Pope Francis Attacks Tradition Again
Aboard the papal flight from Romania — Pope Francis has criticized traditionalist Catholics who seek to “safeguard the ashes” of the past, saying the global church’s centuries of tradition are not akin to a container for preserved objects but instead like roots to be drawn on for future growth.
In a press conference aboard the papal flight back to Rome after his three-day visit to Romania, he singled out Catholic “fundamentalists,” who he said have a nostalgia for “returning to the ashes.”
Ed: reflect for a moment on the fact that here, Pope Francis is, yet again, rubbishing Catholic Tradition. Unsurprisingly, he departs from the teachings of the truly great popes, including saints and martyrs, the Fathers of the Church who went before him. Here’s a couple of examples…
St. Irenaeus of Lyons “Suppose there arise a dispute relative to some important question among us, should we not have recourse to the most ancient Churches with which the apostles held constant intercourse, and learn from them what is certain and clear in regard to the present question? For how should it be if the apostles themselves had not left us writings? Would it not be necessary, [in that case] to follow the course of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they did commit the Churches?”
Pope Stephen I, to St. Cyrpian of Carthage “Let there be no innovation; keep to what has been handed down.”
Francis continues…
“Tradition is the guarantee of the future and not the container of the ashes,” said Francis. “Tradition is like roots [of a tree], which give us nutrition to grow,” he explained. “You will not become like the roots. You will flower, grow, give fruit. And the seeds become roots for other people.”
Ed: what a load of… Talk about never saying two words when twenty will suffice.
“The tradition of the church is always in movement,” he said. “The tradition does not safeguard the ashes.”
Ed: by “ashes” we take it that he means the teaching of the Church, God’s revelation of dogma and the moral law…
St. Augustine “The customs of God’s people and the institutions of our ancestors are to be considered as laws. And those who throw contempt on the customs of the Church ought to be punished as those who disobey the law of God.”
The report continues…
Francis did not specify in his remarks whom he had in mind while speaking of Catholic traditionalists. But the pontiff has come under criticism during his six-year papacy from a vocal minority of Catholics, including some cardinals, who have expressed concern that he has not been clear in enunciating some of the church’s teachings.
Ed: don’t you just love the understatement? “Expressed concern”? We’ve got Catholics questioning whether or not he really IS a pope! Priceless. He’s widely considered the first Protestant Pope! It’s a tad more than a bit of concern. Trust me on this.
Francis spoke about the church’s tradition after being asked about his relationship with retired Pope Benedict XVI.
Ed: remember him? [pictured right]. He who asked us to pray that he “would not flee for fear of the wolves” and then did a runner?
Francis repeated his frequent characterization that having Benedict live in retirement at the Vatican is for him like having a grandfather at home. Francis said that going to speak with his predecessor always gives him strength.
Ed: hardly surprising – they’re both modernists. Only difference, Benedict at least looked the part, Francis… well…
“I feel the nutrition coming up through the roots, and it helps me go forward,” said Francis.
Ed: Oh, please…
St. Vincent of Lerins “I have often then inquired earnestly and attentively of very many men eminent for sanctity and learning, how and by what sure and so to speak universal rule I may be able to distinguish the truth of Catholic faith from the falsehood of heretical pravity; and I have always, and in almost every instance, received an answer to this effect: That whether I or any one else should wish to detect the frauds and avoid the snares of heretics as they rise, and to continue sound and complete in the Catholic faith, we must, the Lord helping, fortify our own belief in two ways; first, by the authority of the Divine Law, and then, by the Tradition of the Catholic Church.”
The report continues…
Among other issues he spoke about in the half-hour press conference, the pope also made an impassioned plea for Catholics to pray for the future of the European Union, which he said has “aged” and is in danger of being “overcome by pessimism.”
Ed: it’s in danger of falling apart, and all because it was a very bad idea in the first place…
In his first remarks about the 28-member block since European parliamentary elections last week resulted in gains for populist parties across the continent, the pope lamented the appearance of what he called “new borders” across the EU and said the organization “has lost the goal of working together.”
