#AmorisLaetitia
Thank God for men like +Slattery, +Morlino, +Sample, +Wall, +Olmstead and several other good bishops here in the U.S. I cannot imagine what it must be like for solid bishops in these dark times. I also thank God for solid priests, which I am blessed to know several. Many, many understand the gravity of the situation, and are looking for direction. It’s easy to get discouraged with everything that’s going on, so sometimes we need to start with a thanksgiving for the good we have. If you are lucky enough to be in the flock of one of these men, won’t you offer a short prayer for him?
But it’s the Cardinals we need in this fight. The men who wear red, symbolizing the blood of the Lamb, the blood of the martyrs, and the possibility they might have to give their own lives in defense of the faith. Where are those holy men who stood up and fought during the synods? It’s been two weeks, Eminences, the dung heap is really starting to stink, and it ain’t going away on its own.
The harm +Francis is inflicting is real, and at risk are millions of souls. This isn’t a joke, and the Jimmy Akins and Mark Sheas of the world trying to play this off as no big deal are part of the problem, not part of the answer. A few respected cardinals speaking the Truth about this wretched document sure would throw a wet towel on all the remaining Pollyannas.
The damage from this document cannot be overstated. Encouraging invalid confessions, Communion for unrepentant mortal sinners, mortal sinners encouraged to remain in their sin, teaching that grace subsists in sin, etc, etc. It renders vast swaths of the CCC ‘obsolete’. It deviously cites past orthodox papal documents to falsely support heretical positions. It endorses ideas that were repeatedly rejected by the synod fathers over the past two years. When +Francis couldn’t muscle his heresy through the synods, because orthodox prelates resisted to his face, he simply backdoored it into the exhortation.
So again, where are those prelates now? If they had the courage to resist to his face, to write the famous letter, why would they suddenly go dark now that the document is out?
Are we to suppose that this time around, as we’ve seen at other times in Church history, the laity will need to drive this reform? Is the hierarchy just too far gone? Perhaps. The excellent seminarians we have being ordained in solid diocese and the FSSP will take decades to make an impact once the hippies and gays die off. We don’t have that long.
What have the cardinals to fear? Their worldly positions? Instead, they should fear for their own immortal souls. I think the ones on the right side do.
So I have a confession to make. I’m a Pollyanna too. I think the good cardinals and good bishops are busy planning a counterattack. I mean it. They all were just as stunned as we were when the document was published, so there wasn’t work already underway. It needs to be strategically devastating to the current pontificate, so it takes time to build. +Burke made a bit of a misstep out of the gate. Good canonists are divided on the best course. But it’s all being worked out. I have hope, if only because I don’t want to think about the alternative.
There’s one more thing, and I keep wondering about it as the uniqueness of the situation continues to stun me. I can’t help thinking somehow this comes into play:
Have you noticed we have two popes?
Oh, and one of them wears red.
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We have One Pope and a Bishop Emeritus.
Pope Emeritus is the title he chose for himself.
ABS really loves you work, perspective, and diligence but thinks you may be a bit off the track here re two popes.
Maybe this’ll help.
http://liturgicalnotes.blogspot.com/2014/07/two-popes.html
As for him calling himself Pope Emeritus, that is a complete and utter novelty and we have had quiet enough of those these past fifty+ years
Pax tecum and keep up your great witness and work
ABS, so yes it is a bit tongue in cheek, and only one can be currently reigning. BXVI himself said +Francis is pope. But the reality on the ground is two white cassocks. So let’s see how this plays out.
The Cardinals and Bishops have, almost without exception, have attained their office BECAUSE they either supported or were silent concerning the Modrnist revolution of the past 60 years. Why, for the love of God WHY, would you ever think they would oppose this Pope? STOP THE INSANITY!!!!!
Divorced and remarried Catholics for years have been at the Communion rail and have received the Sacrament. AL has simply ratified a corrupt practice that has been widespread for decades and these Cardinals and bishops know it.
Good Lord sometimes I feel like I’m watching the “I’m shocked, SHOCKED!” routine in the movie Casablanca.
And a majority of the Synod were in favor of dispensing Holy Communion to Adulterers which is hardly surprising given what has becomes us.
One can become inured to sin when the Faith is no longer taught
BTW: I disagree with your list of Bishops in the opening sentence of your essay above. I Googled their names and as of this morning, they have uttered not a word of opposition to AL. Also, +Morlino, like many of the bishops, is subsidizing abortifacient contraceptives in the medical plan of his diocese. He reasoned in a public statement that, while he expected all employees of the diocese to respect Catholic teaching on contraception (RIIIIGGGHHHHTTT!!!!!!), the right to health care by the employees outweighed the morally problematic subsidy of abortifacient contraceptives. He’s got an STD in Moral Theology. Yet he failed to observe a very basic foundational principle of moral theology: one cannot do evil to attain a good.
Stop looking for episcopal heroes. There are none at this point. Pray and fast that some may accept the grace to become heroes. The only heroes at this time are Our Lord and Savior, His Mother, the Angels and the Saints.
I didn’t claim that any of those bishops had spoken out. But I realize now that the way it is written, it could be taken that way.
Didn’t mean to be snotty, doc. Meant to be informative. But I guess it did have an edge to it. Apologies.