Sunday, September 2, 2018

From Around The World

Many from around the world have expressed support for Pope Francis. Among them is the Focolare Movement, which claims a following of about 120,000 members.  The pope also drew support from outside the Church.  The Community of the Arab World in Italy, the International Secular Interreligious Confederation, and an Italian lay group called "United to Unite" gave their support to Pope Francis.  See the story here.  
Image result for Pope Francis
Furthermore, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, the personal aide of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI have also come forward.  According to news report:
Italian papers on Friday reported that Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the personal aide of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, has repeated his denial that Benedict “confirmed” the contents of an 11-page statement issued Sunday by Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò.
In it, Viganò, a former papal ambassador in the United States, claimed Francis was informed in 2013 that Benedict had placed restrictions on ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick due to sexual misconduct concerns, and that Francis chose to ignore them.
In early reporting, some media outlets claimed that Benedict, or sources close to him, had “confirmed” those claims.
“[Benedict] has never seen the document that was published,” Gänswein told the Italian news agency Ansa. “He’s never read it, and he has not endorsed it. It’s all rubbish.” 
Thanks to the news media who did their investigative work and put together a compilation of photographs and video recordings.  In other parts of the world, Pope Francis also received support.  According to news report:

From Portugal, a defense against “ultra-conservatives”

“It’s a campaign organized by ultra-conservatives to mortally wound the pope,” said Cardinal António dos Santos Marto, of Fatima, Portugal, speaking to Portuguese media Obsevador about the tempest set loose by the Viganò charge.

From the pope’s Argentina, “we share your pain”

“[Both] pastors and faithful, we want to show you our fraternal and filial closeness at this moment in which you suffer a ruthless attack in which different and narrow worldly interests come together,” said the statement released by the Argentine bishops on Thursday. 
“We share your pains and hopes,” the Argentine prelates said.
The statement was signed by Bishop Oscar Ojea, of San Isidro, president of the local bishops’ conference, and by Bishop Carlos Malfa, of Chascomús, secretary general. 
From Peru, “closeness”
In a letter addressed to the pope and made public by the Peruvian bishops’ conference, the prelates expressed their “closeness” to Francis amidst “attempts to destabilize the Church and your ministry.”

From Spain, “you’re not alone”

On Wednesday, Cardinal Ricardo Blázquez, Archbishop of Valladolid and president of the Spanish bishops’ conference, sent a letter to the pope from the city of Medellin, Colombia, where he was participating in an event msrking the 50th anniversary of the conference of the Latin American bishops (CELAM) in the city. 
The letter was partially shared on the website of the Spanish bishops. In it, Blázquez told the pope “you’re not alone, the Church is praying for you as, in at another time, it did for Peter.” 
“We ask the Lord that he continues to sustain you in your daily fights for the Gospel, that he give you his peace and the ability to give those who are tired a word of encouragement,” the cardinal wrote.
In the letter, Blázquez also thanked Francis for his “tireless” pastoral work and dedication to the “ministry the Lord has entrusted in you.”  

17 comments:

  1. Dear Diana, Pope Francis is my hero in this story. He had the courage to do the right thing when he banished and sanctioned Cardinal McCarrick, the head of the LGBT lobby infiltrating the Catholic priesthood. As you said, LGBT people were implanted into the seminaries and clergy of the church by extreme liberal activists who are rather politicians who follow political interest than believers who follow God.

    These LGBT priests are not chaste but practice their lifestyle openly as Cardinal McCarrick did in his whole life. This is how we know they are LGBT. Chastity mean sexual activity out of wedlock is banned. Holy matrimony is the place where you practice the reproductive function God has entrusted on humankind. Increase and multiply, this is the divine command. LGBT priests, bishops and cardinals are violating the command doubly because priests cannot live in marriage with a spouse and ordained ministers channel their sexual energy into better serving the flock.

    Cardinal McCarrick used to live in a seminary to reap the crop of first fruits for his own barn. His selfish greed resulted in compromised youth who served the LGBT mafia inside the Holy Order rather than God. These people are shamelessly active and serve their own desires. Pennsylvania is taking the Guam model of lifting the statute of limitations on abuse of minors. This could have a devastating impact on the whole church on the mainland. Most abuses are homosexual in their nature following the same trend we have seen on Guam. I applaud Pope Francis who stood up against the LGBT mafia to restrict their power in Vatican.

