Garabandal asked...'"Why would he mention the blessed Virgin Mary in this context? As the mediatrix of All graces, why wouldnt he mention her? The grace for their conversion can only pass through her hands. If mentiong the BVM is a hinderance to 'unity' we can do without it.
I persist because I trained as an historian to read evidence in context. And you do not even quote the Pope correctly. Yet you choose to point out his 'faults,'. Here is a transcript of his chat 'in context'. 'We are separated because its sin that has separated us, all our sins. The misunderstandings throughout history. It has been a long road of sins that we all shared in, who is to blame? We all share the blame, we have all sinned. There is only one blameless, the Lord. I am nostalgic that this separation comes to an end'. In the context of this chat the Pope is clearly pointing out that there was sin on both sides that led to the schism and separation during the Protestant reformation. That both sides shared in the blame of disunity but there is only one blameless in this dispute, the Lord. That is the context in which he used the word blameless. I did not expect to have to be on a Catholic forum and defend the Pope. That is why I am a Catholic - I follow Peter. For where there is Peter there is the Church.
Fr. Randy Sly: Pope Francis Extends a Hand of Love Across the Tiber to Pentecostal and Evangelical Protestants http://catholiconline.com/national/national_story.php?id=54312
I'm still blown away by this document signed by the Lutherans in 1999.... The more I think about it , the more I think this is what Fr. Gobbi meant by it all being done by the year 2000. Everyone thought he meant the Triumph. This DOOR opening/or closing...depending on your prospective, is VERY important. It was a piece to the puzzle I was missing. Now I have it and it gives me new prospective. The media was very quiet on this one wasn't it??? Hmmm. Amazing. We really do have to keep our eyes and ears open.
well, Mark Mallett has just written what I wanted to say and of course he has said it better! MARK MALLETT —SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT— The End of Ecumenism THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS for February 25th, 2014 Liturgical texts here EVEN before the Church was conceived from the pierced Heart of Jesus and birthed at Pentecost, there was division and infighting. After 2000 years, not much has changed. Once again, in today’s Gospel, we see how the Apostles cannot comprehend the mission of Jesus. They have eyes to see, but cannot see; ears to hear, but cannot understand. How often they want to remake Christ’s mission into their own image of what it should be! But He continues to present them with paradox after paradox, contradiction after contradiction… The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him… If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all… Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me… The Apostles, and most everyone else, were scandalized because Jesus seemed to distort the role of Messiah or compromise the Jewish tradition. He called tax collectors to become the foundation of the Church without asking for a resumé. He reached out to prostitutes, praised Samaritans, healed on the Sabbath, and openly dined and dialogued with scoundrels like Zacchaeus… Yes, Jesus was an absolute disaster for those who wanted to see a Super-Scribe and Paragon-Priest for their Messiah; a man who would damn the Romans, demonize the pagans, and condemn anyone who didn’t fall into line. But what’s this? He’s holding children? Praising pagan’s faith? Dialoguing with women and thieves? Welcoming them into Paradise? And He—the Messiah—is hanging upon a cross? God—crucified?? I tell you, things have not changed much, not much at all. The internet is alight right now with Catholics who, like the Apostles, cannot grasp the signs of the times. They want a Pope who will stick it to the liberals! Damn the heretics! Burn the modernists at the stake! But what’s this? He’s meeting atheists? Shaking hands with pagans? Reaching out to Muslims? Dining and dialoguing… with Protestants? Protestants!!? His papacy is an absolute disaster to them. And yet, like Jesus, Pope Francis has not changed one single letter of the law. Pope Francis has clearly reaffirmed the Church’s moral teaching, in accord with her unbroken tradition. What, then, does he want us to understand about his pastoral approach in general? It seems to me that he first wishes to have people set aside every obstacle which they imagine to prevent them from responding with faith. He wants, above all, that they see Christ and receive His personal invitation to be one with Him in the Church. —Cardinal Raymond Burke, L’Osservatore Romano, Feb. 21, 2014 This is the novelty: a great pastoral vein that does not lose the moral and doctrinal stature. I believe this is the key to understand the Pontiff. —Cardinal Poli, Pope Francis’ successor in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Feb. 24th. 2014, Zenit.org Jesus said he came to do the Father’s will, not His own. Pope Francis said, “The teaching of the Church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the Church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”1 As such, he has proven over and over and over again in his homilies, exhortation, and encyclical that the truth is not up for grabs. But of course, his detractors are too busy arguing like the Apostles about who is more Catholic, than actually reading them. And like the Apostles who did not understand the miracle of the loaves because their “hearts were hardened”,2 so too many condemn Francis for speaking in the “language of the heart” rather than “theologese.” Like the Pharisees, instead of rejoicing in the humility, benevolence, and charity the Pope shows toward every single soul he meets, they watch like hawks for him to “prove” he is a modernist or Freemason. Indeed, the Pharisees mocked Christ’s goodness and insisted rather that He was “possessed by Beelzebul.”3 If the ecumenism begins in humility, obedience, and faith, then truly the end of it is the opposite. