Novus Ordo: Attack on Baptism & Death Penalty, GeoPolitics of "Mercy" & Brother Masons?
The Latest News (Vomit) coming from the Vatican II cult of man
Vatican II: The New Man Centered Religion based upon "human dignity and freedom" just as Pope St. Pius X warned!
The "pope" wants a death penalty ban during his year of mercy...
“The commandment ‘You shall not kill’ has absolute value, and covers both the innocent and the guilty,” Francis said Sunday after his weekly Angelus prayer. “…even the criminal keeps the inviolable right to life, a gift from God.”
“I appeal to the conscience of the rulers, so that we achieve an international consensus for the abolition of the death penalty,” Francis told the thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “And I propose to those among them who are Catholics to make a courageous and exemplary gesture that no sentence is executed in this Holy Year of Mercy.”
Francis’ Holy Year of Mercy, which started Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the 50th anniversary of the closing of Vatican II, and ends on the Solemnity of Christ the King on Nov. 20, encourages Catholics to show mercy in every aspect of their lives.
His words came on the eve of an international conference organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio, a new movements in the Catholic Church, being held in Rome Monday and Tuesday. The conference is titled, “A World without the Death Penalty.”
The pontiff said he hoped the event would give renewed impetus to the commitment to abolish capital punishment, saying that everyone deserves the chance for redemption.
On Wednesday, when he was in Ciudad Juarez, Francis visited Cereso 3 state prison, labeled by some as Mexico’s “Crime University.” There, he addressed 3,000 inmates in a speech that was broadcasted live in 389 prisons throughout Mexico, with an estimated 254,000 prisoners watching the feed.
“We have already lost many decades thinking and believing that everything will be resolved by isolating, separating, incarcerating, and ridding ourselves of problems, believing that these policies really solve problems,” Francis said during a visit largely overshadowed by his stop at the US-Mexico border.
What the Catholic Church really teaches:
Last September, when he became the first pope to address a joint session of the US Congress, Francis made a similar appeal, calling for the global abolition of the death penalty.
According to Death Penalty Information Center, there are 2,959 inmates in the United States awaiting execution. The other 36 countries where the death penalty is legal and has been used in the past 10 years include China, Japan, North Korea, Syria, Iran, and Pakistan.
Soon after Francis made his appeal, the Saint’Egidio Community released a statement saying that in a world where terrorism and violence are widespread, it’s possible for governments to want to re-introduce death penalty, responding to violence with more violence.
Francis’s appeal builds on the teaching of recent popes. In 2000, for instance, St. John Paul II issued an appeal for “the death penalty, an unworthy punishment still used in some countries,” to be “abolished throughout the world” during a visit to Rome’s Regina Coeli prison.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the official compendium of Church teaching issued under John Paul, states: “If non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect peoples safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person.”
the ‘humble’ hypocrite speaks again...
Father Federico Lombardi (Vatican Spokesman): Holy Father, thank you for being here as, at the end of every trip, for the summary conversation, a broad look at the trip that has occurred, and for your availability to respond to so many questions from our international community. We have, like usual, asked the different language groups to organize and prepare a few questions, but naturally we begin with our colleagues from Mexico.
Maria Eugenia Jimenez Caliz, Milenio (Mexico): Holy
Father, in Mexico there are thousands of “desaparecidos,” (disappeared)
but the case of 43 (students) of Ayotzinapa is an emblematic case. I
would like to ask you, why didn’t you meet with their families? Also,
(please send) a message for the families of thousands of the
“desaparecidos.”
Pope Francis: Attentively,
if you read the messages, I made reference continuously to the
killings, the death, the life taken by all of these narcotrafficking
gangs and human smugglers. I spoke of this problem as one of the wounds
that Mexico suffers. There was an attempt to receive one of these
groups, and there were many groups, even opposed among themselves, with
infighting, so I preferred to say that I would see all of them at the
Mass in Juarez or at another (Mass). It was practically impossible to
meet all of these groups, which on the other hand were also fighting
among themselves. It’s a situation that’s difficult to understand,
especially for me because I’m a foreigner, right? I think that even the
Mexican society is a victim of all of this, of these crimes of
“cleaning” people, of discarding people. I spoke in four speeches even
and you can check for it there. It’s a great pain that I’m taking with
me, because this nation doesn’t deserve a drama like this one.
Javier Solorzano, Canal 11 (Mexico): The
subject of pedophilia, as you know, in Mexico has very dangerous roots,
very hurtful. The case of Father Maciel left a strong inheritance,
especially in the victims. The victims continue to feel unprotected by
the Church. Many continue to be men of faith. Some are still even in the
priesthood. I want to ask you, what do you think of this subject? Did
you at any moment consider meeting with the victims? And, in general,
this idea that when the priests are detected in cases of this nature,
what is done is that they are moved to another parish, nothing more?
Thanks.
Pope Francis: OK,
I’m going to start with the second. First, a bishop who moves a priest
to another parish when a case of pedophilia is discovered is a reckless
[inconsciente] man and the best thing he can do is to present his
resignation. Is that clear?
Secondly, going back, the Maciel case, and here, I allow myself to honor
the man who fought in moments when he had no strength to impose
himself, until he managed to impose himself. Ratzinger. Cardinal
Ratzinger deserves an applause. (applause) Yes, an applause for him. He
had all of the documentation. He’s a man who as the prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had everything in his hands.
He conducted all the investigations, and went on, went on, went on,
until he couldn’t go any further in the execution [of the case]. But, if
you remember, 10 days before the death of St. John Paul II, in that Via
Crucis of Holy Friday, he said to the whole Church that it needed to
clean up the dirt of the Church. And in the Pro-Eligendo Pontefice Mass,
despite knowing that he was a candidate, he wasn’t stupid, he didn’t
care to “make-up” his answer, he said exactly the same thing. He was the
brave one who helped so many open this door. So, I want to remember him
because sometimes we forget about this hidden works that were the
foundations for “taking the lid off the pot.”
Thirdly, we’re doing quite a lot with the Cardinal Secretary of State
[Pietro Parolin], and with the group of nine cardinal advisors. After
listening, I decided to name a third secretary adjunct for the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to take charge only of these
cases, because the Congregation isn’t able to keep up with all the cases
it has.
Also, an appeals tribunal was constituted by Monsignor Scicluna which is
dealing with the cases of second instance when there are recourses,
because the first recourses are done by the plenary of the [Congregation
of the] Doctrine of the Faith, the “feria quarta,” they call it, that
gathers on Wednesdays. When there is recourse, it goes back to first
instance, and it’s not fair. So, the second instance is also a legal
matter, with a defending lawyer, but we need to work faster, because
we’re behind with the cases, because cases continue to appear.
Another thing that is working very well is the commission for the
protection of minors. It’s not exclusively devoted to cases of
pedophilia, but the protection of minors. There, I spent an entire
morning with six of them, two German, two British and two Irish. Abused
men and women. Victims. And I also met with victims in Philadelphia. So
we’re working. But I thank God because the lid is off the pot, and we
have to continue taking it off. We need to take consciousness.
And, the final thing I would like to say that it’s a monstrosity,
because a priest is consecrated to lead a child to God, and he eats him
in a diabolical sacrifice. He destroys him.
