I found the photo used to create the photoshopped version of the pope kneeling at "Adoration," above. To the best of my knowledge, he was not at Adoration when this photo was taken. As for the other two, it's a good development but they are recent. I did a fairly extensive search last summer and these photos were not available then. To accuse an author of bearing false witness based on a photoshop image and two recent photos (that may have been posted in response to this long standing controversy) is a tenuous charge at best.
Brian , if we say that the holy Father never kneels in front of the Blessed Sacrament and photosare supplied showing that he does kneel in front of the Blessed Sacramnet, it's time to close up shop, no good flogging a dead horse. He does not appear to have an issue with his knees at all.
I hope you are wrong Padraig. If he has no problem with his knees at all, Then all those suggesting he does, have to make some apologies, And you are now suggesting that the likes of Socci are correct. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH HIS KNEES.
Well Mac , in a common sensed way I have to trust the evidence of my eyes. ither the gy guy gets dwon on his kness or he does not. There appears to be several pictures of him kneeling and so... well the guy is kneeling. What can I say? he is kneeling. To say he is not kneeling is then...well it is wrong. I don't know what other way to take it/ it is not complicated to me; either he is or he sin;t and the evidence of my eyes is that he is in fact a kneeler. His knees appear to be in good order and he appears to use them, qutie frequently in fact. So there you are. I am sorry if this is a problem, but there you are. Perhaps if we were to send the poor old guy a letter asking him to stop doing it? View attachment 5001
Dont ask him to stop Padraig. Just happy to see it start. Glad to know there is nothing wrong with his knees. This posses a few problems however.
it's a funny old topic of coenversation, Mac. There are always people in Church who don't kneel. I am always inclined to suppose they have health problems or whatever. Once we go down the rod of judging them as being not deovut, where would it end? I jsut leave it at that it is there buiness and leave it at that. The good Lord knows i might not be ale to kneel myself shortly. I have to say the Holy Father does appear very devout, especially in relation to Devotion to Our Blessed Mother and this really does please me.He says the roasary three times a day!! Wonderful!! 'When Pope Francis Fell in Love With Our Lady But Pope Francis didn’t always have such a deep devotion to Our Lady or to praying the Rosary. Father Jorge Bergoglio was 49 when he fell in love with Our Lady. Two encounters with Mary in the 1980s transformed the future Pope Francis’ devotion to her — witnessing Pope St. John Paul II praying the Rosary and discovering the sacred painting of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots. To understand why Father Bergoglio’s devotion to Mary underwent a radical transformation, it’s important to know something of the traumatic events that led up to this moment in his life. He had served as the Jesuit provincial during Argentina’s “Dirty War,” when the military and paramilitary death squads conducted state-sponsored terror, resulting in the killing of as many as 49,000 civilians. Left-wing guerrillas also killed 6,000 military, police and civilians. The death squads singled out for execution anyone working with the poor, including priests, religious and catechists. Father Bergoglio used his position to publicly criticize the violence of the junta and the guerrillas. But more than this, he put his own life at risk by rescuing people from the death squads and helping others to evade arrest, providing them with the means to flee the country. He personally drove through the streets of Buenos Aires with men and women in his car who were being hunted by the regime. It has been estimated that Father Bergoglio saved at least 100 people during the Dirty War. Pope Francis has admitted that the stress of living through those times resulted in personal problems for him: “I had to deal with difficult situations, and I made my decisions abruptly and by myself. My authoritarian and quick manner of making decisions led me to have serious