I think it bears remembering that there is no intellectual ascent involved here. The fault is not that folks can or cannot see things clearly with the intellect ; but with the heart. They see or do not see because they simply do or do not pray. Either people are praying or they are not praying. As to just how bad things are in Rome ; well I have mixed feelings. They are certainly truly terrible. A true Desolation. The worst in Church history. Unless the good God gives me some special insight I am not prepared to call things out. But it is a total wipe out; no doubt about it. Is it the Abomination of Desolation? It's just uubelievably horrific. More than this we get jaw dropping horrible news from Rome day by day Well I would not without some special knowledge of it put a label on it. But to be honest I would not rule it out.
It wouldn't be the first time that Protestants have united against Catholics even with their own enemies to destroy the Bride of Christ.
Hi Carol, I don´t know if that answers your very interesting query but, for what´s worth, my views on this pretty much agree with what our dear Mark Mallett details here and elsewhere: THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD Posted on November 25, 2009 by Mark THERE has been a danger in the past to see the “thousand year” reign described by St. John in Revelation as a literal reign on earth—where Christ dwells physically in person in a world-wide political kingdom, or even that the saints take global power. On this matter, the Church has been unequivocal: The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the “intrinsically perverse” political form of a secular messianism. —Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC),n.676 We have seen forms of this “secular messianism” in the ideologies of Marxism and Communism, for example, where dictators have attempted to create a society where all are equal: equally wealthy, equally privileged, and sadly as it always turns out, equally enslaved to the government. Likewise, we see on the other side of the coin what Pope Francis calls a “new tyranny” whereby Capitalism is presenenting “a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose.” [1] (Once again, I wish to raise my voice in warning in the clearest possible terms: we are headed once again toward an “intrinsically perverse” geo-political-economic “beast”—this time, globally.) The subject of this writing is of a genuine coming “reign” or “era” of peace and justice, also understood by some as a “temporal kingdom” on earth. I want to explain even more clearly why this is not another modified form of the heresy Millenarianism so that the reader can feel free to embrace what I believe to be a vision of great hope anticipated by several pontiffs. May there dawn for everyone the time of peace and freedom, the time of truth, of justice and of hope.—POPE JOHN PAUL II, Radio message during the Ceremony of Veneration, Thanksgiving and Entrustment to the Virgin Mary Theotokos in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, IV, Vatican City, 1981, 1246 AMONG YOU In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus—speaking this time without parable—makes the nature of the Kingdom of God plain. The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you… is close at hand. (Luke 17:20-21; Mark 1:15) Clearly, the Kingdom of God is spiritual in nature. St. Paul expresses that it is not a matter of carnal banquets and feasting in this temporal world: For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17) Neither is the Kingdom of God a political ideology: For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (1 Cor 4:20; cf. Jn 6:15) It is “among you,” Jesus said. It is to be found in the union of His believers—a union in faith, hope, and charity that is a foretaste of the eternal Kingdom. The Church “is the Reign of Christ already present in mystery.” —CCC, n. 763 A NEW PENTECOST This union is made possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the coming of the Kingdom is with the coming of the Holy Spirit who unites all believers into a communion with the Holy Trinity, even though it is not the coming of the “fullness” of the Kingdom. Hence, the coming Era of Peace is really the Second Pentecost prayed for and anticipated by several pontiffs. …let us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost… May tongues of fire, combining burning love of God and neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’s Kingdom, descend on all present! —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Homily, New York City, April 19th, 2008 Be open to Christ, welcome the Spirit, so that a new Pentecost may take place in every community! A new humanity, a joyful one, will arise from your midst; you will experience again the saving power of the Lord. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, in Latin America, 1992 The Kingdom… would be the work of the Holy Spirit; it would belong to the poor according to the Spirit… —CCC, 709 (cont´d below) https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2009/11/25/the-kingdom-of-god/
(cont´d from above) THE SACRED HEART This spiritual unity of Christians flows into and from its source: the Holy Eucharist. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the elements of bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Through the reception of the Holy Eucharist the Church is made one Body in Christ (1 Cor 10:17). Thus, one could say that the Kingdom of God is contained in, and flows from the Holy Eucharist, albeit not in its fullest expression of power, glory, and eternal dimensions. Jesus prophesies that this unity of believers is what will at last bend the world’s knees in understanding, worship, and acknowledgment that He is Lord: …may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. (John 17:21) Thus, the Era of Peace will be also be the universal reign of the Eucharist, that is, the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His Eucharistic Heart will be established as the throne of grace and mercy which will transform the world as the nations come to worship Him, receive His teaching through the Catholic Faith, and live it in their lands: When the struggle is ended, the ruin complete, and they have done with trampling the land, a throne shall be set up in mercy… The warrior’s bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 