The attitude of the Pope to American Catholics is best exemplified in the saying that the beatings will continue until morale approves. Phil Lawler at Catholic Culture explains how well this policy is working:
“The pastoral thrust of this pontificate must reach the American people,” Archbishop Christoph Pierre said today in his address to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Believe me, the impact of this pontificate has reached the American people—but not in the way the apostolic nuncio has in mind.
When the US bishops met in Baltimore one year ago, the American people were clamoring for effective action on the sex-abuse scandal, which had erupted anew last summer with revelations that Pope Francis had known of, and done nothing about, the criminal history of Theodore McCarrick. The USCCB membership was poised to hold bishops accountable for that sort of negligence, and to demand a Vatican investigation into the charges made by a former nuncio, Archbishop Vigano. Then at the eleventh hour the Vatican intervened, asking the American bishops to postpone those items, and promising a thorough explanation of the McCarrick affair.
Now, a year later, American Catholics are still waiting for that explanation, still waiting for bishops to be held consistently accountable—and now also waiting for an investigation into the financial scandals that have re-emerged this summer, bearing new evidence that this pontificate has failed utterly to produce reforms.
But more than that. American Catholics have been shaken by the massive confusion generated during this pontificate: by the reports of shocking papal statements, the questions about fundamental doctrinal teachings, and most recently the furor over pagan symbols at the Amazon Synod. The American faithful have more and more questions; the Vatican has been providing fewer and fewer answers—in fact provoking still more questions.
Yes, we have felt the thrust of this pontificate. But to illustrate the confusion here, let me quote that full sentence from the speech by the Pope’s representative:
The pastoral thrust of this pontificate must reach the American people, especially as families continue to demand of dioceses and parishes the accompaniment envisioned by Amoris Laetitia.
Here, I’m afraid, Archbishop Pierre’s perception departs from reality. American Catholics are making many demands of their bishops these days, but they are not shouting for implementation of Amoris Laetitia. In fact, when that controversial papal document first appeared, it was generally acknowledged that it would not have a particularly strong impact here in the US, where annulments are already granted so routinely that very few Catholics need worry about the ban on Communion for those who are divorced and remarried. But Archbishop Pierre is promoting the myth that surrounds and sustains Pope Francis: the myth that he has introduced an era of reform and a regime of merciful pastoral care.
Go here to read the rest. It is hard dealing with a Pope who apparently inhabits a frame of reality different from the one the rest of us inhabit.
“The myth that he has introduced an era of reform and a regime of merciful pastoral care.”
Earth to Pope. The spiritual atom bomb went off at Vatican II and has managed to destroy much of the Church to the point that most Catholics no longer take it seriously nor do they take you seriously. And as far as politics we already have Bernie Sanders. If you did the job Christ intended for you we would listen. By the way Pope Francis your “merciful pastoral care” is the devils road to hell and your socialism only kills and impoverishes people. Who are you Pope Francis?
“Who are you, Pope Francis?”
It’s kind of obvious. He is a Latin American Jesuit. He is an Argentine Peronist. Both are destructive. Neither make any sense or use common sense.
He is also in thrall to the German bishops, who make use of the German church tax to live lives of luxury, buy influence in South American dioceses and do what Germans in power often do – seek to control everything within sight or grasp. In fact, the man is a puppet of Cardinals Marx and Kasper and does not realize it.
It’s not a reach to say that in Hans Christian Andersen’s short story the the vain nude emperor’s praising court devoid of speaking in realities, were homosexual groupies.
The papal nuncio’s statement is frightening if the message is an order that all of Amoris Laetitia, including 101, must be implemented. Our priest interprets it as an implied order. He and his fellow diocesan priests are waiting to see what the bishop says.
A nagging question keeps invading my thoughts: “This guy can’t really be the Pope, can he?”
To me, the most jarring aspect of this Vatican regime is that it makes me ask myself this question, and that the steady flow of apparent error and heresy makes at least an arguable case for Sedevacantism or what Steve Skojec calls “Bennyvacantism”, which is the belief that Benedict XVI’s abdication was somehow invalid, and thus so was the 2013 Conclave. I still can’t buy either position, because they have what are in my mind fatal logical and practical flaws, but the mere fact that I and many, many others are even willing seriously to entertain them is one big piece of the evidence of the depth of the crisis.
They love our money, but hate our faith. Hey, Pierre, guess where you can put that pastoral thrust?
Pope Francis study the 10 commendments that God give us and follow them and teach them to the Amazonians and communist ChinaThe same one I and all of us study and practice. Teach the authentic truth.not your own version.