    Our Archbishop, Anthony Apuron supported family values and opposed gay marriage on Guam. Now who is supporting family values, who is opposing gay marriage? I'm afraid we have lost a great warrior of Catholic values. Who will do the job now? Pope Francis also supports family values. But if he resigns, who will protect the innocent, who would oppose the LGBT mafia in Vatican? I am afraid all Catholics would suffer greatly by losing another warrior, another hero of the Catholic faith, who is Pope Francis.

    Archbishop Vigano should realize that both Pope Benedict and Pope Francis did the same thing in fighting Cardinal McCarrick and his army of LGBT priests. Both did it right to impose sanctions. Perhaps, it was provisionary at the first time that was not fully enforced. But Pope Francis made it permanent for the better of the church. Cardinal McCarrick was sidelined during the years of Pope Benedict, but he came to visit Pope Francis when he was elected in 2013. He tried to deceive and charm him into accepting his services. But Pope Francis realized his deception and imposed sanctions on Cardinal McCarrick as soon as the verdict was made in his infamous abuse case. The charges against McCarrick proved to be credible!

    The proof that Pope Francis is telling the truth is that even the liberal media is supporting him. The adversaries of faith and Catholic beliefs like the extreme liberal New York Times and Washington Post both published pieces of praising Pope Francis among the controversies arising. It is evidence that even the liberal left-wing pundits in the mainland are listening to their conscience in this case admitting that the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis did the right thing! Their turning around is a true victory of faith when our own adversaries admit our courage, stature and determination in defending God among the nations!

    Pray for the world that even our adversaries rejoice over the victory of Catholic virtues.

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    1. Dear Faithfully yours,

      Archbishop Byrnes also supports family values, but the lawsuits keep him very busy. Both Archbishop Apuron and Archbishop Byrnes are our Archbishops.

      There is talk about having a Bishop synod. Personally, I think a bishop synod is an excellent idea. Hopefully, they can resolve their problems there.

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    2. Dear Diana, this is so good! The Bishop Synod could finally bring about the dialogue we need in the church. LGBT priests, bishops and cardinals should be abolished. There is no such thing as a latent gay person. Gay will come out with their lifestyle, no matter what! The dialogue should focus on eradicating the LGBT priesthood that was implanted in the Catholic clergy by extreme liberal politics.

      A meeting and dialogue between Archbishop Byrnes and Archbishop Apuron would be good, too. Just like a bishop brother has a dialogue with another bishop brother! It would be high time to clear up the disagreements. Christianity is about brotherly love, after all.

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    3. Dear Faithfully yours,

      Priests who are openly gay in that they have sexual relations should be removed. Gay priests who have remained celibate should NOT be removed because they chose not to engage in that lifestyle. They remain as priests and prayers and support should be given to them as they struggle with sin. On the other hand, any gay priest who support homosexuality and gay marriage should be removed.

      The radical liberals sought to change church doctrines on sexuality. But the radical conservatives are the worst of the lot. To bring a false accusation against an innocent man (in this case the Pope) so he could be removed from his position is evil.

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    4. Diana, LGBT priests are neither chaste nor celibate. They violate the ban of sexual activity outside of holy matrimony. Their sins have been condemned many times in the centuries. Sex with women is also banned because those women are certainly not their spouses. Priests do not marry.

      One cannot say if a priest is gay if the priest is not following the LGBT lifestyle. There is no such thing as a mentally gay person who does not act on his/her desire. Thoughts by themselves are often misleading and do not prove someone to be LGBT. Therefore an LGBT priest is always someone who proved to be one by transgressing. These priests should be told with due compassion that they have chosen the wrong profession and they might find a better life out of the bonds of religious life.

      Pray that LGBT people who practice their lifestyle would recognize that the Holy Order of Catholic priesthood is something they don't belong to.

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    5. Dear Faithfully yours,

      There is one anonymous poster under the thread of one of my recent posts who admitted that he is homosexual but believes in the traditional family. I also know a couple of gay men who are celibate. And I know a lesbian who gave up living the gay lifestyle. These people exists. See thew weblink below:

      https://www.virtueonline.org/day-i-decided-stop-being-gay

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    6. Diana, these people have been healed by Christ. An LGBT person may come to the Lord to ask for mercy. In exchange he/she offers chastity and celibacy for the rest of his/her life. Then Jesus will heal this person with great compassion and mercy! Only those priests, bishops and cardinals who refuse to give up their LGBT inclinations can be blamed. As long as they practice their lifestyle, they are soldiers of destruction in the army of the devil. They have no business in being in the Holy Order of God.

