With Apostasy Full-Blown Worldwide, Pope Warns of “Christian Decline”…
Pope Francis has [said that] “rigidity” in living out the Christian faith is creating a “minefield” of hatred and misunderstanding in a world where Christianity is increasingly irrelevant. Francis called for Vatican bureaucrats to instead embrace change during his annual Christmas greetings to the cardinals, bishops and priests who work in the Holy See, on Saturday (local time). Francis’ message appeared aimed at conservative and traditionalist Catholics, including within the Vatican Curia, who have voiced increasing opposition to his progressive-minded papacy. Their criticisms have accelerated over the past year, amid Vatican financial and sex abuse scandals that may have predated Francis’ papacy but are nevertheless coming to light now.
Francis issued a stark reality check to the men in the Sala Clementina of the Apostolic Palace, acknowledging that Christianity no longer holds the commanding presence and influence in society that it once did. He cited the late Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, a leader of the progressive wing of the Catholic Church, who in his final interview before dying in 2012 lamented that the church found itself “200 years behind” because of its inbred fear of change. “Today we are no longer the only ones that produce culture, no longer the first nor the most listened to,” Francis told the prelates.
“The faith in Europe and in much of the West is no longer an obvious presumption but is often denied, derided, marginalised and ridiculed.”
As a result, he urged the Catholic hierarchy to embrace the necessary pastoral reforms and outlook that will make the church attractive so that it can fulfil its mission to spread the faith.
“Here we have to beware of the temptation of assuming a rigid outlook,” Francis said. “Rigidity that is born from fear of change and ends up disseminating stakes and obstacles in the ground of the common good, turning it into a minefield of misunderstanding and hatred.”
He recalled, as he has in the past, that people who take rigid positions are usually using them to mask their own problems, scandals or “imbalances”.
“Rigidity and imbalance fuel one another in a vicious circle,” he said. “And these days, the temptation to rigidity has become so apparent.”
Traditionalist Catholics have denounced Francis’ emphasis on mercy and openness to doctrinal wiggle room on issues such as sacraments for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics. They also sharply criticised his recent synod on the Amazon, which called for the ordination of married men as priests, and what they considered pagan worship of an Amazonian statue of a pregnant woman that was featured during the meeting.
Francis has defended his outlook and priorities as a reflection of the Gospel, and the axiom that the true tradition of the church is one of a continuous, discerned path of change. “Tradition is not static, it’s dynamic,” he said Saturday.
In a tangible sign of change, Francis issued a new decree Saturday limiting the term of the dean of the College of Cardinals, an influential job that had previously been held for life. Francis accepted the resignation of the current dean, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, and decreed that going forward, the future top cardinal would only have a five-year renewable term. Sodano had been the powerful secretary of state under St John Paul II, and was blamed in part for the Vatican’s refusal to crack down on paedophile priests, including the notorious Rev Marcial Maciel.
Sodano, 92, continued to wield behind-the-scenes influence in the two papacies that followed, acting most recently as something of a beacon for conservative opposition to Francis. As dean, he delivered his final Christmas greeting to Francis on Saturday. Source – 9News
Comment: From the writings of Pope Saint Pius X…
“It is an error to believe that Christ did not teach a determined body of doctrine applicable to all times and to all men.” (Pope Saint Pius X)
Clearly, Pope Francis doesn’t agree; he would class Pope Saint Pius X as “rigid”. So the dilemma for any Catholic is to decide which Pope is right?
Comments (36)
Just read this as I was going to Bed . Am certainly no Saint but I must be one of those Pesky Rigid Catholics who are 200 years behind the times . And here was I thinking that I was only 100 years behind the times. Really Francis has now reached the stage where So Called Rigid Catholics don’t even listen to him now . But he has still to serve the Leftist Purpose and Protestantise us all . I just finished watching the Song of Songs about Saint Bernadette,I personally think al try and stay on the Rigid Road.
Faith of our Fathers,
You are so right – the “rigid” Catholics, don’t pay any attention to Pope Francis now. He’s not the full shilling, as we used to say!
Faith of our Fathers,
It’s actually the “rigid” road that Jesus pointed to when he say that the “way to life is narrow and few there who find it.” I hate to say it, but it looks like Pope Francis won’t be finding it, which means we do really need to pray for him.
Guess I’ll change my blogger name to “RCARigid.”
I like your nom de plume so please don’t change it.
“RCARigid”
Love it – LOL!
The headline to this thread is a scream – the Church is falling apart at the seams, and Pope Francis “warns of a decline” suggesting it’s yet to come. LOL!
Margaret Mary,
I agree – I thought I was a slowcoach, but Pope Francis is really behind the times, LOL!
I just can’t wait for this pope to be gone.
