As one who very nearly left the Church over the abuse scandals and then Pope Benedict's apparent unwillingness to issue a clear, heartfelt apology for his bishops, I beg all of you to stop attacking each other. I actually stood up at a meeting in our parish and stated that I didn't think I could be Catholic any longer. Now, I'm plagued with worries that my words could have encouraged others to leave the Church. Before ditching Catholicism, I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that Pope Benedict was probably one of the best popes we ever had. I wish he had been younger when elected. I nearly left the Church because there was nowhere to find out what was really going on. We were being bombarded with anti-Catholic vitriol in the media, and the usual smoothing over in the Catholic press , the preponderance of truth appearing to be with the secular press. A website like this where Catholics can have open discussion would have saved me making that statement at our parish meeting. I found this website because I was worried that Cardinal Kasper and others like him appear to be pulling the Pope's strings. Lately, it even looks like the good Cardinal is the de facto Pope with Francis just being the likeable front man. I know that our Church is protected by the Holy Spirit but I also know that papal infallibility doesn't mean papal impeccability. A rudimentary knowledge of Church history confirms that. Just because Pope Francis isn't selling bishoprics or indulgences or, indeed, copying the Borgias doesn't mean that he can't make mistakes in his appointments or let himself be influenced by people with subversive agendas. Even Pope St. John Paul made some dubious appointments. I'm grateful that I can express my concerns to other Catholics who believe accept all that the Church teaches and believe that our Church holds the fullness of revealed truth. I always have it at the back of my mind that bad popes got away with being bad because truly believing Catholics didn't challenge them. If this Pope is wandering off track and some bishops are trying to get him back on the straight and narrow, should we support them or sing dumb if they are silenced? I don't know the answer to that because, thus far, the Pope hasn't tried to change doctrine although he does appear to be trying to circumvent it. There's no denying that there's a crisis in our Church. If we can't discuss that openly with fellow Catholics, where should we go? We should certainly pray and trust God, but what if the Holy Spirit is prompting the "conservative" bishops to speak out against the influence of people like Cardinals Marx and Kasper?
Well if this is really our Padraig talking, I guess soon you will lead us to the schismatic LeFebvre movement! True enemys of Christs Church....don't follow folks, its a total distortion of our Faith
The humor is great. If we don't have a sense of humor, life would be without much joy. I'm sure my sense of humor may have been lacking on some of your posts. You may have been making light at times with sarcasm, when I missed the "making light" part of it. As a matter of fact, I think Padraig's personal story of the apparition of Our Lady he experienced in prison included a reference about how she conversed with him, and laughed, because he was funny, and she liked that about him. It really gave me a better sense of her individual personality. As times get darker, I hope we don't all lose our ability to laugh or find joy.
**** anyone who has Padraigs contact info///please call him , don't delay... I just had thoughts for someone to contact Padraig right now... step up someone!!!!!
Please, we need unity now not division, please pray everyone, stan is laughing. Cut out any bickering and quarreling. Step back and pray.
The problem with internet talk is that one has a hard time knowing when one is being serious or joking. When I am joking I tend to put "ha ha" after that so people understand. These last two pages between Jon, Pic, Brian and Infant did not seem like much joking to me when I read them. Please be respectful of each other. I know emotions and anger can get the better of all of us. It definitely gets the better of me and sometimes I am uncharitable too. Brian, I wish to apologize to you. I did not intend in saying you are "troubled" as to it being offensive. I just felt that you must be a troubled person when 95% of what you write on this forum is about your displeasure with the pope. I was viewing it from my own mind that if I only always had one thing and one thing only on my mind, then I must be very troubled about that. I am sorry if my comment angered you. I do not agree with your approach or your stance right now but at the same time I also can't 100% rule out the possibility either. At the end of the day, this is a Catholic forum and I hope we can all agree that we are on the same side no matter what we feel about the Pope. Maybe you all are right and I have rose colored glasses on, but I just can't accept right now that Stan has the Pope. That just destroys everything for me because then we have no true leader at all. I know no one is saying that directly around here but it sure seems implied. And it is in the implying that I have concerns because so many come here looking for the truth and what do they see when they see all this bickering going on and on about the Pope. They see major disharmony even among brothers and sisters. No one ever has to agree with each other but we must be charitable. It is one of the pillars of our faith. Jon you are exactly right in saying that there is nothing wrong in discerning and discussing and presenting good arguments. I read both sides because I too must be prudent in my own discerning process but when our blood pressure begins to boil as I tell my kids, relax, count to 10 say a prayer and then decide to speak.
agree with this... i dont know why my account was deleted (had to make a new one) I dont think i said anything at all, yet it was deleted
Oh and for the record, I think this is Padraig and his account has not been hacked. That is a ridiculous thought to make publicly on a forum in my mind. I truly understand your frustrations right now Padraig, I just don't want to believe it and am still looking for that 180 turn once again possibly to come from Our Lady as has occurred in the past. We are a family everyone and families fight and bicker and disagree but at the end of the day they still love one another. You can't ever be rid of family so let the bickering come to an end soon and the love part come back. That is sorely missing from the forum these days.
I find that the only plausible explanation. Or mabye Padraig is under severe spiritual attack. Padraig, I dedicated this morning's Rosary to you and will continue to do so as well as for all members here
Welcome back Rman... Confused me with your last post about peeps leaving and next thing you were listed as gueast Welcome home sir!!!
On my last post I mentioned people were attacking Padraig and you said nobody was. What do you think your post above along with your other ones is doing? Why don't you stop throwing rocks. Join a real conversation or be quiet. You are getting tiresome.
Hey I'm not saying you can't blast Padraig, Go ahead. Just own up to it, don't deny you're doing it. There is a real attempt by many members here on both sides to get a constructive discussion going and you aren't helping.
Please link me to this CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION you speak of....wow, we live in parallel Worlds today. If I had a Degree, I could find this fancy world the mortals contemplate in... bam zoom!
WHO AND WHERE is doing this discussion? Are you ok? The popes a heritic ...no hes not....sHow me this debate forum im so disrupting ...Or is it all a lie ?
This discussion is degrading fast into personal attacks. Let's try to get back to the issues, and perhaps say a Hail Mary before posting.
