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Cardinal Burke: if the Pope persists in this path, “I shall resist, I can do no other!”

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Rome, February 8, 2015:  His Eminence Raymon Leo Cardinal Burke in an interview with France2 television, published on the web yesterday, has affirmed that he will keep the Catholic Faith even to the point of resisting Pope Francis, if need be.

First, the video feed from France TV Info, can be viewed through this link:

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Here is our English translation of the key sections of the interview, where Cardinal Burke responds to the interviewer’s summation of the apparent efforts of the Pope to allow communion for the divorced and the new acceptance of homosexuality characterized by the “who am I to judge” maxim.

France2:  If the pope persists in this direction, what will you do?

Cardinal Burke:  I shall resist, I can do no other.  There’s no doubt that we are in difficult times, this, is clear; it is clear.

France 2: Is this upsetting?

Cardinal Burke: Yes.

France 2: Is this worrisome?

Cardinal Burke: Yes.

France 2:  According to you, is the Church threatened as an institution?

Cardinal Burke:The Lord has assured us, as He has assured St. Peter in the Gospel, that the forces of Evil shall not prevail: Non praevalebunt, as we say in Latin.  They shall not have victory over the Church.

(English translation from the transcription verified by Maria Guarini of Chiesa e post Concilio Blog.)

Our Comments

With these few words Cardinal Burke has confirmed the entire Church in the Eternal Faith which comes from the lips of Christ.

With these few words, His Eminence has vindicated tens of thousands of clergy, religious and laymen and woman who have rejected the Kasperian thesis of allowing Eucharistic communion to those not morally in communion with Christ.

God bless Cardinal Burke!

Let us pray for him! and Let us offer all our prayers and sacrifices that other Cardinals, Bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laymen and woman shall now join him in resisting the heretical proposals which have been indicated, promoted, pushed and advocated since March 13, 2013.

We join with Cardinal Burke, and say, “If the pope persists, we too shall resist!”

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*** The Book, every Faithful Catholic Priest will treasure in this time of Crisis  ***

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Ecclesiology, News, Team Bergoglio

Se il Collegio dei Cardinali non fa il suo dovere

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Traduzione di Antonio Marcantonio dal testo inglese originale
con qualche modifica dell’Autore

Roman_RuinsRoma, 30 gennaio 2015: Due giorni dopo la presentazione, da parte del blog From Rome, di quelli che sembrano essere crimini canonici ad opera del “Team Bergoglio” – così il Dr. Austin Ivereigh, ex-portavoce del Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, ha definito il gruppo di otto Cardinali che hanno cospirato per l’elezione del Cardinal Bergoglio prima del Conclave del 2013 e durante il suo svolgimento – Padre Federico Lombardi, portavoce della Santa Sede, ha annunciato che Papa Francesco ha convocato un concistoro speciale di Cardinali nei giorni 14 e 15 febbraio, per nominare venti nuovi Cardinali: si tratta di un tentativo di alterare per sempre la fisionomia del Collegio, sostituendone una la cui maggioranza di membri era stata scelta da Papa Giovanni Paolo II e Benedetto XVI ad un’altra la cui maggioranza di membri sarà composta da Cardinali scelti da Papa Francesco o che sono stati coinvolti nello scandalo della richiesta di voti per la sua elezione*.

 

Il dovere del Sacro Collegio dei Cardinali

L’attendibilità delle accuse portate nel caso contro il “Team Bergoglio” è stata ampiamente dimostrata nel nostro articolo del 6 gennaio 2015: Da Ivereigh all’abdicazione, i passi canonici resi necessari dallo scandalo del “Team Bergoglio”. E i fondamenti canonici che consentirebbero di sollevare la questione dell’invalidità dell’elezione del Papa durante il Concistoro di febbraio sono stati esplicati nel nostro articolo del 17 gennaio 2014, Qualsiasi Cardinale Elettore ha il diritto di richiedere che lo scandalo del “Team Bergoglio” sia chiarito.

Vedi la nostra Cronologia completa sullo scandalo del “Team Bergoglio”.

È ovvio che se i venti nuovi Cardinali nominati da Papa Francesco si aggiungono al Collegio dei Cardinali, tale corpo, de facto, non avrà più la capacità di indagare sulle accuse contro la validità dell’elezione di Papa Francesco che emergono tanto dalla narrazione degli eventi da parte del Dr. Austen Ivereigh come dall’indagine sulle irregolarità della procedura osservata durante il Conclave da parte di Antonio Socci, nel suo libro Non è Francesco che è attualmente un best-seller in Italia.

In questo caso, è valida la massima e la regola canonica:  Qui tacet videtur consentire (C. 43 in VI.5.12.).

Entrambe le fonti esprimono dei dubbi che sorgono da dichiarazioni fatte non dagli oppositori del Cardinal Bergoglio, bensì dai suoi stessi sostenitori, che sostengono di aver parlato con i Cardinali Elettori (nel caso di Ivereigh) o con lo stesso Cardinal Bergoglio (nel caso di Socci). Si tratta pertanto di testimoni estremamente attendibili.

Allo stesso tempo, nel momento in cui scriviamo, 354 Cattolici di tutto il mondo hanno inoltrato una petizione al Collegio dei Cardinali affinché esso indaghi sulle accuse di eterodossia contro il Cardinal Bergoglio e sul carattere eterodosso del suo comportamento personale prima e dopo la sua “elezione” papale, elementi sulla base dei quale essi credono che egli debba essere dichiarato invalidamente eletto e deposto come eretico. Non si sa quanti Cardinali conoscano l’esistenza di questa petizione, anche se le dovrebbe essere garantita con certezza una risposta pubblica.

I Cattolici di tutto il mondo, pertanto, dovrebbero farsi la seguente domanda:

Dopo il 15 febbraio, quando i nuovi Cardinali saranno insediati, che ne sarà della Chiesa?

Il Cardinal Bergoglio, già a partire dall’epoca del Conclave del 2013, ha mostrato in modo estremamente chiaro e costante, a tutti quelli che hanno occhi per vedere, di non essere in possesso della Fede Cattolica – anche se ogni volta che parla spontaneamente contro di essa e glielo si fa notare, egli si scusa adducendo il fatto di non aver avuto l’intenzione di negare nulla –; le ripetute espressioni del proprio credo individuale, la costante impunità e l’artificialità dei tentativi di mettere tutto a tacere dopo gli scandali che egli provoca, mostrano che egli sta semplicemente mantenendo salda la sua presa sull’ufficio che detiene, al fine di portare avanti il disegno esplicito e maligno di distruggere l’adesione e la lealtà della Chiesa al Magistero di Gesù Cristo, il Figlio Incarnato di Dio.

Persino i suoi sostenitori, come il Cardinal Baldissieri o il Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, affermano che egli si trovava dietro ogni azione scandalosa al recente Sinodo Straordinario sulla Famiglia e che la sua intenzione era quella di alterare irrimediabilmente e irrevocabilmente la natura stessa della Chiesa.  Pure, il Cardinal Marx afferma che Francesco rigetta la Chiesa come “una chiesa di verità”, perché come tale sarebbe “inutile per il popolo”.

Chiunque legga le notizie lo dovrebbe ormai sapere. Anche i Cardinali del Sacro Collegio.

Se essi non interverranno, risulterà evidente che fanno parte di un gruppo di complici de facto che condividono gli sforzi o le intenzioni del Cardinal Bergoglio di rovesciare la Chiesa Cattolica. In tal caso, essi diventeranno sospetti non solo di eresia, ma soprattutto di pertinacia in collusione sia attiva sia passiva col Cardinal Bergoglio. Essi perderebbero in tal modo ogni diritto di rappresentare il clero di Roma, in virtù del Canone 194, che recita in latino come segue:

Can. 194 — § 1. Ipso iure ab ecclesiastico amovetur:

1° qui statum clericalem amiserit;
2° qui a fide catholica aut a communione Ecclesiae publice defecerit;
3° clericus qui matrimonium etiam civile tantum attentaverit.

2. Amotio, de qua in nn. 2 et 3, urgeri tantum potest, si de eadem auctoritatis competentis declaratione constet.

Che, nella nostra traduzione non ufficiale ma letterale in italiano, recita come segue:

Canone 194 — § 1. In base alla stessa legge sono rimossi dallo stato ecclesiastico:

  1. Chi ha perso lo stato clericale;
  2. Chi ha disertato pubblicamente la Fede Cattolica o la comunione con la Chiesa;
  3. Un chierico che abbia cercato di contrarre matrimonio, anche solo civile.

2. Si può procedere alla rimozione, nei casi di cui ai numeri 2 e 3, solo se il caso viene stabilito da una dichiarazione dell’autorità competente riguardo la stessa.

È infatti ovvio che chi cospira per la negazione dell’insegnamento di Gesù Cristo è un eretico e un nemico della Chiesa Cattolica. Non è legittimo considerarlo in comunione con Essa più di quanto un virus mortale possa essere considerato parte del corpo che infetta**.

Il paragrafo 2 stabilisce che in primo luogo le autorità competenti devono giudicare i fatti: solo allora è lecito rimuovere dal loro ufficio la persona o le persone coinvolte.

Il diritto divino e naturale del Clero di Roma

seminario romanoIl fatto che l’autorità competente in una materia così grave sia il Clero della Diocesi di Roma si deduce senza alcuna possibilità di obiezione dal suo diritto divino e naturale. Divino, per il fatto che il clero di ogni diocesi, in caso di eresia del proprio vescovo e dei suoi collaboratori, ha il diritto di espellerli dalla comunione della Chiesa; naturale, poiché in ogni società umana gli unici membri che hanno l’autorità di espellerne altri sono quelli che conservano fedelmente la natura e la forma di tale società.

Questo duplice diritto del Clero di Roma viene affermato dall’Enciclopedia Cattolica, pubblicata più di cento anni fa, nel suo articolo sull’Elezione di un Papa, in cui dice:

Come si è visto, la guida suprema della Chiesa è abbinata all’ufficio di Vescovo di Roma. Il Papa diventa pastore capo perché è il Vescovo di Roma; non diventa Vescovo di Roma perché è stato scelto come capo della Chiesa universale. Pertanto, è corretto dire che l’elezione al papato è innanzitutto un’elezione al vescovato locale. I membri della Chiesa Romana hanno sempre avuto il diritto di eleggere il proprio vescovo. Sono essi che hanno la facoltà di poter dare alla Chiesa universale il suo pastore supremo; non viene loro assegnato un vescovo in virtù della sua elezione da parte della Chiesa universale. Ciò non significa che l’elezione debba consistere in un voto popolare da parte dei romani. Per quanto riguarda gli affari ecclesiastici, spetta sempre alla gerarchia guidare le decisioni dei fedeli. La scelta di un vescovo spetta al clero e deve essere limitata ai suoi livelli più alti. Questo è valido per la Chiesa Romana attuale. I membri del collegio dei cardinali elettori esercitano il loro ufficio in quanto gerarchi del clero romano. Se mai il collegio dei cardinali cessasse di esistere, il compito di scegliere un pastore supremo non cadrebbe sui vescovi riuniti in un concilio, ma sui restanti membri del clero Romano. Fu Papa Pio IV, all’epoca del Concilio di Trento, che insistette su questo punto in un’allocuzione concistoriale, temendo che al momento della sua morte il concilio potesse rivendicare tale diritto.

Tutte queste cose devono essere osservate con proprietà, discrezione e coscienza.

Quindi, se il Sacro Collegio si astiene dal ripudiare queste intenzioni maligne e dallo sciogliere i dubbi a proposito dell’elezione, il clero della Diocesi di Roma ha il diritto di fare da giudice. In tale diritto sarebbe inclusa la facoltà di interrogare le parti, tanto il Cardinal Bergoglio come tutti gli altri membri o co-cospiratori del “Team Bergoglio”, o chiunque possa dare testimonianza sulla mancanza di Fede Cattolica in lui o nei suoi sostenitori.

È sufficiente giudicare gli elementi a disposizione per poter emettere una sentenza che stabilisca o – in virtù della legge papale UDG 4 – che il conclave del 2013 non ha svolto un’elezione canonicamente valida, ovvero che Papa Francesco, per sua propria eresia, manifesta l’intenzione maligna di allontanarsi dalla fedeltà a Cristo su qualche materia. Qualora venissero interrogati, i Cardinali non potrebbero avvalersi del fatto di essere vincolati al voto pronunciato al conclave, perché nei procedimenti giudiziari le testimonianze non violano in nessun modo un voto di segretezza e perché in situazioni di questo genere il bene della Chiesa è superiore ad ogni voto.

Il clero della Diocesi di Roma comprende non solo i sacerdoti e i diaconi incardinati, ma anche i Vescovi Ausiliari e gli Arcivescovi, i Vescovi, i sacerdoti e i monsignori che sono incardinati nel Vaticano, che pur essendo per la legge civile uno stato separato, rimane una parte della Diocesi di Roma per il diritto canonico. Avrebbero diritto di partecipare come giudici a un processo del genere anche i Cardinali che non hanno potuto partecipare al Conclave del 2013 o che non potranno partecipare al Concistoro del 2015 – ivi compreso il Papa Emerito, “Padre Benedetto”, come chiede ora di essere chiamato –, così come i vescovi ausiliari, i sacerdoti e i diaconi della Diocesi di Roma in pensione ma ancora incardinati nella Diocesi.

Sarà quindi Dio che riderà ultimo, perché con il mero fatto di nominare nuovi Cardinali Elettori un uomo eletto in modo non canonico non potrà mai imporre un fait accompli alla Chiesa di Roma.

