None of us disagree that Pope Francis is the rock. Neither are any of us anathema. No more discussion? Actually that's not your call to make. There is a lot more discussion when a pope is proposing opening up access to the Eucharist to those objectively living in a state of sin and to non-Catholics.
where am I'm judging you Mac.? I've been on this site for over 2years freely saying I'm a sinner. In trying my best. I don't know the answers but I know Francis is the Vicar of Christ. You are my brother MAC. I am sorry if I offended you. We are in this together. Mac, please know with all my heart I love you and your family. I'm not against you.
BrianK. The only thing that matters is love. Christ's love for us. All the rest doesn't matter. Peace.
Once again, in comment #181, from an opponent of our Holy Father we have a misrepresentation of his words and intentions. Who am I to judge? I am one who has been brought up in the One True Catholic Church, one who has been taught to be obedient to Our Holy Mother the Church, to value her unity and integrity, to trust and be loyal to the Pope and to respect his holiness and authority, to understand that no other institution holds the deposit of faith that leads to salvation. I judge or, if you like, discern. I do not condemn. That is God's job. And he must condemn if justice demands. He can do no other else He would be false to Himself and that is impossible. I am not one who has turned his back on the Church and walked away from its efforts to accommodate this changing world without compromise but with comprehension. I am not one who has contested God's power of attorney as found in the Pontiff. It is only the world that does not comprehend the Word and the Light. Mac is my brother and my friend but we call to each other from lines that were nearly parallel but which are rapidly veering away from each other as the time for choosing sides approaches. I write a cheque for Francis Our Pope but not a blank one. It is stained with the blood of martyrs and marked with the waters of Faith, the Faith of our Fathers that, despite claims to the contrary by Trads is not theirs alone but is in fact lost to them by the very action that claims to justify their position. This is the only history of the Vine and the branches that matters. I am not a Trad. I am not a Modernist. Who are you to judge? God bless and preserve Our Holy Father. (I do not have time to revise this comment. Off to our Tuesday Rosary.)
More harsh than saying the pope us a heretic? If you call the pope a heretic then I t do think you are an anathema. Sorry but that is my opinion. At least I put it out there fir you to throw darts at me. I turn my cheek. Peace.
Emotions run high when the stakes are high. When someone's heart is in the right place a lot can be forgiven. This is not an easy discussion and the issues are not easily understood so there will be times when folks' hearts, which are in the right place, might get ahead of their grasp of the big picture. At those times you admire the heart and then try to inform the mind.
Hi Brian, Could you explain your position a little more clearly? I mean this in all sincerity. I'm trying to understand. "This is the single most important issue..." "If we get it wrong on this... " What is "this" that you're referring to? Why does our opinion about "this" matter?
"This" is the title of the thread. If we don't defend orthodoxy and orthopraxis in regard to the Sacrament of Marriage and the Holy Eucharist, the twin pillars of Christendom, we're lost.
BrianK. Speak English. Speak from your heart. No body hear understands or quite frankly care about " orthopraxis". I'm not a theologian. I'm a basic man who is a HUGE SINNER and is so greatful that God knows knows me. I'm grateful that despite it all he loves me. This is ultimately what pope Francis says to me. I don't really care if he says a Lutheran can receive Communion. He says to me...Mike despite you being a scumbag ...God loves you and he wants to see me in Heaven regardless of all the "rules".
Hi Miker Brian uses big words but most of us can use google to understand them. The trouble is that he seems to be convinced against all argument that Pope Francis is a bad egg. Brian has never been able to give an example of Pope Francis doing or saying something that contradicts the Word of God or the Catholic Faith, only words taken out of context and manipulated to sustain his attitude to Our Holy Father, only words of others who wish to promote their own agenda or make money. The primary meaning of communion is to be one with the glorified body of Jesus. Pope Francis know that a baptised Lutheran who does not fully acknowledge the Real Presence or who is not free of mortal sin, someone who is not in full communion with Rome, cannot recieve the sacred species consecrated by a validly ordained Roman Catholic priest. If the Pope said otherwise I would worry but he has not so it's a non sequitor.(you can google 'non sequitor'... just teasing). To receive communion means to be in communion with Rome. To receive in any other state makes that state unworthy of reception and makes a lie of the sacrament. It was the words of Christ Himself that condemned the souls of such recipients to hell. Our job and the job of Our Pope is to cooperate in the work of saving souls from such a fate.
