Papal Visit To Ireland: Write Your Own Open Letter To Pope Francis…

Papal Visit To Ireland: Write Your Own Open Letter To Pope Francis…

Open Letter to Pope Francis…

I am shocked beyond words at your silence during the abortion referendum in Ireland. A small group of us, Scots, went over to Dublin in order to help save the lives of the unborn babies at risk of being killed if a YES vote resulted so we remain in shock that the Pope himself remained silent throughout and yet plans to visit Ireland to attend a meeting ostensibly about “family” despite the fact that a keynote speaker is an LGBT-Z activist priest. We were treated appallingly by the majority of the Irish people whom we encountered on our visit – nasty and completely sold to the values of this world. YOU encouraged that by your silence.

You are easily the worst-ever pope in the history of the Church and a future pope and Council will denounce you as it denounced Honorius I. Think of the book titles, the headlines: From Honorius I to Francis I. Roll on!

Used to be that the jibe “is the Pope Catholic” was a joke. No more. Your alleged Catholicity is now the joke. So, enjoy your visit to Ireland, enjoy the World Meeting of Families – just don’t try to pass the event off as “Catholic”.

With no condemnation (however belatedly) of the shocking pro-abortion vote, and your willingness to share a platform with a priest who will present, as a good, one of the four sins that cry to Heaven for vengeance, your presence at this event can only serve to further attack the teaching of Christ’s Church.

You, Papa Francis, are about as Catholic as the nearest Imam.

Signed… Editor, Catholic Truth

Comment:

Click here to send YOUR open letter, albeit short and to the point, to Pope Francis via the Irish Times, ahead of his visit to Ireland later this month. And then feel free to copy it onto the blog and/or share your thoughts about the forthcoming World Meeting of Families.  

Comments (74)

  • dalethorn

    I sent the note to the Pope. I said he has the blood on his hands from what is to come with legalized abortion-on-demand, and I asked him what will he do now?

    August 11, 2018 at 2:21 pm
  • crofterlady

    I also wrote him a letter in similar vein.

    August 11, 2018 at 3:15 pm
  • editor

    DaleThorn & Crofterlady,

    Brilliant! The more such letters that are sent to the Godless Irish Times, the better. Even if the Pope never sees them, the anti-Catholic Irish Times staff will read them and that makes it worth while.

    August 11, 2018 at 5:04 pm
  • RCAVictor

    Dear “Dictator Pope”:

    Your pontificate has the distinction of being the sleaziest and most corrupt in the history of the Church. You have surrounded yourself with homosexuals and crooks, you seem to think you can change the Divine truths of Church teaching at a sophistical whim, and your disgrace of a papacy is merely a mouthpiece for the subversive globalist agenda of the UN and George Soros. I am not surprised, therefore, that you remained silent regarding the abortion referendum in Ireland, since you have already described faithful Catholics with large families as “breeding like rabbits.” Your recent laughable pronouncement on the death penalty as “inadmissible,” while you say nothing about the death sentence pronounced on babies in the womb, is just further proof of your execrable hypocrisy. I am ashamed to call you my Pope.

    August 11, 2018 at 7:01 pm
    • editor

      RCA Victor,

      You’re a hard man… thank God – we’ve enough wimps in the Church, Lord (literally) knows, so it’s refreshing to read your no-nonsense letter. Well said.

      Over on your side of “The Pond”, a young blog-mistress has posted her own Open Letter to the Bishops of the USA and I found it impressive. I’ve just posted a comment of support so others may like to follow my – as ever – first class example, she said with characteristic (lack of) modesty.
      https://damselofthefaith.wordpress.com/2018/08/11/resign-bishops/comment-page-1/#comment-2669

      https://i.pinimg.com/736x/dd/e4/2e/dde42e5e4a9fe240e527afa43f83dc98.jpg

      August 11, 2018 at 9:16 pm
      • RCAVictor

        Editor,

        I have now followed your first-class example, he said, with characteristic obedience…..btw, is that perfect man in the picture wearing Scotch plaid pants?

        August 11, 2018 at 9:38 pm
      • editor

        RCA Victor,

        You just can’t resist it, can you – having a go at my homeland… so much unjust stereotyping, as if Scotsmen only wear tartan, as if we’re all mean, as if we’ve no feelings. This ad should go some way to correcting that last slur, surely…

        https://the-best-jokes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Funny-Scottish-Joke.jpg

        August 11, 2018 at 10:30 pm
  • Lily

    Dear Pope Francis,

    Please resign.

    August 11, 2018 at 9:31 pm
    • editor

      Lily,

      I know you’re the wrong gender, but your “letter” reminds me of the old Scots song which contains the line: “yer no a man tae throw a word away…”

      I can’t remember the tune, so don’t ask me to sing it!

      August 11, 2018 at 10:32 pm
  • RCAVictor

    I don’t know how to start one of those “hashtags,” but I would like to replace the #meetoo, or whatever it is, with “#resignandbeprosecuted.” Referring, that is, to the internal enemies of the Church who are wearing mitres and scarlet birettas…which conceal lavender underwear…

    August 11, 2018 at 11:46 pm
    • editor

      RCA Victor,

      I don’t know much about how to start one of those hashtags either but at a wild guess I’d say you need to sign up for a Twitter feed first! I LOVE #resignandbeprosecuted. Brilliant! It would be worth becoming a Twit just to create that hashtag, if you get my drift!