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Unity among the Apostles broke down as soon as they became proud. If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all… (Gospel) Unity among the early Christians began to dissolve as soon as they became worldly. Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? …Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (First reading) Unity among the churches broke down as soon as faith in Christ’s word that He would build His Church—even upon the weaknesses of Peter—was lost. Yes, Martin Luther lost faith in Christ’s promise—he could not see past the scandals of the day to the Spirit at work in the cross of human nature—and he became a schismatic. Today, I am alarmed at the number of “conservative” Catholics who have likewise lost faith in Jesus who continues to build His Church, not on sand, but on the rock of Peter to whom He said: “I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.”4 Yes, they have lost faith in Jesus’ prayer, in Jesus’ promise, and have now become a magisterium of the Magisterium! They have decided that the pastoral approach of Pope Francis is decidedly wrong, and therefore, declared him to be a false prophet. They have discarded oral and written tradition for false and speculative prophecies. They have, in one fell swoop, through mistrust and suspicion, thrown Matthew 16 and the keys of the kingdom into the dust bin of history. I hear again, louder and louder, the words that I heard in my heart after Benedict XVI resigned, that we are “entering into dangerous days” and “great confusion.” 5 I hear St. Paul crying out again… Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction… (1 Tim 6:3-5) “Sound words,” such as Peter, you are rock ((cf. Matt 16:18)) orthe gates of hell will not prevail, 6 and obey your leaders. ((cf. Heb 13:17)) These are souls who have lost the “art of trust,” not only in God, but in those made in His image. …we must have sincere trust in our fellow pilgrims, putting aside all suspicion or mistrust, and turn our gaze to what we are all seeking: the radiant peace of God’s face. Trusting others is an art and peace is an art. —POPE FRANCIS, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 244 The only way unity is going to be accomplished is supernaturally.That is, through love—because God is love. Doctrines do not unite us, but love. Love, then leads us to the doctrines so that the truth can set us free and purify our love.7 Yes, “the way” leads us to “the truth” so that we may have “the life” in abundance.8 The neo-Pharisees of our day have it backwards. But just as Jesus did not compromise by loving others—even His enemies—so too, unity with others does not imply compromise. In fact, if Jesus called us to love our enemies, how much more should we love those who are baptized and profess Jesus Christ as Lord. Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: “For men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in Baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.” “Baptism therefore constitutes the sacramental bond of unityexisting among all who through it are reborn.” —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1271 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you…
Yes, I think Mark's article will become a definitive response to critics of Pope Francis. It is unlikely to change the minds of most of the critics but it takes away the frustrations of the rest of us not being able to respond to them properly!
I do think that Mark wrote a great article above, and totally agree with it. The problem seems to be a division here on this board, and also throughout the world, on what the teachings of the Church are, and whether those teachings can or will be changed. Also, we have some saying that it is OK to reject the teachings of the Catholic Church, to actively sin, or live in mortal sin without repentance, and still go to Heaven, which we know NOT to be true. The Church does not have the authority to change Jesus' teachings. Jesus reached out to everyone, yes, but He also told them never to sin again, and then He let them walk away when they were offended by His teaching. I love the Pope reaching out to everyone, and hopefully it will turn their hearts to Truth, but I think the problem is people thinking they can have their sin and heaven too, and that has been promoted since Satan in the garden. As converted faithful Catholics here, I think we all would be extremely sad if people in mortal sin were encouraged to take Communion, because of the pain it cause's our dear Lord, not because anyone is "right or wrong or sinless or sinful".