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* 115 Cardinali hanno partecipato al Conclave del 2013. Il Dr. Ivereigh afferma che il “Team Bergoglio” era composto da otto Cardinali (sette dei quali partecipavano attivamente, mentre l’altro conteggiava le promesse di voto) e da due possibili cospiratori che hanno raccolto 25 promesse di voto per il primo scrutinio. Se essi hanno ottenuto quanto volevano alla prima votazione, si può presumere con un ragionevole margine di probabilità che – come dice il Dr. Ivereigh – abbiano continuato tale attività anche dopo di essa, e quindi che anche qualcuno dei 53 voti guadagnati successivamente sia stato promesso. Tutti i Cardinali che hanno richiesto e promesso voti sarebbero stati ipso facto scomunicati. La serietà di queste accuse è stata recentemente dimostrata: il 6 gennaio 2015 il Cardinal Danneels, tramite il suo portavoce, ha esplicitamente negato di aver chiesto voti per il Cardinal Bergoglio prima il Conclave. E a partire del 15 febbraio più la maggioranza del Sacro Collegio sarà tanto in favore di Bergoglio, che con ogni probabilità non vorrà sentire nemmeno un accenno all’invalidità della sua elezione né tanto meno emettere un giudizio equo su di essa.

** Bisogna qui distinguere con attenzione e riconoscere che una cosa è avere abbastanza elementi  per esigere un processo o un’indagine per stabilire se il Pontefice di Roma è un eretico o è stato eletto in modo non canonico; altra cosa è averne la certezza: la seconda ipotesi richiede infatti la certezza delle prove a livello dei giudizi privati, e anche un atto forense di giudizio da parte dell’autorità competente a livello dei giudizi pubblici. È questa la ragione per cui la necessità che vengano sciolti i dubbi sullo scandalo del “Team Bergoglio” tramite un giudizio pubblico è di un’urgenza assoluta: perché la Chiesa rischia non solo che ai suoi fedeli venga negato il diritto di avere un legittimo successore di San Pietro, ma anche uno scisma tra i seguaci di un candidato che sembrerebbe essere falso e quanti insistono sulla necessità di averne uno legittimo.

Faith, News

Cardinal Marx affirms that Francis rejects the Church of Truth

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Cardinal+Marx+2February 6, 2015:  In a stunning admission, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Germany, has publicly affirmed, during an interview with the Jesuit Magazine, America, that Pope Francis rejects the Church of truth.

No less scandalous, are his own words, by which he says, the Church of truth has no usefulness for humanity.  You can read his comments in the original, through this link.  The From Rome Blog will cite, here, only the relevant point:

What challenge accompanies this new time in the church?

It is best to read “The Joy of the Gospel.” Some people say, “We don’t know what the pope really wants.” I say, “Read the text.” It does not give magical answers to complex questions, but rather it conveys the path of the Spirit, the way of evangelization, being close to the people, close to the poor, close to those who have failed, close to the sinners, not a narcissistic church, not a church of fear. There is a new, free impulse to go out. Some worry about what will happen. Francis uses a strong image: “I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets,” rather than a church that is very clean and has the truth and everything necessary. The latter church does not help the people. The Gospel is not new, but Francis is expressing it in a new way and is inspiring many people all over the world, who are saying, “Yes, that is the church.” It is a great gift for us. It’s very important. We will see what he will do. He has been pope for only two years, which is not much time.

Our Critique

The words of Cardinal Marx (“The latter church does not help the people”) are without a doubt blasphemy against the Son of God and heresy.

They are blasphemy, because the Son of God became incarnate to offer THE ONLY SALVATION POSSIBLE FOR MANKIND, which salvation He conveys to mankind through the Catholic Church, which, as St. Paul infallibly teaches, is the “mainstay and bulwark of the truth”.  There can be no salvation without a church of truth, and that Church is the Catholic Church.

The words of the Cardinal are also heresy, because by saying the Church of truth does not help people, he denies that salvation is first by faith, that is by the dogmatic assent of the mind to revealed truth; and thus he denies that salvation in Christ must encompass the human mind, not only the heart, affections, or body. His words also deny that error harms the human person in his totality to such an extent that it is sufficient of itself to damn a man for all eternity.

The Catholic Church is “the Church of the Truth, Jesus Christ”, and “the Church of truth”, commissioned by Christ to teach the Gospel of salvation to all nations first by words (hence to the mind of believers), second by deeds (works of charity). To deny the usefulness of both aspects is to deny the Church as Christ gave Her to us.

That Cardinal Marx makes these statements is noteworthy, because he is not a nobody, but a close collaborator with the Pope and Cardinal Kasper — one of the alleged leaders of “Team Bergoglio” — and has been such from before the Conclave in 2013 as can bee seen even in photos.

Finally, to say that one prefers a Church which is not clean and does not have the truth to a Church which does, is to choose the former and reject the other, even if one uses language which disguises that rejection in other terms.  Thus, in the negation of the utility of “a church of truth”, Cardinal Marx authentically explains Pope Francis’ preference as a formal rejection of the Church as Christ, the Truth, gave Her to us.

But these remarks by Cardinal Marx should not surprise readers of the From Rome blog, who already know of Pope Francis’ formally heretical statement on the Solemnity of Christ the King, which we have publicly indicated as worthy of condemnation.  In that statement, Pope Francis rejected the objective character of Christ’s office as teacher to all mankind.

For a complete Chronology of reports on the Team Bergoglio scandal, from round the world, click here.

Ecclesiology, News

Qualsiasi Cardinale Elettore ha il diritto di richiedere che lo scandalo del “Team Bergoglio” venga chiarito

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Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio takes the vow of secrecy at opening of the 2013 Conclave (BBC, screenshote by From Rome blog, cropped)
il Cardinale Jorge Mario Bergoglio emette il voto di segretezza alla apertura del Conclave, Marzo 12, 2014 (BBC, screenshot: From Rome blog, cropped)

L’UDG 5 e il Canone 1530

Traduzione italiana di Sig. Antonio Marcantonio: fonte inglese originale, qui.

Roma, 17 gennaio 2015: Dal momento in cui si sono diffuse le rivelazioni a proposito della campagna organizzata da otto Cardinali per favorire l’elezione del Cardinal Bergoglio al Conclave del 2013 – in cui quest’ultimo è stato eletto come Papa Francesco – si è aperta una controversia pubblica accompagnata da seri dubbi circa la validità dell’elezione. Nella norma papale che regola l’elezione di un pontefice, la Costituzione Apostolica Universi Dominici Gregis, mancano infatti i termini specifici che avrebbero impedito che i fatti dovessero essere interpretati in base alle norme generali del Codice di Diritto Canonico, in modo particolare ai Canoni 171 e 1329.

Nel paragrafo 81 della Universi Dominici Gregis (che abbrevieremo con la sigla UDG), il reato della promessa di voti è sanzionato con la scomunica automatica, in modo tale che un Cardinale Elettore viene scomunicato nell’atto stesso di promettere un voto. In base al Canone 1329, la scomunica automatica si estende alla persona che richiede la promessa del voto, anche se si tratta di un Cardinale Elettore. In base ai termini del primo paragrafo del Canone 171, i voti degli elettori scomunicati, anche quando si tratta di Cardinali in un conclave, non possono essere contati come voti a favore del candidato che essi menzionano sulla scheda; inoltre, in base al secondo paragrafo dello stesso Canone, se i voti degli elettori scomunicati sono conteggiati tra quelli a favore del candidato, in modo tale da fargli raggiungere il numero di voti necessario per la vittoria, quest’ultima viene annullata a tutti gli effetti in conformità con le norme sull’elezione.

La facti species, ovvero l’apparenza dei fatti narrati nel libro del Dr. Ivereigh, Il Grande Riformatore: Francesco e la creazione di un Papa radicale (traduzione italiana del nostro sommario, qui), parla dunque a favore dell’invalidità dell’elezione di Papa Francesco, ossia del fatto che egli non abbia ottenuto il suo ufficio con mezzi leciti, legali o legittimi. Ciò implicherebbe che non solo i Cattolici si possono dissociare dalla comunione con lui, ma hanno anche l’obbligo morale di farlo se non vogliono incorrere nel peccato mortale.

Le accuse, attendibili, concernono quindi un autentico scandalo.

L’UDG 5 offre una semplice soluzione allo scandalo del “Team Bergoglio”

Grazie a Dio, Papa Giovanni Paolo II ha provveduto, nella sua legge papale sul conclave, una facile soluzione di cui qualsiasi Cardinale si può servire: tale soluzione risiede nei termini sanciti dal quinto paragrafo della legge papale, l’UDG 5, il cui testo ufficiale in latino recita:

  1. Si quae autem dubia exoriantur de sensu praescriptionum, quae hac Nostra Constitutione continentur, aut circa rationem qua ad usum deduci eae debeant, edicimus ac decernimus penes Cardinalium Collegium esse potestatem de his ferendi sententiam; propterea, eidem Cardinalium Collegio facultatem tribuimus interpretandi locos dubios vel in controversiam vocatos, statuentes, ut, si de eiusmodi vel similibus quaestionibus deliberati oporteat, excepto ipso electionis actu, satis sit maiorem congregatorum Cardinalium partem in eandem sententiam convenire.

La nostra traduzione non ufficiale in italiano è la seguente:

  1. Inoltre, se dovesse sorgere uno di questi dubbi a proposito delle prescrizioni contenute in questa Nostra Costituzione, o a proposito del criterio secondo cui esse devono essere messe in pratica, Noi dichiariamo e giudichiamo che il potere di emettere un giudizio su di essi spetta al Collegio dei Cardinali; conferiamo inoltre al Collegio dei Cardinali la facoltà di interpretare i passi dubbi e/o contestati, in modo tale che quando esso emette sentenze su questioni di questo tipo e/o similari – eccetto il caso specifico dell’elezione – sia sufficiente che la maggioranza dei Cardinali riuniti si trovino d’accordo sulla stessa opinione.

In questo paragrafo, Papa Giovanni Paolo II chiarisce vari punti: in primo luogo, il Sacro Collegio ha autorità e giurisdizione su questioni riguardanti il significato dei singoli paragrafi e sul metodo da usarsi per applicarli; in secondo luogo, il Papa stabilisce che siano i Cardinali che devono deliberare in merito a ciò, che bisogna procedere a una votazione e che le decisioni devono essere prese dalla maggioranza dei Cardinali Elettori riuniti.

In altre parole, dunque, la legge papale stabilisce nell’UDG 5 che i Cardinali Elettori riuniti sono i giudici dei casi che possono sorgere a proposito della legge papale stessa. L’unica materia su cui non si possono pronunciare è l’atto stesso dell’elezione,: ossia, non possono giudicare se l’atto abbia avuto luogo o no, bensì possono solamente valutare se si è aderito debitamente ai termini della legge papale e se questi siano stati seguiti. Già nel paragrafo 4 l’UDG stabilisce che ogni inadempimento dei termini rende le elezioni nulle e non valide: non v’è quindi bisogno che i Cardinali giudichino la validità dell’atto stesso.

È pertanto sufficiente che i Cardinali si riuniscano, deliberino in merito al caso dello scandalo del “Team Bergoglio” e lo dirimano. Potranno dibattere sulla veridicità delle accuse e investigare sui fatti chiedendo ai testimoni oculari se l’UDG 81 sia stato violato tramite un accordo sui voti perpetrato dai sostenitori del Cardinal Bergoglio.

Il Canone 1530 garantisce il diritto di indagare sulle accuse

Il Canone 1530 garantisce il diritto di ogni Cardinale e ognuno con interesse, come ogni clerico o laico della Chiesa di Roma, a esigere che si indaghi in un concistoro sulle accuse relative allo scandalo del “Team Bergoglio”. Garantisce infatti al giudice di ogni contenzioso il diritto e il dovere di indagare sui fatti relativi alle controversie e di dirimerle, su richiesta di una qualsiasi delle parti in causa. Il testo del Canone recita:

Can. 1530 — Iudex ad veritatem aptius eruendam partes interrogare semper potest, immo debet, ad instantiam partis vel ad probandum factum quod publice interest extra dubium poni.

La nostra traduzione non ufficiale in italiano è la seguente:

Canone 1530 — Il giudice può – e ancor più, deve – sempre interrogare le parti per scoprire la verità in modo più efficace, quando una delle parti lo solleciti e/o per provare un fatto di pubblico interesse e sciogliere ogni dubbio su di esso.

In questo caso sarebbe l’intero Collegio dei Cardinali Elettori a ricoprire il ruolo di giudice, mentre ogni singolo Cardinale Elettore – insieme a quelli accusati di accordare i voti – può ricoprire il ruolo di parte in causa. Ogni singolo Cardinale può quindi esigere che il Sacro Collegio indaghi sulle accuse. Ciò è possibile solo se si interroga ogni singolo Cardinale di fronte agli altri. Si può fare ogni tipo di domanda. Il Canone 1531 esige che la persona interrogata dica la verità. I Cardinali eserciterebbero in tal modo tutto ciò che è prescritto sui contenziosi nell’edizione del 1983 del Codice di Diritto Canonico (cfr. Canone 1501 e seguenti).

La soluzione è semplice. La questione del “Team Bergoglio” può essere risolta facilmente. Perché dunque non si apre alcun contenzioso? E perché i sostenitori del “Team Bergoglio” si scagliano così violentemente contro l’ipotesi di un’indagine?

News

The Catholic League for the Prayer of Reparation

Presentation by Mrs. Maria Guarini

Editor of the “Chiesa e post concilio” Blog at Rome

I am wholeheartedly joining the effort of Mr. Paolo Deotto and Dr. Alessandro Gnocchi, in their work to launch the following proposal, which is part of a sane response to the epic crisis of the Church in which we are living.

We have, ourselves, also spoken of this more times than words can suffice and Internet fora are not sufficient except as instruments of communication to accompany and encourage the authentic life of the Church which is lived in the heart and in the daily life of each of the faithful.

Furthermore, one cannot, not encourage such a proposal of Prayer for Reparation, for many reasons:

First of all, because among all the wonderful realities of grace from the Lord which He reveals and gives us there is Reparation. This too, is not spoken of so frequently today and risks being forgotten, with the consequence of losing the understanding of its efficacy for the good of souls and the greater, extrinsic glory of God. I say, “extrinsic”, because God is glorified in Himself, the same, whether we add to that in our own lives or not.

To this end, let us also consider arranging moments of encounter and formation or whatever else, which is practical and simple to promote this endeavor.

It is normal that every initiative begin with those who propose it: but, as suggested below, the appeal is being entrusted to the good will of each Catholic inasmuch as he is able to participate or assist.

We have been considering and pondering such a proposal for some time. And we hope to see fellow participants at Linarolo, Italy, on May 1st, for the first meeting of coordinators.