      August 12, 2018 at 9:33 pm
      • RCAVictor

        Editor,

        Thanks, just looked up the directions and posted it.

        Dyslectics of the world, untie!

        August 12, 2018 at 10:53 pm
      • editor

        Really? RCA Victor, please post the link to your Twitter feed – I’d love to read that hashtag

        August 13, 2018 at 7:37 am
      • RCAVictor

        https://twitter.com/MaestroPelon/status/1028760618134908929

        August 13, 2018 at 3:02 pm
      • editor

        RCA Victor,

        Tell your friend Mark, he’s tops at Catholic Truth! Love him!

        August 13, 2018 at 7:45 pm
      • RCAVictor

        Here’s my second one:

        https://twitter.com/MaestroPelon/status/1029005428049334272

        August 13, 2018 at 3:03 pm
      • editor

        RCA Victor,

        I’m beginning to like Twitter – never did before!

        August 13, 2018 at 7:46 pm
  • Therese

    Dear Pope Francis

    We have had some very bad popes in history, and not a few of them in the recent past, but sadly you have the distinction of coming top of the very worst. You have insulted Christ, and you continue almost on a daily basis to do so, by your association with, protection and promotion of predatory homosexual clergy, the financial shenanigans of which the Vatican is now a by-word, and your contempt and persecution of those few Catholics who continue to defend His Church. The fact that you have goaded people like myself, who were brought up to revere and respect the office of Holy Father, is not the least of the scandals you continue to create or excuse. I respectfully beg you to remember the judgement we must all face when we have to answer to God for our sins.

    August 12, 2018 at 2:18 pm
    • editor

      Therese,

      Superb. Trust you to go and be respectful though, right at the end – spoiling a perfectly good rant 😀

      August 12, 2018 at 9:34 pm
      • Therese

        Editor

        Wo you sayin’ eh? You tryin’ to say I’m not sutle, like??

        August 13, 2018 at 10:29 pm
      • editor

        Therese,

        As if… You’re SO one of my favourite people that I thought of you the minute I saw this…

        http://www.quoteswords.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/30-Hilarious-Minions-Jokes-11-Minions-Funny-Minions.jpg

        August 13, 2018 at 11:34 pm
  • RCAVictor

    I was thinking this morning about how some aspects of Our Lord’s Passion are being replicated in the Passion of His Mystical Body, which, however, is occurring over a much longer period of time (i.e. since at least 1960).

    For example, the precipitating event of His Passion was the kiss of Judas, the betrayer. What might be the replication of this in the current Church? Well, we have Francis’ crony, Abp. Victor Manuel Fernández and his book “Heal Me With Your Mouth: The Art of Kissing.” His scandalous authorship of this book came to light a couple of years ago, I believe, but I think it could be a reliable indicator of the great apostasy, the minor chastisement, and the corporate betrayal which we are experiencing.

    Has the Church, since the existence of that book became known, been arrested and brought to trial? Perhaps that will be the result of this renewed homosexual scandal. In other words, I fear we are nowhere near the denouement.

    August 12, 2018 at 7:29 pm
    • editor

      RCA Victor,

      Every time I think of that disgusting book, I feel… disgusted.

      How can it be judgmental to suggest that that archbishop is wanting in the virtue of purity? It screams out from that book cover.

      Increasingly, I’m hearing calls for this and that organisation (latest, the AID charities) to be prosecuted simply because those at the top must have known about the abuse perpetrated by their AID workers.

      Do you see where I’m going with this thought… Rhetorical question.

      August 12, 2018 at 9:37 pm
  • Elizabeth

    Pope Francis,

    As a child of Irish Catholic parents I grew up knowing the hymn whose chorus is : “God bless our Pope, the great, the good.” I could not sing that now. Your papacy has been a huge disappointment , a scandal even, with your dubious take on the traditional teaching of the church as in the Amoris Laetitia encyclical, and your refusal to respond to the courageous dubia from the few faithful cardinals.
    Add to that your shameful silence in the face of the Irish referendum on abortion and the moves towards so called gay marriage.
    Now you are coming to Ireland. Well you are several months too late. You should have been there several months ago to make a stand against the murder of the unborn and to behave like the teacher and shepherd you are supposed to be.
    Shame on you Pope Francis and may God forgive you.

    August 12, 2018 at 7:46 pm
    • editor

      Elizabeth,

      First class letter.

      I, too, remember singing, with pride, the hymn “God bless our Pope…” It would choke me, now, the “great, the good” bit, although I’m not denying that Papa Francis, more than any other pope in history, needs our prayers, whether spoken or sung.

      August 12, 2018 at 9:39 pm
  • Dano

    It was a good shout to use the Anti Catholic Irish Times, to attack the Pope, pure class !!

    August 13, 2018 at 5:29 pm
    • editor

      Dano,

      Catholic Truth at your service!

      August 13, 2018 at 7:42 pm
  • gabriel syme

    Fr Rosica, one of Francis’ tiresome stooges, has written an astonishing article claiming the Church has now moved beyond the influence of both scripture and tradition – which are described as “disordered attachments” – and is now “openly ruled by an individual”.

    Pope Francis breaks Catholic traditions whenever he wants, because he is “free from disordered attachments.” Our Church has indeed entered a new phase: with the advent of this first Jesuit pope, it is openly ruled by an individual rather than by the authority of Scripture alone or even its own dictates of tradition plus Scripture

    https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2018/08/member-of-francis-inner-circle-in.html#more

    And so my letter to Francis is short, if not sweet:

    “Dear Francis,

    Sling yer hook!

