Posted on 05/25/2025 4:05:48 AM PDT by JosephJames
In these last few day many people have asked me what I think about the new Pope Leo XIV? As a priest and pastor, one of my most important priorities is to protect the sheep from the wolf, that is, to try to be a “good shepherd” ready to “lay down my life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11; 1Pt 5:1-4), and thus to warn the souls of the many dangers and traps today in this period of the great apostasy before the manifestation of the Antichrist (2Thess ch2) when “if possible, even the elect” (Mt 24:24) will be led astray. Few priests do this today because most priests seek to please people who want to only hear things the way they want things and do not want to hear about the necessity to carry the cross of Christ in their lives and they do not want to hear about the existence of the devil, hell or sin. I responded to them with THREE main points.
(Note: When pasting this document into Free Republic, it seems that most of the special formatting is lost, such as bold, italics, underlined words and embedded links. To read the document with the formatting and embedded links go to the link of the document.)
1) The FIRST POINT that I offer is that Jesus told us: “You will know them by their fruits” (Mt 7:15-20). Jesus did not say “you will know them by their leaves”, which would be their nice words!
BUT IT TAKES TIME TO SEE THE ACTUAL FRUITS, so let us wait until we see the actual fruits. Unfortunately very few people today have any idea about the difference between good fruits and bad fruits. Very few Catholics today know their catechism or even the most fundamental tenets of their faith. When I ask priests of my diocese of Perugia, Italy – Does the Truth come from God or from the Church? – they do not know how to respond! This is why the Antichrist will so easily be able to manipulate the great majority of people well immersed into subjectivism. Moreover, the techniques of brainwashing with the TV and mass media have been very highly developed.
People today have been led and brainwashed to not recognize or to outright reject the beam of light from the Light House in our present day storm of confusion, that is, the Truth of God that does not change with the world. If a person speaks nice, they say: “oh how nice”! If a person speaks the uncomfortable Truth, they say: “what an idiot”! Not only has the great majority of Catholics forgotten their catechism and the fundamental principles and Truths of their precious faith, but we are totally surrounded today by the atmosphere of RELATIVISM, which means every person become the source of truth and interpretation of truth, not GOD! Thus we must be reminded that the fundamental criteria of determining good fruits from bad fruits is to bring these fruits before the Truth of God which does not change with the truth of the world which changes continuously according to the whims and arrogance of men. In this way we can see if the fruits are in harmony, or not in harmony, with the documents of the Church and the writings of the saints which are well summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church for adults (CCC); ed. 1992, promulgated by Pope John Paul II (http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM). The Truth of God sets us free (Jn 8:32). The false truth of the father of lies, Satan (Jn 8:44) offers us pleasure and pride today, but afterwards slavery here on earth and for eternity.
A very powerful weapon of Freemas0nry, together with the various groups of the superrich such as the Bildeb*rger group, in controlling and manipulating the people is SECULAR FEMINISM, which in many ways, has succeeded in putting aside the man as the protector of the family, the Church and society. As God made us, men tend to reason with their INTELLECT and LOGIC whereas women tend to reason with the HEART. Thus women are more susceptible and influenced by nice sounding words and less inclined to distinguish between good fruits and bad fruits, between fruits that lead to the true and lasting good of people or to harming people and even leading people away from God and toward hell. Thus the superrich have spent tremendous amounts of money, that they covertly stole from us, to promote secular feminism, the so-called, nice-sounding, “women’s liberation”, so that it becomes much more difficult for the general public to discover the truth of how we are being SWINDLED and even BRAINWASHED and led to where we do not want to go!!! “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2Cor 11:14). Just as we have been brainwashed to seek to be liberated from God and to believe that God is not love but evil, and to believe that God gave us the Ten Commandments for our harm and not for our good, so too, women have been brainwashed to seek to be liberated from men who by the design of God, if they pray, protect their wives, families and society, which today is greatly lacking! It is amazing today how Satan, using his very numerous puppets and the motors of the culture (mass media, schools, religious institutions), have overturned the truth so as to convince the great majority that God is bad and Satan is good. In Sacred Scripture we find that GOD loves his creatures immensely and is the “Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6), whereas SATAN, who rebelled against God and who hates us and wants our total destruction is “the father of lies” (Jn 8:44) and “the prince of the world” (Jn 12:31; 14:30; Rev 12:9)! “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Is 5:20).
Studies have shown that women are MORE EASILY MANIPULATED by the highly controlled mainstream media than men since women are more worried about human respect and being out of step with others. Even in the Catholic Church, secular feminism is at least just as widespread and strong. Women are presented in the mainstream media as the points of reference for guidance and leadership instead of the man as it was in the past from Biblical and Christian tradition.
“THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND DESPERATELY CORRUPT; who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9; Jms 1:26; Heb 3:10; Ps 95:10). This is one of the reasons why Divine Revelation tells us that the husband is the head of the family and the wife is the heart of the family. This is also the reason why Freemas0nry promotes secular feminism so as to overturn God’s perfect design and to obscure the real strategy and goal of the superrich of the world.
Freemas0nry has worked hard to promote “POLITICAL CORRECTNESS”. “Political correctness”, of course, is established by Freemasonry which controls the mainstream media. Under the guise of equal rights and false prejudice, has confused and destroyed the God-given roles of men and women for healthy families and a healthy society. Freemas0nry, guided by its hidden master, Satan, knows the power of subconscious suggestion and highly sophisticated manipulation by the mainstream media to reverse the God-given roles of men and women and to put the woman as the head and point of reference on TV shows, newscasts and movies. Today it is very politically incorrect to point this out, and even seen as prejudice and bigotry. People say this is not important, but it is a very important priority of Freemas0nry and the superrich to promote secular feminism. Do we think we are intelligent and Satan is stupid? Unfortunately a great number of women very easily drank this devastating poison of secular feminism which satisfies ones pride, which is the fundamental temptation that Satan offers us.
The NEWSCASTER is supposed to ask questions to bring out what he or she wants to bring out. The man, by nature, will bring out possible dangers to the family and the society. Behold the astuteness of the freemas0ns. The man is also generally more logical, and prone to see the whole picture of where we are being led rather than just the details.
Men are portrayed in the mainstream media as stupid, or macho men like Rambo or the Terminator, but not as virtuous men to look up to. The TV often portrays men as misfits, awkward, cowards, wimps, womanizer, philanderer, skirt chaser, milksop, namby-pamby, fairies and sissies. The saints of God are exactly the opposite, ready to give their lives for God, their neighbor and for the Truth that truly sets us free (Jn 8:32)!
IN GOD’S INFINITELY WISE DESIGNS, the man tends to reason with his head while the woman tends to reason with her heart. Man should listen to the heart but make the final decisions with his head. God created man and woman complimentary, equal in dignity with different roles of mutual service and love, not power and strife as Satan wants and promotes. Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen said: “We live in a sensate age. We are no longer governed by faith, we are no longer governed by reason. We are governed by feelings”.