Obviously, there can be other kinds of reparation, but if they do not begin with prayer above all else, if they do not involve the clergy, they won’t make any headway.

Maria Guarini

Sia lodato Gesù Cristo

 

PROPOSAL by Mr. Paolo Deotto & Dr. Alessandro Gnocchi

We propose to Catholics of sound doctrine and good will to associate with us in an initiative, which we call, “the League for Reparation”, which has just been founded for the purpose of restoring the true face of the Church by means of an ascetical discipline which flows from the spirituality and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“And, so, what do we do?” — many brave Catholics ask us, now that they recognize the reality of the crisis in which the Church in our own days has fallen. “And you, what are you doing?” — say many others, mostly to provoke us, understanding implicitly that it is not enough merely to point out the problems and lamenting them.

Affectations are not sufficient. We cannot simply engage in lamentations in the face of the emptying out of the Faith, at the prospect of temerarious aggiornamentoes of theology, of philosophy, at the surrenders to immorality, at the liturgical abuses, at the devastation of the ascetical and devotional practices of millenia, at the rejection of Tradition.

Faced with such a spectacle, comprised under the foggy notion of “opening to the world”, a Catholic has the duty to react, and to react as a Catholic.

For this reason, by means of the Italian-Catholic Internet site, known as, “Riscossa Cristiana”, we intend to launch an initiative aimed at all those who, disconsolate, ask, “And, now, we are we to do?”

If the Church is falling to pieces, it is necessary to put a hand to the work of repairing Her. And to repair Her, while many, too many pastors are continuing the work of demolition. With patience and tenacity and supported by the supernatural virtue of Hope, we need to recover all of that which is good, venerable and holy which others are throwing away and of restoring it to its proper place. And we need to do this with the intention and purpose of restoring in the Spouse of Christ the features which She has maintained throughout the course of centuries, features which are now despised by many enemies, standing outside and many within.

One needs to undertake the repairs understanding that they can only be done with fruit and merit when taken without any extravagance. Theology, spirituality, asceticism and devotion: cast off and discarded for a time, now, as part of a faith which is out of fashion, furnish to Catholics of good will a simple and efficacious means: the practice of the prayer of reparation, which at the end of this proposal, we will explain how this might be applied to assist the Church in this dramatic era of turmoil in which She finds Herself.

Whoever wishes to adhere to this initiative, should do so conscious that one must break ground on one’s own without waiting for the masses to follow. They will be alone and few in numbers, indeed, individuals, who get this holy work off the ground. Then, as Divine Providence may desire, the fruits might become visible.

For this purpose, through Riscossa Cristiana, we propose to Catholics of sound doctrine and good will to associate themselves to the “Lega cattolica per la preghiera di riparazione” (The Catholic League for the Prayer of Reparation), which has just been founded with the purpose of restoring the true face of the Church of always by means of an ascetical practice which flows from the spirituality of and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

As an organizational support, besides the website, Riscossa Cristiana, there is a small public association which arose 2 years ago in Lombardy and the Veneto, which is called, “Confraternita del Sacro Cuore di Gesù e del Cuore Immacolato di Maria” (Confraternity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary), which is also called, “Of the Sacred Hearts”, to whom the initiators of this proposal belong.

This is a small group of Catholics who understand that only by means of a complete return to the doctrinal and liturgical Tradition of the Church will there be any mark of an end to the crisis in the Church.

Among the ascetical practices of this Confraternity, aimed at restoring Tradition, are the offerings of sacrifices and prayers in reparation for the harm provoked in the Church on the part of the men in the Church, clerical and lay: this is the substance of what is being proposed on a larger scale by means of this new proposal, of a Catholic League for the Prayer of Reparation.

On the practical sin, there is nothing complicated.  Each one, alone or in a group with other Catholics can join this initiative by mans of an email addressed to:

legariparazione@email.it

In this manner, one can indicate his desire to become a member and to receive information on the eventual activities of the League or those which will be organized in his part of the world; in addition, one can indicate his willingness to serve as a point of reference for others in his country who wish to join. It will be the competency and duty of the organizers to contact you and keep in contact with those who sign up.

This work of keeping in touch is also important because it is important that the Catholics who decide to join don’t give up simply because they feel isolated as the last remnants of a shipwreck, or as the few mad in a world of self proclaimed “sane” madmen.

These Catholics, if they are in the midst of the shipwreck (if they wish to use this metaphor), are not alone: there are many more than we can possibly imagine. Moreover, it is not they who are insane: it is only that in a time of universal insanity, mental sanity seems to be the suff fit for an asylum.

To this end, for the purpose of fortifying the bonds which will promote the work of this initiative, all who sign up are invited to gather together on Friday, May 1, 2015 for the first meeting of the “Lega cattolica per la preghiera di riparazione”, being organized at Linarolo, in the province of Pavia, Italy.

At the home page of Riscossa Cristiana, there will be a link for further information about this initiative as well as formational handouts.

Signed:

 Paolo Deotto & Alessandro Gnocchi

 

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Information about this appeal can also be found at the following sites:

– Corrispondenza Romana
– Corsia dei Servi
– Chiesa e postconcilio
– Gloria.TV
– Una Vox
– Vigiliae Alexandrinae
– La Grande Guerra
– Bosecuriose
– In Expectatione
– Adelante la Fe
– Quijote Siglo21

THE OFFICIAL PRAYER OF REPARATION

FOR THE CATHOLIC LEAGE FOR THE PRAYER OF REPARATION

ORIGINAL ITALIAN

Cuore Divino di Gesù, io ti offro per mezzo del Cuore Immacolato di Maria, in unione al Sacrificio Eucaristico, le preghiere, le azioni, le gioie e le sofferenze di questo giorno in riparazione dei peccati e per la salvezza di tutti gli uomini, a gloria del Divin Padre. Amen.

UNOFFICIAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

O Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer Thee through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in union with the Sacrifice of the Mass, the prayers, actions, joys and sufferings of this day, in reparation for sin and for the salvation of all men, to the glory of Thy Divine Father. Amen.

 

Catechesis on this Prayer

«DEUS, qui nobis, in Corde Fílii tui, nostris vulneráto peccátis, infinítos dilectiónis thesáuros misericórditer largíri dignáris ; concéde, quaésumus, ut illi devótum pietátis nostrae praestántes obséquium, dignae quoque satisfactiónis exhibeámus offícium. Per eúmdem Dóminum».

O God, Who in Thy Mercy have deigned to bestow the infinite treasures of Thy Love in the Heart of Thy Son, pierced through by our sins, grant that, in rendering Him the devout homage of our piety, we might accomplish also the office of a worthy reparation.

With these words, the Liturgy of the Church prays in the Collect for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Briefly summarizing the motives for and the effects of the Death of Our Lord on the Cross, She concludes by inviting every member of the faithful to unite himself to the Divine Redeemer by exercising an dignae satisfactionis officium (the duty of making worthy satisfaction). In this sense, the prayer appears to embody very faithfully what the Sacred Heart of Jesus had told St. Margaret Maria Alacoque, a Visitation nun, kneeling before the Most Blessed Sacrament, in June of 1675 A. D.:

“Behold the Heart which has so loved men, Which has spared no expense in exhausting Itself and in consuming Itself, to testify to them of Its Love; and in recompense I receive, for the most part, a great ingratitude on account of the irreverent and sacrileges and by reason of the coldness and disrespect which they have for Me in this Sacrament of love … This, He told me, is for Me more sorrowful than what I have suffered in My Passion. If these were to recompense Me with a small measure of My Love, I would esteem it a small thing that I suffered for them and I would, if possible, suffer even more. But these respond with naught but indifference and refusals at all My concerns for procuring them good. At least, you, give Me the pleasure of supplying for their ingratitude, as much as you will be able.”

Behold, how clearly expressed is the meritorious principle of reparation, by which in associating men to the infinite Expiation and Satisfaction which Jesus Christ offered upon the Cross, tends to compensate and pacify the outrages hurled at God’s glory by the sins of men. How numerous are the sins of men, lay and ecclesiastic! In a particular manner, what lack there is of adoration towards the revealed Truth, in every form: betrayals in the exposition of immutable doctrine; abuses in liturgical celebrations; irreverence; indifference towards the Royal Authority of Our Lord; sinful omissions of the apostolate; and much more. The Spouse of Christ and His Mystical Body, the Church, finds Herself often to be disfigured in visible members exactly because of the sins of Her children. One cannot remain indifferent to all of this: our Holy Mother, the Church, is suffering and we have the duty to apply medicine to Her wounds, inasmuch as it is granted us to do so, by means of the offerings of sacrifices and prayers to hasten Her recovery.

If the God-man, Jesus Christ, came to repair man’s sin against God, which was worked by our first parents at the instigation of the Devil (a sin of infinite offense inasmuch as it was offered directly against the Divine Majesty of God’s Authority), man, as redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Son of God, in union with Christ Himself and with His Church, can also contribute himself to reparation for the sins which are perpetrated against His Divine Heart. Every baptized Catholic, participating in this limited manner with the Priesthood of Christ by means of the sacramental character (cf St. Thomas Summa. III pars q. 63 a. 3), is called and make suitable to offer to the Merciful Heart of Jesus, reparatory actions in strict union with the Passion of Christ.

Certainly, since grace supposes nature, it will be necessary for each one, according to the duties of his state, to go ahead on his own initiative, and perform those actions which are commensurate and adequate to the end of defending and promoting the social reign of Christ, against the “prince of this world”, who today, more than ever, “goes about like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). But in vain will every effort be without the unction of Grace. And though this be conferred efficaciously in the ordinary manner by means of the Sacraments, the sacrifices offered to Our Lord with devotion and upright intention, will obtain a new outpouring of sanctifying grace in the soul, which Grace confers a singular fruitfulness to every good action.

In sum: Let us make reparation. Let us hasten the triumph of Christ’s Church: may She return as soon as possible to the splendor of the Light of Her Lord in words and in the life of Her children, so that the world might believe!

Cor Iesu Sacratissimum, adveniat Regnum tuum!

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy Kingdom come!

 

HOW TO PRACTICE THE PRAYER OF REPARATION

Every Friday (as possible), after having made the above Act of Offering, with the intention of making reparation for the sins against the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, recite the Holy Rosary and add the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with its collect. As much as possible, do this in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament, or at least, make a 15 minute visit to Our Lord in adoration and expiation. In case of particular necessity, further forms of reparation and penance will be suggested by the League, according to the Ignatian principle: agere contra (“Do the opposite of what the Devil is promoting”).

 

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mother’s womb,

Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God.

Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty.

Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God.

Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High.

Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven.

Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity.

Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love.

Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love.

Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues.

Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise.

Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts.

Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead.

Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased.

Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received.

Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills.

Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy.

Heart of Jesus, rich to all who call upon You.

Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness.

Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses.

Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches.

Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities.

Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death.

Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance.

Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation.

Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection.

Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation.

Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins.

Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in You.

Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in You.

Heart of Jesus, delight of all saints.

 

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,

spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,

graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Jesus, meek and humble of Heart,

Make our hearts like unto Thine.

 

Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Thy most beloved Son and upon the praises and satisfaction which He offers Thee in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Thy mercy, in Thy great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee forever and ever. Amen.

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Da Ivereigh all’abdicazione

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I passi canonici resi necessari dallo scandalo del “Team Bergoglio”

Traduzione dell’originale inglese da Antonio Marcantonio

Life-sized 18th c Manger Scene, venerated for centuries at Acireale, Sicily (Photo by Br. Alexis Bugnolo)
Life-sized 18th c Manger Scene, venerated for centuries at Acireale, Sicily (Photo by Br. Alexis Bugnolo)

Roma — 6 gennaio 2015: In occasione della solennità dell’Epifania del Signore, la Chiesa Cattolica celebra il trionfo della luce sulle tenebre, il trionfo della Luce Eterna sulle tenebre che questo mondo ha ereditato dal peccato di Adamo, tenebre che sono la conseguenza del peccato e consistono nella separazione da Dio e nella perdita della Luce di Dio che – se non fosse stato per il peccato originale – avrebbe condotto la stirpe di Adamo a una splendida gloria, già a partire dalla sua prima progenie. Nella giornata di oggi la Chiesa celebra la rivelazione della Luce Eterna incarnata nel seno della Santissima Vergine, rivelata a tutti i Gentili che cercano Dio; non a tutti i Gentili, si badi bene, bensì solo a quanti di loro – come i Magi di un tempo – Lo cercano con sincerità e con zelo.

Questo grande Mistero che oggi celebriamo deve riecheggiare in tutte le scelte di vita che facciamo, deve riecheggiare nell’intera vita della Chiesa e in tutte le Sue scelte, e deve riecheggiare anche nel governo della Chiesa tramite le scelte che la Gerarchia Sacra fa.

Una Chiesa che non osservi le Sue stesse leggi, quindi, non può in nessun modo affermare di essere la Chiesa che proclama il Mistero dell’Epifania; per questa ragione, la corruzione all’interno della Chiesa è da considerarsi un’abominevole negazione della verità di tutto ciò che l’Epifania rappresenta.

È pertanto assolutamente opportuno affermare ancóra una volta che i fatti vincolati allo scandalo del “Team Bergoglio” e le sue conseguenze legali richiedono in modo estremo e supremo lo scioglimento dei dubbi e delle questioni che hanno sollevato.

Per questa ragione, il blog From Rome procede ora alla stesura di un riepilogo della Causa Canonica contro il “Team Bergoglio” e a mostrare le ragioni per cui la validità dell’elezione del Cardinal Bergoglio ne risulta palesemente invalidata, lasciando alla tesi contraria scarse probabilità di dimostrarsi certa. Un riassunto dei reportage sullo scandalo del “Team Bergoglio” è disponibile – insieme ai post del blog From Rome che ad esso si riferiscono – nella nostra Cronologia dei reportage sul Team Bergoglio, che viene aggiornata regolarmente. Per maggior comodità del lettore, riassumiamo i fatti contenuti negli articoli elencati nella Cronologia stessa.