    Regards
    Gabriel Syme”

    August 14, 2018 at 8:17 am
    • Lily

      Gabriel Syme,

      That is incredible from Fr Rosica. The Rorate article is very good, quoting the key teachings about the pope’s authority which can never go “beyond scripture and tradition”. This is just astonishing – things are getting quickly worse.

      Love your letter, LOL!

      August 14, 2018 at 8:58 am
  • RCAVictor

    Even the Jewish commentator Dennis Prager knows more about Catholic teaching than this Pope:

    http://the-american-catholic.com/2018/08/14/popewatch-pope-canute/#comment-323445

    August 14, 2018 at 2:46 pm
    • editor

      RCA Victor,

      Very interesting indeed. I had lunch with a novus ordo friend yesterday and she, firstly, didn’t know anything about this Catechism change and secondly thought it a good thing, since she’s never believed in the death penalty, not even for the worst crimes. I wish I’d had this nugget to hand from that article to quote:

      “The notion that it is immoral to execute any murderer — no matter how heinous the murder, no matter how many innocents he has murdered, no matter how incontrovertible the proof of guilt — is an expression of emotion, not of reason or natural law or Christian theology or biblical theology.”

      August 17, 2018 at 9:04 pm
  • editor

    And here’s a Belfast priest calling on the Pope to cancel his visit to Ireland. Makes a very strong case, indeed…
    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/pope-francis-should-cancel-irish-visit-says-belfast-priest-1.3598577

    August 17, 2018 at 8:59 pm
  • Leprechaun

    Madame Editor
    My open letter says: “May God have mercy on your soul”
    Love y’all.
    Leprechaun

    August 18, 2018 at 9:04 pm
    • editor

      Leprechaun,

      Well said! I expect your next letter to the Vatican will read…

      https://www.funny-jokes-quotes-sayings.com/images/412xNxMark_Twain_Funeral_mini.jpg.pagespeed.ic.-N6L0axzlS.jpg

      August 18, 2018 at 11:08 pm
  • Mary Jacinta Murphy

    Dear Holy Father,

    The last time a Pope came to visit our island, I was all unconscious of it. Being only two years of age, I missed the great event. A few years ago, had I heard that the Pope was coming to visit, I would have been unfurling my Papal flag, tuning up the vocal chords and beating a path to book my tickets. I am, after all, a regular Mass goer and active parishioner, and having the Pope to visit makes the heart of any Catholic beat faster.

    But…..when the great World Meeting of Families takes place, I will be somewhere else. Praying. Working. And wondering whether you, Holy Father, are in touch with the reality of the Church.

    For the past fifty years and more, the Church has undergone arguably her biggest crisis in history, of which the horrific sex abuse cases are a lamentable sign. Poverty stricken catechesis and the post conciliar liturgy, supposedly renewed, succeed only in hiding and even in contradicting the true face of Christ and of His Church. Heresy is rife. Apostasy is frequent. Schism hardly registers as a sin. And the commandments of God, especially in relation to the sanctity and permanence of marriage between man and woman, are under unprecedented attack. The baby in its mother’s womb is threatened. Sacrilege is a daily event. Souls no longer seek life and mercy in the Sacrament of Penance. The Holy Eucharist is routinely profaned, as the sacred Particles are lost by careless Communion in the hand. One would be fortunate to find a child in Ireland who can explain even at a most basic level the faith of its baptism.

    Is it any wonder that drugs, alcohol, suicide are endemic? The hope of forgiveness of sins, the hope and wonder of life in Heaven, the truth of so many miracles that prove the Catholic Faith- where are these preached today?

    I’m not a cultural Catholic; I actually believe, you see. I believe, I know that Our Lord Jesus Christ is God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, made Man, crucified for our salvation, risen from the dead and literally ascended into a very real Heaven. That, as you know, is the central tenet of our Christian faith. That, and the fact that the Catholic Church is the continuation of His Life on earth: the continuation of His teaching, His practice, His virtues. Despite her fallen members, we know that the Catholic Church alone has received the message of Christ to the world, and His saving Power. And we have the proof!

    Power for what? To change the world? Yes, but only and first by changing ourselves. We can be saved from sin and misery by His Grace!

    Proof of what? Of His Divinity, and His work in the Church, by many miracles, even by the raising of the dead to life. These miracles are found only in the Catholic Church. The finger of God is there!

    So please, Holy Father, continue His teaching, His Life, His virtues. That’s why Catholics look to the Pope. It’s not because his face is on the front page of Time magazine. That’s not what we look for. We look for a Pope who preaches, as all your predecessors, Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever. Christ who says “Thou knowest the commandments: thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery….”

    Put an end, Holy Father, to the scourge and sin of false preaching. See to it that the Bishops and priests teach the souls in their care. If the world is displeased, well, the servant is not greater than his Master. Preach once more the Redemption from sin. The world is thirsting for it. Ireland is thirsting for it.

    “It will never be too late to have recourse to Jesus and Mary” (Our Lord to Sr. Lucy of Fatima)

    August 19, 2018 at 1:02 am
    • Elizabeth

      That is indeed a powerful letter, but isn’t it terrible that a laywoman feels she has to write such a letter to the Pope? Beyond belief in fact but sadly very necessary. I just wish it could be shown to him and that he would take note of the contents. Such sad times.