Javier Solorzano: And on Maciel?
Pope Francis: Well,
about Maciel, going back to the congregation (Editor’s note: The Legion
of Christ, order founded by the late Father Marciel Maciel), there was
an intervention and today the government of the congregation is
semi-involved. That is, the superior general, who is elected by a
council, by the general chapter, and the other two are selected by the
Pope. In this way, we are helping to review old accounts.
Phil Pullella, Reuters: Today,
you spoke very eloquently about the problems of immigration. On the
other side of the border, there is a very tough electoral battle. One of
the candidates for the White House, Republican, Donald Trump, in an
interview recently said that you are a political man and he even said
that you are a pawn, an instrument of the Mexican government for
migration politics. Trump said that if he’s elected, he wants to build
2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million
illegal immigrants, separating families, etcetera. I would like to ask
you, what do you think of these accusations against you and if a North
American Catholic can vote for a person like this?
Pope Francis: Thank
God he said I was a politician because Aristotle defined the human
person as “animal politicus.” At least I am a human person. As to
whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to
your judgment and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only
about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges,
is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel. As far as what you said
about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to
get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he
has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and
in this I give the benefit of the doubt.
Jean-Louis de la Vaisserie, AFP (France): The
meeting with the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill and the signing of
the joint declaration was greeted by the entire world as an historic
step. But now today in the Ukraine, Greek Catholics feel betrayed. They
speak of a political document that supports Russian politics. In the
field, the war of words has reignited. Do you think you’ll be able to go
to Moscow? Were you invited by the patriarch? Or, [will you] go to
Crete to greet the Pan-Orthodox Council in the spring?
Pope Francis: I’ll
begin with the end. I will be present…spiritually. And with a message. I
would like to go greet them there at the pan-Orthodox synod. They are
brothers, but I must respect them. But, I know that they want to invite
Catholic observers and this is a good bridge, but behind the Catholic
observers I will be praying with my best wishes that the Orthodox move
ahead because they are brothers and their bishops are bishops like us.
Then, Kirill, my brother. We kissed each other, embraced, and then a
conversation for an hour (Father Lombardi corrects) … two hours. Old age
doesn’t come on its own. (laughs) Two hours where we spoke as brothers,
sincerely and no one knows what was spoke about, only what we said at
the end publicly about how we felt as we spoke.
Secondly, that statement, that declaration about Ukraine. When I read
this, I was a little bit worried because it was Sviatoslav Schevchuk who
said that the Ukrainian people, some Ukrainians, also many Ukrainians
felt disappointed and betrayed. I know Sviatoslav very well. In Buenos
Aires, we worked together for four years. When he was elected — at 42
years old, eh, good man — he was elected major archbishop, He came back
to Buenos Aires to get his things. He came to me and he gave me an icon —
little like this — of Our Lady of Tenderness. And he told me, “This has
accompanied me my entire life. I want to leave it to you who
accompanied me over the last four years. It’s one of the few things I
had brought from Buenos Aires and I keep it on my desk.” That is, he’s a
man whom I respect and also familiarity. We use “tu” with each other(Editor’s note: “tu” is the informal way of addressing someone in Italian — they speak as friends)and so on.
So, for this it seemed strange to me and I remembered something I said
here to you: to understand a piece of news, a statement, you need to
seek the hermeneutic of everything.
But, when you said this, it was said in a statement from Jan. 14, last
February, last Sunday … an interview made by brother … I don’t remember …
a priest, a Ukrainian priest, in Ukraine it was conducted and it was
published. That news, the interview is one page, two, a little bit more,
give or take. That interview is on the last page, a little like this. I
read the interview and I’ll say this: Schevchuk, in the dogmatic part
declares himself to be a son of the Church and in communion with the
bishop of Rome and the Church. He speaks of the Pope and his closeness
of the Pope and of himself, his faith, and also of the Orthodox people
there. The dogmatic part, there’s no difficulty. He’s orthodox in the
good sense of the word, that is in Catholic doctrine, no.
And then, as in an interview like this one, everyone has the right to
say his things and this wasn’t done on the meeting, because the meeting,
it was a good thing and we have to move forward. This, he didn’t do on
the meeting, the encounter was a good thing and we must move forward.
This, the second chapter, the personal ideas that a person has. For
example, this, what I said about the bishops who move pedophile priests,
the best thing they can do is resign. This isn’t a dogmatic thing, but
this is what I think. So, he has his personal ideas. They’re for
dialoguing and he has a right to have them.
Thirdly … ah, all of what he’s speaking about is in the document, that’s
the issue. On the fact of the meeting: the Lord chose to move it ahead,
the embrace and all is well. The document. It’s a debatable document
and there’s also another addition. In Ukraine, it’s a moment of war, of
suffering, with so many interpretations. I have named the Ukrainian
people, asking for prayers, closeness, so many times both in the Angelus
and in the Wednesday audience. There is this closeness. But the
historical fact of a war, experienced as … I don’t know if … well,
everyone has their own idea of this war, who started it, what to do and
it’s evident that this is a historical issue, but also a personal,
historical, existential issue of that country and it speaks of the
suffering. And, there I insert this paragraph. You can understand the
faithful, because Stanislav told me that so many faithful have written
to me saying that they are deeply disappointed and betrayed by Rome. You
can understand that a people in this situation would feel this, no? The
final document but it is a jotting down of some things. Pardon, it’s
debatable on this question of Ukraine. But there, it says to make the
war stop, that they find agreements. Also, I personally said that the
Minsk accords move forward and are not eliminated. “With the elbows what
wasn’t written with the hands.” (Original phrase in Italian: “Con il gomito quello che non e scritto con le mani”)
The Church of Rome, the Pope has always said, “Seek peace.” I also
received both presidents. Equality, no. And so for this when he says
that he’s heard this from his people, I understand it. I understand it.
But, that’s not the news. The news is everything.
If you read the entire interview, you’ll see that there are serious
dogmatic things that remain, there’s a desire for unity, to move ahead
in the ecumenical — and he’s an ecumenical man. There are a few
opinions. He wrote to me when he found out about the trip, the
encounter, but, as a brother, giving his opinion as a brother. I don’t
mind the document how it is. I don’t dislike it in the sense that we
need to respect the things that everyone has the freedom to think and in
[the context of] this situation that is so difficult. From Rome, now
the nuncio is on the border where they’re fighting, helping soldiers and
the wounded. The Church of Rome has sent so much help there. It’s
always peace, agreements. We must respect the Minsk accords and so on.
This is the entirety. But, don’t get scared by that phrase. And this is a
lesson that a piece of news must be interpreted with the hermeneutic of
everything and not just a part.
de la Vaisserie: Did the Patriarch invite you to come to Moscow sometime?
Pope Francis: Patriarch
Kirill. I would prefer — because if I say one thing, I have to say
another and another and another. I would prefer that what we spoke
about, us, alone, will remain only what we said in public. This is a
fact. And if I say this, then I’ll have to say another and another … no!
The things I said in public, the things he said in public. This is what
can be said about the private conversation. To say it, it wouldn’t be
private. But, I tell you, I walked out of it happy, and he did too.
