The poor Holy Father. I was totally impressed with the new Pope who rejected the trimmings and apparent privileges of office for some time after Pope Francis was elected. In time I began to wonder if there were signs of 'inverted' snobbery. All well and good on the surface living in a flat and cooking your own meals when you are a Bishop. Strange, but maybe humility at a level beyond the simple mind of the likes of Julia to hear the Pope snubbed the papal apartment at the Vatican. BUT dropping the traditional papal titles, claiming to be the Bishop of Rome like any other Bishop; then snubbing the Dubia Cardinals while entertaining globalists, climate change cults and Chinese communists has filled me with fear and sadness. Let's not even mention the wooden doll suckling a goat that wound up in the Tiber. Today the Divine Mercy Novena intentions hit me like a tornado. I thought I had an awakening back in the 1980's when I realised dear Jesus was not referring to historic heretics and schismatics but people of our own time, like my own family friends and acquaintances. Just today, it dawned on me, dear Jesus was also talking about Priests, Bishops, Cardinals and maybe even the Holy Father too. My heart is so heavy thinking heretics and schismatics are within the Mystical Body of Christ and at the very heart of Holy Mother Church. We must pray more fervently. To think dear Jesus saw all this coming, and He still suffered to the bitter end to Redeem us all. Please dear Jesus be with our Holy Father Francis, protect him, defend him, never let the evil one harm him in any way, mentally, physically, spiritually or emotionally. Amen Fifth Day Divine Mercy Novena. Originally separated brethren were called heretics and schismatics. The Church of nice changed the words so as not to offend anyone. Funny when you think did anyone wonder if it might offend God to make this change. "Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion." Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your Own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen
We Yes, the Romans were manipulated. The High Priests threatened to report Pilate to his superiors. As AED said, there were Christians in Rome when Peter and Paul arrived there. Some of them could have been Jews who had been in Jerusalem for the Passover or perhaps they were among the crowds that St. Peter addressed at Pentecost but some could also have been Romans who had done their military service in the Holy Land. People who claim that all men will be saved sometimes use those words of Jesus to bolster their argument. I'm not sure, but I think that's the heresy of Universalism. The elders knew Scripture and the prophecies about the Messiah. And Jesus told them who he was. They had the words of the prophets. If they didn't personally witness the miracles, there was no shortage of witnesses - the blind could see and the lame could walk How, therefore, could ignorance be an excuse for them unless that excuse is the one that Fr. James Martin uses for homosexual sins: that they can't be guilty of sin because, although they have been told the truth, they didn't "receive" it. So, if the people who handed Jesus over to Pilate had died after Jesus uttered those words, would they be in Heaven now? I have my doubts. I think that we all should be mindful of the warning "from those to whom much has been given, much will be expected". I'm sure that much was expected from the High Priests and will be expected from our Bishops. Those Bishops get extra grace to help them carry the burden of office, but I don't envy them.
Pointing out contradictions is not judging someone. The last thing any of us want to do is talk about this Pope but the confusion he is leaving in his wake is quite staggering. Quite a mess. Did the God of surprises that he so often quotes inspire him to virtually mandate the vaccine as an act of love? Tell that to the millions harmed by the novel MRNA vaccines! Rest assured the Pope remains in my daily rosary.
“For they do not know what they do,” was said by Jesus. Remember the Roman’s were pagan. They didn’t have the formation needed to have believed in the Jewish Messiah. Those who saw with their own eyes the miracles may have converted, but many didn’t witness them. It’s very much like the world today. Most are pagans. Hearts are hardened. As for the elders, you can compare them to todays cleric. How are they formed in the seminaries? They aren’t receiving Orthodox teachings. And neither are most young people in Catholic schools.
Yes, I have no doubt that the Romans didn't know. I suppose that's what we would call invincible ignorance. I don't see how that could have applied to the Jewish elders. I agree with you that today's world is much the same. If, say, ten men are formed in a seminary and seven or eight of the ten become good, faithful priests, have the other two or three no responsibility for their own failure to learn the Faith and inform their consciences? When Jesus warned against the blind leading the blind, leaders and followers fell to their destruction. Poor formation doesn't account for Bishops in their 60's, 70's or 80's who must have been living under a rock if they managed to reach that age without learning that the Church teaches clearly that marriage is a lifelong union between one man and one woman, all sexual activity outside such a marriage is sinful, and that only men can be priests. Now, we don't know what's in their hearts. Some may believe what the Church has always taught and choose to hide the hard teaching hoping they will bring more souls to God. Others may believe that the Church is in error and that Truth can change with the times because the Truth shouldn't hurt people's feelings. And, of course, there will always be the fence sitters who just want a quiet life. Not for the first time in Church history, it's the brave Bishops who risk ridicule and persecution by speaking Truth to power (in the world and in the Church) whom the Holy Spirit will guide to ensuring that the Deposit of the Faith remains unsullied for passing on to future generations. They all need our prayers. I wonder if any Bishop or Saint has ever explained why Jesus added "they know not what they do" if He meant everyone including Caiphas and His other accusers. Wouldn't it have been sufficient for Jesus to have said "Father forgive them" if He meant everyone?
