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Olde Tyme Religion

Whistleblower Archbishop Viganò Refuses Vatican Summons

2024-07-02

[Breitbart] Former Vatican emissary Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano has refused to obey a summons to the Vatican to face charges of schism, restating he does not recognize Pope Francis as the head of the Catholic Church.

“As I stated in my Communiqué of June 20, I do not recognize the authority of the tribunal that claims to judge me, nor of its Prefect, nor of the one who appointed him,” Archbishop Viganò said in a statement.

“This decision of mine, which is certainly painful, is not the result of haste or a spirit of rebellion; but rather is dictated by the moral necessity which, as Bishop and Successor of the Apostles, obliges me in conscience to bear witness to the Truth, that is, to God Himself, to Our Lord Jesus Christ,” he declared.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Viganò as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States in 2011 and the archbishop served in this role for five years, from 2011 to 2016.

Viganò became something of a conservative superstar in 2018, when he published an explosive report accusing Pope Francis of reinstating homosexual abuser Cardinal Theodore McCarrick to a position of prominence despite knowing of McCarrick’s serial abuse.

In his 11-page affidavit, Archbishop Viganò asserted that Pope Benedict had imposed “canonical sanctions” on Cardinal McCarrick in 2009-2010 forbidding him from traveling, celebrating Mass in public, or participating in public meetings, but that Pope Francis later lifted these sanctions and made McCarrick a close personal advisor.

“Francis is abdicating the mandate which Christ gave to Peter to confirm the brethren. Indeed, by his action he has divided them, led them into error, and encouraged the wolves to continue to tear apart the sheep of Christ’s flock,” Viganò stated, before calling on the pope to resign.

“In this extremely dramatic moment for the universal Church, he must acknowledge his mistakes and, in keeping with the proclaimed principle of zero tolerance, Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example for cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick’s abuses and resign along with all of them,” the archbishop said.

Over the intervening years, Viganò has continued making ever more incendiary claims, leading many of his former admirers to part ways with him. He has not only rejected the authority of Pope Francis, but has also refused to accept the validity of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), an important ecumenical council highly commended by Saint John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

In June, the Vatican’s doctrinal office, headed by Argentinean Cardinal Víctor “Tucho” Fernández, ordered the former Vatican diplomat to appear in Rome to undergo an extrajudicial penal trial for the crime of schism for having denied the legitimacy of Pope Francis and Vatican II.

The Code of Canon Law defines “schism” as “the withdrawal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or from communion with the members of the Church subject to him,” declaring that a schismatic “incurs a latae sententiae [automatic] excommunication.”

“I face this trial with the determination that comes from knowing that I have no reason to consider myself separate from communion with the Holy Church and with the Papacy, which I have always served with filial devotion and fidelity,” Viganò wrote in response.

“I could not conceive of a single moment of my life outside this one Ark of salvation, which Providence has constituted as the Mystical Body of Christ, in submission to its Divine Head and to His Vicar on earth,” he added.

Since it is not “theologically tenable” that the Church and the papacy are instruments of perdition rather than of salvation, he said, we must necessarily “conclude that the heterodox teachings conveyed by the so-called ‘conciliar church’ and the ‘popes of the Council’ from Paul VI onwards constitute an anomaly that seriously calls into question the legitimacy of their magisterial and governing authority.”

Link

-Great Cultural Revolution

Vatican 2023: blessing of 'non-standard couples' and Zelensky’s attack

2024-01-04

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Stanislav Stremidlovsky

[REGNUM] The year 2023 turned out to be a time of transformation for the Catholic Church of old challenges and the emergence of new ones. At the same time, internal problems worsened, becoming a bigger headache for the Holy See than international issues.

The year began for Catholics with the passing of retired Pope Benedict XVI. As one of the Western publications noted on this occasion, the late pontiff represented “a decisive element of stabilization and detente.” And his death could cause two opposite effects - either to reconcile the radical circles of the church, or, more possibly, “to cause greater instability, both in the Vatican and in the universal Church.”

