tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56363898289007242262024-03-17T20:57:33.545-04:00 Catholic in BrooklynThe Journey Of One Catholic Searching For Truth In A World Gone MadCatholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.comBlogger544125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-22534093988901738912023-10-30T16:59:00.012-04:002023-12-19T18:17:50.662-05:00Mary Ann Kreitzer Supports and Promotes War Crimes<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK94j7ZUf4Wbf-JaBs-3dFSpoQcJ-zZo8UiK6ph_-tY7LHK4tBNV1UNLg4R9H9pBe-95jpgHpnobH9qSFRVcnkVdkc2EwcPkzOYpt1W8O1eERZSEPuKtZeYgD1oauqUOwRz7VeOZM10RTQoR85hu8Bs1feFsKgI4k-m32Ad0g_PdKGPfolRGfKKmpT/s721/Love-your-enemies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="721" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK94j7ZUf4Wbf-JaBs-3dFSpoQcJ-zZo8UiK6ph_-tY7LHK4tBNV1UNLg4R9H9pBe-95jpgHpnobH9qSFRVcnkVdkc2EwcPkzOYpt1W8O1eERZSEPuKtZeYgD1oauqUOwRz7VeOZM10RTQoR85hu8Bs1feFsKgI4k-m32Ad0g_PdKGPfolRGfKKmpT/w640-h214/Love-your-enemies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I have written numerous times here about Mary Ann Kreitzer who runs the blog "Les Femmes - The Truth". Mary Ann presents herself as a traditionalist, pro life Catholic. Yet, she has consistently promoted hate and division on her blog, but one of the latest posts seems to top them all.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Mary Ann has a co-blogger there who occasionally posts articles. Her name is Susan Matthiesen. Like Mary Ann, she presents herself as a pro life Catholic (although a convert). <p></p><p>Susan is an avowed Sedevacantist, completely rejecting Pope Francis, as she wrote in this post "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2019/10/anti-pope-thats-my-final-decision.html" target="_blank">Anti-Pope. That's my final decision</a>." One of those commenting asked Mary Ann if she agreed with this statement, and her answer was as follows:</p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5px;"><b></b></span></p><blockquote><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Do I agree with Susan? Frankly, I don't know. We aren't clones.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">I love and respect Susan and I know one thing for sure -- that we have an evil pope who is undermining the faith every chance he gets. It's not the first time in Church history and a man can be evil and still be a valid pope.</span></b></blockquote><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5px;"></span><p></p><p>Mary Ann has since stated that although she does believe that Pope Francis is validly elected, she continues to believe that he is evil. </p><p>Like Mary Ann, Matthiesen is a strong, strong Trump supporter, and like Mary Ann, believes no one did anything wrong on Jan 6, 2021. Like Mary Ann, you can name any Right wing conspiracy, and Matthiesen will support it with every breath in her body.</p><p>Matthiesen just wrote a truly disgusting post entitled, "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2023/10/gassing-rats.html" target="_blank">Gassing Rats</a>." The purpose of this post was her idea of how to deal with Hamas. </p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Hamas terrorists aren't in the buildings being bombed. They're safely 100 feet underground in Gaza's massive metro system of tunnels. As a result of that long ago rat-gassing experience, when the knowledge of the Gaza tunnels and problem of how to go into them for Hamas removal was discussed, I thought, <i>Well, Israel, that's easy. Just gas the tunnels. The terrorist rats will either die in their tunnels or come running out.</i><br /><br />However, 200 Israeli hostages are hidden in those same tunnels, therefore gassing is problematic. I doubt Hamas terrorists are treating captured Israeli IDF soldiers humanely. More than likely captured IDF soldiers are at this moment being viciously tortured to death. Like the soldier tortured on the beach in Vietnam screaming for his fellow soldiers to kill him in order to end his suffering, it's likely that IDF soldiers would welcome Gaza's tunnels being gassed. Yet there are civilian Israeli hostages to consider, although Ishmael's hatred for Isaac does not bode well for those poor people.</b></span></blockquote><p>It is interesting that the second paragraph was added after I wrote a comment, which of course was not published, saying that the hostages were being held in the tunnels and that it also puts innocent civilians at great risk. Also, it should be noted that the hostages who have been released have said they have been treated very well by Hamas, including being given medical attention and eating the same food as the Hamas soldiers. </p><p>Matthiesen makes it very clear she would still like to see gas used if they could get around killing the hostages. She most obviously could not care less about any innocent civilians being killed. </p><p>And the fact that using gas is a war crime and a barbaric and immoral act seems to not even register with Mary Ann or Matthiesen. Mary Ann and Matthiesen both present themselves as Christians, and yet they are promoting and supporting war crimes. </p><div class="Normal" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, sans-serif; padding: 10px 0px 5px; text-align: justify;"><b><span>The 1925 Geneva Gas Protocol provides:</span></b></div><div class="Quote" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, sans-serif; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 30px; text-align: justify;"><b><span>Whereas the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices, has been justly condemned by the general opinion of the civilized world; and</span></b></div><div class="Quote" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, sans-serif; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 30px; text-align: justify;"><b><span>Whereas the prohibition of such use has been declared in Treaties to which the majority of Powers of the world are Parties; and</span></b></div><div class="Quote" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, sans-serif; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 30px; text-align: justify;"><b><span>To the end that this prohibition shall be universally accepted as a part of International Law, binding alike the conscience and the practice of nations;</span></b></div><div class="Quote" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, sans-serif; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 30px; text-align: justify;"><b><span>Declare:</span></b></div><div class="Quote" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather, sans-serif; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 30px; text-align: justify;"><b><span>That the High Contracting Parties, so far as they are not already Parties to Treaties prohibiting such use, accept this prohibition … and agree to be bound as between themselves according to the terms of this declaration.</span></b><div class="footnote" id="footnotes_6B8D5B6_00005" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #6f6969; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 15px 0px;">Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, Geneva, 17 June 1925.</div></div>Mary Ann, don't you ever get tired of your hypocrisy? <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXF1DyV4ouzpGuuS1DPdTkhyphenhyphenACtInBVeNVxEsr30RcDkRzhi-6I0mZgqFrTfM6eNZWK9aVnoqhNWLNen0FiaALntVkAfph1sBZTGaJXIhY0D-wJv4eDK_6VONLYk2dvFnSUAMt4tBUoJJXIhc9V7COwnGFd8zS_fQHm3E0VPXed_JOPf_shzP24Ko/s1195/Screenshot%202023-10-30%20165619.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1195" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXF1DyV4ouzpGuuS1DPdTkhyphenhyphenACtInBVeNVxEsr30RcDkRzhi-6I0mZgqFrTfM6eNZWK9aVnoqhNWLNen0FiaALntVkAfph1sBZTGaJXIhY0D-wJv4eDK_6VONLYk2dvFnSUAMt4tBUoJJXIhc9V7COwnGFd8zS_fQHm3E0VPXed_JOPf_shzP24Ko/s320/Screenshot%202023-10-30%20165619.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-31363235346937641252023-09-27T20:29:00.017-04:002023-10-01T20:25:07.780-04:00Mary Ann Kreitzer: Walking Definition of Hypocrisy<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVdqMDozCZj_W-nO7iDzGAYl0Y1gfPG_wwtqIdt3asrJu3ayHnRcbi-STLItZXxc-t8cCLguNZVsjorRx-z21bJUr_cLl2pPDEUgFECcmcdQZmWg1RSGQtHsfzlC-EvBZ2dqN6NXww_SKpLsuUBIBH99E0t8Ha32PzJro4IkTn4wCOVG765hn-rqE/s1000/Hypocrisy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVdqMDozCZj_W-nO7iDzGAYl0Y1gfPG_wwtqIdt3asrJu3ayHnRcbi-STLItZXxc-t8cCLguNZVsjorRx-z21bJUr_cLl2pPDEUgFECcmcdQZmWg1RSGQtHsfzlC-EvBZ2dqN6NXww_SKpLsuUBIBH99E0t8Ha32PzJro4IkTn4wCOVG765hn-rqE/w400-h400/Hypocrisy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I have written several times about popular traditionalist blogger Mary Ann Kreitzer. She has been in the public eye for decades, as a pro life warrior and active on the Internet. My problem with Mary Ann is that she presents herself as a loyal, faithful Catholic whose life is centered around obedience to God and the Catholic Church, and yet her whole shtick is all about pushing dangerous misinformation and lies that go in complete contradiction to what she claims to profess. </p><p>Mary Ann Kreitzer, like so many traditionalists, is the walking definition of hypocrisy. She professes to live a life of virtue and honesty and yet she posts one lie after another on her blog, promoting disunity and divisiveness. </p><p>Here are just a few examples.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Mary Ann has told <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=covid" target="_blank">her readers from the first time Covid 19 was diagnosed</a> to this day that they should not listen to any medical authorities, that masks not only do not protect against Covid but that they are dangerous to our health, that social distancing was mandated to destroy society, that the vaccine was created to kill us, and we should all just use our common sense with this disease. This is despite the fact that it is estimated that almost 7 million people have died from Covid 19 worldwide, and that the number is probably much higher. This also does not include all the many millions who suffer from long Covid. <p></p><p>She supports <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=ukraine" target="_blank">Russia against Ukraine</a>, totally denying that Russia was the aggressor invading a sovereign nation and that instead, Ukraine is a bunch of Nazis perpetrating evil on the world, ignoring the fact that the leader of Ukraine is Jewish. Her posts on the war sound like pure Russian propaganda. She blames Ukraine for the carnage because they refuse to give up and "acknowledge" that they have lost. She wrote this in July of 2022 in a post entitled "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-ukraine-war-is-scam-and-stupid-and.html" target="_blank">The Ukraine War is a Scam and a Stupid and Dangerous Scam as Well!</a>":</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>The reality is that Russia has won the war in Ukraine. Whether you hate Putin or not, the Ukraine is done. Russia has won. The only result of continuing the war is to pound the Ukrainian people into the dust and impoverish the people of the countries pouring money into the war effort. So why are political leaders not encouraging Zelensky and company to sue for peace</b></span></blockquote><p>In the last two presidential elections, <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=donald+trump" target="_blank">she was a staunch Trump supporter</a>. She seems to have backed down on that for 2024, and is not sure who she supports this time around, although she is still open to Trump. She is a 2020 election denier and believes the <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2021/01/no-silly-rabbits-trump-was-not-asking.html#more" target="_blank">January 6 insurrection was a false flag operation</a>. </p><p>I have been particularly amused by the 180 degree turnaround in her support of Michael Voris. <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search/label/real%20catholic%20TV" target="_blank">She used to love him</a>, as she wrote in this <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2011/04/mike-voris-stoning-of-prophet.html" target="_blank">2011 post</a>:<br /></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>God bless Mike Voris and all those in the Church today who are courageous enough to speak the truth. May they reap a prophet's reward.</b></span></blockquote><p>She said this in <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2011/05/truth-lights-up-mind.html" target="_blank">another 2011 post</a>:<br /></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>One more on-target message from Mike Voris to annoy my anti-Voris readers. What's not to like about this articulate young man who says Real Catholic TV and St. Michael's Media's only goal is providing material to help save souls? I want to be part of that! That's why I'm a subscriber to Real Catholic TV. </b></span></blockquote><p></p><p>In this <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2016/04/looking-for-job-thats-more-than-job-are.html" target="_blank">post from 2016</a>, she promoted working directly for Michael Voris:</p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Church Militant TV is hiring and they have quite an assortment of jobs available. They're located in the Detroit area. Check out the seven jobs listed here. <br /><br />If you are graduating from college in May and want to dedicate some time to serving the Lord, what better way to do it than become involved in promoting and defending the faith?</b></span></blockquote><p>Mary Ann loved Michael Voris so much she did a <a href="https://youtu.be/7vhN6ix1gGY?si=ySSvBj2rD3LJhWQ0" target="_blank">video</a> with him. Here is a little bit of their love fest from that video:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Michael Voris: Mary Ann has been what my mother, God rest her soul, would describe as one of those ladies that what she doesn't know isn't worth knowing. So how's that for an introduction Mary Ann. Mary Ann has been part of the battle for authentic Catholicism in the church for a very long time, so as one of the great shoulders that we have the privilege of standing on, we'd like to thank you here at Church Militant for everything you've done for the church.</b></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Mary Ann: Thank you. I really appreciate your apostolate and it's wonderful to see all those young faces in your organization, so thank you, too. </b></span></div></blockquote><div><p>Now she is completely against him and <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=church+militant" target="_blank">condemns him</a> every chance <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=michael+voris" target="_blank">she gets</a>. Why? Did she suddenly see the light and realize he does nothing but promote division and hate? Not by a long shot. Mary Ann now attends the SSPX exclusively, and <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=michael+voris+sspx" target="_blank">Michael Voris has dared to go against them</a>. Spreading hate and division is no big deal to Mary Ann, but you go against one of her causes, and you are evil incarnate. </p><p>Here is just a <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2021/11/want-joke-of-day-only-media-you-can.html" target="_blank">taste of the vitriol</a> that Mary Ann spews at Michael Voris these days, getting in some very personal shots:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Michael Voris is at it again -- reporting from Baltimore about the massive crowd (Really...1500?) coming to his rally tomorrow. As usual Voris preens and postures as he promotes Church Militant (CM) as the only courageous team willing to take on the evil bishops, every one of whom should immediately resign. (Yes, he said that in another Vortex episode since the bishops are all homosexuals, homosexual enablers, or cowards, not to mention "Johns" paying their whores in the media to pick on poor CM. Yup, he called and/or implied that the bishops as a group are cruising "Johns" looking for their latest hooker pickup. (Obviously Voris knows a lot about cruising for pickups. As my mom always said, "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.")</b></span></blockquote><p>Then she makes this admission:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>I have to hold my nose these days every time I visit the CM website. It wasn't always like that. I was an early supporter and attended the rally several years ago (2018). Even then I was concerned about the direction they seemed to be taking. I reached the "no more" stage over their vicious attack on the SSPX and traditionalists in general. <br /><br />No more. These folks are totally off the rails. They practice the same immoral tactics as Communist Saul Alinsky against their enemies (which include just about everybody...except Opus Dei!)</b></span></blockquote><p>If Mary Ann was ever "concerned about their direction", she sure kept it well hidden under all that lavish praise she used to heap upon Michael Voris and Church Militant, even urging people to go work for them. But note that she "reached the 'no more' stage" not because Church Militant was spreading division and lies, but because of "their vicious attack on the SSPX and traditionalists in general". She only turned against Church Militant because she felt personally attacked. </p><p>It is especially telling that Mary Ann attacks Voris for being homosexual. She wrote the following in 2016 when Voris's homosexual past was exposed. It is from a post entitled, "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2016/04/pray-for-michael-voris-in-his-magdalene.html" target="_blank">Pray for Michael Voris in his Magdalene Moment</a>":</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Please pray for Michael Voris that what his enemies meant for evil will be a source of great grace for him and for the apostolate of Church Militant TV.</b></span></blockquote><p>Mary Ann shows she can love you one moment and viciously attack you the next moment if you cross her. I don't remember that trait being a sign of a true follower of Christ.</p><p>Mary Ann also shows her hypocrisy when she attacks Voris for going after the bishops. She has done it time and time again, as you can see <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=bishops" target="_blank">HERE</a>. In fact, the video linked to above with Mary Ann and Voris is entitled, "<b><i>The Plague of Homosexual Clergy</i></b>." Mary Ann was in complete agreement with Voris at that time.</p><p>In fact, <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2018/11/nabi-sayeth-disaster-that-is-us.html#more" target="_blank">Mary Ann herself accused</a> "many" of the bishops of being homosexual, as she wrote in 2018:</p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Many of the bishops are either homosexual or homosexual agenda supportive. There is without a doubt a Lavender Mafia within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.</b></span></blockquote><p>Hypocrisy reigns supreme over at Mary Ann's blog. </p>I find it fascinating that those who reject the Pope - and, <a href="https://www.catholicherald.com/article/global/pope-francis/cardinal-sarah-to-oppose-the-pope-is-to-be-outside-the-church/" target="_blank">as Cardinal Sarah said</a>, <i>ipso facto</i>, have rejected Christ and the Church - always end up fighting one another as well. There is never unity when you join forces with the devil. Division is a sure sign of evil.<p></p>Mary Ann also follows and promotes so-called "Catholic" right wing loonies like <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search/label/Ann%20Barnhardt" target="_blank">Ann Barnhardt</a> and <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=mundabor" target="_blank">Mundabor</a>, As <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2022/09/thought-for-day-from-ann-barnhardt.html" target="_blank">she wrote</a> about Ann Barnhart, an avowed sedevacantist and hater of Pope Francis: "<i><b>She is so insightful!</b></i>" And about Mundabor, although not a sedevacantist but a Pope Francis hater in the first degree, <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2022/12/are-we-catholics-in-season-and-out-of.html" target="_blank">Mary Ann wrote</a>: "<b><i>I'm a fan and follower of Mundabor's blog</i></b>" and "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2022/08/gaslighting-central-propaganda-game.html" target="_blank"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">I</span><b><i> always learn a lot by reading Mundabor's blog</i></b></a>."</div><div><br /></div><div>Although she has distanced herself from Father James Altman since <a href="https://wherepeteris.com/has-fr-altman-excommunicated-himself/" target="_blank">he declared himself to be a sedevacantist</a>, she <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=altman" target="_blank">supported him</a> when he was disciplined by his bishop for disobedience. As I wrote, <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2023/09/please-dont-follow-fr-altman-into.html" target="_blank">she does not condone Altman's complete rejection of Pope Francis</a>, but she doesn't condemn him, either. She merely "regrets" Altman's decision, and makes it abundantly clear that she completely agrees with Altman's criticism:</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>But I truly regret what Fr. Altman. is doing even though his criticism of the pope is legitimate. . . Yes, his criticism of the pope is legitimate; but one can remain united with Peter even when, like One Mad Mom writes, he resembles the Emperor with no clothes</b></span></blockquote><p>The article from "Where Peter Is" outlines a few of Altman's criticisms of the Pope, which Mary Ann says she agrees with:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>For the first half hour of Altman’s nearly forty-minute talk, he described Pope Francis (repeatedly referring to him by his given name, “Jorge Bergoglio”) as the “worst anti-Catholic Pope in history” and “a fake and a fraud of a Catholic as the imposter prancing around in white,” before beginning a litany of condemnations of Catholic bishops, repeatedly saying they were a “brood of vipers.” Later on in his address, he said of the pope, “if he doesn’t repent for his fraudulent and damned papacy he will burn in the lowest level of hell, and frankly my prayer would be that may God smite him before he gets that low — not because I have any particular focus on his Eternal Soul; rather because I love and I am concerned for all the Eternal Souls that that chief earthly viper is leading down the road to hell.”</b></span></blockquote><div><div>She is also a huge supporter of <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=vigano" target="_blank">Archbishop Vigano</a>, who has been an outcast from the Catholic Church hierarchy since 2018 when he called for Pope Francis' resignation. As she entitled one post: "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2020/09/archbishop-vigano-everything-he-writes.html" target="_blank">Archbishop Vigano: Everything he writes is worth reading!</a>" </div><div><br /></div><div>As for Pope Francis, Mary Ann gives the exact opposite advice: Don't read or listen to anything the Holy Father says. As <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2019/09/pope-francis-timeline-papal-record-2013.html" target="_blank">she wrote in 2019</a>:</div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>I've been thinking a lot about the pope and his papacy's impact on the Church, which any sensible person must recognize by now is a disaster. He undermines the faith, he aids and abets enemies of the Church, his off-the-cuff bombs lobbed on almost every plane ride create confusion and chaos.</b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Horrors! (And I mean that literally.) He's a one man wrecking ball!</b></span> </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>I think we could say the same thing about Francis that Churchill said about Lenin. Lenin returned to Russia like a "plague bacillus" to kill the monarchy. Pope Francis, injected into the Church by the St. Gallen's mafia, has infected us with the plague bacillus of modernism on steroids. He, of course, cannot "kill" the Church, but he seems to be trying his darnedest! We all need to pray and sacrifice for him, that's for sure. </b></span></blockquote><div>Mary Ann posted <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2018/03/to-pope-francis-on-his-fifth.html" target="_blank">this meme</a> on her blog and linked to this <a href="http://ecclesandbosco.blogspot.com/2018/03/tributes-to-pope-francis-on-his-5th.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EcclesAndBoscoIsSaved+%28Eccles+and+Bosco+is+saved%29" target="_blank">hateful satire blog</a>:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOotNyCPU8b_w4_840Yo03yJ_SNaFwmgXXhw1mikh9GamOe6SC7952OsYp5bhJEIXaJK3h3J0ZIPi08q5s4aFf1LcOQ4ZNqAgxRXk_9Jge1HP0wjxJYZ9lWxWpu9rwZbvPoTor9WTl-bHYPlz6dV3liAxyaqz2AIMzK9t6arayRFerghPK2TnEbY8J/s401/Caution%20Pope%20Francis.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="401" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOotNyCPU8b_w4_840Yo03yJ_SNaFwmgXXhw1mikh9GamOe6SC7952OsYp5bhJEIXaJK3h3J0ZIPi08q5s4aFf1LcOQ4ZNqAgxRXk_9Jge1HP0wjxJYZ9lWxWpu9rwZbvPoTor9WTl-bHYPlz6dV3liAxyaqz2AIMzK9t6arayRFerghPK2TnEbY8J/s320/Caution%20Pope%20Francis.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Mary Ann <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-latest-from-archbishop-vigano-deep.html#more" target="_blank">wrote a post</a> praising the writings of Vigano, especially in his criticism of Pope Francis. She titled her post, "<b><i>The Latest from Archbishop Vigano: The Deep State and the Deep Church are in Cahoots!</i></b>" with the subtitle "<b><i>Viganò: Deep State has now teamed up with Deep Church to overthrow Trump, usher in New World Order</i></b>" So interesting how she conflates her political and religious beliefs, don't you think? Trump and Vigano are good guys, and Pope Francis is the bad guy. </div><div><br /></div><div>In that post, Mary Ann wrote this:</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>It's important for Catholics to remember that "Peter" is not just the man, but the unchangeable institution of the Church founded by Christ. The pope who sits on the throne can be wrong and even evil. He is not elected by the Holy Spirit, but by the school of cardinals, many of whom are often worldly and venal men. </b></span></blockquote><div>Mary Ann's statement is about as unCatholic and, frankly, heretical as you can get. Jesus Christ did not give the Keys of the Kingdom to the "unchangeable institution." He gave them directly to Peter, and only to Peter:</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” </b>(Matthew 16:17-20)</span></blockquote><p>The Church is NOT run by the "institution." It is governed by Peter, from the top down. All authority on earth begins and ends with the Pope. Peter is the head of the Church Militant here on earth. No bishop or any other human being has authority apart from the Pope. Even our Blessed Mother in heaven has no authority over Peter. And no human being has a right to sit in judgment of Peter. Only God can judge him. That is basic Catholic Church teaching, which Mary Ann rejects. </p><p>Here is Canon 331, which delineates specifically the supreme authority of the Pope:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Can. 331 <span style="color: #2b00fe;">The bishop of the Roman Church, in whom continues the office given by the Lord uniquely to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors</span>, is the head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the pastor of the universal Church on earth. </b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">By virtue of his office he possesses supreme, full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church, which he is always able to exercise freely.<br /></span><br /><b>Can. 332 §1. The Roman Pontiff obtains full and supreme power in the Church by his acceptance of legitimate election together with episcopal consecration. Therefore, a person elected to the supreme pontificate who is marked with episcopal character obtains this power from the moment of acceptance. If the person elected lacks episcopal character, however, he is to be ordained a bishop immediately.</b><br /><br /><b>§2. If it happens that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested but not that it is accepted by anyone.</b><br /><br /><b>Can. 333 §1. <span style="color: #2b00fe;">By virtue of his office, the Roman Pontiff not only possesses power over the universal Church but also obtains the primacy of ordinary power over all particular churches and groups of them</span>. Moreover, this primacy strengthens and protects the proper, ordinary, and immediate power which bishops possess in the particular churches entrusted to their care.</b><br /><br /><b>§2. </b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">In fulfilling the office of supreme pastor of the Church, the Roman Pontiff is always joined in communion with the other bishops and with the universal Church. He nevertheless has the right, according to the needs of the Church, to determine the manner, whether personal or collegial, of exercising this office.</span><br /><br /><b>§3. </b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">NO APPEAL OR RECOURSE IS PERMITTED AGAINST A SENTENCE OR DECREE OF THE ROMAN PONTIFF. </span>[Emphasis mine]</span> </blockquote>And yes, despite the special graces given to a pope, he can still be evil and sinful. He still has free will. But the Holy Spirit will never allow a Pope to mislead the Church. In all of her history, despite evil popes, not one of them has ever spiritually misled the Church or taught heresy. It doesn't matter who sits on the throne or how he got there. Once a man is elected Pope, he receives the spiritual gifts and graces promised to Jesus Christ as successor to Peter. That doesn't guarantee his personal salvation, but it does guarantee that the Church will be protected. <div></div><div><br /></div><div>As Jesus promised in Luke 22:31-32:</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail."</b></span></blockquote><p>Jesus here is talking about the faith of the Church. Christ is telling us here that Peter will never be allowed to fail the Church, even if he fails personally. Mary Ann's belief that we have to judge a pope's teachings shows complete rejection of Jesus Christ. Of course, that doesn't mean we have to accept every human opinion of a pope. I am talking about faith and morals. </p><div>Mary Ann's unrelenting criticism and opposition to Pope Francis is the most concerning issue of all and the reason she is a real danger to anyone who reads her blog. </div><div><br /></div><div>Although Mary Ann says she accepts <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=pope+francis" target="_blank">Pope Francis</a> as a valid pope, at the same time she continues to raise doubts, and not only raises doubts but encourages her readers to doubt. </div><div><br /></div><div>As she wrote in <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2023/06/a-question-on-sedevacantism-and-response.html#more" target="_blank">one post</a> in June 2023: "<b><i>[T]he faithful need officially (but not morally) to concur that his election was valid until proven otherwise in the appropriate tribunal</i></b>." Again, this is complete rejection of Catholic teaching that no human being has the right to sit in judgment of the Pope. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mary Ann laments in the next sentence: "<b><i>Compounding the problem is the fact that Bergoglio, like Biden, is the one who will ultimately get to determine both whether such a case will be heard and who is to be appointed to adjudicate the case</i></b>." Again, she conflates her political beliefs with her religious beliefs. President of the United States is in no way equal to being Pope. There is nothing on earth that compares to the authority of the Pope. But Mary Ann rejects that thoroughly Catholic teaching. </div><div><br /></div><div>In summary, Mary Ann in no uncertain terms completely rejects Pope Francis in every way, <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/search?q=pope+francis+valid" target="_blank">calling him heretical and even evil</a>. You can scour Mary Ann's blog but you will not find one word of support in any way for Pope Francis. She has condemned every word he has ever said or written as Pope from the time he walked onto the balcony in 2013. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mary Ann's latest post regarding Pope Francis was so over the top that I felt I needed to answer it. It is a "guest post" written by Father Bill Aitcheson entitled, "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2023/09/god-has-not-abandoned-us-by-fr-bill.html" target="_blank">God Has Not Abandoned Us</a>".</div><div><br /></div><div>Aitcheson is a very interesting character. He is an Arlington, VA Catholic priest who resigned from his ministry in 2017 after revealing he had been a leader in the KKK more than 40 years previous. He was convicted of burning a cross on the front yard of a newly married black couple and ordered to pay $20,000 to them. However, he turned his life around and went on to become a priest. </div><div><br /></div><div>Aitcheson was going along just fine until the deadly white supremacist and white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017. That really pricked his conscience and he wrote a confession in the <a href="https://www.catholicherald.com/article/local/moving-from-hate-to-love-with-gods-grace/" target="_blank">Arlington Catholic Herald</a>. He denounced the racism at that white supremacist rally and repented of his own racism in his youth. </div><div><br /></div><div>On a side note, Mary Ann is in total disagreement with Aitchenson on Charlottesville. She wrote a blog post entitled, "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2017/08/charlotte-was-setup-whats-next.html" target="_blank">Charlottesville was a Setup; What's Next?</a>" and another one entitled, "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2017/08/question-for-day-how-come-liberals.html" target="_blank">Question for the Day: How Come Liberals Condemn Hate on the Right and Champion Hate on the Left?</a>", in which she agreed with Trump's comments, with a bit of a twist. She says it was Fascists versus Commies. Not quite sure who is who under her scenario because she also mentions Antifa and the white supremacists. Mary Ann is a pro when it comes to making up facts out of thin air:</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Donald Trump's comments after Charlottesville condemning violence wherever it comes from were totally on target.<br /><br />Does anyone really believe the only bad guys in Charlottesville were the white supremacists?<br /><br />Hey, the liberals were thrilled to have an opportunity to send in their thugs pretending to be the "good guys" in white hats. They aren't! Antifa wants an open war and everywhere they go violence erupts.<br /><br />In Charlottesville, it was the fascists vs. the commies all over again. Are there any good guys in those groups?</b></span></blockquote><p>Mary Ann, of course, never mentions the protestor who was run over and killed when a white supremacist deliberately drove his car into a crowd of protestors. That doesn't make it onto her radar. At the same time, she says it was the "liberals" who are the thugs. Mary Ann is also a pro when it comes to blocking out inconvenient truths. That is why she loves Donald Trump, who has made lying and manipulation of the facts into an art.</p><p>Anyway, back to Aitcheson. </p><div>Aitcheson asked for and received a temporary leave of absence from his parish duties in August 2017. I have looked online, but I cannot find that he has ever gone back to the ministry. He is still a priest, but doesn't seem to be functioning as one. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, whatever his standing is as a Catholic priest, he was way out of line in the post he wrote for Mary Ann's blog. He attacked Pope Francis mercilessly:</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Pope Francis has been the most controversial pope in Church history. He has promoted heresy and worhiped <span style="color: #2b00fe;">[sic]</span> the Pachama <span style="color: #2b00fe;">[sic</span>], that filthy demon. He has talked out of both sides of his mouth by saying on the one hand, homosexual behavior is a sin, and giving the German bishops a rite for homosexual coupling on the other hand. His duplicity and his willfulness produced the permission for the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X to witness marriages and hear confessions, but has, by his document <i>Traditiones custodis</i> <span style="color: #2b00fe;">[sic]</span> (ironically named), set about suppressing the celbration <span style="color: #2b00fe;">[sic]</span> of the Traditional Latin Mass and the celebration of the other traditional sacraments. How could God, Who is Truth itself, place in the Chair of St. Peter, such a duplicitous and stubborn man who has caused so much scandal?</b></span></blockquote><p>First of all, may I ask Fr Aitcheson to please use a spell checker in the future?</p><p>"Most controversial pope in Church history", "promoted heresy" "worshipped <span face="Roboto, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #5f6368; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;"> </span>Pachamama", "talked out of both sides of his mouth", "duplicitous and stubborn man who has caused so much scandal". Aitcheson does not have one good thing to say about the Holy Father. This is from a Catholic priest?</p><p>So, after tearing down Pope Francis in every way he could think of, he goes on to write this:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Pope Francis is in the place that God wants him: apostasy, heresy, duplicity, willfulness, schismatic tendencies, and all. Francis is the Scourge of the Church, God's instrument of chastisement for the Church members' many betrayals of Christ, including Vatican II.</b></span></blockquote><div>So Francis is the Scourge of the Church and placed there to chastise the Church for its many betrayals, including Vatican II.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now we are getting to the heart of Aitcheson's argument. Pope Francis, for all his evil ways, is actually serving an important purpose in the Church. God is using the evil Pope Francis to punish us for abandoning Him. God, in His great wisdom, is using Francis to lead the Church to repentance.</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>God is not the cause of Francis's sins, or anyone else's for that matter, but He has given power to this evil man in order to show the Church the infidelities of her people. The purpose of this revelation is to call the Church's laity and her ministers to repent and do penance for their many sins. We are not to be idle in this combat between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness, bua re <span style="color: #2b00fe;">[sic] </span>in the middle of the combat needing to choose our own side </b></span><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">[I have no idea what he is saying here]</span></b><b style="font-family: helvetica;">. Remember, indifference is the opposite of charity.</b></blockquote><div>So according to Aitcheson, do not fear even though an evil, blasphemous heretic is our current Pope. God is still in charge. We have a heretical pope, which means that the gates of hell have prevailed over the Church, thus making Jesus Christ a liar (Matt 16:18). But don't worry. This terrible pope is necessary in God's plan to reveal the Church's sins and in punishment to the Church for going so far off course, starting with the heretical Second Vatican Council.</div><div><br /></div><div>That makes no sense to me, either.</div><div><br /></div><div>Attacking the Holy Father, turning people against him, causing division and disunity. This is as far from Catholic as anyone can get. It is the work of the devil who is hell bent on destroying the Church. The old serpent has been trying to destroy the Bride of Christ since the Church was founded on the original Pentecost Sunday, but he will be no more successful now than he has ever been, not even with the help of modern technology to help spread his message of lies and hate. </div><div><br /></div><div>But those who are engaged in this war against Pope Francis are putting their eternal souls at risk. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mary Ann Kreitzer, Father Bill Aitcheson and all others who promote these terrible lies, may God have mercy on your souls. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jrWcr0Jbm9-Jwda1WcL786Jqsg6B60dr4qx7493WlFJggKSS3a8skztbrpAgVZUSyINnmHyKqhTMwWCAJn0Jo46MwRe74OUcXjX-AK_Re3B6I4-p0NxyZqaszf-mhbmOjX8YS7nJM-4XPMXIJb2FjszMdhm0URmo5G1Xj09-5IzbZBc6vnQ15JsR/s1280/Pope%20%20Franics%20and%20children.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jrWcr0Jbm9-Jwda1WcL786Jqsg6B60dr4qx7493WlFJggKSS3a8skztbrpAgVZUSyINnmHyKqhTMwWCAJn0Jo46MwRe74OUcXjX-AK_Re3B6I4-p0NxyZqaszf-mhbmOjX8YS7nJM-4XPMXIJb2FjszMdhm0URmo5G1Xj09-5IzbZBc6vnQ15JsR/w640-h360/Pope%20%20Franics%20and%20children.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.inspiringquotes.us/quotes/XpOM_BX2EhVrx" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #407dda; cursor: pointer; font-family: "varela round", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.4; text-decoration-line: none;"><b>“Even if [the Pope is an incarnate devil], we ought not to raise up our heads against him, but calmly lie down to rest on his bosom... He who rebels against our Father is condemned to death, for that which we do to him we do to Christ: we honor Christ if we honor the Pope; we dishonor Christ if we dishonor the Pope.”</b></a></div><span face=""varela round", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #999999;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">-- <a href="https://www.inspiringquotes.us/author/8311-st-catherine-of-siena" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.4; text-decoration-line: none;">St. Catherine of Siena</a></span></div></span></div></div>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-66159546993771865162023-09-10T14:40:00.005-04:002023-09-11T15:26:56.546-04:00Review of "Nefarious": It's Not a Movie About the Devil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcoNVXY7zwenZEK7RKTR4IsB4XihMd8lUDT0Pf5bH65z1-1vDlohDMVpGIwG3Ly3kuzBZgDn_GmRb215Wc-SevKyl3xlWPjUaCfAfMxtIBj4adKz7m5Q0FYQS1V_BFyjPd3BYm5GJIEHQKJC3QxZ35yblQ_tArV37UQi1-MOM5sxlBPI-U7tXWq67c/s760/devil%20will%20tell%20the%20truth.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="760" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcoNVXY7zwenZEK7RKTR4IsB4XihMd8lUDT0Pf5bH65z1-1vDlohDMVpGIwG3Ly3kuzBZgDn_GmRb215Wc-SevKyl3xlWPjUaCfAfMxtIBj4adKz7m5Q0FYQS1V_BFyjPd3BYm5GJIEHQKJC3QxZ35yblQ_tArV37UQi1-MOM5sxlBPI-U7tXWq67c/w400-h297/devil%20will%20tell%20the%20truth.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Let me preface this post by saying that as a practicing Catholic, I absolutely 100% believe that the devil is real, that he is the avowed enemy of Jesus Christ and His Followers, and that demonic possession is just as real. </p><p>I also believe that most Hollywood movies about the devil and demonic possession are way over the top and that their main purpose is just to scare people. Movies are not a place anyone should go to learn about the reality of Satan and the role he plays in the world. </p><p>Now on to my review of the movie, "Nefarious."</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>In April of 2023, a movie entitled "Nefarious" was released. It is a completely fictional story purporting to be about demonic possession. The poster for the movie would indicate it is to be considered a horror film.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwku_eigf6YOA3UcT018t-i8dyuBKhuHWZT6r0NiJd8NZiflj1kxrDtQJqrUGuK_HdDyk8qgLfZxGD4RS2OQwlmFIIE_FPt3HYH1jPlPHvoH9wD9FwwMyQIAq-tayEA7DUQjQnUu75XOPZFNDHY0gl6Cf4UiYp80pBNS8RdRUMkfFJlIImuFsL7QRm/s575/Nefarious%20poster.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="387" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwku_eigf6YOA3UcT018t-i8dyuBKhuHWZT6r0NiJd8NZiflj1kxrDtQJqrUGuK_HdDyk8qgLfZxGD4RS2OQwlmFIIE_FPt3HYH1jPlPHvoH9wD9FwwMyQIAq-tayEA7DUQjQnUu75XOPZFNDHY0gl6Cf4UiYp80pBNS8RdRUMkfFJlIImuFsL7QRm/s320/Nefarious%20poster.png" width="215" /></a></div><p>The plot: a possessed serial killer, Edward Wayne Brady, has been sentenced to death. The psychiatrist examining him declared him to be insane and therefore ineligible for the death penalty. However, the psychiatrist committed suicide and therefore, a new psychiatrist was brought in to re-examine the condemned man to judge his sanity.</p><p>The new psychiatrist, Dr. James Martin, comes to the prison to perform the examination mere hours before Brady is scheduled to be executed. Martin is given a few short hours to determine if the condemned man should live or die. At one point, Brady threatens to end the session, and Martin says that would be unfortunate because he would have to make his determination on limited information. </p><p>That is our first clue that this story is completely unrealistic. Are we really supposed to believe the State would execute a man just based on a hunch that the man is sane, but they're not sure? Please.</p><p>When Martin sits down with Brady, there is immediate confrontation between the two men. This would not seem to be the way a real psychiatrist would interact with someone to determine his sanity. Psychiatrists do not make judgments as people speak. They just let them speak. How else can they determine the mental state of a person?</p><p>As the conversation begins, we find out that Martin knows very little about Brady. Nor does he try to actually learn anything at all about Brady. There is never any real conversation about Brady's past, about any abuse he may have suffered as a child or adult, no talk about any drug addiction, etc. Martin says he read the files from the previous doctor, yet he seems completely ignorant of everything about Brady. Clue number 2 that this story has no connection with reality.</p><p>But it turns out that Brady knows all about Martin. Brady knows Martin is a young man in his 30's and graduated from prestigious schools with honors. Brady also knows that Martin is an atheist, completely rejecting God and anything spiritual. Seems kind of weird that the patient being examined knows more about the doctor that than the doctor knows about the patient, don't you think? </p><p>A few minutes into the "examination", the demon reveals to Martin that Brady is actually a victim of demonic possession. The demon not only freely shows himself, he gives Martin his name, Nefarious, and his whole history. Martin acts surprised, even though he says he read the files on Brady, and Martin later reveals that the files said exactly this. </p><p>This was clue number 3 that this movie has no connection to reality. Anyone who has ever heard talks by exorcists knows that demons would never willingly expose themselves and say, "I'm a demon." And demons would absolutely NEVER want to reveal their names because knowing their names gives the exorcist power over them. In fact, even the demon in this movie says that names are important and they have power. Father Vincent Lampert, an exorcist in Indiana, says that when a demon names himself, he is submitting to the power and authority of God and demonstrating weakness.</p><p>Nefarious then goes on to explain demons and how they work. Really? A demon is going to voluntarily educate a human being on the tricks of the trade? This movie just gets more and more ridiculous.</p><p>However, Nefarious does give some correct information when he says that demons don't just possess someone all at once, that it is a series of "yeses". Here is the scene.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/nnpMAfKgisI?si=I0SyeJyxKp4ez9BP" width="480"></iframe></p><div><br /></div><div>Alas, although this is mainly correct, it still has errors. What Nefarious lists as "stages" of possession would more correctly be labeled as different kinds of demonic interference. </div><div><br /></div><div>I believe Nefarious is correct when he says absence of baptism does leave us more vulnerable. Baptism is the sacrament that actually snatches us from the devil and gives us to Jesus Christ. Fr. Vincent Lampert says the youngest person he ever did an exorcism on was 4 years old. The child's parents were deep into the occult. That is why babies should be baptized as soon as it is possible. It is the most important spiritual protection their parents can give their child. The child, of course, retains free will and can go its own way, but at least there is still some protection.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nefarious then states that there are "stages" of possession, the first being "extreme temptation." This is where the movie starts to give misinformation. Temptation is part of the normal human condition. Temptation is considered normal activity of the devil. It is actually something every human being, from the worst sinner to the holiest person, must deal with. Even Jesus Christ had to deal with temptation. Being tempted does not mean the devil has any kind of hold on you at all. It merely means that you are human. Often God allows temptation in our lives to make us stronger. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nefarious states the next stage is "obsession." Yes, obsession is an attack from the devil but an exorcist is not required for this. Obsession is not possession. A person dealing with demonic obsession can obtain blessings and prayers from any priest. This is a definition of demonic obsession from an article in <a href="https://catholicexchange.com/vexation-obsession-possession-the-extraordinary-ways-the-devil-attacks/" target="_blank">Catholic Exchange</a> written by Father Paolo Carlin, a member of the International Exorcist Association:</div><div><b><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There are demonic assaults that, although they do not block the person’s intellectual powers and free will, succeed in inserting thoughts or obsessive images into the mind (the imagination and the memory) that the victim is not able to expel. In these cases, the person feels tormented by a fixed idea that he knows is foreign to him and seeks to find a way to reject it. But it is so deeply imprinted in his mind and spirit that it seems to be really his.</span></blockquote></b></div><p>Nefarious states that the next "stage" is infestation. Infestation has nothing to do with the devil possessing people. It is all about possessing things or even animals. Like obsession, any priest is allowed to pray over such an affliction.</p><p>From Father Carlin:</p><p><b></b></p><blockquote><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The extraordinary action of the Devil that causes disturbances and nuisances in places, houses, and objects is called diabolical infestation in a locality. It also includes diabolical action on animals, which, in the last analysis is directed at man. The manifestations of such action are unexplainable noises, apparitions of objects or changes of their location, music or odd noises, phosphorescence (emission of light without any perceptible heat), odors, lights, animals that react as if they have seen someone or that are in an excited state, shadows, silhouettes, faces, and so forth.</span></b></blockquote><p></p><div>Nefarious says the third stage is demonic vexation. As with obsession and infestation, any priest can pray over and bless a person who is so afflicted.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is the definition of vexation from Father Carlin: <br /><blockquote><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Diabolical vexations that appear as physical attacks on a person are cuts, burns, scratches, punctures, writing on the skin, bites, beatings, blows that leave bruises, swellings, bloody sores, broken bones, incisions on the skin that spell words or form signs that persist for a certain time and then disappear, and illnesses with unknown causes and unknown cures. Obstacles also occur in the workplace and among affective relationships without logical explanation.</span></b></blockquote></div><p>And finally, actually possession. Only a priest who has received permission from his bishop can perform an exorcism. Exorcists say that demonic possession is actually very rare. Father Vince Lampert says it is one in 5,000 cases that he sees. </p><p>From Father Carlin: </p><blockquote><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Possession is not a splitting of the personality. Rather, it involves a temporary displacement of the person, during which a brutal and violent demonic spirit takes control. Acting from within the body, the demon makes the helpless victim speak and act as he wishes: such a phenomenon can be defined as the moment of crisis.<br /><br />The Devil dominates the body of the person in order to annul his faculties of self-determination and control. The presence of the demon in the human body neutralizes the person’s ability to direct himself, so that he becomes a blind, docile instrument that is fatally obedient to a perverse and despotic power.</span></b></blockquote><p>Nefarious then tells Martin that he pushed the previous doctor to commit suicide because he wanted Martin. The reason? He wants Martin to publish his story. This is another clue that this movie has no connection to reality. Demons never want notoriety or publicity. They don't even want people to believe they exist. It is achingly clear that no exorcist was consulted in the making of this movie. </p><p>Martin then calls a chaplain into the room. At first the demon is threatened by the chaplain and backs away, but the chaplain reveals that he does not believe in demons and this puts Nefarious at ease. In real life, the demon would have known this immediately when the chaplain walked into the room. The demon would have known the chaplain had no authority over him and would never have backed down to him in any way. The demon would just laugh at him and mock him.</p><p>It is also at this point that Martin reveals he is an atheist. For anyone who knows anything about the devil, this movie has become completely unbelievable. The devil would never bother with an atheist. Why? Because he already owns that person. The devil would not want to do anything that might make the atheist start to question his rejection of God. And yet, as we shall see, Nefarious actually tries to convince Martin that not only is there is a God, but that God loves human beings. No demon would ever willing testify to this. It is, in effect, preaching the Gospel.</p><p>Next, Nefarious tells Martin to "invite him in." Again, a complete disconnection with reality for all the reasons just stated. A demon would never waste his time possessing an atheist because the atheist is already doing the devil's bidding and is on his way to hell unless he repents. The story line of this movie is completely implausible. </p><p>However, Martin agrees to being possessed with the caveat that he gets to make a request as well. Nefarious does not possess him. </p><p>Nefarious then begins to taunt Martin about the events of his life, starting with the death of Martin's mother. Nefarious reveals that Martin's mother died by assisted suicide, assisted by Martin himself. Martin feels no guilt about this, does not seem haunted by it in any way. This is just the way the real devil would want him to feel because it completely disconnects him from God. </p><p>Yet, Nefarious is trying to induce guilt and shame, which could very well drive Martin to God. No self-respecting demon would ever engage in such activity. Demons only point out guilt when a person already feels guilty, in an attempt to drive them to complete despair. There was no need for this in Martin's case. </p><p>After this, Nefarious says "Ready for round 2?" Martin replies "I didn't know this was a fight." Nefarious: "That's why you're losing."</p><p>Huh? Martin was an atheist. He was already lost. The devil, at that point, had already won. Nefarious seems to be trying to change Martin from an atheist into a believer. This movie just gets more and more ridiculous, as we see in the next scene.</p><p>Nefarious tells Martin that God exists. Gives Martin a lesson in theology and how demons came to be. Here is the scene.</p> <div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/8R2LxoqNnwI?si=0xTmPV0E2lY6aFx6" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Would someone please explain to me why a demon would want to shake an atheist out of his rejection of God? This makes absolutely no sense. </div><div><br /></div><div>It gets even worse. The demon explains that the devil wants to destroy mankind. Why? "To hurt Him [God], to punish Him, by destroying what He loves, which is you."</div><div><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/F2wCJPd-PEI?si=1qz2Re03GXbShifb" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, I have no problem with this message that Satan wants to destroy us while God loves us. But a demon would NEVER say this, and he sure wouldn't say it to someone who doesn't even believe in God. I would say Nefarious here is one of the best evangelizers of the Gospel ever. </div><div><br /></div><div>At this point, Martin decides Brady is insane. Nefarious reacts by exposing the fact that at that very moment, Martin's girlfriend is aborting their baby. Martin of course had no problem with that. But Nefarious keeps pushing and pushing and suddenly, Martin wants to stop the abortion. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is a total fairy tale. First, no demon would ever, ever, ever want to stop an abortion. They would never say things like this:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/pn3U6l6Ofn4?si=RuJS1kOzBSHBFluI" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>I speak from experience, having prayed outside abortion clinics for 10 years. People who have decided on abortion never suddenly decide that it is murder and must be stopped. If Martin had been expressing doubts up to that time, then it is a remote possibility he would feel guilt. But that is not the case here. </div><div><br /></div><div>The movie then has Martin flying out of the room in an attempt to contact his girlfriend to stop her. But it's too late. She has already had the abortion. Martin feels deep remorse and guilt. If only this could really happen. But if it could, it certainly wouldn't be the result of a demon's actions.</div><div><br /></div><div>This next clip exposes what this movie is really all about. Watch it carefully.