BY NATURE, GOD HAS GIVEN TO MEN THE VOCATION TO PROTECT THE WIFE, FAMILY AND SOCIETY, while the woman looks at the details of the persons and the family. In God’s plan, the woman inspires her husband and the husband inspires the children and thus the society. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote: “To a great extent the level of any civilization is the level of its womanhood. When a man loves a woman, he has to become worthy of her. The higher her virtue, the more her character, the more she is devoted to truth, justice and goodness, the more a man has to aspire to be worthy of her. The history of civilization could actually be written in terms of the level of its women.”
All the popes up until Pope Francis have told us that we are NOT Catholic if we pick and choose from the Teachings of the Church. POPE JOHN PAUL II (AMONG MANY OTHER OCCASIONS) SPOKE FIRMLY TO THE US BISHOPS AGAINST THIS "PICK AND CHOOSE SMORGASBORD TYPE CATHOLICISM" in LA in his September 1987 visit: "It is sometimes reported that a large number of Catholics today do not adhere to the teaching of the Church on a number of questions, notably sexual and conjugal morality, divorce and remarriage. Some are reported as not accepting the Church's clear position on abortion. It has also been noted that there is a tendency on the part of some Catholics to be selective in their adherence to the Church's moral teachings. It is sometimes claimed that dissent from the Magisterium is totally compatible with being a “good Catholic” and poses no obstacle to the reception of the sacraments. THIS IS A GRAVE ERROR that challenges the teaching office of the bishops of the United States and elsewhere. I wish to encourage you in the love of Christ to address this situation courageously in your pastoral ministry, relying on the power of God's truth to attract assent and on the grace of the Holy Spirit which is given both to those who proclaim the message and to those to whom it is addressed." (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1987/september/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19870916_vescovi-stati-uniti_en.html).
Even the priests in my diocese of Perugia, Italy did not learn in their seminary formation that THE TRUTH COMES FROM GOD, NOT FROM THE CHURCH. This fallacious formation prepares the way for the false prophet, the false pope, who will transform the Church into a counterfeit church emptied of its divine content. But as Christ intended, the Church is the servant of the Truth, not the Author of the Truth (Jn 14:6). The Church must protect and defend the precious gift of the Truth, not modify or change the truth in a hidden sly way to please the world. Thus no priest, bishop or POPE can change the Truth of Divine Revelation given by God throughout the history of mankind, infallibly explained by the Catholic Church, and is well summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church for adults (CCC); ed. 1992, promulgated by Pope John Paul II (http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM).
More than 60 years ago, ECCLESIASTICAL MAS0NRY, with the help of many Mas0nic bishops and cardinals, entered into a great number of Catholic seminaries and universities to fundamentally change, in a very sly and hidden way, the theological and philosophical teachings of the Catholic Church. This was done in a very intelligent way, printing many books and pamphlets, including APPEALING TO THE PRIDE OF THE YOUNG STUDENTS in that we can interpret reality and truth according to ourselves, instead of having the humility to seek the proper interpretation according to God found in Divine Revelation explained in the documents of the Catholic Church and in the writings of the saints for 2000 years. In most Catholic seminaries today there is no longer offered courses on logic or metaphysics which helps young seminarians to think logically so as to be able to distinguish between right and wrong; there is instead promoted relativism in a disguised way. For example, these poor seminarians are brainwashed to believe what was condemned by the Church more than 50 years ago, “Situation Ethics”, which is a derivative of modernism. Situation Ethics basically promotes the human subjective interpretation in each situation instead of the Divine interpretation in each situation which can be discovered in the teachings of the Church and in the writing of the saints. Most priests and bishops today no longer know what the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church on faith and morals and thus normally react negatively to someone who tries to explain the most basic tenants of our faith, such as the truth comes from the Creator, not from the creatures, and not even from the Church! To have an idea of how the ecclesiastical mas0nry works, read the messages of Our Lady to Don Stefano Gobbi, June of 1989.
“To The Priests Our Lady’s Beloved Sons”
(https://our-lady-priests.blogspot.com/2015/10/our-lady-priests-1989.html).
UNDERSTANDING THIS WELL ORGANIZED AGENDA of the Ecclesiastical Mas0nry, guided by Satan himself who is very intelligent, we can more easily make sense in the confusion and among the many contradictions regarding the perennial teachings of the Church that we have seen coming from the Vatican since March 2013.
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2) The SECOND POINT that I offer is that up until Pope Francis (2013) the highly controlled mainstream media has always been against the Catholic Church and against the popes in a sly covert way. Instead for the first time ever, the mainstream media was all in favor of Pope Francis. We are already seeing that the mainstream media, controlled by Freemas0nry, is very happy with Pope Leo XIV, and seeks to praise him in every way possible. One can easily find on the WEB how happy Freemas0nry was with Pope Francis!
Even EWTN obeys the great pressure from Freemas0nry.
Nick Donnelly, after seeing all the praises of Pope Francis by EWTN after his death, published on Facebook on May 6, 2025:
“The propaganda coming from EWTN about Jorge Bergoglio is NAUSEATING. Bergoglio made it clear that actions meant more than words -- his actions often contradicting his words: JORGE BERGOGLIO WAS NOT A PRO-LIFE POPE. Bergoglio praised the notorious abortionist Emma Bonino, who conducted 10,000 illegal abortions & spearheaded Italy's legalization of abortion, as one of Italy's 'forgotten greats.' Bergoglio awarded the Dutch politician Lilianne Ploumen a high papal award the year she raised $500 million to fund abortions to counter President Trump cutting US funding of international abortions. Bergoglio gutted the Pontifical Academy for Life, dispensing with Pope John Paul II's Service to Life, a declaration sworn by members to promote and defend the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, in alignment with the Church’s teachings. As a consequence, Bergoglio appointed pro-abortion, pro-euthanasia, pro-contraception members to the debased Pontifical Academy for Life.
“Archbishop Paglia, Bergoglio's appointee as head of the debased Pontifical Academy for Life claimed on Italian TV that abortion was an unquestionable 'pillar' of Italian society. Bergoglio did not contradict him. The Bergoglian Vatican often invited pro-abortion, pro-eugenics politicians and pundits to speak at its international conferences, such as Jeffrey Sacks and Paul R. Ehrlich. Bergoglio adamantly protected militant pro-abortion US politicians, such as Biden and Pelosi, ensuring they continued to receive Holy Communion, despite them seeking to legalize abortion up to birth and allocating billions to abortion provider Planned Parenthood. In response to the Zika disease Bergoglio recommended that couples used condoms. Bergoglio often brazenly contradicted his criticism of trans ideology, once referring to a female pretending to be a male as a 'woman', and often hosting males pretending to be females, including active trans prostitutes. For all his high-sounding words, Jorge Bergoglio's actions supported and promoted the culture of death.”