Today we can already say that the negative forecast worked. The Holy See and Pope Francis tried to curb the so-called synodal process, simultaneously satisfying the demands of conservative circles and supporters of a revision of both church teaching and the administration of community life. However, this led to new conflicts.

The Catholic Church is seeing off the year 2023 with fierce controversy caused by the publication in December of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of Faith of the Declaration Fiducia supplicans. It gives Catholic clergy the opportunity to bless "non-standard couples", which among others refers to same-sex unions.

And although the dicastery specifically stipulated that the “ long-standing teaching ” of the Catholic Church about marriage as a union between a man and a woman does not change, many Catholics did not believe it. Opposition to the declaration arose almost immediately. The decision not to apply it was made by the conferences of the Catholic episcopate of Africa, Hungary, and Kazakhstan.

The pontificate of Pope Francis is actually being challenged, because the head of the dicastery for the doctrine of the faith, Cardinal Victor Fernandez, is considered a confidant of the pontiff. It is clear that divisions within the Catholic community, threatening to become schisms, will continue to escalate in 2024.

VISION OF A "JUST WORLD"
The start of a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 caused difficulties in the Vatican-Russian dialogue.

Some statements last year by Pope Francis, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Secretary of State Relations Archbishop Paul Gallagher demonstrated an understanding of the underlying causes of the crisis.

However, other statements caused bewilderment and poisoned the atmosphere of trust that had developed during the reign of the Argentine pope.

These “fleas” also jumped into 2023, the first few months of which created the impression of the impotence of Vatican diplomacy and the narrowing of its maneuverability.

The reluctance of the main players of the international “casino” to use the capital of an experienced impartial intermediary, accumulated by the Holy See, was evident everywhere. It seemed that the Vatican Secretariat of State was running idle and stalling.

This feeling became especially noticeable on the anniversary of the special military operation. Then, during the Munich Security Conference, Archbishop Gallagher said that he “ does not see ” Russia being threatened before February 24, 2022.

According to him, it would be a “ mistake ” to believe that the West was determined to destroy Russia, although now “ the situation is completely different.” And a “ just peace ,” according to the archbishop, “ will mean that the Russians will leave the territory of Ukraine.”

CARDINAL PEACEMAKER
In this situation, Pope Francis made an intriguing move. He appointed the President of the Conference of the Catholic Episcopate of Italy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, as his special envoy to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.

Interestingly, in February of this year, Zuppi asked to take into account that the conflict did not begin on February 24, 2022. It was preceded by the failure of the Minsk agreements and the “ so-called low-intensity violence in Donbass ” that has lasted since 2014. He also called for thinking about the “ limit of military assistance ” - at what point does it develop from the “ right to self-defense ” into fueling escalation.

During the year, Zuppi made trips to Kyiv, Moscow, Washington and Beijing. Thus, he made it clear that, firstly, the Vatican sees these capitals as key to the settlement process. And secondly, for the Holy See the crisis itself is not limited to the Ukrainian-Russian framework, being a problem of global international security.

At first glance, Zuppi’s mission, the main goal of which was to stop armed clashes, was hopeless. However, there are certain nuances. Moscow generally welcomed the cardinal's activities, although it did not give him special advances.

But the Kremlin did not discredit the initiatives and role of the Holy See. In contrast to the Kiev regime, when Vladimir Zelensky, after a visit to the Vatican in May and a meeting with Pope Francis, stated that “ with all due respect to His Holiness, we do not need mediators, this is not a question of the Vatican, Latin America or China.”

Thus, Kyiv removed itself from the diplomatic equation that the Vatican was building, showing its lack of ability to play the long game and act independently. It became clear that the further fate of Zuppi’s mission would depend on the outcome of the “ counteroffensive ” announced by the Kiev regime. Apparently, this is what happened.

Today it is obvious that the “counteroffensive” not only ran out of steam, but also significantly undermined the capabilities of the Kyiv regime. “ Something is moving ,” the cardinal said in December. — We need peace, if necessary a creative peace, as was the case in Mozambique, where different parties were involved. There are different solutions. In Korea, a parallel was defined as the dividing line."