Ed: er…no… we just want to control our own borders and find new ways of working together.
“Europe is not being attacked by cannons or bombs in this moment but by ideologies, ideologies that are not European, that come either from outside or that stem from small groups,” he said.
Ed: by “small groups” he means, presumably the nation states like the UK who wish to make our own decisions, even our own laws! Cheek of us!
After referring to the tragedy of the two World Wars, he pleaded: “Please, let’s not return to this. Let’s learn from history. Let’s not fall in the same hole.”
“I would say to believers, ‘Pray for Europe … for unity, that the Lord will give us this grace,’ ” the pope added later.
Francis had been in Romania May 31-June 2 for a visit that focused both on encouraging the country’s minority Catholic population and reaching out to the 16-million-member Romanian Orthodox Church.
Asked about his May 31 meeting with Romanian Orthodox Patriarch Daniel, Francis called him “a man of great heart, and a great scholar.”
“He is also a man of prayer,” said the pope. “It is easy to get close to Daniel because I felt that he was a brother.”
Ed: well, yeah, he’s sure to be a “brother” – he’s a non-Catholic religious leader, for goodness sake! It’s only those pesky “traditional Catholics” who are not brothers or sisters, remember?
Francis said that ecumenical relations between Catholics and Orthodox are built by walking together, and by jointly serving those in need. “There is already Christian unity,” he said. “Let’s not wait for the theologians to come to agreement on the Eucharist.”
Ed: Excuse me? Is this a call to even more liturgical chaos “creativity”?
“The Eucharist is celebrated everyday with prayer, with remembrance of the blood of our martyrs, with the works of charity, and also wanting each other to be well,” he added.
Ed: “our martyrs”? Are there schismatic “martyrs” in Heaven?
Francis also addressed the prayer service he and Daniel hosted together, in which the two leaders both recited the Our Father prayer in each other’s presence, but separately — the pope going first in Latin, followed by the patriarch in Romanian.
Ed: Latin? Latin, Holy Father… Latin? You serious? You are in our [vernacular] prayers… Worry not; you may still save your soul if you repent asap… Latin? Whatever next!
Some right-wing Orthodox consider it inappropriate for believers to pray with Catholics. The pope revealed that while the patriarch said the prayer in Romanian, Francis had said it again quietly in Italian. He said that from what he could see, “the majority” of the crowd gathered for the event at Bucharest’s new Orthodox Cathedral had prayed both times.
Ed: well, there you go. Not a wasted trip after all… Some folk said the Our Father twice! WOW!
“The people went beyond us leaders,” said Francis. “We leaders must have diplomatic balance, to ensure that we are going forward together. There are diplomatic rules that are good to safeguard, so as not to ruin the thing. But the people pray together.”
Ed: I’m running out of sarcasm. Help!
Making his first reference in the press conference to Catholic “fundamentalists,” the pontiff said that even some Catholics are “closed” on the issue of praying with Orthodox, thinking them schismatics.
Ed: and you – of all the popes in history – are here to tell us we’re wrong?
“There are Catholic groups who are a bit fundamentalist,” said the pope. “We must tolerate it, praying for them, so that the Lord and the Holy Spirit soften their hearts a bit.”
Ed: shucks thanks, Papa Francis. I now know why the blogger who emailed me this article wrote only one word in his message – “unbelievable”! Let me add with bells and ribbons on!
Comments invited – needn’t be terribly polite – just printable 😀
Comments (43)
Like him or loathe him for his words. He makes us think. God bless him
Roy,
I doubt very much if God will bless this Pope while he appears (literally) Hell-bent on attacking the Catholic Faith. Nope. That just is NOT going to happen…
Pray for him to repent and restore the Faith.
Martin Luther also made people think – the wrong things!
Petrus,
Great point!
Roy,
In addition to the other responses to your post, I would like to add that a good Pope should inspire and direct us to pray, not to engage in any sort of generic thinking.