16:4-5; Zech 9:10) The Era of Peace will transform society to such a degree, according to some pontiffs and 20th century mystics, that this period of justice and peace will rightly be called a “temporal kingdom” since, for a time, all will live by the rule of the Gospel. “And they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.” May God… shortly bring to fulfillment His prophecy for transforming this consoling vision of the future into a present reality… It is God’s task to bring about this happy hour and to make it known to all… When it does arrive, it will turn out to be a solemn hour, one big with consequences not only for the restoration of the Kingdom of Christ, but for the pacification of… the world. We pray most fervently, and ask others likewise to pray for this much-desired pacification of society. —POPE PIUS XI, Ubi Arcani dei Consilioi “On the Peace of Christ in his Kingdom”, December 23, 1922 TRIUMPH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART At last, the prayer of Christ for unity, and the prayer He taught us to address to our Father will reach its fulfillment within the boundaries of time: “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” That is, with Satan bound in chains (Rev 20:2-3), and wickedness cleansed from the earth (Psalm 37:10; Amos 9:8-11; Rev 19:20-21), and the saints extending the priesthood of Christ to the ends of the earth (Rev 20:6; Matt 24:24), the fiat of the Woman-Mary will reach its climax in the fiat of the Woman-Church. This is the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: to bring to birth the People of God—both Jew and Gentile—under the banner of the Cross so as to live the perfect will of the Father in a period of unparalleled sanctity. Yes, we adore you, Lord, lifted up upon the Cross between heaven and earth, the sole Mediator of our salvation. Your Cross is the banner of our victory! We adore you, Son of the Most Holy Virgin who stands unbowed beside your Cross, courageously sharing in your redeeming sacrifice. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Way of the Cross at the Colosseum, Good Friday, 29 March 2002 Towards the end of the world… Almighty God and His Holy Mother are to raise up great saints who will surpass in holiness most other saints as much as the cedars of Lebanon tower above little shrubs.—St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary, Article 47 This birthing, this new era, will be brought forth out of the labor pains of the Church’s own Passion, her own “way of the Cross.” Today I would like to entrust the Lenten journey of the whole Church to the Blessed Virgin. I would particularly like to entrust the efforts of young people to her, so that they will always be ready to welcome the Cross of Christ. The sign of our salvation and the banner of final victory… —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Angelus, March 14th, 1999 This final victory which ushers in the Day of the Lord will also release a new song, The Magnificat of the Woman-Church, a wedding song that will herald the return of Jesus in glory, and the definitive coming of the eternal Kingdom of God. At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. —CCC, n. 1060 If before that final end there is to be a period, more or less prolonged, of triumphant sanctity, such a result will be brought about not by the apparition of the person of Christ in Majesty but by the operation of those powers of sanctification which are now at work, the Holy Ghost and the Sacraments of the Church. —The Teaching of the Catholic Church: A Summary of Catholic Doctrine (London:Burns Oates & Washbourne), p. 1140 This is our great hope and our invocation, ‘Your Kingdom come!’—a Kingdom of peace, justice and serenity, which will re-establish the original harmony of creation. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, General Audience, November 6th, 2002, Zenit
This bodes the question, when does a Pope actually speak infallibly "from the Chair of Peter", hence ex cathedra? The Director of Adult Ed at my church told a class I attended 2 year ago, that has happen very few times. I thought she was pulling my leg when she said, he is assisted by ladder to the chair and directly states he is speaking as such. Clearly, this is well worth researching further!
If a Pope is ever speaking ex-Cathedra you will know it. It is a major Church event. Something that happens very rarely. Most Popes never do it.
I've been away from this forum for a few days, mainly due to pressures of work. I'm only posting now to show off my new, is it avatar you call it? It took me a while to work out how to install it-I hope everybody can see it now!
We have teaching Dogma of Papal Infallibility, The Devil would like to teach false Doctrine openly so would Francis, but they are not permitted by he good God. He would be struck dead first. So he does things darkly, in interviews.
Well I honestly didn't think they would have the gaul to declare Holy Communion being given to active adulterers Authentic Magisterium either, but they did.
Some people wrongly believe that the only way the Pope speaks infallibly is through "ex cathedra" statements. Modern Catholic Dictionary by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. http://www.therealpresence.org/dictionary/adict.htm EX CATHEDRA. The term commonly applied to the special and explicit exercise of papal infallibility. When the Pope speaks from the chair (cathedra) of authority, as visible head of all Christians, his teaching is not dependent on the consent of the Church and is irreformable. (Etym. Latin ex cathedra, from the chair.) MAGISTERIUM, EXTRAORDINARY. The Church's teaching office exercised in a solemn way, as in formal declarations of the Pope or of ecumenical councils of bishops approved by the Pope. When the extraordinary magisterium takes the form of papal definitions or conciliar decisions binding on the consciences of all the faithful in matters of faith and morals, it is infallible. MAGISTERIUM, ORDINARY. The teaching office of the hierarchy under the Pope, exercised normally, that is, through the regular means of instructing the faithful. These means are all the usual channels of communication, whether written, spoken, or practical. When the ordinary magisterium is also universal, that is, collectively intended for all the faithful, it is also infallible.
