Francis Then And Now

 

 

In happier and more hopeful times, when the horror of Bergoglism had not shown itself to the world with all the arrogance of humility, yours truly and many others had a reasonable hope that the new Pontiff would have been reasonably conservative. Yes, it was clear it had a penchant for very public shows of humility, and it was evident the rhetoric of poverty would have been in his menu du jour pretty much every day. But we thought it would have been not much worse in the end than a Ratzinger with the addition of a bus ticket and a wheelchair. The Pinocchio Mass was clearly worrying stuff, but one hoped (for the record: I don’t anymore) that once become Pope the man would understand the implications of his new role.

This short introduction will help you to understand my comments to one of Francis’ off-the-cuff homilies. In it, Francis tell us what kind of Pope he plans to be.

Do not believe me for that. Let Francis himself talk. The emphases are from the original translation.

“How’s our faith?  Is it strong? Or is it sometimes a bit superficial? (all’acqua di rose – “like rose water”, meaning banal, an insufficient substitute, shallow, inadequate)” When difficulties come, “are we courageous like Peter or a little lukewarm?” Peter – he pointed out– didn’t stay silent about the Faith, he din’t descend to compromises, because “the Faith isn’t negotiable.” “There has been, throughout history of the people, this temptation: to chop a piece off the Faith”, the temptation to be a bit “like everyone else does”, the temptation “not to be so very rigid”. “But when we start to cut down the Faith, to negotiate Faith, a little like selling it to the highest bidder”, he stressed, “we take the path of apostasy, of disloyalty to the Lord.”

If you click the link and go on my comment of that time, you will see a clear description of what Francis’ words meant, and some reflections on the various ways in which it would be possible to him to use the principles he had just enunciated.  Faithful, hopeful stuff.

In those early days, there was no need to let the words of the Pontiff go under the microscope to see whether he really meant what he had just said. Particularly on this occasion, I do not remember any uncertainty from anyone anywhere.Strangely enough, when a Pope expresses himself in a clear and orthodox way, no contortionism is necessary.

Again, the points clearly were: 

1. The faith isn’t negotiable.

2. This means it must be told whole.

3. There will always be the temptation to accommodate and choose comfort and popularity, but

4. we must choose to be rigid and, consequently, hated,

5. because otherwise apostasy can’t be far away.

—

Fast forward to pretty much six months later, and I notice Francis has, in all this time, done exactly the contrary of all that he preached.

1. He has clearly indicated the faith is not only negotiable, but optional. Do we have to convert? No! No! No! Proselytism is nonsense, & Co.

2. He always “forgets” to mention anything Catholic when he talks about Catholicism. he states that Jesus “saved us”, but then he forgets to “explain” it isn’t so. Atheist can follow their conscience, he says to them, but then he forgets to tell them this is not the case, & Co.

3. As to the “temptation to accommodate and choose comfort and popularity”, it is fair to say Francis is the walking, talking, child-kissing, wheelchair-embracing, Renault 4-driving incarnation of his own words. He has, in fact, brought the very concept to a new high (or, well, low). The pieces of the faith he has chopped away are, well, pretty much all of them.

4.  Rigidity has been explicitly rejected by him. Rigidity is, by default, narrow-minded. We must not “obsess” about abortion and sexual morals, for example. Besides, we must not make ourselves hated, because it alienates people. It would, in fact, be a catastrophe for us if we did.

5.The very concept of “apostasy” has become very blurred in one to whom not even atheism is a problem, and who does not feel any need to actively exert himself to change one’s atheism. I remember him comparing those who count rosaries to heretics, though. Perhaps he meant that.

—

One wonders: has Pope Francis changed his mind about his reign after this little sermon, or was he a Jesuit from day one and was simply talking like one, saying to the audience of the day what would make him popular with that particular audience? How is it that when he talks with atheists he sounds like one, and when he talks with clergymen he sounds (almost, and in parts) like one?

Francis is always on all sides at the same time, so no one can say he is not “pastoral” to them. This is called “running with the hare and hunting with the hounds”, and Jesuits take it with their mother’s milk. Not quite like Peter, I dare say.  