DIALOGUE WITH RUSSIA WILL CONTINUE
Traditionally, Vatican-Russian relations were built along two lines - church and state. Most often they were closely intertwined, but sometimes they diverged to the sides.

After the change in June of the chairman of the department for external church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, contacts between the Holy See and the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church intensified. The new head of the DECR, Metropolitan Anthony, made trips to the Vatican. The Moscow Patriarchate ignored the comments of those dissatisfied with communication with Catholics, and pushed some critics who crossed a certain line aside.

But after the publication of the declaration of Fiducia supplicans, opponents of dialogue with the Holy See received a second wind. After all, if even in the Catholic Church there are voices about “heresy,” then how can more conservative Orthodox Christians deal with the Vatican? This problem will cast its shadow on the attempts of the Holy See and the Moscow Patriarchate to restore the previous level of relations.

However, it does not matter for the dialogue between the Vatican and the Kremlin. As Maria Zakharova, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, noted the other day, “this is an internal church issue.” Difficulties may arise for other reasons.

Catholic publications periodically calculate the balance of power in the conclave of cardinals, finding out who currently has a great chance of becoming the new pontiff after Francis. But a new variable was added this year with speculation that the pontiff may not survive 2024.

In the event of a serious deterioration in the health of the pope, especially his death, the Vatican will plunge into the process of electing a new one. In this situation, the role of the State Secretariat and Cardinal Parolin will significantly increase. Will he take advantage of the developments of Zuppi’s mission or disavow the work of his “competitor”?

The answer to this question will determine how much Moscow can continue to count on the Holy See.

Link

Government Corruption

Population Control - U.S. Funding Pushes The World's Poor To Kill Their Own Kids

2023-09-28

[Federalist] On World Contraception Day (Sept. 26) and International Safe Abortion Day (Sept. 28), the culture of death celebrates its efforts to depopulate the world. The Biden administration must publicly denounce the racist agenda behind its domestic and global policies regarding "sexual and reproductive health."

As outlined in the 1974 "National Security Study Memorandum 200," also known as "The Kissinger Report" and subtitled "Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for U.S. Security and Overseas Interests," the agenda behind "sexual and reproductive health" is not health care but population suppression, particularly in the developing world.

Decisions made at the highest levels in the U.S. government and by wealthy Western foundations profoundly affect the lives of people halfway around the world. No country has escaped the pressure from agencies that advocate for "sexual and reproductive health," a euphemism that includes contraception, sterilization, and abortion.

The strategy behind this approach is explicitly detailed in "The Kissinger Report." The document serves as a blueprint for world depopulation and lays out the five-step strategy by which the U.S. government aggressively promotes population control in developing nations in order to have better access to the natural resources of these countries. "NSSM-200" was written because the U.S. National Security Council saw rapid population growth in the less-developed countries (LDCs) as a major threat to our national security.

"NSSM-200″ is devoid of morality or ethics and has directly encouraged atrocities and massive human rights violations in many nations, especially in Africa. As outlined in "NSSM-200," population control programs could include legalizing abortion, financial incentives for countries to increase abortion, sterilization, and contraception-use rates, indoctrination of children, and mandatory population control and coercion of other forms, such as withholding disaster and food aid unless a pooer country implements population control programs.

As Pope Benedict XVI emphasized in paragraph 28 of "Caritas in veritate," his encyclical on international development, "openness to life" is at the "center" of any authentic development, and "cannot in any way be detached from questions concerning the development of peoples." Some parts of the world, he said, "still experience practices of demographic control, on the part of governments that often promote contraception and even go so far as to impose abortion."

Link

Home Front: Politix

Brandon disinvited to funeral of Pope Benedict

2023-01-06

[Republic Brief] Pope Benedict XVI died on New Year’s Eve at the age of ninety-five, impacting the worldwide Catholic Church and its more than 1.3 billion members.