EWTN does what Freemas0nry does with the mainstream media, by picking out only the words of Pope Francis that are in harmony with the perennial teachings of the Church. This method gives a false impression of the real fruits of Cardinal Bergoglio, which is exactly what Satan wants. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits” (Mt 7:15-20; Lk 6:44). Jesus did not say “you will know them by their leaves”, which would be their nice words!
Find of the WEB, using duckduckgo, the article:
Politically Correct in the Church – EWTN
http://spir-food.blogspot.it/2017/10/politically-correct-in-church-ewtn.html
FREEMAS0NRY STRONGLY PROMOTES POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, and thus conspiracy theorists are seen as out of touch with reality and highly ridiculed, and INTIMIDATED in many powerful ways. This same type of pressure is now even stronger in the Catholic Church. Find my article on the WEB: “RIGID With Christ the Immutable Truth!” Thus few open their eyes to the fact that for years Freemas0nry, guided by its Grand Master, who is guided by Satan, have been working to lead the world to the worst dictatorship in the history of the world (Mt 24), the Great Reset, which in the end, with the help of the One World Religion, headed by the False Prophet, will lead as many people as possible to adore the Antichrist (Rev 13). If one overcomes the great pressure to be politically correct and human respect and human pride, one quickly begins to PUT THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE TOGETHER and to understand the motives for what is going on and the brainwashing of the highly controlled mainstream media.
MANY BELIEVE THE FREEMAS0NS ARE SIMPLY A CENTURIES OLD CHARITABLE FRATERNITY. However, the Catholic Church has consistently condemned Freemas0nry more than any other error in its history because it promotes indifferentism, naturalism, communism, and other dangerous philosophies. Mas0nry is working to create a world dictatorship in a subtle and hidden way, the New World Order. Mas0nry has assassinate various presidents of the USA who began to mint money by the government (instead of by the Mas0nic bank, Federal Reserve), such as Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and others. For similar reasons, in a sly hidden way, Aldo Moro, Italian prime minister, was killed in 1978; the Red Brigade was only a cover for the real assassins, Freemas0nry.
Those who become 33 degree Mas0ns must swear the oath: “Ordo Ab Chao”, meaning Order out of Chaos. “Ordo ab Chao” is the motive to promote “UNCONTROLED” immigration, as well as undermining commerce and the whole of the structures of societies in a covert and underhanded way using their very numerous bribed Mas0nic politicians and corporate directors! “Mas0nry is a true and specific Satanic Sect. The esoteric studies, up to the 18th degree include spiritism and magic, from the 24th degree one becomes “Militia of Satan”, from the 28th degree to the 33rd degree “Mystical Body of Satan”, this is the reality of Mas0nry” – testimony of Cesare Ghinelli, ex Mas0n. “Satan is the only god of our planet” - H. P. Blavatsky (Mas0n).
Most Mas0ns do not know they are WORKING FOR SATAN until they are brainwashed during at least 24 degrees of Mas0nry. But immediately at the first degree of Mas0nry one must accept religious syncretism, that is the grave error that all religions are equal, which means that Jesus Christ is at the same level with Mohammad or Buddha or any religious founder.
TODAY, FREEMAS0NRY IS IN POWER! Our Lady of Good Success; Quito, Ecuador (January 20, 1610), warned us over four hundred years ago:
“Thus I make it known to you that from the end of the 19th century and shortly after the middle of the 20th century…the passions will erupt and there will be a total corruption of morals… As for the Sacrament of Matrimony, which symbolizes the union of Christ with His Church, it will be attacked and deeply profaned. FREEMAS0NRY, which will then be in power, will enact iniquitous laws with the aim of doing away with this Sacrament, making it easy for everyone to live in sin and encouraging procreation of illegitimate children born without the blessing of the Church… IN THIS SUPREME MOMENT OF NEED FOR THE CHURCH, THE ONE WHO SHOULD SPEAK WILL FALL SILENT.”
Consider also that the great majority of people today, manipulated by the highly controller mainstream media, have willing embrace the easier way of “IGNORANCE IS BLISS”. Thus the great majority of people are led where the puppets of Satan lead them. People do not want to realize that WE ARE THE GENERATION (Mt 24:34) of the “great tribulation” (Mt 24:21) of which Jesus spoke about, when “if possible, even the elect” (Mt 24:24) will be led astray. We are the generation of the great apostasy of which Saint Paul wrote about in 2 Thess ch. 2 when the Body of Christ, the Church, will go through the passion and crucifixion, as did Jesus 2000 years ago (CCC 675-677)!
Find of the WEB, using duckduckgo, the article:
Those Who Open Their Eyes Are Labeled Conspiracy Theorists
https://spir-food.blogspot.com/2023/01/those-who-open-their-eyes-are-labeled.html
Things are beginning to move so fast that the difference between a conspiracy theory and the truth is about six months!
One of the most fundamental and efficacious, yet inconspicuous, strategies of Ecclesiastical Mas0nry in forming their One World Religion is to slowly and imperceptibly PUT ASIDE THE IMPORTANT TRUTHS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH so as to be all together in a type of false ecumenism which results in reductionism to the lowest common denominator of faith and moral values. But Jesus Christ is the Truth (Jn 14:6)! “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mk 31:31). “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished” (Mt 5:17-18; 24,35).
3) MY THIRD POINT is that Our Lady revealed to Don Stefano Gobbi that the situation would get worse and worse until Our Lady intervenes in a marvelous way. Two weeks before Don Stefano Gobbi died on June 29, 2011, he told Padre Quartilio Gabrieli and another priest that a message that summarizes well what the Church is going through today is the following:
“TO THE PRIESTS OUR LADY’S BELOVED SONS” (October 18, 1975; http://our-lady-priests.blogspot.it/):
“My Adversary will one day think that he is celebrating a complete victory: over the world, over the Church, over souls. It will be only then that I will intervene - terrible and victorious - that his defeat may be all the greater when he is certain in his conviction that he has conquered once for all.
What is in preparation is so extraordinary that its like has never happened since the creation of the world. That is why everything has already been predicted in the Bible. The terrible struggle between me, the Woman Clothed with the Sun, and the Red Dragon, Satan, who has now succeeded in seducing many even with the error of Marxist atheism, has already been foretold to you. The struggle between the angels together with my children and the followers of the dragon led by the rebellious angels has already been foretold to you. Above all, my complete victory has already been clearly foretold.
You, my sons, have been called to live through these events. It is now the time for you to know this, that you may be consciously prepared for the battle. This is now the time for me to begin disclosing part of my plan.
First of all, it is necessary that my Enemy have the impression of having conquered everything, of having everything now in his hands. This is why he will be permitted to penetrate even into the interior of my Church, and he will succeed in plunging the sanctuary of God into darkness. He will reap the greatest number of victims from among the ministers of the sanctuary.
This will in fact be a time of great falls on the part of my beloved sons, my priests. Satan will seduce some of them by pride, others by love of the flesh, others by doubts, others by unbelief, and still others by discouragement and loneliness. How many will have doubts about my Son and about me and will believe that this is the end of my Church!