      August 19, 2018 at 3:23 pm
    • Spiritus

      Mary Jacinta Murphy

      what an excellent letter! It expresses perfectly the lamentable state of the Church today and how the Pope and other catholic clergy have failed miserably to teach, govern and sanctify the Church. It is such a great pity that the message contained in your letter will not receive a hearing in Dublin and Knock on 25th and 26th August. It would be the only true teaching heard by Catholics that weekend. I expect that any believing Catholics who would wish to attend would be left outside the gates, as is usual in these times.

      August 22, 2018 at 5:02 pm
  • Therese

    Mary Jacinta Murphy

    That’s a lovely letter. If the Pope and his entourage have a Catholic conscience, they will be struck dumb with guilt and a desire to make some kind of amends. Alas, if only.

    August 19, 2018 at 2:57 pm
  • RCAVictor

    Mary Jacinta,

    Thank you for your eloquent and heart-wrenching letter. May God reward you!

    August 19, 2018 at 5:57 pm
  • Mary J

    😀 A bit long but best I could manage late at night. I did send it to the IT.

    August 19, 2018 at 9:32 pm
  • Lionel

    17th August 2018
    by FSSPX NEWS

    “According to the official program communicated by the Vatican, the World Meeting of Families to be held in Dublin (Ireland), from 21 to 26 August 2018, will be organized around the exhortation Amoris lætitia, thanks to the diligent intervention of many cardinals ” close to the sovereign pontiff “, as all observers point out.
    From 22 to 24 August, before the arrival of the Pope on the 25th, will be addressed the Cardinals Peter Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, João Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life, Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna (Austria), Oscar Maradiaga, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa (Honduras), and Blaise Cupich, newly created Cardinal and appointed to Chicago (USA). To these prelates, who undoubtedly support Pope Francis, will be added an American Jesuit, Father James Martin, director of the progressive magazine America, and ardent defender of the homosexual cause. His lecture will invite listeners to “welcome and respect LGBT people in parishes”…”

    How can one claim to be willing to eradicate sexual abuses within the Church and invite supporters of the homosexual and depraved activists of all kinds? This I cannot follow!…
    ONE MUST IMPERATIVELY INTERRUPT THIS MADNESS!

    August 19, 2018 at 9:43 pm
  • editor

    IMPORTANT NOTICE…

    A couple of times in the recent past, bloggers have enquired about The Case of the Missing Athanasius, since it’s quite some time since he put in an appearance here.

    In an effort to prevent a conversation developing on the subject, since, generally speaking, I try not to put pressure on bloggers, many of whom have family and work commitments which mean they can only blog “as and when”, I suggested that enquirers should email me privately, adding that Athanasius’s reason for not blogging at the present time “doesn’t put him in a good light, far from it” .

    It has been drawn to my attention that this might lead readers to speculate that Athanasius is guilty of some dark crime, or at least held under police caution pending an identity parade 😀

    Not at all. It’s much more mundane, I’m afraid – partly a simple misunderstanding between Athanasius and myself, very easily explained…

    https://m0.herfamily.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/15182751/minion13.jpg

    And partly for personal reasons which have nothing to do with the blog, so he’s currently AWL (Absent With Leave) for the foreseeable future.

    I hope that clarifies the position.

    Athanasius is, however, a chocoholic so I’m going to remind him of what awaits him if only he decides to cut short that leave!

    Drum roll…

    https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/disp/97167a23753711.5632845400ffe.gif

    August 19, 2018 at 9:59 pm
  • leprechaun

    Madam Editor,

    In the old days, when Jack was a lad and the raison d’être for the blog was the education of any who wanted to know more about the Catholic Faith, I learnt much from the erudite responses from Athanasius.
    I have only limited time these days to participate (for reasons of which you are aware) but I feel compelled to say that the blog has lost a dimension through the absence of Athanasius.
    On no account should dirty linen be washed in public, and I appeal to you, In the name of Charity, to reach an accommodation whereby he will feel inclined to share his encyclical knowledge once more with the bloggers and lurkers who come to the well.
    I do hope you are not serious about dosing him with those four squares of Exlax in your animated jpg with which you are awaiting his return.
    Do keep those drums rolling . . .

    August 20, 2018 at 5:53 pm
    • editor

      Leprechaun,

      The raison d’être for the blog has always been, and remains, education in the Catholic Faith – not just “in the old days, when Jack was a lad…”

      And I know that Athanasius will not take offence – indeed he will fully agree with me [or else!] – when I remind you that all of our bloggers work hard to contribute to that education – taking time to research and post informative comments on all sorts of subjects. So, while Athanasius is, of course, welcomed back and will, no doubt about it, add richly, once again, to our conversations, let’s not minimise the effort and contributions of others over the years since we launched the blog.

      There are, of course, those who “lurk” or who only appear when a topic is of interest to them personally – not terribly apostolic, but understandable humanly speaking, so, I would urge all of them to sign up to comment, as well. Everyone has something to say, some contribution to strengthening the Faith in others – even if it is only a word of encouragement – a “Well said!” can make blogging well worth the effort.