I don't know where else to go but to God. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. There just is something wrong here. In begging you all to stop, pray, listen to Jesus Christ. The world is crumbling before us, let us not crumble too. If I've offended anyone on ths forum, I am sorry and I beg your forgiveness. We need to stay together now. It's not important about popes, cardinals or even the Church. It is all about Jesus Christ. Its about His love. Let's stop the ranquor. This is Mary`s house.
I'm about to lay my head down after a long day of work. Trying to take economically take care of my family and also lead my kids with my beautiful and saint like wife toward Jesus. I realize each day how I miss that mark , but I also know God still loves me. I really love this forum. I'm in pain, we are battling. Padraig- I say to you, with all my heart, you are a good man. Do not be troubled. I'm praying for you. You like all of us love Jesus Christ. We are on a journey. Yes, it's cloudy but please let love rule our hearts. We are a family here. Just like in my own home,I will will not go to sleep angry. . Peace
The reason why many people are not speaking out as I am are seven fold and many. Firstly as to Bishops, Cardinals , priests and religious. Very many of them already know, for their conscience will have alerted them, that they must be the dog who barks, but stay silent firstly for fear of loosing their livings and their positions. The second reason they fear to speak is fear of ridicule and human respect. In short they want an easy life. They hope somehow this will all go away. Professional Catholic bloggers and internet particpants are afraid for similiar reasons,, many wil turn away and they will loose thier living and all respect. But I think there is another bigger issue here. For the last centruy or so all the Popes (pretty well) have been saints and orthodox, very orthodox . It is quite a long time since we have had a rogue or bad Pope on the loose. Well we have one now. He is in the process of doing such grave harm to the Church it may take many centuries to erase the evil he has and will accomplish. I struggled with this myself. Perhaps it was no bad thing that I struggled such grave issues take much time to mull over and weigh up. But the simple fact of the matter is that we have very much got a rogue Pope on our hands and he is very much on the loose. I would have had to answer to God if I did not speak out , but speak out I will and must. For myself being one of the Little Ones it is an easy enough choice to make.I am not a professional blogger so I don't make any money out of this, on the other hand it has and will continue to cost me money and much time. I have no desire at all for popularity or fame and could not give two hoots about human respect. Lastly I am a lay person a humble Catholic and the Church authorities have no power to take any kind of living or promotion or whatever away from me. So I don't claim any special credit for telling it like it is, I have nothing whatsoever to loose by doing so. For those who leave the forum or call me names or whatever. Fine. I don't blame you. These are times of great confusion and you have been misled. But I do place this thought before you as you go. Study Pope Francis and his cronies what they say and what they do in the future. Be open to questions and your conscience. This is just the very beginning of a very long and dark road these people intend to drag us all down. If your eyes are not open now they may well be in the future. When that time comes you are very welcome back here, with no reproaches. Our Lady told me long ago there would be an exodus from the forum. I did not know what she meant then, I do now. I am fine with this. I would rather be alone with the truth than in a great company of a lie. May God and His Blessed Mother bless you all whatever you decide. As Jesus said to Peter, 'Will you too leave me?'
If we don't defend the papacy and the pope we are lost to begin with. Those other things can be defended and restored, but not if one has abandoned the Church. I have enjoyed my brief encounter with this forum, but I am beginning to have serious concerns about where it is going. It is no longer a calm in a stormy sea.