Priests consecrated to my Immaculate Heart, my beloved sons whom I am gathering together for this great battle, the first weapon that you must make use of is trust in me. It is your complete abandonment to me. Conquer the temptation of fear, of discouragement, of sadness. Distrust paralyzes your activity and greatly benefits my Adversary. Be serene; be joyful!”
This message is also indicated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 675-677, in that just as Christ 2000 years ago was crucified and buried before the resurrection, so too in this period of the “great tribulation” (Mt 24:21), the Body of Christ, the Church, will be crucified and buried before the Church rises again totally purified!
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Catholic leaders are so afraid of losing their prestige and their power and their money that they end up doing, in the name of God and supposed religious motives, as does Freemas0nry to destroy the Catholic Church – that is to put aside the Truth of Jesus Christ and offer continual compromises to please the people and to obey their Mas0nic puppet masters!!! The few Catholic leaders who have remained faithful to the Teachings of the Church and have stood up to defend these teachings have been PUT TO SILENCE AND EVEN ELIMINATED in many shrewd ways.
SINCE 2013, THE VATICAN HAS PROMOTED priests and bishops who encourage the culture of death, such as the Gay agenda, transgender, women in governance in the Church. At the same time the Vatican has protected those who have committed grave sexual perversion, such as Father Marko Rupnik and Cardinal Theodor Edgar McCarrick, while silencing in various covert ways those who promote the culture of life and denounce the Gay agenda and the culture of death agenda – that is those who have remained faithful to the perennial teachings of the Catholic Church, the Truth of God!
If the Truth comes from God and not from the Church, why was there no dialogue with the four cardinals, after the publication of Amoris Latitae, who wrote the “Dubia” (November 2016) and their suppressed book “Remaining in the Truth of Christ: Marriage and Communion in the Catholic Church” (October 2014), as well as with many other cardinals and bishops and orthodox Catholic professors since 2013. Why did Pope Francis not respond to these four cardinals, and more recently, why did Pope Francis not dialogue with the five cardinals who wrote another “Dubia” regarding the grave problem of the Synod on Synodality?!? Does the Truth come from Cardinal Bergoglio or from God?!? Is Cardinal Bergoglio following a hidden agenda???
Pope Francis removed (Nov. 11, 2023) the bishop of Tyler, Texas, Joseph Strickland, who had always remained faithful to the Deposit of Faith which does not change with the world, because it is the Truth of God.
Bishop Joseph Strickland strongly rebuked ‘silent’ US bishops in a powerful letter outside the USCCB meeting in Baltimore, warning them that God will punish those who do not speak out against ‘false messages constantly flowing from the Vatican’ under Pope Francis.
Bishop Strickland: GOD WILL PUNISH BISHOPS FOR THEIR SILENCE WHILE POPE FRANCIS DESTROYS THE CHURCH.
November 14, 2024
https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/bishop-strickland-god-will-punish-bishops-for-their-silence-while-pope-francis-destroys-the-church/?utm_source=digest-catholic-2024-11-14&utm_medium=email
Cardinal Pell defined the Synod of Bishops called by Francis to deepen the theme of “synodality” and what the Church of the future should be like, a “TOXIC NIGHTMARE”. In the “secret” Vatican memo, Cardinal Pell wrote: “Commentators of every school, if for different reasons … agree that this pontificate is a disaster in many or most respects; a catastrophe.” Shortly afterwards, Cardinal Pell, who was in good health, suddenly died on January 10, 2023.
“Stop that Synod! The last cry of Card. Pell”
"Fermate quel Sinodo! L'ultimo grido del card. Pell" su YouTube
https://youtu.be/3Q1UciB712Y
During the two Synods on the Family (2014 and 2015) before the publication of Amoris Laetitia (2016), Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, Archbishop of Bologna, had the firmest possible words in denouncing the heretical proposals of Cardinal Kasper to allow Holy Communion to remarried divorced couples. Cardinal Caffarra died suddenly on September 6, 2017.
Cardinal Kaspar, strongly promoted by Pope Francis, refuses to respond to one simple question that Cardinal Caffarra repeated many times: “What happens to the first valid and consummated marriage?”
(http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/03/cardinal-caffarra-firm-stance-on.html; http://catholicism.org/cardinal-caffarra-gives-strong-warning-against-kaspers-rovings-on-divorcees-and-communion.html).
Jesus told us clearly regarding matrimony: “What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Mt 19:6)!
The eminent 72-year old Austrian Catholic philosopher Professor JOSEF SEIFERT from the Spanish branch of the International Academy of Philosophy founded by Seifert himself in the Principality of Liechtenstein is perhaps the most dramatic legacy of “Amoris Laetitia.” Because it is precisely for having dared to criticize a passage from this document of Pope Francis in the light of “pure logic” that Seifert has been banished.
https://onepeterfive.com/catholic-scholar-official-persecution-orthodoxy-within-church-begun/
Bishop Dominique Marie Jean Rey (born 21 September 1952) is a French prelate of the Catholic Church who was the Bishop of Fréjus-Toulon from 2000 to 2025. He is a member of the Emmanuel Community, and he is considered one of the more conservative French bishops. He also frequently celebrates Tridentine Mass. Bishop Dominique Rey of Fréjus-Toulon has resigned (January 2025), at the request of Pope Francis, ending a controversial chapter in the history of the French diocese.
HOW MANY PRIESTS AND BISHOPS TODAY, for the true good of their flock, have the courage to imitate the saints and the prophets and to do as Saint John the Baptist, the “greatest born of women” (Mt 11:11), who said to king Herod: “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mk 6:18)? John the Baptist said that Jesus “must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3:30). A great number of priests today want to increase before people and thus are not transparent so as to lead people to Christ, the Truth (Jn 14:6), but rather to themselves! They seek followers for themselves instead of following Jesus to Calvary! So many religious leaders and parents seek to please the people entrusted to them without distinguishing and determining if it is a sin or not, if it truly does good to the person or not, today and tomorrow and for eternity! They are not willing to dialogue with anyone not in agreement with themselves while following the Documents of the Church and the writings of the saints. This is false and destructive love; this is misguided compassion! Few religious leaders today have the courage of the first Pope, Peter, the day of the birth of the Church, Pentecost, to say: “You have crucified Jesus” (Acts 4:10), “the author of life” (Acts 3:15), with your grave, mortal sins!
THE FIRST TARGET OF SATAN IS THE TRUE CHURCH, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. Priests and bishops, with great responsibility given to them by God, will lead many souls with them to heaven or to hell for all eternity. Our Lady asks us continually to pray for priests and bishops!!! Three years before the publication and great rebellion against Pope Paul’s prophetic encyclical ‘Humanae Vitae’, 1968, which reaffirmed the teaching of Christ regarding the use of artificial means of birth control, in 1965, Saint Michael the Archangel at Garabandal, Spain, sent by Our Lady, said: “Many Cardinals, many Bishops and many Priests are on the road to perdition and with them they are bringing many souls”! Padre Pio said that for this period of great confusion, in this period of the great apostasy before the revelation of the Antichrist (2Thess 2:3), hold on to the documents of the Church and the writings of the saints; do not listen to anything else!