L’infrazione del paragrafo 81 della Universi Dominici Gregis

Nel nono capitolo della sua biografia di Papa Francesco, Il Grande Riformatore: Francesco e la creazione di un Papa radicale, il Dr. Austen Ivereigh, ex-portavoce del Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, afferma che otto Cardinali hanno conspirato con successo per l’elezione del Cardinal Bergoglio, sollecitando la promessa di voti da parte di venticinque Cardinali elettori al primo scrutinio del Conclave del 12 marzo 2013. Dal testo di Ivereigh si deduce che due o tre tra i cospiratori non erano elettori. In base ai termini del paragrafo 81 della costituzione apostolica Universi Dominici Gregis (UDG), gli elettori che partecipano a qualsiasi tipo di patto, accordo o promessa di voti stretta per mezzo di qualsiasi tipo di obbligazione – tanto di carattere leggero come di carattere forte – incorrono nella pena della scomunica. I termini utilizzati dall’UDG 81 indicano chiaramente che la scomunica deve essere intesa come una scomunica ipso facto che viene imposta nell’atto stesso della trasgressione. In una trasmissione della BBC del 12 marzo 2013, il Dr. Ivereigh ha ammesso di aver incontrato il presunto leader della campagna elettorale, il Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, riconoscendo anche – nella stessa apparizione sulla BBC – che ogni tipo di accordo relativo ai voti è proibito dalla norma papale. In un’intervista sul giornale, Catholic Herald, del 12 settembre 2013, il Cardinale ha ammesso di essere stato il leader di una campagna a favore di colui che sarebbe poi stato eletto come Papa Francesco e che quest’ultimo non solo era a conoscenza del fatto, ma gliene rese anche grazie il giorno successivo all’elezione; il Cardinale ha anche confermato nella stessa intervista che all’epoca del 12 marzo 2013 il Cardinal Bergoglio sapeva che sarebbe stato un candidato e che avrebbe ricevuto un gran numero di voti al primo scrutinio. Nessuno dei Cardinali di cui è stato fatto nome come persone implicate ha mai sostanzialmente o totalmente negato queste affermazioni dal momento in cui sono diventate per la prima volta di dominio pubblico, sei settimane fa, il 23 novembre 2014.*

Le pene stabilite dal Canone 1329 si applicano al Cardinal Bergoglio

In base al Canone 1329, tutti i Cardinali elettori che hanno partecipato a un accordo di questo tipo – dato che il reato non avrebbe potuto essere compiuto senza di loro – incorrono nello stesso tipo di scomunica. Tra questi rientra il Cardinal Bergoglio: se si considera che avrebbe potuto arrestare la campagna che si stava organizzando manifestando semplicemente la sua ripugnanza nei confronti della perpetrazione di un reato, si deve riconoscere, l’eventualità che egli non fosse a conoscenza della natura di quest’ultimo deve essere considerata virtualmente impossibile. In un video di un’intervista diffuso recentemente, il Dr. Ivereigh ammette che il Cardinal Bergoglio arrivò a Roma per partecipare al Conclave con l’intenzione di essere un candidato. L’insistenza con cui egli espresse il desiderio di acquistare biancheria intima il giorno dopo l’elezione può anche indicare che fosse cosciente del fatto che il modo in cui fu eletto avrebbe potuto incriminarlo qualora non si fosse mostrato libero di ogni intenzione di essere eletto. Sostenere che Bergoglio non fosse consapevole della natura della campagna significherebbe pretendere che non abbia mai parlato con nessuno dei suoi sostenitori prima delle sessioni chiuse del Conclave, che non abbia esercitato alcuna forma di controllo sulla sua elezione, che non abbia cercato di ottenere il papato e che non si aspettasse di essere eletto.

Il Cardinal Bergoglio fu eletto con 78 voti

Secondo le voci trapelate, il Cardinal Bergoglio avrebbe ottenuto 16 voti al primo scrutinio e avrebbe vinto poi le elezioni all’ultimo ballottaggio del 13 marzo 2013 con 78 voti, solo due in più rispetto alla maggioranza di due terzi richiesta per l’elezione (76). I Cardinali Elettori e quanti hanno loro prestato assistenza nella Cappella Sistina il 12 e 13 marzo 2013 sono le uniche persone che conoscono il numero esatto dei voti. Tuttavia, tutti sono vincolati dal giuramento a non rivelarlo senza il permesso esplicito del Papa. I numeri riportati provengono da presunte indiscrezioni di qualcuno di loro, sorte nel clima d’euforia nel momento che ha seguìto l’elezione di Papa Francesco.

Il Canone 171 invalida l’elezione in ragione della violazione dell’UDG 81

In base alla norma stabilita dal Canone 171 §1, i voti degli elettori scomunicati non possono essere inclusi nel conteggio; il Canone 171 §2 stabilisce che, nel caso in cui essi vengano conteggiati come parte dei voti necessari per raggiungere il numero richiesto per l’elezione, quest’ultima è nulla e non valida. Il comma 3 del primo paragrafo del Canone 171 fa menzione di persone scomunicate per sentenza giudiziale o per decreto; il Canone 20 specifica che tutte le leggi papali come la UDG sono decreti generali; il testo latino dell’UDG 81 usa lo stesso verbo di imposizione specificato come condizione per il Canone 171 §1, ° 3 (innodare). È quindi fuor di dubbio che il Canone 171 invalidi delle elezioni papali in cui il numero di voti necessari per raggiungere il quorum (la maggioranza di due terzi) è stato ottenuto includendo nel conteggio 16 voti di altrettanti elettori scomunicati, come sembra essere il caso dello scandalo del “Team Bergoglio”. Certo, è possibile che qualcuno dei 16 voti emessi al primo scrutinio non siano stati promessi, ma è virtualmente impossibile che meno di due lo siano stati.

Cosa si deve fare adesso

Dato che il caso ha raggiunto un livello sufficiente di attendibilità per quanto riguarda la sua facti species, ossia, in base all’apparenza dei fatti, esso deve essere giudicato dalle autorità competenti.

Inoltre, dato che il caso riguarda l’invalidità delle elezioni, è necessario assicurare la validità di un giudizio in merito in modo tale che – indipendentemente dalla sentenza emessa dal giudizio stesso – le sue conclusioni siano raggiunte in base a un metodo che tutte le parti considerino, di comune accordo, lecito, legittimo e valido.

Se il Cardinal Bergoglio è stato eletto validamente, la sua autorità come Papa sarebbe sufficiente a sbrogliare la materia. Ma nell’ipotesi in cui egli non sia stato eletto validamente, il compito di farlo spetta al Sacro Collegio dei Cardinali in virtù dell’autorità conferita loro dall’UDG 5.

Sembra quindi saggio proporre quanto segue per giudicare il caso dello scandalo del “Team Bergoglio”:

  1. Il Papa convochi un concistoro cui partecipino sia i Cardinali elettori all’epoca in cui è stato eletto tanto quelli che non erano elettori al conclave del 2013, insieme ai Cardinali creati sotto il pontificato di Papa Francesco, che tuttavia non avranno diritto di pronunciarsi e di voto, per loro propria libera decisione.
  2. Il Papa esprima in un concistoro, in tutta umiltà, la sua volontà di abdicare qualora si scoprisse che la sua elezione non era valida.
  3. Il Papa, nel concistoro, esima tutti i Cardinali riuniti dal loro voto di segretezza riguardo a tutte le informazioni concernenti il conclave, in modo che essi possano parlare liberamente.
  4. I Cardinali stabiliscano per voto unanime che il successore di Papa Francesco, nel caso in cui questi abdichi o la sua elezione sia invalidata, esima allo stesso modo tutti loro da tale voto.
  5. Il Decano del Collegio chiami i Cardinali a rispondere – presentando testimonianza individuale – se gli sia stato chiesto di promettere di votare per qualche Cardinale specifico.
  6. I Cardinali, in virtù dell’autorità loro conferita dall’UDG 5, determinino se le testimonianze date mettano in dubbio la validità dell’elezione del 2013, e decidano con giudizio unanime se tale dubbio sia da ritenersi ragionevolmente una minaccia per l’unità della Chiesa.
  7. Papa Francesco confermi qualsiasi cosa essi determinino.
  8. Papa Francesco, nel caso di un giudizio affermativo, abdichi al suo ufficio tramite decreto scritto, in presenza dell’intero Sacro collegio; nel caso di un giudizio negativo, pubblichi i risultati dell’indagine e garantisca ai Cardinali la libertà di parlare in pubblico dell’intero affare una volta che il concistoro sia terminato, al fine di confermare la sua autenticità e mettere a tacere ogni dubbio.

 

Essendo che il caso sembra tanto solido, se quanti sono a conoscenza della falsità o della verità di qualcuno dei fatti o delle interpretazioni canoniche di cui sopra tacciono in questo momento, peccano gravemente o per mancanza di amore per la verità e per la reputazione delle persone coinvolte, o come complici dei fatti. Se le autorità competenti non emetteranno un giudizio su un caso indiscusso, la Chiesa Stessa sarà gravemente danneggiata nella Sua reputazione e nella Sua adesione al Mistero dell’Epifania, quello della manifestazione della Luce, della Verità eterna, incarnata in mezzo a noi.

_____________________

*  Vedi l’articolo L’infondatezza delle recenti smentite del “Team Bergoglio”– in inglese; ma qualche ora dopo la pubblicazione di quest’articolo, il Nieuwsblad.be in Belgio, pubblica un articolo in quale il Cardinale Danneels, tramite il suo portavoce, smentisce il patteggiamento di voti fatto da lui prima il conclave.

Ecclesiology

If the College of Cardinals fails …

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The College of Cardinal-Electors convenes for the 20143Conclave
The College of Cardinal-Electors convenes for the 20143Conclave

Rome, January 30, 2015:  Two days following the presentation by the From Rome blog of the apparent canonical crimes committed by “Team Bergoglio” — the name given by Dr. Austen Ivereigh, former spokesman for Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor to the group of 8 Cardinals who lobbied for Cardinal Bergoglio’s election before and during the Conclave of 2013 — Fr. Frederico Lombardi, the papal spokesman, announced that Pope Francis had called a special consistory of Cardinals, on Feb. 14-15, to name 20 new Cardinals, in the attempt to alter forever the character of the College, from one whose majority was appointed by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, to one whose majority is comprised of those named by Pope Francis or who were involved in vote-canvassing for his election.*

The probity of the case against “Team Bergoglio” was demonstrated amply in our article, on January 6, 2015: From Ivereigh to Abdication, the Canonical steps implied by the “Team Bergoglio” scandal. And the canonical basis for raising the question of the invalidity of the papal election, during Consistory in February, was explained in our January 17th article, Every Single Cardinal-Elector has right to demand resolution of “Team Bergoglio” scandal.

But what if the College of Cardinals fails?

It is obvious, that if the 20 new nominations by Pope Francis are added to the College of Cardinals, that there will be, de facto, no capacity for that body to investigate the allegations against the validity of Pope Francis’ election, which arise either from Dr. Ivereigh’s narrative of events or Antonio Socci’s investigation in to the irregularities of the proceedure during conclave, as expressed in his book, Non è Francesco, which is a  best-seller in Italy. Both doubts arise from statements made, not by Cardinal Bergoglio’s opponents, but by his supporters who claim to have spoken to Cardinal-Electors (in Ivereigh’s case) or Cardinal Bergoglio himself (in Socci’s case). Testimonies of great probity, therefore.

For a complete Chronology of reports about the “Team Bergoglio” scandal, see our Chronology.

Moreover, as of today, 354 Catholics from around the world have petitioned the College of Cardinals to investigate the charges of Cardinal Bergoglio’s heterodoxy and heterodox practice in his personal behavior before and after his papal “election”, on which grounds they believe he should be judged as invalidly elected and deposed as a heretic. How many of the Cardinals know of this petition is unknown.  Though some public response is certainly warranted, even on that.

Catholics the world-over, then, might ask, after Feb. 15th, if the new Cardinals are installed, what will become of the Church?

Cardinal Bergoglio, since the time of the Conclave in 2013, has shown in the clearest and most consistent fashion, for all who have eyes, to see, that he does not hold the Catholic Faith — even though, after speaking spontaneously against it, when it is pointed out, he excuses himself, with the suggestion that he did not mean to deny anything — his consistent expressions of personal belief and consistent impenitence and artificiality in the attempts to mop up after the scandals he provokes, shows that he is merely protecting his claim to the office, so as to further his professed and malign design to overthrow the Church’s adhesion and loyalty to the Magisterium of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God.

Even his followers, such as Cardinal Baldissieri or Cardinal Rodiguez Maradiaga, affirm that he was behind every scandalous action at the recent Extraordinary Synod for the Family and that his intention is to irremediably and irrevokably alter the very nature of the Church.

Anyone who reads the news, knows all of this by now.  Even the Cardinals of the Sacred College.

If they do not act, then, it is clear that they are complicit as a body in the work and intention of Cardinal Bergoglio to overthrow the Catholic Church.  They, then, become, not just suspect of heresy, but most of all of pertinacity in collusion with Cardinal Bergoglio.  They thus lose all right to represent the clergy of Rome, in virtue of canon 194, which reads in Latin as follows:

 Can. 194 — § 1. Ipso iure ab ecclesiastico amovetur:

1° qui statum clericalem amiserit;
2° qui a fide catholica aut a communione Ecclesiae publice defecerit;
3° clericus qui matrimonium etiam civile tantum attentaverit.

§ 2. Amotio, de qua in nn. 2 et 3, urgeri tantum potest, si de eadem auctoritatis competentis declaratione constet.

Which, in our unofficial, but literal English translation reads as follows:

Canon 194 — § 1. By the law itself there is removed from the ecclesiastical state:

  1.  He who has lost the clerical state;
  2. He who has publicly failed from the Catholic Faith or from the Church’s communion;
  3. A cleric who will have attempted marriage, even only civilly.

§ 2.  The removal, concerning which there is mention in nn. 2 & 3, can be prosecuted, only if it be established by the declaration of a competent authority concerning the same.

For it is obvious, that he who conspires to reject the teaching of Christ Jesus, is a heretic and enemy of the Catholic Church. He can no more be considered in communion with Her, than a deadly virus can be considered part of the body which it infects.°  Paragraph § 2, explains that, first, the competent authority judges the facts, and only then it is licit to remove the individual(s) from their offices.

