Sign after sign after sign...

Yet, for all the confusion caused by Pope Francis, he has heretofore made no alterations to Theology or Liturgy. On the other hand, Pope Pius XII, although he was responsible for one historic and wondrous change in Theology, made many changes to the Liturgy, including a drastic shortening of the pre-Communion fast. Most of these changes were made toward the end of his papacy.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Lutherans (as nice as they may be) are in a centuries-long state of heresy and rebellion against the Mystical Body of Christ. Heretics are in a state of mortal sin and therefore cannot receive the Eucharist. In fact, those who receive unworthily can actually physically harm themselves, as Scripture attests. The proper approach to dealing with heretics is not to encourage more heresy, but to educate them on the gravity of the situation.

 

This thread was once about signs of the times and not about continuously bashing our Pope.

This should be read.

http://www.markmallett.com/blog/did-pope-francis-promote-a-one-world-religion/

 

If Pope Francis really wants to affect change, I would suggest less talk and more action. I would recommend (and in fact have already sent my petition in) for the solemn Proclamation of the Fifth Marian Dogma of Mary as Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix as requested by Our Lady of All Nations. Our Lady of All Nations told Ida Peerdeman that once this Fifth Marian Dogma is solemnly defined by the Holy Father, she will be permitted to supernaturally intervene in order to stem the tide of degeneration, disaster and war. Isn't this what the Holy Father wants after all? Our Lady has offered us the fastrack to change and I have petitioned that the Holy Father take it.

 

Here is another sign of the times:

Oldest Christian Monastery in Iraq Raised to the Ground by ISIS:

IRBIL, Iraq – Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press confirm what church leaders and Middle East preservationists had feared: The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State's relentless destruction of heritage sites it considers heretical.

St. Elijah's Monastery stood as a place of worship for 1,400 years, including most recently for U.S. troops. In earlier millennia, generations of monks tucked candles in the niches, prayed in the chapel, worshipped at the altar. The Greek letters chi and rho, representing the first two letters of Christ's name, were carved near the entrance....

....On the other side of the world, in his office in exile, in Irbil, Iraq, Catholic priest Rev. Paul Thabit Habib, 39, stared in disbelief at the before- and after- images.

"Our Christian history in Mosul is being barbarically leveled," he said in Arabic. "We see it as an attempt to expel us from Iraq, eliminating and finishing our existence in this land."

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/01/20/only-on-ap-oldest-christian-monastery-in-iraq-razed.html

 

I have to say I love Pope Francis. I think he is wonderful and love that he has launched the Jubilee Year of Mercy. I don't think anyone can say he has done anything wrong in our Church.

I have to say that there have been things in the past that I feel were wrong in the Church. For example, my dear Mummy told me of how as a little girl she cried and prayed for the babies that were not baptised that she was taught went to limbo. I suppose the Church felt that at the time anyone who wasn't baptised could not enter heaven but at the same time purgatory maybe seemed too harsh for these infants. I know my mummy had an uncle who had to bury about 6 newborn babies in the middle of the night who died at or very shortly after birth. He and his wife had only 1 baby who lived long enough to be baptised before dying and could be buried properly. This is one teaching I am glad the church has changed.

I also know that many of you love the Latin mass but I for one am glad to go and hear the mass in the language that I speak and can understand the word of God. Even yet I see very elderly people praying away on their rosary beads during mass because this is what they did when it was in Latin. I do wonder if people really got any more out of the mass when it was in Latin. I don't know, I have never experienced a Latin mass but on holiday when I attend mass in a foreign language I feel as if I am missing so much.

Please don't slate me for what I have said, I just love Pope Francis and feel some changes have been for the better in previous years. I do appreciate how other people may feel different though and that we should respect each other's views.

 

1) It's not "bashing the pope" to point out that admitting Lutherans to the Holy Eucharist is sacrilegious.
2) A pope suggesting that it's up to Lutherans whether to present themselves to the Holy Eucharist in one speech, and Lutherans doing exactly that a couple weeks later at the Vatican, is probably a sign of the times, and
3) good Catholics suggesting 1 & 2 above are not signs of the times .... is probably a sign of the times too.