Garabandal, it just struck me as I read your post that it's going to be 33 years of Medjugorje in June: 33 years, the age of Christ as he entered the Passion!!!! What a significant anniversary! You said it beautifully. This forum is a big blessing. I too have learned so much, and am learning always from all of you. Thank you Garabandal and all.
I enjoyed seeing our Holy Father reach out in Love to our brothers and sisters of other denominations if for no other reason than representing the love of God for all. Is there another reason perhaps? Does he carry a deeper anguish in his heart knowing the future days ahead for his little lambs? Was and is this the time to place on the minds of all, a small thread of love our Catholic Church has during these days of chastisement and future warning which is ahead for all of Gods people? As it only takes a small spark of actual grace to bring us deeper into our spiritual journey and finding TRUTH, so to if our hearts are open an invitation to our brothers and sisters now may be the saving miracle in the future!
I have wondered about how much Popes really know about the future. Not just about Pope Francis but all the Popes. I think if it is true what Pope JP2 said in Germany, at Fulda about the third secret of Fatima they know an awful, awful lot. Why then do they not openly say more? I suppose like a wise parent they are careful not to alarm us too much. But often I wish...well I wish they would be a little bit more forthcoming. But then..what do I know? http://www.fatima.org/thirdsecret/fulda.asp Pope John Paul II in Fulda, Germany (1980) The October 1981 issue of the German magazine Stimme des Glaubens reported on a discussion that Pope John Paul II had with a select group of German Catholics, in November of 1980. The following is a verbatim report of the discussion:1 Text of the Published Report The Holy Father was asked, "What about the Third Secret of Fatima? Should it not have already been published by 1960?" Pope John Paul II replied: "Given the seriousness of the contents, my predecessors in the Petrine office diplomatically preferred to postpone publication so as not to encourage the world power of Communism to make certain moves. "On the other hand, it should be sufficient for all Christians to know this: if there is a message in which it is written that the oceans will flood whole areas of the earth, and that from one moment to the next millions of people will perish, truly the publication of such a message is no longer something to be so much desired." The Pope continued: "Many wish to know simply from curiosity and a taste for the sensational, but they forget that knowledge also implies responsibility. They only seek the satisfaction of their curiosity, and that is dangerous if at the same time they are not disposed to do something, and if they are convinced that it is impossible to do anything against evil." At this point the Pope grasped a Rosary and said: "Here is the remedy against this evil. Pray, pray, and ask for nothing more. Leave everything else to the Mother of God." The Holy Father was then asked: "What is going to happen to the Church?" He answered: "We must prepare ourselves to suffer great trials before long, such as will demand of us a disposition to give up even life, and a total dedication to Christ and for Christ … With your and my prayer it is possible to mitigate this tribulation, but it is no longer possible to avert it, because only thus can the Church be effectively renewed. How many times has the renewal of the Church sprung from blood! This time, too, it will not be otherwise. We must be strong and prepared, and trust in Christ and His Mother, and be very, very assiduous in praying the Rosary." What it Means When Pope John Paul II spoke at Fulda, he had not yet been the victim of the 1981 assassination attempt. Speaking of the Third Secret of Fatima, he did not allude to anything resembling a future assassination attempt (which in 2000 the Vatican announced to be the subject of the final part of the Secret that Our Lady revealed at Fatima in 1917), but rather to imminent chastisement and worldwide tribulation. The Holy Father implied that evil is the force behind the elements contained in the Third Secret. The themes alluded to here by the Holy Father are consistent with those considered by leading Fatima experts to be the substance of the real Third Secret of Fatima, and are discussed in detail in the article "The Real Third Secret". Notes: 1. This report was originally published in German in the October 1981 issue of Stimme des Glaubens. It is given as a verbatim report of the meeting between His Holiness John Paul II and a select group of German Catholics at Fulda during his visit to Germany the previous November. The preface to the article states, "We know the name of the reporter and also that the document is authentic." This translation was made by Rev. M. Crowdy for Approaches Magazine, edited by Mr. Hamish Fraser of Scotland. It was translated from the Italian magazine published in Rome by Father Francis Putti. Both magazines are worthy of our trust.