Carlo Marroni, Il Sole 24 (Italy): Holy
Father, my question is about the family, a subject which you addressed
often during this trip. The Italian parliament is discussing a law on
civil unions, a subject that is provoking strong political clashes but
also a strong debate in society and among Catholics. In particular, I
would like to know your thoughts on the subject of adoption by civil
unions and therefore on the rights of children and of sons and daughters
in general.
Pope Francis: First
of all, I don’t know how things stand in the thinking of the Italian
parliament. The Pope doesn’t get mixed up in Italian politics. At the
first meeting I had with the [Italian] bishops in May 2013, one of the
three things I said was: with the Italian government you’re on your own.
Because the pope is for everybody and he can’t insert himself in the
specific internal politics of a country. This is not the role of the
pope, right? And what I think is what the Church thinks and has said so
often — because this is not the first country to have this experience,
there are so many — I think what the Church has always said about this.
Paloma GarcÃa Ovejero, Cadena COPE (Spain): Holy
Father, for several weeks there’s been a lot of concern in many Latin
American countries but also in Europe regarding the Zika virus. The
greatest risk would be for pregnant women. There is anguish. Some
authorities have proposed abortion, or else to avoiding pregnancy. As
regards avoiding pregnancy, on this issue, can the Church take into
consideration the concept of “the lesser of two evils?”
Pope Francis: Abortion
is not the lesser of two evils. It is a crime. It is to throw someone
out in order to save another. That’s what the Mafia does. It is a crime,
an absolute evil. On the “lesser evil,” avoiding pregnancy, we are
speaking in terms of the conflict between the fifth and sixth
commandment. Paul VI, a great man, in a difficult situation in Africa,
permitted nuns to use contraceptives in cases of rape.
Don’t confuse the evil of avoiding pregnancy by itself, with abortion.
Abortion is not a theological problem, it is a human problem, it is a
medical problem. You kill one person to save another, in the best-case
scenario. Or to live comfortably, no? It’s against the Hippocratic
oaths doctors must take. It is an evil in and of itself, but it is not a
religious evil in the beginning, no, it’s a human evil. Then obviously,
as with every human evil, each killing is condemned.
On the other hand, avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil. In
certain cases, as in this one, such as the one I mentioned of Blessed
Paul VI, it was clear. I would also urge doctors to do their utmost to
find vaccines against these two mosquitoes that carry this disease. This
needs to be worked on.
Jurgen Erbacher, ZDF (Germany): Holiness,
you will soon receive the Charlemagne Prize, and that’s the main
European one. What do you say to Europe, which now seems to be falling
to pieces, first with the crisis of the euro and now that of the
refugees? Maybe you have a word for us in this situation of European
crisis?
Pope Francis: First,
about the Charlemagne Prize. I had the habit of not accepting prizes or
honors, but always, not out of humility, but because I don’t like them.
Maybe it’s a little crazy, but it’s good to have it, but I just don’t
like them. But in this case, I don’t say [I was)]forced, but convinced
by the holy and theological headstrongness of Cardinal Kasper, because
he was chosen, elected by Aachen to convince me. And I said yes, but in
the Vatican. And I said I offer it for Europe, as a co-decoration for
Europe, a prize so that Europe may do what I desired at Strasburg; that
it may no longer be “grandmother Europe” but “mother Europe.”
Secondly, reading the news the other day about this crisis and so on — I
read little, I just glance through one newspaper — I won’t say the name
so as not to create jealousy, but it is known! — Just 15 minutes, then I
get information from the Secretariat of State and so on. And, there was
one word that I liked, and I don’t know if they will approve it or not,
but it was “the re-foundation of the European Union.” I thought of the
great fathers, but today where is there a Schuman, an Adenauer, these
great ones who after the war founded the European Union. I like this
idea of the re-foundation of the European Union, maybe it can be done,
because Europe — I do not say is unique, but it has a force, a culture, a
history that cannot be wasted, and we must do everything so that the
European Union has the strength and also the inspiration to make it go
forward. That’s what I think.
Anne Thompson, NBC (USA): Some
wonder, how a Church that claims to be merciful, how can the Church
forgive a murderer easier than someone who has divorced and remarried?
Pope Francis: I
like this question! On the family, two synods have spoken. The Pope has
spoken on this all year in the Wednesday Catechisms. The question is
true, you posed it very well. In the post-synod document that will be
published, perhaps before Easter — it picks up on everything the synod —
in one of the chapters, because it has many — it spoke about the
conflicts, wounded families and the pastoral of wounded families. It is
one of the concerns. As another is the preparation for marriage.
Imagine, to become a priest there are eight years of study and
preparation, and then if after a while you can’t do it, you can ask for a
dispensation, you leave, and everything is OK. On the other hand, to
make a sacrament (marriage), which is for your whole life, three to four
conferences ... Preparation for marriage is very important. It’s very,
very important because I believe it is something that in the Church, in
common pastoral ministry, at least in my country, in South America, the
Church it has not valued much.
For example, not so much anymore but some years ago in my homeland there
was a habit, something called ‘casamiento de apuro,’ a marriage in
haste because the baby is coming and to cover socially the honor of the
family. There, they weren’t free and it happened many times this
marriage is null. As a bishop I forbade my priests to do this. Priests,
when there was something like this, I would say, let the baby come, let
them continue as fiancées, and when they feel like they can continue for
the rest of their lives, then they could go ahead. There is a lack
there.
Another very interesting chapter is the education of children: the
victims of problems of the family are the children. The children. Even
of problems that neither husband nor wife have a say in. For example,
the needs of a job. When the dad doesn’t have free time to speak to his
children, when the mother doesn’t have time to speak with her children.
When I confess a couple who have kids, a married couple, I ask, “how
many children do you have?” Some get worried and think the priest will
ask why I don’t have more. I would make a second question, “Do you play
with your children?” The majority say, “But father, I have no time. I
work all day.” Children are victims of a social problem that wounds the
family. It is a problem … I like your question.
Another interesting thing from the meeting with families in Tuxtla.
There was a couple, married again in second union integrated in the
pastoral ministry of the Church. The key phrase used by the synod, which
I’ll take up again, is “integrate” in the life of the Church the
wounded families, remarried families, etcetera. But of this one mustn’t
forget the children in the middle. They are the first victims, both in
the wounds, and in the conditions of poverty, of work, etcetera.
Thompson: Does that mean they can receive Communion?
Pope Francis: This
is the last thing. Integrating in the Church doesn’t mean receiving
Communion. I know married Catholics in a second union who go to church,
who go to church once or twice a year and say I want communion, as if
joining in Communion were an award. It’s a work towards integration, all
doors are open, but we cannot say, “from here on they can have
Communion.” This would be an injury also to marriage, to the couple,
because it wouldn’t allow them to proceed on this path of integration.
And those two were happy. They used a very beautiful expression: we
don’t receive Eucharistic Communion, but we receive communion when we
visit hospitals and in this and this and this. Their integration is
that. If there is something more, the Lord will tell them, but it’s a
path, a road.