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/kyI92q6qugU?si=q9tX_fd5l6UrdpRn" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>In this clip, Martin lists all the "good" things he believes is happening in the world: literacy at an all time high, working to eliminate racism, eliminate intolerance, gender inequality. People can love who they want, do what they want. Diversity is no longer a dream. Hate speech is no longer tolerated.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nefarious laughs at all of this. He counters with: average high school graduate reads at a 6th grade level (true), basketball players making $30 million a year decry racism (total non sequitur. Black people making money has nothing to do with racism). Basketball players wear sneakers made from slave labor (in essence, true, but again, what does that have to do with racism). The world currently has 40 million slaves, 20 million of which are sex slaves (actually there are an estimated 50 million slaves in the world, and 1 million of them are in the United States).</div><div><br /></div><div>Then Nefarious makes this comment: "As for hate speech, here's some irony. We didn't even come up with that one. You did it all by yourself."</div><div><br /></div><div>Really? Modern liberals made up "hate speech"? Then what did Jesus Christ mean when He said, "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell." (Matt 5:22). Sure sounds like condemnation of hate speech.</div><div><br /></div><div>And what about this warning from Jesus Christ: "For I say to you that every idle word that people will speak, they will give an answer for it in the Day of Judgment." (Matt 12:36)</div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">Actually, criminalizing hate speech is one way in which society has actually caught up to Jesus Christ. Our words are powerful. Words can destroy. As James wrote:</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.<br /><br />With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. </b><i>(James 3:7-10)</i></span></blockquote></div><div>When this movie makes light of racism and then laughs at the idea of hate speech, it all become abundantly clear. This is not a movie about the devil. And even though it does get many things right, it is not a movie about good and evil. It is a movie about the political Right condemning the political Left. </div><div><br /></div><div>As can be seen from this scene, this movie is all about an attack on liberals and their ideology. That is why they use an atheist as the main character. The movie would have you believe that liberal and atheist are one and the same. After all, who can be more liberal than an atheist? Who can be more off track or more evil than a liberal atheist? Watching this movie would lead one to believe that the modern liberal is more evil than the devil. </div><div><br /></div><div>Far Right Wing activist and conspiracy theorist Glenn Beck shows up as himself at the end of the movie, putting the exclamation point on the fact that this is nothing more than a Right Wing propaganda movie. </div><div><br /></div><div>This movie was taken from a book written by Steve Deace. Who is Steve Deace? He is a far Right political activist who works for Glenn Beck. In 2016, Deace worked on Ted Cruz's campaign. In 2020, he supported Donald Trump and was an election denier. He is a vaccine skeptic and pushed the belief that Covid 19 and the vaccine were part of a depopulation conspiracy theory. He believes people like Dr Anthony Fauci should be tried for crimes against humanity, like the Nuremberg trials. In other words, Deace is a far Right kook.</div><div><br /></div><div>Deace was intimately involved in the making of this movie. </div><div><br /></div><div>Do you really need to know any more? </div><div><br /></div><div>There is enough truth in this movie to make a Christian think it is a "Christian" movie. In fact, there is more truth in it than lies. The lies are very subtle (just as the devil is), and you have to really understand how the devil works in order to see the lies. But you only need a small amount of arsenic to kill someone. And that is the way the real devil always works. </div><div><br /></div><div>The purpose of this movie is to divide people even more than they already are. The purpose is to validate the Right and harden them in their positions while looking at everyone who disagrees with them as being in league with the devil, and therefore worthy of nothing but contempt. The theme of this movie is the devil may be bad but at least he tells the truth, which is a whole lot more than you can say for all those libtards. </div><div><br /></div><div>SPOILER WARNING. Nefarious pushes and pushes Martin and finally out of fear for his own life, Martin signs a statement declaring Brady to be sane and eligible for the death penalty. In all other exorcism movies, the devil always loses and good wins. But in this movie, the devil wins and yet, far Right Christians everywhere praised it as one of the best movies they ever saw. Why? Because it promotes their beliefs, makes them look like angels of light and condemns everyone else. </div><div><br /></div><div>The execution scene was done very realistically and was very grisly. And the movie makes it clear that an innocent man was executed, as Brady had no control over what Nefarious did through him. Yet not one of these "righteous" Christians said anything about that. Nowhere did I read that maybe we ought to rethink the death penalty. These "Christians" love the death penalty and think it is a sin not to use it, even when innocent people are killed. </div><div><br /></div><div>There is evil in the world. The devil controls the vast, vast majority of all societies, and that includes both the Left and the Right. As the Bible makes clear "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Our job as Christians is not to stand in condemnation of sinners but to preach repentance of sin and the love, mercy and forgiveness of God. And you don't do that through belittling and condemning them.</div><div><br /></div><div>As stated above, unlike most other exorcist movies, the devil wins in "Nefarious." He gets exactly what he says he wants - the execution of Edward Brady and the publication of his book. The very last scene shows him possessing a homeless black woman who is still harassing Martin. So according to "Nefarious", evil is stronger than good. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you want to see how the average person views this movie, and how it completely fails to accomplish any of Steve Deace's "goals", read <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/2023/05/02/nefarious-movie-christian-message-steve-deace-ineffective/70133729007/" target="_blank">THIS</a>. As the reviewer said, "<b style="font-style: italic;">nothing that played out on the screen convinced me of the error of my beliefs or had me perched on the edge of a precipice</b>."</div><div><br /></div><div>I bet the real devil loves this movie. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtkRUtjNZyqpWkNxLH1DV_RasZe6dy8Um-28_t-loEuUXVuNw1Gha6NMka8cVnH6PC8QX7xrWFy6KEc6FzYFjiZieQVhwlhKwRKOwNfKYda2lcD18ZhmpB1YzK5-3SpDBzCQRnyk9jk92gA0CNFKeiWO6rw_mU7OXsb0tJ1jfSGdRAYK9HlI0SC48/s562/how%20the%20devil%20appears.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="562" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtkRUtjNZyqpWkNxLH1DV_RasZe6dy8Um-28_t-loEuUXVuNw1Gha6NMka8cVnH6PC8QX7xrWFy6KEc6FzYFjiZieQVhwlhKwRKOwNfKYda2lcD18ZhmpB1YzK5-3SpDBzCQRnyk9jk92gA0CNFKeiWO6rw_mU7OXsb0tJ1jfSGdRAYK9HlI0SC48/w400-h400/how%20the%20devil%20appears.png" width="400" /></a></div>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-74257910706101793802023-02-27T13:14:00.440-05:002023-03-01T08:27:18.685-05:00EWTN Proves Once Again That They Are Not Catholic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr30mMAYHRvk6MfdXiIqaQZN1o2HdZ17idS9nsGObppONLG1x2p-8t2g_QSyZZJRfPci4erygf-6eLM_jr5aPmSTDr0ox2YmWl-17v2QDYMDaIMNxnWp-45iyO_yjtbCpXqqxwYJPQiBYSit4MLbtL47chRuHK5HOY-NJpVP_fby7_X11-du4Xew/s1280/Work%20of%20the%20devil.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr30mMAYHRvk6MfdXiIqaQZN1o2HdZ17idS9nsGObppONLG1x2p-8t2g_QSyZZJRfPci4erygf-6eLM_jr5aPmSTDr0ox2YmWl-17v2QDYMDaIMNxnWp-45iyO_yjtbCpXqqxwYJPQiBYSit4MLbtL47chRuHK5HOY-NJpVP_fby7_X11-du4Xew/w640-h360/Work%20of%20the%20devil.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Pee Wee Herman a/k/a Raymond Arroyo and his "Papal Posse" were at it once again, proving that they are the enemy of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the story. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 2021, when Pope Francis promulgated his Motu Proprio, <i>Traditionis Custodes</i>, which limited the practice of the Latin Mass in diocesan parishes, some bishops tried invoking Canon 87 in an attempt to ignore Pope Francis and basically thumb their noses at him. They really thought they had pulled a fast one on the Holy Father.</div><div><br /></div><div>But much to their surprise and consternation, the Holy Father has just pulled the rug out from under them. If it was a game of chess, Pope Francis would be saying "checkmate." (Apologies for the mixed metaphors)</div><div><br /></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span>The following is from a blog post I wrote in July 2021, "<a href="https://catholicinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2021/07/traditionalists-live-in-their-own.html" target="_blank">Traditionalists Live In Their Own Reality</a>." </div><div><br /></div><div>From my post:<br /><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Bishop Paprocki <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248438/springfield-bishop-dispenses-parishes-from-restrictions-on-the-traditional-latin-mass" target="_blank">has used Canon 87</a>, section 1, to support his position that he is allowed to ignore <i>Traditionis Custodes</i>:</span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><blockquote>Pope Francis’ motu proprio <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248430/full-text-traditionis-custodes-pope-francis-motu-proprio-about-traditional-latin-mass"><i>Traditionis Custodes</i></a> (“Guardians of the tradition”), issued last Friday and effective immediately, allows individual bishops to authorize the use of the Traditional Latin Mass in their respective dioceses. Previously, Pope Benedict’s 2007 apostolic letter <i>Summorum Pontificum</i> recognized the rights of all priests to celebrate the Traditional Mass, and did not require them to obtain the permission of their bishop to do so.<br /><br />A provision of the new document says that bishops are to “designate” the locations of traditional liturgies, adding that they cannot be offered at “parochial churches.”<br /><br />Paprocki cited Canon 87, section 1 of the Code of Canon Law for his decision to issue the dispensation for the two parishes in his diocese.<br /><br />The canon states: “A diocesan bishop, whenever he judges that a dispensation will contribute to their spiritual good, is able to dispense the faithful from universal and particular disciplinary laws issued for his territory or his subjects by the supreme authority of the Church."</blockquote></b></span></blockquote><p>As I stated in that post:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There is no way that the original purpose of Canon 87 was to allow bishops to disobey a Motu Proprio. This canon was for the purposes of allowing something like eating meat on a Friday during Lent, or changing a Holy Day from a weekday to a Sunday, or dispense the obligation to attend Mass during an epidemic, as we saw last year. Canon 87 has never been used as Bishop Paprocki has used it. Canon 87 was never meant to be used to countermand a Motu Proprio. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Paprocki's misuse of Canon 87 has certainly created a great Get Out of Jail Free card for the Traditionalists in his diocese. Other bishops have also jumped on the Canon 87 bandwagon, such as <a href="https://toledodiocese.org/announcements/statement-of-bishop-daniel-e.-thomas-on-the-motu-proprio-traditionis-custod" target="_blank">Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I would not be surprised if these dispensations are challenged by the Vatican. Canon Law Art. 90 §1:</span></p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><blockquote>One is not to be dispensed from an ecclesiastical law without a just and reasonable cause, after taking into account the circumstances of the case and the gravity of the law from which dispensation is given; otherwise the dispensation is illicit and, unless it is given by the legislator himself or his superior, also invalid.</blockquote></b></span></blockquote><p>It has taken a while, but Pope Francis has finally responded to these rogue bishops through the Vatican's Liturgy office, headed by Cardinal Arthur Roche. </p><p>From the<a href="https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/pope-clarifies-rules-limiting-celebration-pre-vatican-ii-mass" target="_blank"> USCCB</a>:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Diocesan bishops must have Vatican authorization to allow the celebration of the pre-Vatican II Mass in a parish church, to establish a new "personal parish" for devotees of the old Mass or to allow its celebration by a priest ordained after July 2021 when Pope Francis issued rules restricting the celebration, he said.<br /><br />Any bishop who has granted a dispensation from those rules must inform the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, "which will assess the individual cases," said a rescript approved by Pope Francis during a meeting Feb. 20 with Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the dicastery.<br /><br />The rescript, signed by Cardinal Roche, was released by the Vatican Feb. 21.</b></span></blockquote><p>BAM!</p><p>Well, of course all the Trads have started screaming like stuck pigs, claiming to be the innocent victims of Big Bad Heretical Pope Francis. All they want to do, as the only remaining faithful Catholics on earth, is to worship God in the only true worship, the Traditional Latin Mass. And Pope Francis hates them for it and is in league with the devil in trying to destroy them.</p><p>None, of course, screamed louder than Pee Wee and his merry band of Papal Posse, Father Gerald Murray (who always looks like he about to upchuck at any moment) and Robert Royal. Here is the video of their pity party.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k3owYMNPkuA" width="320" youtube-src-id="k3owYMNPkuA"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>As you will see from the video, Pee Wee invited a special guest to the party, Peter Kwasniewski, whom I have written about previously. <a href="https://catholicinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-traditionalists-are-their-own-worst.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> is one of those posts, entitled "Traditionalists Are Their Own Worst Enemy". Suffice it to say, Kwasniewski can out-Rad Trad the best of them. He is supreme among Pope Francis haters. Pee Wee knows how to pick 'em.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pee Wee starts out with a loaded question, filled with lies and falsehoods. He directs it to Fr. "Upchuck" Murray, ironically a Canon lawyer:</div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b></b></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>It appears the Vatican is doing away with the discretion of the local bishop in all aspects of the old Latin Rite. What is being done here canonically?</b></span></blockquote><p> Where are the lies?</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The Rescript is not "doing away" with anything. It is merely restating the Authority the Holy Father has always had.</li><li>It is NEVER within the discretion of a bishop to purposely disobey the Holy Father. Cherry picking a Canon law and misusing it to disobey just doesn't cut it. </li><li>There is no "old Latin Rite." There is one Latin Rite with two forms. Their beloved document, <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20070707_summorum-pontificum.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Summorum Pontificum</a> (which they consistently misquote and misrepresent), plainly states:</li></ol><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Art 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI is the ordinary expression of the lex orandi (rule of prayer) of the Catholic Church of the Latin rite. The Roman Missal promulgated by Saint Pius V and revised by Blessed John XXIII is nonetheless to be considered an extraordinary expression of the same lex orandi of the Church and duly honoured for its venerable and ancient usage. <span style="color: red;">These two expressions of the Church’s lex orandi will in no way lead to a division in the Church’s lex credendi (rule of faith); for they are two usages of the one Roman rite.</span></b></span></blockquote><p>Murray's answer is just as filled with falsehood as Pee Wee's question:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>In Canon Law, when the Pope issues a decree or Apostolic Constitution, the local bishop has the power according to Canon 87 paragraph 1, to dispense from provisions according to the pastoral need in his diocese. In </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Traditionis Custodes</i><b>, which was the Apostolic Constitution concerning the old </b><i>(oops, he almost repeated Pee Wee's lie),</i><b> the Traditional Latin Mass, the Pope said don't use parish churches, don't create new parishes specifically for the Latin Mass, and that priests who are ordained after this Constitution, you need to consult Rome before giving them permission.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>But it was consult. It wasn't get permission from Rome. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Now that's all been changed. So this Rescript is really new law and it goes in the direction of depriving bishops of the rights they enjoy in Canon law to make pastoral decisions based on what they see. Now it's fascinating because TC was issued on the basis of a survey in which we were told that there is a lot of dissatisfaction among the world's bishops about the Traditional Latin Mass. But the fact that bishops were allowing it to continue in their dioceses indicates the opposite.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>So I think this is a Roman effort, sad to say, to further marginalize, restrict and banish Latin Mass people, and these are precisely a group of practicing Catholics who are very obedient. So I find this to be very distressing and not according to what the Pope has always said, go out to the marginalized and help them. </b></span> </p></blockquote><p></p></div><div>First and foremost, Murray, who claims to be a Canon lawyer, doesn't seem to know the difference between an Apostolic Constitution and a Motu Proprio. TC was a Motu Proprio, NOT an Apostolic Constitution.</div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Apostolic constitutions</b> (apostolicae constitutions) are considered the most solemn papal documents and concern weighty doctrinal or disciplinary matters that are published as either universal or particular law of the Church. Examples: Constitution on the Liturgy [Sacrosanctum Concilium]; Constitution on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Motu proprio</b> is a legislative, apostolic letter written and signed by the pope on his own initiative. Originally used to settle the affairs of the Curia and administer the Papal States, they now handle legislative matters which are significant but do not merit a constitution. Motu proprios are generally brief, and handle specific issues relevant to the Church in a specific time in history. In recent years they have been one of the principal sources of new laws outside of the Code.</li></ul><div>You would think a Canon lawyer would know that, wouldn't you?</div><div><br /></div><div>If we go by Murray's statement, this would mean that a bishop can disavow anything coming out of Rome if he doesn't like it. Really? So how would Murray have felt if the bishops had invoked Can. 87 and refused to implement <i>Summorum Pontificum </i>in 2007? You think Murray would have supported bishops in that move?</div><div><br /></div><div>As I wrote back in 2021, Can. 87 is obviously referring to such things as approving of eating meat on certain Fridays in Lent, suspending the duty to attend Sunday Mass during a pandemic, etc. </div><div><br /></div><div>Canon 87 is NOT a get out of jail free card. It is NOT a means for bishops to disobey the Pope. </div><div><br /></div><div>You would think a Canon lawyer would know that, wouldn't you?</div><div><br /></div><div>Murray then says that TC instructed bishops to consult with Rome in regard to using parish churches and allowing priests ordained after TC to celebrate the TLM. Is that what it says? </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the only portion of the document which uses the word "consult":</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Art. 4. Priests ordained after the publication of the present Motu Proprio, who wish to celebrate using the <i>Missale Romanum</i> of 1962, should submit a formal request to the diocesan Bishop who shall consult the Apostolic See before granting this authorization.</b></span></blockquote><p>Does Murray really believe that if, after consulting with Rome, the bishops were told no, such and such priest is not allowed to celebrate the TLM, that such decision could just be ignored? Really?</p><p>And what does TC say about using parish churches:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>§ 2. is to designate one or more locations where the faithful adherents of these groups may gather for the eucharistic celebration (not however in the parochial churches and without the erection of new personal parishes);</b></span></blockquote><p>There is NOTHING in this article which indicates the bishops should "consult" with Rome regarding the use of parish churches. It is a very plain directive that parish churches are NOT to be used for the TLM. There is no wiggle room for the bishops. </p><p></p><p>It is quite clear that the Can. 87 bishops clearly disobeyed the Pope by refusing to consult with Rome in regard to priests ordained after the implementation of TC, contrary to Art. 4. </p><p>Further, the Can. 87 bishops arbitrarily, without any "consultation" whatsoever with Rome, made the decision to allow the TLM in their parish churches in direct disobedience to the Pope.</p><p>As a result of their deliberate and willful disobedience, these bishops have no standing in their opposition to Rome on this matter. </p><p>You would think a Canon lawyer would know that, wouldn't you?</p><p>Murray was also wrong when he said the Rescript is new law. If it was new law, this could not, by definition, be a Rescript. A Rescript is only for clarification, not for making "new law". The Rescript at issue is restating the authority that the Pope has always had and which he has given to Cardinal Roche. Murray is completely obfuscating the intent of both TC and the Rescript. </p><p>You would think a Canon lawyer would know that, wouldn't you?</p><p>What is a Rescript? According to the <a href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12783b.htm#:~:text=Rescripts%20are%20responses%20of%20the%20pope%20or%20a,of%20a%20law%2C%20the%20appointment%20of%20a%20judge." target="_blank">Catholic Encyclopedia</a>: <br /></p><p></p><blockquote>"<i><b>Rescripts are responses of the pope or a Sacred Congregation, in writing, to queries or petitions of individuals. Some rescripts concern the granting of favours; others the administration of justice, e.g. the interpretation of a law, the appointment of a judge."</b></i></blockquote><p>The Rescript here is the Pope's answer to those who question the validity of <i>Traditionis Custodes</i>. As the Catholic Encyclopedia says, "<b><i>Rescripts have the force of a particular law, i.e. for the persons concerned</i></b><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)" face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">.</span>" New law cannot be contained in a Rescript. </p><p>You would think a Canon lawyer would know that, wouldn't you?</p><i><b></b></i><p></p><p>When Murray starts pontificating against the Pope, saying this is a Roman effort "to further marginalize, restrict and banish Latin Mass people, and these are precisely a group of practicing Catholics who are very obedient", I start to feel like I am going to upchuck. </p><p>Obedient? These Can. 87 bishops are being called out because of their purposeful and defiant disobedience of a Motu Proprio! The goal of the Rad Trads is to destroy the "Novus Ordo" Mass and every other part of the post Conciliar Church. These are the people who complain about every move Pope Francis makes. They unabashedly call him a heretic, and as Rad Trad Michael Matt publicly told Pope Francis, "<a href="https://catholicinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-voice-of-schism-michael-matt-to.html" target="_blank">Get The Hell Out Of Our Church!</a>" </p><p>Rad Trads are not marginalized people. They are a danger to the unity of the Church. This is why Pope Francis had no choice but to act as he has. He must protect the Church from this small but very dangerous faction. </p><p>When a bishop is consecrated, this is part of the <a href="https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19880701_professio-fidei_en.html" target="_blank">Oath of Fidelity</a> that he makes:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Moreover, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise their authentic Magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim these teachings by a definitive act.</b></span></blockquote><p>If we are to accept the Rad Trad position, we would have to believe that Can. 87 is a legal way for bishops to ignore the Holy Father and break their Oath of Fidelity. </p><p>Yes, the bishops have great authority in their dioceses to make unilateral decisions. But it can NEVER be in opposition to Rome.</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Can. 381 §1. A diocesan bishop in the diocese entrusted to him has all ordinary, proper, and immediate power which is required for the exercise of his pastoral function except for cases which the law or a decree of the Supreme Pontiff reserves to the supreme authority or to another ecclesiastical authority.</b></span></blockquote><p>The bishops now have to make a very personal decision. Do they continue to defy the Holy Father and put their personal salvation as well as that of the faithful at risk? The next few weeks should be very interesting.</p><p>This post is getting very long, and it is interfering with my Lenten practices. I may or may not do follow up posts dissecting more of the Papal Posse Pity Party.</p><p><br /></p><h1 style="text-align: center;">From The</h1><h1 style="text-align: center;">Accompanying Letter to </h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><i>Traditionis Custodes</i></h1><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A final reason for my decision is this: ever more plain in the words and attitudes of many is the close connection between the choice of celebrations according to the liturgical books prior to Vatican Council II and the rejection of the Church and her institutions in the name of what is called the “true Church.” One is dealing here with comportment that contradicts communion and nurtures the divisive tendency — “I belong to Paul; I belong instead to Apollo; I belong to Cephas; I belong to Christ” — against which the Apostle Paul so vigorously reacted. </b></span></h4></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In defense of the unity of the Body of Christ, I am constrained to revoke the faculty granted by my Predecessors. The distorted use that has been made of this faculty is contrary to the intentions that led to granting the freedom to celebrate the Mass with the Missale Romanum of 1962. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Because “liturgical celebrations are not private actions, but celebrations of the Church, which is the sacrament of unity”, they must be carried out in communion with the Church. Vatican Council II, while it reaffirmed the external bonds of incorporation in the Church — the profession of faith, the sacraments, of communion — affirmed with St. Augustine that to remain in the Church not only “with the body” but also “with the heart” is a condition for salvation.</b></span><p></p></div> Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-7666642867068583562022-08-20T13:43:00.003-04:002023-03-01T08:24:50.720-05:00Papal Tweet - True Meaning of Love<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJJLFwN35yTi73-wP81Zq-YOT5JhWSFe2VLNfEtZ6Ay7fXBaI-JQbpubXmD5YWa6cnhOaTOGtZrs1ILpvN0CiY13n3_IiI8SDAcbLA_Gvp-liDizSNUAFxUxnqXe0rHdGFY_nLUckrDpQ-YTFkefJw5DpqXYNYsv8GT9TGo5IHBrOjTw1aEexzw/s960/pope%20francis%20hugging.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJJLFwN35yTi73-wP81Zq-YOT5JhWSFe2VLNfEtZ6Ay7fXBaI-JQbpubXmD5YWa6cnhOaTOGtZrs1ILpvN0CiY13n3_IiI8SDAcbLA_Gvp-liDizSNUAFxUxnqXe0rHdGFY_nLUckrDpQ-YTFkefJw5DpqXYNYsv8GT9TGo5IHBrOjTw1aEexzw/w400-h266/pope%20francis%20hugging.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Libre Baskerville; font-size: x-large;">To love like Jesus means to serve & give our life. To serve means to put others’ interests first, to fight the cancer of indifference, to share the gifts God has given us. To give our life means to leave egoism behind, to make our lives a gift, spending ourselves for all in need.</span></h1><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/1560589897068449795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-6477683397230293002022-08-20T13:35:00.001-04:002022-08-20T13:35:23.751-04:00Daily Papal Tweet - Humilty<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenD68YEmOeHLXzeaIvw7VGMUntvaK1o6HfFrF6jVCRnqhOF40XAO8u4GWqJUDJlU6ePawo-m1MBL9hBpBSlQv50ymSQf-uPzhP8HKUnw9HhKfRqAveJWrtOWDGemQlTy58bcZ9pZsOVlEytjO63ufz1Yz2ETXp4Q2xP5J7DLOcQlOzI3Got2EfA/s1200/pope%20francis%20kissing%20feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenD68YEmOeHLXzeaIvw7VGMUntvaK1o6HfFrF6jVCRnqhOF40XAO8u4GWqJUDJlU6ePawo-m1MBL9hBpBSlQv50ymSQf-uPzhP8HKUnw9HhKfRqAveJWrtOWDGemQlTy58bcZ9pZsOVlEytjO63ufz1Yz2ETXp4Q2xP5J7DLOcQlOzI3Got2EfA/w400-h266/pope%20francis%20kissing%20feet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Without humility we cannot encounter God, we cannot experience salvation, and we cannot even encounter our neighbour, the brother and sister living near us.</span></b></span></h1><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/1560952285408026624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-42804723675385056482022-05-11T14:30:00.081-04:002022-05-31T11:17:44.219-04:00Mary Ann Kreitzer, Quo Vadis?<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUhEcIM_TWS1CX-MuUxoTj6QnJA6LCse0fJ_E129kZHUbWsm6Zy2wRh428QuW2x5fkMBVimkOYUwh5W01SJgaSMAurhe2V60jojEOQiQur-HCeb3itB_w8h2mq342FSWVNL9zUdzK5D4_DF2fEgzqaEKfLLoInl5dAsnt5K8-zsQxPso93qVcCQ/s720/only.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUhEcIM_TWS1CX-MuUxoTj6QnJA6LCse0fJ_E129kZHUbWsm6Zy2wRh428QuW2x5fkMBVimkOYUwh5W01SJgaSMAurhe2V60jojEOQiQur-HCeb3itB_w8h2mq342FSWVNL9zUdzK5D4_DF2fEgzqaEKfLLoInl5dAsnt5K8-zsQxPso93qVcCQ/w344-h400/only.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My last post, "<a href="https://catholicinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2022/05/overturning-roe-v-wade-will-not-stop.html" target="_blank">Overturning Roe v. Wade Will Not Stop Abortion. But It Could Destroy The Nation</a>" discussed the failure of the pro life movement to stop abortion, despite their apparent "victory" in overturning Roe v. Wade. As I pointed out, the vast majority of America still believes that abortion should be legal. Therefore, the war against abortion has not ended but only entered into a new and escalated stage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I used a post from Mary Ann Kreitzer to prove my point. Mary Ann did a <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2022/05/intimidation-politics-and-democrat.html#more" target="_blank">post</a> about the Left's response to the leaked Supreme Court decision and she used her usual <i>modus operandi</i> of attacking and demeaning those with whom she disagrees. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Before I did my post, I left a short comment on her blog which, as usual, she did not post. Mary Ann never posts my comments but I don't mind because I leave them for her, hoping it will trigger something in her to think about what she has written. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">However, Mary Ann obviously saw my blog post the next day and this sent her over the deep end. She did a <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2022/05/answering-my-delusional-troll-who.html#more" target="_blank">blog post</a> in which she identifies me only as "Mary the Troll". She, of course, did not address my blog post in any way, using only my brief comment to attack me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>Mary Ann started her post as follows:</div><blockquote>Well, I guess I'm going to address a troll, but, since I promised I would never post another one of Mary the Troll's comments, I'm not putting it in the comment section. That would link to her blog. I'm not sending anyone there. Commenting on the <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2022/05/intimidation-politics-and-democrat.html">Intimidation Politics post</a>, Mary the Troll exposed herself as totally delusional and clearly demonstrated that she is a willing enabler of THE LEFT'S violence. Here's what she wrote:</blockquote><blockquote><blockquote>Of course abortion is wrong and evil. But to demonize one side when you support the side that rioted in Washington, threatening to kill politicians and coming close to destroying the Republic itself is gross hypocrisy on your part. No one on the Left has ever been guilty of the horror show we saw from the Right on January 6, 2021. I keep asking but you never answer. How do you live with yourself?</blockquote></blockquote><p><span></span></p><div>And why would Mary Ann refuse to identify me and link to my blog? The answer is quite obvious. She doesn't want people to know what I really think. She wants to use innuendo and lies to paint her own portrait of me which has nothing to do with the truth.</div><div><br /></div><div><span><!--more--></span>This was Mary Ann's response:<p></p><blockquote>Well, I'm answering now. I was so shocked (incredulous is probably a more accurate word) by this comment I had to read it three times. Can she be serious? This woman obviously is hooked up to the matrix where they pipe into her ears CNN, MSNBC, and The View 24/7. I knew she was a little off, but she's unhinged. </blockquote>As you can see, there is her usual demeaning and condemnation, reducing me to a stereotype. <br /><blockquote>With regard to her comment....First of all, I have never supported the riot at the Capitol. It was not only wrong; it was stupid. I don't support breaking windows, knocking down barriers, or screaming at police officers. My brother was a Baltimore County cop for over 25 years. I would never insult or disobey a lawful and moral order from a policeman. (In the interests of full transparency, I am a rescuer and have disobeyed police officers telling me to leave an abortion business where I'm trying to protect the babies about to be killed and refuse to abandon them.)</blockquote><p>Of course, I never said she supported the riot at the Capital. I said she supported the <i style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;">side</i>, meaning the Trump supporters, who were involved in the rioting. And she reduces the riot to "breaking windows, knocking down barriers, or screaming at police officers." Five people were killed in the riots, there was $1.5 million in property damage, at least 140 officers were injured in the riots, and more than 725 people have been arrested. It was a little more than "stupid." Mary Ann likes to pick and choose her facts.</p><p>Mary Ann's next point:</p><blockquote>Next point: Mary the Troll cavalierly dismisses the abortion holocaust which is totally owned by THE LEFT. That is the real "horror show" where abortionists have murdered at least 63 MILLION innocent babies. </blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">That, of course, is a blatant lie to say I "cavalierly" dismissed abortion. Nothing in my comment suggests that and there is certainly nothing on my blog that suggests that but just the opposite. The main reason Mary Ann did not identify me or my blog is that this lie would be exposed for what it is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Then she goes on to explain the "facts" about the January 6 riot:</div><blockquote>No one threatened to "kill politicians." The only ones killed at the protest were Trump supporters. And the mob was incited by government agents deliberately infiltrating the crowd to stir things up. That is a fact <a href="https://thebluestateconservative.com/2022/04/13/huge-federal-court-filings-confirm-the-presence-of-fbi-agents-on-january-6th/" target="_blank">confirmed by Federal Court filings</a>. One unarmed woman, an Air Force veteran, was murdered by a Capitol policeman for the dastardly crime of attempting to climb unarmed through a window, shot in the neck at point blank range. Where are the "I can't breathe" supporters standing up for Ashli Babbitt's right to breathe? She wasn't the right color and she had the wrong politics.</blockquote><p>Everything in this statement is a lie. There was a gallows hung outside the Capital. The mob were shouting "Hang Mike Pence." One example is a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/29/politics/capitol-pelosi-bancroft/index.html" target="_blank">rioter who was arrested</a> and charged as follows:</p><blockquote>The woman, Dawn Bancroft, was charged along with Diana Santos-Smith for violent entry on Capitol grounds, remaining in a restricted area and disorderly conduct in a restricted building.<br /><br />In an affidavit, investigators cited a “selfie” video they say was taken by Bancroft. Investigators claim she is heard saying, “We broke into the Capitol. … We got inside, we did our part.”<br /><br />“We were looking for Nancy to shoot her in the friggin’ brain, but we didn’t find her,” Bancroft says, according to the affidavit.</blockquote>She later said she was joking (???) but on January 7, 2021 <a href="https://wlos.com/news/local/cleveland-meredith-jr-nc-man-sentenced-after-threatening-to-kill-house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-after-the-jan-6-riot-north-carolina-hayesville-us-capitol-qanon-president-donald-trump" target="_blank">a man was arrested and charged</a> and sentenced with threatening to kill Nancy Pelosi. Those are just a couple of examples. There are more if you want to look them up.<div><br /></div><div>Mary Ann gets her information from far right websites, and that is where she got her information that "the mob was incited by government agents deliberately infiltrating the crowd to stir things up." Mary Ann's info comes from a website called "thebluestateconnservative.com" Sounds really reliable, doesn't it? Well, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/06/25/fact-check-no-evidence-fbi-organized-jan-6-capitol-riot/7753276002/" target="_blank">USA Today</a>, one of many actually reliable websites, says this is patently untrue. </div><blockquote>But that theory relies on a false assumption: that anyone identified as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in charging documents is a government agent. <br /><br />In fact, legal experts say that term cannot be used to describe FBI agents or undercover government operatives. Charging documents and other evidence indicate that the Jan. 6 rioters included Trump supporters, conspiracy theorists and members of far-right groups.</blockquote><p>Mary Ann says that Ashli Babbit was murdered. The fact is Babbit was rioting and trying to break into Congress despite being warned. It was all caught on video and no one was charged with her "murder" or anything else on that day.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D9gNn9SuZuc" width="320" youtube-src-id="D9gNn9SuZuc"></iframe></div><br />For Mary Ann to compare the death of a rioter at the Capital to the murder of George Floyd is beyond the pale. <p></p><p>Then Mary Ann tries this one:</p><blockquote>Want to know who threatens politicians and Supreme Court Justices and is a threat to the republic? THE LEFT! Chuck Schumer threatened Justices Kavanaugh and Gorsuch. Mary the Troll saw this video when she read the intimidation post but obviously gave Schumer a pass for his clear threat to the justices. The video didn't include the part of his speech where he said, "We're coming for you!" Really, Chuck? With guns? Steel batons? Bricks? The justices serve for life so what was Schumer calling for? Kidnapping? Death? This constituted criminal assault which is a verbal threat.</blockquote><p>Is there anyone who actually believes this is what Schumer meant? C'mon Mary Ann. That is such a low blow.</p><p>Mary Ann then does correctly state that there have been threats against the Supreme Court and violence as a result of the leaked opinion, and of course that is wrong. But of course, she has to include lies to bolster her case:</p><blockquote>And now THE LEFT is going for the justices who are expected to support the draft Roe decision. They're targeting their homes and making death threats! The Biden administration hasn't protested because it's exactly what they want! Use violence and intimidation to get at least one judge to withdraw out of fear. It's the reason the draft decision was leaked by THE LEFT in the first place! Justice Alito had to cancel a presentation because of concerns for his safety and the other justices are backing away from public events as well. Another fence is going up, this time around the Supreme Court, because of threats from THE LEFT. Now THAT is what threatens our republic! Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and all THE LEFTISTS on the hill are doing everything they can to stir up their violent mobs. This is what they accused Trump of doing, but they are the experts in fascist tactics! It wasn't Trump supporters burning our cities and demonizing the police. If you want to look for people who demonize others, Mary the Troll, look at THE LEFT (and perhaps in the mirror). Holding people in prison for over a year for being on the Capitol grounds, not even in the building is the tactic of a police state!</blockquote><p>Don't you love the way Mary Ann condemns me as well as if I have something to do with all of this?</p><p>Mary Ann seems to have total amnesia when it comes to January 6. Mary Ann seems to have forgotten about the fence that went up around the Capital after January 6 and the fact that the National Guard was called out. She seems to have forgotten about the pipe bombs that were found. She seems to have forgotten about cops being beaten, some with American flags. She seems to have forgotten about the Capital being vandalized, including with human feces. Mary Ann seems to have forgotten everything about that day. </p><p>In regard to the violence and threats of violence from the pro choice supporters, Mary Ann also states that "The Biden administration hasn't protested because it's exactly what they want!" That is an absolute lie. From <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/white-house-abortion-protests-kavanaugh-roberts-homes-163859178.html" target="_blank">Yahoo.com</a>:</p><blockquote>The White House issued a statement on Monday saying that President Biden believes in the right to peacefully protest while condemning “violence, threats or vandalism” after abortion rights demonstrators marched outside the homes of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh over the weekend.<br /><br />“@POTUS strongly believes in the Constitutional right to protest,” <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1523649143951962115">White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted</a>. “But that should never include violence, threats or vandalism. Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety.”<br /><br />“Violence, threats and intimidation have no place in political discourse,” Psaki said at a press briefing on Monday afternoon. “Yes, we are a country that promotes democracy and we certainly allow for peaceful protests in a range of places across the country. None of it should violate the law.<br /><br />"We have not seen violence or vandalism against Supreme Court justices," Psaki added. "We have seen it Catholic churches. That is unacceptable. The president does not support that. We have seen it at some conservative organizations. We don't support that."</blockquote><p>Next from Mary Ann:</p><blockquote>Schumer's not the only one promising to "come for" those with whom he disagrees politically. Mary the Troll has obviously forgotten about the shooting at the ball field by a Bernie Sanders supporter saying he wanted to "kill Republicans" and Maxine Waters telling her robots to harass members of the administration in shopping malls and theaters and gas stations or wherever they found them. It's her version of "Kill the cockroaches!" to incite mob action. And it worked!</blockquote><p>This is actually the reason why I hate politics. My argument is that politics causes hate and division, and this is a prime example. That is why I say there are no solutions through politics, especially when it comes to abortion. Thank you, Mary Ann.</p><p> Next:</p><blockquote>For Mary the Troll to say that no one on the left has ever been guilty of "the horror show we saw from the right" illustrates ignorance, stupidity or malice. Obviously she slept through the riots in Portland, St. Louis, Kenosha, San Francisco, etc. She's forgotten about the trashed cities, the <a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/juliorosas/2020/11/30/police-chief-association-releases-jawdropping-numbers-of-injured-officers-during-n2580844">murdered and injured police officers</a> (thousands!) and citizens, the burned city and federal buildings and destroyed police cars. She's obviously closing her eyes to the policemen targeted with laser pointers to blind them and injured with bricks and frozen water bottles actually staged at riot points around the burning cities. She's ignored the thousands of businesses destroyed and looted by the "mostly peaceful" LEFT.</blockquote><p>I stand by my statement. The United States, at least in contemporary times, has never witnessed anything like the riot and potential overthrow of the government like we saw on January 6, 2021. Of course I condemn any violence wherever it comes from. Mary Ann knows I don't support it, but if she admits that, then she can't condemn me. </p><p>Mary Ann then goes on to give other examples of violence from the Left, as though that somehow justifies what we have seen on the Right. I can only repeat: politics is never the answer. Mary Ann proves that with her statements.</p><p>Mary Ann ends her post with this:</p><blockquote>I don't usually feed the trolls, but maybe there are a few poor souls who believe the same things Mary the Troll does because they haven't given it enough thought. That isn't true here. I've had enough experience with this woman (years in fact) to recognize malice when I see it. She claims to love the Blessed Mother, but there isn't an ounce of Mary's humility or charity on her blog or in her comments. I pray for her every time she visits (like a moth to a flame) even when I don't read what she writes which is usually a personal ad hominem attack and judgment of my soul.<br /><br />I hope, kind readers, you will pray for her and for all the ignorant people out there who are still enthralled by the media's lies. We won't, of course, wake up everyone, because you can only wake up those who are asleep. Those pretending to be asleep, which I think applies to Mary the Troll, are another case. <br /><br />By the way, Mary, I have no problem living with myself.</blockquote><p>Mary Ann accuses me of using ad hominem attacks against her. I express sincere concern for the state of her soul and she says that is an ad hominem attack. She interprets disagreement with her in any way as an ad hominem attack, just as she believes anyone who disagrees with her is a troll. She honestly can’t see how calling me a troll, saying I act with malice, have no humility or charity, don’t love the Blessed Mother etc. are all ad hominem attacks. She feels totally justified in using one personal insult after another against me and encouraging her readers to attack me. I wonder if she knows the meaning of hypocrisy.</p><p>This is what some of her "kind readers" said:</p><dt class="comment-author" id="c7554071477076868743" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 1.5em; border-top-color: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.5); border-top-style: dashed; border-top-width: 1px; border-top: 1px dashed rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.5); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; font-weight: bold; margin-left: -45px; padding-left: 45px; padding-top: 1.5em;">Anonymous said...</dt><dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-7554071477076868743" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; margin: 0.5em 25px 0.5em 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px;">I applaud you for this wonderful response, but I fear it was a huge effort for nothing, if it was an attempt to sway Mary the Troll - it will fall on deaf ears - these people are completely oblivious to the Truth.</p></dd><dt class="comment-author blog-author" id="c7852853547229130475" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 1.5em; border-top-color: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.5); border-top-style: dashed; border-top-width: 1px; border-top: 1px dashed rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.5); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; font-weight: bold; margin-left: -45px; padding-left: 45px; padding-top: 1.5em;"><a name="c7852853547229130475"></a><div class="avatar-image-container vcard" style="float: left; height: 37px; left: -45px; margin: 0.2em 0px 0px; max-height: 36px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; width: 37px;"><span dir="ltr"><a class="avatar-hovercard" href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/18245237845099708478" id="av-7852853547229130475-18245237845099708478" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;" target=""><img alt="" class="delayLoad" height="35" longdesc="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaupYc5ZPbAiA8VOLvV-MyAm4wCfmyPr-ohEKUyA-MbWXGbOQihVCCq6xtx9bMlEBlKjuETGzy33iGBdMBlqNmuZCFtmCEJJaVIMXVKRPjCSClDNr8pNHs17SIO4Qcgu-xLKE_9UQAQCY/s35/Larry%25252Band%25252Bme%25252Bat%25252Bwedding.jpg" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaupYc5ZPbAiA8VOLvV-MyAm4wCfmyPr-ohEKUyA-MbWXGbOQihVCCq6xtx9bMlEBlKjuETGzy33iGBdMBlqNmuZCFtmCEJJaVIMXVKRPjCSClDNr8pNHs17SIO4Qcgu-xLKE_9UQAQCY/s35/Larry%25252Band%25252Bme%25252Bat%25252Bwedding.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: right; max-width: 36px; position: relative;" title="Mary Ann Kreitzer" width="35" /></a></span></div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/18245237845099708478" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;">Mary Ann Kreitzer</a> said...</dt><dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-7852853547229130475" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; margin: 0.5em 25px 0.5em 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px;">I'd have to be delusional myself, Anonymous, to think anything would change Mary's mind. But there are others out there (I know some) who actually trust CNN and other mainstream media liars. They don't see what THE LEFT is doing because the MSM hides it to protect them. Remember the liberal reporter who said the protests were "mostly people" while buildings burned in the background? It was ludicrous!<br /><br />More of us need to expose the truth. If we get only one person to think and ask questions, we will have succeeded. Sad to say it's not likely to be Mary the Troll.</p></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="margin: 0.5em 25px 1.5em 0px;"></dd><dt class="comment-author" id="c4981965020931051701" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 1.5em; border-top-color: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.5); border-top-style: dashed; border-top-width: 1px; border-top: 1px dashed rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.5); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; font-weight: bold; margin-left: -45px; padding-left: 45px; padding-top: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/16621481154560728878" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;">Dorota Mosiewicz-Patalas</a> said...</dt><dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-4981965020931051701" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; margin: 0.5em 25px 0.5em 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px;">I am only making a comment, because I want to thank You, Mary Ann, for your unbelievable patience with the troll. Troll, if you are reading, let me tell you this: The fact that you swallowed and are now perpetrating the false Jan 6th narrative, when there is no possibility you have not been alerted to many facts contradicting it, constitutes a foundation for culpability. You are sinning by spreading lies. There are innocent Jan. 6th protest participants, who are in jail without charges to this day. They are political prisoners of a ruthless "progressive" regime in the USA, allegedly the home of the free. Some have committed suicide, unable to confront the evil that took them from their lives, their wives and children.</p></dd><dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-4981965020931051701" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; margin: 0.5em 25px 0.5em 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p></dd><dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-4981965020931051701" style="margin: 0.5em 25px 0.5em 0px;"></dd><dt class="comment-author" id="c1052840080388442176" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 1.5em; border-top-color: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.5); border-top-style: dashed; border-top-width: 1px; border-top: 1px dashed rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.5); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; font-weight: bold; margin-left: -45px; padding-left: 45px; padding-top: 1.5em;">C.J. said...</dt><dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-1052840080388442176" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; margin: 0.5em 25px 0.5em 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px;">The graceless Troll spent all her time in the tv toilet bowl and lapped up all their drek. Nobody can keep a steady diet of the Devil’s lies without spewing it back like so much vomit. As the saying goes “You are what you eat.”<br /><br />So go easy on the Troll. She needs many prayers. And maybe an exorcism. An enema wouldn’t hurt either.</p></dd><dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-3342990029792328788" style="margin: 0.5em 25px 0.5em 0px;"></dd><dt class="comment-author" id="c2441854388685110452" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 1.5em; border-top-color: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.5); border-top-style: dashed; border-top-width: 1px; border-top: 1px dashed rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.5); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; font-weight: bold; margin-left: -45px; padding-left: 45px; padding-top: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/08481902736142925583" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;">John B., retired English teacher</a> said...</dt><dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-2441854388685110452" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; margin: 0.5em 25px 0.5em 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px;">Mary Ann,<br /><br />In any sane society Mary the Troll would be locked up in an insane asylum, since she has totally lost touch with reality. Perhaps she goes around slack-jawed and drooling, thinking she is Joe Biden. In any case no point trying to reason with a nut-case.<br /><br />No feminazis invaded our church yesterday but I was ready for them, carrying my heaviest rosary, ready to belt one in her ovary!<br /><br />John B. retired teacher</p></dd>I understand exactly where Mary Ann is coming from. She has given her entire life to the Pro Life movement. She believes in everything she does. She believes that the answer to abortion is to attack those who support it. It is impossible for her to admit that that she is wrong, that this tactic not only doesn't work but it is not Christian. So she turns her anger and rage on me, a nice handy target.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I have said in previous posts, our job as Christians is to bring people to Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and there is nothing but death and destruction apart from him. The question is, how do we reach a world that lives in direct rebellion and rejection of Jesus Christ? The answer is to follow our Lord's example, and reach out to the world with love and compassion and understanding, for as our Lord said, "Forgive them for they know not what they do."</div><div><br /></div><div>That does not mean condoning the ways of the world. It does not mean accepting the ways of the world. But it does mean not alienating people through judgment and condemnation. Mary Ann Kreitzer does not believe this. She thinks it is her job to judge and condemn. And because I refuse to do that, she accuses me of condoning and being a part of everything she condemns. Then she lies and twists the facts to make her case against me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a great video of what I am trying to say:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8DNrnt0toq0" width="320" youtube-src-id="8DNrnt0toq0"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Quo Vadis, Mary Ann?<dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-3342990029792328788" style="margin: 0.5em 25px 0.5em 0px;"><br /></dd><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXEcE4LjENQQVb3U3IkTIusO39SHhaPwb_KlINOAmqRt9EaYZJ6171lzwYbTNjVKK0Gg1QyEm3g4O2Bksw8sYIzufLUdaeSA6EEGkhF2B5S6SopOGlUDJxeWIC1X7Orz7uGX7gBB6xv7sFWHg1ajy2vHfXSmV01wVIcCrB3HganNHoBTZ7qlxVQ/s600/truth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXEcE4LjENQQVb3U3IkTIusO39SHhaPwb_KlINOAmqRt9EaYZJ6171lzwYbTNjVKK0Gg1QyEm3g4O2Bksw8sYIzufLUdaeSA6EEGkhF2B5S6SopOGlUDJxeWIC1X7Orz7uGX7gBB6xv7sFWHg1ajy2vHfXSmV01wVIcCrB3HganNHoBTZ7qlxVQ/w640-h426/truth.