Archbishop Charles Chaput: Cancel Youth Synod: "Absolutely no credibility"

The fearless Archbishop of Philadelphia tells the truth (LifeSiteNews):

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia told a conference that had met to discuss the “young people” of the Church that in light of the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church he had written to Pope Francis asking him to cancel the upcoming Youth Synod set to take place in Rome.

“The bishops would have absolutely no credibility” in the upcoming Youth Synod, Chaput told the Cardinal’s Forum, an annual gathering to provide academic formation of seminarians and continuing education for lay people, yesterday. The synod's planned dates are set for October 3-28, 2018.

The August 30 panel discussion, which took place at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, was on the topic of “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment.” Some 300 participated in the event.

Archbishop Chaput said the Youth Synod should be canceled.

“I have written the Holy Father and called on him to cancel the upcoming synod on young people. Right now, the bishops would have absolutely no credibility in addressing this topic,” he said.

Instead of having a youth synod, the Archbishop proposed that a synod should be held to address the topic of the bishops themselves.

“I have called on him (Pope Francis), in its place, to begin making plans for a synod on the life of bishops,” he said.

The issue is Sodomite and Sodomy-supporting Priests and Bishops

Be sure to read the full article excerpted below "Francis and the Journalists" by Irish journalist John Waters, writing in First Things. Via Rod Dreher. Bold emphasis added.

"The pope’s exchange with journalists on the plane back to Italy must rank as one of the strangest episodes of mutual avoidance in the history of journalism. An issue that journalists have prosecuted with extreme vigor for a quarter-century had finally arrived at the door of a pope: a direct and concrete accusation that, in a specific instance, he had protected a serial sexual abuser. Yet the omertà of the day continued into the early exchanges of the press conference, with several questions from Irish journalists making no reference to the matter. Then Anna Matanga of CBS—the first mainstream platform to cover the Viganò story on Sunday—asked: “This morning, very early, a document by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò came out. In it, he says that in 2013 he had a personal talk with you at the Vatican, and that in that talk, he spoke to you explicitly of the behavior of and the sexual abuse by former–Cardinal McCarrick. I wanted to ask you if this was true. I also wanted to ask something else: The archbishop also said that Pope Benedict sanctioned McCarrick, that he had forbidden him to live in a seminary, to celebrate Mass in public, he couldn’t travel, he was sanctioned by the Church.  May I ask you whether these two things are true?”

The pope replied: “I will respond to your question, but I would prefer last—first we speak about the trip, and then other topics. … I read the statement this morning, and I must tell you sincerely that, I must say this, to you and all those who are interested. Read the statement carefully and make your own judgment. I will not say a single word about this. I believe the statement speaks for itself. And you have the journalistic capacity to draw your own conclusions. It’s an act of faith. When some time passes and you have drawn your conclusions, I may speak. But, I would like your professional maturity to do the work for you. It will be good for you. That’s good.”

And when you read the pope’s response again in light of what has happened—or not happened—in the several days since, it acquires an ominous tenor, inviting a stab at a new translation. Here is mine:

“Read the statement in the knowledge of the relationship you and I share: We are men and women of the world and like-minded on what is important. We know where we stand on matters like homosexuality and homosexual priests. But be careful how you handle this Viganò business—a wrong word could undo all we have achieved. I have faith in you to figure out who this man is. Do your work well and there will be no need for me to risk my position. Once you have defused the situation, I will deal with Viganò for the record. We are all adults here. I know I can count on you. I need your help on this, but we have an understanding that has worked well so far. Trust me.”"

Again, be sure to read the full article "Francis and the Journalists" 

Distinguished Catholic Women tell Francis: ‘We, your flock, deserve YOUR answers NOW.’

A group of 52 distinguished Catholic women have sent an open letter to Francis pleading with him to be more open and forthcoming. The signers include Walk for Life West Coast co-chair Eva Muntean and 2016 Walk for Life West Coast speaker Obianuju Ekeocha, Founder and President, Culture of Life Africa.

Following the original signatories, and as of this writing 12,696 additional Catholic women have added their voices. An excerpt is below, and Catholic women are invited to read the whole thing and sign by going here.

August 30, 2018
His Holiness, Pope Francis
Vatican City
Your Holiness:

You have said that you seek “a more incisive female presence in the Church,” and that “women are capable of seeing things with a different angle from [men], with a different eye. Women are able to pose questions that we men are not able to understand.”

We write to you, Holy Father, to pose questions that need answers.

We are Catholic women deeply committed to our faith and profoundly grateful for Church teachings, the Sacraments, and the many good bishops and priests who have blessed our lives.

Our hearts are broken, our faith tested, by the escalating crisis engulfing our beloved Church. We are angry, betrayed and disillusioned. The pain and suffering of the victims never ends, as each news cycle brings more horrific revelations of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, cover-ups, and deceit—even at the Church’s highest levels.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s recent statement impels us to reach out to you directly for answers. His testimony accuses you, Holy Father, and highly placed cardinals of turning a blind eye to former Cardinal McCarrick’s egregious behavior, and promoting this predator as a global spokesman and spiritual leader. Is this true?...."

Again, Catholic women are invited to read the whole thing and sign by going here.

Bishop Tom Daly: 'Corruption and Degeneracy'

A San Francisco boy. Proud of him:

Message from Bishop Thomas Daly

Archbishop Cordileone: "Purification is Always Painful"

Bless his heart! Our Archbishop's letter about the situation at the highest levels of the Church:

Dear Faithful of the Archdiocese,

Last Sunday witnessed what many are calling a “bombshell” in the Church: the publication of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s “Testimony,” alleging corruption and coverup at all levels of the Church based on his long and extensive personal knowledge.