Other bloggers will certainly disagree, but I have seen in him no trace, none whatsoever, of all the beautiful virtues Francis says both we and he must have. On the contrary, I have seen in him an attitude that is not only “all’acqua di rose”, but so publicly and shamelessly yielding to the “temptation to accommodate and choose comfort and popularity” that not even blatant heresy is an obstacle to his boundless desire for approbation, and it becomes more and more difficult to attribute even a modicum of good faith to his actions. His much-vaunted humbleness looks like a monstrous self-centredness to me, one that has put him straight on the way to damnation. As I write, a numerous and ever crescent number of blogs of all types openly cry “heresy”, or at least “shame”.

They know why. They can read. Words have a meaning.  

“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is Good” sounds rather different from “Peter didn’t stay silent about the Faith, he didn’t descend to compromises, because “the Faith isn’t negotiable”, doesn’t it now?

No, no verbal yoga exercises now, please. I prefer the beauty and clarity of the English language.

This is where we are. But hey, this is what happens if you elect a Jesuit as Pope.

Mundabor 

The After-Bomb Pigeon-Feeding

Pope Francis was just talking to an atheist journalist.

Exactly as he did after the disgraceful 12,000 words interview, Francis proceeds – with the innate attitude to deception so typical of the Jesuit – to feed his pigeons with one or two “correctives” to the bomb he just let explode under the chair of Catholicism.

The other time, we had a twenty-or-so words statement in which it was clear he said he was against abortion. This statement obviously disappeared in the 12,000 words media storm he had just caused, but was eagerly grasped by all those Pollyanna-Catholics desperately needing to believe he is fine. Suddenly, in those pious minds the 12,000 words Panzerdivision sent against 2,000 years of Catholic orthodoxy was forgotten, and the mantra of the Pope “misrepresented by the media” could be hummed ad nauseam… again.

This time, the brutal betrayal of elementary Christian values is apparently corrected by an observation made during an homily just hours after the publication of the Repubblica article. This time, like the other time, Francis accurately separates what he knows will go round the world – and can be used to throw his bombs – from what can be said in a conveniently less publicised setting – and will constitute useful bird feed for his pigeons desperate for orthodoxy -.

Today, the pigeons are informed that proselytism means… bullying, really. Or lack of humbleness. Or “being not sufficient”, whatever this might mean in some Buenos Aires dialect. Already the comparison of proselytism and bullying is extremely offensive and as un-Catholic as they come. But even this questionable phrase is already much “less worse” than the fully unqualified, extremely emphatic statement used by Francis in the interview.

Once again, the old tricks of Neo-modernism are employed. Truth flies out of the window, words don't really mean what they mean (for the pigeons, that is: the rest of the planet continues to speak the same language everyone else speaks, and to give to common words the meaning they commonly have), and fluffy nonsense takes the place of sound doctrine.

First stage: demolition. “Proselytism is nonsense”. This will remain in the collective consciousness forever. Liberals, atheists, anti-Catholics the world over will feast on this for decades.

Second stage: deception. Proselytism is nonsense… if it really means bullying. If you can, hide behind Pope Benedict. Don't worry, no one will ask why with you there's no week without an earthquake, and with Benedict it was not the case.

Proselytism is bullying. Rosary-counting is Pelagianism. Truth is a relationship. War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

Third stage: confusion. The obvious task of the Church (proselytism) becomes described in the following words:

Let us ask the Lord that our work today will make us all more humble, more meek, more patient, more trusting in God, so that the Church can give a beautiful witness to the people, and seeing the People of God, seeing the Church, they might feel the desire to come with us.

Fluffy, emotional nonsense that means nothing and can cover everything. Every wet Catholic in the land will easily understand “meek, more patient, more trusting in God” as meaning “cowardly, silent, and happy to show his oh so humble joy rather than say what must be said”. Make no mistake: this is exactly was Francis want, as seen from the fact that he does it all the time. It is astonishing exactly the one who refuses to witness Catholicism – when he is the one with the least right to do so – should have the unspeakable guts and the indescribable arrogance to imply that exactly his inaction may constitute “a beautiful witness to the people”.