Antoine Marie Izoard, I.Media (France): Holiness,
good evening. I permit myself first off, joking, to tell you how much
we Vaticanistas are hostages of the schedule of the Holy Father and we
can’t play with our children. Saturday is the jubilee audience, Sunday
the Angelus and from Monday through Friday we have to go work. And also a
hug to Alberto, who with Father Lombardi 20 years ago hired me at
Vatican Radio. We’re in family here.
A question a bit “risqué” Holiness. Numerous media have evoked and made a
lot of noise on the intense correspondence John Paul II and the
American philosopher, Ana Teresa Tymieniecka, who had a great affection,
it’s said, for the Polish Pope. In your viewpoint, can a Pope have such
an intimate relationship with a woman? And also, if you allow me, you
who have an important correspondence, have you known this type of
experience?
Pope Francis: I
already knew about this friendship between St. John Paul II and this
philosopher when I was in Buenos Aires. It was known. Also her books are
known. John Paul II was a restless man. Then, I would also say that a
man who does not know how to have a relationship of friendship with a
woman — I'm not talking about misogynists, who are sick — well, he's a
man who is missing something.
And in my own experience, including when I ask for advice, I would ask a
collaborator, a friend, I also like to hear the opinion of a woman
because they have such wealth. They look at things in a different way. I
like to say that women are those who form life in their wombs — and
this is a comparison I make — they have this charism of giving you
things you can build with. A friendship with a woman is not a sin.
[It’s] a friendship. A romantic relationship with a woman who is not
your wife, that is a sin. Understand?
But the Pope is a man. The Pope needs the input of women, too. And the
Pope, too, has a heart that can have a healthy, holy friendship with a
woman. There are saint-friends — Francis and Clare, Teresa and John of
the Cross — don't be frightened. But women are still not considered so
well; we have not understood the good that a woman do for the life of a
priest and of the church in the sense of counsel, help of a healthy
friendship.
Franca Giansoldati, Il Messaggero (Italy): Holiness,
good evening. I return back to the topic of the law that is being voted
on in the Italian parliament. It is a law that in some ways is about
other countries, because other countries have laws about unions among
people of the same sex. There is a document from the Congregation for
the Doctrine for the Faith from 2003 that dedicates a lot of attention
to this, and even more, dedicates a chapter to the position of Catholic
parliamentarians in parliament before this question. It says expressly
that Catholic parliamentarians must not vote for these laws. Considering
that there is much confusion on this, I wanted to ask, first of all, is
this document of 2003 still in effect? And what is the position a
Catholic parliamentarian must take? And then another thing, after
Moscow, Cairo. Is there another thawing out on the horizon? I’m
referring to the audience that you wish for with the Pope and the
Sunnis, let’s call them that way, the Imam of Al Azhar.
Pope Francis: For
this, Msgr. Ayuso went to Cairo last week to meet the second to the
Imam and to greet the Imam. Msgr. Ayuso, secretary to Cardinal Tauran of
the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. I want to meet him.
I know that he would like it. We are looking for the way, always
through Cardinal Tauran because it is the path, but we will achieve
it.fighting
About the other, I do not remember that 2003 document from the
Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith well but every Catholic
parliamentarian must vote according their well-formed conscience. I
would say just this. I believe it is sufficient because — I say
well-formed because it is not the conscience of what seems to me. I
remember when matrimony for persons of the same sex was voted on in
Buenos Aires and the votes were tied. And at the end, one said to advise
the other: “But is it clear to you? No, me neither, but we’re going to
lose like this. But if we don't go there won't be a quorum.” The other
said: “If we have a quorum we will give the vote to Kirchner”' And, the
other said: “I prefer to give it to Kirchner and not Bergoglio.” And
they went ahead. This is not a well-formed conscience.
On people of the same sex, I repeat what I said on the trip to Rio di Janeiro. It’s in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Javier Martinez-Brocal, Rome Reports (Italy): We’re
not back to Rome yet but we are thinking about future trips, about
preparing our suitcases again. Holy Father, when are you going to go to
Argentina, where they have been waiting for you for a long time? When
will you return to Latin America? Or go to China? Then, a quick comment,
you spoke many times during this trip about dreaming — what do you
dream about? And what is your nightmare?
Pope Francis: China.
(laughs) To go there. I would love that. I would like to say something
just about the Mexican people. It is a population that has a wealth,
such great wealth, a people that surprises. They have a culture, a
culture that goes back millennia. Do you know that today, in Mexico,
they speak 65 languages, counting the indigenous languages, 65. It is a
people of great faith. They have also suffered religious persecution.
There are martyrs, now I will canonize two. It is a population that you
can’t explain, you can’t explain it because the word “people” is not a
logical category, it’s a mythical category. The Mexican people, you
cannot explain this wealth, this history, this joy, the capacity to
celebrate amid these tragedies that you have asked about. I can say
another thing, that this unity, that this people has managed not to
fail, not to end with so many wars, things, things that are happening
now. There in the city of Juarez there was a pact of 12 hours of peace
for my visit. After that they will continue to fight among themselves,
no? Traffickers. But a people that still is together with all that, you
can only explain with Guadalupe. And I invite you to seriously study the
facts of Guadalupe. The Madonna is there. I cannot find another
explanation. And it would be nice if you as journalists — there are some
books that explain the painting what it is like, the significance, and
that is how you can understand better this great and beautiful people.
Caroline Pigozzi, Paris Match (France): Good
evening, Holy Father. Two things, I wanted to know what did you ask
Guadalupe? Because you were there a long time in the chapel praying to
Guadalupe. And then something else, do you dream in Italian or Spanish?
Pope Francis: I’d
say I dream in Esperanto (laughs). I don’t know how to respond to that.
Truly. Sometimes I remember some dreams in another language, but
dreaming in languages no, but figures yes, my psychology is this way.
With words I dream very little, no? And, the first question was?
(Guadalupe)
I asked for the world, for peace, so many things. The poor thing ended
up with her head like this (raises arms around head). I asked
forgiveness, I asked that the Church grows healthy, I asked for the
Mexican people. And another thing I asked a lot for: that priests to be
true priests, and sisters true sisters, and bishops true bishops. As the
Lord wants. This I asked a lot for, but then, the things a child tells
his mother are a bit of a secret. Thanks, Carolina.
Recall: Pell was one of those prelates implying Francis was an antipope...
Pell denies abuse accusations and criticises suspicious timing
Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop Emeritus of Sydney and Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, has denied outright the sex abuse allegations made against him and corroborated by Australian newspaper Herald Sun. One week before he is due to give evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, via video link from Rome, the cardinal also criticised the suspicious timing of the news leak. Some victims are accusing him not of actually carrying out acts of sexual abuse but of covering up cases that were reported to him in recent decades. He was responsible for the priests who are said to have committed the offences.
“Cardinal Pell is due to give evidence to the Royal Commission in just over one week. The timing of these leaks is clearly designed to do maximum damage to the Cardinal and the Catholic Church and undermines the work of the Royal Commission,” says a statement leaked by Pell’s offices. “The allegations are without foundation and utterly false.”
The Herald Sun wrote that Cardinal Pell is being investigated by Victoria Police’s Sano Taskforce, over alleged abuse against minors both consistently and occasionally when he was still only a priest in Ballarat and when archbishop of Melbourne.