      Those who do not live an LGBT lifestyle are not LGBT people anymore! Just like thinking of murder would not make you a murderer. You can be jailed only if you commit that murder. Then you are convicted! Likewise, a person of LGBT history or thoughts is not LGBT anymore as long as abstains from the LGBT lifestyle.

      Pray for those who were healed so that they may keep their commitment of chastity for a lifetime.

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    7. Dear Faithfully yours,

      These people still carry homosexuality as their cross. As Christians, we help each other grow in faith.

      A person who murders someone is a murderer. If the person repents, his sin is forgiven, but the punishment of sin remains. There are some sins that can be rectified. For example, the thief who repents can return the stolen goods. A murderer cannot return the life he took and therefore may spend some time in purgatory to pay back what he took.

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    8. Dear Diana, I trust the healing power of Jesus Christ that He demonstrated in His earthly ministry. The Holy Sacrament of Reconciliation is a tool of healing sinful people from their guilt. When you confess with a contrite heart, your path to heaven opens up.

      If someone is healed by the Lord then no human being has the right to place the burden of illness back on that person. You are right that we carry a lot of crosses or bad things on our shoulder that could be poverty, sinful past, present illness, addiction, bad habit, impulsive character, residue of sin, compulsive action, trait, any kind of circumstance, etc. Jesus is our judge and healer.

      The trouble we are talking about is the non-repenting clergy, who openly dwell in sinful lifestyle. It is not a cross for them to carry but a form of amusement and enjoyment of sin. When they confess, they lie. Their heart is not contrite, their mind is not repenting. They are not ready to give up their lifestyle for God. Therefore their absolution from sin is invalid. No Eucharist should be served to them. These liars have no business of being priests, bishops or cardinals.

      Pray that the Catholic Church is able to follow the Holy Spirit in ridding itself from non-repenting abusive clergy.

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  2. Pennsylvania on it's own does not have a huge percentage of Catholics.If you've ever been there,you might pass by abandoned churches.On a pilgrimage I was on when the pope visited Philly a few years back for WMOF,I remember there being a lot of protesters outside of the lanes and even in the streets.Mainly protestant or other non catholic religions.With signs saying stuff like "the catholic church is hell" or "the pope is the devil"
    This was just in 2015.
    If lifting the statute of limitations impacted Guam,that has many catholics,horribly,imagine how it will affect Pennsylvania,that does not have many catholics.

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  3. Gosh, you're on the wrong side of pretty much everything as far as the Church goes. There is no way Pope Francis is innocent of this. There is no defense for Cardinal McCarrick even though he is good friend of the Neocats.

    And, no person that identifies themselves as homosexual should be admitted for the priesthood, and any priests that identifies themselves as homosexual should be removed.

    Why not just acknowledge where the issues are, for once.

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    1. Dear Anonymous at 12:14 pm, 

      There are already gay priests in the Church,and they should not be punished for being gay. They should be removed if they are involved in sexual misconduct and abuse. They should also be removed if they preach against Catholic doctrine, by advocating same sex marriage and homosexuality. However, a gay priest who upholds Catholic doctrines and remains celibate should NOT be punished nor removed. This is the very reason why the radical conservatives are evil. They target ALL gay priests including the ones who have done nothing wrong, but carry homosexuality as their cross.

      My faith is in Jesus Christ, and it was Christ who chose Peter as the leader of all the apostles and whom all must be united to (see the CCC 882 and 883). Only the Pope sits on the Chair of Peter.

      The media has already collected photos and video footage, contradicting Archbishop Vigano's accusation. I have also refuted his responses on my blog.

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    2. That's true. Jesus gave the keys only to Peter and nobody else. The foundation of unity is through Peter and his successors. Therefore, Anon. 12:14, you're on the wrong side of the fence.

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    3. Diana, what about the EWTN report? Scott Hahn and Fr. Gerald Murray don't seem to be happy about the scandal in Vatican.

      https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/ewtn-panel-viganos-testimony-reveals-greatest-crisis-pope-and-church-now-fa

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  4. Diana in response to your comment @ 10:32 AM I think you might have misread a comment I posted on one of your recent posts.Yes I believe in the traditional family but I think you mistakened me for a man.Sorry for the confusion I just don't like using the term "lesbian" for myself since I've abstained from dating or being sexually active with other women so I didn't use the term on my comment.Hope this clears up any confusion on that comment I made.

    -a fellow catholic

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    1. Dear a fellow Catholic,

      I apologize for mistaking you for a man. My mistake.

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  5. It's okay,I just wanted to clear up any sort of confusion :)
    -a fellow catholic

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