Not only did JESUS WARNED US that in this period of the “great tribulation” (Mt 24:21), that “if possible, even the elect” (Mt 24:24) will be led astray, but also SAINT PAUL TELLS US “Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2Thess 2:11-12). Also the prophet Daniel tells us: “I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the issue of these things?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand.” (Dan 12:8-10).
Those who persevere in prayer and live their prayer, “THY will be done”, not “MY will be done”, save themselves. Those who do not pray damn themselves! Desired and embraced IGNORANCE is NOT BLISS after death! The people in hell are not able to commit suicide! Here on earth, if we were to see one instant heaven, we would die immediately of joy. If we were to see one instant hell, we would die immediately of terror. God does not show us heaven or hell here on earth so as to RESPECT OUR FREE WILL, otherwise we could not help but choose to do His holy Will.
IF A CATHOLIC STOPS going to CONFESSION at least once a month, and stops praying the ROSARY every day, this Catholic will automatically lose the faith in the Most Holy EUCHARIST, and everything else! The Eucharist is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ!
In this period of the “great tribulation” (Mt 24:21), “the Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection” (CCC 677). But “IN THE END MY IMMACULATE HEART WILL TRIUMPH!” - Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal, 1917. There will be fulfilled the Protoevangelium (Gen 3:15) – Saint Louis de Montfort!
May God bless you and Mary guide you in this period of the purification of the Church and of the world!
Father Joseph Dwight
NOTES:
Find on the WEB, using the search engine duckduckgo, to find the various articles.
“The “Prophecy” of Saint Francis (Assisi)”
http://spir-food.blogspot.it/2013/11/prophecy-st-francis.html
“To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons”
https://our-lady-priests.blogspot.com/2015/10/our-lady-priests-prologue.html
Pope Benedict XVI Forced To Resign
http://spir-food.blogspot.it/2017/01/pope-benedict-xvi-force-to-resign.html
Only a Remnant Will Remain Faithful to the Truth
http://spir-food.blogspot.it/2017/09/only-remnant-will-remain-faithful-to.html
Great Surprises Well Planned For 2025
(The accelerated destruction of the Catholic Church and the revelation of the Antichrist!)
https://spir-food.blogspot.com/2025/01/great-surprises-well-planned-for-2025.html
Synod of the Worship of Man
https://spir-food.blogspot.com/2024/09/synod-of-worship-of-man.html
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/4265849/posts
“The Eucharist Must Be Eliminated”
https://spir-food.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-eucharist-must-be-eliminated.html
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
https://spir-food.blogspot.com/2022/12/birds-of-feather-flock-together.html
Courage to Proclaim the WHOLE Truth
https://spir-food.blogspot.com/2019/06/courage-to-proclaim-whole-truth.html
Those Who Open Their Eyes Are Labeled Conspiracy Theorists
https://spir-food.blogspot.com/2023/01/those-who-open-their-eyes-are-labeled.html
“The False Pope Will Fall Silent”
http://spir-food.blogspot.it/2015/09/the-false-pope-will-fall-silent.html
Who Decides The Truth?
http://spir-food.blogspot.it/2014/06/who-decides-truth.html
The PROTESTANT Catholic Church
https://spir-food.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-protestant-catholic-church.html
LOL!
IMITATION : “The highest form of flattery.”
Or, you could have simply said, “I’m rubber, you’re glue...”
Note: You are not nearly as clever as you “think” you are.
Also FYI:
1. Mary had other children, this is explicitly stated in Scripture.
2. Mary is not and never was the mother of God, whatever Council declared that, erred (big time). Prolonging that error and extending the lies about her only further demonstrates the desperate nature of your “church”.
3. Mary was a sinner in need of a Savior. To claim otherwise is not found or inferred anywhere in Scripture. She was among the one hundred twenty who were baptized in the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
4. She died and was probably buried. Her presence at Pentecost is the Bible’s last reference to Mary. Because she is a saint, when she died her spirit went to be with the Lord. The same is true for every believer who “is asleep.” No parallel to Jesus’ ascension exists for Mary. Your people made that up.
ealgeone - Luircin is correct in the sentence “just because baptism saves doesn’t mean that baptism is the only thing that saves, because all salvation flows from Christ alone.”
It’s not a question of either/or but AND - Jesus says we are saved by repenting AND believing AND being baptised AND eating of His body AND enduring to the end
The very important fundamental contradictions that I pointed out, you ignored totally, and instead tried to attack, defend and justify very secondary arguments. Thus it seems that you are not willing to dialogue with anyone not in agreement with yourselves, and thus in essence, you truly believe that you are the source of all truth. This really means that you implicitly believe to be God, which is the fundamental principle of the New Age Movement which basically synchronizes all the modern heresies and deviations from the eternal truth.
Thus I do not understand why you even bother to respond to a person like me who is so stupid that I seek the truth outside of my own head from the Creator of the entire Universe, instead of from myself. You must dialogue with those are at your level of intelligence and sanctity instead of with an unholy idiot like me. If I follow myself, I will end up in hell for eternity. If I seek the truth from the Creator of all things, and seek to live this truth, there is hope for me.
St. Bernadette of Lourdes said: My job is to inform, not to convince. This is the attitude of all true saints, who respect the free will of each person by not trying to coerce or manipulate or force to believe the way they want. God respects our free will totally. This is why heaven and hell exist. We are totally free to choose in this very short life where we will spend eternity, to truly seek the truth according to God or to convince ourselves that I can follow my truth the way I want the truth!!! It is we human beings who do not respect the freedom of others, as God does, but rather we have a great tendency to try to force others to believe as we do, which is seen more and more today in the arrogance of people and groups such as Taliban, Muslims, Islam, etc. It we do not respect the freedom of others we do not live the Gospel: “Love your neighbor as yourself”!!!
I have said to many people who believe they are the source of all truth and not willing to dialogue with anyone not in agreement with themselves, that I did not create myself, I did not create the things around me which I like. I want to discover Who gave me my existence and the nice things around me so as to be able to thank this Person. Gratitude is fundamental for salvation, but which requires true humility of recognizing who we are (creatures made from nothing) and who God is, the Creator of all things!
Let us pray for each other that we truly seek the truth of God not from ourselves or from another creature but from God who communicated to us during the history of mankind, called Divine Revelation, and left us ONE Church to interpret all of Divine Revelation the way God wants it interpreted and not the way man wants it interpreted according to his blind pride, arrogance, and desire not to suffer with Christ.
Best wishes for all eternity!!!
In Scripture, believers, those saved by faith ARE saints.
There’s no recognition of a special class of people who were more special or *holy* or *sinless* than others.
There must have been some reason that the Roman Empire was chosen for the place and time.