To which I add, this Pope, in a perverse way, does indeed make us pray: for a good and holy Pope who will consecrate Russia and restore the Church.
Good job, Editor!
Mary Anne,
Thank you! Very kind.
A dose of Truth! Refreshing !!
As usual, Francis talks out of both sides of his mouth. In fact, his mouth has so many sides that it’s no wonder that nothing but psychobabble and gibberish comes out of it. He’s made up his own language, with which he talks to himself, while under the illusion that he’s talking to a public audience. Total solipsism. Diabolical mental illness.
Let’s see: no ashes, just roots. There goes Ash Wednesday! And pray tell, Pope Francis, what roots your endless meandering attempts to cleverly disguise heresies have grown from? Arianism? Pelagianism? Donatism? Manicheanism? St. Augustine identified, I believe, 88 heresies all told: what a garden of rotten, stinking fruit you have to nourish yourself with!
Oh, and here he is talking out of one of the other sides of his mouth, telling the Romanians to “hold on to their roots.” https://thetablet.org/in-romania-pope-urges-youth-not-to-forget-their-roots/
This Emperor has no clothes.
RCA Victor,
That’s an important feature of this pope’s “speeches” – he encourages non-Catholics to cling to their traditions/roots, while telling us we’re fundamentalists and more for doing the same thing!
The BBC report that, during his trip, he apologised to the Roma for “Catholic discrimination”
Honestly, is there anything Catholics can do right?
The emperor has no marbles!
To paraphrase Cardinal Kasper: “We shouldn’t listen too much to what the pope has to say.”
Catholic World Report have published the full text of the Pope’s in flight press conference
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2019/06/03/full-text-of-pope-francis-in-flight-press-conference-from-romania/
I’m not sure what to think of his praise for families which split up so that the parents can go in search of a better life – i.e. better standard of living. I understand about working mothers etc. but I can’t help thinking I’d sooner have lived in a home where we had to make material sacrifices rather than be separated from my parents.
I’d be interested to know what others think about this.
This Pope should stay off airplanes. He gets too high on himself.
RCA Victor,
He certainly seems to be high on something, that’s for sure.
Turning the other cheek is really hard sometimes …
CBucket,
You said it. As it happens, I’ve been asked to launch a thread on the subject of charity because there are so many greyish areas, people tell me, that make it difficult to know when we are being truly uncharitable and when we are, for one reason or another, saying or doing something necessary that is not uncharitable. Hope to get it reasonably soon – so, watch this space!
Why is that video clip of the Pope stumbling in the intro? Not very edifying unless I’m missing something.
Helen,
You’re missing something. I had just said that Benedict looked the part (of Pope – meaning that he was, at the very least, dignified, as you would expect a pope to be dignified) but Pope Francis is not. Instead of just saying that, I thought it was a little bit amusing to post the clip to illustrate his lack of dignity.
Not very edifying? Can you tell me anything about this pope which is “edifying”? I’d just LOVE to report it…
Editor,
I agree with you that Benedict looked the part of a Pope, but it appears that looks can be deceiving: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2011/01/benedict-xvi-on-purgatory.html
The same book (“Jesus of Nazareth”) claims that Heaven is not a place either, but the presence of God among men!
No wonder Abp. Lefebvfre objected to the presence of Fr. Ratzinger as a peritus at the Council…
The Freemasons decided long ago that the world would have only two choices on the road to the New World Order: socialism (gradual, incremental, bureaucratic revolution) or Bolshevism (violent, bloody revolution).
Likewise, the Church seems to have been given the same two choices, by the same evil crowd, on the road to her mutilation: Benedict (gradualism) or Francis (revolution).
They’re both facing in the same direction; down.
RCA Victor,
When I went in just now to edit out the clip of Pope Francis tripping, in response to Helen’s complaint, I also added the words I usually say when referring to Pope Benedict’s outward dignity in comparison to Francis’s manifest lack of personal and professional dignity – “at least”: i.e. Benedict AT LEAST looked the part… In no way was my comment about his dignity meant to suggest that he was a sound pope, as I’m sure you – and regular readers of our newsletter and this blog – will know.