oops, I posted this in the wrong thread. Meant to post it here. Mark Mallett does it again!! The Secret Presence of God THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS for February 26th, 2014 Liturgical texts here I was in the grocery store the other day, and there was a Muslim woman at the till. I told her I was a Catholic, and was wondering what she thought of the magazine rack and all the immodesty in Western culture. She replied, “I know Christians, at their core, believe in modesty too. Yes, all the major religions agree on the basics—we share the basics.” Or what Christians would call the “natural law.” In today’s first reading, St. James writes: So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin. Conversely, anyone who knows the right thing to do, and does do it, is following the truth inscribed on their hearts. That is why the Church teaches: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience — those too may achieve eternal salvation.—Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 847 They are following the Truth, even though they may not know Him by name. As I spoke with this Muslim woman, I sensed the Lord’s love for her. She, like me, is a “thought” of the Creator. She, like me, was created in His image. When He knit her in the womb, the Father did not look down upon a “Muslim”, but a little baby girl, with all the capacity for love, life, and salvation that He saw in me when I was a little boy. I felt this common bond between us—the bond of our shared humanity, which forms the basis for the possibility of fraternal love and peace.1 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as “a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life.” —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 843 But Pope Francis rightly warns that this recognition does not provide a legitimacy for compromise of our Christian faith or a false convergence of religions in the name of “peace.” True openness involves remaining steadfast in one’s deepest convictions, clear and joyful in one’s own identity, while at the same time being “open to understanding those of the other party” and “knowing that dialogue can enrich each side”. What is not helpful is a diplomatic openness which says “yes” to everything in order to avoid problems, for this would be a way of deceiving others and denying them the good which we have been given to share generously with others. Evangelization and interreligious dialogue, far from being opposed, mutually support and nourish one another. —POPE FRANCIS, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 25 In the Gospel today, Jesus makes a somewhat stunning, seemingly pastorally irresponsible comment when the Apostles discover a man, not of their company, performing miracles in His name. Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Jesus was the master at seeing the good in others as opposed to what was wrong with them. He knew that love would attract, and once others felt they were safe, accepted, and respected in His presence, He could then lead them to the fullness of truth, insofar as they would permit Him. It is this ability to see goodness in others that builds a bridge to their heart over which we can, hopefully, transmit the entirety of our Catholic faith. Thisgoodness is nothing less than “secret presence of God.” The missionary task implies a respectful dialogue with those who do not yet accept the Gospel. Believers can profit from this dialogue by learning to appreciate better “those elements of truth and grace which are found among peoples, and which are, as it were, a secret presence of God.” —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 856 We need to ask the Holy Spirit for the sensitivity to recognize when someone is for us, and not against us, and how we can be for them, and not against… so that the secret presence of God may be revealed in our midst. It is known to us and to you that those who are in invincible ignorance of our most holy religion, but who observe carefully the natural law, and the precepts graven by God upon the hearts of all men, and who being disposed to obey God lead an honest and upright life, may, aided by the light of divine grace, attain to eternal life; for God who sees clearly, searches and knows the heart, the disposition, the thoughts and intentions of each, in His supreme mercy and goodness by no means permits that anyone suffer eternal punishment, who has not of his own free will fallen into sin. —PIUS IX, Quanto conficiamur moerore, Encyclical, August 10th, 1863 …the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 848 …the senseless and the stupid pass away… Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs! (Today’s Psalm and response)