My opinion is that God had a interest in seeing a church develop on earth in a manner that would reach the most people. He must have chosen Peter to lead the church for some reason, and the structure that the Roman Empire had is similar to the structure of the Catholic Church today. Is that a coincidence, an accident of history? Or God's will?
Opinions over Scripture...
.
Not a Good Look Amigo!
.
Those who Trust Christ Alone
Are of A Royal PriestHood
and...
Jesus says we are UNsaved by NOT believing - period.
Lack of ANY of those other things will NOT unsave a person.
As usual, didn’t read.
Not by Worrks But Faith ALONE!
HEB 11——Abraham-!
.
What’s So Difficult about It !?!
Their Cash Cow?
Power ?
Robes and Funny Hat ?
.
Jimmy Joe cut and Paster has a good Gig
But Me...
A Jesus Freak WakaDoodle can See It.
.
Ain’t like we’re talking Indy 500 here.
Your Eternity is at Stake-—Correct?
Your words, not ours.
If I follow myself, I will end up in hell for eternity.
Yup.
If I seek the truth from the Creator of all things, and seek to live this truth, there is hope for me.
And that Truth is the Word, Scripture.
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
2 Timothy 3:14-17 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
You need look no further than Scripture, the God breathed, Holy Spirit inspired Word of God from the God who cannot lie.
If you see another truth claim, compare it to Scripture, which is commended in Scripture.
Acts 17:11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
If it agrees with Scripture, then it's true and not new revelation and it's not needed, it's redundant.
If it conflicts with Scripture then it's not true and can be summarily dismissed.
This was the understanding from ancient times. God's word is THE authority. Whatever "interpretations" people come up with should comport with the rest of Scripture. That is one of the principle rules for the study of the Bible (Biblical Hermeneutics). Jesus castigated the Jewish religious leaders for nullifying the Scriptures with their traditions. The problem with Catholicism today is they slowly did the same thing over the centuries. Then they compounded their error by declaring their Traditions and Magisterium were of equal authority to the Divinely-inspired word. We have these arguments/discussions here all the time because of it.
The EXACT same thing the pharisees did, in far more ways than one.
The parallels because the Catholic church hierarchy and the pharisees of Jesus day with their religious system they established is staggering. Including all the finery and positioning for status and power.
I have not been following this thread (lots of bikes to be fixed, by the grace of God), but thank God if it helped.
I see that you ignored my reproof of your idea of Protestantism as referred to collectively. The reality is that the more liberal Protestantism is then the closer that are to Rome, while the only "Protestants" devoted RCs are troubled by are (since they represent the greatest doctrinal danger to the RCC, since that is an object of faith to cultic devotees) those who most strongly esteem Scripture as the accurate and wholly inspired word of God, with its basic literal hermeneutic, due to having been regenerated by faith in its gospel, and realized its basic profound changes in heart and life.
And which, contrary to your "everything is totally subjective" prevarication (which to be charitable can be blamed on ignorance and being baptized in Cath. propaganda), it is these who have long testified to being far more conservative and unified in polled core beliefs and values than Catholics overall.
Some examples, if somewhat dated:
73% (highest) of Pentecostal/Foursquare believers strongly affirm that Christ was sinless on earth, with Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists being tied at 33%, and the lowest being among Episcopalians with just 28% http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/53
94.4% of Evangelical Protestants and 84.9% of Catholics believe that Jesus is the son of God. 42.1% of the former and 46.1% of the latter say they pray once a day or more. http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/33304.pdf
47.8% of the Evangelicals and 11.8% of Catholics affirm the Bible is Literally true. 6.5% of the former and 19.8% of the latter see it as an ancient book of history and legends. ^
42.1% of Evangelical Protestants and 7.1% of Catholics Read Scripture weekly or more. ^
64% of those in Assemblies of God churches (versus only 9% of Catholics) strongly DISAGREE that if a person is generally good, or does enough good things for others they will earn a place in Heaven [salvation on the basis of merit]. ^
56% of Assemblies of God (versus 17% Catholics) Christians strongly DISAGREE that Satan is just a symbol of evil [rather than a real being]. ^
Catholics and Mainline Protestants tend more towards belief in a more Distant God. Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion - American Piety in the 21 Century – September 2006 . http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/33304.pdf
Evangelical Protestants and Black Protestants tend towards belief in a more Authoritarian God. ^
Thirty percent of Protestants listed God as their most important connection (relationship) versus 9% of Catholics. Barna, 2008 http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/13-culture/44-americans-identify-their-most-important-relationships
Political conservatives were almost three times as likely as political liberals to identify God as their most important relationship (33% vs. 12%, respectively). ^
About 56 percent of Evangelicals currently say they're strongly affiliated with their religion, while only 35 percent of Catholics say the same, and 4% lower than mainline Protestants (devoutness of Mainline Protestants [distinct from evangelicals] fell to roughly 30 percent in the late 1970s to late 1980s before gradually climbing to 39 percent in 2010) https://www.barna.com/research/protestants-catholics-and-mormons-reflect-diverse-levels-of-religious-activity
Bible Reading: the highest was 75%, by those going to a Pentecostal/Foursquare church who reported they had read the Bible during the past week (besides at church), while the lowest was among Catholics at 23% ^
Volunteer church work (during past 7 days): Assemblies of God were highest at 30%, with the lowest going to Catholics at 12%. ^
Donating Money (during the last month): Church of Christ churches were the highest at 29%, with Catholics being the lowest at 12% ^
American evangelicals gave four times as much money, per person, to churches as did all other church donors in 2001. 88 percent of evangelicals and 73 percent of all Protestants donated to churches. John Ronsvalle and Sylvia Ronsvalle, The State of Church Giving through 2004: Will We Will? 16th ed. (Champaign, Ill.: Empty Tomb, 2006),12. http://www.generousgiving.org/stats#
Data from a variety of researchers indicates that Catholics give one-third to one-half the portion of income that Protestants give. http://www.emptytomb.org/cathgiv.html
A Catholic survey reports that 4 percent of US Catholics described themselves as “very” involved in parish or religious activities other than attending Mass, and 11% as “somewhat involved, and 64% as “not involved at all.” Among weekly (or more) attendees (approx 22% of adult Catholics), 13% were very” involved, 29% “somewhat involved and 25% not involved at all.” http://cara.georgetown.edu/CARAServices/FRStats/devotionpractice.pdf
59% of Catholics (and 80% of weekly attendees) reported they had a statue or picture of Mary on display in their home, but 48% never pray the rosary.