This article from 1Peter5, is an interesting commentary on whether what we are actually living through is the homosexualisation of the Church – is that the real aim? It certainly seems to be the aim of the German bishops.
https://onepeterfive.com/a-full-court-press-for-homochurch/
There is no doubt that the Homosexuals are now on a Wrolling ( couldn’t resist that ) . If one says anything about the Alphabet Mob their Attacked with vigor and rightly so as it seems they are now Sacred in the Secular World. Of course am actually now a bit lost with all of This Binary Non Binary Cis Etc Etc Etc . I can now understand why One Has to have a Degree in Gender Theology to understand it all . It also seems as if we will need an Entire new Alphabet as Wrolling is now considered a TERF whatever that’s supposed to be as I personally got lost going down the LGBTQ2WXYZ route. Of course I actually would like to go onto Jimmy Martins Homepage as am sure he could Teach me a Lot but personally I think that in The New Year al try and Enroll in a Genders Study Night School course . As for Francis ” Well Who Am I too Judge ” the reason I also bring up the now infamous Saying concerning Homosexuality is not to be too harsh on the Man . After all he’s only Human. At least I heard from a good Catholic Source who thinks he’s the Bees Knees that Francis spoke of Jesus and The Holy Family just a few days ago in a Christmas Homily. And here was me thinking he had more or less to do that all the time . God Help Us All .
Are we living through the homosexualisation of the Church? Is that the real aim?
I wonder about that too. In this supposed book from the Vatican – Claims that Sodom and Gomorrah were punished for inhospitality to foreigners, in closing their borders and not for homosexuality.
https://fatima.org/news-views/new-vatican-book-reinterprets-sin-of-sodom/
An example of how to change the Bible in one easy lesson?
Theresa Rose,
That lie has been peddled for some time now, that the sin of Sodom & Gomorrah was actually inhospitable – how ridiculous. Thank you for that link which I look forward to reading asap.
Ah yes the old Inhospitality Excuse. Al need to remember that come around The Pride Parades. Really I think that now Morally we have Completely Lost the plot. Am not great at putting Links on as am only using a small Tablet ( My Excuse). But I just read an article of another addition to the ALPHABET People they are called B I I D. These people want to have certain Disabilities. One of them pictured in a Wheel Chair said that Her Wish would be to be in a Massive Car Smash and that both Her Legs would have to be cut off. Then it showed in the same You Tube Video of Her Skiing down a Hill. It also said that she was an Under Graduate of Cambridge University. Am really not all that Intelligent as I don’t even know what an Over Graduate is. Anyhow one other Woman went further and her infatuation was to be completely blind as she said that she should have been Blind since Birth. She actually went to some Quack Doctor who poured Drain Cleaner into both Her Eyes making Her Wish come true. My God but where are we headed. Still I suppose as they said getting non Sexual Parts cut off is probably much the same as, Dare I say it Transgenderism.
Faith of our Fathers,
Your posts are a hoot! LOL!
I do agree with everything you say. That was incredible about people actually wanting serious disabilities. That’s an obvious mental health issue, so we should pray for them.
MM none of us ( in my Humble opinion) can go through life without having a mental or an emotional issue. Now I know that YOU mean well but what is the Difference really between a Perfectly Healthy Girl wanting Her Breasts cut off. Or a perfectly Healthy Boy wanting to be Castrated, to these B I I D people. To me I see nothing at all, the only difference is the Statistics. It must be bad enough some young Boy or Girl declaring themselves Homosexual without them Declaring that they had been Born in The Wrong Body. Personally I thought that I was Born in the Wrong Body and should have been Born in a Billionaires Body but Jeffrey Epstein changed my views on that. Of course am one of these Many Doubters who Believe he’s still alive. Had I been in his position I would have had at least 100 Insurance Policies and those wouldn’t have been with the Co–Op, am sure you know what I mean. By all means I believe that we should pray for them, but it has to be in a Government Sense, after all its them who make these Horrendous Laws especially the Transgender ones.
FOOF,
Not meaning to speak for MM, but I am quite sure she includes all self-mutilations in her remarks about mental health. Of course it’s a sign of something wrong with their thinking, if people want to mutilate their own bodies, whether for cosmetic or other crackpot reasons.
Faith of our Fathers,
I think there’s a difference between having an emotional issue but I hope not everyone goes through mental health problems – I know I haven’t, thanks be to God. I’m sorry to hear that you have, but I don’t think it’s right to assume that everyone has mental health issues. From what I can tell, in the TV discussions about the sudden attention being given to this issue, the answer is to “talk” to someone, probably someone costing the NHS (i.e. you and me) a fortune. In the “old days” we would talk to our families or close friends if we were worried about something, but that seems to be too simple for the great educated minds of today, LOL!
I wasn’t referring to ordinary emotional issues anyway but the example you gave was of people who deliberately wanted to damage their bodies, chop off limbs etc. Now that’s more than a bit of depression or whatever – there’s obviously something wrong with a person who thinks like that and they need prayers, for sure.
The same applies to transgenderism, as we have discussed on this blog loads of times. I was only answering your point about the deliberate desire for disability, so didn’t think I needed to go through the whole trans thing as well.
Two hundred years in the past is a pretty good place to find oneself. Two hundred years ago, the Church was still relevant and, though no less hated, She was still respected. If the Church today is derided, denied, ridiculed and marginalized, it is only because She no longer stands rigidly athwart the world.
Carlos,
An excellent point. Well said.
Comment deleted.