      As for your “the blog has lost a dimension through the absence of Athanasius” – why do you never say things like that about me? Sometimes I’m gone for hours at a time… Do I get a royal welcome on my return? Nope. Jealous? Me? Moi?

      https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ae/3e/a5/ae3ea5158ddaaa656adf23afbdcbea44–minion-jokes-minions-quotes.jpg

      August 20, 2018 at 9:44 pm
  • Athanasius

    Leprechaun

    Thank you for your very charitable remarks. I am deeply grateful for your kindness.

    My absence from the blog, however, has been largely due to circumstances unrelated to a difference of opinion with Editor. It was a minor difference really. I still have the lump to prove it!

    Seriously, though, there have been other pressing matters of which Editor is aware. I was just thinking the other day how little I write these days compared with times gone by. I’m just really busy on the roads during the day and I guess a little fed up with the liberal editors out there who just sensor anything remotely Traditional. I need to get back into 12 bars of chocolate every day to give me that hyperactive approach again!

    God bless you and the great work you’re doing for Our Lady.

    August 20, 2018 at 6:21 pm
    • editor

      Athanasius,

      You still have that lump?

      Oops!

      August 20, 2018 at 9:46 pm
  • Athanasius

    Editor

    I thought the retort may have read “you’ve always been a lump”!

    August 20, 2018 at 9:49 pm
  • gabriel syme

    This is the kind of thing popping up in Ireland ahead of the world meeting and Francis visit:

    https://twitter.com/ElaineYoung94/status/1030896229255929861

    The “Tuam baby scandal” – when the evil Church was to blame for the sad deaths of children in an age of poverty and pre-penicillin – is also being reanimated it seems.

    The attitude towards the Church, taken some people in Ireland right now, is absurd. They accuse of the Church of brutality and wickedness, even as their gleeful celebrations over voting for abortion still ring in our ears. They are shameless hypocrites and seem to lack any form of self-awareness.

    There is also very much an angry notion that Irish society has thrown off the Church, an oppressor (like the British), and is now ‘free’ and accordingly infinitely more sophisticated. In reality they are essentially Governed by Brussels, which checks and approves their Government budget plans and tells them to “vote again” if it doesn’t like the outcome to any particular referendum.

    The meek subservience towards Brussels is amazing – and baffling – to see from Ireland’s youth, who are so fiery and aggressive when it comes to what they perceive as negative influences: the Church or others who inhabit these British Isles.

    Meanwhile:

    https://twitter.com/robertburke84/status/1031888322673750016

    What is annoying about the above, is that no Catholic Bishop or writer will cause a stir about this in public.

    I think the Church events in Ireland should have been cancelled. I think there are various factors which could result in the events being a real debacle.

    August 21, 2018 at 11:55 pm
    • editor

      Gabriel Syme,

      I hope (no doubt in vain) that the bishops announce that they are refusing cohabitees and others who are living in a counter-witness to the Church (i.e. the lapsed) that they may no longer avail of church services for weddings and baptisms. “We MAY make an exception for funerals, we’ll think about it…” would be the subject of my next interview with the Irish Times, if only I were the head of the Bishops Conference of Ireland… Can you imagine how such an interview with the IT would make my day! .

      https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a0/8f/14/a08f142f8310ea78c2a6ecca83508837.jpg

      August 22, 2018 at 4:38 pm
      • Spiritus

        Editor

        if you were head of the Irish Bishops conference, they’d all be running for cover!! It would be great if the Irish (and other) bishops would ensure that lapsed Catholics do not use the church for their own selfish ends ( such as turning up, half dressed, for occasions such as baptisms, first communions, confirmations and weddings, or at Christmas and Easter only). The days of dressing up for such things is long gone and women in particular think nothing of turning up in garments that would have made even “fallen women” blush in days gone by.

        August 22, 2018 at 4:43 pm
  • Spiritus

    My letter to Pope Francis would go something like:
    “Your Holiness, I assume that in your efforts to eliminate abuse by Catholic clergy you will again ensure that men with homosexual tendencies are refused admission to Catholic seminaries, that those already attending seminaries are expelled, and that clergy found guilty of abuse, and those with unnatural tendencies are laicised. You might also consider proving your humility by calling on the Catholic bishops of the world to join you in consecrating RUSSIA to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as she has requested many times over the past 89 years (June 13th,1929, vision of Sr. Lucia at Tuy). If and when this is done the world will know a period of peace, and who knows, you may be then viewed as a great Pope for having done so (!!). It will also go some way towards making reparation for the damage you are doing to the Body of Christ, and will help you to gain the necessary graces to avoid a terrible judgement and save your immortal soul for which Our Lord himself paid a terrible price on the Cross.”

    I’m not going to Dublin or Knock at the weekend, either. The whole “world meeting of families” is a mockery of all that is Sacred within the family and is little more than an excuse to normalise unnatural and immoral sexual practices.

    August 22, 2018 at 4:25 pm
  • Spiritus

    Elaine Young and Robert Burke

    spot on with your comments! It never ceases to amaze me how those in the media can condemn religious men and women who took in those who were cast out onto the street by their families for getting themselves into a difficult situation, mostly theft or extramarital pregnancy. I think that in many cases these poor women were taken advantage of by men that they trusted and who should have known better. At least some of those men would have been pillars of society and “Catholics in good standing” yet they were never held to account. Many mothers today think nothing of abandoning their children into the care of the State, day after day, from the time those children are very young, in order for those same mothers to pursue their careers or find some personal fulfilment.
    Many journalists and others in the media were educated by Catholic nuns, brothers and priests, and where is their thanks??! It might have been better if they had been left uneducated and left to eke out some sort of existence by working very hard at manual labour. They’d be far too tired to complain about anything!