By denomination, 61% of the those associated with an Assemblies of God church said they had shared their faith at least once during the past year, as did 61% of those who attend a Pentecostal/Foursquare church, and ending 14% among Episcopalians and just 10% among Roman Catholics. http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/54
25% of Evangelical Christians and 20% of other Protestants and 7% of Catholics said the read the Bible on a daily basis. 44% of Catholics said they rarely or never read the Bible, along with only 7% of Evangelical Christians and 13% of other Protestants. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/december_2008/catholics_protestants_practice_faith_in_different_ways
39 percent of Roman Catholics and 79 percent of born-again, evangelical or fundamentalist American Christians affirm that homosexual behavior is sinful. LifeWay (SBC) Research study, released Wednesday. 2008 LifeWay Research study. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080606/survey-americans-divided-on-homosexuality-as-sin.htm
79 percent of American Jews, 58 percent of Catholics and 56 percent of mainline Protestants favor acceptance of homosexuality, versus 39 percent of members of historically black churches, 27 percent of Muslims and 26 percent of the evangelical Protestants. U.S. U.S. Religious landscape survey; Copyright © 2008 The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons#
56% of Catholics overall (and 46% of the general public) believe that sexual relations between two adults of the same gender is not a sin, while 39%. of Catholics say homosexual behavior is morally wrong, (versus 76% of white evangelicals and 66% of black Protestants, and 40% of Mainline Protestants). 41% of Catholics do not consider homosexual behavior to be a moral issue. (Pew Research Center, Religion & Politics Survey, 2009; PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey, October 2010; http://publicreligion.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Catholics-and-LGBT-Issues-Survey-Report.pdf)
Catholics testify [2010] to showing more support (in numbers) for legal recognitions of same-sex relationships than members of any other Christian tradition, and Americans overall. Almost three-quarters of Catholics favor either allowing gay and lesbian people to marry or allowing them to form civil unions (43% and 31% respectively). Only 22% of Catholics said there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship. (PRRI, Pre--election American Values Survey, 9/2010; http://publicreligion.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Catholics-and-LGBT-Issues-Survey-Report.pdf.) 40% Roman Catholics vs. 41% Non-R.C. see abortion as "morally acceptable"; Sex between unmarried couples: 67% vs. 57%; Baby out of wedlock: 61% vs. 52%; Homosexual relations: 54% vs. 45%; Gambling: 72% vs. 59% http://www.gallup.com/poll/117154/Catholics-Similar-Mainstream-Abortion-Stem-Cells.aspx Committed Roman Catholics (church attendance weekly or almost) versus Non-R.C. faithful church goers (see the below as as morally acceptable): Abortion: 24% of R.C. vs. 19% Non-R.C.; Sex between unmarried couples: 53% vs. 30%; Baby out of wedlock: 48% vs. 29%; Homosexual relations: 44% vs. 21%; Gambling: 67% vs. 40%; Divorce: 63 vs. 46% ^ In a 2010 LifeWay Research survey 77 percent of American Protestant pastors (57% of mainline versus 87% evangelical) strongly disagree with same-sex marriage, with 6% percent somewhat disagreeing, and 5% being somewhat in agreement and 10 percent strongly agreeing. (5% of evangelical). Only 3% of evangelical pastors (versus 11% mainline) somewhat agree that there is nothing wrong with homosexual marriage. 11% of evangelical pastors (versus 30% mainline) somewhat agree that homosexual civil unions are acceptable, with 67% of the former and 38% of the latter strongly disagreeing with homosexual civil unions. October 2010 LifeWay Research survey of 1,000 randomly selected Protestant pastors. http://www.lifeway.com/ArticleView?storeId=10054&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&article=LifeWay-Research-protestant-pastors-oppose-homosexual-marriage A 2002 nationwide poll of 1,854 priests in the United States and Puerto Rico reported that 30% of Roman Catholic priests described themselves as Liberal, 28% as Conservative, and 37% as Moderate in their Religious ideology. 53 percent responded that they thought it always was a sin for unmarried people to have sexual relations; 32 percent that is often was, and 9 percent seldom/never. However, nearly four in 10 younger priests in 2002 described themselves as conservative, and were more likely to regard as "always a sin" such acts as premarital sex, abortion, artificial birth control, homosexual relations, etc., and three-fourths said they were more religiously orthodox than their older counterparts. Los Angeles Times (extensive) nationwide survey (2002). http://www.bishop-accountability.org/resources/resource-files/reports/LAT-Priest-Survey.pdf http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_2_39/ai_94129129/pg_2 The survey also found that 80% of Roman Catholic priests referred to themselves as “mostly” heterosexual in orientation, with 67% being exclusively heterosexual, 8% leaning toward heterosexual, 5% completely in the middle, and 6% leaning toward homosexual and 9% saying they are homosexual, for a combined figure of 15% on the homosexual class. Among younger priests (those ordained for 20 years or less) the figure was 23%. ^ One-third of surveyed priests said they “do not waver” from their vow of celibacy, while 47% described celibacy as “an ongoing journey” and 14% said they “do not always succeed in following” it. 2% said celibacy is not relevant to their priesthood and they do not observe it. not celibate. ^ 71 percent of priests responded that it always was wrong for a woman to get an abortion, 19 percent that it often was, and 4 percent seldom/never. ^ 28 percent judged that is always was sin for married couples to use artificial birth control, 25 percent often, 40 percent never. ^ 49 percent affirmed that it was always a sin to engage in homosexual behavior, often, 25 percent; and never, 19 percent. ^ To take one's own life if suffering from a debilitating disease: always, 59 percent; often, 18 percent; never, 17 percent. ^ A combined 15 percent of the clergy polled identified themselves as "gay (9%) > or more (6%) on the homosexual side." Among younger priests 23 percent did so. Los Angeles Times (extensive) nationwide survey (2002). http://www.bishop-accountability.org/resources/resource-files/reports/LAT-Priest-Survey.pdf 17 percent of the priests said "definitely" , and 27% said "probably," a homosexual subculture'--defined as a `definite group of persons that has its own friendships, social gatherings and vocabulary'--exists in their diocese or religious order. ^ After examining the official web sites of 244 Catholic universities and colleges in America, the TFP Student Action found that 107 – or 43% have pro-homosexual clubs. TFP Student Action Dec. 6. 2011; studentaction.org/get-involved/online-petitions/pro-homosexual-clubs-at-107-catholic-colleges/print.html 39 percent of Roman Catholics and 79 percent of born-again, evangelical or fundamentalist American Christians affirm that homosexual behavior is sinful. LifeWay (SBC) Research study, released Wednesday. 2008 LifeWay Research study. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080606/survey-americans-divided-on-homosexuality-as-sin.htm 79 percent of American Jews, 58 percent of Catholics and 56 percent of mainline Protestants favor acceptance of homosexuality, versus 39 percent of members of historically black churches, 27 percent of Muslims and 26 percent of the evangelical Protestants. U.S. U.S. Religious landscape survey; Copyright © 2008 The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# 56% of Catholics overall (and 46% of the general public) believe that sexual relations between two adults of the same gender is not a sin, while 39%. of Catholics say homosexual behavior is morally wrong, (versus 76% of white evangelicals and 66% of black Protestants, and 40% of Mainline Protestants). 41% of Catholics do not consider homosexual behavior to be a moral issue. (Pew Research Center, Religion & Politics Survey, 2009; PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey, October 2010; http://publicreligion.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Catholics-and-LGBT-Issues-Survey-Report.pdf) Catholics testify [2010] to showing more support (in numbers) for legal recognitions of same-sex relationships than members of any other Christian tradition, and Americans overall. Almost three-quarters of Catholics favor either allowing gay and lesbian people to marry or allowing them to form civil unions (43% and 31% respectively). Only 22% of Catholics said there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship. (PRRI, Pre--election American Values Survey, 9/2010; http://publicreligion.