Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Fr. Pavone’s laicization came from Pope Francis himself: canon lawyer The shocking decision to laicize pro-life priest Father Frank Pavone without appeal could only have come from Pope Francis himself, according to a prominent canon lawyer.In an interview Sunday with Catholic News Agency (CNA), canonist Father Gerald Murray, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York and a regular contributor to EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” noted that the Pope alone can issue a decision “against which there is no possible appeal.”“Only the Pope, who enjoys ‘full and supreme power in the Church’ (canon 332, 1),...

[Catholic Caucus] Disloyal, Petty, Vindictive, and Ugly: Francis Forces Bp. Dominique Rey to Resign One Year After Asking Him to Stay -- Persecuted for Being Close to "Trads."Bishop Dominique Rey, of Fréjus-Toulon, France, one of the best and most solid bishops in the world, and a beacon of liberty for the Traditional Mass, resigned his office today. He is 72.Francis had first suspended the ordinations in his diocese. Then, he named a coadjutor for him, but encouraged him to stay until his regular retirement, at 75. In his letter of resignation today, Rey says,“During a private audience on December 23,...

[Catholic Caucus] BREAKING: Bishop Strickland barred from saying Mass in Diocese of Tyler, TexasAt a recent staff meeting, employees were reportedly informed that while Strickland cannot offer Mass in the diocese, he may do so elsewhere. The source is known to LifeSiteNews.LifeSiteNews has learned that Bishop Joseph Strickland has been barred from saying Mass in the Diocese of Tyler, Texas. At a recent staff meeting, employees were reportedly informed that while Strickland cannot offer Mass in the diocese, he may do so elsewhere. The source is known to LifeSiteNews. LifeSite has also learned that Bishop Strickland is currently on retreat...

[Catholic Caucus] "Hell's Vengeance Boils in My Heart, Death and despair burn around me." Those are the famous first words of the Queen of the Night in one of the most famous arias in operatic history (from Mozart's The Magic Flute) -- and they describe well the feelings of "peace", "dialogue", and "mercy" inscribed in the heart of Jorge Mario Bergoglio when he deals with anyone he deems as an adversary.In true Peronist fashion, to the enemy, "not even justice."So it was with Archbishop Georg Gänswein, secretary of the late Pope Benedict XVI and former Prefect of the Papal Household,...

[Catholic Caucus] Report: Archbishop Gänswein Ordered to Leave Vatican, Return to Home Diocese Without New RoleAccording to a German newspaper report, Pope Francis ordered Archbishop Georg Gänswein to leave the Vatican and return to Germany by the end of June. The longtime private secretary of Pope Benedict XVI has been told to return to his home diocese of Freiburg in southwest Germany, but has not been given any role or assignment, the Welt newspaper reported on Friday. According to CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language partner agency, the report claims Pope Francis informed the 66-year-old Gänswein of his decision during a private...

Portuguese president finds Vatican’s limits on heads of state at Pope Benedict’s funeral bafflingInviting only two countries to send official representatives reflected the Vatican's indifference toward the deceased pontiff.he president of Portugal voiced his displeasure last week at the Vatican’s restrictions on official delegations and heads of state that many countries in Europe and elsewhere were sending to the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI.The Vatican had officially invited delegations only from Italy and Germany and stated that any other delegations or heads of state would be attending in a private capacity. The Secretariat of State further asked such delegations to...

The Funeral Rites of Benedict XVI and the Many Petty Gestures of FrancisFrancis’ Petty Heart Mediocre people surround themselves with ones even more mediocre than themselves in order to be able to manage them as they please and conceal their own mediocrity. This is what Bergoglio did as soon as he took over the papal throne. And it has been demonstrated for the umpteenth time with the death of Pope Benedict XVI. I summarize here some of the events of the last few days, mostly anecdotal, but which reveal the mean and petty soul of Pope Francis. Some are public;...