TWO IN ONE DAY??? THIS CAME OUT 6 MINUTES AGO...THE MAN IS A WRITING MACHINE! The Prophecy of St. Francis THERE is a phrase in the Catechism that is, I think, critical to repeat at this time. The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, “is theperpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful.”—Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 882 The office of Peter is perpetual—that is the official teaching of the Catholic Church. That means, until the end of time, the office of Peter remains a visible, permanent sign and source of God’s judicial grace. And that’s despite the fact that, yes, our history includes not only saints, but seeming scoundrels at the helm. Men like Pope Leo X who apparently sold indulgences to raise funds; or Stephen VI who, out of hatred, dragged his predecessor’s corpse through city streets; or Alexander VI who appointed family members to power while fathering four children. Then there is Benedict IX who actually sold his papacy; Clement V who imposed high taxes and openly gave land to supporters and family members; and Sergius III who ordered the death of anti-pope Christopher (and then took the papacy himself) only to, allegedly, father a child who would become Pope John XI.1 So some might have reason to be concerned that the Church may in fact, at some point, be governed by a man who is not as holy as he should be. But what we have absolutely no reason to be concerned about is whether the actual office of Peter will come to an end—that is, that a legitimately elected pope will turn out to be an anti-pope who will redefine the Church’s deposit of faith, those matters of faith of morals. No popes in the history of the Church have ever madeex cathedra errors. —Rev. Joseph Iannuzzi, theologian of the Gregorian Pontifical University, private letter That’s because Jesus is the one building the house, not the popes. Were Revelation, at any point in history, able to be altered by His one true Church, then no one could ever be certain of the truth that sets us free if it is merely relative to the current generation. The goalposts cannot and will not move—that’s a divine promise. …upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it… when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. (Mt 16:18; Jn 16:13) So why then are there so many today (and it is not few in number) who are nervous that Pope Francis is in fact a kind of anti-pope? Says one news report: Conservatives, on the other hand, quickly recovered from the shock of Benedict’s surprising resignation to confront the shock of Francis’ enormous popularity. That popularity, they fear, is rooted in a view of Francis as a harbinger of change and comes at the expense of Benedict and the conservative tradition. —David Gibson, Feb. 25th, 2014, ReligionNews.com In other words, the end of Catholicism and Christianity as we know it. There seem to be four reasons for this nervousness emerging. One is that readers tell me they are weary, given the liberal, heretical, and lack of solid teaching since Vatican II on the local level—a vacuum in orthodoxy that has led to numerous errors, confusion, and compromise of the faith. Second, Pope Francis has taken a pastoral direction to emphasize the kerygma, the first proclamation of the Good News, rather than the moral teachings at this period of history, leading some to erroneously assume he means the moral law no longer matters. Third, the signs of the times, the prophetic words of the popes,2 and the apparitions of Our Lady have warned of coming times of confusion and apostasy—in a word, we are living in the “end times” (though not the end of the world). Fourth, this combination of fears is further propelled by far more enigmatic origins: the widespread papal and anti-papal prophecies from both Catholic and Protestant sources. One such prophecy being used against the current pontiff comes from no less than his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi. CONTINUED
THE PROPHECY OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISSI In Works of the Seraphic Father by R. Washbourne (1882) that bears the mark of an imprimatur, a prophecy by St. Francis is imparted to his spiritual children on his deathbed. I quote the relevant parts here: Act bravely, my Brethren; take courage, and trust in the Lord. The time is fast approaching in which there will be great trials an afflictions; perplexities and dissensions, both spiritual and temporal, will abound; the charity of many will grow cold, and the malice of the wicked will increase. The devils will have unusual power, the immaculate purity of our Order, and of others, will be so much obscured thatthere will be very few Christians who will obey the true Sovereign Pontiff and the Roman Catholic Church with loyal hearts and perfect charity. At the time of this tribulation a man, not canonically elected, will be raised to the Pontificate, who, by his cunning, will endeavour to draw many into error and death. Then scandals will be multiplied, our Order will be divided, and many others will be entirely destroyed, because they will consent to error instead of opposing it. There will be such diversity of opinions and schisms among the people, the religious and the clergy, that, except those days were shortened, according to the words of the Gospel, even the elect would be led into error, were they not specially guided, amid such great confusion, by the immense mercy of God… Those who preserve their fervour and adhere to virtue with love and zeal for the truth, will suffer injuries and persecutions as rebels and schismatics; for their persecutors, urged on by the evil spirits, will say they are rendering a real service to God by destroying such pestilent men from the face of the earth… Sanctity of life will be held in derision even by those who outwardly profess it, for in those days Our Lord Jesus Christ will send them not a true Pastor, but a destroyer.