    August 22, 2018 at 4:38 pm
    • editor

      Spiritus,

      All excellent points in all of your posts on this subject. You ought to sent your latest comment to all the media outlets.

      August 25, 2018 at 9:46 am
  • editor

    Here is Pope Francis addressing the Irish people ahead of his visit for the World Meeting of Families. Is he totally out of touch with reality or what?

    August 23, 2018 at 12:04 am
  • editor

    Sky News is going hammer and tongs about the clergy abuse scandals under the guise of reporting on the Pope’s visit to Dublin. All the time using the term ‘children’, ignoring the homosexual / pederast part of the whole scandal which, of course is central. All day, they will play and replay the same report so if you want to see ‘biased’ take time to watch at some point today. I’ve done/seen my penance, so… over to thee!

    August 25, 2018 at 9:45 am
  • Lily

    I’ve just watched the live talks by the Irish PM and Pope Francis and they couldn’t have been more different.

    The PM was outspoken about the Church reference abuse scandals and also very openly pleased about the new Ireland with gay marriage and abortion etc.

    Pope Francis said nothing about the new Ireland just a passing mention of the unborn being the most vulnerable in society. and the gap between rich and poor!

    He’s just a scandal in himself. What a wasted opportunity.

    August 25, 2018 at 1:17 pm
  • Athanasius

    Watching that video of the Pope’s address to Irish Catholics you just know his visit to Ireland will achieve nothing of any supernatural benefit. He really should have refused to visit Ireland, it’s people having now largely apostatised from the Faith. But if he genuinely thought a visit could do some good then he should have gone in with all spiritual guns blazing, as befits a Successor of St. Peter. Instead, as is clear from that video, he’s off on his trip armed only with the usual conciliar feather dusters.

    Long gone are the days when Popes were on fire with love of God and zeal for souls. Today they burn only with a desire to please the world and placate the enemies of the Church with a new doctrine they call “the dignity of the human person”, by which every indignity is inflicted on Christ the Lord without response.

    In the case of Ireland, it has to be admitted that it stood firm in its defence of divine moral teaching longer than any other Catholic country. But now it has fallen to Lucifer, into moral darkness, and is ranked amongst those other former Catholic nations that have betrayed their Lord and joined the devil’s chorus chanting “crucify Him, crucify Him…we will not have Him rule over us!”

    In this Apocalyptic time of the renewed Passion and Crucifixion of the body of Christ (His Church), it is difficult to know for sure if the Pope is playing the part of Judas, Pontius Pilate or the terrified Simon Peter. What is certain is that he is no St. John the Evangelist standing firmly by the side of the Mother of Sorrows.

    August 25, 2018 at 1:25 pm
  • Helen

    I see the BBC are reporting that Pope Francis will get a warm welcome in Ireland, despite the clergy sex abuse, because he is so humble and loving of the poor and the downtrodden.

    August 25, 2018 at 2:43 pm
    • Athanasius

      Helen

      If he had gone before the abortion referendum with a reminder about the “culture of death”, they’d have thrown pelters at him. Going now, after the fact and without a word of condemnation, he’ll be well received.

      August 25, 2018 at 2:46 pm
  • Therese

    Just read the latest Christian Order, which prints a letter to the editor from a Mr(?) C J O’Hehir which casts grave doubt – in my opinion – on the accurate results of the referendum. Very illuminating, and a must read, which unfortunately I’m not able to post, but if you can, get a copy.

    August 25, 2018 at 3:20 pm
  • Therese

    Just typed it out – any typos are mine and not the original author.

    A Rigged Referendum?

    Dear Editor (Christian Order)

    While I would be the last person to defend modern Ireland, I strongly disagree with the implied and unquestioning trust Mr John Dill places in the integrity of the recent abortion referendum result here ( June/July 2018). There are extremely compelling reasons to doubt that this result was an accurate reflection of the way Irish people voted on 25 May.

    I can already hear many Catholic trads groaning inwardly about “whacky conspiracy theorists” as they read the above words, but so be it: if such folk ever provide a remotely plausible explanation as to why they place such fideistic faith in the integrity of voting procedures run by those who promote every conceivable abomination under the sun, then I’ll take their childish and inane insults seriously.

    The logic of “right wing” Catholics who take modern referendum and election results at face value is odd, to put it mildly.

    In their world, liberals promote abortion, euthanasia, fornication, “marriage between two persons of the same sex”, the chopping off of children’s’ genitals in deference to the transgender agenda, massive nation changing non-Christian immigration, insane wars and much much more. But the one thing they draw the line at is rigging elections and referendums. Why such ruthless, immoral people would maintain such scrupulosity in observing democratic procedures is never explained.

    By the same token, traditional Catholics will lament the great power the pro-aborts wield in the media, in political parties, the courts, the civil service, business, the trades unions, show biz, the arts and academia, and so on, but apparently believe that this power does not extend to the fairly simple business of rigging a referendum. In truth, rigging a referendum in a small and institutionally corrupt country like Ireland takes much less effort and much less time than infiltrating the media, the political parties, the trades unions etc, and brings far greater and more immediate rewards.

    I do not have time to address the huge anomalies that abound in relation to this referendum, but I’ll just make a number of very quick points.