problems and to be accused of being ultraconservative.” Like countless Catholics before him, Father Bergoglio turned to Our Lady in his pain and suffering. St. John Paul II Taught Jorge Bergoglio How to Pray the Rosary Two years after the end of the Dirty War, Father Bergoglio witnessed Pope St. John Paul II pray the Rosary. This encounter most probably took place during Pope John Paul’s apostolic visit to Latin America in 1985. Following Pope John Paul’s death, then-Cardinal Bergoglio gave this personal testimony on the impact on his life of seeing the Holy Father praying the Rosary: “If I remember well, it was 1985. One evening I went to recite the holy Rosary that was being led by the Holy Father. He was in front of everybody, on his knees. The group was numerous; I saw the Holy Father from the back, and, little by little, I got lost in prayer. I was not alone: I was praying in the middle of the people of God to which I and all those there belonged, led by our pastor. “In the middle of the prayer, I became distracted, looking at the figure of the Pope: his piety, his devotion was a witness. And the time drifted away, and I began to imagine the young priest, the seminarian, the poet, the worker, the child from Wadowice … in the same position in which he knelt at that moment, reciting Ave Maria after Ave Maria. His witness struck me. “I felt that this man, chosen to lead the Church, was following a path up to his Mother in the sky, a path set out on from his childhood. And I became aware of the density of the words of the Mother of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego: ‘Don’t be afraid; am I not your mother?’ I understood the presence of Mary in the life of the Pope. That testimony did not get forgotten in an instant. From that time on, I recite the 15 mysteries of the Rosary every day.” It’s as if, at that moment of inspiration, St. John Paul’s deep devotion to Our Lady was passed on to the man who would succeed him as successor of St. Peter 28 years later. Cardinal Bergoglio’s insight into the significance of the Rosary to Pope St. John Paul as a “path up to his Mother in the sky” resonates with Pope John Paul’s own description of the Rosary in his apostolic letter on the Rosary, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. Pope John Paul concluded his exhortation to the faithful to pray the Rosary with a Marian prayer composed by Blessed Bartolo Longo, the apostle of the Rosary, that uses the image of the Rosary as a “chain” to heaven: “O blessed Rosary of Mary, sweet chain which unites us to God, bond of love which unites us to the angels, tower of salvation against the assaults of hell, safe port in our universal shipwreck, we will never abandon you.” Pope John Paul, like his successor Pope Francis, saw the Rosary as a precious chain of prayers that joins us to heaven.' Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-new...he-blessed-virgin-mary-so-much/#ixzz4AsVfGiUb
Good gravy, where is the charity towards our Pope? The man suffers from sciatica. Are you familiar with sciatica? It's a chronic condition that causes severe back, leg, and knee pain. The condition flares up. When it flares up he can't kneel, or even walk up the steps to the altar without assistance. When it's not flaring up "the poor guy" can kneel. This is basic common sense: http://religionnews.com/2015/11/09/pope-francis-stumbles-in-church-second-time-three-days-health/ There's even a chiropractor selling their wares off of his well known condition: http://integritylifesciences.com/la...dress-pope-francis-sciatica-and-low-back-pain
Unfortunately, FP, we've been down this road before. See here: http://motheofgod.com/threads/the-synod-and-communion.8320/page-44#post-111195 Good gravy, indeed. Ugh. It's been 6 months since the first go round on this issue and I still do not understand why these pernicious attacks on the Holy Father persist. It's so disheartening.
Thank you for this link. It narrows down when these photos appeared online. If this pope were not pushing sacrilegious Communion for those in irregular situations, if he was not reported to advise that "a little bread and wine" won't hurt anyone, then no one would notice. But he has, and therefore little things like this become part of a much larger picture. This subject does not exist in a vacuum.