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-3342990029792328788" style="margin: 0.5em 25px 0.5em 0px;"><br /></dd><p></p></div>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-65755520998243426962022-05-07T13:50:00.189-04:002022-05-07T17:57:05.879-04:00Overturning Roe v. Wade Will Not Stop Abortion. But It Could Destroy The Nation.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgk9Z9Z0C_dZwWoxxVGSPnwOQ615-tORv6qFSvkKxGzyoaOADtDGqZGnQWC2QTPEqZuV_E-YAAUSM6GehPM0yWVEzS1Lz5wPDsNkvHA0YdxR55wARKcHWMSGvpvYvOUxaFU_QW4AFmGy5iUFusuCRfD7BYzdpp-MPIYx9iWJc20Qflo1a7xC40sg/s2000/Poll%20Numbers.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgk9Z9Z0C_dZwWoxxVGSPnwOQ615-tORv6qFSvkKxGzyoaOADtDGqZGnQWC2QTPEqZuV_E-YAAUSM6GehPM0yWVEzS1Lz5wPDsNkvHA0YdxR55wARKcHWMSGvpvYvOUxaFU_QW4AFmGy5iUFusuCRfD7BYzdpp-MPIYx9iWJc20Qflo1a7xC40sg/w400-h266/Poll%20Numbers.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>I was in high school in 1973 when the Supreme Court legalized abortion for the entire country. Almost 50 years later, I still remembering looking at the headline in the newspaper in disbelief. How could we legalize the murder of babies? I sat down and cried. </p><p>I have gone through many political identities in the ensuing half century, from very liberal to ultra conservative to rejection of both. But one constant belief through it all has always been that abortion is evil. </p><p>Now that it is almost certain that <i>Roe v. Wade</i> is about to be overturned, I should be thrilled. It is something I have wanted since 1973. </p><p><span></span></p>But being a lot older and a little wiser, I now realize that the pro life movement has always been wrong. No, it has not been wrong that abortion is evil. The pro life movement was wrong in their approach to abortion. They have not just labeled abortion as evil. They have vilified the <b><u><i>people</i></u></b> who support abortion, calling them evil and even satanic. As a movement, they have never shown compassion or understanding for those who support abortion. <div><p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>The pro life movement's main strategy has always been political. Every candidate in almost every office was judged by their stand on abortion. The pro life movement worked to change both state and federal laws. They held an annual March on Washington, which was done each year on the anniversary of <i>Roe v. Wade</i>. The pro life movement put all their hopes in a conservative Supreme Court, and they would vote for any presidential candidate who promised to pack the Court with conservatives.<p></p><p>The one thing the pro life movement has never done is to try to change the hearts and minds of people. They have never reached out to the other side other than to vilify them. </p><p>My "good friend" Mary Ann Kreitzer, is a prime example of this. She just did a <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2022/05/intimidation-politics-and-democrat.html#more" target="_blank">post</a> in which she talks about the "riots" in Los Angeles over the leaked Supreme Court decision. From Kreitzer's post:</p><blockquote>Watch this video from the L.A. riot and ask yourself who are the thugs? Then read the decision, an intelligent decision righting an "egregious wrong." The leftist thugs want chaos because ultimately it will enable more power and control over the population. Will any of these real insurrectionists face repercussions? Of course not! They burned our cities and murdered people with impunity and prospered like the BLM commies who spent donor funds buying themselves a <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/05/the-6-million-mansion-blm-reportedly-bought-with-donated-funds/" target="_blank">$6 million dollar mansion</a>. <br /><br />Take note that all of the rioting and thug action is taking place in liberal states. The states that actually have the most protective legislation for babies in the womb are seeing very little if any protest activity. So the L.A. rioters, in a state where abortion is unrestricted up to and even after birth, want to make sure that residents of other states that defend life, states like Florida, Texas, Alabama, etc., will be forced to accept and facilitate child killing. No rights for those tiny Americans even when they are old enough to live outside the womb. The babies are the modern slaves owned by their mothers (dads have no rights) and can be killed for any reason or no reason. And they are! Take a look at these photos of late term babies murdered in D.C. recently by <a href="https://www.liveaction.org/news/five-babies-killed-dc-abortionist/">hired killer</a><a href="https://www.liveaction.org/news/five-babies-killed-dc-abortionist/" target="_blank"> Cesare Santangelo</a> at Washington Surgi-Center.</blockquote><p>If you want to see the photos and videos referred to by Mary Ann, go to her post. I will not print them here.</p><p>Mary Ann seems to not know the difference between "riots" and "protests". Here is what actually happened in Los Angeles. This is from the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-03/downtown-los-angeles-roe-wade-protest" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times</a>:</p><blockquote>Around 7:30 p.m., officers escorted a group of about 250 demonstrators marching from the courthouse at Broadway and 1st Street to Pershing Square, said Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore. At some point, a group started to take over an intersection.<br /><br />“We attempted to communicate, clear and provide dispersal order to the group,” Moore said <a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDChiefMoore/status/1521702725230022657">in a tweet</a> shortly after 9 p.m. “Crowd began to throw rocks and bottles” at police, Moore tweeted, adding that one officer was injured to an unknown extent.<br /><br />Around 8:30 p.m., as the gathering started to disperse, some protesters <a href="https://twitter.com/campadrenews/status/1521696198926643200">blocked the intersection of 5th and Hill streets</a>, just outside Pershing Square.<br /><br />Police slowly drove a pair of vehicles into the intersection, moving about 40 protesters out of the way. Some were seen pounding on the hoods of the vehicles; most left the intersection.<br /><br />Police declared an unlawful assembly at 9:20 p.m. and lifted it about 20 minutes later.<br /><br />Officers hit some of the protesters with batons. A glass door at a Planet Fitness was smashed.<br /><br />A sizable police presence remained in downtown past 9 p.m. as a few dozen protesters <a href="https://twitter.com/kevrector/status/1521708932439232512">roamed around the streets near City Hall</a>.<br /><br />One person smashed the window of a law enforcement vehicle near Grand Park, and others tagged a bus stop with the words “Google LASD gangs.”<br /><br />Some stayed as 10 p.m. approached, knocking over fences at City Hall and spray-painting slogans on the pavement. The groups had largely dispersed by 10:30 p.m., and officers put fences back up.</blockquote>Yes, there were some physical confrontations, some property damage and one police officer was injured. But that alone does not a riot make. <div><br /></div><div>Also, contrary to Mary Ann's assertions about "all of the rioting and thug action taking place in liberal states", <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/lapd-police-clash-abortion-protest-supreme-court-175537208.html" target="_blank">Yahoo News</a> reported:</div><div><blockquote>Thousands of abortion rights protesters gathered in cities across the country on Tuesday. And most were peaceful.</blockquote><div>Mary Ann needs to look at the footage from January 6, 2021 at the US Capital to see an actual riot. Five people killed, immense amounts of property damage, and death threats to politicians with a gallows constructed at the Capital. THAT is a riot. This is what we saw from the "pro life" Right on January 6, 2021:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PXS-DvhQSog" width="320" youtube-src-id="PXS-DvhQSog"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our Lord's message to us is very clear and specific when it comes to our role in this world. Matthew 16:15-16:</div><blockquote>He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.</blockquote><p>Nowhere in Scriptures does it say we should get involved in the politics of this world. No where does it say we should protest and disobey just because we disagree with our government. In fact, St. Paul told us just the opposite:</p><p>Romans 13:1-5:</p><blockquote>Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.</blockquote><p>Certainly we are not to submit to any secular laws that break God's laws. And certainly we have the right to speak up against laws which we consider immoral. We should not stay silent in the face of evil. But there is a way to do it, and a way not to do it. </p><p>Using St. Teresa of Calcutta as an example, she never condemned those who supported abortion. She just told them the results of abortion and that it could never be good. </p><p>Here is an excerpt from op ed this great saint wrote for the Wall Street Journal:</p><blockquote>"America needs no words from me to see how your decision in <i>Roe v. Wade</i> has deformed a great nation. The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father's role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts -- a child -- as a competitor, an intrusion, and an inconvenience. It has nominally accorded mothers unfettered dominion over the independent lives of their physically dependent sons and daughters. And, in granting this unconscionable power, it has exposed many women to unjust and selfish demands from their husbands or other sexual partners. Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or a sovereign." <i>(Mother Teresa -- "Notable and Quotable," Wall Street Journal, 2/25/94, p. A14)</i></blockquote><p>Another quote:</p><p></p><blockquote>"What is taking place in America," she said, "is a war against the child. And if we
accept that the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to
kill one another." February 1997 - <i>National Prayer Breakfast in Washington attended by the
President and the First Lady. </i></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is no name calling from St. Teresa, no condemnation of those who support abortion, no vilifying anyone. This great saint talked about the evils of abortion, not the evils of people. She is trying to reach the people, not the politicians. She never once advocated marching and protesting. Quite to the contrary, St. Teresa of Calcutta said the answer to abortion was in prayer:</div><blockquote>“If people spend one hour per week in Eucharistic Adoration, abortion would be ended”</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The politics of this world is not the Christian way. Politics does not unite people. Politics does not change their minds and hearts. Politics divides people and turns them against one another. That is the fruit of politics, and that is not from God.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When Pilate asked Jesus why the Jews handed Him over to be killed, Our Lord answered as follows:</div><blockquote>“My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”</blockquote><p> St. Paul tells us Philippians 3:20:</p><blockquote>But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">As Christians, we are to separate from this world. That does not mean to physically separate from those around us. That means we are not to think or act as the world does. Everything a Christian does should be done out of love and for the good of the other. It is not our job to stand in judgment of others. It is our job as Christians to bring people to Christ, and we cannot do this by condemning and vilifying. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Our Lord said, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17). He repeated in John 12:47, "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In contrast, Mary Ann Kreitzer ended her above-referenced post with these words: </div><blockquote>God help the bloodthirsty worshipers of Satan with their satanic sacrament of abortion!</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That exemplifies everything that is wrong with the pro life movement. That is why repealing <i>Roe v Wade</i> will not end abortion but only intensify the fight. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The pro life movement may believe they have won the war with the repeal of <i>Roe v. Wade</i>. But it is only being escalated to a whole new level. As long as the pro lifers judge and condemn as they have always done, they will lose. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we have seen in the polls, the majority of people do not want to see the repeal of <i>Roe v. Wade</i>. Most people still see a need to keep abortion legal. That alone shows the pro life movement has failed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Abortion will only end when the people see the evil in it. Right now all they see are self righteous and judgmental people trying to control their lives. And people like Mary Ann Kreitzer just dump more fuel on that fire. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPag1KW4TIdkmxDZ7Wj50e3f3pH7Gd_mVAdzqOT4g8yTbAXKlTqQIEdRZPlT5vkW8qsa7eri1AaDzW5QJjoyeuglhYZIW6638jxGfpnakOXSsNNpGw8Ij4Cxa6cdICY_kxXt42y81zwk_T_vN9owMCiBLCBhjkN0G2nZuL6hcJUpAHL12zRMcWIw/s787/not%20condemn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="787" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPag1KW4TIdkmxDZ7Wj50e3f3pH7Gd_mVAdzqOT4g8yTbAXKlTqQIEdRZPlT5vkW8qsa7eri1AaDzW5QJjoyeuglhYZIW6638jxGfpnakOXSsNNpGw8Ij4Cxa6cdICY_kxXt42y81zwk_T_vN9owMCiBLCBhjkN0G2nZuL6hcJUpAHL12zRMcWIw/w400-h375/not%20condemn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-26935339196931028392022-02-13T17:40:00.008-05:002022-06-08T19:36:05.622-04:00Patrick Coffin Proves That Traditionalists Never Get Tired of The Same Old Worn Out Lies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivReo5ebcC9UHvXYTnpmYIpPKSROeukYyBpsVQENIPUUpgwiqXeXsMao_qFpjSoPh44WGjxtiwczuuzOebQgYZroqc_jFoiR5CFo1KeatRyfdFSaFJH45CfC2IWX-1598IVfVQr_Oq3eWqCgkgOhxByCo-BwpU3exR_5N7Y62VWomVjS7fgqAOdQ=s417" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="417" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivReo5ebcC9UHvXYTnpmYIpPKSROeukYyBpsVQENIPUUpgwiqXeXsMao_qFpjSoPh44WGjxtiwczuuzOebQgYZroqc_jFoiR5CFo1KeatRyfdFSaFJH45CfC2IWX-1598IVfVQr_Oq3eWqCgkgOhxByCo-BwpU3exR_5N7Y62VWomVjS7fgqAOdQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>When I started this blog over 10 years ago, I was a radical traditionalist. I believed that the Traditional Latin Mass was the salvation not only of the Church but of the whole world. Like other rad trads, I had little use for the post conciliar Church, believing that we needed to reverse all the reforms instituted post Vatican II.<div><br /></div><div>Quite unintentionally, this blog became a record of my journey out of that cult. I believe my journey began when I consecrated my life to the Blessed Mother in 2011. Through her guidance and protection, I attended my last TLM in June 2014 and have never looked back except in gratitude that I am no longer a part of that world of anger, hate, rebellion and deception. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have, of course, followed the Traditionalist cult and have written many posts about their lies and rebellion against the Magesterium of the Church. Pope Francis has finally started to bring down the curtain on this schismatic movement with <i><a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/20210716-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes.html" target="_blank">Traditionis Custodes</a></i> and, as expected, this has only hardened the hearts of the Traditionalists even more.</div><div><br /></div><div>The ire of the Traditionalists is almost completely centered on Pope Francis, whom they label a heretic. Many claim he is not the legitimate pope. Patrick Coffin, who ironically was the host at one time of "Catholic Answers", has released a video entitled, "Top Seven Pieces of Evidence That Francis Is An Antipope." If you really want to subject yourself to this garbage, you can view it <a href="https://www.patrickcoffin.media/seven-pieces-of-evidence-that-francis-is-an-antipope/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am going to dissect this video because I think it is an excellent example of the absolute necessity for<i> Traditionis Custodes</i> and of the lies Trads tell themselves and anyone else foolish enough to listen.</div><div><br /></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span>Throughout this video, there is suspenseful music playing the background, trying to give the viewer a feeling of something great and profound being exposed. Not too manipulative.</div><div><br /></div><div>Coffin starts the video with this statement. This opening statement, like the rest of the video, is filled with innuendo, accusations and outright lies:</div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>I try to live my life like a juror at a trial. . .examine evidence that is put in front of me. . . The goal is to rationally sift through the evidence, weighing out the arguments in your mind, thinking the things through for yourself.</b></span></blockquote><div></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>In this video I present seven pieces of evidence that Jorge Mario Bergolgio, the former cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, who is now called Pope Francis, is an anti pope. . . . I don't mean "bad pope", although there is lots of bad to be had, and I don't mean anti-christ, although him being a remote dress rehearsal for the anti-christ makes a lot of sense. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>An anti pope is a man falsely believed to be the pope but is not duly and validly elected to the Chair of Peter while the real pope is on the throne. </b></span></div></blockquote><div>I would like to point out that one thing Patrick Coffin does not do when "examining evidence" is bring it in prayer to God, nor does he suggest the viewer do this. Coffin uses only his faulty corrupt human reasoning to "rationally sift through the evidence." This method can only lead to disaster and explains why his video is trash.</div><div><br /></div><div>Coffin also states his first verifiable lie. An antipope is not one whom OTHERS believe is the pope, but as <a href="https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/anti-popes-10685" target="_blank">EWTN</a> tells us, "An antipope is a person claiming to be Pope who was not duly elected or proclaimed while a duly elected Pope was still in office." The distinction between Coffin's statement and the actual definition of antipope may seem small and insignificant, but it is vital. And Coffin knows it, which is why he very carefully chose his words.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01582a.htm" target="_blank">New Advent.org</a> echoes this definition of an antipope: "A false claimant of the Holy See in opposition to a pontiff canonically elected. At various times in the history of the Church illegal pretenders to the Papal Chair have arisen, and frequently exercised pontifical functions in defiance of the true occupant. "</div><div><br /></div><div>In Church history, whenever an antipope has arisen, there has always been a struggle between the real pope and the pretender to the papacy. The real pope has NEVER accepted the antipope. I can think of only one case where the antipope did ultimately accept the valid pope. There has always been conflict between a duly elected pope and an antipope.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfV8wfWC_dvjepsDLdrwMY6q4AWF8L_LyD-dx7vYnGn7rPlwPGTQtgeSZqor_fgaW3h1UvNAJV4_hilLf2iPLH9pS3WkzsMYzJD8jEzFgZShUEGAD2uqvN7TX1nmzUWYsNMMzO3zaMdCTzHtf9zmVZxIUKR6rj6A5ewA6ADEJCvetcXCmIpALqew=s1024" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfV8wfWC_dvjepsDLdrwMY6q4AWF8L_LyD-dx7vYnGn7rPlwPGTQtgeSZqor_fgaW3h1UvNAJV4_hilLf2iPLH9pS3WkzsMYzJD8jEzFgZShUEGAD2uqvN7TX1nmzUWYsNMMzO3zaMdCTzHtf9zmVZxIUKR6rj6A5ewA6ADEJCvetcXCmIpALqew=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pope Francis and Pope Benedict warmly greet<br />each other in June 2017</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>However, Pope Benedict XVI has said time and time again that he supports Pope Francis. This is from as recently as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/02/former-pope-benedict-fanatical-catholics-wont-believe-resignation" target="_blank">March 2021</a>:</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Pope emeritus says some who are unhappy with successor Pope Francis have refused to believe he willingly stepped down<br /><br />Former pope Benedict has chided conservative Roman Catholics who have not accepted his decision to resign, calling them “fanatical” and reminding them there is only one pope and it is Francis.<br /><br />Benedict, now 93, became the first pope in more than 600 years to resign instead of ruling for life, saying he no longer had the strength to govern the 1.3 billion-member church.<br /><br />Some hardline conservatives unhappy with the more liberal pope Francis have often voiced doubts about whether Benedict stepped down willingly in 2013, even though he has said several times in the past eight years that he did.<br /><br />“It was a difficult decision. But it was a fully conscious choice and I think I did well [to resign],” he told Italy’s Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Monday. “Some of my more fanatical friends are still upset, they have not accepted my choice.”</b></span></blockquote><div>Patrick Coffin is among those fanatics who refuse to accept this statement from Pope Benedict XVI. </div><div><br /></div><div>Coffin continues:</div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Six of the seven items of evidence have to do with the strange abdication of Pope Benedict XVI and why it is not only incomplete but why it seems to invalidate itself in light of the canon law that it purports to follow in abdicating. The last of the seven has to do with the possible canonical crimes committed by the liberal St. Gallen Mafia cardinals in the election of Bergoglio on March 13, 2013. </b></span></blockquote></div><div>Whenever you hear "St. Gallen <b><u>Mafia</u></b>", you know you have gotten off into fantasy land where the goal is to smear and besmirch validly appointed cardinals in good standing in the Church. </div><div><br /></div><div>Notice how Coffin tries to mitigate his statements by saying Pope Benedict's abdication "<b><u><i>seems</i></u></b> to invalidate itself" along with the statement about the "<b><u><i>possible</i></u></b> canonical crimes committed by the liberal St. Gallen Mafia cardinals." That is Coffin's way of trying to say - hey, I'm just putting it out there for people to think about it. I'm not saying it's absolutely true. Yet, at the same time Coffin is telling us we are fools if we don't believe him. </div><div><br /></div><div>Coffin then tells us that there are "<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>powerful forces both inside the Church and outside the Church very much invested in keeping people silent about this hypothesis</b></span>." This is Coffin's way of trying to portray himself as the brave and heroic David (a/k/a Traditionalists) up against big bad Goliaths (a/k/a Pope Francis and those who support him). </div><div><br /></div><div>If there are so many "powerful forces" trying to silence this message, then why is it everywhere you find Traditionalists? These "powerful forces" seem to be rather impotent.</div><div><br /></div><div>From Coffin:</div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>I've been told. . . that Canon 1404 says that the First See or the Holy See is judged by no one. Well, the context of Canon 1404 is the competent forum provided by a canonical trial. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the question of whether or not a given sovereign pontiff is the real pope. I am not conducting that canonical trial. I'm certainly not judging the Holy See or anyone else. The cardinals of the Catholic Church are the ones assigned to sort out questions like papal elections and papal abdications. </b></span></blockquote></div><div>Coffin has once again lied. First of all, <a href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib7-cann1400-1500_en.html#TITLE_I." target="_blank">Canon 1404</a> tells us that the Pope has the ultimate authority in the Church and that his papal judgments or rulings can never be questioned. The rest of Canon 1404 explains the situations in which the Pope has sole authority and the matters in which the Roman Rota has authority. </div><div><br /></div><div>Interestingly, Canon 1404 §2 states, "A judge cannot review an act or instrument confirmed specifically (in <i>forma specifica</i>) by the Roman Pontiff without his prior mandate." This is very important to keep in mind when watching Coffin's video.</div><div><br /></div><div>Secondly, yes, the cardinals elect the pope, but the pope, as in all other official matters, makes the rules. This was recently seen when Pope St. John Paul II changed the Conclave rules to say that a simple majority elects the Pope. That was changed back by Pope Benedict XVI who ruled that a two-thirds majority is required. </div><div><br /></div><div>As <a href="https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/anti-popes-10685" target="_blank">EWTN</a> tells us: "<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Papal election procedures are governed by the prescription of the last Pope who provided for them (that is, any Pope can change them, but they remain in effect until they are changed by a duly elected Pope)</b></span>."</div><div><br /></div><div>The cardinals' only role in electing the pope is to follow the rules set by the papacy and to vote. Contrary to Coffin's lie, cardinals do not "sort out" anything. To "sort out" would mean to judge the papacy. No human being has that authority.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back to Coffin and his lies:</div><div></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>I'm also not debating whether or not the Church has the authority to depose a pope who is a heretic. . . Whether or not Francis can be formally pronounced a heretic or even if he is a formal heretic, has nothing to do with the evidence that Benedict XVI is still the real pope. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Nor is what I am saying evidence for sedevacantism. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>This is a binary question of is or is not Benedict XVI still the valid pope.</b></span></div></blockquote><div></div><div>Again, per Canon 1404, no one has the right to judge the Pope or "depose" him. But Coffin has conveniently ignored that fact. </div><div><br /></div><div>And so we begin with Coffin's "evidence":</div><div></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b> 1) The term “pope emeritus” is not only strange but has no precedent and is confusing. It is downright confusing to have two popes in Rome at the Vatican, one active and one retired. </b></span></div><div></div></blockquote><div>Maybe if Coffin read Pope Benedict<a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2013/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20130211_declaratio.html" target="_blank"> Letter of Resignation</a>, he wouldn't be confused:</div></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>"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. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>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, <span style="color: #2b00fe;">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, </span><span style="color: red;">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.</span>"</b></span></div></blockquote><div></div><div>Pope Benedict's Letter of Resignation makes it abundantly clear that he is completely revoking the office of the Papacy. He explicitly says that on "28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter WILL BE VACANT." That means there is no pope at that time. Therefore, "a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is." </div><div><br /></div><div>In Pope Benedict's<a href="https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2013-feb-28-la-fg-wn-pope-retires-20130228-story.html" target="_blank"> last address as Pope</a> to the Cardinals on February 27, 2013, he without condition gives his allegiance to the next pope elected by the Conclave:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>“Among you is…the future pope, to whom I promise my unconditional reverence and obedience,” the pontiff said, apparently trying to allay fears that having both a reigning and retired pope living inside the Vatican might spark confusion or division within the church.</b></span></blockquote><div>There is absolutely nothing confusing about Pope Benedict's intention, unless, of course, you WANT it to be confusing, as Coffin does. </div><div><br /></div><div>Second point of "evidence" from Coffin:</div><div><div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>2) Pope Benedict XVI seems to have resigned only part of the papacy, the active ministerium, not the office or munus of the papacy. </b></span></blockquote></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Pope Benedict XVI seems to have resigned only part of the papacy, the active ministerium, the executive sphere of the papacy that empowers a pope to appoint cardinals, to write magesterial documents and to serve as Head of State of Vatican City. He did renounce that. So he stopped doing but he didn't in some sense stop being pope. In other words, he did not seem to resign the munus of the office, the charge itself of the papacy, the identity as pope. </b></span></blockquote><p>Notice again the wording used by Coffin: "<b><u>seems</u></b> to have resigned only part of the papacy", "he didn't <b><u>in some sense</u></b> stop being pope.", "he did not <b><u>seem</u></b> to resign the munus of the office, the charge itself of the papacy, the identity as pope." Using phrases like "seem to" and "in some sense" is Coffin's way of absolving himself of the responsibility of telling such lies. It is how lawyers get around the law when defending their guilty clients. It is total deception. <br /></p><p>Coffin's statement that Pope Benedict "stopped doing" but did not "stop being" pope is actually true for every pope throughout history. Once pope, always pope.</p><p>Once a man is elected pope. he will always be regarded as pope, even when he dies. This is evidenced by the fact that popes keep their papal name, they never go back to their birth name. They are always referred to as "pope" for the rest of eternity. All papal saints are known by their papal names.</p><p>But once a pope leaves the papacy either through death or resignation, he no longer has the authority of the office. </p><p>This is actually a very simple concept which Coffin and all Trads just can't seem to understand. </p><p>Continuing with this nonsense:</p></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>3) Pope Benedict’s longtime personal secretary Archbishop Georg Gänswein has made statements in speeches and also in some interviews that appear to affirm Benedict’s continued papal identity.</b></span></blockquote></div><div>Who cares? Any statements made by a "personal secretary" of anyone have no authority or standing in the Church whatsoever. </div><div><br /></div><div>But Coffin tries to tell us that because Gänswein says Pope Benedict has devoted his life to prayer for the papacy, therefore he is still in the ministry of the pope. And Coffin then gives this quote from <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2013-feb-28-la-fg-wn-pope-retires-20130228-story.html" target="_blank">last address on Feb 27, 2013</a>:</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>"The "always" is also a "for ever" – there can no longer be a return to the private sphere. My decision to resign the active exercise of the ministry does not revoke this. I do not return to private life, to a life of travel, meetings, receptions, conferences, and so on. I am not abandoning the cross, but remaining in a new way at the side of the crucified Lord. I no longer bear the power of office for the governance of the Church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to speak, in the enclosure of Saint Peter."</b></span></blockquote></div><div>As I stated above, no pope ever goes back to being who he was before his election to the papacy. Pope Benedict can never again live the life of Joseph Ratzinger, and the above statement confirms his understanding of this. As Pope Benedict said: "The 'always' is also a 'for ever' - there can no longer be a return to the private sphere." </div><div><br /></div><div>Coffin's response to Pope Benedict's statement is "If you're confused, you're not alone." I guess the concept of the papacy is too profound and too far above Patrick Coffin's head for him to understand.</div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe the problem with Coffin and other Trads is that it is necessary to be Catholic to understand this concept.</div><div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>4) Pope Benedict’s correct form of address is still “Your Holiness”</b></span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>He still signs letters and documents as "Pope Benedict XVI, PP" which stands for pastor pastorum or Pontifex Pontificum, both of which are formal titles of the Vicar of Christ. He still wears the white zucchetto on his head. He still wears the white papal cassock. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>So why not a black cassock after his resignation? </b></span></p></blockquote><p></p></div><div>Once again, Coffin shows his complete ignorance (willing ignorance?) about the nature of the Papacy. Once a pope, always a pope, for all eternity. "The always is also a for ever." </div><div><br /></div><div>First of all, title has no power of authority. It is a way of showing respect. Even in secular politics, we address a former president as "Mr. President." However, it goes deeper with the Papacy, as I have pointed out. A pope, even when he no longer has the authority of the office, can never return to his pre-papal life. Pope Benedict XVI will never again be Joseph Ratzinger. Retaining the title of "pope" illustrates this truth. As stated, even dead popes are still acknowledged by the title of "Pope."</div><div><br /></div><div>Coffin also says it is confusing that Benedict still dresses like a pope. Once again, this shows lack of understanding about the office of the papacy. Only traditionalists are confused by this.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are at least two things Coffin does not tell us. Pope Benedict no longer wears the red shoes AND his fisherman's ring was destroyed. Further, Coffin spins the truth when he talks about the cassock worn by Benedict. </div><div><br /></div><div>From a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21585674" target="_blank">bbc article</a> dated May 2, 2013 entitled "<i><b>Benedict XVI: 10 things about the Pope's retirement</b></i>":</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i><u>His clothing</u></i> The Pope emeritus will continue to wear papal white - rather than the black of an ordinary priest, or the red of a cardinal. However it will be a simple cassock, with none of the flamboyant hats and vestments he revived during his papacy (prompting the Wall Street Journal to ask "Does the Pope Wear Prada?") He will be giving up his trademark red shoes, wearing instead brown shoes handmade for him by Mexican craftsmen during a visit to the country last year.<br /><br /><i><u>His ring</u></i><u> </u>According to tradition, the papal apartments are sealed and the Pope's gold ring - known as the fisherman's ring - is smashed with a specially designed silver hammer when the Pope leaves office. "Objects strictly tied to the ministry of St Peter must be destroyed," the Vatican says. This time round, though, the insignia on Benedict XVI's ring was merely scratched with a cross so that it can be kept for posterity - perhaps in a museum.</b></span></blockquote><p>Clothes, like a title alone, do not give authority to a person. So even if Pope Benedict XVI dressed as he did when he was in the office of the Papacy (which. he does not), it would make no difference. At the same time, clothes and the title show that Pope Benedict can never again be Joseph Ratzinger.</p><p>This "evidence", like everything else Coffin has said, is nonsense and would never hold up in a real court of law. </p></div><div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>5) There are at least three errors in the official Latin “declaratio” read by Pope Benedict on February 11 2013.</b></span></blockquote></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>This is not the place to review them but I would direct your attention to the link to the 2021 book by Prof. Estefania Acosta entitled "Benedict XVI: Pope "Emeritus?" Prof. Acosta reviews the Latin mistakes and reminds us that it is a principle of traditional canon law that every rescript, every brief, every papal bull containing a fault in the Latin language makes that document null. The question becomes whether you believe that someone who is renowned for decades for his linguistic and theological precision, who could write, dream and speak in the mother tongue of the Church, Latin, would be so haphazard in composing the very document of all the documents that he wrote - this one would be analyzed for untold years to come about the most important decision of his life - the last papal act that he made. </b></span></blockquote></div><div><div>Coffin tells us "this is a strong bit of evidence here." Really?</div></div><div><br /></div><div>First of all, Coffin does not tell us what these "mistakes" are. He gives us a link to a book which we will have to buy and then take hours to read. You can do that if you would like. I'm not interested.</div><div><br /></div><div>So what are the mistakes? Is a comma out of place? Is there anything that changes the meaning of Pope Benedict's words? Why won't you tell us? Why do you leave us in the dark to just guess?</div><div><br /></div><div>All Coffin does is insinuate that a man "renowned for decades for his linguistic and theological precision" could never make such mistakes. Therefore, he either didn't write it, or he was forced to under duress (at gun point?).</div><div><br /></div><div>Further, even if there were typos in this document, where in canon law does it say that a "typo" in a papal document makes it null and void? Coffin doesn't tell us because there is no such law. </div><div><br /></div><div>This "evidence" is as useless as all of the rest of the "evidence." </div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>6) “Universal peaceful acceptance" by the Church of Francis has never really occurred.</b></span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>The number of leaders who don't accept the Bergoglio papacy grows around the world. </b></span> </blockquote><p></p><p>Really? And who are these "leaders", besides the Trads, who don't accept the "Bergoglio" papacy? Coffin doesn't tell us, because there is no one else. </p><p>Coffin continues with this delusion. He hits us big time with innuendo, smears and lies:</p></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>There never really has been universal nor peaceful acceptance by the Church of the Bergoglio papacy. If you're Catholic, and you're watching this, didn't you find something 'off' about him from the beginning, maybe from the first moment? Have you accepted his actions peacefully? Orthodox and traditional Catholic commentators all over the world - I was one of them - began to express grave reservations early on about the grandiose acts of super humility and mostly the doctrinal chaos generated by Francis and his ecclesial Amen corner. Are you one of them?</b></span></blockquote><p>Then Coffin goes on to give us whiplash. After telling us that evidence of the invalidity of the "Bergoglio papacy" is that it was never peacefully accepted, Coffin goes on to tell us that this is of no importance. Why, even an anti pope was "universally and peacefully accepted." Of course, this is a lie, like almost everything else Coffin has said.</p><p>From Coffin:</p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>The second problem is the principle of universal peaceful acceptance dates back before the medieval era when popes were elected by a claim by the people of Rome. Besides, not only have "universal and peaceful" not been defined, the principle was never a defined dogma either. As a <i>modus vivendi</i> in the digital age, it's an obsolete idea.</b></span></blockquote><p></p></div><div>Coffin then brings up anti pope Anacletus II who reigned in opposition to real Pope Innocent II. Coffin tries to imply that anti pope Anacletus II was "universally and peacefully accepted." </div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b></b></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Anacletus was proclaimed the pope and he ruled Rome for eight years by vote and a consent of an absolute majority of cardinals, despite the fact that he was an antipope.</b></span></blockquote></div><div>Coffin is a prevaricator in the worst sense. Coffin is a master at twisting facts to support his conclusions and completely mislead the viewer. </div><div><br /></div><div>From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipope_Anacletus_II" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>:</div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Anacletus II (died January 25, 1138), born Pietro Pierleoni, was an antipope who ruled in opposition to Pope Innocent II from 1130 until his death in 1138. After the death of Pope Honorius II, the college of cardinals was divided over his successor. Unusually, the election was entrusted to eight cardinals, who elected Papareschi (Innocent II). A larger body of cardinals then elected Pierleoni, which led to a major schism in the Roman Catholic Church.</b></span> </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b> Anacletus had the support of most Romans, including the Frangipani family, and Innocent was forced to flee to France. North of the Alps, Innocent gained the crucial support of the major religious orders, in particular Bernard of Clairvaux's Cistercians, the Abbot of Cluny Peter the Venerable; and Norbert of Xanten, the Archbishop of Magdeburg who established the Premonstratensians and held a high rank in the Court of the German Emperor Lothar III.<br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The lack of support from these key figures left Anacletus with few patrons outside of Rome. Anacletus, with little remaining support, lived for several years and died with the crisis unresolved. </span>In 1139 the second Lateran Council ended the schism, although opinion remained divided.</b></span></blockquote><p>This was hardly a time of "universal and peaceful acceptance". The Church was very divided and in great upheaval, mostly Rome against the rest of the world. </p><p>Further, Pope Innocent never supported Anacletus. Pope Innocent never at any time renounced the papacy to Anacletus. This situation cannot in any way be compared to Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.</p><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>7) The canonically illegal behavior of the St. Gallen Mafia cardinals in conspiring to vote in their man from Buenos Aires in 2013 invalidates the Conclave.</b></span></blockquote></div></div></div><div>This is false conspiracy all the way. It is all about smearing the magesterium of the Church and undermining their authority. It is Satanic. This is the very worse of all the lies propagated by Coffin. I refuse to even print these terrible lies here. If you think that somehow validates Coffin, then have at it. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the video is lies and smears against the Holy Father. It sounds very much like the Pharisees railing against Jesus Christ. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyone who accepts this video as "evidence" is living in their own reality, in total delusion. Believing the lies in this video could very well lead to the loss of your eternal salvation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pope Francis has made it very clear that he will no longer accept the lies and division spread by the Trads. They have always been a divisive force in the Church, and since <i>Summorum Pontificum</i>, they have gotten worse, especially with the use of the Internet. Thanks to the courage of Pope Francis, the Trads will soon have to repent and turn back to the Church or make their already soft schism an official reality. Pope Francis is not leaving room for them to cause any more destruction in the Church.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you wonder why Pope Francis has made this decision, I give you Patrick Coffin's video as Exhibit A. The Trads are true blue fundamentalists. They see life in plain and simple terms, black and white with no shades of gray. They feel free to judge and condemn anyone who doesn't agree with them. They twist and lie and shape reality to be whatever suits their purpose. They are harsh, humorless and judgmental. </div><div><br /></div><div>May God have mercy on their souls.</div><div><br /></div><div>UPDATE: For an excellent analysis of Patrick Coffin's video, please see Coffin's alma mater, Catholic Answers. Catholic Answers pretty much debunks everything Coffin says and in a much more thorough way than I have done. Their prejudice against Pope Francis comes through, but they do not disrespect Pope Francis as Coffin has done. </div><div><br /></div><div>You can view Catholic Answers' response <a href="https://www.catholic.com/audio/caf/a-response-to-patrick-coffins-seven-pieces-of-evidence-that-francis-is-an-antipope" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I know it wasn't easy for Catholic Answers to do a response to Coffin as they view him as their friend, and I give them a lot of credit for doing it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdKLKueqnhEwwRq3fYilFC9Ze7RnNMWpH1e86_1m-eeGyzvM3tnlANIPVgrT4zlFawDmCCNhpiDEZIPHvEJkoZAUp2sfXQTj7UxqvvZbClJWDdqaXEhXzG2HzdApkCFbInJuFnz-p-B3FCZTX-tzzqr2eMhfz951VvFdif_W4SgTvVZTYl1cg1Cw=s225" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdKLKueqnhEwwRq3fYilFC9Ze7RnNMWpH1e86_1m-eeGyzvM3tnlANIPVgrT4zlFawDmCCNhpiDEZIPHvEJkoZAUp2sfXQTj7UxqvvZbClJWDdqaXEhXzG2HzdApkCFbInJuFnz-p-B3FCZTX-tzzqr2eMhfz951VvFdif_W4SgTvVZTYl1cg1Cw=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-63939644622537619292021-08-01T17:52:00.012-04:002021-09-13T12:42:00.317-04:00The Traditionalists Are Their Own Worst Enemy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAzOIp0duEgkdWns3r0Qdnw56LZKV_7xL2DXxXMn2a1FFudkJ9kSRmwH0O_CzlBuwzXU_-Acrwn0Yew21yagq6oayLmGWpI9Thuzq7nWDAhNqmprCvHUiQB4he9TPNlsj1SWV5Ye9Gw/s1060/create+storm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1060" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAzOIp0duEgkdWns3r0Qdnw56LZKV_7xL2DXxXMn2a1FFudkJ9kSRmwH0O_CzlBuwzXU_-Acrwn0Yew21yagq6oayLmGWpI9Thuzq7nWDAhNqmprCvHUiQB4he9TPNlsj1SWV5Ye9Gw/w400-h348/create+storm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>As I have written before, <i>Summorum Pontificum</i> had basically gifted the Traditional Latin Mass to the Traditionalists, in effect giving the Trads authority over the bishops. If someone wanted a Latin Mass, they merely had to go to the pastor of a church, who was <b><u><i>obligated</i></u></b> to accommodate them. The only time a bishop got involved is if the pastor denied the request. The bishop was then required to accommodate the Trads, and if he couldn't or wouldn't, the matter would go to <i>Ecclesia Dei</i>. </p><p>From <i>Summorum Pontificum</i>:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Art. 5, §1 In parishes where a group of the faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition stably exists, <span style="color: red;">the parish priest should willingly accede to their requests</span> to celebrate Holy Mass according to the rite of the 1962 Roman Missal. He should ensure that the good of these members of the faithful is harmonized with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the governance of the bishop in accordance with Canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church.<br /><br />Art. 7. If a group of the lay faithful, as mentioned in Art. 5, §1, has not been granted its requests by the parish priest, it should inform the diocesan bishop. <span style="color: red;">The bishop is earnestly requested to satisfy their desire</span>. If he does not wish to provide for such celebration, the matter should be referred to the <a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/ced_index.htm">Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei</a>.<br /><br />Art. 8. A bishop who wishes to provide for such requests of the lay faithful, but is prevented by various reasons from doing so, can refer the matter to the <a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/ced_index.htm">Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei</a>, which will offer him counsel and assistance.</b></span></blockquote><p>Pope Benedict XVI's actions were really unprecedented. I don't think you will ever find an instance in all the 2000 years of Church history where priests and bishops were so completely sidelined and stripped of their authority and the laity was allowed to make unilateral decisions apart from the rest of the Church. Pope Benedict, in effect, turned the authority of the Church upside down. The Traditionalists were put in charge with no supervision whatsoever. </p><p>Instead of being grateful and humble, the Trads felt emboldened. They felt invincible. They believed that they are divinely entitled to the freedom given to them by Pope Benedict, and no one, not even a Pope, has the authority to deprive them of that right. </p><p>Not only were the Trads given <i>carte blanche</i> with the Mass, they were allowed to use the older form of all seven sacraments. Entire churches were taken over by traditional orders as they traveled back in time to the 1950's. The post conciliar Catholic Church had no relevance in their world. </p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Pope Benedict said he issued SP to promote unity in the Church. Instead, the Trads have used it to create division. They complain and rebel against everything they dislike in the Catholic Church. They condemn bishops and even the Pope, and give their allegiance to disobedient and rebellious bishops, priests and other laity. <p></p><p>They have rejected every papal document issued by Pope Francis as heretical. They have condemned every Synod called by Pope Francis, saying the Synods will destroy the Church. They have literally declared Pope Francis a heretic and condemned him as evil, and called for either his resignation or outright removal by the bishops (which of course is not possible, but reality is not a thing with the Trads). </p><p>The Trads have repeatedly called for all the reforms of Vatican II and the post conciliar church to be rescinded. They are convinced that one day the "Novus Ordo" will be abrogated and the only Mass of the Church will be the TLM. They reject the Missal promulgated by Paul VI, as it is now called, as inferior at best and heretical at worst. </p><p>In their hubris, they have forgotten that Pope Francis is the one in charge. He calls the shots. They and the entire world have now been reminded that what one pope giveth, another can take away. Pope Francis saw the great harm being caused by this small but very loud and bombastic group, and he said "No more!"</p><p>In his Letter to the Bishops accompanying the Motu Proprio, Pope Francis wrote:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>A final reason for my decision is this: <span style="color: red;">ever more plain in the words and attitudes of many is the close connection between the choice of celebrations according to the liturgical books prior to Vatican Council II and the rejection of the Church and her institutions in the name of what is called the “true Church.”</span> One is dealing here with comportment that contradicts communion and nurtures the divisive tendency — “I belong to Paul; I belong instead to Apollo; I belong to Cephas; I belong to Christ” — against which the Apostle Paul so vigorously reacted. In defense of the unity of the Body of Christ, I am constrained to revoke the faculty granted by my Predecessors. The distorted use that has been made of this faculty is contrary to the intentions that led to granting the freedom to celebrate the Mass with the Missale Romanum of 1962. Because “liturgical celebrations are not private actions, but celebrations of the Church, which is the sacrament of unity”, they must be carried out in communion with the Church. Vatican Council II, while it reaffirmed the external bonds of incorporation in the Church — the profession of faith, the sacraments, of communion — affirmed with St. Augustine that to remain in the Church not only “with the body” but also “with the heart” is a condition for salvation.</b></span></blockquote><p>The Trads have been stoking rebellion against Church authority for decades, and now they are shocked that the Church has finally pushed back. The reaction of the Trads to <i>Traditionis Custodes</i> has been predictable. The Trads deny that they have caused disunity and division in the Church. They admit a few "fringe" elements have caused a little disruption, but the vast majority of Trads are loyal Catholics who just love the TLM.</p><p>I was a part of the Rad Trads for seven years, and I can state from personal experience that 99% or more of the Traditional Movement has most definitely rejected "the Church and her institutions in the name of what is called the 'true Church.' " I have consistently written about their rejection of the Church and warned of schism for several years now.</p><p>The Trads have once again rejected the authority of the Pope, saying he has no right to restrict the TLM. They believe that Pope Benedict did not just give them permission but actually confirmed the fact that the TLM could never be abrogated. It is interesting that whenever they make this statement, they never give any proof. They never quote anything from <i>Summorum Pontificum</i> that supports this claim. The reason is very simple: Pope Benedict XVI never made such a claim. Pope Benedict always talked about permission being granted to celebrate the TLM. Neither Pope Benedict nor any other Church authority has ever said the TLM cannot be abrogated.</p><p>Despite Pope Benedict's stated intentions to unify the Church, <i>Summorum Pontificum</i> did not heal divisions in the Church. It exacerbated the divisions and added fuel to the fire to the point where it is like a raging storm within the Church. And that storm is now intensifying. The Trads have been in soft schism for years. It seems almost inevitable that they will be in official schism in a matter of time. </p><p>In their deluded thinking, they believe the Traditional Latin Mass has more authority than the Pope. Like all schismatics before them, they believe they have an obligation to obey God before obeying the Church, as if this was somehow two different things. In the Trads' minds, "obeying God" means fighting for the TLM and "Tradition" (as they define it) and resisting Church authority basically to the death. </p>Peter Kwasniewski, Radical Traditionalist in the first degree, has written a couple of articles for onepeterfive.com in which he says that Trads are now basically called to war. The first article is entitled, "<a href="https://onepeterfive.com/its-time-to-imitate-our-forefathers-never-give-up/" target="_blank">It’s Time to Imitate Our Forefathers: Never Give Up!</a>" He urges his readers not to be afraid to resist Church authority because one day their current disobedience will be recognized as obedience:<div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>One thing we must keep front and center in our souls: what we are fighting for is good, sacred, Catholic, and worthy of our deepest devotion. It cannot be all of a sudden forbidden or declared dangerous. And we are not disobedient for holding fast to it or seeking it. The traditional movement would not exist at all if, at the beginning of the final phase of “liturgical reform,” Catholics had not persistently gone against the wishes and even the legal determinations of Paul VI and other bishops. Paul VI began to relent just a little; and John Paul II acknowledged that the traditionalists’ aspirations were rightful; and then Benedict XVI opened up the treasury to everyone. That initial “disobedience” was not once and for all condemned; its legitimacy was eventually accepted, because the traditionalists had in fact fought on the basis of true principles and for true goods that the Church needs and will always need.<br /><br />It is no different today in 2021. We must do exactly as our forefathers in the traditional movement did, and be cowered by no one’s threats, dissuaded by no one’s animosity, deterred by no obstacle, seduced by no “good enough” or “tolerable” alternative.</b></span></blockquote><p>I always find it so interesting that Trads will never use the terms "Saint" or "Pope" when speaking of St. Paul VI or St. John Paul II. The Trads always show their true intentions. </p><p>Kwasniewski refuses to admit that since the Mass of Pope Paul VI was implemented, the popes have tried to show compassion and empathy for the Trads, with the thinking that if they got to celebrate their Mass - which of and by itself is a good, holy Mass - then they would be happy and stop causing division in the Church. Never once did any of these popes say that the disobedience of the Trads was "legitimate." </p><p>Even though the excommunication of the SSPX bishops was lifted by Pope Benedict XVI, he never vindicated their disobedience. From the <a href="https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cbishops/documents/rc_con_cbishops_doc_20090121_remissione-scomunica_en.html" target="_blank">Decree</a> lifting the excommunications:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>This act signifies a desire to strengthen reciprocal relations of trust, and to deepen and stabilize the relationship of the Society of St Pius X with this Apostolic See. <span style="color: red;">This <u><i>gift of peace</i>,</u> coming at the end of the Christmas celebrations, is also meant to be a sign which promotes the Universal Church's unity in charity, and removes the scandal of division</span>.