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Nuns have suffered and are still suffering sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests and bishops, and have even been held as sexual slaves, Pope Francis confirmed on Tuesday. The abuse was so severe in one case that an entire congregation of nuns was dissolved by former Pope Benedict. The scope of the abuse of nuns by clergy members first came to light with the publication at the beginning of February of the monthly Vatican magazine "Women Church World." The edition included Francis' own take on the scandal -- long known about by the Vatican but virtually never discussed...

Many of us have praised Pope Francis for his humbleness and for his tolerance toward victims of discrimination who had long been neglected by the Vatican, but it’s time to tell him loud and clear: Get out of Venezuela.The Vatican’s mediation effort in Venezuela has been — to use a word much in vogue in Washington these days — a disaster. It has legitimized that country’s authoritarian ruler Nicolás Maduro, throwing him a lifeline when millions of protesters were demanding his resignation on the streets in October 2016. And it has helped him get back on his feet by further...

Pope Francis and the Devil: Misreading the Signs of the Times Despite his penchant for theological innovation, Pope Francis seems to hold some fairly traditional beliefs about the devil. Here’s an example from Gaudete et Exsultate: It is precisely the conviction that this malign power is present in our midst that enables us to understand how evil can at times have so much destructive force… Hence, we should not think of the devil as a myth, a representation, a symbol, a figure of speech or an idea. This mistake would lead us to let down our guard, to grow careless and end...

Snippets at article's end: ...Institute of Franciscan friars destroyed in a similar way The destruction of the Little Sisters...follows a pattern similar to the Vatican-induced collapse of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FFI), an order of Franciscans that followed a more traditional pattern of community life and that made free use of the traditional Latin Mass in accordance with the rites prevailing in 1962... Just as in the case of the Little Sisters, Braz de Aviz brought about the removal of the superiors of the FFI from their positions, and even the founder, Fr. Stefano Maria Manelli, was sent...

Two Minnesota cops were placed on paid leave Friday after a photo of a Christmas display with “racist” ornaments outside a precinct surfaced on social media. The tree, displayed outside the Fourth Precinct of the Minneapolis Police Department, was littered with police tape, an empty can of Steel Reserve malt liquor, a cup from Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, bags of Takis chips and packs of Newport cigarettes, CBS reported. Black Lives Matter Twin Cities posted the photo online last week and it quickly spurred outrage from members of the black community as well as local officials. “These pieces of trash were...

Under Chinese Communist Party (CCP) control, China has shown itself to be an extraordinarily dictatorial and authoritarian nation. Freedoms taken for granted in the West are not only denied under CCP rule but violently repressed. Human rights activists and lawyers disappear and are tortured; alternative political parties are crushed. Calls for justice are met with the iron hand of the state. Muslims have been rounded up in the hundreds of thousands and forced into re-education camps in Xinjiang ... It is also a regime that knows how to present itself to the West, saying the right things to draw support...

Pontiff slams “wealthy few who feast on what belongs to us all.” Pope Francis warned Sunday in his weekly sermon that calls for help from the poor are growing stronger — yet they continue to be ignored as the wealthy grab more resources that belong to everyone.

Just apply the regulations we already have, against the barbarians now in control of the Vatican. I'm addressing you-all, Al Kresta, Prof Janet Smith & Dr Greg Popcak, as a group because you three, prominent Catholic figures are involved in the effort to recover from institutional sexual abuse; you are mentioned in Rod Dreher's American Conservative" article "Where To Now, Bishops? And Laity? wrapping up the recent US Catholic Bishops' conference; and you are at least peripherally involved in the No More Victims support group.This is to question, whether significant traction in the slippery, post-MacCarrick abuse situation can't be gained...

Enough with all the globe-trotting… Francis cracks down on “Bp.” Athanasius Schneider, orders him to reduce his traveling abroad We all know that “Pope” Francis is a big friend of migration, but even he has his limits when it comes to tolerating persistent moving about. The expert Vatican journalist Marco Tosatti reports on his blog today that “Bishop” Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary of the diocese of Maria Santissima in Astana, Kazakhstan, has “received a verbal [i.e. oral] injunction from the Vatican asking him to reduce the frequency of his trips abroad” (“Il Papa Impone ‘i Domiciliari’ al Vescovo Athanasius Schneider”, Stilum...

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Developments & Reactions (Note: This will be the last Meltdown summary post for the time being) [UPDATED 30-OCT-2018 01:10 UTC] This post continues our coverage of the ongoing ecclesiastical Chernobyl unleashed by the accusations of the former Vatican nuncio to the United States, “Abp.” Carlo Viganò, which were first published on Aug. 25, 2018 and have the potential not only to bring an end to the Francis “pontificate” but even to throw the entire Vatican II Sect into unprecedented chaos: Monday, Oct. 15, 2018 Developments Francis is reportedly “stonewalling a summons for his head of the Congregation for the Doctrine...