—Ibid. p.250 (emphasis mine) While some already felt this prophecy was fulfilled in the great schism, which desolated the Church after the election of Urban VI,3 it is understandably tempting not to apply it in some way to our times. In just the relatively brief period of the past 40-50 years, scandals have multiplied, religious orders have been obliterated, and there is such a diversity of opinion on basic moral law, Blessed John Paul II rightly lamented that “Vast sectors of society are confused about what is right and what is wrong.”4 It is during this time of moral chaos that St. Francis sees very few Christians ‘who will obey the true Sovereign Pontiff.’ He says ‘true,’ which implies that there would be an “untrue” pope, which is precisely what he goes on to prophesy: At the time of this tribulation a man, not canonically elected, will be raised to the Pontificate, who, by his cunning, will endeavour to draw many into error and death. It is this man whom St. Francis is referring to when he says, ‘…in those days, Our Lord Jesus Christ will send them not a true Pastor, but a destroyer.’ Yes, in the Old Testament, God often sent the Israelites an immoral or oppressive leader in order to chastise His people when they went astray. Could this be Pope Francis in the saint’s prophecy? Simply, no. The reason is that he was canonically elected. He is not an anti-pope. This was acknowledged by no less than the former head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith who one of the greatest theologians in modern times, his predecessor, Benedict XVI. And not a single Cardinal, particularly those more renowned faithful and holy sons of the Church, has stepped forward to say that something incongruous took place in the Conclave or in Benedict’s resignation. Furthermore, in the ordinary Magisterium, Pope Francis has upheld the Church’s moral teaching without, to use his own words, “obsessing” over it. Far from a destroyer, he has been building bridges through his own unique pastoral style. While the Church is not unfamiliar with more than one pope vying for power in her sometimes troubled past, today’s situation truly is unique: a pope who has peacefully resigned his pontificate to another, who in turn, has not missed a beat in upholding the unbroken tradition of the Church while at the same time attracting souls to the love and mercy of Christ. CONTINUED BELOW
WASTING TIME The problem seems to lie in an unrestrained speculation about the “end times.” I have received, for example, many letters asking me what I think about St. Malachy’s prophecy on his list of popes, or St. Catherine Emmerich’s vision of “two popes”, or the Garabandal seers apparition of the remaining popes, etc….. Perhaps the best answer at this point is the one St. Hannibal Maria di Francia, spiritual director to the Servant of God Luisa Picarretta, gave: Being taught by the teachings of several mystics, I have always deemed that the teachings and locutions of even holy persons, especially women, may contain deceptions. Poulain attributes errors even to saints the Church venerates on the altars. How many contradictions we see between Saint Brigitte, Mary of Agreda, Catherine Emmerich, etc. We cannot consider the revelations and the locutions as words of Scripture. Some of them must be omitted, and others explained in a right, prudent meaning. —St. Hannibal Maria di Francia, letter to Bishop Liviero of Città di Castello, 1925 (emphasis mine) He is saying, do not despise prophecy, but neither elevate it to absolute truth (including the prophetic words that I have personally shared here under spiritual direction and in obedience to what I feel the Lord has asked me to write.) But with all your heart, obey Christ! Obey those leaders5 whom He has appointed as shepherds over us: “Whoever listens to you, listens to me,” He said to the twelve Apostles, including Judas who would betray Him and Peter who would deny Him.6 Ironically, some of those who are crying foul over Pope Francis, that he will somehow create a schism, have themselves become a self-fulfilling prophecy by denying the infallibility of the Holy Father and withholding their assent to his magisterial authority.7 Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him. —Catechism of the Catholic Faith, n. 2089 How much time is wasted raking over prophecies, combing the Pope’s past, watching his every misstep so as to quickly label him a “modernist”, “Freemason” or “heretic” rather than getting on with the urgent work of evangelization and building authentic unity. It is sometimes… …the self-absorbed promethean neopelagianism of those who ultimately trust only in their own powers and feel superior to others because they