Everyone needs to read this for context. "This is not the time to be silent about what is happening at the highest levels in the Church." http://spuc-director.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/we-have-duty-to-face-up-to-whats.html
My guess is it's "the accuser" who is constantly whispering the lies into each of our ears and getting us to start pointing the fingers at each other. It's especially disheartening to see some continue to fall prey to this when we've been over it before and shown them this is simply a physical condition Papa has. Sometimes it flares up and he can't kneel or walk up stairs and sometimes it calms down and he can kneel and walk up stairs. I fall prey to old skinny leg's lies myself far too often, he gets me to start looking at benign things and putting ideas in my head about motivations of others--when they've done nothing wrong. It's a constant battle, thank God for the Sacraments and the Rosary and Holy Hours and the intercession of our Blessed Mother and all the things we can do to combat the evil one's constant attacks on us. But if Padraig and even the old curmudgeon Mac are constantly under attack from the evil one whispering his lies in their ear, then the good news is that Padraig and Mac must be doing good things and are a threat to him, otherwise he'd leave them alone. So in our charity to them we have to pray for our brothers and understand they are a threat to Stan, which is a good thing so keep up the good work, guys, and mabye stick some cotton in your ears the next time he starts putting these thoughts in your ear
Folks obviously have not read this, so I'll post it here. It would be a good idea to follow the links and read the referenced reports too. This is part of the context of the (up to a couple months ago) lack of genuflections and kneeling and Adoration (and I have sciatica and two slipped disks and spinal stenosis, and as a doctor fully understand its implications.): http://spuc-director.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/we-have-duty-to-face-up-to-whats.html We have a duty to face up to what's happening at the highest levels in the Catholic Church Pro-life leaders and local activists need to face up to what's happening at the highest levels in the Catholic Church. As Voice of the Family reported last week: "A representative of the Holy See [Monsignor Jean-Marie Musivi Mupendawatu, secretary to the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers], in an intervention at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva last week, welcomed Sustainable Development Goal 3 and all its targets, despite target 7 calling for 'universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services.' These terms are defined as including abortion and contraception by many powerful governments and agencies ... " ... These powerful governments and agencies include the Obama administration, the British government, the United Nations Population Fund, International Planned Parenthood Federation to name but a few. The Voice of the Family report continued: Mgr Mupendawatu made no reference to the statement of reservations issued by the Holy See delegation to the UN in New York after the approval of the SDGs by the UN in September 2015. In that statement the Holy See expressed some reservations regarding Goals 3.7 and 5.6, both of which refer to “sexual and reproductive health”. The text of the Holy See statement of reservations can be accessed here.It might be argued that this was an isolated instance, a simple mistake as a result of inexperience, carelessness or human error. We are human. Mistakes happen. I accept that. However, whether or not a most regrettable mistake was made, the fact is, as the Voice of the Family report points out: " ... there has been extensive collaboration between other Holy See bodies and powerful proponents of abortion, contraception and population control during the current pontificate, under the guise of promoting sustainable development". A selection of Voice of the Family’s commentary on this collaboration can be found below: Pro-family Catholics disturbed after reports of Pope’s comments on contraception, 18 February 2016 Climate agreement welcomed by pope but pro-lifers concerned about language that promotes abortion, 22 December 2015 Cardinal Turkson: Pope Francis ‘has invited people to some form of birth control”, 10 December 2015 ‘Sacrilege’: Catholic leaders react to Vatican’s climate change light show, 9 December 2015 Synod adopts alarming sociological approach in place of clear doctrine, 12 November 2015 Voice of the Family statement: Parents are the primary educators of their children, 15 October 2015 Synod fathers who compromise on contraception will be responsible for greater abortion, 6 October 2015 African families gravely threatened by western governments, international agencies and Vatican departments, 18 August 2015 Professor Schellnhuber: climate science and the population problem, 26 June 2015 Launch of new encyclical by head of Catholic agency accused of funding contraception shows urgent need for reaffirmation of Humanae Vitae, 19 June 2015 Voice of the Family statement on the encyclical letter Laudato Si, 18 June 2015 Any discussion on the environment must stem from understanding that the family is the key to sustainable development, 21 May 2015 Vatican endorsement of UN Sustainable Development Goals threatens unborn children, 29 April 2015 Leading global pro-abortion advocates speak at Vatican conference, 28 April 2015 Likee many other pro-life activists, I personally have a right and a duty to speak out about what's happening at