“It is outrageous that these allegations have been brought to the Cardinal’s attention through a media leak,” the statement reads. “The Cardinal has called for a public inquiry into the leaking of these spurious claims by elements in the Victorian Police in a manner clearly designed to embarrass the Cardinal, in a case study where the historical failures of the Victorian Police have been the subject of substantial evidence.”
In his statement, Cardinal Pell refers to the Southwell Report, an independent Church inquiry into the accusations of abuse the cardinal allegedly committed against an altar boy at a summer camp on Phillip Island in 1962. The investigation, which was conducted by retired Supreme Court judge, Alec Southwell, ended with the cardinal’s absolution. The Phillip Island allegations have been on the public record for nearly 15 years. The Southwell Report which exonerated Cardinal Pell has been in the public domain since 2002,” today’s statement reads. “The Victorian police have taken no steps in all of that time to pursue the false allegations made, however the Cardinal certainly has no objection to them reviewing the materials that led Justice Southwell to exonerate him. The Cardinal is certain that the police will quickly reach the conclusion that the allegations are false.” “The Victorian Police have never sought to interview him in relation to any allegations of child sexual abuse and apart from the false allegations investigated by Justice Southwell, the Cardinal knows of no claims or incidents which relate to him.”
Cardinal Pell, the statement says, “strongly denies any wrongdoing. If the police wish to question him he will co-operate, as he has with each and every public inquiry. In the meantime, the Cardinal understands that several media outlets have received confidential information leaked by someone within the Victorian Police.” Thus, “the Cardinal calls on the Premier and the Police Minister to immediately investigate the leaking of these baseless allegations”.
Cardinal Pell will give evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse via video link on 29 February. 15 victims are travelling to Rome to attend the cardinal’s hearing, with money raised through a crowdfunding initiative. “As an archbishop for almost 20 years he has led from the front to put an end to cover-ups, to protect vulnerable people and to try to bring justice to victims,” says a separate statement released by the office of 74-year-old cardinal Pell, who was granted permission not to travel to Australia for the hearing, due to the serious health risks involved. “As Cardinal Pell has done after earlier hearings, he is prepared to meet with and listen to victims and express his ongoing support.”
GeoPolitics of Modernism (cough, cough) I meant "mercy"
Francis’ geopolitics of mercy and realism
In his speech to diplomats accredited to the Holy See, the Bishop of
Rome sspoke about how the Church has presented the world with the
perfect occasion - the year-long Jubilee - to deal together with the
global emergencies facing us
Francis’ Holy Year of Mercy has a geopolitical goal as well. The Church
is offering the Jubilee as a propitious time to defuse conflicts, stop
the scourge of war and address global emergencies together. Pope Francis
gave a concrete and direct description of this opportunity in his
traditional beginning-of-the-year speech to diplomatic representatives
accredited to the Holy See. In his address, he reiterated “the complete
readiness of the Secretariat of State to cooperate with you in favouring
constant dialogue between the Apostolic See and the countries which you
represent”, stressing: “I am certain that this Jubilee year (which was
intentionally pre-inaugurated in Bangui, “in a country sorely tried by
hunger, poverty and conflict”) will be a favourable occasion for the
cold indifference of so many hearts to be won over by the warmth of
mercy, that precious gift of God which turns fear into love and makes us
artisans of peace”.
In the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Year of Mercy Misericordiae Vultus, Pope Francis made it clear that he did not wish to turn the Holy Year into a “propitious time” exclusively for faithful of Catholics active in the faith, he intended it as an opportunity for reconciliation for non-Christians too, starting with Jews and Muslims. A time that does not exclude the possibility of taking into account the dynamics of the Jubilee in scrapping scores that need to be settled and in reconciliation between enemies, right from the outset, including when seeking solutions to the conflicts and international crises that are tormenting peoples and nations.
The benefits of the Jubilee are offered to everyone, there are no hidden interests behind them. Pope Francis is not trying to defend one civilisation from other figures who are active on the world stage. He emphasises that the action of the Holy See in the international sphere is aimed at the wellbeing of the entire human family. Hence, it has no need for forming privileged alliances or exclusive partnerships with prominent geopolitical entities.
In the time of Pope Francis, the Church is not seeking out the backing of influential figures and geopolitical supporters and it is not pursuing any plans to assert itself and secure its “relevance” in history. It is therefore not in the least bit concerned with competing with pre-established worldly powers, or forming preferential alliance networks with them. As the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin once stated: Vatican diplomacy has the task of “build[ing] bridges in order to promote dialogue and use negotiation as a means to solve conflicts, spread fraternity, fight against poverty and build peace. The Pope has no other “interests” or “strategies” and neither do those who represent him abroad.”
The registered effect shows that freeing oneself from pre-established geopolitical goals and alignments allows the Church’s current leader to be more flexible and efficient in his discernment of world events. The evangelical outlook and the reference to mercy foster a realistic perception of situations and problems. This evangelical outlook helps one to dodge past conformism or power-serving ideologies and appears immune from utopian idealism and neo-rigorist perfectionism.
As he addressed each individual question in his speech to the diplomatic corps, Pope Francis presented everyone with critical reflections that dismantle clichés and ready-made barriers, offering hints on how to proceed in the search for concrete solutions. In his speech, which focused on the “migration emergency”, Francis recognised migration as a part of the history of salvation that forms part of the history of the entire world, from Abraham’s journey to the deportation of the chosen people to the land of Babylon, to Mary and Joseph’s flight into Egypt to save Jesus. In the Pope’s address, today’s tragedies, from ethnic-religious cleansing to the drownings at sea, were not detached from “issues involving the arms trade, the provision of raw materials and energy, investment, policies of financing and sustainable development, and even the grave scourge of corruption”. Once again, the Pope pointed to the prevailing “culture of waste” as the root of the collective global suffering of those fleeing war and humanitarian tragedies. A culture that sees people as throwaway objects, “especially when poor or disabled, or “not yet useful” – like the unborn (an explicit reference to abortion, Ed.), or “no longer needed” – like the elderly”.
On the subject of immigration, Francis recalled the “need for mid-term and long-term planning which is not limited to emergency responses” that “include effective assistance for integrating migrants in their receiving countries,” while at the same time “promoting the development of their countries of origin through policies inspired by solidarity, yet not linking assistance to ideological strategies and practices alien or contrary to the cultures of the peoples being assisted”. Regarding the immigration crisis unfolding in Europe, the Successor of Peter was realistic, stressing that the current migration wave seems to be “undermining the foundations of that “humanistic spirit” which Europe has always loved and defended” and that “the right balance” needs to be found “between its twofold moral responsibility to protect the rights of its citizens and to ensure assistance and acceptance to migrants”. He urged for European countries such as Italy that are suffering the brunt of the problem, not to be left alone. He also recalled that the most intolerable migration emergencies are being witnessed in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Referring to Italy, the Pope expressed the hope that “in light of its age-old tradition, the nation may prove capable of accepting and integrating the social, economic and cultural contribution which migrants can offer”. Regarding the social and “cultural” concerns surrounding the immigration phenomenon, including concerns to do with religion, Francis reiterated that “only a distorted ideological form of religion can think that justice is done in the name of the Almighty by deliberately slaughtering defenceless persons”. The Bishop of Rome took stock of the fact that extremism and fundamentalism find fertile ground “in the vacuum of ideals and the loss of identity – including religious identity – which dramatically marks the so-called West”. At the same time, in an implicit reference to Islamophobic rhetoric, the Pope also pointed to “identitarian” reactions as a worrying symptom of this vacuum, reactions which “lea[d] [us] to se[e] the other as a threat and an enemy, to closed-mindedness and intransigence in defending preconceived notions”. “The acceptance of migrants” on the other hand, “can … prove a good opportunity for new understanding and broader horizons, both on the part of those accepted, who have the responsibility to respect the values, traditions and laws of the community which takes them in, and on the part of the latter, who are called to acknowledge the beneficial contribution which each immigrant can make to the whole community”.