    A poll published only 4 days before the referendum put the pro-abortion side ahead by 12 points: they won by a margin of 32.8%. That’s an astonishing leap of 20.8 points in support for abortion in 4 days. In any other country, such a divergence between poll numbers and officials results would render the outcome a joke in public eyes, and the UN would probably declare the contest a government staged sham.

    In an effort to explain away the huge anomalies between poll figures and the final outcome, the Irish media were reduced to claiming that it was all down to “secret yes voters”. This is Alice in Wonderland stuff. Given the aforementioned control the pro-abortionists wield in the Irish media and all other key elements of Irish society, the notion of large numbers of SECRET “yes” voters is utterly preposterous. On the other hand, there is every reason to believe that secret “no” voters (AGAINST repealing the 8th amendment) numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

    Many persons with no right to vote in the referendum were given voting cards. One French Erasmus exchange student who had neither the right nor the wish to vote, revealed that he was sent a voting card, even though he was a “very temporary resident in the country”. A recent university of Cork study revealed that more than 600,000 extra voting cards circulate in Ireland at elections and referendum. On a good day that would be enough fake votes to swing an election in the US, never mind a very small country like Ireland.

    When asked about this staggering number of extra voting cards in Ireland, a Civil Service spokesman bleated that one in 4 voters is asked to provide identification at polling stations in Ireland.

    This is not true: no one I know has ever been asked to provide identification at a polling station.

    Even if it were true, what about the 75% who don’t get asked to prove their identity? 75% of 600,000 is 450,000 potentially phoney voters.

    There is abundant evidence of vote rigging in previous Irish elections and referendum. A YouTube video from the Cork count centre at the time of the crucial second Lisbon Treaty referendum in 2009, shows an unidentified man walking out of the counting centre with a ballot box in his hand. There is no police or security presence visible in the centre at all; anybody could – and probably did – do anything they liked with boxes that night.

    In the 2009 European elections, a completely chance recount revealed that 3000 [yes 3000!] votes had been “misallocated” ie stolen from one candidate and given to another. The really revealing thing about this episode was the way that both the media and the Garda (the Irish police) completely ignored it. I was reading about the election in the Irish Times the day after the count, and that newspaper simply mentioned the “misallocation” in passing – as if it were just one of those things that happen in all elections. As for the Garda, they refused to investigate the matter.

    The same Garda, by the way, openly backed the Yes side in the “gay marriage” referendum, in flagrant breach of the Irish constitution – which, as in most countries, requires the police to stay out of politics. Exactly how can one trust a state’s police force to ensure the integrity of voting procedures, when they break the law themselves by taking sides on the issues being voted upon?

    By far the most intriguing thing about Irish voting procedures is the way counting is delayed until after voting. Given the neurotic fixation of the Irish state class with presenting a high tech, ultra-modern image to the world, this is extremely odd. On the one occasion when the eyes of the world are focused on the country, the Irish state chooses to present the country as a nation of chronic slackers, too soft and shiftless to work through the night counting votes on one day every few years.

    Odder still is the fact that no-one in the controlled Irish media ever examines this weird anomaly – whereby those with the will to rig the results of elections and referendum have 11 full hours to play around with them – 11 hours in which God knows what can happen to ballot boxes.

    Mr Dill provides anecdotes to support his implied contention that the official result of the refeerendum is valid. My own anecdotal evidence runs completely contrary to him: many folk I know who would normally either support the liberal side on moral questions, or who would stay at home, were strongly motivated to vote no. Indeed, many people have expressed deep puzzlement as to how the pro-abortion side easily out performed the gay marriage side in the official outcomes of the 2 referendums, even though there was no organised opposition to the gay marriage campaign at all, whereas a huge anti-abortion movement mobilised against the proposed amendment to the constitution.

    A comparison of attendance at the rallies for the 2 sides deepens this mystery. Pro-life rallies in the run-up to the referendum were huge – often numbering over 100,000. Whereas the pro-abortion rallies had derisory attendances of a couple of thousand hard core lefties and blue haired social justice warriors.

    So yes, by all means condemn Ireland. After all, a country where such rigging is endemic is far from blameless – the riggers and those who facilitate them being mostly Irish too.

    But surely elementary prudence should dictate that all Catholics place a very large asterisk around the outcome of this referendum.

    Yours sincerely

    C J O’Hehir (Dublin)

    August 25, 2018 at 4:08 pm
    • editor

      Therese,

      Thank you for taking the trouble to type out that very VERY interesting letter.

      As to Day One of the papal visit to Ireland – Lord have mercy!

      I’ve seen bits and pieces, some larger bits and pieces than others, throughout the day and to say that I am underwhelmed would be overstating the case 200%.

      Watching Pope Francis sitting there, in Dublin Castle, meekly taking a telling off from the Irish (by what…one generation?) agnostic, partnered homosexual Prime Minister, really did stick in my throat.

      Then to watch him standing up, all smiles at his ignorant host, only to talk drivel, bleating on about the gap between rich and poor, was just too much.

      By the time he mentioned the abuse crisis, and that in a way calculated to please nobody and without indicating stern measures to come to deal with faithless clergy, I had come very close to wrecking my TV screen.