<br /><br />It is hoped that this step will be followed by the prompt attainment of full communion with the Church on the part of the whole Society of St Pius X, which will thus bear witness to its genuine fidelity and genuine recognition of the Magisterium and authority of the Pope by the proof of visible unity.</b></span></blockquote><p>This was issued almost 12 years ago, in December of 2009. The SSPX has never made any moves to attain "full communion with the Church", still refusing to recognize the validity of Vatican II and/or the Mass of Pope Paul VI. So much for recognizing the "legitimacy" of disobedience. </p><p>In the second article, entitled "<a href="https://onepeterfive.com/transitioning-from-a-time-of-peace-to-a-time-of-struggle/" target="_blank">Transitioning from a Time of Peace to a Time of Struggle</a>", Kwasniewski basically instructs his readers in the art of war against Church authority. First, he completely denigrates Pope Francis:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Yes, I know: we are under siege again, from a pope who has proved implacably hostile to any other way of living Catholicism than that which chimes in with his one-world progressive humanistic interreligious all-are-welcome agenda. Yes, it is true: the icy chill of official disfavor is blowing against us after decades of gradual thaw under John Paul II and Benedict XVI.</b></span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>. . .</b></span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>If Pope Francis and his allies really believe they can rip the love of sacred tradition out of the hearts of millions of Catholic clergy, religious, and laity simply by a papal <i>pronunciamento</i> and a sinister scowl, they are more to be pitied for their delusionality than blamed for their malice. <i>In point of fact, the more they try, the more incandescent this love will glow. </i>[Emphasis original]</b></span></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><p> "The more incandescent this love will glow"?! Notice that Kwasniewski shows no concern for love in the Church and among brethren. He shows no concern for unity in the Church. He just cares about "love of Tradition" and everything else be damned. Spewing division, animosity and hate against the Magisterium is just fine as long as it promotes "the incandescent love of Tradition".</p><p>Kwasniewski then tells the Trads that they are on a battlefield:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>That being said, the post-<i>Traditionis</i> world will still be a battlefield. It will flare up here and there into intense conflict. Some priests will be suspended, stripped of faculties, exiled. Among these, some will go independent and others will go underground, saying Mass in living rooms or forests. Large, flourishing parish communities may get the ungracious axe. Good bishops who prudently dispensed from the onerous provisions of <i>Traditionis</i> may, upon forced or canonical retirement, be replaced by Bergoglian clones.</b></span></blockquote><p>Hard to believe this is written by someone who honestly tries to present himself as a good, faithful Catholic. Sounds a lot like a modern Martin Luther. </p><p>Kwasniewski then describes the likely persecution the Trads can expect to receive from Church authority. He compares the plight of the Trads to persecution under the Roman Emperors and in England at the time of the Reformation, comparing Benedict and Francis to Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, respectively:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>We can also think of the Catholics in England at the time of the Reformation. Within a period of decades the country went from a regime hostile to Catholics to a respite under Queen Mary, only to be thrust again into the Protestant Elizabeth’s reign, under whom so many martyrs shed their blood.</b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>For us, too, Benedict’s reign was followed by Francis’s, and we know not what the future holds. Things could get very much worse: I’ve heard rumors about further intended liturgical suppressions that make my blood alternately freeze and boil. The essential task of the Christian, however, remains the same as always: to believe in, to follow, and to bear witness to Christ, even at the cost of life.</b></span></blockquote><p>Kwasniewski most obviously does not believe in the primacy of the Papacy. His statements indicate that he does not believe the Keys to the Kingdom were given to Peter and that Peter holds the authority to loose and bind in the Church. Kwasniewski believes only in "Tradition." That is his only authority, and he will fight anyone and everyone with whom he disagrees, including and maybe most especially Peter.</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>We should resist the well-meaning but treacherous advice: “Just give up on the fight; don’t make an idol of the Mass…” This implies that whenever we love something enough to live for it, to fight and die for it, we are making it an idol—as if only God could deserve such total commitment. But this is false. Although God alone is to be adored, that does not mean He alone deserves our commitment. We should be ready to die for our wife, child, or neighbor; for the good of virtue; for the sake of the truth; for our fatherland. We should be ready to live and die for the Mass or any sacrament or any dogma of the Faith.</b></span></blockquote><p>Kwasniewski is using very fancy language to tell his readers to disobey Church authority, framing it as an act of love. The TLM is not THE Mass. It is a FORM of the Mass. The Eucharist is as available in the "Ordinary Form" as it is in the TLM. But that is not what Kwasniewski would have you believe. He is telling you to go against the Church and be ready to literally die for a form of the Mass, all the while denying Christ in the Church. This is absolutely diabolical. </p><p>The sad reality is that the Trads are not sacrificing their physical lives, but their eternal salvation. </p><p>The Trads are in a tough position right now. They are at a crossroads. They can either submit to the authority of the Pope and accept the post conciliar Church, or they can leave and start their own Church. Kwasniewski and his ilk will not win against Christ and His Vicar. They will lose just as all schismatics have lost through the centuries. </p><p>The Trads have put themselves in this position. They have acted out of hubris and arrogance, basically claiming that through their obedience to Tradition as they define it, that it is they, not Peter, who have the Keys to the Kingdom. </p><p>May God have mercy on their souls.</p></div>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-66816956249357243712021-07-26T15:49:00.007-04:002021-08-01T17:58:14.940-04:00Traditionalists Live In Their Own Reality<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibi1jfWw6ZKSXlKxu4TJpF0gXl4hBBvgcJ_4s47DuaN93qRG8T4rwbumpee8EQM1nej9qc48ky2wszkrDJRz9-svNzthCMQ9UwGILzdb_XPhs7nvuSuoph8eXfO160Y9szNsq6VT8JQ/s403/602317533a9bc8a26681e91cfd25c233.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="403" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibi1jfWw6ZKSXlKxu4TJpF0gXl4hBBvgcJ_4s47DuaN93qRG8T4rwbumpee8EQM1nej9qc48ky2wszkrDJRz9-svNzthCMQ9UwGILzdb_XPhs7nvuSuoph8eXfO160Y9szNsq6VT8JQ/w400-h258/602317533a9bc8a26681e91cfd25c233.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I have to say, I kinda feel sorry for the Traditionalists in the Catholic Church. </p><p>They were going along so sure of themselves, secure in the belief that they were the only real Catholics in the world. They were confident that they were going to get rid of heretical Pope Francis, confident that the dreaded Novus Ordo Mass would be stamped out of existence for the travesty it is and that the Traditional Latin Mass would reign supreme as the Mass of the Roman Rite. They believed with all their hearts that Vatican II would be exposed for the sham Council it was, and that the Church would be returned to the glory days of the 1950's. </p><p>And then came <i>Traditionis Custodes</i>. They were traveling down the highway at 60 mph and with little warning, a wall popped up in front of them and slowed them down to a crawl. Suddenly things didn't look so rosy anymore. This looked like it might be the end of the line for them.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Ah, but not to worry! They've always been able to shape their own reality up to this point. Why should a little thing like a Motu Proprio stand in their way? They will just make it say what they want it to say. And if something can't be manipulated into their own reality, they will just prove that they have a right to ignore it.<p></p><p>We have now seen the ability to ignore a Papal document with Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois (who is often in conflict with Pope Francis). Bishop Paprocki <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248438/springfield-bishop-dispenses-parishes-from-restrictions-on-the-traditional-latin-mass" target="_blank">has used Canon 87</a>, section 1, to support his position that he is allowed to ignore <i>Traditionis Custodes</i>:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Pope Francis’ motu proprio <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248430/full-text-traditionis-custodes-pope-francis-motu-proprio-about-traditional-latin-mass"><i>Traditionis Custodes</i></a> (“Guardians of the tradition”), issued last Friday and effective immediately, allows individual bishops to authorize the use of the Traditional Latin Mass in their respective dioceses. Previously, Pope Benedict’s 2007 apostolic letter <i>Summorum Pontificum</i> recognized the rights of all priests to celebrate the Traditional Mass, and did not require them to obtain the permission of their bishop to do so.<br /><br />A provision of the new document says that bishops are to “designate” the locations of traditional liturgies, adding that they cannot be offered at “parochial churches.”<br /><br />Paprocki cited Canon 87, section 1 of the Code of Canon Law for his decision to issue the dispensation for the two parishes in his diocese.<br /><br />The canon states: “A diocesan bishop, whenever he judges that a dispensation will contribute to their spiritual good, is able to dispense the faithful from universal and particular disciplinary laws issued for his territory or his subjects by the supreme authority of the Church."</b></span></blockquote><p>There is no way that the original purpose of Canon 87 was to allow bishops to disobey a Motu Proprio. This canon was for the purposes of allowing something like eating meat on a Friday during Lent, or changing a Holy Day from a weekday to a Sunday, or dispense the obligation to attend Mass during an epidemic, as we saw last year. Canon 87 has never been used as Bishop Paprocki has used it. Canon 87 was never meant to be used to countermand a Motu Proprio. </p><p>Paprocki's misuse of Canon 87 has certainly created a great Get Out of Jail Free card for the Traditionalists in his diocese. Other bishops have also jumped on the Canon 87 bandwagon, such as <a href="https://toledodiocese.org/announcements/statement-of-bishop-daniel-e.-thomas-on-the-motu-proprio-traditionis-custod" target="_blank">Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio</a>. </p><p>I would not be surprised if these dispensations are challenged by the Vatican. Canon Law Art. 90 §1:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>One is not to be dispensed from an ecclesiastical law without a just and reasonable cause, after taking into account the circumstances of the case and the gravity of the law from which dispensation is given; otherwise the dispensation is illicit and, unless it is given by the legislator himself or his superior, also invalid.</b></span></blockquote><p>I am certainly not a Canon lawyer, so these are just my observations. But at the very least, I would suggest that these bishops are not contributing to the spiritual good of the faithful, as is stated in Canon 87, but are actually harming the faithful in their dioceses by teaching them that they can ignore the Pope. Such actions could result in actually leading the the Traditionalists even closer to official schism. It is a very dangerous path indeed. </p><p>The bishops should also keep in mind that the Pope always has the last word. He can decide to replace any and all bishops without even giving a reason. And of course, there is always that pesky little problem of answering to Jesus Christ. </p><p>Then we come to the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales (LMS). This is a lay group which has absolutely no canonical standing in the Church. They are just a bunch of Traditionalists who promote the Latin Mass. From their website:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>The Latin Mass Society, founded in 1965, is an association of Catholic faithful dedicated to the promotion of the traditional Latin liturgy of the Catholic Church, the teachings and practices integral to it, the musical tradition which serves it, and the Latin language in which it is celebrated.</b></span></blockquote><p>The President of the LMS is Joseph Shaw, who declared Pope Francis a heretic in 2017 when he signed the <a href="http://www.correctiofilialis.org/" target="_blank">Filial Correction</a>, which was a document written by a bunch of hard core traditionalists accusing the Pope of seven different heresies. <a href="https://catholicinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2017/09/fillal-correction-judgment-versus-mercy.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> is my very long rebuttal to the Filial Correction, if you're interested. </p><p>By this act, accusing Pope Francis of being a heretic, Mr. Shaw and the LMS have shown that his actions and those of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales are part and parcel of the reasons for <i>Traditionis Custodes</i>. </p><p>The LMS has now published a <a href="https://lms.org.uk/sites/default/files/resource_documents/Trad_Cust_canonical_notes.pdf" target="_blank">document</a> entitled "<i>Some Notes on the Application of Traditiones </i>[sic]<i> Custodes in light of Canon Law
from the Latin Mass Society</i>" You know there is a problem when they have a misspelling in the title of the document.</p><p>In this document, the LMS tells us that <i>Traditionis Custodes</i> (TC) is no big deal because <i>Traditionis Custodes</i> is really not all that different from <i>Summorum Pontificum</i> and anyway, it can be interpreted in such way that bishops can ignore it and continue business as usual. In effect, nothing has changed. </p><p>When it comes to the authority of the bishops, LMS states that Pope Francis has merely echoed <i>Summorum Pontificum </i>(SP)<i>:</i></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>The Apostolic Letter is, at this point, not making any innovation, or investing bishops with special authority, but merely reiterating the existing legal situation, which had itself not been altered by <i>Summorum Pontificum</i>.</b></span></blockquote><p>To equate <i>Traditionis Custodes</i> with <i>Summorum Pontificum</i> is like equating day with night. Contrary to the above statement, SP did drastically reduce the bishops' authority and oversight in regard to the TLM. </p><p>Under <i>Summorum Pontificum</i><u>,</u> the bishop was not normally a part of the decision to allow a TLM in a parish. All authority was given to the pastor of the Church "under the governance of the bishop". </p><p>Article 5 of SP:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Art. 5, §1 In parishes where a group of the faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition stably exists, the parish priest should willingly accede to their requests to celebrate Holy Mass according to the rite of the 1962 Roman Missal. He should ensure that the good of these members of the faithful is harmonized with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the governance of the bishop in accordance with Canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church</b></span></blockquote><p>Pastors were actually obligated to allow the TLM, and if they denied it, the group could appeal to the bishop, who would then allow it. If the bishop couldn't, for whatever reason, comply with the request, it was then sent to <i>Ecclesia Dei </i>(which no longer exists). </p><p>From <i>Summorum Pontificum</i>:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Art. 8. A bishop who wishes to provide for such requests of the lay faithful, but is prevented by various reasons from doing so, can refer the matter to the <a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/ced_index.htm">Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei</a>, which will offer him counsel and assistance.</b></span></blockquote><p>This line of authority has been completely abrogated by <i>Traditionis Custodes</i>. </p><p><i>Traditionis Custodes</i> has basically put the TLM in a box, and said it can only be opened with the strict permission of the Bishop. The role of the Church's pastor has been eliminated completely. TC has <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">restored</u> the bishops' authority which was taken away by SP. The bishops now have total control over Masses in their dioceses and, in fact, have been charged with a much more rigorous oversight. Nothing can be done without their express permission, and there is no appeal to their decision. </p><p>Thus, the title "Guardians of Tradition." Bishops, in communion with the Pope, are now the sole Guardians of Tradition in their dioceses. Neither the laity, pastors nor anyone else has authority. It now belongs solely to the bishops. </p><p>This is hardly "reiterating the existing legal situation." </p><p>The purpose of SP was to free the TLM to be celebrated any where at any time with little to no input from the bishops. The purpose of TC is to give complete authority to the bishops. The goal is to slowly restrict the TLM and eventually unify the entire Church under the Mass of Pope Paul VI, as Pope Francis states in his <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2021/documents/20210716-lettera-vescovi-liturgia.html" target="_blank">letter to the bishops</a>:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span>In the Motu proprio I have desired to affirm that it is up to the Bishop, as moderator, promoter, and guardian of the liturgical life of the Church of which he is the principle of unity, to regulate the liturgical celebrations. It is up to you to authorize in your Churches, as local Ordinaries, the use of the Missale Romanum of 1962, applying the norms of the present Motu proprio. It is up to you to proceed in such a way as to </span><u><span style="color: red;">return to a unitary form of celebration</span></u><span>, </span><span>and to determine case by case the reality of the groups which celebrate with this Missale Romanum.</span></b></span></blockquote><p>The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales is trying to convince us, as well as themselves, that nothing is going to change and the Latin Mass will continue in dioceses around the world as it has for the last 14 years. Yes, there are a few restrictions that will make it a little harder, such as no new groups are allowed. But these restrictions are not really going to get in the way because the bishops are on the side of the Traditionalists and are basically going to ignore the Pope.</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>To summarise, <i>Traditiones </i>[sic]<i> Custodes</i> is concerned to maintain the pastoral care of officially constituted ‘groups’ attached to the ancient Mass, for example in personal parishes, but wishes to emphasise the authority of the bishop to regulate where, when, and by whom, their Masses are celebrated.</b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b> At the same time, it does not prevent priests in general celebrating the older Mass, even in public, but it wishes to emphasises [sic] the authority of the bishop to give permission for this.</b></span> </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b> In both cases, it should be observed that in practice under <i>Summorum Pontificum</i> bishops continued to exercise the kind of care and control which <i>Traditionis Custodes</i> underlines, though they might sometimes have done this implicitly and indirectly: for example, by choosing where to assign priests. <span style="color: red;">Although they are given more direct power over the situation by <i>Traditionis Custodes</i>, it seems likely that many bishops will continue to exercise this power as a matter of general oversight, rather than micro-managing each parish and apostolate.</span></b></span></blockquote><p>As I have shown, this is a complete misreading of the Motu Proprio. The status quo may continue for a while, but the Traditionalists will out themselves and prove more rebellious than ever. The bishops will realize they have a rebellion on their hands and will have no choice but to enforce the provisions of <i>Traditionis Custodes</i>, realizing it is actually their lifeline. </p><p>Those bishops who refuse to implement <i>Traditionis Custodes</i> will also be exposed for being in rebellion against Rome and will have to be dealt with accordingly. </p><p>This is not going to be an easy time in the Church. The Traditionalists are actually a very small group in the Church, and most of them are in the United States, with other large groups in England and France, but they are loud and have been and will continue to create chaos and division. We are in a very difficult time.</p><p>I continue to pray for the souls of the Traditionalists, that they will repent and come back into union with Peter. </p><p>And I also pray that they will finally learn to live in reality.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BLUuXrHkjx8pma3IwCmTV16p_wJe-xtOrCAfhrPL6NSY1NuM0ONyMo-alciQABCRwtMXVtyZmX2vvicgMI9NBdC0xs0eFS3PyLl4NUNhIN4MqQ3lWjJUUmD_sVXAkhhtKX2-3YQRGA/s589/65059bdad8c563191f15313a6f289b4e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="433" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BLUuXrHkjx8pma3IwCmTV16p_wJe-xtOrCAfhrPL6NSY1NuM0ONyMo-alciQABCRwtMXVtyZmX2vvicgMI9NBdC0xs0eFS3PyLl4NUNhIN4MqQ3lWjJUUmD_sVXAkhhtKX2-3YQRGA/w294-h400/65059bdad8c563191f15313a6f289b4e.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-4963016250609446952021-07-19T20:21:00.028-04:002021-08-05T13:56:47.178-04:00The Traditionalists Destroy Themselves With Their Lies<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0glda8bhFJYaZl7P2J2DHQZ3Haqp_n5P7s_yWsWzY_R6oKltPlsjHmwYSVNcZMM_rMlKjcLaZyT5H3VNvNgHvQeYIcu3K89iiHwIy9zQ1aVFity8UpooAUDHrdf8r3d19kubDiOdAg/s502/Turth+hurts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="502" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0glda8bhFJYaZl7P2J2DHQZ3Haqp_n5P7s_yWsWzY_R6oKltPlsjHmwYSVNcZMM_rMlKjcLaZyT5H3VNvNgHvQeYIcu3K89iiHwIy9zQ1aVFity8UpooAUDHrdf8r3d19kubDiOdAg/w640-h292/Turth+hurts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Catholic Traditionalists live in a world of lies, and they hang on to these lies with all their strength. These lies constitute the foundation on which they have built their spiritual lives. That foundation, which has been cracked and falling apart for years, is finally giving out. Like the horrible tragedy of the collapsed building in Surfside, Florida, the world of the Traditionalists is crumbling beneath their feet, and soon they will be surrounded only by a pile of rubble.<br /></p>Roberto de Mattei, an outspoken critic who has unrelentingly condemned Pope Francis, has written an Op Ed for <i>Rorate Caeli</i> entitled, "<a href="https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2021/07/op-ed-francis-has-unleashed-war-it-will.html" target="_blank"><b>Francis Has Unleashed a War: It Will End With the Full Triumph of Tradition</b></a>." I choose this article because it contains some of the more blatant lies on which the Trads rely for their existence. It is so packed with lies and misrepresentations that I hardly know where to begin. So I will begin at the beginning.<div><br /><div><span><a name='more'></a></span>de Mattei starts out his "Op Ed" with the most loaded lie possible:</div><div><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>The intent of Pope Francis’s motu proprio <i>Traditionis Custodes</i>, of July 16, 2021, is to repress any expression of fidelity to the traditional liturgy, but the result will be to spark a war that will inevitably end with the triumph of the Tradition of the Church.</b></span></blockquote><p>This is classic Catholic Traditionalist, skewing the facts to make themselves into the innocent victims of the big bad Church. </p><p>First, it is important to note that <i><b>Traditionis custodes </b></i>is not about the TLM at all. This Motu Proprio has been given in response to the divisive effects of the Trads upon the Church, as will be shown. The reason Summorum Pontificum has been abrogated is because the Trads have used SP as a weapon to bludgeon the rest of the Church. Francis is taking away their weapon in order to protect the rest of the flock.</p><p>From Pope Francis' <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2021/documents/20210716-lettera-vescovi-liturgia.html" target="_blank">letter to the bishops</a>:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Regrettably, the pastoral objective of my Predecessors, who had intended “to do everything possible to ensure that all those who truly possessed the desire for unity would find it possible to remain in this unity or to rediscover it anew”, has often been seriously disregarded. </span><span style="color: red;">An opportunity offered by St. John Paul II and, with even greater magnanimity, by Benedict XVI, intended to recover the unity of an ecclesial body with diverse liturgical sensibilities, was exploited to widen the gaps, reinforce the divergences, and encourage disagreements that injure the Church, block her path, and expose her to the peril of division.</span></b></span></blockquote><p>As will be shown later, de Mattei includes part of this quote in his article but omits the most damaging accusation. </p><p>Like all other Trads, de Mattei makes no mention of the constant attacks and condemnation of the Magesterium by Traditional Catholics, including repeated calls for the condemnation of Pope Francis himself as a heretic. </p><p>Secondly, if this war "inevitably ends with the triumph of the Tradition of the Church", then the Catholic Church has ceased to exist.</p><p>de Mattei goes back in history to St. Paul VI (whom he addresses neither as "Pope" nor "Saint", not an accidental omission) and the introduction of the revision of the Roman Missal, as St. Paul VI referred to it. Once again, de Mattei completely misrepresents the facts and skews it to paint St. Paul VI as an evil pope trying to undermine the Church:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">When, on April 3, 1969, Paul VI promulgated the Novus Ordo Missae (NOM), his basic idea was that within a few years the traditional Mass would be only a memory. The encounter of the Church with the modern world, which Paul VI was aiming for in the name of an “integral humanism,” envisaged the disappearance of all the heirlooms of the “Constantinian” Church. And the ancient Roman Rite, which Saint Pius V </span><span style="color: #990000;">[notice that de Mattei does use the title of "Saint" with Pius V]</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> had restored in 1570, after the Protestant liturgical devastation, seemed destined to disappear.</span></b></span></blockquote><p>If St. Paul VI had wanted the traditional Mass to be "only a memory", he would have done so in <b><a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19690403_missale-romanum.html" target="_blank">MISSALE ROMANUM</a> </b>by abrogating it at that time. He did not do that. In fact, he praised the Mass of St. Pius V:</p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>The Roman Missal, promulgated in 1570 by Our predecessor, St. Pius V, by decree of the Council of Trent, has been received by all as one of the numerous and admirable fruits which the holy Council has spread throughout the entire Church of Christ. </b></span></blockquote><p>St. Paul VI states that the renewal of the Mass did not begin with him but with his predecessor, Pope Pius XII, a fact de Mattei conveniently omits:</p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>The beginning of this renewal was the work of Our predecessor, this same Pius XII, in the restoration of the Paschal Vigil and of the Holy Week Rite, which formed the first stage of updating the Roman Missal for the present-day mentality.</b></span></blockquote><p>Next, de Mattei gives us the same old tired lie about the vibrancy and growth of the Latin Mass as opposed to the dying "Novus Ordo" Mass:</p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>Never has a prediction shown itself more mistaken. Today the seminaries are devoid of vocations and the parishes are emptying, sometimes abandoned by priests who announce their marriage and return to civic life. On the contrary, the places where the traditional liturgy is celebrated and the faith and morals of all time are preached are crowded with the faithful and are incubators of vocations. </b></span></blockquote><p>Here is the truth from none other than <i>onepeterfive.com</i>, hardly a bastion of liberal Catholicism. This is from a 2019 article entitled, "<b><a href="https://onepeterfive.com/reality-check-latin-mass/" target="_blank">Reality Check: No, the Latin Mass Is Not Taking Over</a></b>":</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I’ve noticed that those who have spent their whole religious lives within traditional Catholic communities, or who have been outside the mainstream N.O. Church for a long time, tend to get a skewed sense of how big the movement is. The Latin Mass is growing, for sure, but let’s examine the numbers to gain some perspective. CARA’s [Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate] data show that there are 36,580 priests in the United States, of which 25,254 are diocesan priests, the vast majority of whom, probably greater than 95%, are saying only the N.O. Mass. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">By comparison, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, the Institute of Christ the King, the Institute of the Good Shepherd, and the Society of Saint Pius X, the largest of the traditionalist priestly organizations, have a combined total of approximately 1,035 priests worldwide. </span><span style="color: red;">That’s 25,254 Diocesan priests in the United States alone versus 1,035 TLM priests worldwide. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">In the same LiturgyGuy.com survey that examined the attitudes of TLM-attending Catholics and compared them with the attitudes of N.O. attendees, the authors note that “[TLM] Catholics attend at least 489 Sunday Masses nationwide” and “on any given Sunday, an estimated 100,000 Catholics” in the U.S. attend the Latin Mass.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">This is undoubtedly leaps and bounds ahead of where Latin Mass attendance was 10 and 20 years ago. It’s an improvement, for sure. But compare the 489 Latin Mass parishes to the 17,000 total. </span><span style="color: red;">While the 489 are not all contained within the 17,000 number (the SSPX parishes are not, for example), if they were, they would make up less than 0.003% of the total. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">An estimated 100,000 faithful attend the Latin Mass every week, traditionalists have much larger families than pro-contraceptive N.O. families (at least that’s what the data suggest), and the youth do seem to have a much higher preference for tradition than previous generations, but 100,000 is not a large population when you consider that 556,418 Confirmations took place in the previous year.</span></b></span></blockquote><p>The Trads twist themselves up in knots trying to promulgate the lie that they are the salvation of the Church, and that if they should be sidelined, the Church will die. </p><p>Their foundation is getting really shaky.</p><p>Finally, de Mattei actually gets within striking distance of telling the truth about something, but even manages to skew that. de Mattei correctly states that the Motu Proprio is a response to the survey sent to bishops last year. However, de Mattei does not tell us the reason for the survey, an interesting and important omission:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Faced with this movement of cultural and spiritual rebirth </span><span style="color: #990000;">[I have just shown that this is a lie]</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">, Pope Francis reacted by instructing the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to send the bishops a questionnaire on the application of Benedict XVI's motu proprio. The survey was sociological, but the conclusions that Francis drew from it are ideological. </span><span style="color: #990000;">[What in the world does that mean? de Mattei gives no explanation or examples, just throws it out there as an accusation]</span></b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">There is no need for a survey to see how the churches attended by the faithful attached to the liturgical tradition are always full and the ordinary parishes are increasingly depopulated. </span><span style="color: #990000;">[This is a total </span></b></span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: helvetica;"><b>non sequitur. The attendance at the TLM was not the point of the survey. Pope Francis wanted to know what effect the Trads are having on the rest of the Church.]</b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>But in the letter to the bishops accompanying the motu proprio of July 16, Pope Francis affirms: “The responses reveal a situation that preoccupies and saddens me, and persuades me of the need to intervene. Regrettably, the pastoral objective of my Predecessors, who had intended ‘to do everything possible to ensure that all those who truly possessed the desire for unity would find it possible to remain in this unity or to rediscover it anew,’ has often been seriously disregarded.”</b></span> </blockquote><p>Note that de Mattei omits the sentence which I included above: ""<i><b>An opportunity offered by St. John Paul II and, with even greater magnanimity, by Benedict XVI, intended to recover the unity of an ecclesial body with diverse liturgical sensibilities, was exploited to widen the gaps, reinforce the divergences, and encourage disagreements that injure the Church, block her path, and expose her to the peril of divisio</b></i><b><i>n</i></b>."</p><p>de Mattei then continues the quote after that deliberate omission:</p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>“I am saddened,” Francis adds, “that the instrumental use of the Missale Romanum of 1962 is often characterized by a rejection not only of the liturgical reform, but of Vatican Council II itself, claiming, with unfounded and unsustainable assertions, that it betrayed the Tradition and the ‘true Church’.” </b></span></blockquote><p>de Mattei also omits the next section in which Pope Francis quotes from <i><b><a href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html" target="_blank">Dei Verbum</a></b></i>: <b><i>The path of the Church must be seen within the dynamic of Tradition “which originates from the Apostles and progresses in the Church with the assistance of the Holy Spirit”. A recent stage of this dynamic was constituted by Vatican Council II where the Catholic episcopate came together to listen and to discern the path for the Church indicated by the Holy Spirit. <span style="color: red;">To doubt the Council is to doubt the intentions of those very Fathers who exercised their collegial power in a solemn manner <u>cum Petro et sub Petro </u>in an ecumenical council, and, in the final analysis, to doubt the Holy Spirit himself who guides the Church</span></i></b><span face="Tahoma, Verdana, Segoe, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="color: red;">.</span></span></p><div>St. John Paul II includes this same teaching about Living Tradition in his Apostolic letter, <b><i><a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_jp-ii_motu-proprio_02071988_ecclesia-dei.html" target="_blank">Ecclesia Dei</a></i></b>, in which he also quotes the same passage from <b><i>Dei Verbum</i></b>:</div></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The root of this schismatic act [unlawful ordination by Lefebvre of four bishops] can be discerned in an incomplete and contradictory notion of Tradition. </span><span style="color: red;">Incomplete, because it does not take sufficiently into account the living character of Tradition</span><span style="color: red;">, which, as the Second Vatican Council clearly taught, "comes from the apostles and progresses in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit.</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> There is a growth in insight into the realities and words that are being passed on. This comes about in various ways. It comes through the contemplation and study of believers who ponder these things in their hearts. It comes from the intimate sense of spiritual realities which they experience. And it comes from the preaching of those who have received, along with their right of succession in the episcopate, the sure charism of truth.</span></b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">But especially contradictory is a notion of Tradition which opposes the universal Magisterium of the Church possessed by the Bishop of Rome and the Body of Bishops.</span><span style="color: red;"> It is impossible to remain faithful to the Tradition while breaking the ecclesial bond with him to whom, in the person of the Apostle Peter, Christ himself entrusted the ministry of unity in his Church</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">."</span></b></span></blockquote><p>de Mattei and the Traditionalists completely reject the teaching of the "living character of Tradition" in the Church. They believe the Catholic Church can never grow in her understanding and beliefs, that the Church must stay fixed in time and, most importantly, in a time of the Traditionalists' own choosing. </p><p>As a result of their unwillingness to admit Tradition means following and growing with the Holy Spirt, the Traditionalists find themselves in constant conflict with the Magesterium of the Church. And as St. John Paul II states, this is actually contrary to Tradition. This is the root of their lies and the seed of their own destruction. </p>de Mattei ends his quotation from Pope Francis's <i>Motu Proprio</i> with the following:<blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b> Therefore “I take the firm decision to abrogate all the norms, instructions, permissions and customs that precede the present Motu proprio.”</b></span></blockquote><p>Instead of addressing this accusation of rejection of Church teaching and causing division in the Church,<b><i> </i></b>de Mattei does a "whataboutism":</p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>Pope Francis did not see fit to intervene in the face of the laceration of unity produced by the German bishops, who often fell into heresy in the name of Vatican Council II, but he seems convinced that the only threats to the unity of the Church come from those who have raised doubts over Vatican II, as doubts have been raised over Amoris Laetitia, without ever receiving an answer.</b></span></blockquote><p>Try standing up in court and defending yourself by saying, "yea, well, look at that guy over there and what he did. I had a right to break an unjust law, so you can't hang anything on me." </p><p>de Mattei then makes a statement which, if believed, completely abrogates the authority given to Peter in Matthew 16:19 "<b><i>I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.</i></b><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">”</span> :</p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>On the level of law, the revocation of the individual priest’s free exercise of celebrating according to the liturgical books from before the reform of Paul VI is clearly an illegitimate act. In fact, Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum reiterated that the traditional rite has never been abrogated and that every priest has the full right to celebrate it anywhere in the world. <i>Traditionis custodes</i> interprets that right as a privilege, which, as such, is withdrawn by the Supreme Legislator.</b></span> </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">This modus procedendi, however, is completely arbitrary, because </span><span style="color: red;">the lawfulness of the traditional Mass does not arise from a privilege, but from the recognition of a subjective right of the individual faithful, whether lay, clerical, or religious.</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> In fact, Benedict XVI never “granted” anything, but only recognized the right to use the 1962 Missal, “never abrogated,” and to enjoy it spiritually.</span></b></span></blockquote><p>de Mattei further writes: </p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>No pope has the right to abrogate or change a rite that dates back to the Apostolic Tradition and has been formed over the centuries</b></span></blockquote><p>This statement confirms St. John Paul II's lament about those who hold an "<b><i>incomplete and contradictory notion of Tradition</i></b>." </p><p>Only those teachings and dogmas which constitute the deposit of the faith cannot be abrogated. By saying that the TLM cannot be abrogated, de Mattei is saying it is part of the Deposit of the Faith. That is a blatant lie. It is a lie to say the TLM dates back to Apostolic Tradition. Its earliest beginnings, if you want to be really picky, go back to Gregory the Great, who was pope in the late 6th and early 7th Centuries, NOT Apostolic times. </p><p>Plus, the TLM is not a rite. It is a form of the Roman Rite Mass. The Roman Rite is basically three forms down through history: the Pre-Tridentine Mass, Tridentine Mass and Mass of Paul VI. </p><p>Yes, the Church must always have the Sacrifice of the Mass, but the form of the Mass is completely arbitrary and is decided by the Magesterium. de Mattei is maintaining that the Mass itself dictates the law and the Pope must abide by it. Not only is this an absolutely ridiculous statement, but it reduces the Papacy to nothing more than an impotent figurehead. It would mean Peter no longer has the Keys to the Kingdom, and we no longer have a Church. </p><p>How can I say that? If the Pope does not have authority over the Mass, then he has authority over nothing. Of course, that is exactly what the Trads want. They will not be happy unless and until they can take away all authority from the Pope. It doesn't matter that the Church will also be destroyed. As long as they have their Mass, they are happy. This is, without mincing any words, demonic. </p><p>Further on in his article, in order to bolster his position that the Mass has more authority than the Pope, de Mattei makes this blatantly false statement:</p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>Benedict XVI, with Summorum Pontificum, publicly acknowledged the existence of an immutable <i>lex orandi</i> of the Church that no pope can ever abrogate.</b></span></blockquote><p>In the <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20070707_summorum-pontificum.html" target="_blank">Motu Proprio</a>, directly contradicting de Mattei's statement, Benedict absolutely did grant, i.e. give permission, to celebrate the TLM. Since he gave that permission, that would mean he and any other Pope would have the right to withdraw that permission:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: red;">It is therefore permitted to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">, which was promulgated by Blessed </span><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_xxiii/index.htm" style="color: #2b00fe;">John XXIII</a><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> in 1962 and never abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Church’s Liturgy.</span></b></span></blockquote><p>In Article 3:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">If communities of </span><a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/index.htm" style="color: #2b00fe;">Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life</a><span style="color: #2b00fe;">, whether of pontifical or diocesan right, wish to celebrate the conventual or community Mass in their own oratories according to the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal, </span><span style="color: red;">they are permitted to do so</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">.</span></b></span></blockquote><p>In the accompanying <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/letters/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20070707_lettera-vescovi.html" target="_blank">letter to the bishops</a>, Benedict wrote:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">As for the use of the 1962 Missal as a </span><i style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">Forma extraordinaria</i><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;"> of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this Missal was </span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">never juridically abrogated</span><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> and, consequently, in principle, </span><span style="color: red;">was always permitted</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">. </span></b><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">At the time of the introduction of the new Missal, it did not seem necessary to issue specific norms for the possible use of the earlier Missal.</span></b></span></blockquote>Nowhere in either of these two statements does Pope Benedict say the Mass can never be abrogated. He stated that it had not been abrogated <b><u>up to that time</u></b>. de Mattei's statement was not even close to the truth. In fact, de Mattei's statement is a diabolical lie.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Traditionalists' foundation has completely crumbled around them. It is gone. </div><div><br /></div><div>And that is why Pope Francis had no choice to but take the actions he took. The Traditionalists are an imminent danger to the unity of the Church. They spread lies, hate, division and rebellion against authority. Pope Francis would be completely derelict in his duties as Pope if he did not take these actions.</div><div><br /></div><div>I literally thank God for Pope Francis's courage to stand up to the Traditionalists, knowing he was facing a raging mob who are capable of anything. I pray for him daily, that unlike his predecessor, Francis will have the courage to stand up to the wolves, as he has done so far.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I also know that Roberto de Mattei is wrong. The Traditionalist movement will not triumph. That movement will go the way of all other heresies in the Church, into the dustbin. I do pray for the souls of all Traditionalists, that they will see how they have separated themselves from the Church and repent.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsYBNPj8D0P6ubO7qU_iZgzyRk5uG73fnJ-49Pc-QqpZuEGnVFI9BISRBDZPUrB_fgu7o1gB-K_qviMwsXA-AFFwbMNaVLn9LMZzJ5kP6jV4azpC8myVbcHOSLb_qwhhV8Gfs8B3mpA/s600/remember-understand-well-peter-church-refuse-associate-communion-chair-quote-on-storemypic-559a0.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsYBNPj8D0P6ubO7qU_iZgzyRk5uG73fnJ-49Pc-QqpZuEGnVFI9BISRBDZPUrB_fgu7o1gB-K_qviMwsXA-AFFwbMNaVLn9LMZzJ5kP6jV4azpC8myVbcHOSLb_qwhhV8Gfs8B3mpA/w400-h400/remember-understand-well-peter-church-refuse-associate-communion-chair-quote-on-storemypic-559a0.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-27897673693465701432021-07-18T16:02:00.010-04:002021-11-06T12:28:53.211-04:00Traditionalists: The Greatest Cafeteria Catholics of All Time<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rsMrjCSbDaSw3J4Wtwtt2hevYiv3k4-PDNyt0s5Laql_rrSXju7S7Np-JuOo2WP148SsdzD42PTYPyWsZ7oDA-O886DzjdvC2NtF81KMcKmop4OE50UpT_BGrIbXPrvRXVY4QYZn8Q/s476/Maya-Angelou-Quote_thumb.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rsMrjCSbDaSw3J4Wtwtt2hevYiv3k4-PDNyt0s5Laql_rrSXju7S7Np-JuOo2WP148SsdzD42PTYPyWsZ7oDA-O886DzjdvC2NtF81KMcKmop4OE50UpT_BGrIbXPrvRXVY4QYZn8Q/s16000/Maya-Angelou-Quote_thumb.png" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Traditionalists are always accusing the rest of the Catholic world of picking and choosing what they want to believe and throwing out the rest. Certainly that is true for a certain number of Catholics. Pope Francis himself has warned us of this trap, saying that such people have one foot out the door. </p><p>But no "Novus Ordo" Catholic can hold a candle to the Traditionalists when it comes to picking and choosing what they will believe. Traditionalists by nature reject everything that doesn't meet their own exacting standards, and that includes almost everything in the Church post-Vatican II. </p><p>They reject the Second Vatican Council pretty much in its entirety, believing that even if there were good things from the Council, the good is far outweighed by the bad and therefore everything must be rejected. </p><p>Traditionalists believe no one can be truly Catholic unless they love and attend the Traditional Latin Mass. </p><p>They have rejected every post conciliar pope to one extent or another, and of course, they have completely rejected Pope Francis as a heretic who needs to be condemned and removed from the papacy. </p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Traditionalists even reject such post conciliar teachings as Divine Mercy, believing that this negates the Sacred Heart of Jesus. <p></p><p>And yet Traditionalists will tell us that they are the only true Catholics at this time in the Church's history. Because of that, they feel justified in trying to destroy everything and everyone whom they view as an enemy. </p><p>Now that Pope Francis has called them out and said they are the source of disunity and divisiveness in the Church, they are denying they ever believed any of the above things. </p><p>Eric Sammons, a convert (so many of the Trads are converts) who is a hard core Traditionalist, wrote an article for Crisis Magazine in which he accuses Pope Francis of giving them a serpent when they asked for a fish: "<b><a href="https://www.crisismagazine.com/2021/traditionis-custodes-serpents-over-fish" target="_blank">Traditionis custodes: Serpents over Fish</a></b>." </p><p>From Sammons' article:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>One of my first thoughts when reading the Pope’s decree was our Lord’s words, “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?” (Luke 11:11) A growing number of Catholics have been asking to be fed by the “fish” of the TLM; now the Holy Father has given them instead a serpent. <br /><br />These divine words come to mind because I think of all the people I’ve met in recent years who have discovered the traditional Latin Mass and found it to be a source of strength and comfort in their spiritual pilgrimage here on earth. They don’t reject Vatican II; they don’t think they are better than Novus Ordo Catholics; they don’t hate the pope. By and large, they don’t concern themselves with Church politics. They simply love the beauty and reverence and richness of the traditional Latin Mass—a beauty, reverence, and richness they could not find at their local parish.</b></span></blockquote><p>They don't reject Vatican II? They don't think they are better than "Novus Ordo Catholics"? (His very use of that term shows his bigotry.) They don't hate the Pope? Who does Sammons think he is kidding? Show me one Traditionalist website on the entire Internet that doesn't promote all of these things. It doesn't exist. </p><p>Sammons' wording belies his statement "They simply love the beauty and reverence and richness of the traditional Latin Mass - a beauty, reverence, and richness they could not find at their local parish." So they couldn't find this at their local parish, but they aren't rejecting anything. Yea, right.</p><p>Just a few weeks ago, on July 2, Sammons did a video with another rad trad entitled, "<a href="https://youtu.be/al1rWs7_qJc" target="_blank">Why is the Traditional Latin Mass Superior to the New Mass?</a>" He doesn't even try to make it more palatable by asking "IS the TLM Superior", but comes right out and states "WHY the TLM is Superior." This, of course, goes completely against Summorum Pontificum which says neither Mass is superior to the other.</p><p>On May 2 of this year, Sammons wrote an article claiming that the Second Vatican Council is a failed council. The article is entitled: "<b><a href="https://www.crisismagazine.com/2021/moving-beyond-vatican-ii" target="_blank">Moving Beyond Vatican II</a></b>" with a subtitle, "<i><b>How do you solve a problem like Vatican II?</b></i>"</p><p>He states that, unlike other Trads, he does not consider Vatican II to be heretical, just failed, and that Catholics must respond by "moving beyond" the Council:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span>So, how should Catholics approach Vatican II? First, to be clear, this is not a call to “reject” Vatican II or to declare it heretical. </span><span style="color: red;">It’s a call to stop being handcuffed to that council, to move beyond it. </span><span>Too often we’ve had binary debates about Vatican II: you either have to follow it slavishly (or, more precisely, follow a specific interpretation slavishly), or reject it completely. We need to put Vatican II in proper perspective—both the good and the bad—and stop seeing every problem through a Vatican II lens.</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span><span style="color: red;">Perhaps the council doesn’t have the answer to our problems; or, even more controversially, perhaps the Vatican II solution isn’t the proper solution for today.</span></b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span>Both liberal and conservative Catholics have made Vatican II into the </span><i>raison d’etre</i></b><span><b> of modern Catholicism, the lens through which the entire Faith is seen.</b> </span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">This practice has transformed the council into an albatross, shackling Catholics to failed and outdated ideas and practices. <br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catholics need not be cult members, desperately trying to save face by defending every jot and tittle of Vatican II. We can admit we have councils in our past that, in spite of good intentions, didn’t work out as hoped—or whose pastoral advice and worldview just don’t apply to us anymore. In the face of today’s (seemingly countless) problems, we should focus on those things in our Tradition that have worked and re-embrace them, for the good of the Church and the salvation of souls. </span></span></blockquote><p>Sammons is treating us like fools. He honestly wants us to think that judging the Council as irrelevant and "moving beyond" it is not the same as rejecting it. C'mon! A rose by any other name . . . or better said, condemnation by any other name. . .</p><p>It is also beyond ironic that Sammons accuses Vatican II of "shackling Catholics to failed and outdated ideas and practices." The Council is not even 60 years old, which is nothing in terms of Church age. The Trads have been condemning it since the end of the last session in 1965. They refuse to even consider that it is divinely inspired.</p><p>Next question. How does Sammons view Pope Francis? Here is an article he wrote on June 4 entitled "<a href="https://www.crisismagazine.com/2021/pope-francis-sets-his-sights-on-the-latin-mass" target="_blank">Pope Francis Sets His Sights on the Latin Mass.</a>" regarding the then rumors that Francis was going to abrogate Summorum Pontificum. </p><p>Sammons writes this:</p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><blockquote>Why would Pope Francis do this? If a CEO decided to shut down the fastest-growing division in his company, it would be a head-scratcher for sure. So why would Pope Francis look to limit the reach of what is, in terms of growth, the most successful movement in the Church today? <br /><br />The most likely answer is that he and other Vatican officials behind this move realize that the growth of TLM communities is not just about the way the Mass is celebrated. In many ways it represents a repudiation of the entire post-Vatican II project into which Church leaders up to Francis have invested so much.</blockquote></b></span>Sammons makes it abundantly clear that he sees only malicious intent on the part of Pope Francis. This is classic Catholic Traditionalism. They never consider that there is any possibility that they are doing something wrong. As I have written so many times before, Trads portray themselves as innocent victims who want nothing more than to obey and worship God. They then demonize everyone whom they consider an enemy, and no one is a bigger enemy in their messed up minds than Pope Francis and the post conciliar Church.<div><br /></div><div>Sammons ends his article with a threat that restricting the TLM will spell the end of the Church. He obviously doesn't believe Jesus Christ who said the gates of hell will never prevail:</div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>My prayer is that it never comes to that—that the pope realizes the growth of the TLM is the best thing happening in the Church today and he should do all he can to promote and encourage it. If he doesn’t, he might one day find that the only Catholics left will be those who need to turn off the lights and lock the doors, since everyone has already left the building for good.</b></span></blockquote><div>It never enters the Traditionalist mindset that being in opposition to the Pope and the 21st Century Catholic Church in a 21st Century world might put them on the wrong side of the equation, that they might be causing division and disunity and hurting the Church in very severe ways. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Some will pick up on my last statement and say, see, you think the Church should change and try to fit into the world. I am not saying that at all. The needs of our contemporary world are vastly different from the medieval world. This world bears no resemblance to the world in which the TLM came into being. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, and very importantly, the TLM is a European product. The TLM is based on a white European culture. The Church needs to relate to other cultures and other people, and the language, rubrics, architecture and even vestments just don't cut it in places like Africa and Asia. It is no coincidence that since Vatican II and the "New Mass", the Catholic Church is growing in tremendous numbers in other parts of the world while European Church is slowly devolving into negative numbers.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGqejci4M_fgB4BveO4x-bLdePyqohb7itqcGXC58vxs7c8A4JPjq7NNYg7Mb-R0M869lT3lKa7M4G3XU1tr3baGIHp13_eE7U80MmX2IvPH13DOl3PZX-QKDv42ZX5RLqnnednpYLA/s867/Catholic+population+chart.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="867" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGqejci4M_fgB4BveO4x-bLdePyqohb7itqcGXC58vxs7c8A4JPjq7NNYg7Mb-R0M869lT3lKa7M4G3XU1tr3baGIHp13_eE7U80MmX2IvPH13DOl3PZX-QKDv42ZX5RLqnnednpYLA/w400-h259/Catholic+population+chart.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nineteensixty-four.blogspot.com/2015/06/global-catholicism.html" target="_blank">Credit</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>If we listen to the Trads and try to restrict the Church's ability to reach out and relate to all cultures, all of this will end. We need to reach out to more than western European peoples. And this is exactly why Vatican II and the creation of the "Novus Ordo" was and is so very important. If we stay stuck in the Traditionalist mindset, the Catholic Church will diminish greatly in other parts of the world and will even suffer greatly here in the West, where the vast majority of Catholics have no interest in the TLM. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Traditionalists pick and choose what they like. If they like something, they pronounce it good and holy. If they don't like it, it is evil and must be destroyed. Their choices have little to do with the teachings of the Church or whether they are showing charity, compassion and mercy to others. Their decisions are mainly based on how something makes them feel. As I have previously stated, they do not worship AT the Latin Mass. They worship the Traditional Latin Mass itself. It colors everything they do, and the fruits have been disastrous.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The Traditionalists have made it very clear that they care only about themselves and their little world. They feel what is right for them is right for everyone else, and if others don't understand that, then they are just not Christian and have nothing to offer. For the Trads, it's the TLM or nothing.</div><p>The problem is not with the Traditional Latin Mass. The problem is with the Traditionalists who are using it to divide and destroy the Church. They have taken something beautiful and made it into a weapon of mass (no pun intended) destruction. </p><p>The Traditionalists gave Pope Francis no other choice than to proceed as he has done. The Pope's first loyalty is to his flock. The Trads have made it very clear they do not consider themselves to be a part of his flock. They have no one to blame but themselves for having come to this point. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3L2gtjNIJRsNZKWhFhXrReJ-Rhk00rrAMREYqJLlWMzKWuRPBJFr9EQtRAxyjtLMTP_Wqar6ASWGsYtZa9JedWP_9XayQkZ9R0aZYsWv375dGMK2g4DnRt_ywWCN-nEmpXlacSVAqQ/s900/Romans+16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3L2gtjNIJRsNZKWhFhXrReJ-Rhk00rrAMREYqJLlWMzKWuRPBJFr9EQtRAxyjtLMTP_Wqar6ASWGsYtZa9JedWP_9XayQkZ9R0aZYsWv375dGMK2g4DnRt_ywWCN-nEmpXlacSVAqQ/w400-h400/Romans+16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-88305825996288569382021-07-17T13:56:00.235-04:002021-07-24T16:12:02.762-04:00Pope Francis Takes Back The Church From Traditionalists<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTnNwbkDc9aQUxQIvTpZ-_CZwBA3r_FsM2cJ1HSpi6v2EBAah-YX7YQx7c-bUMENntlarmoLLbG_eNFkkONEbQMkaDdBWEB6UX3ZyF0_Nbye9a-aEsD7gvziDTb6pko_xQM2XjSx3xw/s1694/FRancis+quote.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1694" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTnNwbkDc9aQUxQIvTpZ-_CZwBA3r_FsM2cJ1HSpi6v2EBAah-YX7YQx7c-bUMENntlarmoLLbG_eNFkkONEbQMkaDdBWEB6UX3ZyF0_Nbye9a-aEsD7gvziDTb6pko_xQM2XjSx3xw/s600/FRancis+quote.png" width="600" /></a></div><br />Pope Francis released a Motu Proprio entitled <b><i><a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/20210716-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes.html" target="_blank">TRADITIONIS CUSTODES</a></i></b> ("Guardians of Tradition") (and <a href="https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2021/07/16/0469/01015.html?fbclid=IwAR1q7UWdO2tmek6SXMyrjRSDAsk_8uUYHeJ0UMkSvrzTcblOENgCKLcs9I4#ingL" target="_blank">accompanying letter</a>) on July 16, 2021 which has, for all intents and purposes, nuked the Traditionalist movement within the Catholic Church. Pope Francis has identified a cancer in the Church and he is taking drastic measures to excise it. <p>Pope Francis has completely abrogated Summorum Pontificum released by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007, as can be seen in the above quote. SP established two forms of the Mass: Ordinary Form (the Mass promulgated by Pope St. Paul VI in 1970) and Extraordinary Form (given to the Church by Pope St. Pius X at the time of the Reformation and revised by Pope St. John XXIII in 1962). Pope Francis has now decreed that there in only one form of the Mass. The Traditional Latin Mass is no longer considered a form of the Roman Rite: </p><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>Art. I. The liturgical books promulgated by Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II, in conformity with the decrees of Vatican Council II, are the unique expression of the<i> lex orandi</i> of the Roman Rite.</b></span></blockquote><p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>SP also gave total freedom to anyone who wished to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass anywhere, anytime. Now, all priests must obtain permission of their bishop to celebrate, and newly ordained priests from this point on must go to their bishop who then must obtain permission from the Apostolic See:<p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>Art. 4. Priests ordained after the publication of the present Motu Proprio, who wish to celebrate using the Missale Romanum of 1962, should submit a formal request to the diocesan Bishop who shall consult the Apostolic See before granting this authorization.</b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>Art. 5. Priests who already celebrate according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 should request from the diocesan Bishop the authorization to continue to enjoy this faculty.</b></span></blockquote><p>Pope Francis has now decreed that Traditional groups within a diocese will first be investigated by the bishop to ensure that they do not deny any of the teachings of the Church, specifically Vatican II, and that they recognize the authority of the Magesterium. These groups will no longer be permitted to use diocesan parishes. The bishop will designate a place to celebrate the TLM, but not in a parochial parish. Further, the bishops will determine the days on which the Mass may be celebrated and a priest will be appointed to oversee and supervise them to ensure they are properly caring for the faithful. </p><p>Lastly, along with no new Traditional parishes, no new Traditional groups will be allowed to form:</p><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>Art. 3. The bishop of the diocese in which until now there exist one or more groups that celebrate according to the Missal antecedent to the reform of 1970:<br /><br />§ 1. is to determine that these groups do not deny the validity and the legitimacy of the liturgical reform, dictated by Vatican Council II and the Magisterium of the Supreme Pontiffs;<br /><br />§ 2. is to designate one or more locations where the faithful adherents of these groups may gather for the eucharistic celebration (not however in the parochial churches and without the erection of new personal parishes);</b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><b>§ 3. to establish at the designated locations the days on which eucharistic celebrations are permitted using the Roman Missal promulgated by Saint John XXIII in 1962. In these celebrations the readings are proclaimed in the vernacular language, using translations of the Sacred Scripture approved for liturgical use by the respective Episcopal Conferences;<br /><br />§ 4. to appoint a priest who, as delegate of the bishop, is entrusted with these celebrations and with the pastoral care of these groups of the faithful. This priest should be suited for this responsibility, skilled in the use of the <i>Missale Romanum</i> antecedent to the reform of 1970, possess a knowledge of the Latin language sufficient for a thorough comprehension of the rubrics and liturgical texts, and be animated by a lively pastoral charity and by a sense of ecclesial communion. This priest should have at heart not only the correct celebration of the liturgy, but also the pastoral and spiritual care of the faithful;<br /><br />§ 5. to proceed suitably to verify that the parishes canonically erected for the benefit of these faithful are effective for their spiritual growth, and to determine whether or not to retain them;<br /><br />§ 6. to take care not to authorize the establishment of new groups.</b></span></blockquote><p>Consecrated groups such as Institute of Christ the King and Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter will now be under the authority of The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. </p><p>Pope Francis has made it clear that the eventual goal is to bring the Traditionalists into celebrating the Roman Rite as the rest of the Church does, as the Holy Father writes in the Letter to the Bishops:</p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">St. Paul VI, recalling that the work of adaptation of the Roman Missal had already been initiated by Pius XII, declared that the revision of the Roman Missal, carried out in the light of ancient liturgical sources, </span><span style="color: red;">had the goal of permitting the Church to raise up, in the variety of languages, "a single and identical prayer," that expressed her unity. This unity I intend to re-establish throughout the Church of the Roman Rite. </span></b></span> </blockquote><p>"A single and identical prayer." Pope Francis could not make his intentions any clearer. </p><div>Pope Francis knows he is in a war with the Trads. They are the ones who declared this war decades ago. Popes since then have tried to appease them, with the view that if they get their Latin Mass, they will be happy and live in peace with the rest of the Church. But they have proven that appeasing them only gives them more fuel with which to fight and divide the Church. <div><div><br /></div><div>Pope Francis sees clearly what he is up against, and he realizes how dangerous the Trads are to the unity of the Church.<p>Trads do not just worship <b><u>AT</u></b> the Latin Mass. They worship the Latin Mass itself as almost a god. Many say they returned or joined the Church after attending a Latin Mass, claiming the TLM gave them their faith. They look at the Latin Mass as the savior of not only the Church, but the entire world. They view the "Novus Ordo" Mass with scorn and contempt, seeing it as a total heresy, not even a real Mass, and most will not attend a "Novus Ordo" Mass. </p><p>Following the implementation of the 2007 Motu Proprio, the Trads, doing their thing with almost no supervision on the part of the Church, became more and more rebellious and antagonistic towards anyone who disagreed with them. They have fought any and all reforms and changes in the Church. They see mercy, such as shown towards homosexuals or divorced and remarried, as heresy. There is little doubt they would condemn Our Lord for pardoning the woman taken in the act of adultery,</p><p>They were and are convinced of their own righteousness and view anyone who disagrees with them as an avowed enemy, including, and most especially, Pope Francis. They have called for Pope Francis to be condemned as a heretic on more than one occasion. </p><p>One example of the hate and vitriol emanating from the Trads can be seen in this video from Michael Matt of The Remnant, where he tells Pope Francis, "<a href="https://catholicinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-voice-of-schism-michael-matt-to.html" target="_blank">Get The Hell Out of our Church</a>":</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="287" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X8MqteSS5qk" width="502" youtube-src-id="X8MqteSS5qk"></iframe></div><p>The Trads have been at war with the Church since Vatican II. They went into high gear at the implementation of the New Mass in 1970. We have seen many schismatics and sedevacantists, all Traditionalists, break off from the Church in the intervening decades, the most high profile being Archbishop LeFebvre and the SSPX. LeFebvre was excommunicated when he deliberately disobeyed Pope John Paul II and ordained four bishops in the SSPX. LeFebvre died in a state of excommunication. </p><p>LeFebvre is a hero among the Trads. So also is Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who called for Pope Francis' resignation in 2018. Vigano has been in hiding since then, but occasionally surfaces to call out the Pope or support Donald Trump. Trads hang on every word he says, never questioning anything that comes out of his mouth. Of course, the Trads criticize and condemn every word that comes from Pope Francis. </p><p>I speak not as one observing them from the outside. I was a Rad Trad for seven years, in complete agreement with them. I looked down my nose at the "Novus Ordo" Mass. I condemned bishops for being heretics. I looked at mainstream Catholics as barely Catholic, if at all. </p><p>As the years went on, I became more and more aware of the hate that was generated among the Trads and that I had been infected with it, and I separated from them.</p><p>Sadly, I have not regretted my decision. The more I have seen of the Trads, the more I realize how dangerous they are. Our Lord said we would know them by their fruits. The fruits of Traditionalism, are division, disunity and hate. Trads feel they are the only real Catholics, that this is their Church, and everyone who does not agree with that should leave. And of course, they especially want to get rid of Pope Francis. </p><p>From Pope Francis:<br /></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A final reason for my decision is this:</span><span style="color: red;"> ever more plain in the words and attitudes of many is the close connection between the choice of celebrations according to the liturgical books prior to Vatican Council II and the rejection of the Church and her institutions in the name of what is called the “true Church.</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">” One is dealing here with comportment that contradicts communion and nurtures the divisive tendency — “I belong to Paul; I belong instead to Apollo; I belong to Cephas; I belong to Christ” — against which the Apostle Paul so vigorously reacted.</span></b></span> </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">In defense of the unity of the Body of Christ, I am constrained to revoke the faculty granted by my Predecessors. </span><span style="color: red;">The distorted use that has been made of this faculty is contrary to the intentions that led to granting the freedom to celebrate the Mass with the Missale Romanum of 1962.</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> Because “liturgical celebrations are not private actions, but celebrations of the Church, which is the sacrament of unity”, they must be carried out in communion with the Church.</span></b></span> </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Vatican Council II, while it reaffirmed the external bonds of incorporation in the Church — the profession of faith, the sacraments, of communion — affirmed with St. Augustine that </span><span style="color: red;">to remain in the Church not only “with the body” but also “with the heart” is a condition for salvation</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">.</span></b></span></blockquote><p>If the Trads could see beyond their hate, they would tremble at the words of Pope Francis: "to remain in the Church not only 'with the body' but also 'with the heart' is a condition for salvation." Pope Francis is warning the Trads that they are playing with their eternal salvation. They could lose it all in their hubris. But their anger and hate is blinding them to everything.</p><p>No one is scarier than one who is convinced he has God is on his side. The Traditionalists will not go quietly into the night. They will continue to fight and will throw everything they have at Pope Francis and all who oppose them. This will be a terrible chapter in the history of the Church. Please pray for Pope Francis.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX1tiYnJzBbA9iq6iqE2saOW7BJSyv8ge4T3weW32CWy3Zuix6Ph8QMD_VZ5ZtyFbouj25-hqcSaEtEilJAHlbrBU6aQ6IUp6lH3qkMkRUDMpiqCP2bXVnqj20jFiQB1ylwhG2tX2kQ/s1374/St.+Catherine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1374" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX1tiYnJzBbA9iq6iqE2saOW7BJSyv8ge4T3weW32CWy3Zuix6Ph8QMD_VZ5ZtyFbouj25-hqcSaEtEilJAHlbrBU6aQ6IUp6lH3qkMkRUDMpiqCP2bXVnqj20jFiQB1ylwhG2tX2kQ/w640-h346/St.+Catherine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div></div></div>Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-89874399419008095332020-08-04T16:45:00.000-04:002020-08-04T18:03:51.675-04:00Msgr. Charles Pope: The Blind Leading the Blind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-86xDJBsRZpyg67MSbtLIgTSk2IzZTkKxcIZc3S8dgcOAblQagiAtXW_u4ntou6xdpXdeFp6kdZTDQbCxWi1_z8LozfqkdfSFwDvcRqMUvX7-q0PkXk_6cKXT2Lxkrv4dBM7Zy3dKTg/s1600/1_50E2kl39S8BRtOWXiGXPjw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-86xDJBsRZpyg67MSbtLIgTSk2IzZTkKxcIZc3S8dgcOAblQagiAtXW_u4ntou6xdpXdeFp6kdZTDQbCxWi1_z8LozfqkdfSFwDvcRqMUvX7-q0PkXk_6cKXT2Lxkrv4dBM7Zy3dKTg/s640/1_50E2kl39S8BRtOWXiGXPjw.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Msgr. Charles Pope, along with his fellow trads/conservatives, has railed against the COVID-19 restrictions, and has even condemned those who have not immediately returned to Mass of being "lukewarm Catholics."<br />
<br />
Msgr. Pope now has the opportunity to put his money where his mouth has been because he has just tested positive for COVID-19.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, although the secular news media has reported extensively on Msgr. Pope ("<a href="https://www.ncregister.com/blog/msgr-pope/coronavirus-where-is-thy-sting-why-we-must-not-be-seized-by-fear" target="_blank">A pastor who told congregants not to be afraid of the coronavirus was hospitalized with COVID-19</a>"), the only Catholic blogs I have seen report it are John Zuhlsdorf and Deacon Greg Kandra. Per usual, if the news does not fit into the radical right's version of reality - which, more often than not, does not correspond to actual reality - they just pretend it doesn't exist.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I have found it fascinating that the same conservative/trad "Catholics" who denounce the post-conciliar Church and most especially denounce the Holy Father, have almost all fought with one voice against the reality of COVID-19. However, Msgr. Pope took a little different tactic than most.<br />
<br />
He admitted the seriousness of the disease, but tells us that we must not "cower in fear". He wrote that we are all going to die - absolutely true - so if this is the way we go, so be it. He wrote this on May 6, 2020:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>[W]e have to accept the hard truth that people die. They die of many things, COVID-19 among them. The vast majority of people who get the coronavirus will survive. Some will be only mildly symptomatic, some will be severely ill, and yes, some will die. People will also keep dying every day of heart disease, cancer, from strokes, and in automobile accidents. Each of us is going to die one day, at a time and in a manner that is not of our own choosing.</b></span></blockquote>
Msgr. Pope felt the Church went too far when public Masses were canceled. He believed it would be far better to put people at physical risk of death, as <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/blog/msgr-pope/be-not-afraid" target="_blank">he wrote</a> about one week before he was diagnosed:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>In the Church, collectively speaking, we too have cowered and capitulated. We have not summoned people to trust and faith. We have hidden our teachings on the role of suffering in bringing forth holiness and future glory. We have not presented the theology of death and dying at a time when it is so needed.<br /><br />We have limited and even denied the sacraments to the faithful, conveying the silent message that physical health is more important than spiritual health. In some dioceses, churches were locked, confessions forbidden, and Holy Communion inaccessible.</b></span></blockquote>
Msgr. Pope is absolutely correct when he states that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we should not fear death. But the problem is, Charles Pope is equating going up against the virus with fighting spiritual evil. I would applaud his sentiments if it was a matter of fighting for our faith. But COVID-19 is not King Henry VIII trying to stamp out the Catholic Church. To rail and shake our fist at a deadly virus is truly an act of supreme arrogance and downright stupidity. It is right up there with jumping off the Empire State Building while shaking your fist at the law of gravity. Guess who the winners and losers are in that scenario.<br />
<br />
The problem with ignoring the seriousness of this virus is that it doesn't just put our personal lives in danger. It endangers everyone around us. We might be fine, but we could easily pass it on to others who might get seriously ill and/or die. That is about as anti-Christian as any message could be.<br />
<br />
Msgr. Pope ended his last column written before his diagnosis with the following:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>No doubt some readers will think me imprudent, irresponsible, and insensitive. I accept that. But my take is that fear is a far more serious ailment than COVID-19. Life is risky, but there is greater ruin for us if we do not accept it and live anyway. At some point we have to break out of the huddle and run the play. God will be with us.</b></span></blockquote>
Ironically, prior to his diagnosis, Msgr. Pope's Church had been completely open, offering Mass and the Sacraments. It is now completely shut, and all those who came anywhere near Msgr. Pope are quarantined, prisoners at home unable to go anywhere, and certainly not to Church.<br />
<br />
On Pope's Church website, the following picture is posted:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyK_Vti-MH6X1dr4C1yM9OdURADEX-8Q5iVoipgfvNanOWzxR8-VkpHwqnGjxzP3ituOz6sdtiiVjM4y59i48FAh9z0fm4LpDXKXSazCyMFekSzeFYwSsoW0ZeHAHO-BjfYRutkizBGA/s1600/WelcomeDoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="330" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyK_Vti-MH6X1dr4C1yM9OdURADEX-8Q5iVoipgfvNanOWzxR8-VkpHwqnGjxzP3ituOz6sdtiiVjM4y59i48FAh9z0fm4LpDXKXSazCyMFekSzeFYwSsoW0ZeHAHO-BjfYRutkizBGA/s400/WelcomeDoor.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
But this is now the reality:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcYuILZAg32VoWRIbpyH2T9wSshwYRdHsUYE7l6w3uUL8s9Kic9Gml29njPaB3-yrlmgKIQcGDKt5B0a_sE9RDzXMM0daclne5wBZ1s60qVW8vBXCpnLRh6E1qN2U2F5rTRYr494q_Q/s1600/Enlarge+closed+sign.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1226" data-original-width="1094" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcYuILZAg32VoWRIbpyH2T9wSshwYRdHsUYE7l6w3uUL8s9Kic9Gml29njPaB3-yrlmgKIQcGDKt5B0a_sE9RDzXMM0daclne5wBZ1s60qVW8vBXCpnLRh6E1qN2U2F5rTRYr494q_Q/s400/Enlarge+closed+sign.png" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Closed Sign at The Holy Comforter Saint Cyprian Catholic Church,<br />
after Pastor, Msgr. Charles Pope, was infected with COVID-19<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From an <a href="https://hcscchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/HCSC-ltr-from-DC-DOH-to-FlockNotes-2.pdf" target="_blank">official D.C. Health Directive</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>D.C. health officials are urging anyone who attended a Catholic Church on Capitol Hill to quarantine for two weeks after the church's priest tested positive for coronavirus.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>. . . </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Those who participated in communion at these services should take the following precautions:</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Separate yourself from other people (self-quarantine) as much as possible at your home for 14 days from the last time you took communion at one of these events.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Avoid leaving the house except for essential medical care.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Do not leave home to go to work or school.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Do not take public transportation (e.g., Metro buses or trains) and do not use taxis or rideshare services.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Prohibit visitors who do not have an essential need to be in the home.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The church will be professionally deep cleaned and sanitized, according to the <a href="https://hcscchurch.org/coronavirus-covid-19-update/" target="_blank">church website</a>. </b></span></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>
Why do Msgr. Charles Pope and the rest of the radical right view COVID-19 not as a killer disease but instead as a political challenge to their personal freedom? Why are they completely unable to see that COVID-19 is an equal opportunity killer and that your personal beliefs don't make one tiny bit of difference in how it attacks you? Why can't these people see that it is not just all about them, but that they are endangering other lives as well with their self-righteous indignation?<br />
<br />
I do wish the best for Msgr. Pope. I pray that he completely defeats this disease and that this experience will teach him to stop leading others off the cliff. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBrEIX2cOrdIN-sB2OgXFMknVUy-JPii_qogFmDkS_H-X0JDF2w_HpMjFp-Tb79mBJNdowgOdUPqRbWbcQhSH-8xF2G8BuAVpVOlzjwIPl58JpR0gymrSFlkGLvgjVvRWjxEO-rkvew/s1600/main-qimg-a1409940f643590432179a9b4e58612d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="602" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBrEIX2cOrdIN-sB2OgXFMknVUy-JPii_qogFmDkS_H-X0JDF2w_HpMjFp-Tb79mBJNdowgOdUPqRbWbcQhSH-8xF2G8BuAVpVOlzjwIPl58JpR0gymrSFlkGLvgjVvRWjxEO-rkvew/s320/main-qimg-a1409940f643590432179a9b4e58612d.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-86054147307041985152020-06-21T17:35:00.002-04:002020-06-25T08:00:11.250-04:00If You Are A Conservative, You Are Probably Not Christian, Part II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMhOw6iib8QUnDws4CN0mMHmoETtuMaU6_FhdBsCnxCVyqhSCKyaS6n9pwmj9OrUcD8eKCi-fSiaTJnr-I_cmRud3z9URAeC29CQzpHA41iqKLt9nac6iZ2Xn_KFDdVLmUJaZ81bdIg/s1600/Biere+quote.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1350" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMhOw6iib8QUnDws4CN0mMHmoETtuMaU6_FhdBsCnxCVyqhSCKyaS6n9pwmj9OrUcD8eKCi-fSiaTJnr-I_cmRud3z9URAeC29CQzpHA41iqKLt9nac6iZ2Xn_KFDdVLmUJaZ81bdIg/s640/Biere+quote.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
To conserve means basically to protect the status quo, to defend against change. The dictionary defines Conservative as "<i><b>holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion</b></i>." In our political world today, Conservatives vehemently oppose change and denounce any questioning of conservative traditions and authority as evil.<br />
<br />
Many American Conservatives, unlike their liberal counterparts, also self identify as Christians, meaning they claim to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. However, one has to wonder if any of these Conservative Christians have actually read the New Testament, because the Gospel stories make it very clear that if He walked the earth today, Jesus Christ, as I will show, would completely disavow all political movements and parties, including the Conservative movement.<br />
<div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Conservatives, as stated above, are very proud and protective of their world, and will vociferously fight to preserve it. They lash out with a vengeance against anyone who threatens their world. Conservatives are very political, believing that the answer to almost everything can be found in politics. They look to politicians to legislate morality and solve everything from school prayer to abortion to same sex marriage to saying Merry Christmas. They want politicians who will basically roll over their enemies and shape society into their own image.<br />
<br />
Conservatives never question the rightness of their positions. They are not the least interested in trying to relate to others who think differently because in their eyes, anyone who disagrees with them is evil and must be defeated, no matter what it takes. Although many American Conservatives claim to be Christian, they have no problem with demonizing, ridiculing and condemning those whom they consider to be enemies. I have personally been the target of their hate on more than one occasion.<br />
<br />
In contrast to modern Conservative belief, Jesus Christ made it very clear that it was not His goal to preserve any part of the world created by man. Jesus made a very clear delineation between the governments of this world and the Kingdom of God, showing there was no overlap between the two:"<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s</i></b></span>." (Mark 12:17). What belongs to Ceasar is of Ceasar, and what belongs to God is of God, with nothing in common.<br />
<br />
When Our Lord was being sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate, He said plainly, "<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place</i></b></span>." (Jn 18:36). This statement tells us that there are no answers in the political systems of this world, and therefore followers of Jesus are not a part of this world's political system.<br />
<br />
In the Book of Acts, the disciples asked, "<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?</i></b></span>" (Acts 1:6). Even after the resurrection, the disciples were still looking for a physical political system. Jesus left no doubt that this would not be the case;<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:7-8)</b></span></blockquote>
Jesus explains here that our goal as His followers is not to set up a political system but to be witnesses to the Kingdom of God, which will come from God and not from any man. In fact, a true follower of Christ is already a member of the Kingdom of God in the midst of the world:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you. </b></span></blockquote>
St. Paul expounded on this theme further in the book of Philippians:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. <span style="color: blue;">But our citizenship is in heaven.</span> And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:18-20)</b></span></blockquote>
Of course, that does not mean that Christians should not oppose injustices and evils in this world. Preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God is all about speaking out against the evil systems of this world, and showing there is a different and better way apart from man's way.<br />
<br />
Jesus Christ gave us the example of standing up to evil when He called out the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and when He overturned the tables of the money changers in the Temple. Although Our Lord rejected both worldly politics and false religious teachers, His bigger concern seemed to be with the false religious leaders. Someone claiming to speak for God is much more dangerous than a secular politician because while the politician poses a threat to your physical life as Pilate did to Jesus, a false religious leader endangers your eternal life by leading you away from the True God.<br />
<br />
Money and power are always prime motivations in man's political systems, and this is completely antithetical to the Kingdom of God. There will be no banking system in God's Kingdom. There will be no corporations whose main goals are to enrich their shareholders. There will not be the division of wealth. And there will be no borders because the world will be one.<br />
<br />
Everything in the Kingdom of God is based on love of God and love of neighbor. There is no political system in this world, including the United States, that is founded on love. Therefore, no Christian should be actively working to preserve the political systems of this world.<br />
<br />
The Kingdom of God is going to completely destroy and replace the kingdoms of this world. You cannot serve God and mammon.<br />
<br />
However, despite the fact that Christians are citizens of a system which will one day replace all of the world's kingdoms, a Christian, even while opposing the evil in the world, should never be in the role of anarchist or rebel because no government exists without the permission of God Himself:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>. . .</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.</b></span></blockquote>
Christians should always oppose evil, but like Jesus Christ, be ready to pay the price for their opposition.<br />
<br />
Maximilian Kolbe is an excellent example of a holy man living under a most unholy government. Maximilian Kolbe lived under Nazi rule, and was acutely aware of the evil that surrounded him. He peacefully worked against the Nazi regime through his monastery founded near Warsaw that included housing, seminar space, workshops, a printing and publishing house, and its own broadcaster. He also used his monastery to hide 2,000 to 3,000 Polish refugees from the Nazis. Most of those hiding in the monastery were Jews.<br />
<br />
Of course, Maximilian Kolbe is best known for offering his life in Auschwitz to save a Jewish prisoner.<br />
<br />
St. Maximilian Kolbe did not identify either as a Conservative or a Liberal, but as one who opposed evil. He was not trying to take Germany and Poland back to another time or to maintain the status quo, but to defeat evil in the present time, and he did not do this through politics but by preaching the Kingdom of God.<br />
<br />
St. Maximilian Kolbe wrote firmly against Communism and Freemasonry and rightfully so because these systems are inherently anti Christian. He opposed evil, and he did so in a totally apolitical way. Everything he did was based on love of God and love of neighbor. St. Maximilian Kolbe loved his country, but this did not blind him to the evils which existed at that time, and it was these evils that he fought against.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2012/oct/10/maximilian-kolbe-sainthood-meaningful" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> stated it very well:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>At Father Maximilian's canonisation, Pope John Paul II said: "Maximilian did not die but gave his life … for his brother." In that death, terrible from the human point of view, there was the whole definitive greatness of the human act and of the human choice. He spontaneously offered himself up to death out of love. He went to Japan not because it would benefit himself in any way at all but because he believed, rightly or wrongly, that proclaiming the good news about Jesus and about the devotion to Mary Immaculate (the great love of Maximilian's life) would be of immense service to the Japanese people. He and his colleagues offered shelter to Polish Jews not because this would bring some benefit, on earth or in heaven, to the Franciscans but because it was the right thing to do. And he offered himself in exchange for a married man and a father because dying for love that life may be more abundant is the Christian way.</b></span></blockquote>
American Conservatives believe in "My country, right or wrong." Conservatives are the ones who coined the phrase, "America, love it or leave it." Conservatives love authoritarianism and "law and order" because that is how the status quo is maintained. Conservatives never question the military or the police because of the strong unyielding authority these organizations represent. Conservatives love guns because guns keep people in their place.<br />
<br />
Conservatives refuse to believe anything that might change their world. They refuse to accept climate change because it means they have to change their life style. They refuse to accept the danger of COVID-19 because it means changing their lives, even temporarily, for the good of others. My "good friend", Mary Ann Kreitzer, displayed this thinking in a recent post on her blog. It was a "guest post" but of course, Mary Ann would not print it if she didn't agree. She only prints posts and comments with which she agrees.<br />
<br />
The post is entitled, "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2020/06/guest-post-face-mask-delusion-unmasked.html#more" target="_blank">The Face Mask Delusion Unmasked</a>." The author of this post actually makes the argument that face masks <i style="font-weight: bold;">increase</i> the risk of COVID-19. The seriously deluded author would have us believe that governments use COVID-19 as a political weapon and are telling people to wear masks so that the virus will spread much easier:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>It is no secret that the COVID-19 scare was politically motivated to empower government elites and restrict our liberties. Many state "authorities" have been spreading COVID-19 under the guise of preventing it.</b></span></blockquote>
COVID-19 has been responsible for almost completely destroying world economies and killing hundreds of thousands of people, and we have only just begun. Yet, this author thinks the real reason for COVD-19 is to "<b><i>restrict our liberties</i></b>." Wow. Conservatives always make everything about themselves.<br />
<br />
The author does admit that face masks help heath care workers but<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The reason face masks are effective in protecting doctors and nurses from infectious disease is because they use the right kind and they are properly trained on how to use and dispose of them, but by impulsively wearing the same germ-saturated mask 12-hours a day, people are doing themselves more harm than good.</b></span></blockquote>
This truly ignorant author attacks his enemies - those who threaten his world - as follows:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The reason global elites have needlessly maintained a sense of urgency over COVID-19 is to "justify" their continued lockdown of society and church. How often have we heard foreboding threats from people like Bill Gates or governors Cuomo and Newsom that 'stage-two of the "pandemic" is on the way and we better get ready for another 18 months of lockdown.' This is nothing more than socialist mind-manipulation through fear—the same fear that has driven people to the local Walmart to get their face masks.<br /><br />The mere fact that the infamous World Health Organization has stressed the wearing of face masks is every reason not to wear them. The WHO is all about murder and crime (esp. abortion) under the guise of health, which is why President Trump finally broke it clean with them.</b></span> </blockquote>
Do you notice that the real reason the author rejects face masks is because it inconveniences him, and so he tries to make it as a conspiracy to control and eventually kill him.<br />
<br />
The author then says we shouldn't wear face masks because they are ugly and concludes by blaming Muslims:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The foregoing is not to mention that face masks look hideous and bandit like. Wearing face masks give society the image of being Jihad like and could give Jihads a chance to camouflage themselves when committing their crimes.</b></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
The author truly doesn't realize how transparent he is. He completely ignores all the science behind face masks and uses emotionally charged arguments that face masks are nothing more than a method to control him, which he firmly rejects. He is so blind that he willingly puts himself and everyone else who listens to him at great risk just to preserve his world. Ironically, his refusal to change could very well lead to the total destruction of his world from which there is no return.<br />
<br />
The author of that unbelievably stupid post rejects face masks because he doesn't want to be manipulated, and yet Conservatives are the most easily manipulated group in our society.<br />
<br />
If a politician so much as gives lip service to the demands of the Conservatives, they will support that politician in every way possible. We have seen this in their support of Donald Trump. Trump's entire life has been all about amassing money and power. He has rolled over people and caused much suffering in his business dealings. He bought buildings here in New York and made living conditions completely intolerable for the residents of the buildings, forcing them to move out. He built a casino in New Jersey, which was a total financial disaster and financially devastated those who invested with him. He created a completely phony "university" which conned thousands of people into giving him money for basically nothing.<br />
<br />
He is a known womanizer, having been married three times, engaged in multiple affairs and has been credibly accused of sexual assault. For most of his life he supported the <a href="https://qz.com/1623437/trump-shifted-from-pro-choice-to-pro-life-as-he-planned-a-presidential-run/" target="_blank">right to abortion</a>, but miraculously changed his public opinion when he ran for president in 2016. He is crass, crude and profane. Donald Trump is the personification of the evils of capitalism.<br />
<br />
But Donald Trump was smart enough to appeal to the Conservatives, knowing that if he said the right words, "I am pro life", they would do anything for him. As <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/01/23/trump_i_could_stand_in_the_middle_of_fifth_avenue_and_shoot_somebody_and_i_wouldnt_lose_any_voters.html" target="_blank">Trump said</a>, "<b><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know what else they say about my people? The polls, they say I have the most loyal people. Did you ever see that? Where I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters, okay? It’s like incredible</span></i></b>," This is one time Trump told the absolute truth.<br />
<br />
The reason Conservatives are so easily taken in by a con man like Donald Trump is because their self righteous views completely blind them to everything else. As much as they would like to think otherwise, their views are not based on love of God and love of neighbor, but on love of the world. They like the world and they don't want it to change. If a politician or any leader promises to keep the status quo, the Conservatives are all in.<br />
<br />
Conservatives really are no different from the liberals whom they view as their enemies. Both sides are equally invested in the politics of this world. They are merely opposite sides of the same coin. As quoted from Ambrose Bierce above, Conservatives want the existing evils, and liberals want to replace them with different evils.<br />
<br />
A true follower of Jesus Christ will not fit into either the Conservative or the Liberal camps.<br />
<br />
Jesus Christ cared nothing about maintaining the status quo of society. In fact, His mission was to give the world an entirely new philosophy and an entirely new way to live. In John 13:34, Our Lord told us, "<b><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another</span></i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">.</span>"<br />
<br />
And how did Jesus love humanity? He literally died for us so that we might be saved. As recorded in John 15:13, Our Lord explained just how far this new command goes: "<b><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends</span></i></b>." Conservatives won't even put on a face mask for their neighbors, much less lay down their lives.<br />
<br />
As St. Paul told us, Jesus did not wait for us to accept Him before dying. In fact, the entire world had rejected Him and still He gave His Precious Life on the cross so that we, completely undeserving of anything but death, might live.<br />
<br />
Romans 5:8:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.</b></span></blockquote>
Conservative Christians do not want to die for their enemies. They want to destroy them.<br />
<br />
Jesus said He did not come to judge anyone but to save them: "<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world</i></b></span>." (John 12:47). Conservative Christians say they want to "save" the world, but they confuse "saving" the world with judging and condemning. The Conservatives always paint themselves as victims of their opponents, which they use to justify their condemnation of those who oppose them.<br />
<br />
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave a series of "You have heard . . . but I tell you" about such topics as anger, lust, marriage. In direct contrast to today's Conservatives, who view everyone who opposes them as an enemy to be crushed, Our Lord gave the following "You have heard. . . but I tell you":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (Mt 5:43-47)</b></span></blockquote>
Jesus' message to His followers was that, even as they lived in the world, they were to be completely separate from it as He Himself was: "<b><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They do not belong to this world any more than I do</span></i></b>." (John 17:16).<br />
<br />
Instead of trying to work through politics, Our Lord went directly to the people. He never judged others, as He told us, "<b><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him</span></i></b>." (John 3:17). He reached out to people and offered them acceptance, as He quoted from the Book of Isaiah in one of the first messages of His public ministry:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him.”</b></span></blockquote>
Conservatives do not seem the least interested in "healing the brokenhearted." They are strongly against social programs that help the poor. They have no problem with social programs such as social security, Medicare and unemployment because they benefit from these programs. But they hate programs that benefit the poorest of our society such as welfare, food stamps and national medical care.<br />
<br />
Conservatives fight passionately against allowing refugees and others into our country who are fleeing from oppression and wars. We have even seen them callously and heartlessly separate children from their parents in their quest to rid the nation of refugees, all the while maintaining they are pro family.<br />
<br />
Conservatives seem to forget the message of Jesus Christ:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Whatsoever you do to the least of these my brethren, you do to me. (Mt. 25:40)</b></span></blockquote>
<div>
<div>
Jesus Christ's entire life was about resisting human traditions and changing the world. Our Lord surrounded Himself with the rejects and dregs of society: the sinners, prostitutes, uneducated, the sick and infirmed. He gravitated to the lowly of society while warning His followers that they would be in conflict with the powerful of this world. In fact, Jesus warned that the world will always reject those who follow Him:</div>
</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 <span style="color: blue;">You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved</span></b></span></blockquote>
</div>
<div>
If you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ, both Conservatives and Liberals will hate and reject you. Why? Simply because even though they may not be able to put it into words, your life will convict them, just as Jesus Christ did to the people in His time. Your weapon is not hate, as they use, but love. You reject sin, but you never, never reject the sinner.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS6-3BPtYfvffpSG3KagEfm0-KEHp1tN5Mso-iTUS9Hy9TZ9TNHGsbxhWbc2u22bn7snIqc9M_obymPmgCVSQMpWz80lmMo-wzVuygfkTa_9-ioIPiVNhAPW5IvvhmPvcZSaMJTYMFA/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="195" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS6-3BPtYfvffpSG3KagEfm0-KEHp1tN5Mso-iTUS9Hy9TZ9TNHGsbxhWbc2u22bn7snIqc9M_obymPmgCVSQMpWz80lmMo-wzVuygfkTa_9-ioIPiVNhAPW5IvvhmPvcZSaMJTYMFA/s400/images.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://steemit.com/mother/@info4all/7r2rux-mother-teresa" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Conservatives will be the first to tell you that they are guided by the principles of the Bible, but I feel I have seen mostly anger, bitterness, name calling, accusations and complete intolerance. I never see love and acceptance. It is a rare thing to see the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - when interacting with them. I speak from first hand experience as well as listening to them and reading their blogs and websites.<br />
<div>
<br />
As Christians, it is vital that we separate ourselves from the world now, so that Jesus Christ does not separate from us when He returns.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNoST_ZXoftXvpW0EFnQ2Eotv1MEMrxHWZlgyUSQW1if9jEIySmGGT9u6ygPy-5S6EQiTlLSpY1MIVaKwxhSPqSskUHCEwRn2IQKo9VktenZj7WjojbP2R_nPuhdItt6nKomeqQ1guA/s1600/a2f888de05237ac87ecb7cbe8b2507a5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="567" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNoST_ZXoftXvpW0EFnQ2Eotv1MEMrxHWZlgyUSQW1if9jEIySmGGT9u6ygPy-5S6EQiTlLSpY1MIVaKwxhSPqSskUHCEwRn2IQKo9VktenZj7WjojbP2R_nPuhdItt6nKomeqQ1guA/s640/a2f888de05237ac87ecb7cbe8b2507a5.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/662240320178417844/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-35319209816187206022020-06-07T18:15:00.000-04:002020-06-08T07:55:13.119-04:00The Murder of George Floyd Reveals A System Evil To Its Core<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5t7XDFQCW4rK_QFe8wYzicQ2TDFNqF48ofi2Z1_UobrBA3u2mFprc5xw2_d2LlDfDi_WrXBIE5LBDaC1p19otWjK-WHqa3zZMcM-90qMqh_ukKK7ZZmVznzzf36jHX3KcbJMzAPjyQ/s620/The-American-Story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5t7XDFQCW4rK_QFe8wYzicQ2TDFNqF48ofi2Z1_UobrBA3u2mFprc5xw2_d2LlDfDi_WrXBIE5LBDaC1p19otWjK-WHqa3zZMcM-90qMqh_ukKK7ZZmVznzzf36jHX3KcbJMzAPjyQ/w640-h426/The-American-Story.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We are living in completely unprecedented times. Never have we witnessed worldwide protests to a single event as we have seen with the George Floyd murder. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am old enough to remember the civil rights struggles and race riots of the 1960s along with the anti-war protests. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I remember 1968 when it seemed riots were happening somewhere in America for almost the entire summer. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I remember the beating of Rodney King, the subsequent trial and acquittal of the officers involved in that beating and the tension felt around the nation while we watched Los Angeles burn. We have all seen the horrific videos in recent years of unarmed black men and women dying at the hands of police. And there have been protests against many of these killings. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
But never, never, never have I seen such a widespread and unified response not only in the United States but around the world as we have witnessed in reaction to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. As I write this, we have seen almost two straight weeks of protest in the United States, even in the face of a pandemic, with no signs of stopping. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What is different?</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div>
I need to say upfront that I have not watched the entire video of George Floyd's murder. I have watched clips which have reduced me to uncontrolled tears. I cannot handle even the thought of watching the entire 9 minutes of this snuff video, for that is what it truly is.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have watched entire videos of other police killings, and while I have always been deeply disturbed by them, they did not produce the absolute revulsion I experienced with the George Floyd killing, and it seems that is true for everyone else as well. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The difference in the Floyd video is the calm, deliberate nature of the killing. In other videos, most were by gun, over in a matter of a minute or less. I do not agree with the acquittals of these cops, but I understand that when something happens this quickly, it could be more a matter of reaction than deliberate thought. The reason I disagree with cops using this defense is they are trained to handle these situations and should be able to control themselves better than untrained civilians. Cops need to be held to a higher standard.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The cops in the George Floyd killing were not in any danger at any time whatsoever from Mr. Floyd. Videos show he was compliant when they first approached him, took him out of his car and sat him on the ground. Witnesses, including the store clerk who called 911, said Mr. Floyd never resisted the cops. Police reports, contrary to all the available video evidence, say Mr. Floyd resisted when they attempted to put him in the car after handcuffing him. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Mr. Floyd did not have any weapon on him and never showed any violent tendencies whatsoever during the arrest.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yet three cops pinned him to the ground, completely immobilizing him. One cop held Mr. Floyd's legs, another pressed on his back, and the killer cop, Derek Chauvin, unrelentingly pressed his knee into Mr. Floyd's neck. Mr. Floyd started begging for his life, saying he couldn't breathe multiple times. One bystander said Mr. Floyd started bleeding through his nose, and still the cops continued to hold him down. At one point Mr. Floyd said they were going to kill him. He actually called out for his dead mother shortly before he completely stopped breathing. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Twice one of the other officers suggested rolling Mr. Floyd over to allow him to breathe, and Chauvin refused. At a certain point, one of the cops reported he could not find a pulse from Mr. Floyd, which was ignored by Chauvin. Chauvin continued to press his knee into his victim's neck for almost 3 minutes after he died, and even kept his knee there for one minute after the paramedics arrived. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This was not a matter of a gun shot where a bullet killed someone before anyone barely had time to react. Chauvin and the other cops were physically holding their victim. There can be almost no question that they felt his body go limp and lifeless as he pleaded for his life, and still they did not let him go. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
These cops cannot claim self defense. They cannot claim they were trying to restrain a violent offender. The video shows without any question that these Minneapolis cops coldly and deliberately murdered a completely immobilized and defenseless man. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWxwi8MNahvOcl6u01-nnJxc-FEx3b9Clvlxk3mrUQK4YQF0cVpTMj-zXIb_auaMXQzwquTpFlg-AffBoU7_aEC29w9FEMLf1ymEwHmqgM93r1rGkuHZCTckrDDpgAKNa8rFAln-pag/s1600/large+police+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="1004" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWxwi8MNahvOcl6u01-nnJxc-FEx3b9Clvlxk3mrUQK4YQF0cVpTMj-zXIb_auaMXQzwquTpFlg-AffBoU7_aEC29w9FEMLf1ymEwHmqgM93r1rGkuHZCTckrDDpgAKNa8rFAln-pag/s640/large+police+car.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On the side of Minneapolis police cars are words proclaiming, "To Protect With Courage, To Serve With Compassion." If I had any authority, I would demand that these slogans immediately be removed from all of their police cars. We did not see any courage or compassion with George Floyd, only a cowardly, merciless murder.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
These men were so emboldened and unafraid of the consequences of their actions that they felt they could literally get away with murder in broad daylight with bystanders watching. One can only wonder what they do when there are no witnesses. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We all know that if there had been no video, no one would have ever known how George Floyd really died. Any statements from bystanders would have been ignored. George Floyd's previous arrest record would have been shown as proof that he was a violent man who had to be restrained (as <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/02/george-floyd-had-violent-criminal-history-minneapolis-union-chief/" target="_blank">some have tried to do</a> even with the video). The police would have filed their report saying a known violent criminal resisted arrest, that he had drugs in his system, and that the "necessary actions" of the police played at most a small and unavoidable part in his death. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In fact, the first autopsy report filed by the Medical Examiner said just that according to the original <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6933328-27-CR-20-12646-Complaint.html#document/p2" target="_blank">Complaint</a> filed against Chauvin, telling us we should not believe what we saw with our own eyes:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">The autopsy revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation</span>. Mr. Floyd had underlying health conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.</b></span></blockquote>
