Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Preparing for the Pope’s PassingThere is an apologia brewing for the spirit of the Francis papacy as secular stakeholders recoil to lose his fast-and-loose presence in the Vatican with the same vehemence as they recoil at Donald Trump’s fast-and-furious return to the White House.At the time of this writing, Pope Francis is in critical condition at Gemelli University Hospital in Rome with a complex case of pneumonia in both lungs and early-stage kidney failure. Before all else, we pray for his well-being and peace. But death is in the air. The Swiss Guard have held funeral rehearsals. The...

[Catholic Caucus] Was Pope Francis ‘used’ by liberal cardinals in attempt to thwart Benedict XVI’s election?While Pope Francis' comments about the 2005 conclave have made waves, several aspects require further investigation.VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis has confirmed prior information that he was a close contender to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger during the 2005 papal conclave, while also claiming he was “used” by other cardinals and that he himself voted for the future Pope Benedict XVI. “In that conclave – the data is known – they used me,” said Pope Francis, in a preview chapter released Easter Sunday, ahead of the...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis Attempts to Rig the Next Papal ElectionOne of the lies of Liberalism and Marxism is a prideful faith in man’s power of central planning. The idea that if we just create a system, a huge bureaucracy, we can pull all the strings to make that planned utopia come about. His Holiness, “the Dictator Pope” and his Vatican regime of Iconoclasm have been attempting to make Cardinal Martini’s dream a reality with all their central planning to bring about the reign of the “[Anti-]Church of Synodal Synodality.”Or whatever.They think if they just set up everything just right,...

An influential German cardinal once part of a liberal cabal of dissident prelates has died. Cardinal Karl Lehmann passed away on Sunday, at 81 years of age. He died in his home in Mainz, a town in Germany along the Rhine River. The cardinal was formerly head of the German bishops' conference 1987–2008. In May 2016, he complained about Vatican oversight in the selection of bishops. "Much greater attention should be given to an episcopal candidate's theological competence than his formal orthodoxy," he said. Cardinal Lehmann was a member of the St. Gallen Mafia, instrumental in getting Pope Francis elected in 2013. The secretive group had been conspiring...