the highest levels in the Catholic Church: I have worked at national and international level for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children for over four decades. In the 1990s, at United Nations conferences in Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing, Istanbul and Rome, at the invitation of the Holy See, I helped coordinate more than 150 pro-life/pro-family groups in a great united effort, under the clear moral leadership of Pope John Paul II, to stop the world's great powers from establishing in international law a right to abortion. Since 1994, SPUC has sent professional lobbyists to United Nations meetings in New York, Geneva and elsewhere, at the expense of our hardworking families throughout Britain who support our work, maintaining in co-operation with other pro-life groups of all faiths and none, the historic struggle against the "right" to abortion. Throughout that period SPUC's team has sought to maintain a close relationship with the Holy See delegation which is so critical in persuading delegates from supporting nations to support marriage, parents as the primary educators, and to oppose abortion. In raising my concerns, of necessity sometimes publicly like today, I am fulfilling my duty as clearly laid out in the Code of Canon Law, which states: “According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they [the Christian faithful] have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons.” (Canon 212 §3) I do urge pro-life activists "with reverence" towards your pastors "and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons" to raise your concerns with your diocesan bishop and other relevant authorities in the Church about a situation which, I am advised, is unprecedented in the history of the Church. I believe that future generations will consider us answerable for our failure to do so. Whilst my appeal is primarily to fellow Catholics, I believe that everyone with concern for the common good has a duty to act. Con't
Con't We are arguably experiencing the greatest catastrophe in the history of humanity. At a conservative estimate, since 1966, around 2 billion babies, made in the image and likeness of God, have been killed by abortion worldwide according to leading researchers from both the pro-abortion and pro-life lobbies. Moreover, the number of human embryos destroyed in the past 50 years by abortifacient birth control drugs and devices worldwide is simply incalculable; and in the UK alone, 2 million embryonic babies have been killed as a result of in vitro fertilisation procedures since 1990, according to the British Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; add to that the scores of other countries where IVF is practised and the number of human beings killed is once again incalculable. Estimates for the total number killed in wars throughout all of recorded human history range from 150 million to 1 billion. Even if the number were twice that higher figure, the last 50 years has witnessed the killing of more human beings through the “sexual and reproductive health” systems in our so-called civilised countries worldwide than in all the wars in recorded human history. In addition, during the past half century explicit sex education has destroyed the innocence of children, a sex education which provides children and adolescents with access to contraception and abortion. By removing parents as the primary educators of their children in the intimate area of human sexuality, powerful governments and the international birth control lobby funded by those powerful governments with our taxes, are establishing acceptance of contraception and abortion in the darkened hearts and consciences of future generations of adults. Pro-life organizations, our families and the wider community need urgently to be reinforced by unequivocal, unyielding voices of Catholic Church officials and bishops throughout the world because the full Gospel message about the truth and meaning of human sexuality and the sanctity of human life, teaching which is also part of the natural law written on all human hearts, is the most important weapon known to man against the culture of death. The intimate connection between the truth and meaning of human sexuality and the sanctity of human life is nowhere more fully spelled out than in Catholic teaching – and all people of good will are capable of understanding that intimate connection. This is not the time to be silent about what is happening at the highest levels in the Church.
Perhaps some of our liberal USA Democrat Party voting friends here can explain to us why all the Big Shot Democrats have thrown Christians ... and in the past decade, Jews .... "Under de Bus" ..Eh!! ... C'mon ... we know you're out-there! "Hoyer On Helping Christians Escape Genocide in Syria: "I Don’t Think The Criteria Ought to be on Religion" http://cnsnews.com/news/article/pen...pe-genocide-syria-i-dont-think-criteria-ought GOD SAVE ALL HERE!! PS: "UK Gov’t Has No Problem Bringing In Refugees — As Long As They Aren’t Christian" http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/06/the-uk-government-has-no-problem-bringing-in-refugees-as-long-as-they-arent-christian/ GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
Brian, Continue to be faithful in this regard. My human spirit becomes so numbed to the horror of the situation. Lord have mercy! Help us to resist the strong current of hate and indifference; give us the strength to paddle upstream out of love for the weak and innocent! Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart! Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
