“I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Yes, another fine piece from Mark. I cannot resist posting two short quotes from the article which strike me as just so relevant.

The first is from Pope Benedict that seems to sum up our age!

In the name of tolerance, tolerance is being abolished.​

The second is from Mark himself which perfectly captures the condition of several members of the forum:

Some concerned Catholics today are contemplating abandoning the Barque of Peter, afraid that the Pope is going to sail her straight into the mouth of the Beast. But to exchange the rock of Christ’s infallible promises for the shifting sands of one’s own “feelings” and calculations is the true danger.​

 

I leave and things do not change...God is with us and running the ship. Its funny the same people that attack Our Holy Father can only state "just wait and see what happens at the synod". I speculate the lines will be drawn and the world will hate us. But here is my challenge, if the synod conforms to Catholic teaching, please stop bashing our Holy Father.

Papa Francis is a saint...as of today he has not broken Catholic Dogma and he has followed his priestly duties. My opinion is that we have a very mystical/spiritual Holy Father. My guess is he understands his time is short and he has to save souls. Since he has touched the mystical...of course we sometimes get confused with his comments. And if we are truly believers then it is not his comments...but the Holy Spirit working through him. If we read the lives of church fathers and modern saints, they have a completely different view of the world. Once We understand God is real...then why worry about the future. God can intervene at any moment. That is why all rockstar saints have followed the virtue of obedience. If God really wants something to happen...it will be done.

There is a spiritual army that is currently growing. I am gradually seeing what was prophesied. The church is getting smaller but its core members are spiritual giants. In every parish there is a small group of prayer warriors that is helping to keep the chastisement at bay. If you look closely, they look like ordinary people but inside the Holy Spirit is burning bright. The most amazing part is that they don't even realize it. In these dark times, it will be the ordinary saints that will be the front lines of this battle. God has His plans and we must be open to the Holy Spirit. But to cause fear and doubt of our Holy Father (when he has done nothing wrong) is evil.

May Gods Will be Done

 

Welcome back, FS

 

Welcome back FS. I hope your time away was spiritually fulfilling for you. And yes, life here has been the same discussion .

Any how, the pastor of my parish is retiring next month- he is an awesome priest. I think I will remember him for the following admonishment which he fir into almost everyone of his homilies: "become the saints that The Lord meant you to be". I think he was prophetic as I agree with you - we need and I think there are many great and quiet saints being prepared right now. And as the song goes, saints are just the sinners who fall down, BUT then get up ! Peace.

 

"Syrian Catholic Bishop: 'Church is Turning Last Page of Her History’ In Middle East"
http://cnsnews.com/blog/michael-w-c...rch-turning-last-page-her-history-middle-east

GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

 

Interesting bling our Holy Father is wearing to receive this gift.
View attachment 3182 View attachment 3181

 

Compare this to John Paul II's visit to Nicaragua in 1983, and how he unequivocally refused to permit himself to be used by the Marxists and condemned their ideology.

 

It is fascinating FS, but I find myself in the "not trusting" camp, perhaps because of my nature and the last 30 years of fighting for the truth against "liberal" heretics all my life. I understand the church is both liberal and conservative and perhaps the Holy Father is trying to get us "back" into the center of the church.
I have to laugh at myself sometimes. On the issue of divorce and the sacraments, I have to remind myself that we already have the whole process of annulments , and consequently, the reception of the sacraments by those involved.
In short, I believe you are correct but my natural inclination is to fight change in the church because of what the "spirit of vatican 2" has wrought.

 

Pope Rejects Communist Crucifix from Bolivia President: ‘That’s Not Right’

See more at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/katie-...olivia-president-thats-not-right#.tbqr43:r9cb

 

Thank you Miriam,

It seems this is the normal... to bash the Holy Father with half truths. That is why it is important to read whole statements and see how and why pictures are taken.

Brian, you are causing people to distrust Our Holy Father and begin to mistrust the Catholic Church. You are becoming a propaganda machine.

I pray that your intentions are based on what is right and not to promote the created one.

Brother al

 

This event is covered on the "Newsbusters" web site which includes two videos: one a Vine video of the Pope saying "This is not right", and the other of the entire part of the ceremony where the President is giving the Pope all these gifts. It's clear that after the first one -- a fairly innocuous medallion -- His Holiness is not pleased. He eventually adopts a tolerant expression, just waiting for the ceremony to be over. Rather like when you have to stand in front of the family at Christmas when you are 10 and thank your elderly aunt for the bunny suit she made you.

 

As Fr. Zuhlsdorf just pointed out on his blog,

"Gifts at these meetings of heads of state are worked out ahead of time. So what gives with this?"

 

Simple: The gift list includes books on Bolivian history, a biography of the president, a state medal (that was the innocuous medallion first given to the Pope), a crucifix carved from native trees, and a second medallion modeled after the carved crucifix.

 

“At a July 9 press briefing the Holy See press officer, Fr. Federico Lombardi, noted the lack of clarity in the audio of the exchange, and remarked that Pope Francis had been unaware the crucifix was a replica of Fr. Espinal’s.

He also claimed that Fr. Espinal’s use of it was not ideological but expressed a hope for dialogue between communism and the Church, adding that Pope Francis’ remark likely expresed a sentiment of “I didnt’ know”, rather than “This is not right.””

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/n...ently-not-amused-by-communist-crucifix-33337/

 

Rome Reports now has the video with transcript. No where does it say that Francis disapproved with that contested comment of "It is not right." He does say, "I didn't know that." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m_LmJjs2eM&feature=youtu.be

 

“There isn't no call to go talking of pushing and pulling. Boats are quite tricky enough for those that sit still without looking further for the cause of trouble.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

 

Dear Lady, Queen of Peace and Seat of wisdom, direct us in the Way of your Son!

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. 6 Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.

 

Hammer-sickle crucifix raises eyebrows during pope’s visit to Bolivia
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
Posted on July 9, 2015

Excerpt:

At least one media outlet reported the pope saying, “That’s not right,” (“No esta bien eso”) but several others said the pope, who was speaking Spanish, responded, “I didn’t know that” (“Eso no lo sabia”) when Morales explained the cross was based on a design by Father Espinal.

Father Lombardi, who said neither he nor the Jesuit pope had ever seen or heard of Father Espinal’s crucifix, said he believes it is much more likely that the pope admitted to not knowing its origin than to saying it was wrong.​

 

Again , if we accept the message of Akita '' The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, and bishops against other bishops.

Then why would anyone here be surprised to find forum member against forum member?
We are not exempt here. This is the reality.

We are all obliged to pray for Pope Francis , and in that at least we are all united.
And believe it or not, I , and Im sure Brian would love nothing more than to defend Pope Francis against attacks from the world , against the errors of modernism, against the errors of ecumenism, against...http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9syll.htm

But he gives no ammunition. And everyday another issue ,another confusion .

Pray very much for the Holy Father.

 

And believe it or not, I , and Im sure Brian would love nothing more than to defend Pope Francis against attacks from the world

Sorry Mac, I'm ready to believe many things but that statement isn't one of them

What I think you really mean is that Brian wishes Pope Francis views match his own and then he would be able to defend him!