I thought at the time that Cardinal Schönborn would be elected after the resignation of Benedict XVI. This is because at the time I had seen a video of this Austrian cardinal celebrating a "Nightclub Mass" in his country, which reminded me of the prophecy of the abomination of desolation (in the Catholic liturgy). However, the group of liberal cardinals managed the feat of electing a liberal who pretended to be a conservative.
According to the The Times (UK) opponents of the Pope's policies are 'haters' (that's us folks). Apparently the Pope has demonstrated great patience with his clergy critics but even his enormous store of goodwill has its limits! This is what they think of us: Meanwhile, he turned up the heat on his conservative haters by allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, weeks after announcing that he would oust his chief critic, the American cardinal Raymond Burke, from his free Vatican flat. It followed the sacking of Joseph Strickland, the American bishop, who has regularly challenged Francis’s liberal papacy. “They had constantly undermined the papacy and Francis, who had put up with a lot, showed his patience was not infinite,” said the papal biographer Austen Ivereigh, who recently met Francis. “Although there is fundamentally nothing wrong with his health, Francis is aware of his age and the limitations imposed by his frailties — but he also knows he can do good in different ways,” Ivereigh said. “There has been an increase in tempo in the last two years but if you look closely it’s also because blockages have been removed.” The ruling on blessing gay couples was prepared by Víctor Manuel Fernández, an adviser to the Pope and a fellow Argentinian, whom Francis appointed as the Vatican’s doctrinal chief in July. “Fernández has brought a whole new energy to the office,” Ivereigh said. Critics of the Pope claim he would not have dared give Fernández the job if his retired predecessor, Pope Benedict, was still alive. Benedict, who died a year ago, earned the nickname “God’s Rottweiler” by decrying homosexuality when he held the doctrinal job before he was elected Pope in 2005. As the case rumbles on, Pope Francis is not losing sleep over it, Ivereigh said. “He is always good-humoured, never seems to have a bad day and I think he is in a place of great peace and strength. I sense he is totally in charge.”
Amen, Padraig! I try to be as observant of the sanctuary candle encased in red glass, as well. And if I'm sure the light may extinguish overnight, I'll have this internal struggle: my childhood rearing which says on one hand, "Don't let the wax go wasted (I was raised by Depression Era parents)"; or "Don't dishonor the Lord by allowing the lamp to burn out and the Tabernacle be encased in darkness". If I'm confident it will extinguish, I'll bring out a new candle. This is my stance. If my wasteful conscience is pricked, I'll throw a couple of extra dollars into the collection.
Its so strange to see the Tabernacle light out. Seemingly for good. I wonder how many Churches throughout the World have no Tabernacle light lit? I think the special candles used to last for a week so it was no big deal to change them. I don't think they cost so much. But it is not the candles themselves I worry about. But the fact they are not lit may be prophetic in that Faith has dimmed or winked out altogether. Ahh I see it is called a Sanctuary Lamp. In the Temple in Jerusalem they used to burn the seven branched Menorah candle before the Holy of Holies in the Temple. So this is a really, really ancient practice. I don't suppose the Jews would have done this unless God had asked them too. The same at home with the little red lamp in front of the Sacred Heart. It cheers me up looking at it. When I was in Jerusalem a Jewish gentleman gave me a little Menorah and different coloured candles to celebrate Hannukah which was strange but nice. Hannukah falls around now, I think
Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
https://www.tfp.org/the-sanctuary-candle-has-burnt-out-just-as-our-lady-of-good-success-foretold/ Though the powers that be may extinguish the sanctuary lamp in our churches, they cannot extinguish the burning lamps of faith and belief in our hearts. Remember: "Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:16) The Sanctuary Candle Has Burnt Out… Just as Our Lady of Good Success Foretold The apparitions of Our Lady of Good Success in Quito, Ecuador, during the 16th and 17th centuries are filled with numerous prophecies that tell of the moral decadence that would characterize our times. On one such occasion, Our Lady appeared to the convent’s abbess, Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres. She made prophecies that present a beautiful analogy symbolizing an appalling future. The vision began when Mother Mariana finished her prayers at three in the morning. As she prepared to depart from the choir loft, she noticed that the sanctuary lamp had burned out. When the abbess was making her way down to relight it, Our Lady suddenly appeared before her. The Blessed Virgin approached her daughter with serenity. She told her why the sanctuary candle went out. It was not a result of mere circumstance but a prefigurement of certain evils that would afflict the Church in upcoming centuries. She spoke of five specific neglects that would cause much suffering to the few remaining faithful during those times. Current events show that the “future” has become the “present.” The following prophecies will make this evident. 