Indeed, not so long ago I quoted examples of Benedict’s errors from the same book which you mention (Jesus of Nazareth) – unfortunately, there’s no shortage of shocking statements from Pope Benedict before his resignation/abdication. That’s why I laugh a hollow laugh at all the nonsense commentary on the election of Pope Francis, as if, were Pope Benedict to be reinstated as reigning pontiff, all would be well. The mixture of sheer ignorance and confusion from the “Benevacantists” is just mind-boggling.
Your final sentence should chill us all into praying very hard for these two popes – and for their Vatican II predecessors.
Well, he tripped and I think it’s unkind to keep re-running the clip. That’s all. He might be a terrible pope but he’s not responsible for his bad health! If that were Archbishop Lefebvre, he’d be getting buckets of sympathy and prayers!
Helen,
Are you being serious? Did you read the whole article and not see that it was just a bit of fun, I’m sure not meant to be unkind. However, this is the way of the world. Always sympathetic for the people who deserve it least. He has tripped quite a few times so it’s not to do with his bad health – we all trip at times and it’s not to do with bad health, just a misplaced footstep or whatever. By comparing Archbishop Lefebvre, with respect, (apples and oranges) you are just showing that you don’t understand the funny side of it.
Josephine,
For the record, I’m prone to falling over myself and have frequently recounted such episodes to provide a bit of fun. As you rightly say, I had no intention of being unkind by posting the clip. But, I ‘m happy enough to oblige; I replaced the clip – and I really will work hard on my [lack of ] kindness from now on…
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/00/8b/cc/008bcc085453ccdddcb480f22b2bf20a.jpg
Helen,
Since we can’t possibly risk being remotely “unkind” to Pope Francis, I’ve removed the offensive clip and replaced it with a photograph of him wearing a fireman’s helmet. I do hope that meets with your tolerance, if not approval.
Apologies for any offence caused.
“How many deceived people can no longer trust anyone” (Mgr Michel Aupetit, 2nd June 2019), certainly not “apostate forgers”, who for more than half a century have worked to the loss of any credibility…
Those responsible and guilty who broke the unity within the Church are the “forgers of Vatican II” who persist in not wanting to acknowledge their errors. They are now reaping the rotten fruits of their deceit and do not repent, the devastated Priesthood and deserted churches!
“The new Order of the Mass, if we consider the new elements, susceptible of very diverse appreciations, which seem understood or implied, moves away in an impressive way, in general as in the detail, of the Catholic theology of the Holy Mass, as it was formulated at the twentieth session of the Council of Trent” (Letter to Paul VI from Cardinals Ottaviani and Bacci, Corpus Domini 1969).
Saint John 12,40: “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them!”
Lionel,
Thank you for putting together those telling quotes – thought-provoking, to say the very least! Thank you.
Editor,
It is to the extent of the insulting remarks of Pope Francis vis-a-vis the Tradition to which we are deeply attached.
I am not sure where to post this, but as the persecuted Cardinal George Pell is certainly a traditionalist in matters of science and finance (whilst not perhaps a sound Catholic traditionalist), I am on here to request your prayers and good wishes for his appeal against his ‘witch hunt’ conviction and imprisonment in Melbourne.
His appeal is on going, and I would recommend those interested should look up Quadrant online for updates.
I am certainly praying for justice to be done, by God’s will if not by the legal system.
Thank you all and excuse the intrusion.
Patrick,
Thank you for that reminder. Will check out Quadrant Online asap.
Here’s the Live Feed from Quadrant Online, to Cardinal Pell’s court appeal
https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2019/06/live-feed-of-george-pells-appeal/
Thanks for that, Josephine.
Now, back on topic – Pope Francis…
Would someone like to explain to me why, on what basis, I need to pay the slightest attention to Pope Francis’ appeal for us to devote one minute to peace, or whatever nonsense way he put it, when he has refused to obey Our Lady’s request to consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart and thus GUARANTEE the promised period of peace? https://zenit.org/
I’m waiting… But be warned, it had better be good!