Ed: you are a real pain. You have been put in moderation umpteen times, and then released because your posts appear sensible and I think you’ve learned your lesson. Clearly, like the ancient Hebrews, you are unteachable. Only a real clown cannot manage to keep to our simple House Rules. I’m now blacklisting you, therefore, wishing you a happy enough Christmas, but not a particularly great time. “If I have faith enough to move mountains but lack charity, I am nothing… So said St Paul. Reflect. You’ve now been blacklisted so you will no longer receive the “moderation” message if you try to post. Your comment will simply disappear. Take the hint.
PS there is no shortage of blogs out there where they go in for the “Bergoglio” form of address and feel authorised to consign this (awful) Pope to Hell. This is not one of them. We know our place/the limits of our authority. So, how can I put it… Oh, yes… Byeeeee!
This is a classic case of “Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
The beam in Francis’ own eye being his complete betrayal of the Faith (except when he tosses a few somewhat Catholic-sounding bare bones to those whom he finds it expedient to placate for the moment), his complete surrender of the Church to the Satanic UN and its totalitarian Agenda 21, his Curia chock full of active homosexuals and crooks (most of whom were elevated under previous pontificates!). And then, having the appalling nerve to turn around and blame the faith for his and the entire Conciliar abandonment of it. A complete and total inversion of the truth.
With this speech, he clearly supports the position of the homo-Nazis who claim that Christianity is hate, and that any affirmation of Christian beliefs is a hate crime. He also places himself in the camp of such detestable apostates as Hans Kung, whose Johnny-one-note mantra is “the Church is not reforming [sic] itself fast enough!”
I agree with the three bloggers who have already said that no one pays attention to this Marxist demagogue any more – that is, except those whose livelihood, prestige and/or job security depend on licking his filthy boots.
I no longer think this is a case of “diabolical disorientation.” I think this man is a completely deranged sociopath and a narcissist. If I believed in reincarnation, I would speculate that he is the reincarnation of Martin Luther.
RCA Victor,
” …his Curia chock full of active homosexuals and crooks (most of whom were elevated under previous pontificates!”
On the button. Totally. That is the truth hidden in plain sight which those who have now (at last) accepted that it is possible to have a bad pope who didn’t live in the Middle Ages, and that we may even criticise him – this is the truth which they still cannot accept. That is, it’s OK to criticise Pope Francis, but no way will they criticise his modernist predecessors, especially “Saint” Pope John Paul II. Incredible.
There is no doubt in my mind that this Pope is the worst we have had in my lifetime. I pray for his conversion to the Faith but also , if that is impossible, I also pray for him to be gone quam celerime. But I do have an uneasy feeling about his possible replacement.
Be careful what you wish for…
1 Cor. 1: 10-18!
This report gives more information about his attack on “rigidity”
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1220460/christian-news-pope-francis-takes-aim-at-hatred-filled-catholic-church-critics-spt
There’s something seriously wrong with this pope.
The Cdl. Schonborn thread is closed, so I thought I’d post this here (speaking of apostasy). Apparently he hasn’t learned his lesson yet:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cdl-schoenborn-defends-pachamama-as-mother-of-life…archetype-that-has-place-in-christianity
RCA Victor
That link leads to a Page Not Found so I Googled and I think this will be the one you wanted to post.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cdl-schoenborn-defends-pachamama-as-mother-of-life…archetype-that-has-place-in-Christianity
It’s just incredible that any cardinal would think like this. I keep wondering how things can get any worse and then they do!
Fidelis,
I tried it several times too – I think the problem was the 3 dots in the URL. Anyway, regarding the word “apostasy,” I’ve been working my way through the Fr. Gruner/John Vennari videos (“Your Questions Answered”) looking for something I’m pretty sure Father said about the promulgation of the new Mass – this evening came across one where they discuss “the Great Apostasy.”
Father points out that the word means “rebellion,” from the Greek meaning defection, or revolt.
Good grief, this must be the day of messed up URL’s. That’s not the video I selected, though it’s the first in the series. Hopefully this works:
I give up. If anyone wants to try it, the video I’m talking about is #40 in their archive.
Ahah: if you click on the 3 bars and the little arrow, top right, you’ll get the entire list, just scroll down to #40.
Fidelis,
I think it’s a YouTube issue, not the Fatima Center’s.
Merry Christmas, YouTube!
Merry Christmas, all ye Merrye Bloggers!
“Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building & Loan!”
RCA Victor,
A tad premature – I’ve just posted a thread to mark Christmas. Not to worry, you mean well, I know 😀
I came across this quote, in a CFN lecture by Dr. Andrew Childs, from Cardinal Ratzinger (formerly Pope Benedict), that apparently was given this year:
“The idea of a better Church, created by ourselves, is in fact a proposal of the devil, with which he wants to lead us away from the living God, through a deceitful logic by which we are easily duped.”
Apparently this is from his letter on abuse, from Sept. 5 of this year:
https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2019/09/05/church-of-the-martyrs/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7830283/Teenager-19-kills-paedophile-priest-abused-ramming-crucifix-throat.html#comments
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/abp-viganos-defense-of-virgin-mary-in-response-to-pope-francis-full-text