I really like it! I am praying a rosary novena with Fr Heilman (Roman Catholic Man website) for Ireland to save the 8th. It started Easter Sunday. I’m not sure how many signed on at his site but every Rosary counts!!!
Blizzard, I still have to read this over more carefully but I have to admit that I don't always agree with what Mark Mallett states about the Antichrist. From a quick glance, this particular post appears to not be centered on the Antichrist and I am not really certain what is being stated here. I did notice something very strange though, the first thing I look for is the date on articles and posts, etc. and if this post was written on November 25, 2009 I can't understand why Pope Francis is mentioned in the post. Maybe the date of the post is incorrect?
We may take it that our Pope has not exercised any of these privileges, or, as Padraig pointed out, God would have invoked the biological solution. I presume the 'irreformable' term is dependent on the particular pope not being subsequently declared a heretic (regardless of the answer, it is most likely that divine intervention would have rendered this event a non-runner)?
We are not yet in the worst times. I believe that the time will come again when faithful Catholics are hunted and persecuted as in penal times.
Important note: The Pope declared that the Argentine interpretation of Amoris Laetitia is "Authentic Magisterium", which is a lower level than any of the levels of Magisterium listed here. Authentic Magisterium is not infallible. Just wanted to mention that in case anyone reading this conversation may be confused.
Praetorian answered the questions in your first paragraph. The "all" are successors of the Apostles who outrank everbody else when it comes to deciding whether or not the Cardinals did their duty. Don't forget that everyone at the Conclave is sworn to secrecy (not that it bothered the likes of Cardinal Martini, may the Lord have mercy on his soul). Anyway, even if someone at the Conclave had objected to the fourth vote, they would only have succeeded in delaying the inevitable by one day. What Cardinal Daneels and others boasted about was their campaign to get Cardinal Bergoglio elected as successor to Pope John Paul. For all any of us knows, Pope Benedict could have lifted any excommunication they brought upon themselves. That's not the type of thing the hierarchy announce to the public. Their first attempt failed and they were very careful to say that their mafia group disbanded afterwards. The only way that claim could be disproved is for one of them to come clean. Short of a miracle along the lines of St. Paul being knocked off his horse, can you imagine any of them 'fessing up? I can't. I have mixed feelings about Cardinal Burke and those who agree with him. The time to issue a Correction was when Amoris Laetitia was published. Instead, they tried to say that it could be interpreted in line with Church teaching, knowing full well that it was intended as a departure from Church teaching. While I appreciate that they didn't want to undermine the Papacy and trigger a schism, they must have known what they were dealing with. Despite that, they dragged their heels while Pope Francis appointed one bishop after another and promoted the worst possible people to positions of Cardinal. All Pope Francis has to do to silence them now and forever is to call a Church Council where he would have a built-in majority of Bishops who have drifted even further from the Faith than Martin Luther and his fellow Reformers. Heretic though he was, at least old Martin believed in something. If God spat Martin out of His mouth, it wasn't for being lukewarm. Was it a Pope Leo who issued the Papal Bull after the Council of Trent warning that a follower of Luther could inveigle his way into the Papacy? And isn't that what we have now, albeit having taken 500 years? The Council of Trent is every bit as magisterial now as it was when it condemned the followers of Martin Luther and his fellow Reformers. Having said all that, I'm conscious that we are nearing the feast of Divine Mercy. Yesterday's intention was for those who spread the word about God's mercy, and Pope Francis talks a lot about God's mercy. He just omits the part about repentance which tends to distort the message. Encouraging people to go to Confession while sending a message that purpose of amendment is not required for repentance and absolution is a distortion of the message. I'm fairly sure that was condemned by the Council of Trent. Has it occurred to any of you that the Pope in Blessed Anne Katherine Emmerich's prophecy could have been Pope John Paul? The St. Gallen group were pushing him to retire from early on in his illness. They had already been going their own way in their dioceses. Corruption had been infecting the seminaries, monasteries and convents for a very long time. Pope John Paul stayed the course and trusted in God while relying on Cardinal Ratzinger to keep the barque afloat. That was enough to give us Pope Benedict. If only Pope Benedict had been made of sterner stuff. If only we had prayed more for him. If only. Malachi Martin said that Pope John Paul was surrounded by people pretending to be his friends but who actually hated him. I think that's very likely to have been the case. A false Church isn't built overnight. It takes time, authority and personnel in strategic posts. Unfortunately, the Popes who had the name of being rigid were far too merciful towards men who should have been excommunicated. The Church is the Body of Christ. Jesus said "if your right hand offends Me, cut it off". That's what should have been done to Cardinal Martini and his fellow travellers. I pray to God that I'm wrong and that Pope Francis will turn around tomorrow and start behaving like a true successor of St. Peter. Whatever happens, we have to trust that God will sort it out.
I know! Mark was given a prophetic insight! Wow! All kidding aside I believe the article was updated at a later date. Boy nothing gets past Carol!!! I hadn't noticed that.