Q: For years, Pope Francis seemed to be coated in Teflon. Whatever he said or did, the media would spin it in his favor, and demonize his critics. His public humility stunts bought him a ton of goodwill. So did his nod-and-a-wink statements downplaying sexual morals. Now finally some of his choices appear to be costing him something. Could you please explain the scandals surrounding Pope Francis?A: Sure. They come in four flavors. Imagine a cone with four scoops of gelato, maybe from the Old Bridge Gelateria right down the road from St. Peter’s Basilica. (The best gelato in Rome,...

White Semidouble Vanity of vanities and all is vanity. No argument was needed to impress this truth upon the Saint of today, when the coffin was opened which contained all that Spain had admired of youth and loveliness, and death suddenly revealed to him its awful reality. O ye beauties of all times, death alone never dies; it invites itself to your dances and pleasures, it assists at all your triumphs, it hears promises said to be eternal: and how quickly it can scatter your adorers! A few years, a few days, perhaps even less, and all your borrowed...

White Greater Double And I saw another Angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four Angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying: Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads. The sixth seal of the Book of destinies had just been opened before the eyes of the prophet of Patmos. It was a time of anguish, the hour for the wicked to...

Developments & Reactions This post continues our coverage of the ongoing ecclesiastical Chernobyl unleashed by the accusations of the former Vatican nuncio to the United States, “Abp.” Carlo Viganò, which were first published on Aug. 25 and have the potential not only to bring an end to the Francis “pontificate” but even to throw the entire Vatican II Sect into unprecedented chaos: Tuesday, Sep. 25, 2018 Developments •“Documents obtained by CNN suggest Bishop Richard J. Malone did not sanction priests accused of sexual abuse and concealed the identities of alleged ‘predator priests’ from the public” •PJ Media‘s Debra Heine explains...

He’s back with more! Just as we were preparing our post on the new bombshell report that some Vatican sources have confirmed the Vigano Testimony but with the added caveat that things are even worse than alleged, yet another major development broke in the case: The former Vatican nuncio to the United States, “Abp.” Carlo Maria Viganò, has just released a new four-page letter in which he reasserts the truth of the accusations of his original Testimony, justifies his decision to go public, and responds to Francis’ attempts to ignore, dismiss, and defame him. This second Testimony, which is printed...

Developments & Reactions This post continues our coverage of the ongoing ecclesiastical Chernobyl unleashed by the accusations of the former Vatican nuncio to the United States, “Abp.” Carlo Viganò, which were first published on Aug. 25 and have the potential not only to bring an end to the Francis “pontificate” but even to throw the entire Vatican II Sect into unprecedented chaos: Wednesday, Sep. 19, 2018 Developments USCCB Administrative Committee issues a statement supporting a “full investigation into the situation surrounding Archbishop McCarrick” It appears that Francis has DENIED the American Novus Ordo bishops’ request for a Vatican visitation on...

Developments & Reactions This post continues our coverage of the ongoing ecclesiastical Chernobyl unleashed by the accusations of the former Vatican nuncio to the United States, “Abp.” Carlo Viganò, which were first published on Aug. 25 and have the potential not only to bring an end to the Francis “pontificate” but even to throw the entire Vatican II Sect into unprecedented chaos: Friday, Sep. 14, 2018 Developments In his homily for the day, Francis delivered Part 3 of his “Great Accuser” theme — video report here “Cardinal” Donald Wuerl’s homily for the opening of his “season of healing” in Washington,...

White Double THE GREAT PATRIARCH OF ASSISI will soon appear a second time in the holy Liturgy, and we shall praise God for the marvels wrought in him by divine grace. The subject of today’s feast, while a personal glory to St. Francis, is of greater importance for its mystical signification. The Man-God still lives in the Church by the continual reproduction of his mysteries in this his Bride, making her a faithful copy of himself. In the thirteenth century, while the charity of the many had grown cold (Collect of the feast), the divine fire burned with redoubled...

The Francis Show in Palermo… The Blessing that Wasn’t: Francis omits “Papal” Benediction because it could offend Non-Catholics On Saturday, Sep. 15, the Francis Show made a stop in Sicily, with the “Pope” visiting the dioceses of Piazza Armerina and Palermo. As always, Francis had a lot to say, cranking out such incredible nuggets of wisdom as, “Those belonging to the mafia are not living as Christians”, and, “…those who give themselves find the meaning of life and win” (source). The Vatican web site has posted the entire program of the trip to Sicily here. One of the highlights of...