I am not quite sure yet what to make of Pope Leo XIV. Here on this forum, Purple Flower has cautioned us to give him the benefit of doubt. On reflection, I now agree with this. There are encouraging news about Pope Leo meeting with representatives of the Traditional Latin Mass. I am sorry, the article is in German: https://katholisches.info/2025/09/2...r-die-tradition-und-den-ueberlieferten-ritus/
It seems to me rather like being grateful to a farmer for putting cows on a field. That's what he should be doing. That's his job. Papa Leo is meeting with Trads. Fine, That's what he should be doing, that's his job.
My worry is that people are being bought with 'trinkets' such as the papal name, traditional papal attire and the possibility of a slight relaxation of the TLM, while scandals such as the LGBTQ invasion of the Vatican and the comment about not changing doctrine 'at present' are passed over.
Yes, I see what you are saying. I am torn between one view and another. I guess I will just keep on praying.
None of us deserve praise for simply doing our duty. Unless of course the doing of our duty involves heroism.
I agree that as Christians we should give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but I also think ppl should do their job as well lol. I often think if one doesn't think they'd make a good spiritual leader etc I don't understand why they'd do the job in the first place. To be a Pope, nun or priest is not for the weak. I understand not liking aspects of a job & not being a confrontational person etc but to say nothing at all, I'll never understand that, it's cowardice...
For the life of me, I don't understand why the Popes haven't done a global PSA on how ppl should conduct themselves in Church. It's God's House, so keep in mind no talking, chewing gum, being on your phone unless it's being used for prayer. I don't use my phone at Church, but I know ppl use it solely to read prayers. To keep in mind modest attire etc. I feel like this is such a simple solution to bring back reverence. Such an easy fix in a way, where everyone could be reminded... At my local parish, the priest has to be one of the Holiest priests I've known & he's so young. He constantly reminds ppl to stop talking. Uses Traditional prayers to bless medals. I, on the other hand am impatient, because I know if he's going to bless anything it will take a while lol. And after Church, I'm ready to go home, have dinner & a glass of wine lol. I don't usually eat before Church due to receiving the Eucharist - that is if I've been behaving myself & feel ready to receive the Eucharist.
It does seem like at this time, the reforming of the Church is taking place from the bottom up. It's our young, holy priests that are beginning to restore things. At the very least, we can comfort ourselves that one day these young priests will be in the high places of the Church. One of these will be the pope for our grandchildren.
I don't think there will be a Pope as there is now There will be one but he will be on the run or in prison.Or in the catacombs.
Perhaps. But having a holy pope in the catacombs will be of great comfort, compared to what we've had for the past many years in the Vatican.
Sometimes I wonder if it's the "side" we're on that will be wanting to kill the other Catholics. I wonder this because it was the self-righteous Jews that thought they were doing everything right that criticized and hated Christ and put Him and His followers to death. It was the great sinners that converted in droves. Things are not always what they seem...
There must be a distinction made between the self-righteous and one who believes what is right, because it is so defined by Christ. I don't for a moment think I'm right or righteous, but I try and live as Christ directed me and that is right. Those Jews you refer to took God's simple Laws and converted them into a mass of rules and regulations (with men made for their laws, rather than the Law being made for men) and publicly preened themselves as apparent strict practitioners of their 'laws'. We have new Pharisees now alright, starting from the very top, declaring that their new 'rules and regulations' will come about 'when attitudes have changed'. I suspect this will be done by synodal vote, and those synods will not be packed with people who live as directed by Christ, but with people who intend to direct Christ, and ourselves, as to how we will live. 'Attitudes will change', or be changed, and all sorts of heretics will vote all kinds of sin and perversions to be new ways of loving one another and to be celebrated...or else. That looks the way it's going. I might be a little more optimistic than Padraig and don't think it will get to be quite this bad within the Church Herself, but secular society will certainly be gunning for us, unless there is a Chastisement of some kind. Of course, many of these secular persecutors will think themselves 'good, nice Catholics', clamping down on 'hate'.
I am afraid if by this stage of the game you are still, 'Wondering', who is right and who is wrong I fear You never will. John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
I do, of course, make that distinction. We must believe and do what is right. What I try to keep my eye on is whether any pride or hatred is growing in my heart. It's sneaky. It disguises itself as righteous indignation. It grows, I think, every time I get started telling my husband about the latest thing I heard other people doing or saying that is wrong. I have to check myself constantly... Am I talebearing? Whispering? Detracting? Am I being like the publican, thanking God that I'm not like those other people---those rainbow people; that pope that just won't put his foot down and teach clear Truth and clean house; those elites that hurt others for money and power? Do I want their destruction, or do I focus more on wanting to save their souls? Do I love them like God loves them? If they were my children, would I be talking about them the way I do when I'm venting to my husband about those people messing the world and the Church up? What if they were my own precious children? I'd do anything to save them. And I wouldn't want to talk up their flaws and sins to everyone. I would beg others' prayers to save them because I love them so much. I grapple with these things. It's easy to love my own children, and not so easy to love the people who seem to be causing the destruction of the Church and the world. But they're God's children. And if they're still here, there is still mercy for them, and it's our job to pray for them and love them. Love them for real! None of that wishy-washy kumbaya stuff, but the rolling up of the sleeves and plunging ourselves into sacrifices to save them. And I don't think constant condemnation of others leads us to that. We don't just proclaim the Truth on this forum, we complain about, look down upon, and despise the people who aren't following God properly or doing their job right. Do you struggle with these thoughts? Do you wonder if you think a bit too highly of yourself and poorly of others? I struggle with this. I know I think too highly of myself. I'm afraid sometimes, and I wonder...would I be capable of turning on my neighbor like the "good" Catholics of Kibeho did? I truly wonder, when I hear prophecies of Catholics killing other Catholics, and one side assumes it's going to be the other side that does it, is that presumptuous? Is that a bad sign? Didn't the saints believe they were worse than everyone else? Didn't they constantly beg for God's mercy on their own sins instead of constantly pointing out everyone else's? Are we in danger here on this forum of being like the Pharisees about to stone the adulterous woman, forgetting that Jesus said, "Let he that is without sin cast the first stone?" Does that not apply to us? It does, doesn't it? Because surely we aren't without sin? Nowadays, stoning is more often done with words than with actual stones. It's hard. Because this is a forum, and it feels like family, and well, we want to talk and vent. But we also want to be saints!
Don't forget that Our Lord whipped the moneychangers out of the Temple. He didn't just use words. This could be described as turning on His neighbour. I think a lot of our problems stem from not turning on our neighbours enough. Instead we get 'nice' compromises, like the recent approval by the US Bishops of a 'gaywashed' Bible, with ugly words like 'sodomites' being removed. Should we turn inside ourselves and stop condemning these things? How can we 'save them' if we don't complain?
We have been warned at Akita that those who venerate and love our Lady will be persecuted from within the Church. "The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres...churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. As our Lord warned "by their fruits you shall know them".