isnt the idea that "unless you are 100% aware you're doing a sin, its not a sin" why Abelard was gotten in so much trouble?
The Church has got the good news of salvation - we preach Christ mostly by our deeds (because we live in a verbose society where words are so cheap). The Latin phrase Facta non Verba means 'deeds not words'. I think we need to offer the world Jesus Christ, the Logos, the Word by living faithful lives, faithful to the Gospel and faithful to Christ. Our lives should radiate Christ and the surest way to do that is to be devoted to our Lady. We need to ask her to form Christ within us since she knows Christ better that any human.
You know that phrase more than any other has haunted me because for a long time I was struggling to live a good life in alignment with the Gospel but God loves a trier and He has been generous to me, helping me to overcome my many weaknesses - it takes time.
Jesus may have forgiven his accusers but they would still have had to repent and receive that forgiveness. I think those words from the Cross, while to be taken literally, can also be seen as a pattern for us and an example of not holding onto resentment
A hopeful article about the German Synod and the Pope. https://wherepeteris.com/the-german-synodal-way-is-on-a-collision-course/
There are lots of ideas. I think we're talking about mortal sin here: grave matter, full knowledge and full consent. So what do you consider to be full knowledge? Some seem to believe that, short of Jesus having a one-on-one discussion with them on their situation, whatever He/the Apostles/the Church have said doesn't meet their standard of what a merciful God would approve of. Unfortunately, some influential members of the Church seem to find that acceptable. Most likely, those clerics are well intentioned but sometimes I get the impression that in these times where changing the meaning of words is fashionable, they are confusing indulgence with mercy. Mercy is a word that the world uses to justify evils like abortion and euthanasia. My fear is that what has worked for the world is stealthily infiltrating the Church as it did in Protestantism. Their books still contain all the traditional teaching on marriage but their practice belies that teaching. How far will we travel down the same road before God decides it's time for chastisement? It is also possible that there is an evil element in the Church who would use the guise of mercy as a stepping stone to making all Church teaching changeable to fit the spirit of the age. After all, if we can't be sure what Jesus meant about marriage because the Apostles didn't have tape recorders, how can we trust anything we have always held to be true? We don't know what's in anyone's heart and must give all the benefit of the doubt, but it's a worrying sign when our Yes is no longer Yes and our No no longer no. Jesus warned us about that too, and I believe it, tape recorders or not.
Yes, we witness by the way we live our lives. What worries me is whether we use that as a kind of comfort blanket. For example, we expect our Bishops to speak truth to power when many of us (myself especially) chicken out of admonishing loved ones for fear of alienating them. Faith is a gift that's meant to be shared. For my part, I feel a hypocrite criticising Bishops for failing to do in their sphere of influence what I fail to do in my own small circle. Isn't that a bit like the servant who buried the one talent that he received criticising the other two servants for taking chances with their talents? Sorry for hijacking the thread. I don't really have the answers to any of my questions. I suppose I'm just thinking aloud. Will give you all a rest now from my meanderings.
Agree. A few days ago I listened again to Our Lady of Revelation episode 8 or 9. I can't remember. But its about Teihard Desjardins and how he poisoned the Church through Catholic academia--with his strange demonic doctrines. He was the darling of Catholic academia through the 20th century in spite of Pope Pius XII's efforts to stop him. There is strong evidence that he was actually possessed. Today countless churchmen in high places are strongly influenced by him. He did not believe in immutable truth because "everything evolves" and basically all ancient Church doctrine must be reinterpreted according to this "new" science. It is so chilling to hear his own words. The priest who does this excellent series of talks says he believes Tieihard is the wormwood spoken of in Revelation--the star that falls from the sky and poisons the water.the water representing the true Faith. The Church fathers believed it represented a Churchman who would bring a false doctrine. It is so worth listening to. It is an eye opener.
