Our Lady always says to pray for the Pope. As far as I know, she does not mention specific details. She does mention dire problems in the Church, but always reminds us to pray for the Pope. I can’t stop anyone from digging into what I consider to be a rabbit hole. I will be judged on the deeds I bring in my hands to God and how well I lived in His grace. I concentrate on that. Edit As Catholics, we have each been given a vocation by God. Mine is as a wife and mother. I'm expected to do the very best I can for God within that framework of a vocation. I'm accountable for that.
The reason why the Church has a false Pope is that the large majority of us were false Catholics. Few of us, for instance believe in the Real Presence. Almost none of us believed that Artificial Contraception was a grave sin. Few believe in hell, fewer still in thr devil. The list goes on and on.. ...it looked good from the outside but from the inside there was almost nothing left. It had all been eaten away
Yes. I agree with much. But the main question to me is not how "Pope Francis" could be "brought back to the truth" - whether he is in the truth is not for me to judge. The question is whether he is, and was at any point, a validly elected Supreme Pontiff. There are objective facts that, to some, raise several doubts around the goings-on of 2013.
He didn't suddenly turn into a heretic when he was Pope , clearly he was one when he went into the conclave. Hence his, supposed, 'election was invalid'. He was never Pope.
there are pretty strong words from the LORD through the prophet Malachi from the first reading at Mass today ...And now, O priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen, if you do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts, I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse. You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction; you have made void the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts. I, therefore, have made you contemptible and base before all the people, since you do not keep my ways, but show partiality in your decisions. Have we not all the one father? Has not the one God created us? Why then do we break faith with one another, violating the covenant of our fathers? +++++++++ some of us find Pope Francis to be contemptible and base and so my question is...is it a sin to feel that way because the Lord says that He is the one who made the people feel this way in the time of the prophet Malachi (I, therefore, have made you contemptible and base before all the people, since you do not keep my ways, but show partiality in your decisions.) I would think that the LORD would want more Catholics to be outraged by the priests everywhere that do not give glory to His Name, that do not include His Name in synod discussions and documents.
I was astounded with this reading this morning. “You have caused many to falter by your instruction.”
Same here. I treat "Pope Francis" in the same way as I treat politicians. We do not own a television set, nor do we read newspapers. Whenever the "news" come on the car radio, I quickly turn it off. Most of the time, it's turned off anyway. I only listen to 80ies, 90ies, oldies, and classical music. Cannot stand today's whining that they call music. I get my updates on what is going on in the world from forums only, including this cherished one here, and Das Gelbe Forum. On each topic of interest such as the vaccines, I gather lots of opinions. Then, I do my own research. This has served me well. For over 20 years, I have not taken any "vaccines", neither do I plan on taking any more. I have developed natural immunity against many things, including politicians and "Pope Francis". God bless!
The doubt that torments me more than knowing whether he is pope is thinking that there is a possibility that the Church has been suffering a kind of spiritual necrosis since 2013, with the invalid appointment of bishops by Francis and, through them, a branch of invalidly ordained priests who in turn celebrate invalid sacraments.
God bless you, back! I had to smile at your post. I totally get it. I’m sure the Good Shepherd is taking care of us and the whole situation. He alone knows the whole Truth. He is the Truth. I don’t want to be guilty of “ceaselessly striving” After what? And to what end?
Yes, I agree. We have to do our part. We must pray for the Pope. I am editing my morning offering, such that I pray "for the holy intentions of the Holy Father this month". Can't go wrong with this, I reckon. Whether we actually have a Pope since 1 January 2023, I do not know. I don't really need to know, because God has a plan. As to whether I follow "Pope Francis", I have to say, in addition to my previous posts: With great joy, I took it up when he declared a Year of Mercy. I think it was in 2016. We went through the Door of Mercy, both at our local Cathedral and at St. Peter's in Rome that year. With even greater joy, I took it up when Pope Francis declared a Year of St. Joseph. Was it 2019? What a blessing! Recently, Pope Francis asked for a day of prayer and fasting, on one of the October 2023 Fridays. I took it up, and tried to do a day of fasting. The reason I failed is solely due to my own slack and weakness. God bless!
Okay, I see what you are saying. I don't want to cause strive. My motive is to help people who may be trapped, as good Catholics, to feel some sort of obligation to follow the Pope. In my mind, I have a reservation, much like BrianK, that I think Pope Francis may or may not be the Holy Father. This does help me. For example, I did not feel guilty when I refused to take the "vaccines", despite Pope Francis saying that we have a "moral obligation" to do so. On this forum, I am trying to help people who may be in guilt-trap, by offering a potential different perspective - the mental reservation outlined above. But I will leave it at that for now, perhaps it does cause strive. I hope to help, not to cause strive. God bless you and all here, many thanks!
No, Michael. You are not striving. I mean people who make it their goal to follow all these articles about opinions and facts that haven’t been verified by the proper AUTHORITIES rather than spending time with Our Lord or doing their daily duties according to their vocation. Edit : in our frail human nature we have to be on our guard against this.
I find your comments and the two videos you posted side-by-side highly interesting. Great to have you back! God bless
I think that from the moment a pope denies the divinity of Christ in an interview with an agnostic journalist, this makes it understandable that there are doubts about the legitimacy of the pontificate since this is a fundamental point of the apostolic creed (Christ consubstantial with the Father) and is directly related to the essence of the Triune God and the valid formula for baptism.
I was just last weekend at the call for holiness conference with Cardinal Burke and Father Ripperger. Cardinal Burke made it very clear to not leave the church.
Thank you. I completely trust Cdl Burke, Fr Ripperger, Bishop Schneider. They have God-given authority.
Souls are being led to eternal damnation if they follow the heresies of the man who the world says is pope. And we don’t need to know? Just continue to live as good Catholics while our brethren are lead astray by this man called pope? If there is a chance he is not the pope, or if he is a manifest grave heretic, every one of us must not only know, we must warn the brethren. It’s a positive moral duty.
I have to agree to disagree with you. We will know when we know. I didn’t expect that you would agree with me but I’m okay with how you feel. I will wait for the authorities to tell us. In the meantime I will do my moral duty to be a good Catholic and to help others to be the same. There is more to moral duty than to keep nursing and rehearsing the same question over and over with no emergent definitive answer. The moral duty is to obey the traditional Magisterium of the Church and to obey in all matters which aren’t sinful.