It was only after the Floyd family did an independent autopsy which stated that the cause of death was homicide that the Medical Examiner changed their findings to also reflect homicide as the cause of death.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The world watched George Floyd mercilessly murdered by those charged with protecting him, and it tore the rose colored glasses off our faces and forced us to face the reality that we live in an evil system. We have to come to terms with the fact that we cannot trust the authorities empowered with protecting us. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
George Floyd's killing told us that all of their nice words not withstanding, the life of the common man means nothing to the elite. They truly do not care whether we live or die. They say nice things like "To Protect With Courage, To Serve With Compassion", but their actions tell us that in their eyes, we are as expendable as a cockroach. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This revelation is no surprise to true followers of Jesus Christ. Way back in the time of ancient Israel, Our Lord warned them that a human king would only lead to oppression (I Sam 8:11-15):</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>11 “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and <span style="color: blue;">you yourselves will become his slaves</span>. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”</b></span></blockquote>
Jesus told His followers in Matthew 20:25:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them</b></span></blockquote>
Our world has rejected God and His Law of Love, and that most especially applies to those who run the world. The world is run by those who are motivated almost solely by greed and power. That is because this world of man belongs to Satan. Our Lord confirmed that fact when Satan took him to a high mountain and offered Jesus the whole world if Our Lord would bow down to him.<br />
<br />
Luke 4:5:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”</b></span></blockquote>
Jesus did not dispute the veracity of Satan's statement that the kingdoms of this world belong to him. Our Lord's only reply was:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>“It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”</b></span></blockquote>
As Christians, we must recognize the evil system in which we reside but at the same time, live as peaceably as possible. It is not our job to overthrow governments, as Our Lord told Pontius Pilate as He was sentenced to death.<br />
<br />
John 18:36:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"My kingdom is not of this world," said Jesus. "If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here."</b></span></blockquote>
Our world was set on its present course when our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God and followed Satan's direction. As they were warned by God at the time, "In the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die." And the world has been in the stages of dying ever since.<br />
<br />
Now, in the 21st Century, it all seems to be coming together at once. I am no doomsday prophet. But I can only repeat what secular scientists, historians and others tell us.<br />
<br />
Our world is in a dire ecological emergency. Climate change is upsetting conditions all over the world. The <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/how-melting-permafrost-is-beginning-to-transform-the-arctic" target="_blank">Arctic permafrost is melting</a>, which releases more greenhouse gases causing more melting, etc. etc.:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The frozen layer of soil that has underlain the Arctic tundra for millennia is now starting to thaw. This thawing, which could release vast amounts of greenhouse gases, is already changing the Arctic landscape by causing landslides, draining lakes, and altering vegetation.</b></span></blockquote>
Melting permafrost means a rise in the oceans which <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/frozenground/climate.html#:~:text=When%20permafrost%20thaws%2C%20the%20ice,(1%20to%204%20inches)." target="_blank">could destroy coastal cities around the world</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>When permafrost thaws, the ice frozen in the soil becomes liquid water. Some water remains and forms ponds. However, some flows to rivers and oceans. If all the permafrost in the world thawed, it could release enough water to raise global sea levels by 3 to 10 centimeters (1 to 4 inches). This might not seem like very much water. But it is enough water that cities along coastlines might have to build walls to keep the sea out, or people might have to move to higher ground.</b></span></blockquote>
We are destroying natural forests and habitats around the globe, most notably the Amazon rainforests, which will affect all parts of the world:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding, increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and a host of problems for indigenous people.</b></span> </blockquote>
Our world and oceans in particular are drowning in plastics, which is killing everything:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The amount of plastic humans <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/as-plastics-foul-the-worlds-oceans-world-leaders-struggle-over-how-to-respond/2019/07/18/66b88f1c-9da2-11e9-a1fc-7337aeb9179e_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_2" target="_blank">dump</a> in the oceans is staggering. One <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/20/by-2050-there-will-be-more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-worlds-oceans-study-says/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2" target="_blank">study</a> predicts that by 2050, there will be, by weight, more plastic in the oceans than fish.</b></span></blockquote>
Of course, now that we are dealing with COVID 19, we have become keenly aware of the dangers of pandemics, which the experts say will be happening on a regular basis as we destroy habitats and come in contact animals that spread these diseases.<br />
<br />
These are just some of the ecological disasters affecting the world, all at the same time. We can also talk about the wars in the world. As of 2017, there were more than 40 different conflicts in the world. The US is involved, to one extent or another, with many of them.<br />
<br />
It is never talked about anymore, but there is still the potential of nuclear war.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">From Business Insider:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The report found that 13,865 warheads in existence at the start of 2019 were owned by nine nations: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea.</b></span></blockquote>
We also have a problem with disposing of nuclear waste from the 400 nuclear power plants in the world, and the potential of more Chernobyls and Fukushimas.<br />
<br />
Corporate farming is destroying land and giving us food with no nutrition.<br />
<br />
Our people are being destroyed spiritually and mentally with such evils as pornography and violent video games. Evils such as child abuse and human trafficking are direct results of pornography.<br />
<br />
The list of evils in our world goes on and on. And now it can no longer be denied by anyone that we cannot trust those in authority. As Lord told us, we must be wise as serpents even while we are harmless as doves.<br />
<br />
Our world is doomed to failure. I admire those who are rising up and trying to stop it. But protests, no matter how well-intentioned, will not stop the destruction of our world. There is only one answer: repentance of our evil and acceptance of God's Mercy, as St. Faustina told us in her diary: <b>Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to my mercy. </b>(Diary 300)<br />
<br />
Even as we must admit that the world is falling off the cliff and there doesn't seem to be anything that will stop it, that does not entitle us as followers of Christ to just sit back and do nothing. The saints throughout the ages have shown us that whenever an opportunity shows itself, we must be there for others.<br />
<br />
We must always allow Jesus Christ to work within us, spreading his Gospel of love and forgiveness as much as we are able through our actions and words. Our Lord made it clear that He never intended for us to just hide away. As Jesus prayed to his Father, we must be in the world, doing His Will, but still not be part of the world:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. (John 17:14-18)</b></span></blockquote>
I think the reason the terrible murder of George Floyd resonated with the world is because we all see ourselves in him. We all feel as helpless as he was, pinned down by evil, unable to move while our life is being choked out of us.<br />
<br />
Even as we cannot deny the evils in the world and our more and more perilous existence, at the same time we as followers of Christ can rejoice because we know He has already won. He has defeated sin and death. Yes, we are seeing a dying world play out, and we mourn deeply for the pain and suffering that is being endured by so many.<br />
<br />
But we must remember that the war has already been won. As Revelation 21:4 tells us, the day will soon come when "<b><i>He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away</i></b>."<b><i><br /></i></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18IoP-DXJgNjoDpmWQlQIAso6hXoAA-4MIeEP_0AYH0KcNcx25LkVRPHno7yjpnpBbXAiivokmRe3hFZFQo9jGqS7SnNimkE0KBOGoHXvxPanyapebiuwc6Vg0AO3VN-n8RNaL3bdmQ/s1600/no+peace.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="1022" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18IoP-DXJgNjoDpmWQlQIAso6hXoAA-4MIeEP_0AYH0KcNcx25LkVRPHno7yjpnpBbXAiivokmRe3hFZFQo9jGqS7SnNimkE0KBOGoHXvxPanyapebiuwc6Vg0AO3VN-n8RNaL3bdmQ/s640/no+peace.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-43371402477044453632020-05-25T16:09:00.000-04:002020-05-25T16:09:38.375-04:00If You Are A Conservative, You Probably Aren't Christian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFH9IJxkcGYTZqIxa9lxQHCzsSQtp9lCIoslrpsgVmvzN7mrKVQkPjQKi1KM1ra18hI1sZHY-nsOcBsr4DlI6Bd4IBwQ98qbWOV05oKlA03nSD7UYW8I4BfMMGAVQkOAAzbJf9hfnDA/s1600/chesterton+quote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="1169" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFH9IJxkcGYTZqIxa9lxQHCzsSQtp9lCIoslrpsgVmvzN7mrKVQkPjQKi1KM1ra18hI1sZHY-nsOcBsr4DlI6Bd4IBwQ98qbWOV05oKlA03nSD7UYW8I4BfMMGAVQkOAAzbJf9hfnDA/s640/chesterton+quote.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The dictionary definition of a conservative is: "<b><i>a person who is averse to change and holds to traditional values and attitudes, typically in relation to politics</i></b>."<br />
<br />
A conservative is someone who wants to preserve the status quo. New or innovative ways and beliefs are evil and must be resisted. Conservatives live their lives by looking in the rear view mirror. A Conservative's goal in life is to preserve his way of life at all costs, no matter the effect upon others.<br />
<br />
Conservatives never doubt themselves or their beliefs. They know they are on the side of everything good and sacred and therefore, anyone who disagrees with them is not only wrong but evil. Since they "know" their opponents are evil, they have no problem doing whatever is necessary to silence dissenting voices.<br />
<br />
In religious circles, conservatives are called fundamentalists. Fundamentalists are motivated by the belief that they have a direct line to God, and therefore to disagree with them is to disagree with God Himself. And because they are so close to God, they believe they have not only a right but a <b><i>duty</i></b> to resist and fight against their enemies.<br />
<br />
Conservatives view their world with rose colored glasses. They see everything in their world as perfect, in no need of change or correction. The only correction that needs to be made is to those who disagree. As GK Chesterton said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected.</b></span></blockquote>
Conservatives also live their lives in fear and anger. They are fearful of anyone and anything that challenges their world. Because of their inability to do any introspective thinking, they lash out with hatred and scorn at those who threaten to upset their worlds.<br />
<br />
Nothing has made this more apparent than the reaction of conservatives to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of reacting to the great suffering and death caused by this pandemic with compassion and empathy, we have seen only anger and hate. But it is not the disease that has upset them. Conservatives don't blame the disease, which many claim is a hoax. They blame those trying to control the disease.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJ1ns3t3WCANAvb3Oe2NqaHk1TZFsxBwK0qctciktjuUzeYnj7tdS_GCBVseTtUhNEvSCtlCs3VWTcC4qWWb6XElLEgpFf4Bz3WUZ6Cet1O1-fGOQKU3iHCzdOvbLAyS4ALCEGiJGhA/s1600/0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="768" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJ1ns3t3WCANAvb3Oe2NqaHk1TZFsxBwK0qctciktjuUzeYnj7tdS_GCBVseTtUhNEvSCtlCs3VWTcC4qWWb6XElLEgpFf4Bz3WUZ6Cet1O1-fGOQKU3iHCzdOvbLAyS4ALCEGiJGhA/s400/0010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>In a matter of less than six months, we have seen <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/">5,466,689 confirmed cases</a> and <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/">345,600 confirmed deaths</a> worldwide. In the United States, as of this writing, there are <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/">1,677,870 confirmed cases and 99,057 confirmed deaths</a>. And we are just getting started. Click the links to get the up-to-date figures when you read this. These statistics are changing almost every minute.<br />
<br />
COVID-19, as these statistics show, is extremely contagious and deadly. It is easily passed from person to person. Yet the conservatives tell us that "the cure is worse than the disease." In their distorted view, the lockdown is not about protecting people from a deadly disease. Conservatives believe the only reason for the lockdown is to take away of their liberties. Conservatives tend to make everything about themselves.<br />
<br />
The Conservatives, using anecdotal evidence, blame the lockdown for harming people in many different ways - domestic abuse, drug abuse, excessive drinking, suicides. <br />
<br />
But is it the lockdown that is causing these things, or is COVID-19 merely revealing the number of mentally and emotionally unstable people in our society? Would a normally functioning person suddenly start acting completely out of character and become violent towards his or her family, start drinking or taking drugs or commit suicide due to unexpected stress?<br />
<br />
From an article by The American Psychological Association dated May 18, 2020 and entitled "<a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/06/covid-suicide" target="_blank">COVID-19 and Suicide</a>":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>But it will be a while before COVID-19’s actual impact on the nation’s suicide rate is known, says psychologist Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD, vice president of research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “<span style="color: red;">We’re two years away from having data</span>,” she says. And it’s not a given that the pandemic will cause suicide rates to increase, emphasizes Harkavy-Friedman, who is also an associate professor of clinical psychology, in psychiatry, at Columbia University.</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>“One event can bring stress, but it’s not going to make someone suicidal out of the blue,” she says, explaining that it is typically a combination of biological, psychological, environmental and other factors that renders people vulnerable to suicide. Take the Great Recession of 2008, she points out. “About 4.8 million people lost their jobs, and the suicide rate didn’t skyrocket,” she says. “We’re much more resilient than we give people credit for.”</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Plus, she says, the media and the mental health field have done a good job getting out the message that stress is a normal reaction to the current crisis and that routines, healthy habits, social connections and relaxation techniques can help ease that stress.</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>For some, the fight against the virus may even result in a sense of solidarity that protects them from thoughts of suicide. “Sometimes in periods of stress, people find strengths in themselves they didn’t know they had,” says Joan Asarnow, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. “In World War II, for example, they were anticipating all kinds of problems during the Blitz, but it turned out people for the most part didn’t have any additional mental health symptoms.”</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>And for some populations, being stuck at home may even be a plus. Children, for example, are being more closely monitored by their parents, which can help prevent suicide. “We’ve actually seen quite a number of kids doing well without school and at home with their parents,” says Asarnow. “It’s not always a negative story.”</b></span></blockquote>
There can be no doubt that the enormity of the disease with the added impact of a suddenly bad economy is putting tremendous stress on people and causing many who were already unstable to act out. But again, is the lockdown <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">causing</u> this or merely <b><i><u>revealing</u></i></b> problems that were already present?<br />
<br />
Are the Conservatives right? Would it really be better if we had just let the disease run its course? As of this writing, we have nearly 100,000 confirmed deaths in the United States with the lockdown. How many deaths would we have if we had carried on with business as usual? <br />
<br />
There are studies that say if we had locked down just one week prior, we would have saved tens of thousands of lives:<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200521/lockdown-1-week-earlier-would-have-saved-36k-lives#1" target="_blank">WebMD </a>dated May 21, 2020:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Nearly 36,000 American lives would have been spared if strict social distancing measures had been enacted across the country just one week earlier than they were, new estimates suggest.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>And if those measures had been imposed two weeks before most people started staying home, about 54,000 COVID-19 deaths would have been avoided by early May, Columbia University disease models show, The New York Times reported. The U.S. coronavirus death toll stretched past 93,000 on Thursday, with more than 1.5 million cases.</b></span></blockquote>
And if we had locked down earlier, we would most likely have gotten the disease under control much earlier. We have heard the story that South Korea had their first case the same day as the United States. Unlike the United States, South Korea immediately took action, doing massive testing, contact tracing and quarantines. The result: as of this writing, South Korea has <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-korea/" target="_blank">11,190 cases and 260 deaths</a>. And of the 11,190 cases, 10,213 have recovered. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here are charts showing the dramatic difference in the rate of new cases in South Korea as compared to the United States. Notice that the South Korean cases are measured in the 100's, while US cases are measured in the tens of thousands:<br />
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcNV5G4wx3hBhpdI0o0T_AdJqfJAVF1CCKh3Jp62cJ6_w5AnIPUsKGHCTtdawQkbPsea5cbqNp30uY89Bhy-_YcEqD3hIeVAVT_gI6bMP8KmI6kHss07AYT_rcLPNQpKUSbpq6YqZWw/s1600/south+korea+cases.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1163" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcNV5G4wx3hBhpdI0o0T_AdJqfJAVF1CCKh3Jp62cJ6_w5AnIPUsKGHCTtdawQkbPsea5cbqNp30uY89Bhy-_YcEqD3hIeVAVT_gI6bMP8KmI6kHss07AYT_rcLPNQpKUSbpq6YqZWw/s640/south+korea+cases.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5-UzLModeqFecYetWAcL3RstcZtrurH3sXND5XdwA_wGiV6CLWb2SZFc8sh4-skp46dQVTro8rvnMpQTBIo0gEffGZr29jHYRGNNSOd0TOK8_yx6fTcuvKpnDxuz0VRdzAYN0BmO5A/s1600/US+cases.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="1130" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5-UzLModeqFecYetWAcL3RstcZtrurH3sXND5XdwA_wGiV6CLWb2SZFc8sh4-skp46dQVTro8rvnMpQTBIo0gEffGZr29jHYRGNNSOd0TOK8_yx6fTcuvKpnDxuz0VRdzAYN0BmO5A/s640/US+cases.png" width="640" /></a></div>
In March, New York had the majority of all US infections and deaths. New York at one time was the epicenter in the entire world. To combat the disease, New York did a statewide lockdown. All businesses, schools and churches were closed with the exception of essential businesses. As a result, New York is now leading the way in the United States for decreased number of cases and deaths. <br />
In fact, if you take New York out of the US cases, the United States rate of infections looks much worse. New York numbers are actually helping the rest of the United States look better than it is:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div role="img" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="ai2html" id="g-changechart-box" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="g-artboard" data-aspect-ratio="2.474" data-min-width="600" id="g-changechart-Artboard_1" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; height: 242.5px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="g-aiImg" data-src="https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/2020/05/15/nyc-compared-to-us/049f4193b750ad0b48b4bc07833ac9b6bf131dd4/changechart-Artboard_1.png" id="g-changechart-Artboard_1-img" src="https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/2020/05/15/nyc-compared-to-us/049f4193b750ad0b48b4bc07833ac9b6bf131dd4/changechart-Artboard_1.png" style="border: 0px; display: block; font: inherit; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;" /></div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-1" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; left: 317.85px; margin: -19.4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 23.36px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 211px;">
<div class="g-pstyle0" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; height: 19px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 19px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1.3px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
New reported cases by day</div>
<div class="g-pstyle0" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; height: 19px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 19px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1.3px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
in the rest of the U.S.</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-2" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; left: 3.82px; margin: -19.4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 23.36px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 211px;">
<div class="g-pstyle0" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; height: 19px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 19px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1.3px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
New reported cases by day</div>
<div class="g-pstyle0" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; height: 19px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 19px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1.3px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
in New York City</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-3" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; left: 317.85px; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 66.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 92px;">
<div class="g-pstyle1" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
20,000 cases</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-4" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; left: 3.82px; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 66.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 92px;">
<div class="g-pstyle1" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
20,000 cases</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-5" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; left: 317.85px; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 137.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 60px;">
<div class="g-pstyle1" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
10,000</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-6" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; left: 3.82px; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 137.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 60px;">
<div class="g-pstyle1" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
10,000</div>
</div>
<div class="g-ai2html-settings g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-7" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; left: 244.61px; margin: -14.4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 159.42px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 62px;">
<div class="g-pstyle2" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
7-day</div>
<div class="g-pstyle2" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
average</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-8" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; left: 317.85px; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 207.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 29px;">
<div class="g-pstyle1" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
0</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-9" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; left: 3.82px; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 208.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 29px;">
<div class="g-pstyle1" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
0</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-10" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 147.3px; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 228.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 45px;">
<div class="g-pstyle3" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
April</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-11" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 243.83px; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 228.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 54px;">
<div class="g-pstyle3" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
March</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-12" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 42.06px; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 228.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 43px;">
<div class="g-pstyle3" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
May</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-13" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 460.93px; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 228.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 45px;">
<div class="g-pstyle3" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
April</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-14" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 557.46px; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 228.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 54px;">
<div class="g-pstyle3" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
March</div>
</div>
<div class="g-Layer_1 g-aiAbs g-aiPointText" id="g-ai0-15" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: -7.2px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 355.7px; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 228.22px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 43px;">
<div class="g-pstyle3" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 14px; mix-blend-mode: normal; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: right; text-size-adjust: 100%; top: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
May</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="g-source " style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px 0px 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">
<span class="g-credit" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; display: inline; font-family: , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By Weiyi Cai and Lauren Leatherby</span><span class="g-credit_bullet" style="border: 0px; color: #dddddd; font-family: , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 7px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: 3px; vertical-align: baseline;">·</span><span class="g-credit" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; display: inline; font-family: , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Source: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">New York Times database</a> of reports from state and local health agencies.</span></div>
<br />
So all protestations from conservatives notwithstanding, the lockdown in the face of the pandemic was absolutely essential in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Further, if the US had followed South Korea's example and attacked the disease from day one with testing, tracing and quarantine, we might already be fully open for business.<br />
<br />
One thing is certain: if we listen to the conservatives, motivated by anger and fear, we would be in an even worse position. To argue against the lockdown in the middle of a pandemic is like arguing that people should be allowed to roam around outside during the middle of a hurricane. Only a mad man would make such an argument.<br />
<br />
So why are conservatives so blind to reality? Because as I wrote above, conservatives live their lives in fear. And fear distorts everything. Look at their blogs and websites. Look at conservative media It is all about them against the rest of the world. They hate anyone who suggests there is a better way of doing anything. They really hate anyone who suggests that Conservatives might actually be wrong.<br />
<br />
It is no coincidence that the same people who deny that climate change is destroying our planet also deny the reality of COVID-19. These are people who believe if they just cover their eyes and ears and keep repeating that something isn't real, then it won't be real. <br />
<br />
Conservatives all pride themselves on being pro life. But in their minds, the only pro life issues are abortion and euthanasia. It boggles my mind that those wearing the label "pro life" are also pro gun, pro capital punishment, pro war, and pro big business which is responsible for the deaths of millions and major damage to the environment through their destructive practices. Conservatives fight against allowing immigrants into their countries or doing anything to help those fleeing from war and destruction.<br />
<br />
Conservatives honestly cannot understand the following statement from Pope Francis in the encyclical<span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4e4d; font-family: "balto" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"> </span><a href="http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20180319_gaudete-et-exsultate.html#_ftnref26" target="_blank">Gaudete et Exsultate</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Our defence of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.</b></span></blockquote>
If a Conservative is not personally affected by an issue, then he or she will dismiss it as either of no importance or as a lie. Pope Francis is hated by conservatives in the Catholic Church for this very reason. The Holy Father sees the world for what it is. He sees the destruction of the earth, the suffering of the poor, the inequalities caused by our materialistic way of life. He tells us that as followers of Christ, we need to be concerned about these issues. He also tells us that we should not condemn sinners but instead show them compassion and mercy. <br />
<br />
The reaction of fundamentalist Catholics? <br />
<br />
They hate and denounce Pope Francis as a heretic. <br />
<br />
In my next post, I will explore the Biblical view of Conservatives.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PR7oOmLmt5d9SYv5AaI5hYuVdoBqHDEpgK5WRVHdWNT-Tm0WIEWEttHbtSeNbW6Ht9Y_0BXvvDNZYeZKGw1SOqEIf4sVwUudVAi37j2G92jrxHgyVy_nUzOxZflEFTKUjVkQrQuSZA/s1600/Bigotry.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1256" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PR7oOmLmt5d9SYv5AaI5hYuVdoBqHDEpgK5WRVHdWNT-Tm0WIEWEttHbtSeNbW6Ht9Y_0BXvvDNZYeZKGw1SOqEIf4sVwUudVAi37j2G92jrxHgyVy_nUzOxZflEFTKUjVkQrQuSZA/s640/Bigotry.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-80627202009827193002020-05-09T17:33:00.000-04:002020-05-11T10:57:01.477-04:00Your Response To COVID-19 Could Determine Your Eternal Salvation<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG0qFC68eZ2d5hKkEV142QbhJPaDCdCgAX4U3TD7X8_TOpASb1rhrOZi8FsGNyCYEQAWeZWnhElMs611hYI9fGycamMVNpMf9foAdlnJLKWIWu0liThxhlFdQVMR1vQ-3S-kt2bI5tg/s1600/Neri+quote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="1350" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG0qFC68eZ2d5hKkEV142QbhJPaDCdCgAX4U3TD7X8_TOpASb1rhrOZi8FsGNyCYEQAWeZWnhElMs611hYI9fGycamMVNpMf9foAdlnJLKWIWu0liThxhlFdQVMR1vQ-3S-kt2bI5tg/s640/Neri+quote.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Did you ever wonder why obedience to lawful human authority is so important to God? Certainly we understand that obedience to Our Lord is of paramount importance, but why is it so important to obey our human leaders? They are sinful human beings just like us. Why must we submit our will to other sinners? They can be and often are wrong in their beliefs and motivations.<br />
<br />
Yet, we find verses such as these in the Written Word of God:<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Titus+3%3A1&version=ESV" target="_blank">Titus 3:1</a> Remind believers to willingly place themselves under the authority of government officials. Believers should obey them and be ready to help them with every good thing they do. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A17&version=ESV" target="_blank">Hebrews 13:17</a> Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+13%3A1&version=ESV" target="_blank">Romans 13:1</a> Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.</b></span></blockquote>
God gave us minds so that we are able to think for ourselves. Why must we submit to human authority, especially when we know, in our great wisdom, that those human authorities are absolutely wrong?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Christianity is full of paradoxes. Our Lord made many statements that were seemingly contradictory, such as "The first shall be last and the last shall be first" (Matt. 20:16), and "He who seeks to save his life shall lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake shall find it" (Matt. 16:25).<br />
<br />
Our Lord tells us that in order to become great, we must become little and humble: "Unless you change and become as little children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of God." (Matt. 18:3).<br />
<br />
Christianity is all about attaining eternal life, but the Bible teaches that in order to reach that goal, we must die to ourselves. As St. Paul said, "I die daily." (I Cor. 15:31). Gal. 5:24 says we must "crucify the flesh". Romans 12:1: "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice". And Colossians 3:3 "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."<br />
<br />
It is important to understand that obedience is a form of dying to self. When we obey lawful authority, we are submitting our will - our desires, even our rights - to another. We are crucifying the self.<br />
<br />
Quoting from St. Gregory the Great:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>“Obedience, is rightly placed before all other sacrifices, for in offering a victim as sacrifice, one offers a life that is not one’s own; but when one obeys one is immolating one’s own will.”</b></span></blockquote>
We are sinful beings living in a sinful world. All of our thoughts, desires and actions are tainted by sin.. One of the most effective methods to crucify that sin is obedience, first to God and then to lawful authority given to us by God. This is why Our Lord places supreme importance on the act of obedience.<br />
<br />
From St. Thomas Aquinas:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>“Obedience unites us so closely to God that in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God.”</b></span></blockquote>
St. Faustina wrote in her diary, Divine Mercy In My Soul:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>My daughter, know that you give Me greater glory by a single act of obedience than by long prayers and mortifications. (894)</b></span></blockquote>
So what has all of this got to do with COVID-19? <br />
<br />
We have lost virtually all of our freedoms because of this terrible pandemic. Many tens of millions of Americans and others across the globe have lost their jobs as businesses have been closed. We have become prisoners in our own homes. All of the many things we took for granted - restaurants and sporting events, concerts, going to the gym, and even simple things like getting a haircut or going to the beach - have been taken away from us. Here in New York we must basically wear a mask anytime we step outside or risk arrest.<br />
<br />
And for those of us who consider ourselves devout Catholics, the unthinkable has happened. We have no access to the Mass and the Sacraments. It has now been almost two months since I have been inside a Church, with no end in sight. Trust me, it is painful.<br />
<br />
Many are rebelling against this, considering these orders a violation of our rights. What right have other people to decide how we live our lives? We have rights, and no one, not the government and certainly not Church leaders, have the authority to take away those rights.<br />
<br />
If this was a matter of persecution, of authority taking away my right to worship, I would be the first in line of civil disobedience. I would willingly sacrifice my life for the right to worship my Creator. And I would certainly rebel against any bishop who acquiesced to such authority.<br />
<br />
But COVID-19 is not about fighting persecution. It is about fighting an invisible, deadly disease that threatens to kill millions. I live in New York City, the epicenter of this disease. As of today, in New York City alone, there have been 177,481 confirmed cases, 44,256 hospitalized, 14,482 confirmed deaths and 5,313 probable deaths. This has all happened in less than two months. The whole of New York State has 343,350 confirmed cases and 26,749 confirmed deaths as of today, May 9. More people have died in Brooklyn than any other county in the United States. I know this is not a joke, it is not a hoax. This thing is real.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, the numbers in New York are going down. We were once over 800 deaths every day. Now we are down around 230 deaths every day, a terrible number but not near as bad as it was. The lockdown has worked here. I no longer hear the ambulance sirens day and night. But I also know that the disease is not gone, and if we give it just the smallest opening, we could be right back where we were and maybe worse.<br />
<br />
But many in the rest of America don't believe that. And that, sadly, includes many who consider themselves the most faithful of Catholics.<br />
<br />
Many "faithful" Catholics blame the bishops for stopping public Masses and suspending the Sacraments, saying it wasn't necessary. We could wear masks and social distance at Church. There are ways around it.<br />
<br />
Archbishop Carlo Viganò, self-declared arch enemy of Pope Francis, has<a href="https://veritasliberabitvos.info/appeal/" target="_blank"> written a petition</a> declaring that COVID-19 is a plot by globalists to promote a world government, and therefore all efforts to contain the virus must be resisted.<br />
<br />
From his petition:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The facts have shown that, under the pretext of the Covid-19 epidemic, the inalienable rights of citizens have in many cases been violated and their fundamental freedoms, including the exercise of freedom of worship, expression and movement, have been disproportionately and unjustifiably restricted. Public health must not, and cannot, become an alibi for infringing on the rights of millions of people around the world, let alone for depriving the civil authority of its duty to act wisely for the common good. This is particularly true as growing doubts emerge from several quarters about the actual contagiousness, danger and resistance of the virus. Many authoritative voices in the world of science and medicine confirm that the media’s alarmism about Covid-19 appears to be absolutely unjustified.</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>We have reason to believe, on the basis of official data on the incidence of the epidemic as related to the number of deaths, that there are powers interested in creating panic among the world’s population with the sole aim of permanently imposing unacceptable forms of restriction on freedoms, of controlling people and of tracking their movements. The imposition of these illiberal measures is a disturbing prelude to the realization of a </b><b style="color: blue;">world government beyond all control. </b>[Emphasis Vigano]</span></blockquote>
Here we see Vigano placing human "rights", i.e., the right to be infected and infect others, above that of obedience to lawful government. And as one who lives in the epicenter of this pandemic, I can tell you that Vigano doesn't know what he is talking about when he discounts the danger of this disease. The only way New York was able to get the disease under control was by locking down the state. If the authorities had not done this, we would be seeing deaths in the hundreds of thousands and maybe millions, and the healthcare system here would have been overwhelmed and destroyed.<br />
<br />
There is a reason why you do not see people in New York demonstrating against the lockdown.<br />
<br />
And of course, it would not be Vigano if he did not directly attack Church authorities and try to incite rebellion against the Magisterium:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Finally, as Pastors responsible for the flock of Christ, let us remember that the Church firmly asserts her </b><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">autonomy to govern, worship, and teach</span><b>. This autonomy and freedom are an innate right that Our Lord Jesus Christ has given her for the pursuit of her proper ends. For this reason, as Pastors we firmly assert the right to decide autonomously on the celebration of Mass and the Sacraments, just as we claim absolute autonomy in matters falling within our immediate jurisdiction, such as liturgical norms and ways of administering Communion and the Sacraments. The State has no right to interfere, for any reason whatsoever, in the sovereignty of the Church. Ecclesiastical authorities have never refused to collaborate with the State, but such collaboration does not authorize civil authorities to impose any sort of ban or restriction on public worship or the exercise of priestly ministry. </b><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">The rights of God and of the faithful are the supreme law of the Church</span><b>, which she neither intends to, nor can, abdicate. We ask that restrictions on the celebration of public ceremonies be removed. </b>[Emphasis Vigano]</span></blockquote>
The rights of God and of the faithful are the supreme law of the Church?! What the heck does that mean? I don't find that anywhere in the Bible I read.<br />
<br />
First of all, the State has not taken away any religious rights whatsoever. We still have the right to worship as we want. There are Masses all over the Internet. The Church is still allowed to teach and preach. The only thing that has been taken away is the ability to use our physical buildings to do this, and this has been done only in an effort to contain the virus. And I for one can personally attest that it works. Vigano is setting up a completely bogus argument.<br />
<br />
Secondly, "asserting our rights" as Vigano has done is going completely against love of neighbor in this situation. Those who demand their "rights" to assemble in the midst of a pandemic are thinking only of their own wants and desires and not considering the effect on others at all. <br />
<br />
I am amazed that those who proudly wear the label "pro life" are so willing to sacrifice the lives of others. These people want "their" Mass, and they don't care who has to die for them to have it. They don't care if, because of their actions, they completely overwhelm and destroy the healthcare system. It is their right!<br />
<br />
Further, those who insist on disobedience to the bishops in this matter are putting their eternal lives in danger. Disobedience to the bishop is a serious matter.<br />
<br />
The bishops, for the safety of the flock, have prohibited public Masses. If anyone thinks the bishops wanted to do this, they are delusional. Just from a practical standpoint, the churches are losing a tremendous amount of money by closing the churches at a time when they are just barely getting by.<br />
<br />
The Mass is a tremendous gift we have been given and the Holy Eucharist is vital to our salvation. I have been going to daily Mass for years, and I consider it the most important part of my day. But I realize now that I am putting other lives at risk by doing so. <br />
<br />
I now attend a virtual Mass every day. I pray along with the Mass as if I was there, saying all the responses, standing, sitting and kneeling at the appropriate times. My personal choice is the Mass from the <a href="https://www.walsingham.org.uk/live-stream/" target="_blank">Shrine of Walsingham in England</a>. I find it to be very reverent. They also pray the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, they include talks throughout the day, and at all other times they have Eucharistic Adoration.<br />
<br />
This is not the way I would choose to worship. But I believe that under these circumstances, we can receive as many blessings as we would if we physically attended Mass and received Communion. God treasures obedience above all else because obedience brings us closer to Him than any other act.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>”The obedience which we render to a superior is paid to God, Who says, ‘He that hears you hears Me;’ so that whatever he who holds the place of God commands, supposing it is not evidently contrary to God's law, is to be received by us as if it came from God Himself; for it is the same thing to know His Will, either from His Own, from an Angel's, or from a man's mouth.”<br />--Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Father and Doctor of the Church</b></span></blockquote>
My "good friend" Mary Ann Kreitzer has said on her blog that she attends a drive-in Mass each Sunday that is celebrated by the SSPX. This is in direct disobedience to her bishop who stated <a href="https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/bishop/public-messages/2020/statement-regarding-society-of-saint-pius-x-gathering-in-virginia/" target="_blank">he has not given permission</a> for this Mass to be held in his diocese:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Based on recommendations from the public health and scientific communities, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge maintains his directive that all public Masses in the Diocese of Arlington are suspended until further notice. We have been notified that the Society of Saint Pius X, which is a schismatic sect and not in full communion with the Holy See, is holding Masses in Front Royal, VA. <span style="color: blue;">This group did not request permission for their gathering from the Diocese of Arlington</span>.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Bishop Burbidge highly encourages the faithful to follow the guidance of public health and scientific leaders and stay home whenever possible. In order to stop the spread of coronavirus, all people, including those of religious faith, must be willing to make temporary, uncomfortable sacrifices for the long-term good and health of the community.</b></span></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazMxN-exoHNrC0_U0LbvLBOnyJgi6oy8Y9ZY8lWbS3Bhgu0gdXioYTBsrCg6ObZhW37GvbR3iipOGMfaZQ1d8IhFGvSG2UXWEKeneq2PfeZioZzlBcIDDL5D-VBi9xteEewhPKtrb2w/s1600/2000_810_500_75_s_c1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="810" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazMxN-exoHNrC0_U0LbvLBOnyJgi6oy8Y9ZY8lWbS3Bhgu0gdXioYTBsrCg6ObZhW37GvbR3iipOGMfaZQ1d8IhFGvSG2UXWEKeneq2PfeZioZzlBcIDDL5D-VBi9xteEewhPKtrb2w/s400/2000_810_500_75_s_c1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a picture of the parking lot Mass celebrated by the SSPX in Virginia</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Masses are to be celebrated outside of a church only under extraordinary circumstances. It would definitely require permission of the bishop for Mass to be celebrated in a parking lot with people sitting inside of their cars. As the bishop has stated, he has not given his permission. Since this Mass does not have the permission of the bishop, it is an illicit Mass. All those in attendance are disobeying their bishop, so I can only wonder if Jesus Christ is even present.<br />
<br />
Mary Ann tries to get around her obvious disobedience by saying <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2020/03/opening-can-of-worms-and-reflecting-on.html" target="_blank">the bishop did not specifically prohibit</a> attending this Mass. He only "highly encourages" people to stay home. Yea, right. This is her tortured reasoning:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">But </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">did I, in fact, disobey the bishop</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">? This appears to be a carefully worded statement. Nowhere does the bishop impose any kind of judgment or penalty on those who attended the Mass. Ironically, he didn't even urge people not to go. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">[Mary Ann, the bishop wrote, "all people, including those of religious faith, must be willing to make temporary, uncomfortable sacrifices for the long-term good and health of the community." Obviously, that means nothing to you.]</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> H</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">e simply stated the fact that, based on government recommendations, he has suspended public Masses in the Diocese of Arlington. Then he urged us to "follow the guidance of public health...leaders."</span></b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Think about that for a minute. These are the same public health leaders who are allowing the slicing and dicing of little babies to continue uninterrupted during the pandemic. Gathering at the abortuary is fine; gathering for the Mass (with more than ten in the congregation) is not. So the bishop tells us we should follow government guidelines. Hmm...we all know what a friend the government is to the weakest and most vulnerable as well as to the Church. Don't we?</span></b></span></blockquote>
We shouldn't try to keep others safe because the government who says this is the same one who kills babies? With Mary Ann's reasoning, we should not obey any laws of the government and live in total anarchy. If Mary Ann pays her taxes, which I am sure she does, then she is a hypocrite. After all, she is paying taxes to a government that kills babies.<br />
<br />
The only one Mary Ann is fooling is herself.<br />
<br />
We have all entered into a "dark night of the soul" as it were. It is not government who has taken away our freedoms, It is not the bishops who have taken away the Mass. It is the disease. And I am not sure we will ever see "normal" times again. This disease has opened our eyes to just how fragile and vulnerable we are. Everything literally changed overnight. We live in a completely different world. <br />
<br />
Vigano and all those who stand with him are, as usual, completely in the wrong. To follow them is to follow them to hell, both in this life and the next.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zXQrYClpecFob9cX1YwrC9LjZCGZNRQkp5Pf97sHx9PS7_qfSZekZ5CRiu05DfqiwsCKQ8MOw_dOTzmbQzwSP5i7Q6EMNyt9_88fqilhgEGgv2SGhr9NCamEcKi-OMs3hP7HeiaOqg/s1600/de+salese.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1341" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zXQrYClpecFob9cX1YwrC9LjZCGZNRQkp5Pf97sHx9PS7_qfSZekZ5CRiu05DfqiwsCKQ8MOw_dOTzmbQzwSP5i7Q6EMNyt9_88fqilhgEGgv2SGhr9NCamEcKi-OMs3hP7HeiaOqg/s640/de+salese.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-76657505814120235862020-04-29T18:31:00.001-04:002020-04-29T20:57:54.707-04:00We Have Killed Nature, and Now Nature Is Killing Us<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcSOJv4g1HZ7z01WQMF3zFjiLo4BHFCSWgF1W7jwdyxBF6woJrO8ddq2V-OV6oGMcBdNU6e7NA31cZpWnwrFuI5oTd1gOhhSNgElmK0tWMclE_XnMGptTYWnYG8yvzc5mXIAXTrhnzA/s1600/destruction+of+habitat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1437" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcSOJv4g1HZ7z01WQMF3zFjiLo4BHFCSWgF1W7jwdyxBF6woJrO8ddq2V-OV6oGMcBdNU6e7NA31cZpWnwrFuI5oTd1gOhhSNgElmK0tWMclE_XnMGptTYWnYG8yvzc5mXIAXTrhnzA/s640/destruction+of+habitat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We live in completely unprecedented times. A microscopic virus that cannot be seen, heard, touched, tasted or smelled, has brought the entirety of humanity to its knees. It is as if the Angel of Death depicted in the Biblical book of Exodus has been unleashed upon the whole world. And 21st Century man, with all of his advances in technology and abilities, is completely powerless against it.<br />
<br />
But many people do not believe this. They believe that we should have handled COVID-19 the same way we do with any flu. These people believe that the lockdown, which has caused so much economic hardship, was completely unnecessary.<br />
<br />
Those who make such arguments are showing their complete ignorance of the threat we are facing.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>When I first wrote about the COVID-19 pandemic on March 25, the worldwide total was 461,929 confirmed cases and 20,852 deaths. Now, approximately one month later, the worldwide total is <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/" target="_blank">3,190,584 confirmed cases</a> and <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/" target="_blank">225,857 deaths</a>. The US totals are 1,049,431 confirmed cases and 60,640 confirmed deaths [<a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/" target="_blank">source</a>]. In just a few weeks, more Americans have died from COVID-19 than the number of Americans who died in the Vietnam war in 12 years. And these numbers from COVID-19 have exploded despite the fact that we have basically been in a national lockdown.<br />
<br />
The numbers are slowing down as I write this, and many states, against the advice of experts, are starting to open up their economies, allowing people to go back to work and generally back out into society. People are demanding that the economy be opened up because they are afraid they will not be able to feed their families or keep a roof over their heads if this nationwide lockdown continues, and their fears are completely justified. But is this the fault of the lockdown or the virus itself?<br />
<br />
Many people, who know absolutely nothing about viruses or epidemics, are saying we should have never had a lockdown, that it would have been better if the virus had been able to run its course, giving us herd immunity as we have done with other viruses. As Donald Trump told us, 25,000 to 60,000 people die every year from the flu. Why are we treating this one so differently?<br />
<br />
Jeremy Samuel Faust, M.D., M.S., M.A., FACEP, who practices emergency medicine at Brigham & Women's Hospital and is an instructor at Harvard Medical School, wrote a fascinating opinion piece regarding flu deaths at ScientificAmerican.com entitled, "<a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/comparing-covid-19-deaths-to-flu-deaths-is-like-comparing-apples-to-oranges/" target="_blank">Comparing COVID-19 Deaths to Flu Deaths Is like Comparing Apples to Oranges</a>".<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Dr. Faust writes that arguments comparing COVID-19 deaths to a bad year of the flu "are based on a flawed understanding of how flu deaths are counted, which may leave us with a distorted view of how coronavirus compares with it."<br />
<br />
Dr. Faust wrote that:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>[I]n four years of emergency medicine residency and over three and a half years as an attending physician, I had almost never seen anyone die of the flu. I could only remember one tragic pediatric case.</b></span></blockquote>
He continued:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Based on the CDC numbers though, I should have seen many, many more. In 2018, over 46,000 Americans <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #073763;">died from opioid overdoses</span></a>. Over 36,500 <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/traffic-deaths-2018" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">died in traffic accidents</span></a>. Nearly 40,000 <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/16/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/"><span style="color: #0c343d;">died from gun violence</span></a>. I see those deaths all the time. Was I alone in noticing this discrepancy?</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>I decided to call colleagues around the country who work in other emergency departments and in intensive care units to ask a simple question: how many patients could they remember dying from the flu? Most of the physicians I surveyed couldn’t remember a single one over their careers. Some said they recalled a few. All of them seemed to be having the same light bulb moment I had already experienced: <span style="color: blue;">For too long, we have blindly accepted a statistic that does not match our clinical experience.</span></b></span></blockquote>