In his references to the suffering of Christians who are experiencing persecution within the current migration phenomenon, the Pope avoided any emphasis on “persecutionism” that could fuel theories about the clash of civilisations and also refrained from separating Christian suffering from the suffering of others, in tune with other astute representatives of the Eastern Churches. It was Coptic Patriarch Tawadros II who, a couple of days ago, reiterated that terrorism “does not distinguish” between Christians and Muslims. Pope Francis has adopted the same open attitude in solving conflict through multilateral negotiations, with regard to the Iranian nuclear issue, the attempts – still in the early stages – to settle the conflict in Libya and the steps taken by the international community “to achieve a political and diplomatic solution of the crisis” in the Syrian slaughterhouse. Francis also prayed “that this new year can heal the deep wounds dividing Israelis and Palestinians, and enable the peaceful coexistence of two peoples who in the depths of their heart ask only for peace!”
In the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Year of Mercy Misericordiae Vultus, Pope Francis made it clear that he did not wish to turn the Holy Year into a “propitious time” exclusively for faithful of Catholics active in the faith, he intended it as an opportunity for reconciliation for non-Christians too, starting with Jews and Muslims. A time that does not exclude the possibility of taking into account the dynamics of the Jubilee in scrapping scores that need to be settled and in reconciliation between enemies, right from the outset, including when seeking solutions to the conflicts and international crises that are tormenting peoples and nations.
The benefits of the Jubilee are offered to everyone, there are no hidden interests behind them. Pope Francis is not trying to defend one civilisation from other figures who are active on the world stage. He emphasises that the action of the Holy See in the international sphere is aimed at the wellbeing of the entire human family. Hence, it has no need for forming privileged alliances or exclusive partnerships with prominent geopolitical entities.
In the time of Pope Francis, the Church is not seeking out the backing of influential figures and geopolitical supporters and it is not pursuing any plans to assert itself and secure its “relevance” in history. It is therefore not in the least bit concerned with competing with pre-established worldly powers, or forming preferential alliance networks with them. As the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin once stated: Vatican diplomacy has the task of “build[ing] bridges in order to promote dialogue and use negotiation as a means to solve conflicts, spread fraternity, fight against poverty and build peace. The Pope has no other “interests” or “strategies” and neither do those who represent him abroad.”
The registered effect shows that freeing oneself from pre-established geopolitical goals and alignments allows the Church’s current leader to be more flexible and efficient in his discernment of world events. The evangelical outlook and the reference to mercy foster a realistic perception of situations and problems. This evangelical outlook helps one to dodge past conformism or power-serving ideologies and appears immune from utopian idealism and neo-rigorist perfectionism.
As he addressed each individual question in his speech to the diplomatic corps, Pope Francis presented everyone with critical reflections that dismantle clichés and ready-made barriers, offering hints on how to proceed in the search for concrete solutions. In his speech, which focused on the “migration emergency”, Francis recognised migration as a part of the history of salvation that forms part of the history of the entire world, from Abraham’s journey to the deportation of the chosen people to the land of Babylon, to Mary and Joseph’s flight into Egypt to save Jesus. In the Pope’s address, today’s tragedies, from ethnic-religious cleansing to the drownings at sea, were not detached from “issues involving the arms trade, the provision of raw materials and energy, investment, policies of financing and sustainable development, and even the grave scourge of corruption”. Once again, the Pope pointed to the prevailing “culture of waste” as the root of the collective global suffering of those fleeing war and humanitarian tragedies. A culture that sees people as throwaway objects, “especially when poor or disabled, or “not yet useful” – like the unborn (an explicit reference to abortion, Ed.), or “no longer needed” – like the elderly”.
On the subject of immigration, Francis recalled the “need for mid-term and long-term planning which is not limited to emergency responses” that “include effective assistance for integrating migrants in their receiving countries,” while at the same time “promoting the development of their countries of origin through policies inspired by solidarity, yet not linking assistance to ideological strategies and practices alien or contrary to the cultures of the peoples being assisted”. Regarding the immigration crisis unfolding in Europe, the Successor of Peter was realistic, stressing that the current migration wave seems to be “undermining the foundations of that “humanistic spirit” which Europe has always loved and defended” and that “the right balance” needs to be found “between its twofold moral responsibility to protect the rights of its citizens and to ensure assistance and acceptance to migrants”. He urged for European countries such as Italy that are suffering the brunt of the problem, not to be left alone. He also recalled that the most intolerable migration emergencies are being witnessed in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Referring to Italy, the Pope expressed the hope that “in light of its age-old tradition, the nation may prove capable of accepting and integrating the social, economic and cultural contribution which migrants can offer”. Regarding the social and “cultural” concerns surrounding the immigration phenomenon, including concerns to do with religion, Francis reiterated that “only a distorted ideological form of religion can think that justice is done in the name of the Almighty by deliberately slaughtering defenceless persons”. The Bishop of Rome took stock of the fact that extremism and fundamentalism find fertile ground “in the vacuum of ideals and the loss of identity – including religious identity – which dramatically marks the so-called West”. At the same time, in an implicit reference to Islamophobic rhetoric, the Pope also pointed to “identitarian” reactions as a worrying symptom of this vacuum, reactions which “lea[d] [us] to se[e] the other as a threat and an enemy, to closed-mindedness and intransigence in defending preconceived notions”. “The acceptance of migrants” on the other hand, “can … prove a good opportunity for new understanding and broader horizons, both on the part of those accepted, who have the responsibility to respect the values, traditions and laws of the community which takes them in, and on the part of the latter, who are called to acknowledge the beneficial contribution which each immigrant can make to the whole community”.
In his references to the suffering of Christians who are experiencing persecution within the current migration phenomenon, the Pope avoided any emphasis on “persecutionism” that could fuel theories about the clash of civilisations and also refrained from separating Christian suffering from the suffering of others, in tune with other astute representatives of the Eastern Churches. It was Coptic Patriarch Tawadros II who, a couple of days ago, reiterated that terrorism “does not distinguish” between Christians and Muslims. Pope Francis has adopted the same open attitude in solving conflict through multilateral negotiations, with regard to the Iranian nuclear issue, the attempts – still in the early stages – to settle the conflict in Libya and the steps taken by the international community “to achieve a political and diplomatic solution of the crisis” in the Syrian slaughterhouse. Francis also prayed “that this new year can heal the deep wounds dividing Israelis and Palestinians, and enable the peaceful coexistence of two peoples who in the depths of their heart ask only for peace!”