observe certain rules or remain intransigently faithful to a particular Catholic style from the past. A supposed soundness of doctrine or discipline leads instead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism, whereby instead of evangelizing, one analyzes and classifies others, and instead of opening the door to grace, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying. In neither case is one really concerned about Jesus Christ or others. —POPE FRANCIS, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 94 It was St. Ambrose who said, “Where Peter is, there is the Church.” That was in 397. A.D. — before there was an official bible. Christian, from the first homily of Peter after Pentecost, have been strengthened in their faith and fed from the office of Peter. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. HE WILL NOT BETRAY HIS CHURCH, HIS BRIDE, HIS MYSTICAL BODY. It is time for Catholics to put their faith again in Our Lord, let go of dangerous speculation, and pray for their priests, bishops, and Pope instead of slandering them, which I find grievous. And if any of our clergy commit grave sin—including the Holy Father—it is not for us to throw them overboard, but in a spirit of filial love… …correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 6:1-2) In this way, we help our brothers in the Lord whose ministry brings us Jesus in the Sacraments, and at the same time, witness to the world that we are Christ’s disciples by our love for one another. Christ is the center, not the Successor of Peter. Christ is the reference point at the heart of the Church, without Him, Peter and the Church would not exist. The Holy Spirit inspired the events of the past days. It was he who inspired the decision of Benedict XVI for the good of the Church. It was he who inspired the choice of the cardinals. —POPE FRANCIS, March 16th, meeting with the press The pope isn’t an absolute sovereign, whose thoughts and desires are law. On the contrary, the ministry of the pope is the guarantor of the obedience toward Christ and his word. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Homily of May 8, 2005;San Diego Union-Tribune RELATED READING A Black Pope? Possible… or Not? Protector and Defender Two Pillars & The New Helmsman My Sheep Will Know My Voice in the Storm Prophecy, Popes, and Picarretta
I think the' 'Prophecy' of St Francis is very,very problematical..and St Malachy's... well it is a concoction. I am always surprised folks these these things seriously. But they do. Ahh they do.
Yes, I had thought the authenticity of the St Francis prophecy was possibly problematic. Here is something I found about the matter: However, there may be an issue with the reliability of this prophesy in general. The intro to the book in the OP says this book is a translation for devotional purposes of Luke Wadding's compilation published in 1650 (technically it is a translation of an 1848 German translation of Wadding's work). The problem is, according to Fr. Paschal Robinson's introduction to his 1905 translation of St. Francis' works, the Wadding work contains spurious texts found in second-hand sources. Robinson specifically mentions Mark of Lisbon's compilation as being especially problematic in this regard. The biggest offender in regards to producing spurious material were the Spirituals, a grouping of heretical sects of Franciscans (including the Fraticelli, Celestines, etc.)--this text may be from them given specific events of their history. Unfortunately, after St. Bonaventure's death, the Franciscan order became a mess with a lot of division. The Spirituals accused the Franciscan order of betraying their rule and the Church at large for abandoning the Gospel. After certain controversies with Rome, under St. Celestine V's reign they were actually given permission to do what they wanted without interference. When he resigned, Boniface VIII was elected and papal opposition to their order was renewed and they were excommunicated. They in turn rejected his rise to the papal throne as uncanonical. From his election through the papacy of John XXII, who definitively condemned their heresy that absolute poverty was necessary for sanctity and that the Church could not own property (and who they called a heretic and antichrist), severe measures were taken to stamp them out, the Dominicans playing an important role in this as inquisitors. A relative many were burned at the stake during this period. The prophesy in the OP fits these events (if the events are viewed from the Spirituals' point of view) pretty much exactly. There was a major split in the Franciscan Order. They were considered schismatic and heretical when they believed it was the mainstream Order and Church who had fallen into error. They were "persecuted" by a Pope elected under unusual circumstances (which they expressly declared uncanonical) and by another who they called antichirst, and they were put to death by the authorities as a result of their resistance. This gives me a suspicion that some Spiritual may have concocted this prophecy to legitimize their actions--it just fits too perfectly.