The Divine & Natural Right of the Clergy of Rome

That the competent authority in such a grave matter is the Clergy of the Diocese of Rome, is, without question, their divine and natural right. Divine, by the fact that the clergy of every diocese, in questions of the heresy of their own bishop and his collaborators, have the right to expel them from the communion of the Church; natural, since there is no authority in any society to expel except those who retain the nature and form of that society faithfully.

This twofold right of the Clergy of Rome is affirmed by the Catholic Encyclopedia published more than 100 years ago, in its article on the Election of Popes, where it says:

The supreme headship of the Church is, we have seen, annexed to the office of Roman bishop. The pope becomes chief pastor because he is Bishop of Rome: he does not become Bishop of Rome because he has been chosen to be head of the universal Church. Thus, an election to the papacy is, properly speaking, primarily an election to the local bishopric. The right to elect their bishop has ever belonged to the members of the Roman Church. They possess the prerogative of giving to the universal Church her chief pastor; they do not receive their bishop in virtue of his election by the universal Church. This is not to say that the election should be by popular vote of the Romans. In ecclesiastical affairs it is always for the hierarchy to guide the decisions of the flock. The choice of a bishop belongs to the clergy: it may be confined to the leading members of the clergy. It is so in the Roman Church at present. The electoral college of cardinals exercise their office because they are the chief of the Roman clergy. Should the college of cardinals ever become extinct, the duty of choosing a supreme pastor would fall, not on the bishops assembled in council, but upon the remaining Roman clergy. At the time of the Council of Trent Pius IV, thinking it possible that in the event of his death the council might lay some claim to the right, insisted on this point in a consistorial allocution.

In all things, let there be propriety, discretion and conscientiousness

Thus, if the Sacred College fails to repudiate the malign intentions and resolve the doubts as to the validity of the election, the clergy of the Diocese of Rome have the right to adjudicate the matter.  This would include the right to interrogate the parties, whether Cardinal Bergoglio and the other members or co-conspirators in the “Team Bergoglio” scandal, or whoever can give testimony to the lack of Catholic Faith among himself or his supporters.

They need only to judge the cases at hand, each of which is sufficient to arrive at a declaration, either in virtue of the papal law UDG 4, that the conclave of 2015 did not conduct a canonically valid election, or that Pope Francis by his personal heresy, manifest in his malign intentions to break from fidelity to Christ regarding any matter whatsoever. In such interrogations, the Cardinals cannot plead that they are bound by the vow of the Conclave, because in judicial proceedings, testimony given in no way violates a vow of secrecy, since the good of the Church is superior to all vows in such matters.

The clergy of the Diocese of Rome includes not only the priests and deacons incardinated, but also the Auxiliary Bishops and all the Archbishops and Bishops and priests and monsignors who are incardinated in the Vatican, which though a separate country in civil law, remain a part of the Diocese of Rome in canon law. In such a trial, Cardinals who are of such an age as not to have participated in the Conclave of 2013 or Consistory of 2015, such as  the Pope Emeritus, “Father Benedict” as he now asks to be called, would have a right to participate as judges, as well as all the retired auxiliary bishops and priests and deacons of the Diocese of Rome who are still incardinated in the Diocese.

Thus, it is God who will have the last laugh, because by merely naming new Cardinal-electors an uncanonically elected man can never obtain a fait accompli over the Church of  Rome.

__________________________

* 115 Cardinals participated in the 2013 Conclave.  Dr. Ivereigh says that “Team Bergoglio” was comprised of 8 Cardinals (7 who actively participated, 1 who tallied votes promises) and 2 possible co-conspirators, who sought 25 promised votes for the first ballot.  One can assume with a high degree of probability, that if they succeeded in this for the first round of voting, as Dr. Ivereigh says, that they continued this practice after the first round, and that therefore, some of the 53 votes garnered later were also promised.  All of those Cardinals who vote canvassed or vote promised would have been ipso facto ex-communicated; the seriousness of which charge was recently demonstrated on January 6, 2015, when Cardinal Danneels through is spokesman, explicitly denied vote-canvassing for Cardinal Bergoglio. Hence, the 120+ Cardinal electors to be after Feb. 15th, will be a majority of pro-Bergoglio men, unwilling in all probability of hearing any case regarding the invalidity of his election or judging justly about it.

°  Here, one must rightly distinguish and recognize that it is one thing to have sufficient probity to act as if the Roman Pontiff is a heretic or uncanonically elected so as to urge a trial or investigation, quite another to hold that he is such; since the latter requires certitude of evidence in regard to private judgements, and also a forensic act of judgement by a competent authority, in regard to public judgements.  This is why it is a very grave and necessary thing to have a resolution of the “Team Bergoglio” scandal by public judgement, because the Church risks not only the deprivation of the rights of all the faithful to having a legitimate successor to St. Peter, but also a schism between adherents of an apparently false candidate and those who insist upon a legitimate one.

Editorials, Faith

Don’t imagine for a moment you can be saved, if you don’t love the truth zealously

St Michael the Archangel, the First Defender of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ
St Michael the Archangel, the First Defender of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ

Editorial — Ever since Immanuel Kant —who asserted without foundation that the human mind could not know truth, but understood the world by imposing categories upon reality and understanding what it knew according to those pre-existing innate categories — a monstrous and apocalyptic error has spread the spirit of Lucifer, the deceiver, abroad the nations of the Earth: this is the error of voluntarism, that says that a thing is good if I will it, and evil if I do not will it.

So widespread is this error today, that nearly everything is beholden to it.  It is magnified by another demonic error, that of unbridled liberty, which transmogrifies true liberty, “the right to act free from constraint of unjust violence or threat”, into a horrible orc-like caricature, the morality of the libertine, which holds that liberty is “the right to do whatever I want, when I want it, free from constraint of all justice or the will of another”.

Together, along with innumerable other errors, voluntarism and libertinism have spawned the death and destruction of hundreds of millions of little ones in the womb, by surgical or chemical abortion, and tens of millions more in the wars with which nationalists, socialists and communists have striven to overthrow the Christian and natural order of men. But by far their worst consequence is the damnation of billions of souls, for all eternity, in the unimaginable torments of Hell.

And, in our own days, the advocates of both errors have shown great zeal for their error by exalting themselves in the courts of civil law and by dictating therefrom to man and God, saying falsely that it is licit to do every evil, engage in all manner of perversion or monstrous devilry.

In an age of so great a darkness, it is easy to veer into the void of the abyss by even small errors.  And since the abyss of our age calls for the just punishment of the eternal abyss of Hell from God’s Justice which is as inexorable as it is unbending, it behooves us miserable weak men to guard ourselves with the utmost care from veering off into the darkness.

If we do not love the truth, we should not delude ourselves: we are no longer Christians, but wannabe devils working to heap up a foul pile of merits worthy of the everlasting fires of the Inferno.

But if we do not love the truth, zealously, then we should not imagine that we can be saved, either: because being but weak men, not Angels, the course of our interior life, of our spiritual and moral life, is such that every moment takes its departure from the course we have already undertaken.  For this reason, even a small moral error inclines us to great evil; and a lack of continuity in virtue guarantees a fall.

How many who have committed 1 mortal sin, imagine themselves able to rise again when they want, simply with a good confession; when in reality the pride which gave that sin of death birth, lives still and turns their entire moral life into something undead and corrupt, such that they fall again and again in the same mortal sins for the rest of their lives, even with what they image were “good” confessions?

The same is true of the sins of omission.  While sins which we commit are easier to number, because we can remember what we did; sins of omission escape the notice, especially of those who are willfully unaware.  For this reason, Our Lord warns us sternly in the Gospel to “take heed of what you hear”!

The greatest sin of omission in our age is the lack of zeal for the truth which God has revealed to us in Christ; of studying that truth, of putting that truth into practice, of loyalty unto death no matter what sacrifice for that truth.

Without dogmatic faith, that is assent to the truths revealed by the true God, as taught by the God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, it is impossible to please God in the present moment, in life, or in eternity.  That faith requires a zealous love of the truth.  Such a love makes a man noble because it enriches him with a priceless treasure which will last forever: God.

For those who are heeding the seducing calls from Cardinals Bergoglio, Kasper, Marx, Baldissieri and Rodiguez Maradiaga, to compromise with this age of darkness, with its errors, morals and values: don’t fool yourselves. They are the pied pipers of the netherworld, whose zeal is to lead men away from truth, into eternal damnation.

Faith

Bl. Emmerich’s prophecy of Schism in the time of 2 Popes

With commentary in Italics by From Rome blog, regarding how it may apply to our own day

May 13, 1820. — “Last night, from eleven to three, I had a most wonderful vision of two churches and two Popes and a variety of things, ancient and modern.

“I shall relate, as well as I can, all that I remember of it. My angel-guardian came and told me that I must go to Rome and take two things to the Pope; but I cannot now recall what they were — perhaps it is the will of God that I should forget them. I asked my angel how I could make so long a journey, sick as I was. But when I was told that I should make it without difficulty, I no longer objected. — An odd-looking vehicle appeared before me, flat and slight, with only two wheels, the flooring red with white edges. I saw no horses.“

— This sound uncannily like the Segway’s used at Rome, to show tourists the city.  Which only came into use in recent years. I myself noticed them in use in 2010.  You can see that some of them are read in color:

Photo by Tripadvisor.com
Photo by Tripadvisor.com

“I was gently lifted and laid on it and, at the same instant, a snow-white, luminous child flew toward me and seated himself at my feet. He reminded me of the Patience-child in green, so sweet, so lovely, and perfectly transparent. He was to be my companion, he was to console and take care of me. The wagon was so light and smooth that at first I was afraid of slipping off; but it began to move very gently of Itself without horses, and I saw a shining human figure going on ahead. The journey did not seem long, although we crossed countries, mountains, and great waters. I knew Rome the instant we reached it, and I was soon in the presence of the Pope.”

— Her “experience” of traveling on this strange mode of transportation, except for the length of the journey, is exactly that of someone riding a Segway for the first time.  This places the time of the fulfillment of her prophecy in our own days.

Pope Boniface IV
Pope Boniface IV

“I know not now whether he was sleeping or praying, but I had to say two things to him, or give him two things, and I shall have to go to him once again to announce a third. — Then I had a wonderful vision. Rome suddenly appeared as in the early ages, and I saw a Pope (Boniface IV and and an Emperor whose name I knew not (Phocas). I could not find my way in the city, all was so different, even the sacred ceremonies; but yet I recognized them as Catholic. I saw a great round building like a cupola — it was a pagan temple full of beautiful idols. It had no windows, but in the dome was an opening with a contrivance for keeping out the rain. It seemed as if all the idols that ever existed were gathered together therein every conceivable posture. Many of them were very beautiful, and others exceedingly odd; there were even some of geese which received divine honor. In the center of the building stood a very high pyramid formed entirely of those images. I saw no idolatrous worship at the time of which I speak, although the idols were still carefully preserved.

Emperor Flavius Phocas
A Coin bearing the image of Emperor Flavius Phocas

— Visions are often symbolically significant, even in the details they relate. Note that she speaks of a Pope and the city of Rome under pagan influence.  When she had this vision, Rome was ruled by the Popes, but now it is under the pagan domination of the modern Republic of Italy. Note too that she says that she cannot recognize the rituals used by Catholics, they were all different. This is what a Catholic in 1820 might say of the Novus Ordo mass which arose after the Second Vatican Council.  Note too, that “Boniface” is from the Latin for “Good-doer”, it is very similar in meaning to “Benedict”, which means “Good-speaker”.  The emperor in the time of Pope Boniface IV (who reigned from August 25, 608 to May 8, 615) , was Flavius Phocas (d. Oct. 4, 610).

“I saw messengers from Pope Boniface going to the emperor and petitioning for the temple to be changed into a Christian church, I heard the latter declaring distinctly that the Pope should allow the ancient statues to remain, though he might erect therein the cross to which the highest honors should be paid. This proposal, as it seemed to me, was made not wickedly, but ” in good faith. I saw the messengers return with the answer and Boniface reflecting as to how he might in some measure conform to the emperor’s will. Whilst he was thus deliberating, I saw a good, pious priest in prayer before the crucifix. He wore a long white robe with a train, and an angel hovered by his side. Suddenly he arose, went straight to Boniface, and told him that he should by no means accede to the emperor’s proposal. Messengers were then dispatched to the emperor, who now consented to the temple’s being entirely cleared. Then I saw his people come and take numbers of the statues to the imperial city; but still many remained in Rome. Then I saw the consecration of the temple, at which ceremony the holy martyrs assisted with Mary at their side. The altar was not in the center of the building, but against the wall. I saw more than thirty wagon-loads of sacred relics brought into the church. Many of them were enclosed in the walls and others could be seen through round openings covered with something like glass.

— It is interesting to note that she speaks of this Pope Boniface who would received and accepted the sound advice of a devout Catholic priest, who dressed in traditional garb, to have nothing to do with the mixing of Catholic rites with idolatry. Which Pope had the courage to confront the civil authorities of his day with the truth, even to the point of risking their disfavor.  In the time of Emperor Flavius Phocas, the capital of the Roman Empire, the Imperial City, was Constantinople, modern Istanbul. It was in Istanbul, during the Apostolic Nunciature of the future Pope John XXIII, that an international assembly of Free Masons called for an Ecumenical Council to reunite all Christians. Note, that the new church, which Bl. Anne sees consecrated, has its altar against the wall, not like the other churches she sees.  The initiation of the restoration of the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, ad orientem, facing the tabernacle was the hallmark of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, especially through his decree Summorum Pontificum, which defended the rights of the clergy and faithful to the celebration of the ancient Roman Rite, which Bl. Anne Emmerich knew as the Mass of the universal Church.

“When I had witnessed this vision even in the smallest details, I saw again the present Pope and the dark church of his time in Rome, It seemed to be a large, old house like a town-hall with columns in front. I saw no altar in it, but only benches, and in the middle of it something like a pulpit. They had preaching and singing, but nothing else, and only very few attended it.

Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI

— This aptly describes not only the liturgical architecture but the rituals which prevail in the Latin rite since the time of Vatican II, the many abuses and deficiencies of which Pope Benedict XVI was noted for criticizing.