Then, seeing this “people of God”, they “might feel the desire to become like us”. Or they might die in their sins, of course, and go to hell. Heavens, the world has seen such effeminate priests and laymen around for the last fifty years! Has the world desired to become like them? No, it has despised them, and rightly so. When proselytism is supposed to be merely the byproduct of the Catholics being oh so nice and satisfied with themselves, the only thing one will get is ridicule.

“Look, look how joyous I am! And so non-judgmental!”

This is so gay, it can only have come from a Jesuit.

——

Do not be deceived. Francis is using the same tricks used by all heretics and subversives before him. He has lost face, big time. He will not recover it throwing some food to some desperate pigeons.

Remember: even the devil can quote scripture (let alone Pope Benedict). Look at this Pope by what his actions of every day tell you he is doing, not by the occasional bird food he throws at you.

Do not be deceived. It's an old trick.

Mundabor

 

Bad Popes And Historical Perspective

Mundabor's Blog

In case you think it never happened before that a Pope goes around spreading heretical messages or beliefs (though not proclaiming them dogmatically; we are not there yet), this is a sobering reading from the always great priests of the SSPX.

You may want to take the time to read the SSPX “Letter to Friends and Benefactors” No. 78, of April 2011 in its entirety. You find the text in its original setting here. Please note this letter, in part, quotes an older text, which is why then Cardinal Ratzinger is called “your Eminence”. 

I have allowed myself to reproduce here the parts which I think are relevant for today’s post. Emphasis in the original.

—————

[…] On Sunday, December 11, 1983, the Pope preached in a Protestant church of Rome after having more or less invited himself to do so. […]

[…] On May 10, 1984, the Pope…

View original post 1,026 more words

Francis Interview Instructions

 

The Francis Game

Monopoly was clearly doomed…

With the coming of winter, the Francis Game could be a good pastime for those afternoons with friends when it’s too cold to go for a walk in the park.

The game is so: player A says something utterly offensive, stupid, ridiculous, juvenile, astonishingly arrogant, blasphemous, heretical, or otherwise absurd. The worse the statement is, the better it is for the player. This player is called “The Francis”, hence the game’s name. It applies to ladies too, I am afraid. 

At this point, Player B must show player A that said Player A has not said what he has really said, but the total opposite, which could have been inferred if A would have added something – no matter how long – he has not said.

This player is called “Blogger”. Blogger must, to win the game, end his explanation saying to player C (the “Reader”): “You see? What Francis really wanted to say…” 

Important: If the Blogger doesn’t say the last words, he has always lost. When Player C has counted to three after Player B has stopped talking, the game is up.

So, let’s see some example.

A)

Francis: “Your father is a murderer”.

Blogger: “We have all crucified Christ. Therefore, we are all murderers. Therefore, in a sense your father is a murderer”.

(To “Reader”): “You see? What Francis really wanted to say…”

(Variations with “your mother is a slut/your sister is a whore” also allowed. To be avoided with temperamental players).

B)

Francis: “Christ has saved you”

Blogger: “By dying for us, Christ has redeemed us with His Blood. The redemption opens for you the possibility of salvation. Hopefully, you are going to choose to follow Christ and, helped by God’s grace, will merit salvation. If and when you are saved, we will be able to say that Christ has saved you”.

(to “Reader”):   “You see? What Francis really wanted to say…”

C)

Francis: “Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us.”

Blogger: “Christ is pretty good, but I do not have to shove Him down your throat right now, eh? ah? no? Let’s have a cocktail or two first. A bus ride. Perhaps ten or twelve interviews. I like interviews, as you might know. We need to get to know each other. I must improve my knowledge of your atheism, if you are atheist. If you are a Jew, I must take care you only eat kosher food. This is important. Our ways may crisscross and zigzag and go hither and tither, but at some point you will end up converting to Catholicism because I am such a capital chap, and I go out and do things. Proselytism happens, because proselytism is a relationship, like… Truth. So Proselytism purely meant as the Pelagians intend it, as narrow-minded legalism, is nonsense”.

(to “Reader”):  “You see? What Francis really wanted to say…”

Well, enough of instruction now.

Enjoy the game!

Mundabor