1. Conventional Heresies Will Inflict Widespread Calamities Our Lady first warned Mother Mariana that during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, numerous heresies would be “propagated in these lands.” They would extinguish the “precious light of faith” in souls. All aspects of the body and soul would suffer what Our Lady called an “unspeakable and prolonged martyrdom.” These trials would cause the death of many who would be “counted among the martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the Church and the country.” This propagation of heresy is clearly active in our times. In Ecuador, liberal leaders rose to power in 1905 that introduced foreign religions into the country. The main threat, however, came from liberal currents within the Church, which promoted modernist heresies in Ecuador. Bishops promoted agrarian land reform and employed class struggle tactics to push liberal errors under the guise of social reform. Such tactics attacked the Faith without people perceiving. 2. Vocations Will Decline At the Imprudent Hands of Religious Superiors Secondly, Our Lady lamented an approaching decline in vocations that would leave those remaining “submerged in a depthless sea of unspeakable troubles.” The lack of judgment of religious superiors allowed novices to “return to the Babylon of the world.” Once they went back, they would become “agents of evil for the corruption of souls.” This decline and neglect are well advanced. Numerous headlines highlight the plunging number of vocations to religious life. People blame it on “archaic” Church teaching while giving a blind eye to this prophecy of Our Lady of Good Success. Young religious are being told to conform to the world rather than convert it. They must welcome the sin along with the sinner. Admonishing the sinner is a spiritual work of mercy, which is now considered an act of unspeakable cruelty. With such preparation for entering the religious life, is it any wonder that no novices abandon the Babylon they have been formed to accept? 3. A Culture of Impurity Will Pollute the Air The third meaning behind the lamp going out is particularly relevant to our times. Our Lady cited the “poisoned atmosphere of impurity which will reign at that time like a filthy sea.” She warned that few virgin souls would remain while most would refuse to exercise self-restraint. This culture now dominates worldwide. Divorce is not only normal but expected. Marriage is disregarded by most, including Catholics. The only main push to defend “marriage” is a blasphemous effort to make same-sex pseudo-marriage universally accepted. This effort has progressed immensely with little resistance among the clergy. 4. A Destruction of Youth Will Destroy the Priesthood Next, Our Lady of Good Success warned that vocations to the priesthood will diminish because of “the power of sects and their ability to penetrate homes and families.” This power would subvert the beauty of innocence found in the hearts of children. Because of this corruption, the secular clergy would focus on their own wealth and comfort more than their ministry. This action against the innocence of youth is also far-advanced. Social media, the Internet and secular education subvert the minds of children, thus preparing them to embrace and participate in a culture of sin. Desensitizing the young from sin has reduced the number of priests to a minimum, and those who are ordained often do not see a need to fight against this culture. The loss of vocations among youth shows that this prophecy is taking place. 5. Economic Aid Will Be Denied the Cause of Christ The final negligence revealed by the analogy of the sanctuary candle is about “those possessing great wealth who will indifferently stand by and witness the oppression of the Church.” Rather than use their God-given means to give back to Him, they either do nothing or contribute to the cause of the devil. Click Here to Read About the First Apparition of Our Lady of Good Success In our times, this is happening. We often hear of the millionaire who squanders his money on worldly and sinful pleasures while never contributing to a virtuous cause. This attitude is one of self-love. Rather than rendering to God what is justly His, the selfish rich man seeks to receive his reward on this earth. Fighting against this culture of sin is the least of his concerns. A fortune is not sinful, but misusing leads to perdition. These people are called to provide greater aid to the Faith, and their failure to do so prolongs the triumph of sin in our times. With These Abysmal Prospects, We Must Confide After having said this, the apparition ended, and Our Lady left Mother Mariana to reflect upon everything that had just taken place. At this moment, many anguishing thoughts began to fill her saintly mind with grief. Vast numbers of souls would be lost; the Church and many countries would be exposed to an intolerable agony; nations would face catastrophic chastisements. These reflections were too much for the abbess to bear, and she collapsed as a result of her sorrow.
Many of the rich and wealthy are tied into Masonic Webs of influence which seek to demolish the Catholic Church. The memory of a prominent Masonic patient whom I visited in the hospital remains. Upon realizing I was Catholic chaplain, he cut my visit short by saying, "You are the enemy." O Mary conceived without sin. pray for him that he may yet repent!
Lightning struck a St. Peter's statue in Argentina on Pope Francis' Birthday destroying only halo and keys of the statue.