"HIS HOLINESS’ WISHES: Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican requested that President Biden not attend Benedict’s funeral," media reports show, in a blistering story that is going viral on Wednesday and Thursday, humiliating Democrat Joe Biden for love of and promotion of aborting for 5 decades from DC, while calling himself a faithful Catholic believer.
Just like Pelosi
The pope is a world leader and dignitary, also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome, head of the worldwide Catholic Church, and has also served as the head of state or sovereign of the Papal States and later the Vatican City State since the eighth century.

So it is odd for the sitting US President not to pay his respects, especially if that POTUS calls himself a faithful Catholic.

And suspicion arises when a Catholic sitting POTUS is not invited to a world event, a funeral for a Pope, as in the case of Biden being snubbed on a world stage.

Benedict made the request prior to his death.

Link

-Obits-

Pope Benedict XVI dead at 95

2023-01-01

[NYPOST] Pope Benedict XVI, a fierce defender of church dogma who became the first pontiff in six centuries to abdicate the papacy, died Saturday morning. He was 95 years old.

Benedict XVI died at 9:34 AM local time in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City, where he resided following his resignation, according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.

Benedict XVI’s body will lie in state at Saint Peter’s Basilica beginning on Jan. 2.

The funeral service for Pope Emeritus is scheduled to take place in St. Peter’s Square on Jan. 5.

Pope Francis will preside over the funeral.

His death came after Pope Francis asked his flock for “prayers” for his predecessor at the Vatican Wednesday.

Link

-Obits-

Former Pope Benedict dies at age 95

2022-12-31

[Jerusalem Post] Former Pope Benedict XVI died on Saturday in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican, a spokesman for the Holy See said.

"With sorrow, I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible," the spokesman said in a written statement. He had also spent his final years at the monastery, where his successor Pope Francis had visited him frequently, the BBC reported.

"With sorrow, I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible."

Holy See spokesman

He died at the age of 95 at his Vatican residence, BBC reported. He led the Catholic Church for eight years until 2013 when he had to step down due to health issues.

Benedict had fallen extremely ill before his passing. The Vatican had said in a statement on Wednesday that the former Pope had suffered a sudden "worsening" of his health. His announcement reportedly shocked the Catholic world, according to multiple sources, and also made him the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.

Related: The Times of Israel remembers him at length.

Link

Olde Tyme Religion

Pope Francis restricts Latin Mass that calls for the conversion of the Jews

2021-07-20

[IsraelTimes] Decision walks back earlier decree by Pope Benedict XVI.

Appreciate it, dude. The thing was rather rude, no matter how well intentioned.

Link

Home Front: Culture Wars

Anthony Hopkins on Why He Doesn't Talk About Politics: 'Actors Are Pretty Stupid'

2019-12-09

h/t Instapundit
[PJMedia] In a conversation with fellow actor Brad Pitt for a lengthy chat for Interview magazine, Anthony Hopkins explained why he seldom -- actually: never -- talks about politics... and why he's not a big fan of other actors talking about politics either. In short: "Actors are pretty stupid."

"People ask me questions about present situations in life, and I say, ’I don’t know, I’m just an actor,'" Hopkins told Pitt. " I don’t have any opinions. Actors are pretty stupid. My opinion is not worth anything. There’s no controversy for me, so don’t engage me in it, because I’m not going to participate."

Hopkins was interviewed by Pitt because of the release of his new Netflix movie, The Two Popes, in which he plays the part of Pope Benedict XVI. Although Pitt apparently tried to get some controversial political (or religious) answers out of him, Hopkins refused to play that game.

It is extremely refreshing to see an actor take this position. Sadly, the new generation of Hollywood stars has a different opinion. Take Mark Ruffalo, the millionaire actor who recently endorsed Bernie Sanders. This multi-millionaire (who's reportedly worth $30 million) wrote on Twitter that "it’s time for an economic revolution. Capitalism today is failing us, killing us, and robbing from our children’s future."