What could he possibly mean by this statement? Have we been lied to?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The 25,000 to 69,000 numbers that Trump cited do not represent counted flu deaths per year; they are <span style="color: blue;"><i>estimates</i> </span>that the CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/how-cdc-estimates.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">produces</span></a> by multiplying the number of flu death counts reported by various coefficients produced through complicated algorithms. These coefficients are based on <span style="color: blue;"><i>assumptions</i></span> of how many cases, hospitalizations, and deaths <span style="color: blue;"><i>they believe</i></span> went unreported. <span style="color: blue;">In the last six flu seasons, the CDC’s reported number of <i>actual</i> confirmed flu deaths—</span><span style="color: red;">that is, counting flu deaths the way we are currently counting deaths from the coronavirus</span><span style="color: blue;">—has ranged from </span><span style="color: red;">3,448 to 15,620</span><span style="color: blue;">, which [is] far lower than the numbers commonly repeated by public officials and even public health experts. </span><span style="color: blue;">[emphasis mine]</span></b></span></blockquote>
The CDC website confirms Dr. Faust's statement that stated flu deaths are estimates. The CDC writes about it in an article entitled, "<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/how-cdc-estimates.htm" target="_blank"><b>How CDC Estimates the Burden of Seasonal Influenza in the U.S.</b></a>"<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>CDC uses a mathematical model to <i><span style="color: blue;">estimate</span></i> the numbers of influenza illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States, as well as, the impact of influenza vaccination on these numbers. The methods used to calculate the burden of influenza have been described previously. More recently, the same model was adopted to <i><span style="color: blue;">estimate </span></i>influenza-associated deaths in the United States. This methodology has been used to <span style="color: blue;"><i>retroactively</i></span> calculate influenza burden, including deaths, going back to 2010.</b></span></blockquote>
So why in the world would the CDC report up to 60,00 deaths when there might be as little as 3400 deaths? This is their explanation:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Seasonal influenza <span style="color: blue;"><i>may lead</i></span> to death from other causes, such as pneumonia, congestive heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It has been recognized for many years that influenza is underreported on death certificates.</b></span></blockquote>
Back to Dr. Faust's article, as he continues:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>There is some logic behind the CDC’s methods. There are, of course, some flu deaths that are missed, because not everyone who contracts the flu gets a flu test. <span style="color: blue;">But there are little data to support the CDC’s assumption that the number of people who die of flu each year is on average six times greater than the number of flu deaths that are actually confirmed</span>. In fact, in the fine print, the CDC’s flu numbers also include pneumonia deaths. </b></span></blockquote>
Dr. Faust then goes on to call for a change in the method used by the CDC to count flu deaths. As he writes,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>CDC’s reporting about flu deaths is dangerously misleading the public and even public officials about the comparison between these two viruses. If we incorrectly conclude that COVID-19 is “just another flu,” we may retreat from strategies that appear to be working in minimizing the speed of spread of the virus.</b></span></blockquote>
The numbers we are currently seeing for COVID-19 are not estimates. They are the actual infections and deaths reported throughout the US and the rest of the world. The real numbers are undoubtedly much higher than those reported.<br />
<br />
As Dr. Faust says, since we do not have an actual count of deaths from the seasonal flu, it is impossible to compare it to COVID-19:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">To do this, we have to compare counted deaths to counted deaths, not counted deaths to wildly inflated statistical estimates</span>. If we compare, for instance, the number of people who died in the United States from COVID-19 in the second full week of April to the number of people who died from influenza during the worst week of the past seven flu seasons (as reported to the CDC), <span style="color: blue;">we find that the novel </span><span style="color: red;">coronavirus killed between 9.5 and 44 times more people than seasonal flu</span><span style="color: blue;">. In other words, the coronavirus is not anything like the flu: </span><span style="color: red;">It is much, much worse.</span></b></span></blockquote>
Well, that certainly shoots down the arguments we hear from those who say COVID-19 is just another flu. They are looking at two diseases which appear very similar and produce many of the same symptoms, but in reality have little to nothing in common.<br />
<br />
We are also being warned by experts that opening up too soon could cause a second wave that will be worse than the first wave we just experienced. We are already seeing this in countries like Singapore, Germany and Japan. From an article dated April 24, 2020 entitled, "<a href="https://time.com/5826918/hokkaido-coronavirus-lockdown/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">This Japanese Island Lifted Its Coronavirus Lockdown Too Soon and Became a Warning to the World</span></b></a>":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://time.com/5818228/japan-coronavirus-response/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido</span></a> offers a grim lesson in the <a href="https://time.com/5821408/italy-reopening-hospital/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">next phase of the battle</span></a> against COVID-19. It acted quickly and contained an early outbreak of the coronavirus with a 3-week lockdown. But, when the governor lifted restrictions, <a href="https://time.com/5809557/japan-olympics-cancel/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">a second wave of infections</span></a> hit even harder. Twenty-six days later, the island was forced back into lockdown.</b></span></blockquote>
Hokkaido's first infection was discovered shortly after its annual snow festival started on January 31, the first patient being a woman from Wuhan, China. It soon started circulating around the population. 66 people were diagnosed in the next month, the highest in Japan, and the governor declared a state of emergency. Schools, businesses and restaurants voluntarily shut down. By mid March, things had stabilized, daily new cases being in single digits and sometimes zero.<br />
<br />
But the main industries of Hokkaido - tourism and agriculture - were devestated. Restrictions were eased on March 18, which came right before a 3-day weekend. People poured out into the streets and cafes, and likely kicked off a second wave. People from other lockdown areas traveled to Hokkaido, adding to more infections.<br />
<br />
By April 9, exactly 3 weeks after the restrictions were eased, there was a record outbreak - 18 in one day.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>On April 14, Hokkaido was forced to announce a state of emergency for a second time. The island had 279 reported cases, an increase of about 80% from when the governor lifted the first lockdown less than a month before. As of Wednesday, there were 495 cases in Hokkaido.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Businesses are now preparing for the long haul. Tetsuya Fujiawara, CEO of Smile Sol, a group of ten pub restaurants in Hokkaido, says even though sales are down 60%, he’d rather a strong, consistent lockdown than “lukewarm measures” that would only perpetuate the cycle of restrictions being lifted and then reinstated as infections resurge.</b></span></blockquote>
The article ends with this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>As for Nagase, the doctor involved in Hokkaido’s response, the <a href="https://time.com/5818593/young-people-leave-coronavirus-lockdown/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">hard lesson he and the prefecture have learned</span></a>, he says, is that until there’s a vaccine or medicine, everyone has to take personal responsibility and understand that, “<span style="color: blue;">it really may not be until next year that we can safely lift these lockdowns</span>.”</b></span></blockquote>
Why is this happening? Where did this virus come from? And why are we now being warned to expect more of these pandemics with even deadlier consequences?<br />
<br />
From an article dated 4/14/20 entitled, "<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/covid-19-nature-deforestation-recovery/" target="_blank"><b>COVID-19 and nature are linked. So should be the recovery</b></a>":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Intact nature provides a buffer between humans and disease, and emerging diseases are often the results of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5214842/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">encroachment into natural ecosystems and changes in human activity</span></a>. In the Amazon, for example, <a href="https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/24720/20200115/deforestation-can-lead-to-wider-malaria-transmissions-says-scientists.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">deforestation increases the rates of malaria</span></a>, since deforested land is the ideal habitat for mosquitoes. Deforested land has also been linked to outbreaks of <a href="https://pia.gov.ph/press-releases/releases/1036813" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Ebola and Lyme disease</span></a>, as humans come into contact with previously untouched wildlife.<br /><br />A <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10980-020-00995-w" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">study</span></a> published this year found that deforestation in Uganda was increasing the emergence of animal-to-human diseases and stresses that human behaviour is the underlying cause. <span style="color: blue;">Altering nature too much or in the wrong way, therefore, can have devastating human implications.</span><br /><br />While the origin of the COVID-19 virus is yet to be established, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5711306/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">60% of infectious diseases originate from animals</span></a>, and <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/631980-Machalaba-Anthropogenic%20Drivers%20of%20Emerging%20Infectious%20Diseases.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">70% of emerging infectious diseases originate from wildlife</span></a>. AIDS, for example, came from chimpanzees, and SARS is thought to have been transmitted from an animal still unknown to this day. We have lost <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/living-planet-report-2018" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">60% of all wildlife in the last 50 years</span></a>, while the number of new infectious diseases has <a href="https://www.unicef.org/rosa/media/2406/file/C4D%20Emerging%20Infectious%20Diseases.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">quadrupled in the last 60 years</span></a>. <span style="color: blue;">It is no coincidence that the destruction of ecosystems has coincided with a sharp increase in such diseases.</span></b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Natural habitats are being reduced, causing species to live in closer quarters than ever to one another and to humans. As some people opt to invade forests and wild landscapes due to business interests and others at the other end of the socioeconomic spectrum are forced to search for resources for survival, we damage the ecosystems, risking that viruses from animals find new hosts – us.</span><br /><br />Given our interconnected and ever-changing world, with air travel, wildlife marketing and a changing climate, the potential for further serious outbreaks remains significant. Pandemics are, therefore, often a hidden side effect of economic development and inequalities that can no longer be ignored. In other words, just as carbon is not the cause of climate change, <span style="color: blue;">it is human activity - not nature - that causes many pandemics.</span></b></span></blockquote>
God created the world in perfect balance. Everything had a place, and when He created it, everything was in its place. God created the world to produce life, and it did so abundantly.<br />
<br />
And when God placed man on the earth, He told us to have dominion over everything (Gen 1:26). But to have "dominion" does not mean we have the right to use it in any way we want. God gave us a perfect earth and expected us to keep it that way.<br />
<br />
But when sin entered the world, man stopped following God's way. Greed became the driving force. People saw and took what they wanted, no matter the cost to others or to the earth.<br />
<br />
Until the Industrial Revolution, the damage to the earth remain somewhat localized. We lived mostly in harmony with nature and just did not have the means to destroy the earth on a massive scale. But with the Industrial Revolution, everything changed.<br />
<br />
Technology exploded, and we started seeing nature more and more as an enemy that had to be conquered. We mowed down entire forests, killed whole species of animals, poisoned our waters. And since WWII, the pace of destruction has been breathtaking. As the article above states, we have lost 60% of our wildlife. Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2016 State of the Forests report revealed that 7 million hectares of forest are lost annually while agricultural land expands by 6 million. We are throwing so much plastic into our waters that it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans.<br />
<br />
We are killing our world. We are on the edge of the cliff and ready to fall over at any time. Our sins against humanity and nature are catching up to us, and we have no defense.<br />
<br />
COVID-19 and all of the other epidemics that we have seen and will see are not acts of God. They are not punishments from God. They are the result of our greed. All of the destruction of nature, all of the wars, all of our sins against humanity come down to one thing: love of money. People will do anything for money. There is one verse in the Bible that explains it all:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">The love of money is the root of all evil. </span>I Timothy 6:10</i></b></div>
<br />
Unless we recognize and repent of our sins, I see no hope for humanity. I am not one who is into prophecy and predicting the end of the world - Our Lord said no one knows the time - but it doesn't take a genius to look around and see that our entire planet is in big trouble.<br />
<br />
I believe God withheld the "wonders of technology" from man until these times. But now He is allowing us to experience the full effect of our sins. The world we knew before COVID-19 is gone. We are entering into a new era. Nothing will ever be the same.<br />
<br />
Pope Francis has been warning us during his entire pontificate. Here is a portion of his message from Earth Day 2020:<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>We are fashioned from the earth, and fruit of the earth sustains our life. But, as the book of Genesis reminds us, we are not simply “earthly”; we also bear within us the breath of life that comes from God (cf. Gen 2:4-7). <span style="color: blue;">Thus we live in this common home as one human family in biodiversity with God’s other creatures</span>. As imago Dei, in God’s image, we are called to have care and respect for all creatures, and to offer love and compassion to our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable among us, in imitation of God’s love for us, manifested in his Son Jesus, who became man in order to share our state with us and save us.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Because of our selfishness we have failed in our responsibility to be guardians and stewards of the earth. “We need only take a frank look at the facts to see that our common home is falling into serious disrepair” </span>(<a href="http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html#160" target="_blank">Laudato Si’</a>, , 61). We have polluted it, we have despoiled it, endangering our very lives. For this reason, various international and local movements have sprung up in order to appeal to our consciences. I deeply appreciate these initiatives; still it will be necessary for our children to take to the streets to teach us the obvious: <i><u><span style="color: red;">we have no future if we destroy the very environment that sustains us.</span></u></i></b></span><i><u><span style="color: red;"> </span></u></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">We have failed to care for the earth, our garden-home; we have failed to care for our brothers and sisters. We have sinned against the earth, against our neighbours, and ultimately against the Creator, the benevolent Father who provides for everyone, and desires us to live in communion and flourish together. And how does the earth react? There is a Spanish saying that is very clear about this. It goes: “God always forgives; we humans sometimes forgive, and sometimes not; the earth never forgives”. </span><span style="color: red;">The earth does not forgive: if we have despoiled the earth, its response will be very ugly.</span></b></span><span style="color: red;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>How can we restore a harmonious relationship with the earth and with the rest of humanity? A harmonious relationship... We so often lose sight of harmony: harmony is a work of the Holy Spirit. In our common home too, on the earth, and in our relationships with people, with our neighbour, with the poorest, how can we restore this harmony? We need a new way of looking at our common home. <span style="color: blue;">For this is not a storehouse of resources for us to exploit</span>. For us believers, the natural world is the “Gospel of Creation”: it expresses God’s creative power in fashioning human life and bringing the world and all it contains into existence, in order to sustain humanity. As the biblical account of creation concludes: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Gen 1:31). When we see these natural tragedies that are the earth’s response to our mistreatment, I think: “If I ask the Lord now what he thinks about it, I do not believe he is saying it is a very good thing”. <span style="color: blue;">It is we who have ruined the Lord’s work</span>!</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>In today’s celebration of Earth Day, we are called to renew our sense of sacred respect for the earth, for it is not just our home but also God’s home. <span style="color: blue;">This should make us all the more aware that we stand on holy ground!</span></b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Dear brothers and sisters, “let us awaken our God-given aesthetic and contemplative sense” (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation <a href="http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20200202_querida-amazonia.html#56" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Querida Amazonia</span></a>, 56). The prophetic gift of contemplation is something that we can learn especially from indigenous peoples. <span style="color: blue;">They teach us that we cannot heal the earth unless we love and respect it</span>. They have the wisdom of “living well”, not in the sense of having a good time, no, but of living in harmony with the earth. They call this harmony “living well”.</b></span> </blockquote>
We are seeing the destruction and collapse of the world as we know it. If we do not immediately heed the warning signs, we will see the complete destruction of our precious planet. It must be today. Tomorrow will be too late.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDOD4JTxarr4BXqrp4boL5TnywZ_R3HNRuFeJGwfZYydU2RmZBfmNI5RQJQZc2A96OPLxR3uUPNLbAYKqjZYCJlSlkGyefsa-7J8IzaByJkOtrPaB-IcEjObWB_UvOqihyKpOq0Z8cA/s1600/18f313b01da34e49c298a3a420005a0c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="700" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDOD4JTxarr4BXqrp4boL5TnywZ_R3HNRuFeJGwfZYydU2RmZBfmNI5RQJQZc2A96OPLxR3uUPNLbAYKqjZYCJlSlkGyefsa-7J8IzaByJkOtrPaB-IcEjObWB_UvOqihyKpOq0Z8cA/s640/18f313b01da34e49c298a3a420005a0c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-51765604470819801802020-04-13T20:58:00.003-04:002020-04-14T16:50:26.086-04:00Nothing Like A Crisis To Show The True Colors of People<div class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifw9AB26WNEihCeqtWuWIETUpwmfEUEjri35T8JMmncNlzfqeYL-3ZugagL9U1hP5T2qEuV3IN59qvnrhbLsRrzjlvVXeFmIvYyAF4r5MnmhwyWyn-4BK4qruaA0GoanCJ8zOjpIeMkg/s1600/D5ztRIAW0AAG0dI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifw9AB26WNEihCeqtWuWIETUpwmfEUEjri35T8JMmncNlzfqeYL-3ZugagL9U1hP5T2qEuV3IN59qvnrhbLsRrzjlvVXeFmIvYyAF4r5MnmhwyWyn-4BK4qruaA0GoanCJ8zOjpIeMkg/s400/D5ztRIAW0AAG0dI.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
Last year, 2019 (which seems like at least 100 years ago now), countless "Catholic" traditionalists/conservatives in the Church were very upset about the Synod on the Amazon. They warned the rest of us for months before the Synod even began how "dangerous" it was. Cardinal Raymond Burke said the Synod would result in the "dismantling" of the entire global church. He and other anti-Francis prelates urged Catholics to pray and fast about the Synod, warning that it was apostasy.<br />
<br />
However, none of these people seemed in the least concerned about the Amazonians. Many of the faithful in the Amazon go for months or even years without access to the Mass or the Sacraments because of the lack of priests. Yet I never heard any concern about this problem on any of the blogs/websites of these self-righteous critics. No one ever called for fasting and prayer on behalf of the people in the Amazon.<br />
<br />
Now those who were so critical of the Amazon Synod have themselves been deprived of access to the Mass and the Sacraments. This is not the result of the lack of priests but of a worldwide pandemic called COVID-19 that is sickening and killing hundreds of thousands of people worldwide (<a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/" target="_blank">1,923,935 confirmed cases</a> and <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/" target="_blank">119,612 deaths</a> as of this writing). Here in the United States, as I write, there are 586,941 confirmed infections and 23,634 deaths (<a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/" target="_blank">source</a>). You can click the links to see how much this has changed from the time of my writing (April 13).<br />
<br />
As a result of this nightmare in which we are all living, all Masses have been canceled in the United States and most other parts of the world, and there is little to no access to the Sacraments. This is done in an effort to try to save lives. Nevertheless in Italy, which is in total lockdown, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/11/world/europe/italy-priests-coronavirus.html" target="_blank">more than 100 priests have died</a>. We have lost two priests here in the Diocese of Brooklyn: <a href="https://abc7ny.com/diocese-of-brooklyn-priest-death-coronavirus-nyc/6078949/" target="_blank">Father Gioacchino Basile, 60</a> and <a href="https://catholicphilly.com/2020/03/news/national-news/brooklyn-priest-who-died-from-covid-19-called-great-missionary-among-us/" target="_blank">49-year-old Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay</a>. At least <a href="https://time.com/5819634/covid-19-new-york-city-church-of-st-clare-easter/" target="_blank">one priest in the New York Archdiocese</a> has died.<br />
<br />
I see no concern on any of these blogs about the death of these priests or anyone else for that matter. They are all concerned basically about one thing: they don't have the Mass or the Sacraments, and they are mad!<br />
<br />
Even a worldwide pandemic has not helped them develop any empathy or concern for others. They are still unable to see outside their own little circle, viewing everything that happens in the world only as a conspiracy to destroy these last remaining "faithful Catholics."<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I actually don't read many trad blogs or websites these days, mostly because I don't have to. They are basically carbon copies of one another, no original thoughts, all just parroting each other, filled with anger and hate. If you have read one, you're read them all.<br />
<br />
As an example, one particularly narcissistic, ego-centric blogger wrote this: "<a href="http://restore-dc-catholicism.blogspot.com/2020/03/coroma-cover-for-deconstruction-of-faith.html" target="_blank">Corona - Cover For Deconstruction Of The Faith</a>." She writes about different bishops canceling Mass and suspending other sacraments, and sums it up this way:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>So here we have it. Progressive prelates are doing all they can to choke off God's graces to His Church and thus to the world. Is it at all possible that this had been their dream all along, and that the covid-19 situation simply provided an excuse for them to plausibly do so?</b></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fXZZD_IHqMZm6SSgnZ2XjM13IeGAP-SBcIbvPqwrVx8tQIcntVhVTYnFsQYyykmaNie0q3S_mILwkzKwyTUDkySM7wIKYXxt1MOPvmzwwtHECGjqO-6b4qVS4B7NHaPuDIRL_Pj1Dg/s1600/Egocentric_%252BPart%252Bof%252BSpeech%252B%25E2%2580%2593%252Badjective.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fXZZD_IHqMZm6SSgnZ2XjM13IeGAP-SBcIbvPqwrVx8tQIcntVhVTYnFsQYyykmaNie0q3S_mILwkzKwyTUDkySM7wIKYXxt1MOPvmzwwtHECGjqO-6b4qVS4B7NHaPuDIRL_Pj1Dg/s400/Egocentric_%252BPart%252Bof%252BSpeech%252B%25E2%2580%2593%252Badjective.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
No concern whatsoever about people gathering together in a church and infecting and possibly killing each other. No concern in the least about the great suffering and loss of life throughout the world. No concern about people losing their jobs and being unable to support themselves and their families. No concern for the fact that economies are starting to fail around the world. She is completely unable to see that this is not all about her, but that people are suffering around the world in far worse ways than she is.<br />
<br />
Sigh.<br />
<br />
But as I have written previously, there is one blog that I do check on a regular basis. I don't know why I check this blog. It is neither original nor compelling in any way. It is just like every other hateful blog of its kind. Yet, I find myself going back to it almost every day. And every new post is more hateful than the next.<br />
<br />
I am talking about <a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Les Femmes - The Truth</a>, possibly the most misnamed blog on the Internet. There is very little approaching The Truth found on this blog. It is mostly a anti-Pope Francis/anti-Catholic Magesterium screed and has, sadly, devolved into the rants and raves of a very angry woman, Mary Ann Kreitzer. As I have pointed out, Mary Ann sees herself and others who believe as she does as targeted victims of the Church closings. That is the definition of paranoid. And Mary Ann, that is not an ad hominem attack. That is just a fact.<br />
<br />
I have tried over and over again to dialogue with her, but she completely cuts me off. I try to post comments on her blog, but she refuses to publish them. She did acknowledge me in a post, but then gave no links to who I am or to my blog. She identified me as "a Catholic with her own blog which I rarely read." Her post was entitled, "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-laugh-of-day-of-silly-trolls-and.html" target="_blank">The Laugh of The Day: Silly Trolls and Tattletales!</a>"<br />
<br />
Mary Ann discussed three "trolls" on her blog: me and two other people.<br />
<br />
She wrote this about me:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>One of the trolls is a Catholic with her own blog which I rarely read. I tried to engage with her for awhile, but realized it was pointless, and have only read, I think, one post on her blog in over a year. That one defended the Pachamama stunt at the Vatican. What a head-shaker!</b></span></blockquote>
Mary Ann's statement about trying to "engage" with me is a complete lie. She has never tried to engage with me. She has just completely cut me off. Mary Ann has told me to just go away and quit reading her blog. That is hardly "engaging" with me.<br />
<br />
She then mentioned a "gentleman from Ireland appears to be mentally ill." She gives no reason at all why this "gentleman appears to be mentally ill" other than he calls her and her co-bloggers "faithless women and other less flattering pejoratives." I have no idea what has been actually said, but if that is true, I would agree. Anyone who rejects the Pope, as Mary Ann does, has lost her faith.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mary Ann does not like being called a "faithless woman" and accused of not being Catholic. However, she has many, many times called Pope Francis an "evil" man and accused many priests, prelates and others, including me, of being "faithless Catholics". Maybe she should think about that.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mary Ann's identifies her third "troll" as:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>I think a woman, although she hides behind anonymity [and] is giving me lots of laughs lately. The other day she wrote, "Ok. This blog is officially designated as CRAZY!!!" (I didn't post her silly comment which, again, was nothing but an ad hominem attack.)."</b></span></blockquote>
<div>
Mary Ann then wrote:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>This troll appears to be friends with the blogger troll. They are two peas in a pod so she can easily take her ad hominem attacks to that blogger who will happily post them. It won't bother me because I'll never see them since I don't read it. As I said, Life is too short.</b></span></blockquote>
And once again, Mary Ann could not be more wrong. I have no idea who "this troll" is. But yes, unless a comment is obscene or over-the-top hateful, I will print it. I am not afraid to engage with people because I am not defending myself, as Mary Ann does. I try to defend only the truth of Jesus Christ. I also realize, unlike Mary Ann, that I can be wrong and it is good to listen to other points of view.<br />
<br />
Mary Ann wrote that this third "troll" has threatened to report her to the bishop. Mary Ann responded with this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>As for the bishop, the last four (Bishop Thomas Welsh, Bishop John Keating, Bishop Paul Loverde, and the current bishop, Michael Burbidge) were and are all well aware of what I do. I've been publishing a newsletter in the diocese for twenty-five years that goes to the bishop, the chancery staff, and every pastor and parochial vicar in Arlington (with a few exceptions) as well as many of the DREs and school principals. I'm not exactly hiding behind a rock marked "anonymous" or "unknown."</b></span></blockquote>
Mary Ann is a lay person. She is not a priest or religious. She is free to do or say whatever she wants. No bishop or any other authority will ever personally correct her no matter how off the mark she is. Just sending the newsletter to a bishop means absolutely nothing. So this is no defense in any way.<br />
<br />
Mary Ann then posted a scripture which she said was a favorite of her late brother:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"The perverse are hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite." Douay-Rheims translation of Ecclesiastes 1:15</b></span></blockquote>
Funny how we can look right at something and not see it.<br />
<br />
I actually did write a comment to the post, which of course Mary Ann did not publish. My comment was as follows:<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Mary Ann, you are outright lying about me. You did not try to "engage" with me. You cut me off because you didn't like what I was saying. I never did ad hominem attacks against you. I argued with your views.<br /><br />You have totally discredited yourself with that lie about me. And according to Cardinal Sarah, you have also totally cut yourself off from Christ and His Church with your hateful posts about Pope Francis, questioning whether he is even Catholic.<br /><br />"Whoever is against the Pope is ipso facto out of the Church. Providence sees us very well, you know?"<br /><br />I don't know why I keep coming back to your blog. Mostly I just look at your titles and give a quick skim. Some of the posts are so hateful I can't stomach to do even that much.<br /><br />I read very few other blogs with the exception of Zuhlsdorf because he gives a good reading of the trash posted by other radicals. All of anti-Francis blogs sound exactly the same. No original thought whatsoever. If you've read one, you've read them all.<br /><br />I have posted on my blog about you, pleading that you will repent of your rejection of Pope Francis. I have never done that with anyone else. I find myself actually praying for you. I can only think that the Holy Spirit wants me to pray for you, because to be totally honest, I would prefer to pay no more attention to you than I do any other anti-Francis blogger. But something won't let me.<br /><br />You might want to take a closer look at that verse you posted.<br /><br />Of course, you won't post this comment either.<br /><br />May Our Lord have mercy on your soul.</b></span></blockquote>
We live in very serious times. Our world is literally on the brink of complete disaster in many different ways, and COVID-19 is a just a part of this. COVID-19 is a virus which started with bats who transmitted it to animals, who transmitted it to us. The reason we are interacting with these animals is because we are destroying their natural habitat and displacing them, causing them to interact with us in a manner that would not be happening if we respected nature instead of trying to conquer it.<br />
<br />
We are destroying the earth at an unprecedented rate. From an 2018 article in The Guardian entitled, "<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2018/jun/27/one-football-pitch-of-forest-lost-every-second-in-2017-data-reveals" target="_blank">One football pitch of forest lost every second in 2017, data reveals</a>":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The world lost more than one football pitch of forest every second in 2017, according to new data from a global satellite survey, adding up to an area equivalent to the whole of Italy over the year.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The scale of tree destruction, much of it done illegally, poses a grave threat to tackling both climate change and the massive global decline in wildlife. The loss in 2017 recorded by <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/" target="_blank">Global Forest Watch</a> was 29.4m hectares, the second highest recorded since the monitoring began in 2001.</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;">Global tree cover losses have doubled since 2003, while deforestation in crucial tropical rainforest has doubled since 2008. A falling trend in Brazil has been reversed amid political instability and forest destruction has soared in Colombia.</span></b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;">Forest losses are a huge contributor to the carbon emissions driving global warming, about the same as total emissions from the US, which is the world’s second biggest polluter. Deforestation destroys wildlife habitat and is a key reason for </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/29/earth-lost-50-wildlife-in-40-years-wwf" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #c70000; cursor: pointer; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" target="_blank">populations of wildlife having plunged by half</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;"> in the last 40 years, starting a </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/10/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-event-already-underway-scientists-warn" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #c70000; cursor: pointer; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" target="_blank">sixth mass extinction</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;">.</span></b></span></blockquote>
This is only one way in which we are destroying our earth: we are also raping the land of its national resources with oil drilling, fracking and mining. We are pouring deadly chemicals and plastics into our oceans, killing sea life at such a rate that it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastics in the oceans than fish. We all eat and drink a credit card's worth of plastic every week. We are drowning in our own toxic garbage.<br />
<br />
Our food is being genetically modified to the point where it will no longer nourish us. Fresh, drinkable water is fast becoming the most precious commodity in the world.<br />
<br />
We are also dealing with wars around the globe, contributing to the misery and death of untold millions and even more destruction of the land. Much of the world lives in poverty. Even here in the United States, COVID-19 has exposed the fact that most people are literally living paycheck to paycheck. Missing just one paycheck left 40% of NYC unable to pay their rent.<br />
<br />
According to a Global Wealth Report published in 2019 from the Credit Suisse Research Institute, the<br />
"bottom half of wealth holders collectively accounted for less than 1% of total global wealth," while "the richest 10% own 82% of global wealth and the top 1% alone own 45%." [<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/half-worlds-entire-wealth-hands-millionaires/story?id=66440320" target="_blank">Source</a>].<br />
<br />
As the COVID-19 crisis has shown us, all of this is the recipe for a complete disaster. We are on the edge of a cliff, and it will not take much to push us off completely. COVID-19 just might do it, especially if the shutdown of the world economy goes on for any length of time, which seems more than likely.<br />
<br />
The USA has been dealing with COVID-19 for only a few short weeks, and already we lead the world by far in the number of infections and deaths. What will happen if this is not resolved in the next couple of months? Hang on to your seats. This is going to get very rough.<br />
<br />
I know there are many conspiracy theories, that this disease is some kind of germ warfare, or that the elite are doing this to gain control of everything. Yes, we have been lied to many times in the past by government, media and others, and the elite of the world are all about power and money. Sometimes conspiracy theories are correct. I do not trust government or any other power in this world because we have been lied to so many times.<br />
<br />
But the reason people want to believe in conspiracy theories concerning COVID-19 is because they want to reject the reality of just how dangerous and out of control our world is. Things aren't really as bad as they seem. Someone is pulling the strings, and they won't let everything be destroyed.<br />
<br />
But there is no way COVID-19 is a part of anyone's plan. And contrary to many fundamentalists, COVID-19 is not a plague sent from God. It is a plague of our own making, brought about by our destruction of the world. We are reaping what we have sown, and the most innocent and vulnerable among us are paying the price right now. But it is not going to stop there. Soon the elite will be paying the price as well.<br />
<br />
The bishops did not take the Mass and the Sacraments away. COVID-19 took it away, along with everything else it has destroyed. Those who blame the bishops are deluding themselves. They need to wake up to reality. They need to recognize the fragile times in which we live.<br />
<br />
We all need to realize that we are in this sinking ship together. COVID-19 is a deadly enemy that we are only beginning to understand. And like most viruses, it will most likely be mutating, leaving us constantly behind, never able to catch up.<br />
<br />
We will not find refuge and strength in attacking each other. Our only refuge and strength is admitting the truth about what we have done to our earth and then repenting of our sins against the earth, our sins against each other and, most importantly, our sins against our Creator.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyFikS_RTIECTZ0Ty-kfApQ8eiIWd-KOseGpifl9P0jTE70TxOg9Gc43yn7p7TzCDw1VhJ0ifb1gs8g5akSimrHEvojhPcltx_A69A-iNQxVKUvHJZhZr5F6BLQ3w9g_hZQlM9ppLvg/s1600/ZR.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1350" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyFikS_RTIECTZ0Ty-kfApQ8eiIWd-KOseGpifl9P0jTE70TxOg9Gc43yn7p7TzCDw1VhJ0ifb1gs8g5akSimrHEvojhPcltx_A69A-iNQxVKUvHJZhZr5F6BLQ3w9g_hZQlM9ppLvg/s640/ZR.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-33077429233822267432020-04-04T21:42:00.002-04:002020-04-04T22:00:34.668-04:00Is Being Willing to Die for a Disease an Heroic Act or Just Plain Stupidity and Selfishness?<div class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sz1bGzYdRdk" width="480"></iframe></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I write this, the world is in the midst of the worst pandemic of the 21st century, and the worst in many, many decades before that. We have never seen a virus travel so quickly throughout the world or one as deadly as COVID-19. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At the moment, there have been 1,182,830 confirmed cases and 63,925 deaths worldwide. In the US, there have been 301,147 confirmed cases and 8,173 deaths. And this all began only a little more than 3 months ago, on December 31, 2019 when the first COVID-19 infection was diagnosed. [<a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries" target="_blank">SOURCE</a>] If you click on the link, you will see the updated numbers, which will be much higher than those I have stated here. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death in the United States. From The <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/news/490614-analysis-coronavirus-now-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-us" target="_blank">Hill.com</a>. April 1, 2020:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The coronavirus has become the third-highest cause of death in the U.S., according to a doctor's analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Maria Danilychev of San Diego charted coronavirus growth throughout the country and found that COVID-19 fatalities had surpassed Alzheimer's, stroke and chronic lung disease with 748 deaths per day and rising, <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article241677891.html" target="_blank">The Sacramento Bee reported Wednesday</a>.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The analysis is based on reports from a single day, assuming the rate of deaths remains the same or increases from now until the virus hits the projected apex towards the end of April.</b></span></blockquote>
Yet, there are still many people who are insisting on their right to meet together during this storm. Sadly, that includes many Catholics who have condemned their bishops for closing churches everywhere in an attempt to save as many lives as possible. </div>
<div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FFDIDFMXXY" target="_blank">video from just a couple of days ago</a>, Taylor Marshall, ultra right wing radical traditionalist, said this:</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>From the very beginning and I still do, when this whole thing started breaking out, when the bishops called off Masses, before the State even recommended it or asked for it, I said this is a problem, this is a hype, we need go to careful, maybe there are increments we can do here, but just turning off the spigot of public worship is not the right idea.</b></span></blockquote>
Marshall also admitted he went to a public Mass in a barn a few days prior to the video, in direct disobedience to his bishop. He said everyone was medically checked before going in, they sat 6 feet apart, received communion 6 feet apart, and the priest was "super careful" in putting the host on each person's tongue.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Nonetheless, Marshall blatantly and without remorse disobeyed his bishop as did everyone else who attended that Mass. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Is Marshall a hero, or a fool who is putting not only his own life in danger but everyone around him, including his wife and eight children? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We need to understand that we are not fighting an enemy whose goal is to destroy the Church. This is not the French Revolution when they were cutting off the heads of priests and nuns. This is not England when priests were being drawn and quartered. This is not Mexico when Catholics were lined up and shot.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We are talking about a disease which kills indiscriminately. ALL public gatherings, from sports to concerts to movie theaters to restaurants are shut down. No one is being discriminated against. This is not directed only against the Catholic Church or any church. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We are at war against a deadly and highly infectious disease, and right now our only weapon against this disease is the most famous phrase in the world: social distancing. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It is now believed that COVID-19 is not spread only by touching, coughing or sneezing. This disease is spread even through <i style="font-weight: bold;">talking </i>or just <i style="font-weight: bold;">breathing</i>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/health/aerosol-coronavirus-spread-white-house-letter/index.html" target="_blank">CNN.com</a>, dated April 4, 2020:</div>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>A prestigious scientific panel told the White House Wednesday night that research shows coronavirus can be spread not just by sneezes or coughs, but also just by talking, or possibly even just breathing. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"While the current [coronavirus] specific research is limited, the results of available studies are consistent with aerosolization of virus from normal breathing," according to the letter, written by Dr. Harvey Fineberg, chairman of a committee with the National Academy of Sciences.<br />. . . </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Fineberg, chair of the <a href="https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/standing-committee-on-emerging-infectious-diseases-and-21st-century-health-threats#sectionCommittee" target="_blank">NAS' Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats</a>, said his letter was sent Wednesday evening in response to a query from Kelvin Droegemeier with the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"This letter responds to your question concerning the possibility that [coronavirus] could be spread by conversation, in addition to sneeze/cough-induced droplets," the letter states. "Currently available research supports the possibility that [coronavirus] could be spread via bioaerosols generated directly by patients' exhalation," it continues.<br />. . . </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Research by the University of Nebraska shows that genetic material from the virus was found in patients' rooms more than 6 feet away from the patients, according to the letter. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Fineberg said it's possible that aerosolized coronavirus droplets can hang in the air and potentially infect someone who walks by later. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>He added, however, that coronavirus is not as infectious as measles or tuberculosis. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>How long coronavirus lingers in the air depends on several factors, including how much virus an infected individual puts out when breathing or talking, and also on the amount of circulation in the air, he said. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"If you generate an aerosol of the virus with no circulation in a room, it's conceivable that if you walk through later, you could inhale the virus," Fineberg said. "But if you're outside, the breeze will likely disperse it."</b></span></blockquote>
So it seems that even if we do 6 feet social distancing in groups, as Marshall did when he attended his illicit Mass, but you walk through the same air that an infected person breathed, you could also be infected. This is why the CDC is now strongly recommending that we all wear masks when out in public.<br />
<br />
There is no doubt in my mind that the Church was guided by the Holy Spirit to cancel public Masses and suspend the reception of Sacraments when she did. <br />
<br />
But for many self-righteous Catholics, they feel that danger of infecting others should not be a reason to cancel public Masses or suspend the Sacraments. If we really love God, we should be willing to sacrifice lives for the Mass.<br />
<br />
Rorate-Caeli, the schismatic blog written by radical right wing traditionalists, posted an article entitled, "<a href="https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-bishops-have-abandoned-us-these.html" target="_blank">The Bishops Have Abandoned Us: These Wolves Deserve All Our Contempt and Disdain</a>." I will give them credit for the common sense stated in their first sentences:<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The worldwide situation is serious.<br /><br />The underlying illness causing the situation is also serious.</b></span></blockquote>
Wow, it seems they are actually not fighting reality here.<br />
<br />
But then the usual hateful and divisive condemnation follows:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>But the attitude of most bishops in most affected countries is simply despicable, repugnant, deserving all our contempt and disdain. Not content with having thrown the faithful for decades to the care of sexual abusers, now, in the moment of greatest need, they simply abandon </b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>us.</b></span></span></blockquote>
The motto of ultra right traditionalists: never let a crisis go to waste if you can use it to condemn Catholic hierarchy.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-clip: padding-box; background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , "garamond";">Their hate continues: </span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The suspension of large gatherings (including public masses) is quite understandable. <span style="color: blue;">[Whoa, yet another rational statement. Amazing, But then the rational thinking stops.]</span> But the other measures are abusive, and a sign of the complete disregard of these wolves who pretend to be shepherds for the souls of the faithful. But the act of many, apparently most, bishops to close churches to simple individual prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament? And, much worse, <i style="background-clip: padding-box; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">to "ban" confessions in the time of greatest need? To "ban" last rites, including the viaticum and extreme unction in the time of greatest peril?</i><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></b></span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-clip: padding-box; background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i style="background-clip: padding-box; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"></i>What is the point of the Church at all, of the priesthood, if these physicians of the soul abandon the sick right now? How come Francis mentioned the church as a "field hospital" from day one of his pontificate, and, when the need for actual field hospitals is here, priests and bishops simply do not show up? Do they have to despise the laity that much? THIS is clericalism of the worst kind. <span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></b></span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-clip: padding-box; background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">Note this, bishops who have "banned" confessions and last rites in this time:</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; color: red; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">WE WILL NOT FORGET THAT YOU ABANDONED US IN THE MOMENT OF GREATEST NEED.</span><b style="color: red;"> </b> [emphasis in original]</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , "garamond";"> </span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
I would actually agree with this idiotic rant if we were talking about persecution such as the French, English and Mexicans faced in their respective times. <br />
<br />
But we are talking about disease! If I am killed because of persecution, I lose only my own life. That is what martyrdom is all about - being willing to die for your faith, and as has been rightly said, "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church."<br />
<br />
But becoming infected with this disease and dying from it does not make me or anyone else a martyr. If I become infected with COVID-19, I could infect many others and even be responsible for their deaths. I will also be contributing to crippling the healthcare system and making it impossible for doctors and nurses to fully care for those who need it.<br />
<br />
If we follow the advice of these radicals, we are nothing more than selfish, uncaring people who want what we want, consequences be damned.<br />
<br />
This past week a Brooklyn priest died from COVID-19. He was 49 years old. From the New York Times, in an article entitled, "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/nyregion/Father-Jorge-Ortiz-Garay-coronavirus-death.html" target="_blank">He Said Mass Via Live Stream. 8 Days Later, He Fell to the Virus</a>":<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay did not want his parishioners to be afraid. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The world all around us is in crisis, he said as he celebrated Mass at St. Brigid’s Church in Brooklyn on March 19, the pews empty and his flock watching at home <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stbrigidchurchbrooklyn/videos/2941416959249400/" target="_blank">via live stream</a>. But perhaps the coronavirus, and the fear it has brought, can be seen as an opportunity to become closer to God. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>“There’s no better time than this time of trials, this time of challenges, to fulfill our call to holiness,” said Father Jorge, as he was known. “At these moments of trial and crisis, at these times when maybe we are asking what will happen to us, trust in the Father.” </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>He assured his parishioners that he was in good health. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>But eight days later Father Jorge died at Wyckoff Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn. He was 49.</b></span></blockquote>
Father Jorge seemed fine at the time he said Mass, which you will see if you go to the link. But the disease killed him eight days later. That is how deadly COVID-19 is.<br />
<br />
In Italy, 60 priests have died from COVID-19.<br />
<br />
Yet, we have the idiots at Rorate Caeli and others condemning the bishops because they won't allow face-to-face reception of the Sacraments.<br />
<br />
Mass and the Sacraments are vital to our spiritual salvation. But will God hold it against us if, through no fault of our own, we are unable to receive these Sacraments? You really think God is that petty? Obviously, the right wing radicals believe that.<br />
<br />
Many, many saints and martyrs have had to live without the Mass and the Sacraments. Japanese Catholics lived for 200 hundreds without priests, Sacraments or the Mass. From an article dated March 7, 2017 entitled, "<a href="https://www.ucanews.com/news/japanese-catholics-celebrate-anniversary-of-hidden-communities/78569" target="_blank">Japanese Catholics celebrate anniversary of hidden communities</a>":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Catholics in southern Japan are remembering when two of their hidden communities discovered each other 150 years ago during a time of persecution.<br /><br />In March 1865, while Christianity was still banned in Japan, a French missionary discovered hidden Catholics in Nagasaki. <span style="color: blue;">For more than 200 years they had kept their faith in secret and lived without any priests</span>. Two years later, another hidden Catholic community was discovered in Imamura village about 100 kilometers east of Nagasaki when a Christian from Urakami village, Nagasaki, went to a town near Imamura and heard rumors of their presence.<br /><br />The Christian returned to Nagasaki and told the French missionary who sent four Japanese Christians to Imamura to confirm.*<br /><br />Three days later, on Feb. 26, 1867, the four arrived in the village. A local woman invited them to her house because they had nowhere to stay. When the women began to prepare a meal for them using either chicken or eggs, the messengers declined, saying that they would eat neither chicken nor eggs at that time.<br /><br />The surprised women replied, "You too?" and realized that her guests also kept the Lenten fast. After the discovery, the Imamura Catholics sent two villagers back to Nagasaki to confirm that missionaries were there. Since then, the two communities have maintained close relations with each other.<br /><br />In the same year as the Imamura discovery, a massive crackdown started in Urakami. Some 3,400 Urakami Catholics were exiled and about 670 villagers died, most of them by torture, until the ban on Christianity was removed in 1873.</b></span></blockquote>
These Japanese Catholics were under severe persecution, and lived for generations without any access to a priest or the Sacraments. Not only did they not lose their faith, they were so strong that they were willing to die rather than renounce their Catholic beliefs.<br />
<br />
Yet we hear crybaby 21st Century Western Catholics whining and carrying on because they have to stay in their nice comfortable homes where they are asked to ride out a global pandemic in order to keep others safe.<br />