You gave me an idea there Mario. I work in a church, many times I arrive in the morning and find the candle has burnt out overnight, that won't happen again. I'm able to pick up my own case of sanctuary candles. It's the least we can do for our Lord in the sacrament of His love and if anybody says anything I'll say Mario"s told me to do it
https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/my-advice-step-down My Advice? Step Down Regis Martin Suppose you’d been asked by Cardinal Manuel Fernandez, Prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, to assist him in putting together an official statement on the possibility of blessing same-sex couples. He’s all in, of course, but would like it if you climbed on board as well. And never mind why he’s asked you in the first place; the point is, he did, so what do you tell him? To go stuff it? No, that clearly will not do. Ok, so you try and say it less rudely, as in, “Thank you for asking, Your Eminence, but the subject fills me with such dread and disgust that I’d rather not do it.” Will that work? It hardly matters anyway, Cardinal Fernandez having already gone ahead and written it himself. He then sends it over to Pope Francis, who, approving what he wrote, signs the thing and—bingo—instant magisterial standing. He even gives it a name. “Fiducia Supplicans, On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings.” So now what? Well, it goes out to all the world, causing no end of confusion and consternation among the faithful. Even bishops are up in arms about it. So what happens next? Well, let us again suppose that in the midst of this catastrophe the Pope himself were to turn to you for advice. “What am I to do?” he asks with some frustration. “Only the Germans and LGBTQ people like it, and none of them thinks it went far enough! I can’t satisfy everyone, of course. I mean, I’m not a magician!” So, what do you tell the Pope? If it were me, here’s what I’d say: “Your Holiness, with all due respect, there are two things you must do, and two more you might do. The first two are fairly easy. Get rid of Fernandez; then dump the Declaration. As for the remaining two, these are optional, but I’d strongly recommend both. Resign the Office that has become so tortuous to occupy; then go off to the nearest monastery for a life of prayer and penance.” Who knows, perhaps the former prefect can be persuaded to accompany the former pope into the silence? It could do wonders for both their souls. There is zero likelihood of this happening, by the way. So, why do I bother? Isn’t it a bit like spitting in the wind? Or trying to square the circle? I do it because the Gospel demands it. While I am no St. Paul, neither am I averse to paraphrasing him. Who, in his Letter to the Galatians (2:14), had the cheek to call out St. Peter himself, the first Pope, on a point of doctrine no less. When a man does not walk upright, when he fails to be straightforward, there is no question but that someone needs to tell him. So Paul told Peter, admonishing him to his face in Antioch. And so, with utmost respect, one really must summon the courage to tell the Pope. Tell him what exactly? That he’s all wet. That the declaration signed and delivered by him is flat out wrong. “A great deception,” to use the language of Archbishop Tomash Peta of Kazakhstan, and his Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider, who assert that its proposed blessings of same-sex couples, along with those committing adultery, “directly and seriously contradict Divine Revelation and the uninterrupted, bimillennial doctrine and practice of the Catholic Church.” Amounting to, they add, “a serious abuse of the most Holy Name of God, since this name is invoked upon an objectively sinful union of adultery or of homosexual activity.” In short, it cannot be salvaged. If left to stand, they argue, the Church herself risks becoming “a propogandist of the globalist and ungodly gender ideology.” And so, to undo the damage, which is both far-reaching and profound, heads must roll. Beginning with the guy who wrote it. But not ending there; he can’t be the only fall guy in the room. A heartless solution, do you think? For whom, actually? Certainly not for the young man I was once told about by the late Fr. Benedict Groeschel, whom he had desperately sought out for advice concerning an ongoing struggle with same-sex attraction. “I’m in a kind of hell,” he told the wise old priest. “And one of these days I’m going to want to get out of that hell. But until I do, Father, please promise me two things: One, that you’ll never give up on me and, two, that you’ll not throw away the map.” With Fiducia Supplicans, it looks as if the Church has just thrown away the map. And without the map, she pretty much gives up on all who struggle with sexual sin. Certainly, there is nothing in the document that could possibly bring solace or encouragement to that young man. Or countless others who struggle, often in ways positively heroic, to overcome their affliction. Who accept the hard sayings of Mother Church with total and heartfelt conviction. They’re not looking to luxuriate in their sin, secure in the knowledge that thanks to Father’s blessing, everything’s just swell. They’re looking for grace, for a bit of hope to tell them the struggle, while hard, is worth it in the end. But you will search in vain to find any acknowledgment of the hidden dramas they enact in their lives. With Fiducia Supplicans, it looks as if the Church has just thrown away the map. And without the map, she pretty much gives up on all who struggle with sexual sin. How bewilderingly sad it all is. After all, hadn’t the Pope as recently as two short years ago said exactly the opposite of what is being said now? Unless the Law of Non-Contradiction has been repealed in the meantime, the Church cannot have it both ways. However far Pope Francis may wish to extend the reach of his vaunted “pastoral vision,” it can never encompass the blessing of sin. Either adultery and sodomy are wrong, and those who engage in such practices are committing serious sin and in need of repentance; or there is nothing wrong or untoward about either, and no priest should stand in the way of those who come forward to have their unions blest. That way lies madness. And the Church, which has always stood for sanity, may have to ask the Pope to step down in order to make things sane again. Author Regis Martin is Professor of Theology and Faculty Associate with the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He earned a licentiate and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Martin is the author of a number of books, including Still Point: Loss, Longing, and Our Search for God (2012) and The Beggar’s Banquet (Emmaus Road). His most recent book, published by Scepter, is called Looking for Lazarus: A Preview of the Resurrection.
Although on the other hand this Cardinal was the greatest supporter of Medugorje in the Church. What happened to him? Yuk..diabolical.
I have always found it interesting that Cardinal Schönborn is a supporter of Medjugorje. It corroborates my skeptical view on Medjugorje.