“And lo, a most singular sight! — Each member of the congregation drew an idol from his breast, set it up before him, and prayed to it. It was as if each man drew forth his secret thoughts or passions under the appearance of a dark cloud which, once outside, took some definite form. They were precisely such figures as I had seen around the neck of the illicit bride in the Nuptial House, figures of men and animals. The god of one was short and broad with a crisp head and numerous, outstretched arms ready to seize and devour all in its reach; that of another was quite small with miserable, shrunken limbs; another had merely a block of wood upon which he gazed with rolling eyes; this one had a horrible animal; that one, a long pole. The most singular part of it was that the idols filled the place; the church, although the worshippers were so few, was crowded with idols. When the service was over, every one’s god re-entered into his breast. The whole church was draped in black, and all that took place in it was shrouded in gloom.

— When the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass becomes a time for celebrating the community, then religion becomes nothing more than the self-affirmation of one’s own personal fancies, vices and idols.  Thus Bl. Anne aptly describes a form of Catholicism which has gone astray from a right and orthodox spirituality.

“Then I saw the connection between the two Popes and the two temples. I am sorry that I have forgotten the numbers, but I was shown how weak the one had been in adherents and human support, but how strong in courage to overturn so many gods (I knew the number) and to unite so many different forms of worship into one; and, on the contrary, how strong in numbers and yet how irresolute in action was the other since, in authorizing the erection of false temples, he had allowed the only true God, the only true religion to be lost among so many false gods and false religions.

— Here Bl. Anne critiques the two “churches” which exist among the Catholic faithful: one which which has few members, but great zeal to overthrow false religions and establish authentic Catholic worship, suitable to the rites of many nations — this is the Catholic Church; the other which has many members, but little zeal for defending the true Religion from the false, compromising with the world — this is the Church of Modernists and the Church born of the Aggiornamento.

“It was also shown me that those pagans humbly adored gods other than themselves, and that they would have been willing to admit in all simplicity the only God, the Most Holy Trinity. Their worship was preferable to that of those who adore themselves in a thousand idols to the total exclusion of Our Lord. The picture was favorable to the early ages, for in them idolatry was on the decrease, whilst in our days it is just the contrary.

— Here Bl. Emmerich gives us a key for interpreting her vision of Pope Benedict IV as applying to Pope Benedict XVI, because she says, “The picture was favorable to the early ages…” and shows that her vision of the former was a spiritual interpretation of the state of the Church under the latter.

Pope Francis
Pope Francis

— Next, she speaks of the Church of the Modernists, who in our day are lead by the followers of Cardinal Martini and Cardinal Kasper, under the aegis of Pope Francis’ protection and promotion:

“I saw the fatal consequences of this counterfeit church; I saw it increase; I saw heretics of all kinds flocking to the city (1). I saw the ever-increasing tepidity of the clergy, the circle of darkness ever widening. — And now the vision became more extended.

— At this point in her vision, Bl. Anne seems to speak of things yet to come, an ominous persecution of the Catholic Church by the civil and ecclesiastical powers of the Church of the Modernists:

“I saw in all places Catholics oppressed, annoyed, restricted, and deprived of liberty, churches were closed, and great misery prevailed everywhere with war and bloodshed. I saw rude, ignorant people offering violent resistance, but this state of things lasted not long. Again I saw in vision St. Peter’s undermined according to a plan devised by the secret sect whilst, at the same time, it was damaged by storms; but it was delivered at the moment of greatest distress.

— This persecution could refer to Pope Francis’ notable persecution of Catholic Bishops, clergy, religious and laity who attend the ancient Roman Rite: for several Bishops have been removed for promoting this mass, many priests and religious and laity have been denied this mass or persecuted in Italy and throughout the world, at express direction of Pope Francis, for their loyalty to this ancient rite.  Such a persecution, according to Rev. Fr. Matthias of Corona, S.T.D. Paris, A Carmelite of Liège, is grounds for the College of Cardinals to depose the pope.  However, Bl. Anne sees the salvation of the Church by divine means:

“Again I saw the Blessed Virgin extending her mantle over it. In this last scene. I saw no longer the reigning Pope, but one of his successors, a mild, but very resolute man who knew how to attach his priests to himself and who drove far from him the bad. I saw all things renewed and a church which reached from earth to heaven.”

News

For Cardinal Bergoglio, Lent is a time without sin or repentance

Pope-Francis1

Rome, January 27, 2015:  Following the seemingly innumerable occasions in which Pope Francis has spoken in public and given objective scandal by his remarks, which have diverged so much from the manner in which Catholics speak, that not a few Catholics, in books, letters, editorials and blogs, have publicly speculated that he is a heretic, there has been frequent occasions in which Catholics find themselves questioning whether Cardinal Bergoglio is Catholic or has the supernatural habit of faith.

One common criticism, which one finds on the Internet, is based on the observation that in his public discourses the word “faith” is either absent or is emptied of all dogmatic significance.  Even the pope’s own words support this interpretation because he rarely or ever refers to the necessity of the assent of the mind to revealed truth, or the importance of this assent of faith in the daily life of Christians.

Lent is an important occasion for the whole Church to be renewed in Her adhesion to the Lord in faith, hope and charity, by means of repentance, penitence, penance and conversion.  All Catholics know this from their earliest years.

For that reason, it is more than remarkable, that in Pope Francis’ Message for Lent in 2015, published today by the Vatican Press office, he makes no mention of dogmatic faith, sin, repentance, or conversion in the sense of turning from one’s personal sins.

You see, without dogmatic faith, man cannot recognize that his personal moral choices are offensive to or divergent from God’s Will, and thus, without dogmatic faith, there is, in the mind of the individual, no sin, no need for repentance, no need for moral conversion.  The words of the pope on important occasions continue to give the impression that such is his personal conception of the Catholic Religion.

Yet, if for Jorge Mario Bergoglio, faith has not the dogmatic content and significance and obligation which the Church has always taught, it is not a question of whether he is a heretic or not, he would not even be a Christian. Thus, the lack of evidence of dogmatic faith in his public discourses is a true public scandal, in which he is at fault, not bloggers for pointing this out.

But don’t take my word, read the official English translation (source), which has the same deficiencies as the original Italian:

«Make your hearts firm» (Jas 5:8)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Lent is a time of renewal for the whole Church, for each communities and every believer. Above all it is a “time of grace” (2 Cor 6:2). God does not ask of us anything that he himself has not first given us. “We love because he first has loved us” (1 Jn 4:19). He is not aloof from us. Each one of us has a place in his heart. He knows us by name, he cares for us and he seeks us out whenever we turn away from him. He is interested in each of us; his love does not allow him to be indifferent to what happens to us. Usually, when we are healthy and comfortable, we forget about others (something God the Father never does): we are unconcerned with their problems, their sufferings and the injustices they endure… Our heart grows cold. As long as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I don’t think about those less well off. Today, this selfish attitude of indifference has taken on global proportions, to the extent that we can speak of a globalization of indifference. It is a problem which we, as Christians, need to confront.

When the people of God are converted to his love, they find answers to the questions that history continually raises. One of the most urgent challenges which I would like to address in this Message is precisely the globalization of indifference.

Indifference to our neighbour and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience.

God is not indifferent to our world; he so loves it that he gave his Son for our salvation. In the Incarnation, in the earthly life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, the gate between God and man, between heaven and earth, opens once for all. The Church is like the hand holding open this gate, thanks to her proclamation of God’s word, her celebration of the sacraments and her witness of the faith which works through love (cf. Gal 5:6). But the world tends to withdraw into itself and shut that door through which God comes into the world and the world comes to him. Hence the hand, which is the Church, must never be surprised if it is rejected, crushed and wounded.

God’s people, then, need this interior renewal, lest we become indifferent and withdraw into ourselves. To further this renewal, I would like to propose for our reflection three biblical texts.

1. “If one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Cor 12:26) – The Church

The love of God breaks through that fatal withdrawal into ourselves which is indifference. The Church offers us this love of God by her teaching and especially by her witness. But we can only bear witness to what we ourselves have experienced. Christians are those who let God clothe them with goodness and mercy, with Christ, so as to become, like Christ, servants of God and others. This is clearly seen in the liturgy of Holy Thursday, with its rite of the washing of feet. Peter did not want Jesus to wash his feet, but he came to realize that Jesus does not wish to be just an example of how we should wash one another’s feet. Only those who have first allowed Jesus to wash their own feet can then offer this service to others. Only they have “a part” with him (Jn 13:8) and thus can serve others.

Lent is a favourable time for letting Christ serve us so that we in turn may become more like him. This happens whenever we hear the word of God and receive the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. There we become what we receive: the Body of Christ. In this body there is no room for the indifference which so often seems to possess our hearts. For whoever is of Christ, belongs to one body, and in him we cannot be indifferent to one another. “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honoured, all the parts share its joy” (1 Cor 12:26).

The Church is the communio sanctorum not only because of her saints, but also because she is a communion in holy things: the love of God revealed to us in Christ and all his gifts. Among these gifts there is also the response of those who let themselves be touched by this love. In this communion of saints, in this sharing in holy things, no one possesses anything alone, but shares everything with others. And since we are united in God, we can do something for those who are far distant, those whom we could never reach on our own, because with them and for them, we ask God that all of us may be open to his plan of salvation.

2. “Where is your brother?” (Gen 4:9) – Parishes and Communities

All that we have been saying about the universal Church must now be applied to the life of our parishes and communities. Do these ecclesial structures enable us to experience being part of one body? A body which receives and shares what God wishes to give? A body which acknowledges and cares for its weakest, poorest and most insignificant members? Or do we take refuge in a universal love that would embrace the whole world, while failing to see the Lazarus sitting before our closed doors (Lk 16:19-31)?

In order to receive what God gives us and to make it bear abundant fruit, we need to press beyond the boundaries of the visible Church in two ways.

In the first place, by uniting ourselves in prayer with the Church in heaven. The prayers of the Church on earth establish a communion of mutual service and goodness which reaches up into the sight of God. Together with the saints who have found their fulfilment in God, we form part of that communion in which indifference is conquered by love. The Church in heaven is not triumphant because she has turned her back on the sufferings of the world and rejoices in splendid isolation. Rather, the saints already joyfully contemplate the fact that, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, they have triumphed once and for all over indifference, hardness of heart and hatred. Until this victory of love penetrates the whole world, the saints continue to accompany us on our pilgrim way. Saint Therese of Lisieux, a Doctor of the Church, expressed her conviction that the joy in heaven for the victory of crucified love remains incomplete as long as there is still a single man or woman on earth who suffers and cries out in pain: “I trust fully that I shall not remain idle in heaven; my desire is to continue to work for the Church and for souls” (Letter 254, July 14, 1897).

We share in the merits and joy of the saints, even as they share in our struggles and our longing for peace and reconciliation. Their joy in the victory of the Risen Christ gives us strength as we strive to overcome our indifference and hardness of heart.

In the second place, every Christian community is called to go out of itself and to be engaged in the life of the greater society of which it is a part, especially with the poor and those who are far away. The Church is missionary by her very nature; she is not self-enclosed but sent out to every nation and people.

Her mission is to bear patient witness to the One who desires to draw all creation and every man and woman to the Father. Her mission is to bring to all a love which cannot remain silent. The Church follows Jesus Christ along the paths that lead to every man and woman, to the very ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8). In each of our neighbours, then, we must see a brother or sister for whom Christ died and rose again. What we ourselves have received, we have received for them as well. Similarly, all that our brothers and sisters possess is a gift for the Church and for all humanity.

Dear brothers and sisters, how greatly I desire that all those places where the Church is present, especially our parishes and our communities, may become islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference!

3. “Make your hearts firm!” (James 5:8) – Individual Christians

As individuals too, we have are tempted by indifference. Flooded with news reports and troubling images of human suffering, we often feel our complete inability to help. What can we do to avoid being caught up in this spiral of distress and powerlessness?

First, we can pray in communion with the Church on earth and in heaven. Let us not underestimate the power of so many voices united in prayer! The 24 Hours for the Lord initiative, which I hope will be observed on 13-14 March throughout the Church, also at the diocesan level, is meant to be a sign of this need for prayer.

Second, we can help by acts of charity, reaching out to both those near and far through the Church’s many charitable organizations. Lent is a favourable time for showing this concern for others by small yet concrete signs of our belonging to the one human family.

Third, the suffering of others is a call to conversion, since their need reminds me of the uncertainty of my own life and my dependence on God and my brothers and sisters. If we humbly implore God’s grace and accept our own limitations, we will trust in the infinite possibilities which God’s love holds out to us. We will also be able to resist the diabolical temptation of thinking that by our own efforts we can save the world and ourselves.

As a way of overcoming indifference and our pretensions to self-sufficiency, I would invite everyone to live this Lent as an opportunity for engaging in what Benedict XVI called a formation of the heart (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 31). A merciful heart does not mean a weak heart. Anyone who wishes to be merciful must have a strong and steadfast heart, closed to the tempter but open to God. A heart which lets itself be pierced by the Spirit so as to bring love along the roads that lead to our brothers and sisters. And, ultimately, a poor heart, one which realizes its own poverty and gives itself freely for others.

During this Lent, then, brothers and sisters, let us all ask the Lord: “Fac cor nostrum secundum cor tuum”: Make our hearts like yours (Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). In this way we will receive a heart which is firm and merciful, attentive and generous, a heart which is not closed, indifferent or prey to the globalization of indifference.

It is my prayerful hope that this Lent will prove spiritually fruitful for each believer and every ecclesial community. I ask all of you to pray for me. May the Lord bless you and Our Lady keep you.

From the Vatican, 4 October 2014

Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

FRANCISCUS PP.

News

Cardinal Baldisseri furthers confusion, says pro-family coalition

REPRINTED FROM THE VOICE OF THE FAMILY BLOG

Il testo italiano segue

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri receives the red hat from Pope Francis, Feb. 22, 20 14. A. D.
Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri receives the red hat from Pope Francis, Feb. 22, 20 14. A. D.

