Francis: Our Lady of Fatima was lying or mistaken...
"The smallest sins are the sins of the flesh, because the flesh is weak...The most dangerous sins are those of the mind."
But Our Lady of Fatima said that: "More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason." See here.
Sister Lucia, the last living Fatima seer, said this refers primarily to sins against
chastity, also called sins of impurity. The reason for this statement is not because sins against chastity are the most grievous sins, but the most common and, as Sr Lucia stated,
"because of conscience, " since sins of impurity are less likely to be repented of than other sins.
Why? 1) because the sense of injustice committed, which is the primary stimulus to
repent of one's sins, is not strongly felt when engaging in them, with the exception of
adultery;
2) There is a greater sense of shame when committing certain impure acts and hence greater difficulty confessing them in the sacrament of confession, or even repenting of them in one's heart;
3) Sexual activity of all kinds is presented by our post-Christian —
even anti-Christian — popular culture as natural and good, and sexual abstinence is even taught to be unhealthy. The sixth commandment, relating to chastity, has always been
called "the difficult commandment." Today, with pornography everywhere and women and girls dressing more immodestly than ever, it can almost be called "the impossible
commandment." However, Jesus assures us: "What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Lk 18:27) We may add that all who invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary for help in
overcoming sins of impurity, will receive the grace to do so, as she herself has revealed to St Bridget of Sweden and various other saints. And those who strive to live chaste lives know from experience, when sins of impurity are humbly repented of and confessed, a
great burden is removed from our consciences, and we experience that peace of soul that the world and carnal indulgence cannot give.
Clearly, Francis is repudiating the clear and unambiguous message from Our Lady of Fatima. For him, "sins below the belt" aren't really that serious. They are "the smallest sins."