 

I agree your post about communion to the Lutherans is a suitable sign of the times but the constant debate about the inter-religious video which is the subject of the Mark Mallett blog post has become more then a sign of the times and very drawn out at this stage. That is the Pope bashing I am referring to.

 

I'll be blunt. A lot of otherwise good Catholics have so much invested in post VII non approved supposed Marian messages/ apparitions/ locutions that they are not capable of rationally examining the signs of the times in which we are living. Because their favorite set of messages have given a thumbs up to much of what is transpiring they are blinded to reality and refuse to look at things objectively. That's the work of the devil, work started decades ago towards this moment in time.

 

I agree with you about the Latin Mass. I recall people praying the rosary right through the Mass. I vaguely remember that the only part I understood was the sermon. I absolutely remember that once the bell was sounded for the consecration the entire congregation were on their knees, whether or not there were kneelers, and you could hear a pin drop. People knew what the consecration meant. On the other hand, I also recall young lads playing push penny on the steps of the gallery during mass, although even they stopped and were on their knees for the consecration. The only time I miss Latin is at Benediction, and we hardly ever have Benediction these days and even then I only miss the Latin Hymns that I learned in school because I know the words.

The Church hasn't changed its teaching on unbaptised babies. Back then, the teaching was that we don't know for sure what happens those babies but we trust in God's mercy, Limbo being a place where the souls of the babies slept until the Last Judgement. The teaching now is much the same, with less emphasis on Limbo and more emphasis on trusting the babies to God's mercy, but the Church has not declared that the babies go to Heaven because they can't declare what they don't know and has not been revealed. It is the treatment of the unbaptised babies that has changed rather than the teaching, and that's a good thing. Lutheranism has been declared heretical by the Church, so admitting Lutherans to Communion is not just a matter of more merciful treatment. It is much more serious, although above our pay grade to make a determination on how much more serious. That's what the Magisterium is for. Since we aren't privvy to any discussions that may be taking place among various Bishops whose duty it is to guard against any change in Church doctrine or dogma, we should trust them to do what is right. Otherwise, it's a case of keeping a dog and barking ourselves.

If faction fighting within the hierarchy or Catholics viewing each other as potential heretics were a sign of the times, the Second Coming should have happened well over a millennium ago. The difference nowadays is that we hear about the arguments whereas in olden days the vast majority of the faithful knew nothing about it.

 

I have to say Dolours that you are right. Very few people kneel now for the consecration if there are no kneelers which is quite sad. I have to say I went to a strict convent primary school in the 80s/90s and never learned of Limbo from them. I did obviously hear of it from my mummy. Do you know that a cemetary not too far from where I live, there is a Bishop buried in what was the unconsecrated plot of land for these babies. In his own wisdom and discernment he knew that when he insisted on being buried there himself that the Church would have to consecrate the ground. Some consolation I suppose for the families involved. With regard Lutherans receiving communion, I don't know what I think regarding this. I think I am more worried about my own worthiness in receiving the Blessed Host than to judge whether anyone else is worthy or not.

 

The convent school I went to was quite strict too. Looking back on it, considering there were forty-odd children in the class, no special needs assistants, probably children with undiagnosed problems such as ADHD, and no such thing as a school secretary or any kind of clerical assistance, the sisters were very lenient and never missed a day through illness. I know a few teachers and I doubt that any of them would have lasted a full term back then, yet all we ever hear about are "harsh, disciplinarian nuns". I thank God for them. Most if not all of them have gone to their heavenly reward and, considering what the likes of me put them through, their reward should be great indeed. They taught us about Limbo. Unbaptised babies were buried in the "Holy Angels" plot in the cemetery, and it was called the Holy Angels plot for as long as I can remember, so being a Holy Angel in Limbo didn't have a particularly bad meaning for us - at least not for me.

I used to get into high dudgeon about the news from Rome about the Pope's apparent liberalism. I'm finding that the more I pray for him, the more at peace I am with him and, like you, worry about my own worthiness to receive the Blessed Sacrament. We need to pray more and complain less.

