and some without. For example, it would be difficult to find a specific name for that lust for domination which plays such havoc with the souls of the ambitious soldiers and comes to light in every civil war” (Book XIV, Ch. 15).
As for the “ambitious… in every civil war”—what about the “lust for domination” in the civil war now so close to dividing in the Church? Maybe the arms’ length term “clericalism” is useful, something like asbestos gloves. BUT clericalism is only one symptom; it is not the real thing. The lofty infiltration exposed (so to speak) by the McCarrick Malignancy is what it is.
Cupich is one of the most arrogant, immoral, and heterodox Bishops in the world, who clearly uses his position for the sole purpose of elevating himself to greater positions of power, authority and esteem in the secular world, rather than preaching the Gospel and saving souls.
He also treats the laity of the Catholic Church with the utmost contempt.
I’m surprised Bergoglio didn’t put Uncle Ted on the organizing committee. After all, he knows the depths of the problem experientially. Surely sufficient time has elapsed and now is the time for mercy. It must be the time for mercy since no canonical trial has commenced regarding the transgressions of the perpetrator…
Do they honestly believe that in our fractured — nay, shattered Church — those in any camp hold the Bergoglian crew of episcopal keystone cops to have any credence at all? The show is over. The audience has left. You are entertaining only yourselves. It is pitiful.
So long as many of these prelates refuse to insist upon calling these actions mortal sins and to take seriously what the Mother of God has told us regarding the gravity of all sexual sins, I cannot take them very seriously as a group. As many have noted, the horrendous abuse of minors and the cover up is but one aspect of the problem. The practice of homosexuality by priests is part of the same problem. All followers of Jesus Christ are called to chastity, period: bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and laity. Can we do this? Not on our own. We can only do this with sanctifying grace and we do not get sanctifying grace when we are in mortal sin. Most people are on the road to hell because of our sins of the flesh. Bishops and priests should bear in mind that they will have stand before God to explain why they did not warn those to whom Jesus has committed to their spiritual care. I am grateful that God did not give me the burden of priesthood in this wickedly pagan society. We need to pray for all bishops and priest.
so receiving the sacrament of confession over and over again and then sinning immorally again and going back to confession and not showing a sincere and heartfelt sorrow for ones sin is a sin in itself not raising ones soul with christ is a sacriledge enough already
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A point of clarification. Truth is a defense against a charge of defamation in American jurisprudence. It is not a defense in English jurisprudence or in canon law.
Truth “is not a defense in English jurisprudence or in canon law?” How bizarre that telling the truth can be considered defamation.
In the good ole days of the USSR, the Communist Party would place a political officer in each military unit in order to guarantee the loyalty of the troops and their commanding officers to the Communist Party The maintenance of Communist Party’s power over a coercive regime was of paramount concern. The good of the proletariat was only theoretical. Guess what Cupich’s appointment represents! [HINT: Instead of red, their favorite color is lavender.]
Pope XI to Edmund Walsh SJ:
“Tell me, Father Walsh, “who have been the worst persecutors of the Church, tell me?” Father Walsh knew the Pope wanted to answer his own question, so he didn’t answer. The Pope said, “The Church’s worst persecutors have been her own unfaithful bishops, priests and religious.” He went on, “Opposition from the outside is terrible; it gives us many martyrs. But the Church’s worst enemy is her own traitors.”
Source of your quote?
In 1960, the priest who pulled me into the Church told me the best proof of Her divinity’s was that Her leaders had not been able to destroy the Church for 2000 years. And they will not be able to do so now!
Pray for Her.
Reading the predictions of Our Lady of Atika will bring everything into perspective…..God help us all.
Cardinal Cupich appears to be a leading apologist, along with Cardinal Tobin and Father Martin, for the homosexual lifestyle both in society and in the Church.
His selection to head this conference means that the outcome is pre-ordained. Active clerical homosexuals will be protected and all the blame will be assigned elsewhere.
What no one seems to get is the Vatican has always been a place of shady deals, intrigue and careerism. The papacy we have today is not the papacy of Peter, Linus,Gregory or Leo.
The Vatican has always been slightly corrupt, saints or even just good men did not always act as as faithful vicars of Peter. The Vatican has been,always will be a place where holiness and filth mix. Put your faith in Christ and true religion, in the Scriptures and Tradition. Pray for those who are the Church as something to be used and get on with life. Christ is victorious!
After reading all of this and the comments I have to wonder did anyone listen to what Pope Francis has said recently? He is calling for all priests and religious guilty of sexual abuse of minors to turn themselves into the authorities and accept the punishment they deserve as well as prepare themselves for the spiritual punishment they will receive. He also acknowledged that Homosexuality in the clergy and seminaries is largely responsible for the incidents of sexual abuse. It seems to me that the writer of the article and many of those commenting have an axe to grind with Pope Francis and are ignoring what he is saying and already predicting a failed meting in February before it actually takes place.
The concern of many Catholics, including myself, is that Francis talks a good talk, but it’s the same ol’ talk he’s been giving since 2013–and he has mostly failed, in my estimation, in addressing both causes (homosexuality, related matters) and key culprits (McCarrick, others). So, for a pithy example of the repetitive talk, see this recent post by Christopher Altieri.
“He also acknowledged that Homosexuality in the clergy and seminaries is largely responsible for the incidents of sexual abuse.” When? Where? He did make comments about seminarians and homosexuality, but I’ve never seen him connect homosexuality with the sexual abuse crisis.
“…already predicting a failed meting in February before it actually takes place.” Alas, it’s fairly easy to predict, if the past 5-6 years are any indication.