      I couldn’t help thinking, during the fiasco at Dublin Castle, that here we have an agnostic Prime Minister and an atheist Pope – no wonder they can grin across at each other, best of pals. Listening to the two of them, all sorts of ridiculous thoughts passed through my mind…

      https://cdn.quotesgram.com/img/91/85/316098085-lefunny_net-funny-jokes-quotes-animals-pictures-Favim_com-568765.jpg

      Then the Festival of Families at Croke Park – I didn’t see that from the start, not sure how far on it was before I tuned in, but it sounded more like a lecture on relationships from a psychiatrist or a humanistic counsellor, than a sermon or talk from a pope. All about forgiveness, saying sorry, please and thank you, the most important words (which, can you believe he made the audience repeat, like a bunch of first year pupils in school) with a mention of prayer thrown in at the very end. Incredibly, when stressing the need to always say “sorry” before the end of the day, he explained the reason for that being that if we don’t say “sorry” before end of the day, there will be a “cold war” the next day. For one glorious moment, I thought he was going to say that we ought always to reconcile before the end of the day in case it’s our last. Silly me. As if he is ever going to warn any audience, especially an entire un-catechised audience (and I include priests and bishops in that) about death and judgment, Heaven and Hell. What am I LIKE?! Silly, silly me. Still, I suppose, in the spirit of being grateful for small mercies, it’s something that he didn’t name same-sex couples as being legitimate “family” models. I was half expecting that, so Deo gratias we have been spared that… so far, at least.

      But, a dismal performance, by any standards. No wonder there are people questioning whether or not he really IS a pope – we don’t do that here, at Catholic Truth, it’s way above our pay grade as the saying goes – but Francis is about as papal as PayPal. It’s the way I tell ’em.

      Let’s see what Day Two of this fiasco brings. Apparently more public protests are planned – let’s hope at least ONE of them is from concerned REAL Catholics… you know, the fully believing kind…

      And since tomorrow will see the Pope in Knock, let’s pray to Our Lady for tremendous graces for him, insights that may prompt him to undo some of the damage his lukewarm (lack of) faith has done today…

      August 25, 2018 at 11:22 pm
  • editor

    Here’s some very serious news – former US nuncio calls on all involved in covering up the McCarrick scandal to resign – and that includes Pope Francis. Dynamite report at Lifesitenews…
    https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/former-us-nuncio-pope-francis-knew-of-mccarricks-misdeeds-repealed-sanction

    August 26, 2018 at 8:01 am
  • wendy walker

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-ireland/pope-says-church-shamed-by-repugnant-irish-abuse-idUSKCN1LA0A6

    August 26, 2018 at 1:55 pm
  • wendywalker95

    Evidently the Pope is in hot water for calling paedophile Priests …Caca ..{faeces]….!!!!!!

    August 26, 2018 at 1:57 pm
  • wendy walker

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/media-review-how-visit-by-pope-francis-was-reported-around-the-world-1.3608078

    August 26, 2018 at 2:16 pm
  • wendywalker95

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6098137/Tuam-scandal-cesspit-babies-Liam-Neeson-joins-fight-Pope-face-truth.html

    August 26, 2018 at 2:35 pm
  • gabriel syme

    It seems like Francis’ Irish visit has been attended very poorly by locals:

    The organisers were hoping for 500,000 for the Phoenix park mass, but the figure doing the rounds is sub 130,000. Look at the comparison pics below, between 1979 and 2018. (The 2018 crowd is so patchy I thought at first I must be looking at one of Francis’ audiences in St Peters Square.)

    https://twitter.com/olivercallan/status/1033720690799718400

    August 26, 2018 at 10:37 pm
    • gabriel syme

      Hmm that post above didn’t work out well – but you can see the pic at:

      pic.twitter.com/6r0BPNqEXq

      August 26, 2018 at 10:39 pm
      • editor

        Gabriel Syme,

        It’s interesting how the media have not commented on the paucity of attendance, quite the reverse. They constantly spoke about the “hundreds of thousands” who attended. Only at Croke Park did they slip up and mention that the thousands here “came from all over the world”. Very interesting to see the media talk up a papal visit.

        It’s also interesting to hear reports of the shock horror that the Pope “used a swear word” to denounce the filth in the Church – one presenter said it “will take more than words even swear words from a Pope…” [to satisfy the victims of abuse]. Honestly you really couldn’t make this stuff up.

        Here’s some else who’s great with words, but lacking when it comes to action…

        August 27, 2018 at 9:54 am
  • wendy walker

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45318100

    Please see above calls for The Pope to resign

    August 27, 2018 at 11:10 am
  • wendywalker95

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6104401/Reverend-says-claims-Pope-Francis-knew-misconduct-allegations-like-earthquake-church.html

    August 28, 2018 at 12:21 pm
  • editor

    It strikes me that whoever it was told me that Bishop Keenan (Paisley) was tweeting great things about the Pope in Ireland hasn’t posted the information so in case it gets lost, – yes, he was there, just as he attended the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and tweeted about how wonderful THAT debacle was, homosexual kiss, (other) warts and all. Unbelievable.

    Given Archbishop Vigano’s intervention, it will be interesting to see how Bishop Keenan and his brother bishops respond, now that the consequences of his involvement in abuse cover-ups is catching up with Papa Francis.

    August 28, 2018 at 9:23 pm
    • Michaela

      Editor,

      No surprise there, since Bishop Keenan is a massive Pope Francis fan. I seem to remember him saying he wanted to bring Francis’s vision of the Church to Paisley!
      As you say, it will be interesting to see how he responds if Pope Francis is forced to resign, especially if his successor turns out to be another Pius X, LOL! .

      August 28, 2018 at 11:01 pm

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