 

I'll be blunt too. A lot of otherwise good Catholics have so much invested in Pope Francis bashing that they are not capable of rationally examining the prophets of our times in which we are living and adhering to scripture to "not despise prophecy" coming from the Spirit. Based on their hatred of Pope Francis they are tone deaf to what he is often saying and blinded to looking at things through the eye's of mercy. That is the work of the devil, started by the pride in ones own rigidity of heart on non doctrinal issues. See Mark Mallett's latest blog http://www.markmallett.com/blog/did-pope-francis-promote-a-one-world-religion/

 

I am reading Frank Sheed's To Know Christ Jesus. He states that one of Our Lord's last discussions with Pharisees BEFORE His Passion was about divorce and remarriage. They attempted to catch Him in error, according to the Laws of Moses. Interesting that today, we are caught in this very trap: the Synod attempted to deal with the difficult issues surrounding divorce and remarriage, with confusing effects. And, as many intuit and others prophesy....we are on the edge of a multifaceted abyss. The timeline of Christ's actions seem to mirror our situation. The Church, which is the Body of Christ, seems to be on the verge of entering its own Passion!

 

Then there's this: http://www.euronews.com/2016/01/19/jews-welcome-in-russia-putin-tells-europe-s-jewish-leaders

 

I do grow weary of reading all the negative postings on pope francis. If it is not bashing, it is a constant chipping away at him so he loses credibility and respect. When you do this to the pope, you are also doing this to our dear lord. If I were in a different stage of my conversion and I read many posts on this forum, I might question really turning over my life to a God who has such a horrible pope.

So, instead of complaining, please consider praying. Instead of digging up and posting yet another negative article about the pope, consider the many unseen people reading it who may turn away from the church or have doubts because of your post. I am not denying that we are in end times, there is an apostacy going on, there are weak bishops out there and pope francis can be confusing. But I don't see the good fruit in the non-stop chipping away at pope francis, and I can't see how it makes our blessed mother happy. These are just my oberservations from someone who has been here a long time. I don't follow a lot of prophecy and don't have a strong feeling of a timeline of events except the warning in this year of mercy.

 

Why does MM waste his time defending that insipid video.
Why is he not fighting the errors coming from Rome? like thishttp://www.onepeterfive.com/magister-lutherans-given-communion-in-rome-after-papal-audience/
And he should be honest and admit who has caused the confusion.

 

Defending the Faith is not Pope bashing.
If defending the faith harms Pope Francis then you have two choices.

1 There is something wrong with Pope Francis.
2 There is something wrong with the Faith.

 

Instead of being condescending, please assume that those defending the Faith and pointing to very real grave concerns in Rome might just actually pray, sacrifice and suffer for the Faith just as much as anyone else here.

Instead of mischaracterizing others' posts, how about considering the very real concern that the Faithful may be lead astray by this talk of admitting those living second marriages, without an annulment or living as brother and sister, to the Holy Eucharist?

How about considering the confusion and scandal generated when Lutheran delegations to the Vatican feel they can decide on their own whether, after the pope's remarks this fall, to approach the Holy Eucharist, and that at a Mass in the Vatican they did just that without anything being said or repercussions to the priests permitting such sacrilege?

 

Signs.....

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edwa...o-talk-to-the-lord-about-receiving-eucharist/

Excerpt:

"The Pope added: “I wouldn’t ever dare to aallow this, because it’s not my competence. One baptism, one Lord, one faith. Talk to the Lord and then go forward. I don’t dare to say anything more.”

The Holy Father's words have been causing widespread concern in Rome, leading some to go as far as to describe them as an attack on the sacraments. “The Rubicon has been crossed,” said one source close to the Vatican. “The Pope said it in a charming way, but this is really about mocking doctrine. We have seven sacraments, not one.”

The issue is particularly sensitive at the current time given the continuing pressure to allow remarried-divorcees to receive holy Communion within the "internal forum", guided by their confessor.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that, because ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation and separated from the Catholic Church "have not preserved the proper reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Holy Orders," Eucharistic intercommunion with these communities "is not possible.”"