ROME, 25 January 2015: Comments made by Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri have further undermined Church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage says Voice of the Family, an international coalition of pro-family groups.

An international conference, organised by the Pontifical Council for the Family from 22-24 January, was addressed by Cardinal Baldisseri, organiser of the upcoming Synod on the Family. The expressed purpose of the conference was to provide opportunity for 80 lay groups to assist the PCF provide input into the synod to be held in October 2015.

Baldisseri defended the right of Walter Cardinal Kasper to assert that divorced persons living in unions not recognised by the Church should be permitted to receive Holy Communion. Baldisseri, in response to a concerned pro-family advocate, told delegates that we should not be “shocked” by theologians contradicting Church teaching.  The Cardinal said that dogmas can evolve and that there would be no point holding a Synod if we were simply to repeat what had always been said. He also suggested that just because a particular understanding was held 2,000 years ago does not mean that it cannot be challenged.

Patrick Buckley, international envoy for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, commented: “The Church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage is founded on the words of Jesus Christ. These words may have been spoken 2,000 years ago but for Catholics they remain nothing other than the unchanging commands of God.”

Maria Madise, Director of Voice of the Family, said: “Cardinal Baldisseri publicly corrected a delegate who protested about attacks on Catholic teaching. It was noticeable that he refused to do the same when the Church’s teaching on contraception was denied a few moments later by a different delegate. The impression given is that the only sin today is to uphold what the Church has always taught.”

Madise continued: “Everything seemed up for discussion at this conference, including questions already clearly resolved by the magisterium of the Church. Such discussion distracts from the task of finding real solutions to the problems faced by real families. Grave evils such as abortion, euthanasia and attacks on parental rights scarcely featured in discussions. These are some of the key issues also omitted from the final report of the 2014 synod. Suffering families are not assisted by the sophistry of professional dissenters, whether clerical or lay.”

Voice of the Family urges everyone to join us in prayer for a clear reaffirmation of Catholic teaching on marriage and family in any outcome document to be produced by the Pontifical Council following this conference.

In Italian:

ROMA, 25 Gennaio 2015: I commenti del Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri hanno ulteriormente minato l’insegnamento della Chiesa riguardo all’indissolubilità del matrimonio, ad affermarlo è Voice of the Family, una coalizione internazionale di gruppi pro-famiglia.

Alla conferenza internazionale, organizzata dal Pontificio Consiglio per la Famiglia, dal’22 al 24 Gennaio è intervenuto il Cardinal Baldisseri, organizzatore del prossimo Sinodo sulla Famiglia. La conferenza mirava espressamente a fornire l’opportunità a 80 gruppi laici di assistere il Pontificio Consiglio per la Famiglia nel fornire suggerimenti per il Sinodo in programma a ottobre 2015.

Il Cardinal Baldisseri ha difeso il diritto del Cardinale Walter Kasper di asserire che i divorziati ricongiuntisi in unioni non riconosciute dalla Chiesa dovrebbero avere il permesso di ricevere la Santa Comunione. Baldisseri, in risposta a un sostenitore pro-famiglia preoccupato, ha comunicato ai delegati che non dovremmo essere “scioccati” dai teologi che contraddicono l’insegnamento della Chiesa. Il Cardinale ha affermato che i dogmi possono evolvere e che sarebbe inutile tenere un Sinodo semplicemente per ripetere quello che è sempre stato sostenuto; ha inoltre suggerito che, per il semplice fatto di esser stato posto 2.000 anni fa, non significa che un paradigma non possa esser messo in discussione.

Patrick Buckley, inviato internazionale della Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (Società per la Protezione dei Bambini Non Nati) ha commentato: “L’insegnamento della Chiesa riguardo all’indissolubilità del matrimonio è fondato sulle parole di Gesù Cristo. Queste parole possono esser state proferite 2.000 anni fa ma per i Cattolici non son null’altro che immutabili comandamenti di Dio”.

Maria Madise, Direttrice del Voice of the Family ha affermato: “Il Cardinale Baldisseri ha pubblicamente corretto un delegato che protestava in merito agli attacchi all’insegnamento Cattolico. È risultato evidente che si sia rifiutato di fare altrettanto quando, pochi istanti dopo, l’insegnamento della Chiesa sulla contraccezione è stato negato da un diverso delegato. L’impressione che si ha avuto è che il solo peccato oggi sia difendere quel che la Chiesa ha sempre insegnato”.

Madise ha proseguito: “Sembrava che a questa conferenza si potesse discutere di tutto, comprese le questioni già chiaramente risolte dal Magisterium della Chiesa. Una simile discussione distrae dal compito di trovare soluzioni reali ai problemi affrontati dalle famiglie reali. I mali gravi come l’aborto, l’eutanasia e gli attacchi ai diritti genitoriali sono stati a malapena sfiorati nelle discussioni. Queste sono alcune delle questioni chiave inoltre omesse dalla relazione finale sul Sinodo 2014. Le famiglie sofferenti non vengono assistite dalla sofisticheria dei dissidenti professionisti, ecclesiastici o laici che siano”.

Voice of the Family esorta tutti a unirsi a noi in preghiera per una chiara riaffermazione dell’insegnamento Cattolico in materia di famiglia e matrimonio in qualsiasi documento che il Pontificio Consiglio produrrà a seguito della conferenza.

Editorials, Faith, Fundamental Theology

The Difference between the Church and a restaurant

IS THE DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN CATHOLICISM AND MODERNISM

The Miraculous Crucifix of Ferla, Sicily
The Miraculous Crucifix of Ferla, Sicily

Editorial:  I heard the most absurd thing today. A journalist was interviewing the new Roman Catholic Bishop, recently appointed by Pope Francis; and the report ended by quoting the Bishop, that he was working to make the Church what it used to be, “a happy place to be” (sic)!

When I was on pilgrimage in France in the winter of 2004, I had the opportunity to beg a ride from a Catholic layman, whose name I do not remember, who after sometime began spontaneously to talk to me of his sorrow concerning the horrible state of morals into which the Catholic Church in France had fallen in recent decades. I asked him, to what he attributed the primary cause of this decline.  He said to me, “Its the bishops! I cannot understand why Rome is appointing the worst of men to be our Bishops!” Then he “confessed” his personal sense of guilt, in having spoken thus, because he considers that as a good catholic, one should not think like that, and asked me what I thought.

I was completely honest with him: I said, “You are telling me nothing different than what the laity tell me wherever I go, whether in North America or in Europe: they all say, the problem is the Bishops; even clergy lament to me, saying, “Where on earth did they find such a man to be the bishop of such and such a diocese?”

It is remarkable, even more so, when the individuals nominated do not even understand the very nature of the Church.  The Church, it should be obvious to anyone who has read the Gospel, is not a restaurant: a happy place to be; which must sell Herself like a commercial operation, pandering to each and every opportunistic proposal or desire of its patrons.

The Church is Christ’s mystical Bride, which He founded and redeemed by His Most Bloody Passion and Death, as the Ark of Salvation for all who want to be rescued from their own perdition, merited by their personal sins and/or the sin of Adam.  The Crucifixion of Our Lord is not a source of entertainment, except for the wicked headed to perdition: for the faithful it is a most serious, grave and sorrowful thing to remember.

Hence it is, that to make of the Liturgy or a church, a “happy place to be” is tantamount to overturning the entire Catholic religion in that place. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is, yes, a “Sacrifice”, not a “celebration”. To make it the latter is not to participate in it. To approach and celebrate with the former, is to authentically celebrate.

Let us not delude ourselves: to be at mass in the latter spirit, is to spiritually adulterate the mass, is to spiritually abuse Christ, making of His most Bitter Sufferings, the occasion of my own personal enjoyment, entertainment, satisfaction. That is nothing short of perverse sadism at the highest theological level.

The Church, indeed, every Church, is a place where man rejects sin, purges himself with mortification and penance, receives the reconciliation merited by Christ’s horrible Passion and Death, is nourished by the most perfect participation in that Sacrifice, which is a humbly, contrite, penitential participation in the Sacrifice by a worthy communion and a life lived in the same spirit, in fidelity to the unchanging perennial Faith, taught by Christ, received by the Apostles, handed down in Sacred Tradition.

The trick of the Modernists has been to make us change the words we use to express our Faith, so as to make of forgetful of what the Catholic Faith is all about; and to substitute in its place the sticky-sweet terminology and philosophy of the world: of hedonism, in which personal satisfaction is placed before all other things.

Perhaps, that is why the Bishop who was interviewed by this journalist is so overweight as to no longer even have a neckline.

Ecclesiology

Why does the Lord at times threaten His Church with chastisement?

Rome, January 21, 2015:  Nearly four years ago, while I lived as a hermit in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Noto, Sicily, I heard of other hermits living on the Island of Sicily, and sought them out for spiritual advice.  In the course of my travels I met a few such hermits, living in obscurity in the mountains of Sicily, and had the occasion to come to know of a vision which the Lord gave one hermit.  At that time, since I do not value private revelations that much, and because I did not know whether this vision was from God or not, I did not put much value in it.  But since that time I have come to see, with the passing events of time, that it was a prophetic vision of the doom into which the Church of Rome would fall.  For that reason, I now recognize it as of God, and for that reason I will publish it here, below.

But since many do not understand why the Lord, at times, threatens the members of His own Church with chastisement, let us first hear what St. Alphonsus dei Liguori, the Doctor of the Church, says on this matter, in his short treatise, entitled, Calamities, Chastisement, and the Love of God, in the first discourse:

CALAMATIES, CHASTISEMENT & THE LOVE OF GOD

FIRST DISCOURSE

by St. Alphonsus dei Liguori, C.Ss.R.

“Heu! consolabor super hostibus meis, et vindicabor de inimicis meis.”

“Ah, I will comfort Myself over My adversaries: and I will be revenged of My enemies.” Isaias 1.24.

SUCH is the language of God, when speaking of punishment and vengeance: He says that he is constrained by his justice to take vengeance on his enemies. But, mark you, he begins with the word Heu, “Ah”: this word is an exclamation of grief by which he would give us to understand, that if he were capable of weeping when about to punish, he would weep bitterly at being compelled to afflict us his creatures, whom he has loved so dearly as to give up his life through love for us. “‘Alas!'” says Cornelius a Lapide, “is uttered by one who is lamenting and not insulting; God signifies by this word that he is grieving, and that he is unwilling to punish sinners.”1 No, this God, who is the Father of mercies, and so much loves us, is not of a disposition to punish and afflict, but rather to pardon and console us. For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction.2

___________________

1 “Heu! dolentis est, non insultantis; significat Deus hac voce se dolentem et invitum punire peccatores.”

2 “Ego enim scio cogitationes quas ego cogito super vos, ait Dominus, cogitationes pacis, et non afflictionis.” Jer. 29.11.

___________________

But some one will say, since such is his character, why does he now punish us? or, at least, appear as if he meant to punish us? Why so? Because he wishes to be merciful towards us: this anger which he now dis- plays is all mercy and patience.

Let us then, my brethren, understand how the Lord at present appears in wrath, not with a view to our punishment, but in order that we may cleanse ourselves of our sins, and thus enable him to pardon us. Such is the subject of our discourse: GOD THREATENS TO CHASTISE IN ORDER TO DELIVER US FROM CHASTISEMENT.

The threats of men ordinarily proceed from their pride and weakness; and so, if they have it in their power to take vengeance, then they will not threaten anything, lest they should thereby give their enemies an opportunity of escape. It is only when they lack the power to inflict their vengeance that they resort to using threats, in order to gratify their passion, by awakening at least the fears of their enemies. Not so the threats of which God makes use; on the contrary, their nature is quite different. His threats do not arise from his inability to chastise, because he can be avenged when he wills; but he bears with us in order to see us repentant, and thus exempt from punishment. You have mercy upon all, because You can do all things, and overlook the sins of men so that they may repent.1 Neither does he threaten from hatred, in order to tor ment us with fear; God threatens from love, in order that we may be converted to him, and thereby escape chastisement: he threatens, because he does not wish to see us lost: he threatens, in sum, because he loves our souls. But You spare all, because they are yours, O Lord, who love souls.2 He threatens; but in spite of this he bears with us and delays in punishing, because he wishes to see us converted, not lost. He deals patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance.3 Thus the threats of God are all acts of tenderness, and loving calls of his goodness, by which he means to save us from the punishment which we deserve.

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1 “Misereris omnium, quia omnia potes, et dissimulas peccata hominum propter poenitentiam.” Wis. 11.24.

2 “Parcis autem omnibus, quoniam tua sunt, Domine, qui amas animas.” Wis. 11.27.

___________________

And now, here is what this Sicilian hermit told me he saw:*

Deutsche-Bank-Verantwortung-Responsibility_Villa-Romana

A beautiful house with a fence and garden: and in it there dwelt a most beautiful, immaculate virgin with her spouse.  Then came the day, when her spouse had to go on a long trip, and he left her at home to wait for him. At first, she waited with great fidelity, inside her house, and did not go out; but, as she allowed her impatience to overcome her, she started to look outside through her windows, to see if her spouse was returning; then, moved by greater impatience, she fell into imprudence, and she open the door and looked out on occasion for his return.  Moved by greater impatience and imprudence, and tinged now with the movement of curiosity, she would leave the door open for long hours, and occasionally go out into the yard of the home, to walk along its fence, and look out for her spouse.  But therein she was deceived, because her curiosity betrayed itself to vanity, and she began to take pleasure in going outside her house and spending time in her yard; and then, in looking beyond its fence, ostensibly to see if her spouse was returning, but more and more to enjoy what she saw there.

Then, one day an evil man dressed in the manner of a man of virtue came down the road, and caught her eye. She violated her marriage promise with her own spouse by delaying outside to speak with him. His speech was very pleasing and he praised her with many false words, seducing her with the appearance of virtue, so she betrayed her spouse by allowing this stranger into her house, where shutting the door, she fornicated with him.  He lived with her some time and squandered all the riches of her home on a life of impurity with her, until he died and she died. And that house fell into darkness and great was its ruin …

These are not the exact words, but rather my own attempt to remember what he told me and repeat it succinctly.

This vision is a warning from the Lord, our God; prophetic in the sense that it spoke of what had not yet come to pass, but what would come to pass if men did not repent.