Link

Olde Tyme Religion

Ex-Vatican envoy urges Pope Francis to resign over abuse case

2018-08-27

[Al Jazeera] A senior Vatican official called on Pope Francis to resign, accusing the pontiff of failing to act sooner on sexual abuse allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

In an 11-page statement, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano said sanctions imposed on McCarrick by Pope Benedict XVI over sexual misconduct were lifted under Francis, despite reports about his "gravely immoral behaviour with seminarians and priests".

Vigano said he informed Francis in person in 2013 of the sanctions and how McCarrick, ex-archbishop of Washington, DC, "corrupted generations of seminarians and priests".

Pope Francis "continued to cover" for McCarrick despite the sanctions and even made him "his trusted counsellor", Vigano alleged.

"In this extremely dramatic moment for the universal church, he must acknowledge his mistakes and, in keeping with the proclaimed principle of zero tolerance, Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example for cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick's abuses and resign along with all of them," he said.

Link

Olde Tyme Religion

Pope to appoint 14 new cardinals including one from Pakistan

2018-05-21

[DAWN] Pope Francis announced on Sunday that he will hold a meeting of the Church's top council to appoint 14 new cardinals next month, including from Iraq, Pakistain, Madagascar and Japan.

In the event of a conclave of cardinals to name a new pope, 11 of the new 14 being under 80 years of age would be eligible to take part.

"I am happy to announce that on June 29 there will be a consistory meeting to appoint 14 new cardinals. Their origins reflect the universality of the church," Pope Francis said in an address in Saint Peter's square.

Among the new cardinals will be Iraq's Louis Sako who has often met Pope Francis to discuss the situation in the war-torn country and the plight of its Christian community.

From Pakistain comes Joseph Coutts of Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
with Desire Tsarahazana from Toamasina in Madagascar and Thomas Aquinas Manyo from Osaka in Japan.

As well as having the key role of choosing a new pope, cardinals often also hold the highest administrative offices in the church.

Pope Francis, the first head of the church from Latin America is 81 and was named in 2013 after his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI stood down citing the effect of advancing age on his ability to carry out the exacting duties of the office.

Link

Africa Subsaharan

Nigerian Noble Savages lambasted by Pope Francis

2017-06-12

[Breitbart] In what is perhaps the most strongly worded address of the Francis pontificate, the Pope blasted a group of Nigerian priests who have rejected the papal appointment of their bishop to the diocese of Ahiara, comparing them to the "murderous tenants" spoken of by Jesus in the gospel.

The Pope goes on to describe the priests’ offense against the Church as a "mortal sin," demanding that each one write a personal letter of apology manifesting "total obedience to the Pope."

This act of rebellion goes beyond "tribalism," Francis said, and is rather "an attempted taking of the vineyard of the Lord."

The Ahiara diocese has been embroiled in controversy ever since 2012, when Pope Benedict XVI appointed Peter Okpaleke as its bishop, an appointment that was reportedly opposed by "lay people and priests of the diocese."

Members of the local church have demanded a bishop from the Mbaise region, like their former bishop, the late Victor Adibe Chikwe, who came from Mbaise and was accepted as a "son of the soil."

Link

Olde Tyme Religion

Pope Francis to receive grand imam of Al-Azhar

2016-05-23

[Al Ahram] After years of suspended talks, Pope Francis will receive at the Vatican on Monday Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar, the highest seat of Sunni Islamic learning.

The historic visit between the two religious leaders, which is considered unprecedented, comes after serious tensions between the two institutions during the time of Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.

The now-retired Benedict made a September 2006 speech in which he was perceived to have linked Islam to violence, sparking deadly protests in several countries and retaliatory attacks on Christians.

Since Pope Francis was elected in 2013, relations have steadily improved.

El-Tayeb will have an audience with the religious leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

"This audience is being prepared and has been scheduled for Monday," he said. "It will be a first."

A statement by Al-Azhar read that El-Tayeb's meeting with Francis will focus on coordination of efforts between Al-Azhar and the Vatican on spreading the culture of dialogue, coexistence and peace between peoples and societies.

Link

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