<br />
Listen to the always disgusting Michael Matt:<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Panic kills. So let's kill panic before panic kills us. </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ready for some good news? Tom Hanks has not only recovered but is back in the States and doing just fine. Given how much media attention was given to his testing positive for COVID-19, we wonder why more media attention isn't being paid to his recovery.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Is it going to be "the sky is falling" and "it's the end of the world" for the rest of the summer? What's going on here?<br /><br />By the way, did you know that 80,000 Americans died of the flu in 2018? Neither did we. What's going on here? </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Plus, John Stewart, The Simpsons, stand-up comics -- they were all mocking the H1N1 pandemic back in 2009. Why? Because of the same dangerous, media-generated panic that we see going on now. In 2009, the comics helped to pop the panic baloon [sic].<br /> <br />Finally, as Dr. Oz and other prominent doctors warn against another kind of pandemic -- one involving serious nation-wide mental health consequences associated with COVID-19 panic -- Michael Matt joins the growing chorus of serious voices demanding that the media tone down the fear mongering and begin to get real about what's going on here.</b></span></blockquote>
Michael Matt endangers both the spiritual and physical lives of everyone who listens to him.<br />
<br />
The reason COVID-19 cannot be compared to other viruses, including H1N1 as referenced by Michael Matt is because of the rapidity with which it spreads. No other virus has spread anywhere near as quickly as COVID-19. As the video at the top of this post tells us, "COVID-19 has become the second deadliest epidemic of the 2000s." And COVID-19 is well on its way to becoming the deadliest epidemic in the 21st Century, dwarfing the 2010-2013 Cholera outbreak.<br />
<br />
Our hospitals here in New York are completely overwhelmed and filled almost entirely with COVID patients. I hear sirens constantly throughout the day and night. I feel like I am in the middle of a war and that is because I am. If it is still quiet where you are, just wait. You will be experiencing the same thing.<br />
<br />
As of this writing, 310,849 hospitalized cases of COVID-19 have had an outcome throughout the world. 246,174, or 79%, have recovered and been discharged from the hospital But 64,675, or 21% have resulted in death. The youngest victim that we know of was a 6 week old baby in Connecticut.<br />
<br />
COVID-19 is a tsunami washing over the entire earth. Right now our only weapon is to shelter in place. If you refuse to do that, then you have become a tool for the enemy, COVID-19, spreading the disease, infecting and killing others.<br />
<br />
There may very well come a time when we will have to face death for our beliefs. But this is not the time.<br />
<br />
The martyrs in the war against COVID-19 are those on the front line: the nurses and doctors and other healthcare workers, the fireman, the policeman and EMTs.<br />
<br />
But those who insist on gathering in public, whether it be for a day at the beach or Mass, are only stupid, selfish and uncaring about anyone but themselves.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-pO4G20gXYOWSXH0__kk4dLJ4KgFgO5d9WQb57yiQwoULcyOnDUrJk6_eyAUx-vp1g0ejUzUBcbAABxbk2O0YxwpHSKtXmVTU6teey_wuR15_9sINtod5iUev4qV85Q37pOM-JW8Wg/s1600/PRC_147184199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="644" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-pO4G20gXYOWSXH0__kk4dLJ4KgFgO5d9WQb57yiQwoULcyOnDUrJk6_eyAUx-vp1g0ejUzUBcbAABxbk2O0YxwpHSKtXmVTU6teey_wuR15_9sINtod5iUev4qV85Q37pOM-JW8Wg/s640/PRC_147184199.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-33993435957298769892020-03-25T15:57:00.002-04:002021-08-16T12:45:08.081-04:00Selfish Conservatives/Trads Acting Like Spoiled Spring Breakers<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oa4i9Ap6dCg?clip=&clipt=EAAYAA%3D%3D" width="480"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
We were all shocked at the callousness and selfishness displayed by these Florida spring breakers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. People are getting sick and dying around the world, but all these young people can think about is the fun they want to have, giving no thought or concern whatsoever to their role in spreading this pandemic to others, causing even more sickness and death.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is the exact same attitude I see displayed on conservative/trad websites in regard to attending Mass. C'mon, you say! Going to spring break and Mass are hardly the same thing! We want to worship God, not party down with sex and drugs! </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The trads are telling us that there can never be a reason to cancel Mass and close the churches, not even in the midst of a pandemic. After all, they didn't even close churches during the bubonic plague in the Middle Ages. We must always have access to God and the Sacraments. (I guess they believe that God can only be found in churches and nowhere else)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But the fact is, all large gatherings, no matter what the purpose, are putting people at extreme risk with COVID-19. This is the most infectious disease we have seen in the 21st Century, and for many decades before that. Church doors, unfortunately, do not have the capability of holding back this coronavirus, a completely new disease about which very little is known and to which no adult seems to be immune. </div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>In a <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/07/harvard-forum-experts-warn-most-daunting-virus-in-50-years/" target="_blank">Harvard forum in early March</a>, COVID-19's global rampage was discussed by a panel including a veteran epidemiologist:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 2px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
“It’s the most daunting virus that we’ve contended with in half a century or more,” Michael Mina, an epidemiologist at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 2px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
The spread of the new coronavirus has been compared to influenza, which also causes a respiratory illness. But, as the panelists pointed out, there are no drugs or vaccines yet for treating or preventing the virus, known as SARS-CoV-2, as there are for flu. In addition, we are exposed to different flu strains throughout our lives, which help us build immunity. No one had immunity to this new virus.<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 2px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
“We have an entirely susceptible population,” Mina said. “The potential for this to burn through a population very quickly is very high without extraordinary measures.”As researchers race to study the virus, <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/03/who-is-getting-sick-and-how-sick-a-breakdown-of-coronavirus-risk-by-demographic-factors/" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1fadb6;">they are finding </a>that it does not seem to be infecting great numbers of children, or at least making them very sick. (Experts around the globe are still trying to figure out just how broadly the infection has spread, given that many mild cases are likely to be missed.) But it is causing serious harm to older people and those with underlying diseases or weakened immune systems.<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 2px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
“This virus, on the one hand, there’s a saving grace that it doesn’t seem to be impacting our young, and that is amazing,” Mina said. “But the mortality rate among people who are getting infected above 80 years old is 15-plus%.”</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This disease is spreading exponentially. The best definition of exponential that I have heard is this. Say you are the only person in a sports arena, sitting at the top of the bleachers. A drop of water falls to the floor, followed by 2 drops, 4 drops, 8 drops, 16 drops, 32 drops, 64 drops, etc. It would take 27 minutes to cover the floor. In the next 3 minutes, you, sitting at the top of the bleachers, would be covered. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
That is how fast COVID-19 is spreading. From an article entitled, "<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/24/global-coronavirus-cases-cross-400000-doubling-in-a-week-as-pandemic-accelerates.html" target="_blank">Virus cases surge tenfold in a week to 50,000, global infections soar past 400,000</a>" dated Tuesday, March 24, 2020:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>Confirmed U.S. cases <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/17/us-coronavirus-cases-surpass-5000-up-fivefold-from-a-week-ago.html" target="_blank">passed 5,000 just one week ago</a>. On March 1, there were roughly 100 confirmed cases in the U.S. . . [As of March 24, 2020, 2:15 p.m. ET], the virus has infected more than 50,206 people and killed at least 600 people [in the United States]. </b></span></blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>“The pandemic is accelerating,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing from the organization’s Geneva headquarters. “<span style="color: red;">It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for second 100,000 cases, and just four days for the third 100,000 cases.</span>”</b></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As of the time I write this, March 25, the worldwide total cases is 452,241 confirmed cases and 20,495 deaths. You can find the most updated information <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-cases/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <br />
<br />
We have not seen any disease in modern times spread like COVID-19. As I heard one leading epidemiologist say, if COVID-19 is not contained, it could literally crush the American healthcare system, not to mention almost every part of our economy. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
You may not care whether you contract the disease, just like these Spring breakers, but do you care if you are passing it on to others who may get very sick and even die from it? Do you care if you are contributing to the complete destruction of our society? That is no exaggeration. This is what we are talking about. COVID-19 is a monster looking to destroy everything.<br />
<br />
This post is a response to Mary Ann Kreitzer at LesFemmes, who wrote a post entitled: "<a href="https://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2020/03/give-us-mass-offer-it-with-sensible.html" target="_blank">Give us the Mass! Offer it with Sensible Precautions, but Offer it Publicly!</a>" Mary Ann's first paragraph shows her ignorance of this disease:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>I'll be honest. I'm tired of being told how unprecedented the situation with the coronavirus is. Are we hearing this because people are totally ignorant of history? The 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic infected a quarter of the world's population at the time and killed millions including Jacinta and Francisco Marto, the seers of Fatima. </b></span></blockquote>
Hopefully, Mary Ann is right, and COVID-19 will not be as deadly as the Spanish flu. But do we really need to see illnesses and deaths on the scale of the Spanish flu before we act?<br />
<br />
The fact remains that COVID-19 is the most infectious disease in our life times. The Spanish flu affected one quarter of the then world's population. The estimate for this disease is 50%-80% of the world population.<br />
<br />
As stated, I do hope and pray that COVID-19 will not be as deadly as the Spanish flu, but it is still kills far more than any ordinary flu.<br />
<br />
Below is a chart from an article by <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/this-coronavirus-is-unlike-anything-in-our-lifetime-and-we-have-to-stop-comparing-it-to-the-flu" target="_blank">ProPublica</a> showing the death rate of COVID-19 compared to ordinary flu:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooOE-RtBSU8JjmT7lin4Iq5MSf6H4DwM7A-fx0_VTFxZGs5-76fuj3bem3dlMfc2h3hNOAScF1IVs6KKdvAcVmM29H_nquauBRprOl4BOpcBc5n30D-S1rq-hHPrMJGkXyG7vxU2_kA/s1600/Flu+vs+Covid.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooOE-RtBSU8JjmT7lin4Iq5MSf6H4DwM7A-fx0_VTFxZGs5-76fuj3bem3dlMfc2h3hNOAScF1IVs6KKdvAcVmM29H_nquauBRprOl4BOpcBc5n30D-S1rq-hHPrMJGkXyG7vxU2_kA/s640/Flu+vs+Covid.webp" width="554" /></a></div>
<br />
As the article states:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>The flu kills less than 1% of infected people who are over age 65. By comparison, in China, COVID-19 killed 8% of those infected who were 70-79 and almost 15% of those infected who were age 80 or older. That’s a staggering difference.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>Even for younger people, the difference was striking. Flu killed .02% of infected patients age 18-49. It’s 10 times that for COVID-19.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>In other countries, such as South Korea, the death rate has been far lower.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b><span style="color: red;">But if 1 in 12 people age 70-79 who get the virus and 1 in 7 people age 80 or older who get the virus die, and the virus spreads to 20%, 40% or 70% of the population, we’re talking massive death tolls, the likes of which we have never seen before in our lives.</span></b></span></blockquote>
Does that change your perspective at all, Mary Ann?<br />
<br />
Mary Ann then tries to make excuses for the tremendous hit Italy has taken from this disease, including people traveling from there to Wuhan, China and back, the old population in Europe, and the number of smokers. Yes, these are definitely factors.<br />
<br />
But Mary Ann's analysis completely discounts the nature of this virus, that being its extreme infectious rate. Mary Ann also ignores the fact that although the elderly die at higher rates, young people are also dying. We have seen young, healthy athletes come down with this disease and end up in the hospital.<br />
<br />
Mary Ann then writes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>It's sad to see so many in the Catholic world attacking anyone who urges that Masses remain public following sensible safety precautions. Increase the number of Masses and limit the number at each. Initiate distancing rules, sanitize the pews (the faithful would gladly help with that I'm sure). If Communion is distributed, have the priest sanitize his hands after each Communicant and wear a mask. If that isn't practical lead a spiritual Communion prayer instead.</b></span></blockquote>
Again, Mary Ann shows her complete ignorance of the way in which COVID-19 spreads. This disease can stay on surfaces for days at a time. People are becoming infected who have had no contact with anyone showing symptoms and no risk factors, such as traveling. There is a reason why the epidemiologists, who have studied infectious diseases and the way they work, are telling us that we must self isolate to stop the spread.<br />
<br />
Mary Ann then gives us this tired argument:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>Be honest! Are you still going to the pharmacy...the grocery store...the gas station...Lowes and Home Depot? Is a package of toilet paper or a light bulb more necessary than the Mass?</b></span></blockquote>
As I wrote on her blog, people have to eat. There are some risks that we must take, such as getting food and medicine and gas for their cars. Yes, Mary Ann, we do need such things as toilet paper and light bulbs.<br />
<br />
Are these things more important than Mass? In the light of our eternal life, no. But we absolutely need these things to survive. No one can survive without food. Is Mary Ann saying that if we can't go to Mass, we shouldn't go to the store for essentials? She is comparing apples and oranges.<br />
<br />
I love the Mass. Since returning to the Church in 2007, I have always tried to attend Daily Mass. I retired in 2017, and since then I have attended a 7:00 a.m. Mass every week day, getting on the subway at 6:30 in the morning to get there. My day feels completely wrong without it. I love going to the Mass and spending time with the Blessed Sacrament afterwards. Every time I walk into the Church, I thank God for the Church, the priest and my ability to get there and participate.<br />
<br />
Our churches here in NYC are now completely closed. Last week they were still open for individual prayer, but after priests and lay people from a few churches were infected, all churches in the Brooklyn diocese were closed.<br />
<br />
I am now in the second week without public Mass, and I miss it terribly. I miss my 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. I miss spending time with the Blessed Sacrament. But I understand and accept that it is just not possible to have the Mass without literally endangering people's lives.<br />
<br />
Our Lord told us we must love our neighbor as ourselves, and that means doing everything we can not to endanger the lives of our neighbors. Mary Ann doesn't seem to have learned that lesson.<br />
<br />
Mary Ann wrote in her blog post:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>Yes, it's all about priorities. Are we really so lacking in faith that we don't trust God to know the correct hour to call us home? Is the coronavirus a worse way to go than cancer, stroke, and heart disease? I can't imagine anyone deliberately seeking infection, but since all estimates show that MOST OF US will contract the virus regardless of what we do, should the Church deep six the greatest consolation for the world? Is the body really more important than the soul? [Emphasis Mary Ann]</b></span></blockquote>
Mary Ann seems to have no concern for anyone but herself. She is willing to fall victim to the disease. That is her decision to make.<br />
<br />
But Mary Ann also feels nothing wrong with forcing that decision on everyone else, including possibly leaving small children without parents who succumb to the disease. She feels there is nothing wrong with infecting others and crushing our healthcare system to the point where people cannot get the treatment they need. She is literally willing to sacrifice other people's lives to have what she wants.<br />
<br />
Mary Ann also seems to forget that because of the tremendous rate of this disease, it is also taking away from others who suffer from cancer, heart disease or any other major illness. These people are unable to get the full help they need, not to mention the fact that they are put in great danger if they become infected.<br />
<br />
Sounds a lot like our Florida spring breaker, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
Since I can no longer attend Mass or even go to Church to pray, I now attend Daily TV Mass. I have always done this when I could not attend in person. I pray with a YouTube Mass from Canada, <a href="https://dailytvmass.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Before Mass, I pray my morning prayers, including the Liturgy of the Office and the Rosary. I prepare for the TV Mass the same way I prepared for Mass at Church.<br />
<br />
In case, you didn't know Mary Ann, you can continue to pray to God outside of Church and even outside of Mass. He still hears us.<br />
<br />
When I commented on Mary Ann's blog, she accused me of being afraid. As far as getting COVID-19, I am almost 100% sure I have already had it. I was sick for over 2 weeks in February with all the symptoms: dry cough, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, lack of appetite. Soon they will have tests for antibodies, and then I will know for sure.<br />
<br />
But I am not afraid no matter what. I will accept whatever fate God has for me. I pray this every day and I mean it. But that does not mean I think it is okay for my actions to cause other people to get sick and/or die.<br />
<br />
It is time to start thinking of others.<br />
<br />
BTW, the worldwide statistics for COVID-19 from the time I began this post to now have gone from 452,241 confirmed cases and 20,495 deaths to 461,929 confirmed cases and 20,852 deaths. Keep in mind, that is only the confirmed cases and deaths. This number will be much higher by the time you read this. Check <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-cases/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
God bless you and watch over you and your family in these serious times in which we live.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8J8NRbY7f6yZAmNdVD1DckJH-1VA0h7dlqQ8q7irvSzn35yMjz-KhNnPG7APBMS_Y2YZ9XEQZIEc-OnnugcYO1sF5JZv_oRElVURMtGj4MfMttnoAYK8995wsl-mZ9Ag9Yj9TEE_tQ/s1600/God_Is_Our_Refuge_460_460_80.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8J8NRbY7f6yZAmNdVD1DckJH-1VA0h7dlqQ8q7irvSzn35yMjz-KhNnPG7APBMS_Y2YZ9XEQZIEc-OnnugcYO1sF5JZv_oRElVURMtGj4MfMttnoAYK8995wsl-mZ9Ag9Yj9TEE_tQ/s1600/God_Is_Our_Refuge_460_460_80.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-2559372682415731102019-11-06T13:39:00.000-05:002019-11-07T11:03:13.043-05:00Pachamama: Is It A Gotcha Mama for Enemies of Pope Francis?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTn9XO0kyElaK7huwKEnXA8bVoLVMWpJ_VXht18wj5jiCNoM-ho1WxtB8e9-22eoNMIzw7_g8IVtEl5IpFBXLWRzd6HVLpHXyUSRaPCTgmcyhNphZfokUJlRLLT77g0zuhPiZK-AkOA/s1600/distrust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="854" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTn9XO0kyElaK7huwKEnXA8bVoLVMWpJ_VXht18wj5jiCNoM-ho1WxtB8e9-22eoNMIzw7_g8IVtEl5IpFBXLWRzd6HVLpHXyUSRaPCTgmcyhNphZfokUJlRLLT77g0zuhPiZK-AkOA/s400/distrust.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Pope Francis cannot sneeze without being condemned by Those More Catholic Than The Pope. They have hated him from the time he stepped onto the balcony after being elected pope in 2013, and have been plotting and strategizing to push him out of the papacy from the point on.<br />
<br />
Think I am exaggerating? Here is the post from <a href="https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-horror-buenos-aires-journalist.html" target="_blank">Rorate Caeli,</a> one of the most right-wing, anti-Francis <u>c</u>atholic websites on the Internet, from March 13, 2013, the day of Pope Francis' election:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Of all the unthinkable candidates, Jorge Mario Bergoglio is perhaps the worst. Not because he openly professes doctrines against the faith and morals, but because, judging from his work as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, faith and morals seem to have been irrelevant to him.</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
, , ,</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>May God help His Church. One can never dismiss, as humanly hard as it may seem, the possibility of a conversion... and, nonetheless, the future terrifies us.</b></span> </blockquote>
That could have been written today, 6 and 1/2 years later. These people are consistent, if nothing else.<br />
<br />
There have been a lot of hopeful "gotcha" moments that have come and gone: the synods on marriage, <i>Laudato Si</i>, <i>Amoris Laetitia</i>, Who Am I To Judge?, praising a dead Anglican priest, washing the feet of women on Holy Thursday, the people he talks to, the papal staff he carries at Mass, etc. etc. etc. There have been open letters written by Catholic theologians to Pope Francis accusing the Holy Father of heresy. We can't forget the Dubia by four cardinals (two of whom are now dead) and, of course, Archbishop Vigano's accusations and call for the Pope's resignation. The list goes on and on and on.<br />
<br />
Almost every day the enemies of Francis find some new mud to sling at the Holy Father, but so far, nothing has worked for Those More Catholic Than the Pope. Francis continues to sit in the Chair of Peter.<br />
<br />
But now they are convinced they got him. They have found the silver bullet: PACHAMAMA!! It is indisputable. Francis the heretic is actively and publicly promoting the worship of pagan idols.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_Jxu2FalYef0bP0XoSpSlQlgzc8Mgdkb0GzarmQwIEERcwan8aeQkOB_G3HcE9YOhxE4FnjMeQac7MNxCNLRzP39F9h3pJy_pywy2MEr4Z-RLugRdwjn_GJ1NlxjTZjMajN0ovo09A/s1600/GettyImages-1178968978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="898" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_Jxu2FalYef0bP0XoSpSlQlgzc8Mgdkb0GzarmQwIEERcwan8aeQkOB_G3HcE9YOhxE4FnjMeQac7MNxCNLRzP39F9h3pJy_pywy2MEr4Z-RLugRdwjn_GJ1NlxjTZjMajN0ovo09A/s400/GettyImages-1178968978.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I mean, how can you deny it?! There was Francis in the Vatican garden while people were bowing down to the naked goddess of fertility. This abomination was even paraded through the streets of Rome and then placed at the altar of a Catholic Church. Francis is a heretic and must be resisted!<br />
<br />
The enemies of Pope Francis are experts at leaving out all context when condemning Pope Francis or any of their other myriad enemies. They tell you only what they want you to hear and misdirect you from everything that challenges their accusations. And the "Pachamama" incident is certainly no exception to their devious actions.<br />
<br />
The wooden statues were brought to the Vatican as artifacts representing the indigenous Amazonian culture. There were also other Amazonian symbols as reported in the narration of the official video of the event produced by <a href="https://youtu.be/HAWRvmTBZMs" target="_blank">Vatican News</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>If you're watching, you will see some of the objects that have been brought from the Amazon region, each one of them with its particular symbolism. The symbols of light and water, the fruits of the earth, the seeds, and the symbols of the martyrs, people who have shed their blood in order to defend this Amazon region. We know that many of them are our brothers and sisters of religious communities, and our brothers and sisters in the indigenous community as well.</b></span></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/hermeneutic-suspicion?tid=65" target="_blank">Commonweal</a> gave this description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>At the tree planting a number of items representing life in the Amazon were arranged in a central position on the lawn of the Vatican gardens, with the assembly gathered around them in a circle: a canoe; a cloth covered with images of a river and plants; representations of birds and fish; a net; and several human figures, including martyrs to the faith and two pregnant native women, kneeling, in an introspective pose, with a child visible in the womb of each one.</b></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii930VdXk5UEj6jNuuffx25gVowggatAlGOZr3ExHEm1QGU5V4l54GQK5lWnut-_yGlb3SG2NKmuSro_rabgWbj3Q5phM53D4gS8go2UwEomMSZrVZGuhgMy3iCMTC2kLzpwIq_Tw7Og/s1600/20191021T1248-0066-CNS-SYNOD-STATUES-VANDALISM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="749" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii930VdXk5UEj6jNuuffx25gVowggatAlGOZr3ExHEm1QGU5V4l54GQK5lWnut-_yGlb3SG2NKmuSro_rabgWbj3Q5phM53D4gS8go2UwEomMSZrVZGuhgMy3iCMTC2kLzpwIq_Tw7Og/s400/20191021T1248-0066-CNS-SYNOD-STATUES-VANDALISM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It should be noted that there were not just symbols of the Amazon culture but also Catholic symbols. For instance, almost none of those condemning this ceremony noted that one of the martyrs represented in the Vatican garden was Sister Dorothy Stang, a Catholic missionary who was murdered in Brazil in 2005 for defending small farmers' land rights.<br />
<br />
It is also interesting to note how all of these symbols of the Amazonians are connected. These artifacts are all symbols of nature, beauty and simplicity. They are representative of a humble people living at one with nature, not looking to conquer and exploit nature as we do in our western culture.<br />
<br />
If we were to bring symbols of American culture, it would be cell phones, computers, big screen TV's, cars, processed food, etc., all man made unnatural objects based on our culture of consumption and of the destruction of the earth. There would be no symbols of the natural world, and Western culture would certainly never be represented by a pregnant woman unless, of course, she was walking into an abortion clinic.<br />
<br />
Right wing <u>c</u>atholic media also did very little reporting on the other participants in the tree planting ceremony at the Garden. The only other person they reported on was Cardinal Peter Turkson who gave the first speech. There were several other speakers as well.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-10/pope-synod-amazon-saint-francis-vatican-gardens.html" target="_blank">Vatican News</a> reports the participants in this ceremony:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Then there were the participants: the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network, the Order of Franciscan Friars Minor, and the Global Catholic Climate Movement organized the event, while various religious congregations and representatives of the indigenous people of the Amazon Region played important roles in providing colour and creativity.</b></span></blockquote>
As noted above, not all of the people present in the Vatican garden were Catholic. This was not a Catholic ceremony. This was a tree planting ceremony meant to showcase the culture of the people of the Amazon. It was a way of honoring the Amazonian people. That is the reason it was not held in a Catholic Church. It was held outdoors in a garden because it was a secular event.<br />
<br />
The ceremony very much reminded me of watching Native Americans perform their ritual rites when I was a kid. Just watching them did not mean the audience was partaking in their rites or endorsing them. We were there to learn about their culture. That was the meaning of these symbols in the Vatican garden.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucyAdOwzCjSSGbaqVE70w84ar6hrAK-NvUV8ezDtf2p4bB2zUgWK_m2Kx9zUW_mOa94-r5KnTBP_6J5RwSEqVL72DTgUEn2tD3KbbffL7Hz66ZwOYmbDRKQ7KL7TM2Xn1liHKM0uwJQ/s1600/Redhawk-Ranch-Pow-Wow-and-Festival-10-850x567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="850" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucyAdOwzCjSSGbaqVE70w84ar6hrAK-NvUV8ezDtf2p4bB2zUgWK_m2Kx9zUW_mOa94-r5KnTBP_6J5RwSEqVL72DTgUEn2tD3KbbffL7Hz66ZwOYmbDRKQ7KL7TM2Xn1liHKM0uwJQ/s400/Redhawk-Ranch-Pow-Wow-and-Festival-10-850x567.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Native Americans performing their rites for an audience</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The conservatives who condemn the tree planting ceremony as being "pagan" are the same ones who howl at the thought of ordaining married men to the priesthood in an effort to fix the priest shortage in the Amazon and who could then bring the Gospel to the "pagans". The issue of married priests is far more important to far right wing radicals than the souls of the Amazon people and their spiritual needs. It doesn't matter that a celibate priesthood is not a dogma of the Church or that priests were not required to be celibate for the first 1,000 years of the Church.<br />
<br />
Neither do right wing radicals care that it is estimated there is only one priest for every 10,000 Catholics in the Amazon. They don't care that many in the Amazon go for months without being able to attend the Mass or receive the Sacraments.<br />
<br />
The right wing conservatives prove once again that like the Pharisees in Jesus' time, the law is more important to them than people.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjiBGMQGPHfb_NltJHkciAOICXkD14pdKAUJb4GGR5AcAOpz6uvwJBrM5aCE7hxTbI7YBGQfbOYVKFmEFaO0PsFQSXTEwJKDSeR0cD86Pgkc-xqe6r5Tq_i8vfpItEoBf3E2n30IorQ/s1600/Matthew-23-4-Pharisees-failure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjiBGMQGPHfb_NltJHkciAOICXkD14pdKAUJb4GGR5AcAOpz6uvwJBrM5aCE7hxTbI7YBGQfbOYVKFmEFaO0PsFQSXTEwJKDSeR0cD86Pgkc-xqe6r5Tq_i8vfpItEoBf3E2n30IorQ/s320/Matthew-23-4-Pharisees-failure.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It is also interesting to note the symbols from other nations at this tree planting ceremony in the Vatican Garden:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Even the soil in which the tree was planted came steeped in significance. There was soil from the Amazon, celebrating the wealth of the bioregion’s cultures and traditions; earth from India, representing countries most vulnerable to the climate crisis, where droughts and floods leave millions devastated; soil representing refugees and migrants, forced to leave their homes because of war, poverty, and ecological devastation. There was earth from places of human trafficking, and from sustainable development projects around the world. And there was more soil from the Amazon, earth bathed in the blood of those who have died fighting against its destruction.</b></span></blockquote>
Of course, none of this has any meaning to those on the far right.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/indigenous-ritual-performed-in-vatican-gardens-for-popes-tree-planting-ceremony-60523" target="_blank">Catholic News Agency</a></i>, owned and operated by anti-Francis <u>c</u>atholic media EWTN, gave this report of the garden ceremony which is very representative of the right wing media:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Participants sang and held hands while dancing in a circle around the images, in a dance resembling the “pago a la tierra,” a traditional offering to Mother Earth common among indigenous peoples in some parts of South America. No explanation was provided by the event organizers as to why the dance was performed for the Feast of St. Francis or what it symbolized.</b></span></blockquote>
Are you kidding me? Does CNA even know the purpose of the Amazon Synod? Do they not recognize one of the major reasons for the Synod was to spotlight the destruction of the rain forests and the people who live in the rain forest? <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Further, does CNA not know that in 1979, Pope Saint John Paul II declared St. Francis the Patron Saint of Ecologists? Almost every Catholic Church that I know of has a blessing of the animals on St. Francis' feast day. Is that a mystery to CNA as well? <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Has CNA never heard of the Canticle of the Sun, also known as Laudes Creaturarum (Praise of the Creatures) composed by St. Francis?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,<br />who sustains us and governs us and who produces<br />varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.</b></span></blockquote>
Is there really any doubt that St. Francis would have related very closely with the indigenous people of the Amazon and that they would have loved him?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismwt-0vhOPVs_jpHjlK7ZVH6B7KSlV-pCFwr9urHpnKWoFPsZszS-cSOf4QdBnICtDrZdd3M2dMhsssqeTugpzl3hiQRnsPBDMoYzJlbMECgAQJjC943XyPqQ-u0sTsa0F2AW8wyy5A/s1600/st-francis-of-assisi-preaching-to-animals-mary-evans-picture-library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismwt-0vhOPVs_jpHjlK7ZVH6B7KSlV-pCFwr9urHpnKWoFPsZszS-cSOf4QdBnICtDrZdd3M2dMhsssqeTugpzl3hiQRnsPBDMoYzJlbMECgAQJjC943XyPqQ-u0sTsa0F2AW8wyy5A/s400/st-francis-of-assisi-preaching-to-animals-mary-evans-picture-library.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Francis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But, you say, what about the fact that these pagan statues were exhibited in a Catholic Church? Isn't that heretical? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know most Catholics are pretty much allergic to the Bible. They rarely if ever read it. But there is a very interesting passage from St. Paul found in I Corinthians 8. At that time, there were temples in which meat was sold that had been offered to idols. Some people felt it was wrong to eat this meat. Certainly there is no doubt that the radical right wing <u>c</u>atholics of today would condemn anyone who ate meat offered to idols.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But what did St. Paul say:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God</b></span></blockquote>
St. Paul is making it very clear here that the most important aspect of following Christ is not how much you <u>know</u> but how much you <u>love</u>. Knowledge alone merely "puffs" up, but love builds up. Those who are so knowledgeable about idols and so quick to condemn may know many things, but they are lacking in the most important thing: love.<br />
<br />
Continuing:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “<span style="color: blue;">An idol is nothing at all in the world</span>” and that “<span style="color: blue;">There is no God but one</span>.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.</b></span></blockquote>
Paul is telling us that there is absolutely no need to fear false gods because they basically don't exist. They are "nothing at all in the world." They have no power to harm us in any way. Only God is God.<br />
<br />
But, St. Paul tells us, the weaker among us don't understand this. They think that false idols are real:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.</b></span></blockquote>
St. Paul says it is not wrong to eat meat offered to idols but because it offends those who are spiritually weak, we should refrain.<br />
<br />
The right wing <u>c</u>atholics who have raised such a stink about the Pachamama statues are showing their spiritual weakness and defiled conscience. Pope Francis, <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-10/pope-francis-comments-on-statues-stolen-from-church.html" target="_blank">in his statement</a> after the statues had been recovered after being stolen and dumped in the Tiber, made it very clear that the statues were not in the Church for the purpose of worship. They were merely there, along with all of the other Amazonian artifacts, to highlight the culture of the indigenous people:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Good afternoon. I want to say a word about the statues of the pachamama that were taken from the church of the Transpontina – <span style="color: blue;">which were there without idolatrous intentions</span> – and were thrown into the Tiber.</b></span></blockquote>
The radical right never mentions the fact that Pope Francis made it very clear that there were no idolatrous intentions in regard to these statues. They can't because then they would be shown to be the liars that they are.<br />
<br />
If Pope Francis had displayed these statues and told us to bow down to them, or if he himself had bowed to the idols, there would be definite cause for alarm. But that was most definitely not the case. We have an actual statement from the pope that these statues were displayed "without idolatrous intentions."<br />
<br />
I wonder if the right wing is offended when they go to a museum and see artifacts from a pagan culture. Do they start throwing holy water at them? Do they steal them and trash them so they don't pollute the museum? But, you say, a Church is not a museum. A Church is a holy place! Of course it is. If the statues were there to be worshipped, then yes, we would have a real problem. But they were merely being displayed along with other artifacts from the Amazon as a way to honor the Amazon people. If you are offended by that, then it shows how really weak you are.<br />
<br />
And it also shows that you are racist. <br />
<br />
The racism which drives many of the radical right was really on display in their reaction to the poster of a woman nursing an animal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSoMuUAUeqla3cqW4E2F2dbcMW0vqq3L_a75hqTyktnl6gozlofKIv8ZUPDCY-ILzt4m-hQ2fi1bwmo_Pjm2yRWxiG_vuFgXQ8nAQlMOS4KftvrVkEF9gFR6ypQtOYOvMQvA1fakFag/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSoMuUAUeqla3cqW4E2F2dbcMW0vqq3L_a75hqTyktnl6gozlofKIv8ZUPDCY-ILzt4m-hQ2fi1bwmo_Pjm2yRWxiG_vuFgXQ8nAQlMOS4KftvrVkEF9gFR6ypQtOYOvMQvA1fakFag/s400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Okay, CIB, now you've really lost it. That is disgusting! How can you possibly defend this?<br />
<br />
We in the Western culture are very myopic in our vision of the rest of the world. We are very convinced that our ways are superior to everyone else, and that if the rest of the world doesn't do everything as we do and the way we do it, then they are ignorant, primitive savages who must be condemned.<br />
<br />
But think about what this poster is saying. This woman literally lives in the rain forest, completely one with nature. She has no communication with our modern Western world, which is basically at war with nature. We conquer and destroy the world everywhere we go. If we see so much as one ant in our artificially cooled and heated homes, we bring out the poison, killing everything in our paths. Nature is the enemy of the Western world.<br />
<br />
Not so with the people of the rain forest. Just as St. Francis saw himself related to everything in God's creation, so it is with the people of the rain forest.<br />
<br />
In the Canticle of the Sun, St. Francis wrote of Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Wind, Sister Water, Brother Fire and Sister Mother Earth. St. Francis was often known to spend time in nature talking with the animals.<br />
<br />
St. Francis saw God in every part of creation. He felt as connected to nature as he did to other human beings because all were created by God.<br />
<br />
This is exactly how the people of the Amazon see nature. Unlike us in western culture, the people of the Amazon feel completely at one with their surroundings.<br />
<br />
Almost certainly the animal in the poster had lost his mother and would certainly die without another food source. I say this because the animal would never take food from another source if his mother was around. The animal wouldn't be interested and even if he was, the mother wouldn't allow it.<br />
<br />
Many people even in our culture will save baby animals when they lose their mothers. We get the right formula and feed them. But there are no stores to go to in the Amazon to pick up formula for animals. This woman saved the life of the animal by giving him the only thing she had: her milk. If we can get rid of our own biases and prejudices and racism, we can see that this is actually very beautiful.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGqTlE2wR74s6W622xDNCp3y3vuXDtqgaY5dyaTgw0pdykWpPCysLb3tiYz9Y_fDr5Fqfr_XcCOTn-1VuO03xWUeBUMmCkgMN1ykCxt5knMIAZhI0mO1ZoHqPowbQifxCIJKcoyQIXw/s1600/maxresdefault+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGqTlE2wR74s6W622xDNCp3y3vuXDtqgaY5dyaTgw0pdykWpPCysLb3tiYz9Y_fDr5Fqfr_XcCOTn-1VuO03xWUeBUMmCkgMN1ykCxt5knMIAZhI0mO1ZoHqPowbQifxCIJKcoyQIXw/s400/maxresdefault+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeding an orphaned kitten</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Taylor Marshall called the picture "quasi pornographic." He is only showing what a sick mind he has. There was nothing sexual about this, nothing pornographic about it at all. Many woman use breast pumps to store their milk for their babies and then feed them with a bottle. But a woman who lives in the rain forest does not have access to a breast pump. Further, she has no bottle to put the milk in, and no refrigerator to keep it fresh in the hot, humid weather of her climate. The woman in the picture did the only thing she could to save the animal.<br />
<br />
And it is absolutely not uncommon of for one species to nurse the young of another species. Here is a picture of a dog nursing a litter of kittens.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoU40idlxO_t-YW9taJvKAmhghnj1qyce6fg9J1PxfRB6J1eD4DWcdz9oYQlqykC7X0Eks1J2no0ff1HyhJRSvXk9_33FGxU0SSNSaSgVNtuXzsQi7CQAiLjTUeOAPxlA6vpinEYLxMQ/s1600/tmg-article_tall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="640" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoU40idlxO_t-YW9taJvKAmhghnj1qyce6fg9J1PxfRB6J1eD4DWcdz9oYQlqykC7X0Eks1J2no0ff1HyhJRSvXk9_33FGxU0SSNSaSgVNtuXzsQi7CQAiLjTUeOAPxlA6vpinEYLxMQ/s400/tmg-article_tall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
No, I am not disgusted by the poster of a woman in the rain forest breast feeding an animal. I think it is a beautiful representation of being one with nature.<br />
<br />
But I am truly disgusted at many on the <u>c</u>atholic right. They care nothing about the people or the Amazon itself. They are only interested in pushing their own agenda, which is to rid the world of Pope Francis.<br />
<br />
The man who stole the statues and threw them into the Tiber says he did so because to display them in the Church was breaking the first commandment to have no other gods. A good question to ask, then, is what is a false idol? A false idol is anything or anyone we place before God in our lives.<br />
<br />
What are the the most dangerous false idols? Is it not our arrogance and pride, self righteousness? Is not the worse idol of all the lack of love we feel for others? What idol did the Pharisees worship? They worshipped the law and cared nothing about the people. And this is exactly what we see in the radical right wing of the Catholic Church.<br />
<br />
As I wrote, anything we put before God is a false idol. One of the biggest false idols of the radical traditionalists is the Traditional Latin mass. They quite literally worship this form of the Mass. No, they do not worship <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">at</u> or <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">with</u> the Mass. They worship the Mass itself. One proof of this is that you will not find a single sedecvacantist group or ultra right group that does not exclusively celebrate the TLM. The Mass is so important to them that they will leave the Church over it.<br />
<br />
I actually love the TLM. It is a beautiful, holy and sacred form of the Mass. I attended the TLM for several years, and I miss it. The thing I loved most about the Mass is the silence. I feel the presence of God in the silence more than anything else. The High Mass is wonderful, but for me, the Low Mass with its profound silence was always even more sacred. I found the music and the rubrics of the High Mass to actually distract from the worship of God. Even now that I attend only the Ordinary Form of the Mass, I still try to find Masses without music, or as little music as possible.<br />
<br />
But for the radical traditionalists, the Latin Mass is the ONLY Mass they will accept as valid. They see the Mass, not Jesus Christ, as their savior. "Save The Liturgy, Save The World." They think that there can be no salvation outside of the Traditional Latin Mass. They think that anyone who does not worship in the Latin language or anyone who uses anything other than the organ and Gregorian chant at the Mass is anathema.<br />
<br />
The radical right wing have created their own religion, worshipping a make believe Church they claim existed prior to Vatican II. They shake their fist at everyone who wants to reach out to the world and accept people for who they are. They believe everyone must look and act just like them. There is no salvation outside of their own image.<br />
<br />
And why is Pope Francis the focal point of their hate? Because he dares to be merciful to sinners. He says people are more important than the law. Pope Francis says that before we can bring people to Christ, we must first show them Christ's mercy, love and compassion.<br />
<br />
And this is exactly why Jesus was so hated by the religious leaders of His time.<br />
<br />
There is no doubt that if Jesus Christ walked the earth today, the radical right wing would condemn Him even more than they condemn Pope Francis.<br />
<br />
Jesus Christ partied down with sinners, going right into their homes. He was constantly surrounded by women, some of whom were known prostitutes. He forgave a woman taken in the very act of adultery, not even waiting for her to repent. He met privately with a pagan women at a well who had had five husbands and then was just living with a man outside of marriage. And not one word of condemnation from Him!<br />
<br />
He walked into a town and went to the house one of the worst sinners there, a man who had literally stolen from and defrauded unknown numbers of people. Jesus actually told this lying thief that salvation had come to his home that day.<br />
<br />
Then Jesus made one of the most disgusting statements imaginable: He said we have to eat his body and drink his blood!! He was literally into cannibalism. Is there any doubt in your mind that the man called Jesus is a heretic and must be condemned and resisted?<br />
<br />
The right wing have now begun to call themselves Catholic Maccabees. They never explain publicly why they have chosen to identify with the Maccabees.<br />
<br />
So I will tell you why they call themselves Catholic Maccabees. Then you will understand why they never give the explanation for this title.<br />
<br />
The books of I and II Maccabees in the Bible concern the story of the Jews held captive under a pagan king who was trying to force them to give up their religion and take on pagan ways and worship of false gods.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, the Office of Readings has been from the Book of Maccabees for the last few days. A recent reading was about Mattathias, son of a priest. Mattathias was approached by officers of the king and urged to join other Israelites in their apostasy:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices. Many of Israel joined them, but Mattathias and his sons gathered in a group apart. Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias: “You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city, supported by sons and kinsmen. Come now, be the first to obey the king’s command, as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah and those who are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons shall be numbered among the King’s Friends, and shall be enriched with silver and gold and many gifts.”</b></span> </blockquote>
But Mattathias would not give in to them:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>But Mattathias answered in a loud voice: “Although all the Gentiles in the king’s realm obey him, so that each forsakes the religion of his fathers and consents to the king’s orders, yet I and my sons and my kinsmen will keep to the covenant of our fathers. God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments. We will not obey the words of the king nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.”</b></span></blockquote>
Those opposing the apostasy became quite violent. I wonder how many of the radical right wing would love to do this to Pope Francis and others in the Catholic hierarchy:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>As he finished saying these words, a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein according to the king’s order. When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal; his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused; he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar. At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. Thus he showed his zeal for the law, just as Phinehas did with Zimri, son of Salu.</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Then Mattathias went through the city shouting, “Let everyone who is zealous for the law and who stands by the covenant follow after me!” Thereupon he fled to the mountains with his sons, leaving behind in the city all their possessions.</b></span></blockquote>
It is pretty obvious why the radical right wing <u>c</u>atholics relate to the book of Maccabees. They see Pope Francis as the evil king trying to lead them into apostasy, and they are the faithful who refuse to follow him.<br />
<br />
Of course, the problem with this view is that Francis is not a pagan king, as much as they would like to paint him as one. Francis sits in the only office on earth that was founded by Jesus Christ and which has been protected for over 2,000 years by the Holy Spirit. The Pope is the earthly foundation of the Catholic Church through which Christ rules over His people. There is no Church without the Pope. If you destroy the Pope, you have destroyed the Church.<br />
<br />
Who are the true Maccabees, and who is the true idolatrous king?<br />
<br />
Who are the ones who are truly serving false idols?<br />
<br />
I think when all is said and done, the radical right wing will find that they will be relating much more to the Book of Esther than to the Maccabees.<br />
<br />
Where Peter is, there is the Church.<br />
<br />
Below is the Canticle of the Sun by St. Francis of Assisi.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kpPSZkmr_Js" width="480"></iframe></div>
Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-6180370615819929312019-11-02T16:06:00.000-04:002019-11-02T16:14:27.111-04:00Plenary Indulgence - What's a Radical Right Wing Catholic to Do? <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyotK4JbNQSrCjbyXIGF9GrKbfd-PLvxu5-15DYyQYBYQQ_Zs-pr1iBZ-Gq-DcrOyDOy7VIIots7m3XhIDSvYdcK0OaeqmrZ7QalUlibfqJjIf8vb66B6Vdmqa1jsB1PeRMhbqNoBAZA/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyotK4JbNQSrCjbyXIGF9GrKbfd-PLvxu5-15DYyQYBYQQ_Zs-pr1iBZ-Gq-DcrOyDOy7VIIots7m3XhIDSvYdcK0OaeqmrZ7QalUlibfqJjIf8vb66B6Vdmqa1jsB1PeRMhbqNoBAZA/s400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Many right wing conservative <u>c</u>atholics have rejected Pope Francis as either a heretic, an anti-pope or both. They condemn his every word and action. There is nothing he can do or say that they will support.<br />
<br />
These same right wing <u>c</u>atholics are pretty excited today because they can gain a plenary indulgence for All Souls Day. From one of the premier anti-Francis sites, <a href="https://onepeterfive.com/gain-plenary-indulgences-for-the-souls-in-purgatory-this-week/" target="_blank">onepeterfive.com</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #283037; font-family: "Playfair Display", Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Grant #29.1.1</strong><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For the Souls in Purgatory</strong><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #283037; font-family: "Playfair Display", Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong>Plenary Indulgence<br />
A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted each and every day from Nov 1 to Nov 8, who devoutly visit a cemetery and there pray, if only mentally, for the departed.</blockquote>
This article then gives us the requirements for a plenary indulgence:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Playfair Display", Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #283037; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Requirements for obtaining a plenary indulgence:</strong><br />
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #283037; font-family: "Playfair Display", Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; list-style: circle; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 14.9205px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do the work while in a state of grace,</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #283037; font-family: "Playfair Display", Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; list-style: circle; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 14.9205px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Receive Sacramental confession within 20 days of the work (several plenary indulgences may be earned per reception),</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #283037; font-family: "Playfair Display", Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; list-style: circle; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 14.9205px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Receive Eucharistic communion (one plenary indulgence may be earned per reception),</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Playfair Display", Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; list-style: circle; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 14.9205px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: red;">Pray for the pope’s intentions (Our Father and Hail Mary, or other appropriate prayer, is sufficient),</span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #283037; font-family: "Playfair Display", Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; list-style: circle; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 14.9205px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Have no attachment to sin (even venial) – i.e., it is sufficient that the Christian makes an act of the will to love God and despise sin.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
Oh, dear, we have a real problem here. One of the requirements for a plenary indulgence is to pray for the Pope's intentions. But that means praying for the intentions of the evil heretic, Pope Francis! What's a "faithful <u>c</u>atholic" to do?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuKaExMRX2_IEWxPV7SWKPLgssQZWnyzy0T_10rRuwxH2pECqUdbPm79ux-cgL9CI1RgsfPLKL873u2bwMguRSLNCLLj9xb3hqNSa1oi7QdDA6bQPb_QnMC_N0mvP3lavUgdCust8sg/s1600/Quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1409" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuKaExMRX2_IEWxPV7SWKPLgssQZWnyzy0T_10rRuwxH2pECqUdbPm79ux-cgL9CI1RgsfPLKL873u2bwMguRSLNCLLj9xb3hqNSa1oi7QdDA6bQPb_QnMC_N0mvP3lavUgdCust8sg/s640/Quote.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Well, it really doesn't matter because another requirement for a plenary indulgence is to be a state of grace, and the "faithful <u>c</u>atholics' " rejection of and refusal to submit to the authority of Pope Francis has removed all grace from their souls. Refusal to submit to the authority of the pope is the definition of schism, which is an automatic excommunication.<br />
<br />
Of course, they could always repent.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4XakUgPzdgCX0CvaqO_1P4d5HHrnrxID6-sE6plhBKkZnv7swEVXCUC-go20hTbHR9WR-XmR_Xa9HNE7OJ5xa6u9PzbvdC-kopgWwy9bthwBfakTjchFTWP2jcpqpNDVNz-NqeAsfQ/s1600/Schism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="779" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4XakUgPzdgCX0CvaqO_1P4d5HHrnrxID6-sE6plhBKkZnv7swEVXCUC-go20hTbHR9WR-XmR_Xa9HNE7OJ5xa6u9PzbvdC-kopgWwy9bthwBfakTjchFTWP2jcpqpNDVNz-NqeAsfQ/s320/Schism.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
Catholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.com9