The virgin is the Church of Rome, or rather, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church; the house is the Diocese of Rome.  Who the seducer is, is now obvious to everyone in the world.

_________________

* Here, I add the photo only for the sake of illustration. I heard of this vision in April of 2011, when I traveled to western Sicily to visit various hermits. For the hermit’s sake, I will not identify the hermit. Nor was I told the full import of the vision.

 

News

Gagliarducci: There’s a rumor that Francis is considering calling Vatican III

Rome, January 19, 2015:  Andrea Gagliarducci, a Roman journalist, who gathers his stories from the bars and restaurants around the Vatican, where the curial officials go after hours, writes in his Monday at the Vatican blog, yesterday:

This concern for the peripheries is the reason behind the rumor of papal trip to Erbil, Iraq: to meet Christian refugees. The upcoming encyclical on ecology – which the Pope made clear he will strive to complete in March – will certainly be filled with references to a missionary Church. Meanwhile it is also rumored that a first draft for the announcement of a Third Vatican Council is circulating, but no source has confirmed the report. However, other sources acknowledge the possibility of a papal document that would increase the limit of Cardinals voting in a conclave (i.e., Cardinals under the age of 80) from 120 to 140, thus increasing by 20 the limit that Paul VI established.

Father Z, a popular internet-blogging Catholic priest, very knowledgeable about all things in the Church, responded publicly on his blog to this “news”, thus:

It’s a rumor … but… God help us all.

From the Rome blog asks:  “Why the rush? What about first resolving the scandal of Team Bergoglio? which impinges upon the very validity in law of Cardinal Bergoglio’s papacy.”

Ecclesiology, News, Team Bergoglio

Every Single Cardinal-Elector has right to demand resolution of “Team Bergoglio” scandal

3 Comments

UDG 5 and Canon 1530

The College of Cardinal-Electors convenes for the 2014 Conclave
The College of Cardinal-Electors convenes for the 2014 Conclave

Rome, January 17, 2015:  Ever since the revelation of an organized campaign by 8 Cardinals to promote the election of Cardinal Bergoglio in the 2013 Conclave, which elected him as Pope Francis, there has been a grave public controversy and doubt as to the validity of his election.  This is because the current papal law on elections, the Apostolic Constitution, Universi Dominici Gregis, lacked the specific term which would have exempted it from being interpreted according to the general norms of Canon Law: specifically from canons 171 and 1329.

In paragraph 81 of Universi Dominic Gregis (here after UDG), the crime of vote-promising is penalized with automatic excommunication, such that in the very act of promising a vote, a Cardinal elector is excommunicated.  On account of canon 1329, that automatic excommunication is extended to the one asking for the vote promise, even if the one asking is also a Cardinal elector.  On account of the terms of canon 171 §1, the votes of excommunicated electors, even Cardinals in a conclave, cannot be counted in favor of the candidate they name; and on account of canon 171 §2, if they are counted among the number in favor of the candidate in such wise that they cause that number to be sufficient for victory, according to the norms of the election, the election is nullified in all its effects.

Thus the fattispecies, or appearance of facts, in the narrative of Dr. Ivereigh’s book, The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, argue for the invalidity of the election of Pope Francis, that is, that Pope Francis did not obtain his office by a legal, lawful, or legitimate means.  That would mean that Catholics not only could legitimately break off communion with him, but would be morally obliged to do so, under pain of mortal sin.

Thus, the probity of the allegations regard a true scandal.

UDG 5 gives a simple solution to the “Team Bergoglio” scandal

Thankfully, Pope John Paul II provided in his papal law on conclaves an easy solution, which any single Cardinal can take advantage of: the terms stated in the 5th paragraph of that law, UDG 5, the official Latin text of which is:

5. Si quae autem dubia exoriantur de sensu praescriptionum, quae hac Nostra Constitutione continentur, aut circa rationem qua ad usum deduci eae debeant, edicimus ac decernimus penes Cardinalium Collegium esse potestatem de his ferendi sententiam; propterea, eidem Cardinalium Collegio facultatem tribuimus interpretandi locos dubios vel in controversiam vocatos, statuentes, ut, si de eiusmodi vel similibus quaestionibus deliberati oporteat, excepto ipso electionis actu, satis sit maiorem congregatorum Cardinalium partem in eandem sententiam convenire.

Our unofficial English translation of which is:

5. Moreover, if which doubts rise up concerning the sense of the prescriptions, which are contained in this Our Constitution, or about the reckoning by which they should be put into practice, We decree and judge that the power to make judgement concerning these is within the College of Cardinals; moreover, We grant to the College of Cardinals the faculty of interpreting doubtful passages and/or those called into controversy, so that, if having deliberated concerning questions of this kind and/or the similar, excepting the very act of the election itself, it be sufficient that the greater part of the Cardinals gathered together agree upon the same sentence.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio takes the vow of secrecy at opening of the 2013 Conclave (BBC, screenshote by From Rome blog, cropped)
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio takes the vow of secrecy at opening of the 2013 Conclave (BBC, screenshot by From Rome blog, cropped)

In this paragraph, Pope John Paul II establishes several specific things.  The first of which is the authority and jurisdiction of the Sacred College over questions regarding the meaning of the individual paragraphs and about the method to be used to put them into practice; second, about the interpretation of doubtful paragraphs and those about which a dispute arises.  Third, he establishes that the Cardinals are to deliberate about these, and that a vote is to be taken, and that the decisions are to be arrived at by a majority of the assembled Cardinal electors.

In other words, then, the papal law in UDG 5 establishes the Cardinal Electors, gathered together, to be the judge of cases which arise regarding the papal law itself. The only matter excluded, is that they cannot judge the very act of the election, that is, they cannot judge whether the act took place or not, only if the terms of the papal law were properly adhered to or followed.  The papal law, in UDG 4 already establishes that any non-compliance with it terms renders the election null and void, so, thus, there is no need for the Cardinals to decide upon the validity of the act itself.

Thus, it is sufficient that the Cardinals gather together, deliberate the matter of the “Team Bergoglio” scandal, and decide the case.  They would discuss whether the allegations are true and investigate them by asking the eye-witnesses, one another, whether UDG 81 was violated by vote-canvassing conducted by the supporters of Cardinal Bergoglio.

Canon 1530 guarantees the right to investigate charges

Canon 1530 guarantees the right of every Cardinal to have the allegations regarding the “Team Bergoglio” scandal investigated in Consistory.  This is because it grants to the judge of every contentious trial, the right and duty to investigate the facts of the controversy and rule upon them, at the request of any party to the case.  The text of that canon reads:

Can. 1530 — Iudex ad veritatem aptius eruendam partes interrogare semper potest, immo debet, ad instantiam partis vel ad probandum factum quod publice interest extra dubium poni.

Our unofficial English translation of which is:

Canon 1530 — The judge can always interrogate the parties to draw the truth out more aptly, nay he ought, at the insistence of a party and/or to prove a fact which is of public interest, to put it outside of doubt.

The judge in this case would be the entire College of Cardinal Electors, the parties in the case would be any single and all the Cardinal Electors and those accused of canvassing votes.  Thus any single Cardinal could demand the Sacred College to investigate the charges.  This would be done by interrogating collectively each individual Cardinal.  The kind of questions, that could be asked, are any whatsoever.  Canon 1531 requires that all questioned answer truthfully. The Cardinals could do whatever is proscribed for contentious trials in the 1983 Code of Canon Law (cf. canons 1501 ff.).

The solution is simple. The matter of “Team Bergoglio” can easily be resolved.  Why then is there any controversy at all? or Why do the supporters of “Team Bergoglio” argue so angrily against an investigation?

2013 Conclave, News, Team Bergoglio

Francis became Pope thanks to Belgian Cardinal Danneels

2 Comments

Cardinal Godfried Danneels was a part of Team Bergoglio, a group of cardinals that got the Argentine elected as pope in 2013 :  a new biography about pope Francis claims. — “If that is true, the election might be invalid,” says Vatican expert Tom Zwaenepoel.

by Michaël Temmerman of Nieuwsblad.be —  (English transl.; original Flemish article: source)*

Godfried Cardinal Danneels, retired Archbishop of Brussels, Belgium & Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Anastasia al Palatino
Godfried Cardinal Danneels, retired Archbishop of Brussels, Belgium & Cardinal-Priest of Sant’Anastasia al Palatino

“If it’s a short conclave, Bergoglio will be elected pope. You can be sure of that.” Those words were whispered by the British cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor just before the start of the 2013 conclave. He was talking to Austin Ivereigh, his spokesman at that time. Those words are now repeated in The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, a recently published biography about pope Francis written by that same Austin Ivereigh. The author of the book claims that those words prove the existence of Team Bergoglio, a group of five cardinals who would have canvassed for votes in favor of the Argentine. “And the Belgian cardinal Danneels was among those five cardinals,” says Vatican expert Tom Zwaenepoel. “He is mentioned seven times in the book.”

Conspiracy theory

According to the book, the team not only lobbied for Bergoglio in 2013 but also in 2005. “I suppose some of it is true. But how much?” says Zwaenepoel. “Propagandizing and recruiting votes for a specific candidate are illegal and would make the election invalid.  But there’s a big difference between lobbying for someone and expressing sympathy for a certain candidate in an informal talk. According to the book Bergoglio knew about the lobbying in 2013 and would even have given his permission for it. But those statements are being retracted from the newer versions of the biography. Because they aren’t true or because the Vatican pressured the author to do so? We will probably never know for sure.”

Less than two days after the book hit the shops, the Vatican already stated that the accusations were all lies. Toon Osaer, spokesman of cardinal Danneels, also doesn’t believe in a conspiracy theory. “If you see how glad Danneels was after the conclave, you can be sure that Francis was his favorite candidate. But that doesn’t mean there was some sort of a master-plan to help the Argentine to the papal seat. I can tell you with absolute certainty that the cardinal didn’t canvass for votes for Bergoglio in the days and weeks before the conclave.”

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The Flemish original was published on Jan. 6, 2015, p.  10, by Nieuwsblad, a Belgian newspaper in Antwerp. — Note that Belgian copyright law extends to this English translation (done for the From Rome blog), neither of which can be reproduced for commercial ends. — Michaël Temmerman is a staff reporter for the Nieuwsblad.

News, Team Bergoglio

Cardinal Napier says there is no evidence for “Team Bergoglio” scandal

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Rome, January 15, 2015.  His Eminence Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier of Durban South Africa, spoke today regarding the “Team Bergoglio” scandal, affirming that there is no verifiable evidence and that it is not on the agenda for the upcoming Consistory of Cardinals to be held in February.  His comments were made during a Twitter dialogue with the editor of the From Rome blog, which began after the Cardinal insisted on the recognition of the hierarchy of rights. A hierarchy which the author of the From Rome blog zealously recognizes.

Here is a transcript of that conversation.  Note that the tweets of each participant are repeated to authenticate the thread of tweets.

 https://twitter.com/CardinalNapier/status/555570031153934336

https://twitter.com/BrAlexisBugnolo/status/555655157162442753

https://twitter.com/CardinalNapier/status/555711120653447168

(Ed. note: Here the Cardinal is referring to the importunity of being Twittered on the “Team Bergoglio” scandal in the past, by the editor of this blog).

https://twitter.com/BrAlexisBugnolo/status/555712244554940416

https://twitter.com/CardinalNapier/status/555712841517633536

https://twitter.com/BrAlexisBugnolo/status/555716301818437632

https://twitter.com/BrAlexisBugnolo/status/555716513714696192

https://twitter.com/BrAlexisBugnolo/status/555716792451358721

https://twitter.com/BrAlexisBugnolo/status/555717082403590144

https://twitter.com/BrAlexisBugnolo/status/555717275299627010

https://twitter.com/BrAlexisBugnolo/status/555717546176159744

This is no joke. To ignore the scandal, would be to mock the Catholic Faith.

The Verifiable evidence

Here we must recognize a fundamental, threefold distinction in every forensic consideration regarding the probity of evidence.

  1. the probity of evidence necessary to impute a crime to an individual or group,
  2. the probity of evidence necessary to investigate a crime,
  3. the probity of evidence necessary to prove the crime imputed,

What is had via the published text of Dr. Austen Ivereigh’s book, regards the first; the analysis of that evidence along with published statements, documents, interviews, etc., regarding the implicated individuals, regards the second; the findings which the Sacred College would obtain by an inquiry in Consistory, regard the third.

Regarding the first 2 kinds of probity, we have the verifiable evidence, published thus far, which can be found as reported in the following 3 articles by the From Rome blog: the testimony of Dr. Austen Ivereigh, regarding the activities of “Team Bergoglio”, in our analysis of the text of the 9th chapter his book, The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, and his recent reaffirmation of that narrative’s veracity, in Ivereigh: I am confident of the veracity of my account; the canonical implications of what Dr. Ivereigh recounts are summarized in, From Ivereigh to Abdication, the Canonical steps implied by the “Team Bergoglio” scandal.

And all reports, by news agencies around the world, including our own posts, can be found in our Chronology of Reports regarding “Team Bergoglio”, which is updated regularly.

Ivereigh’s claims appear to be verified by the endorsement of his book by Cardinal Dolan of New York City, an elector during the 2013 conclave, by the 2 Cardinals whom Ivereigh on Jan. 6th, 2015 claimed were sources for his information, and by 3 of the 7 accused Cardinals who have not denied that they canvassed for votes, though they deny asking Cardinal Bergoglio for his consent to do so; not to mention by the other 4 Cardinals who are named by Ivereigh, but who have denied nothing since the book was published on Nov. 25, 2014.

All this leads to a great probity which merits the investigation of the allegations.  But this can only be done by the Cardinals in Consistory, behind closed doors, since they cannot violate the vow of the conclave, and since they alone are first hand witnesses.  Canon 1530 and 1531 demand this.

For the record, we note, here, only that Dr. Austen Ivereigh in his book says “Team Bergoglio” targeted the Cardinals from Africa for vote promises. If any of them, such as Cardinal Napier, gave such promises, it would have been a violation of the papal law on conclaves, punishable by automatic excommunication (cf. Universi Dominici Gregis, paragraph 81).