The Novus Ordites need "more dialogue" like Christopher Walken needs "more cowbell"
"DEAR BROTHER MASONS" - Full Article on Catholic-Masonic Dialogue by Cardinal Ravasi
DEAR BROTHER MASONS
Over and above our different
identities, there is no lack of common values: a sense of community,
charitable works and the fight against materialism
by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi
I read some time ago in an American magazine that the international
bibliography on Freemasonry exceeds more than a 100,000 articles.
Certainly contributing to this interest is its aura of secrecy and
mystery, more or less with good reason, its different “obediences” and
Masonic “rites” shrouded in a sort of murkiness, not to mention its
origins, which, according to the English historian Frances Yates, “are
one of the most discussed and questionable problems in the entire field
of historical research” (curiously the scholar’s study was dedicated to
the Rosicrucian Enlightment, translated by Einaudi in 1976).
We obviously do not want to go into this archipelago of “lodges”
“orients” “arts” “affiliations” and denominations of which history has
often weaved – for better or for worse – into the politics of many
nations (for example, I’m thinking here of Uruguay where I took part
recently in various dialogues with proponents of traditional Masonic
culture and society), just as it is not possible to trace the lines of
demarcation between the authentic, the false, the degenerate, or
para-masonry and the various esoteric or theosophical circles.
It is also arduous to illustrate a map of the ideology which holds such
a fragmentary universe, which is why we can speak of a horizon and a
method more than a codified doctrinal system. Inside this fluid setting
some rather distinct crossroads meet, such as an anthropology based on
freedom of conscience, intellect and equal rights, in addition to a
deism that acknowledges the existence of God, allowing however, for
flexible definitions on His identity. Anthropocentrism and spiritualism,
are, therefore, two somewhat excavated paths within a very changeable
and flexible map that we are not able to outline in any precise way.
We are content, though, to indicate an interesting little volume which
has a clearly distinct aim: that of defining the relationship between
Freemasonry and the Catholic Church. Let’s be clear immediately though:
it is not a historical analysis of this relationship, neither does it
treat of possible contaminations between the two subjects. In fact, it
is evident that Masonry has assumed Christian models – even liturgical
ones. We must not forget, for instance, that in the 17th century many
English lodges recruited members and maestros among the Anglican clergy
and it is a fact that one of the first and fundamental Masonic
“constitutions” was drawn up by the Presbyterian pastor, James Anderson
who died in 1739. In it, among other things, it was affirmed, that an
adherent ”will never be a stupid atheist nor an irreligious libertine”
even if the creed proposed was, in the end, the vaguest possible, “that
of a religion which all men agree on”.
Now, the vacillations of contacts between the Church and Freemasonry
have had many varied movements, reaching even manifest hostility, marked
by anticlericalism on the one side and excommunication on the other.
Indeed, on April 28th 1738, Pope Clement XII, the Florentine Lorenzo
Corsini, promulgated the first explicit document on Freemasonry, the
Apostolic Letter In eminenti apostulatus specula, in which he declared:
“that these same Societies, Companies, Assemblies, Meetings,
Congregations, or Conventicles of Liberi Muratori or Francs Massons, or
whatever other name they may go by, are to be condemned and prohibited”.
Condemnations reiterated by subsequent pontiffs, from Benedict XIV to
Pius IX and Leo XIII, affirmed the incompatibility between membership in
the Catholic Church and Masonic obedience. Concise was the 1917 code
of Canon Law in which canon 2335 reads: “Those who join a Masonic sect
or other societies of the same sort, which plot against the Church or
against legitimate civil authority, incur ipso facto an excommunication
simply reserved to the Holy See.”
The new Code of 1983 tempered the formula, avoiding explicit reference
to Freemasonry, conserving the substance of the punishment even if
destined in the most generic sense “a person who joins an association
which plots against the Church” (canon 1374). However the most
articulated Church document on the irreconcilability between adhesion to
the Catholic Church and Freemasonry is the Declaratio de
associationibus massonicis issued by the Vatican Congregation for the
Faith on November 26th 1983, signed by the then Prefect, Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger. It specified precisely the value of the new Code of Canon
Law, reaffirming: “the Church’s negative judgment in regard to
Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always
been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and
therefore membership in them remains forbidden.”
The small volume to which we now return, is interesting since it
attaches – along with an Introduction by the present Prefect for the
Congregation, Cardinal Gerhard Muller - also two documents from two
local Episcopates, the German Episcopal Conference (1980) and the
Philippine one (2003). They are significant texts as they address the
theoretical and practical reasons for the irreconcilability of masonry
and Catholicism as concepts of truth, religion, God, man and the world,
spirituality, ethics, rituality and tolerance. It is significant
particularly for the method adopted by the Philippine Bishops, who
articulate their discourse along three trajectories: the historical, the
more explicitly doctrinal and the pastoral. All is examined along the
lines of the question-answer type of catechesis. There are 47
question-answers and they go into details, such as the initiation
ceremony, symbols, the use of the Bible, the relationship with other
religions, the oath of brotherhood, the various levels of the hierarchy
and so on. These various declarations on the incompatibility of the two
memberships in the Church or in Freemasonry, do not impede, however,
dialogue, as is explicitly stated in the German Bishops’ document which
had already listed the specific areas for discussion, such as the
communitarian dimension, works of charity, the fight against
materialism, human dignity and reciprocal knowledge.
Further, we need to overcome that stance from certain Catholic
integralist spheres, which – in order to hit out at some exponents even
in the Church’s hierarchy who displease them – have recourse to accusing
them apodictically of being members of Freemasonry. In conclusion, as
the German Bishops wrote, we need to go beyond reciprocal “hostility,
insults and prejudices” since “in comparison to past centuries the tone
and way of manifesting [our]differences has improved and changed” even
if these differences still remain in a clearly distinct way.
The farewell rap song that the prisoners of Ciudad Juarez dedicated to Pope Francis
This video even had James Holmes like...
French Cardinal Barbarin under pressure for failure to remove accused priest
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, France, is under pressure to resign after acknowledging that he allowed a priest to remain in parish ministry after learning that the priest had been accused of sexual abuse.
The cardinal revealed that he first learned of accusations against Father Bernard Peynat "around 2007-2008." The allegations against the priest dated back to the years between 1986 and 1991. At the time, Cardinal Barbarin said, he was assured that there had been no new charges since 1991.
Cardinal Albert Decourtray, who was Archbishop of Lyon at the time, suspended Father Peynat for six months, but then restored him to active ministry. Cardinal Barbarin, who was installed as the leader of the Lyon archdiocese in 2002, allowed him to remain in parish work.
It was only in 2014, Cardinal Barbarin recalled, that he met with a victim who brought new charges of abuse against Father Peynat. After consulting with the Vatican, the cardinal removed the accused priest from ministry.
"When I arrived in Lyon, I did not know anything" about the Peynat case, Cardinal Barbarin told La Croix. "By the time I learned the facts, there were no complaints." He explained that when he heard a credible charge against the priest, he took action to suspend him.