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Catholics-and-LGBT-Issues-Survey-Report.pdf.) This 2010 survey of more than 3,000 adults found that 41% of White American Catholics, 45% of Latino Catholics (versus 16 percent of White evangelical Christians, and 23% of Black Protestants) supported the rights of same-sex couples to marry, and 36% (22% of Latino Catholics) supported civil unions (versus 24% of White evangelicals, and 25% of Black Protestants). Among the general public the rates were 37 and 27 percent. 69% of Catholics disagree that homosexual orientation can be changed, versus 23% who believe that they can change. ^ 19% of White Catholics, 30% of Latino Catholics, 58% of White evangelicals, 52% of Black Protestants and 29% of White Mainline Protestants oppose any legal recognition of homosexual marriage. ^ 60% of Catholics overall, and 53% of the general public favor allowing homosexual couples to adopt children. ^ 73% of Catholics favor laws that would protect gay and lesbian people against discrimination in the workplace, and 63% favor allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military. For the general public the figures are 68% and 58% respectively. ^ 49% of Catholics and 45% of the general public agree that homosexuals should be eligible for ordination with no special requirements. ^ Among Catholics who attend services regularly (weekly or more), 31% say there should be no legal recognition for homosexual relationships (marriage or civil unions), with 26% favoring allowing gay and lesbian people to marry, versus 43% of Catholics who attend once or twice a month, and 59% of Catholics who attend a few times a year or less favoring allowance of homosexual marriage. ^ 27% of Catholics who attend church services regularly say their clergy speak about the issue of homosexuality, with 63% of this group saying the messages they hear are negative. ^ 48% of white evangelical Protestants oppose letting homosexuals serve openly in the military, with 34% supporting this proposal, versus 63% of Catholics (66% of white) supporting and 23% opposing. Pew forum, November 29, 2010, http://pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Issues/Gay_Marriage_and_Homosexuality/gays%20in%20military%20full%20report.pdf White evangelicals are most satisfied with their church’s handling of homosexuality, with 75 percent giving it an `A’ or a `B.’ Catholics are the most critical, with nearly a third — twice as many as any other group — giving their church a `D’ or `F.’ Oct. 2010 Poll sponsored by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Religion News Service. http://thepulpit.freedomblogging.com/2010/10/22/survey-links-gay-bullying-to-religion/7682/ 31% of Catholics called celibacy a major factor leading to sexual abuse, while another 28% called it a minor factor. 35% said celibacy did not play a part in the abuse. http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/poll_catholics_050410_2pm.pdf 30%, meanwhile, said homosexuality played a major role. An additional 23% said it played a minor role. 37% said it was not a factor. ^
To summarize: Catholics do not know what God wants from them and when they have the slightest inkling of what He wants from them, they respond halfheartedly (sometimes quarterheartedly).
Whether you realize it or not, whether you agree or not, whether you care or not, the fundamental criteria, especially in this period of the great apostasy before the manifestation of the Antichrist, which will determine if we end up with God or Satan for eternity, is HUMILITY! It is not intelligence or thinking we know more than everyone else.
Everyone in hell is totally full of pride. Everyone in heaven is totally humble. When there is true humility there is room for God and his graces in our hearts and souls. When there is not humility, our hearts and souls are full of ourselves even though we think we are better and holier than others, and thus there is not room for God and His precious graces.
The Pharisees and Scribes believed to be holier and better than everyone else, and thus in their prideful blindness ended up crucifying the author of life, Jesus Christ. Because without true humility there is a profound spiritual blindness. So too in this period of very great deception there will be “lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Mt 24:24), due to lack of true humility!
The saints tell us that without humility, there is no virtue nor the presence of God.
Saint Bonaventure and many saints tell us that without humility there is no virtue, and there is also spiritual blindness and obstinacy!
When a person is truly seeking to follow and imitate Christ, he comes to realize how far away he is from imitating Christ and seeks to continually improve in true virtue according to God, not according to his own perception of virtue and holiness. When a person is following himself, even though he thinks he is following Jesus Christ, he does not work on following Christ everyday more and more, but rather he goes around setting straight everyone else since he thinks he knows more than anyone else.
The article that was posted was obviously a Catholic article. Why did you not let it in peace. Do you have the peace of Christ in your heart and soul? If so, you would not have this craving to criticize and set straight every Catholic you can find, but you would rather offer Catholics an example of humility, charity and virtue for us poor Catholics to imitate, so us Catholics can become humble and virtuous as you believe to be.
Saint Augustine tells us:
It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues. The soul in which this virtue does not exist, there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance. There is something in humility that strangely exalts the heart. This is the very perfection of man, to find out about his own imperfections. You must be emptied of that which you are full that you may be filled with that which you are empty. The greater the building is to be, the deeper you dig the foundation. For once your foundation is set, the height to which you can build has been determined. You want a tower that will pierce the clouds, lay first the foundation of humility. Humility must accompany all of our actions. For as soon as we glory in our good works, they are of no further value for our advancement in virtue.
If I make reference only to myself and my reasoning and my knowledge, I will end up in hell for all eternity. If I seek truth outside of myself, with true humility, God will guide me to His Truth and where His Truth can be found here on earth. If I live His truth, there is hope for me to save my poor soul. Those without humility do not realize the difference between the “truth” of their subjective mind and the objective Truth from God, and thus for them there is no way of explaining the difference since they have truly come to believe that all their ideas are from God, and not from the devil, or the world or from their own infallible subjectivity. Thus they do not seek truth outside of themselves. Thus in a true sense, they have made themselves God, as in the New Age Movements and all the pride based philosophies and false religions today. For these very numerous people today, the only way to help them is not by words, but by prayer and fasting.
Only once in the four Gospels did Jesus say: “learn from me”! “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:29-30).
When you die, perhaps you can explain things to God as you have tried to explain things to me.
Best wishes for all eternity!
You should seek help.
Ummm, Scripture tells us otherwise.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Jesus talks about the importance of love in many places in the Gospel and John addresses it in 1 John.
Focusing on our humility is a form of pride.
How do we know we're humble? By what or whose standard? How does one ascertain that one is humble, or humble enough?
Does the person trying to be humble decide they've arrived? And if they're truly humble, why are they so focused on themselves?
It looks like I misunderstood the point of your post.
The thing more important for salvation is faith in Christ, turning to Him and repenting of our sins.
One can be very humble and still not be saved. One can be saved and still have pride, as virtually all of us so, being human.
Love is the character quality that should define a believer.
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