Editor,
Since Pope Francis himself is not devoted to peace, as defined by Heaven – in fact, his human respect agenda is diametrically opposed to it – I see no reason to pay attention to this appeal.
In fact, here’s a little quote from St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, in case anyone at the Vatican is paying attention to anything besides covering up their homosexual activities and those of their fellow prelates:
“If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Gal. I: 10)
That said, we need to pay exclusive attention to Our Lady’s appeal. Our Lady, the most perfect servant of Christ who ever lived.
In the words of St Paul….,
“6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!”
-Galatians 1:6-8
Sledge Abbamonte,
I would wager a large bet that when Pope Francis reads that warning from St Paul, he doesn’t apply it to himself. He’d likely apply it to those “fundamentalist” Catholics who want to stick with Tradition, LOL!
Josephine,
Yes, in the inverted, perverted world inhabited and promoted by this leftist Pope, it is those who cling to Tradition who are perverting the Gospel of Christ.
I saw an article by Joseph Shaw on Lifesite News earlier this morning about this topic, but my hope for an incisive rebuttal soon turned to disappointment, as he quickly obscured his point in intellectual arguments. That is, he drew his sword and then began polishing it instead of wielding it.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/does-pope-francis-see-latin-gregorian-chant-churchs-ancient-customs-as-return-to-the-ashes
RCA Victor,
Joseph Shaw says “It is never quite clear who is the intended target of Pope Francis’ generalizations, and since this is presumably an intentional feature of them I do not propose to try.”
I think it’s very obvious who the intended target it. It’s anybody who is not going along with the novus ordo revolution.
https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/raise-awareness-for-homosexuality-in-schools-throughout-britain.html?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=email
https://thehornnews.com/breaking-pope-announces-big-lords-prayer-change/
This is outrageous and is very troubling to me.
I remember being at a mass in Florida (in my novus ordo days) – at the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe – and while the mass was very much a modern mass, the priest in his homily spoke of how “no-one would dare” tinker with the Lord’s prayer. (I don’t remember the context, sorry).
Well, priest meet Francis.
Is this to be a universal change, binding on each Bishops conference? (like the revised novus ordo missal).
Or is it just the latest stunt from Francis?
How can this priest defend this pope on changing the Our Father, in the same breath that he says we always knew the meaning? Doesn’t this mean he can change other parts of the Bible?
https://www.foxnews.com/world/pope-francis-lords-prayer-our-father-change
It is a sad sign, for sure, that whenever Francis spews out his latest banal waffle, it barely raises an eyebrow – given we are all so used to it by now. Truly sad.
What a brass neck he has, that he ploughs on with his rubbish despite how obviously it repels even novus ordo Catholics (judging by the public attendances at his vatican audiences etc.)
However, we can take heart in that, if he genuinely thought tradition was finished, then he would not waste his breath attacking it. That he feels the need to continually return to the subject, to put the boot in again and again, shows that he views tradition as being very much alive and a threat to the ageing modernist hegemony.
A wiser modernist would simply not broach the subject at all, but then I very much suspect Francis is a simple man – as shown by the obvious thrill he gets from wearing exotic hats, as the picture above shows.
Fidelis & Gabriel Syme,
I emailed the Scottish Catholic Media Office – in light of the news that the Bishops of England and Wales are not going to change the Our Father – to ask if the Scottish Bishops would also leave the prayer unchanged. I received the following response in jig time …
A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said:
“The Catholic Church in Scotland has no plans to change the wording of the Our Father. The translation of the prayers of the Mass in to different languages, is a matter for the language groups concerned.
The Vatican does not centrally translate all the church’s prayers in to all the languages of the world. There are no plans to change the English language version of this prayer.”
ENDS
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Pope Francis has celebrated the Protestant Reformation and has welcomed Anglicans, Jews, and Muslims with open arms. The only religious group he seems to dislike are the traditionalists in his own faith.