These pop-singing nuns rocked Francis' Juarez Mass
.- After taking the Internet by storm last fall with their hit “Confia en Dios,” this group of singing sisters was invited to perform at Pope Francis’ U.S.-Mexico border Mass in Juarez earlier this week.
“We are very happy…we never imagined that we would receive an invitation,” Sister Mónica Nobl told CNA Feb. 17.
One of the leaders of the musical group “The Siervas,” meaning “Servants,” Nobl said that the invite to sing at the papal Mass was something none of them expected, but came through Facebook.
After checking out their Facebook page and seeing the viral video for their song “Confia en Dios,” a priest from Mexico wrote them asking if they wanted to sing at the Pope’s final Mass in Juarez.
The immediate reaction was “Of course! How can we not participate in this great event?” Sr. Monica said, adding that they were “very, very happy and very excited to participate.”
The 12 sisters in the group are all part of the community of the Servants of the Plan of God. Founded Aug. 15, 1998, in Peru, the community lives a life of full apostolic availability, evangelizing in the areas of youth, the family and culture, with a special emphasis on the fragile, ill, poor and suffering.
Some of the more musical members of the community banded together, literally, last fall in order to put their musical talents to use in spreading the message of the Gospel.
In September 2015 “The Siervas” released their first CD in Spanish, “Ansias que queman,” which a month later was presented with a tour in Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Peru.
The biggest hit on the album is a song called “Confia en Dios,” or “Trust in God.” Since it was posted to YouTube in October, the music video for the song has been viewed over 365,000 times.
It shows the sisters playing both classical instruments as well as the drums and the electric and bass guitars while singing the catchy tune in their religious habits from a rooftop helipad.
Nobl explained that “The Siervas” composed the music and lyrics for the songs themselves, and that they chose a selection of different types of songs to perform for the Pope’s Mass.
“We prepared a variety of songs to encourage people,” she said, adding that “our rhythms are well motivated,” since they are a mix of pop, rock and Latin pop genres.
The blend of rock with religious hymns has gained popularity among Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Out of the many non-Catholic and non-religious people who have commented on the “Confia en Dios” music video, the majority say that despite not sharing the sisters’ faith, they are big fans of the song and think it touches people on a human level.
What the group hopes to demonstrate is that even Catholic music “can be composed with the highest musical standards,” Nobl said.
Because of this, the group is already recording their second album, which they chose to do in collaboration with renowned musical producers in both Peru and the United States.
Although their community was founded in Peru, members of “The Siervas” hail from countries all over the world, including Argentina, China, the Philippines, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador and Japan.
In addition to their gig in Juarez, the sisters will also play in several other Mexican cities as part of a mini tour that includes stops in Chihuahua, San Juan del Rio and Mexico City.
As part of their Mexican tour, “The Siervas” will also be performing charity work throughout the trip in soup kitchens and schools in the cities they visit.
Out of all the stops they will make, Nobl said that their performance in Juarez was especially significant not just because they played for the Pope, but also because of the suffering those who live in the city face on a daily basis.
To perform in a place like the violent and conflicted border between Mexico and the United States “excites us a lot because this is why we do music, so that the message of the faith arrives to and crosses borders, and arrives above all to those who suffer most,” she said.
“Our mission is to help those in need. We assist poor people, those who suffer. So it is very meaningful and very symbolic for us to be in Ciudad Juarez, which suffers a lot.”
With communities throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa, the sisters run numerous projects assisting marginalized groups, such as the homeless and those who live in extreme poverty, and have a school for disabled children.
I have been warning you that in the formal New Age Religion there would be a "counterfeit baptism" to initiate one into the New Age program. Tradition also calls this the Mark of the Beast. The False Prophet and Maitreya have such intent. It seems the attack on baptism is well under way
You’re Doing Baptism All Wrong
The earliest known
painting of the Mother Mary has given new clues to the sacrament of
Baptism, and now all Christians may be brides of Christ.
For
nearly two millennia, Christians across the globe have practiced
baptism. Despite their many differences of opinion, the centrality of
baptism for membership in the Christian community is something that all
modern Christians agree upon. They believe that at baptism their sins
are forgiven, they die to their old lives and are reborn in Christ. But
now a new book suggests that early Christians held very different
beliefs about baptism than we do today.
In his book, The World’s Oldest Church,
Fordham Associate Professor Michael Peppard examines the iconography
from the walls that adorned the earliest surviving Christian church,
from Dura-Europos in Syria. Located above the Euphrates River in what is
now ISIS territory, Dura Europos was a bustling metropolis in the
ancient world. The church, one of three ancient religious buildings that
have survived intact from the city (the others are a Jewish synagogue
and a pagan Mithraeum), was originally the home of a wealthy third
century Christian that had been converted into a “house church”: a
building containing an assembly room and a baptistery.
The
walls of the baptistery were adorned with biblically inspired artwork,
including a depiction of a woman drawing water from a well.
Traditionally, scholars have thought that the woman is meant to be the
Samaritan woman who engages Jesus in conversation at a well in John 4.
In
his analysis of the artwork, Peppard, following and expanding on the
work of theologian Dominic Serra, argues that scholars have misread the
scene. He suggests that the woman is actually Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Not only would this be the earliest, albeit somewhat blurry, portrait
of the Virgin Mary (she looks terrible, by the way), but, Peppard
argues, her presence at the scene changes our understanding of what is
taking place at baptism.
Peppard
thinks that Mary and the other biblical figures present at the
baptistery evoke a kind of wedding scene. As a neophyte (a Christian
initiate) passed through the space, he or she would see the paintings
and understand the ritual in marital terms. What this means is that
baptism wasn’t always seen as death and rebirth; for newly minted
Christians at Dura-Europos, baptism was a kind of marriage to Christ.
This isn’t just a more upbeat take on the purpose of baptism; it also
suggests a different kind of intimacy with Jesus. It’s not just nuns who
can be “brides of Christ.” Heck, it’s not just women either.
Peppard’s
hypothesis certainly changes how we think about baptism. But baptismal
controversy and adaptation is nothing new. According to Paul, Christians
in Corinth performed “baptisms for the dead,” whatever those are.
Latter-day Saints continue to perform baptisms for the dead (with live
surrogates standing in for the deceased) in temples across the globe,
but no one really knows what kinds of practices Paul himself actually
refers.
The
earliest church surviving church manual, the second-century Didache
(Teaching of the Twelve Apostles), stipulates that ideally baptism would
be performed in flowing water (i.e., a river). If the baptized could
not make it to a river, then the author pragmatically concedes that a
pool or bath of cold water would be the next best thing, and, if cold
water was not available, as it might not have been in warmer climates,
then warm water would suffice. Finally, if none of the above were
available, drizzling some water on the forehead of the baptized would
suffice. This concession proved practical when, in the fourth century,
Augustine made the case for baptizing infants as well as full-grown
adults.
If
all of this seems confusing, it probably should: Unlike the Eucharist,
there’s no biblical moment when Jesus tells his disciples how to baptize
other people. And despite its pervasiveness in Christianity, the
Gospels never really describe how baptism should be performed. With so
many different ideas about how and why to baptize, chances are you’re
doing it at least partly wrong.