I came to know Archbishop Viganò well during the years he served as Apostolic Nuncio here in the United States.  I can attest that he is a man who served his mission with selfless dedication, who fulfilled well the Petrine mission entrusted to him by the Holy Father to “strengthen his brothers in the faith,” and who would do so at great personal sacrifice and with absolutely no consideration given to furthering his “career” – all of which speaks to his integrity and sincere love of the Church. 

Moreover, while having no privileged information about the Archbishop McCarrick situation, from information I do have about a very few of the other statements Archbishop Viganò makes, I can confirm that they are true.  His statements, therefore, must be taken seriously.  To dismiss them lightly would continue a culture of denial and obfuscation.  Of course, to validate his statements in detail a formal investigation will have to be conducted, one that is thorough and objective.  I am therefore grateful to Cardinal DiNardo for recognizing the merit of finding answers that are “conclusive and based on evidence,” and I join my voice to that of other bishops in calling for such an investigation and for taking any corrective action that may be necessary in light of its findings. I was named a bishop on July 5, 2002, three weeks after the USCCB meeting in Dallas that approved the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and still at the height of the drama of revelations of sex abuse of minors by clergy.

 

 At that time, I was asked to conduct a prayer service at the conclusion of a conference on family life hosted by the diocese that attracted participants from around the world.  I met there an Australian priest with whom I was acquainted during our years of study in Rome, and he congratulated me on my appointment.  I replied, “Thank you, but this is not a good time to become a bishop.”  I will never forget his response to me: “But it is a good time to be a great bishop.” 

 

What he said to me then can be said to every Catholic at this time.  The Church is in need of purification.  Purification is always painful.  My dear victims: you know this more than anyone; please know of our prayers and love for you, and that we continue to be here for you, to support you and help you to heal with the resources we have available.

  

I believe God is beginning this painful process of purification for us now, but for it to work, we must cooperate.  God has always raised up great saints in similar times of turmoil in the Church.  I call on all of us to rededicate ourselves to prayer, penance and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, so that God will bless us with this grace.

Please know of my gratitude to you all: to you our priests, who remain close by your people, lending them support and pastoral care in this time of crisis; to you our deacons, who assist priests in this responsibility and bring the Gospel to those for whom it would otherwise be inaccessible; to you our victims assistance coordinators and to all who support victims on the painful path toward healing; to the faculty and administration of St. Patrick’s Seminary for your hard work in providing deep and healthy formation for our future priests for the renewal of the Church in our corner of the Lord’s vineyard, and to our seminarians for your fervor and generosity in responding to the Lord’s call of priestly service; and last but not least, to you, our people, for your prayer, for your love and concern for the Church, which now moves you to demand change that is effective and decisive, and for your support of our priests.

May God grant us all the grace to be the agents of change and purification that He is calling us to be at this time.

Sincerely yours in our Lord,

Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone

Archbishop of San Francisco

Bishop Paprocki: 'That response is not adequate.'

Springfield, Illinois Bishop Thomas Paprocki:

Statement from Bishop Thomas John Paprocki Regarding the Testimony of the Former Apostolic Nuncio

SPRINGFIELD – The former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, has revealed a set of facts and circumstances that are deeply troubling as they relate to the awareness, actions, and inactions at the very highest levels of the Church. Archbishop Viganò has provided his written testimony stating that Pope Francis “must honestly state when he first learned about the crimes committed by McCarrick, who abused his authority with seminarians and priests. In any case, the Pope learned about it from me on June 23, 2013 and continued to cover for him.”

When asked about this aboard the papal plane on his return flight from Ireland on August 26, Pope Francis said, “Read the statement carefully and make your own judgment. I will not say a single word on this.” Frankly, but with all due respect, that response is not adequate. Given the gravity of the content and implications of the former Nuncio’s statement, it is important for all the facts of this situation to be fully reviewed, vetted, and carefully considered. Toward that end, Pope Francis, Vatican officials and the current Apostolic Nuncio should make public the pertinent files indicating who knew what and when about Archbishop (formerly Cardinal) McCarrick and provide the accountability that the Holy Father has promised.

In this regard, I concur completely with the statement of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who yesterday “reaffirmed the call for a prompt and thorough examination into how the grave moral failings of a brother bishop could have been tolerated for so long and proven no impediment to his advancement. The recent letter of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò brings particular focus and urgency to this examination. The questions raised deserve answers that are conclusive and based on evidence.”

"I will not say a single word on this"--it's almost beyond belief that a person of prominence would be dumb enough to try this. And it is apparently contagious: Chicago's unspeakable Archbishop Cupich is even dumber, claiming the whole thing is: "because he's a Latino."

The extermination of the homosexual networks throughout the Church has been a long time coming. But this is a start: now they are there for all to see, and they cannot survive in the light.

Bishop Schneider: “No reasonable and plausible cause to doubt the truth" of Archbishop Maria Viganò's document

Not only that, he offer's a roadmap. From LifeSiteNews:


1. That the Holy See and the Pope himself will start to cleanse uncompromisingly the Roman Curia and the episcopate from homosexual cliques and networks.

2. That the Pope will proclaim unambiguously the Divine doctrine about the grievously sinful character of homosexual acts.

3. That there will be issued peremptory and detailed norms, which will prevent the ordination of men with a homosexual tendency.

4. That the Pope restores the purity and unambiguity of the entire Catholic doctrine in teaching and preaching.

5. That there will be restored in the Church through papal and episcopal teaching and through practical norms the ever valid Christian ascesis: the exercises of fasting, of corporal penitence, of abnegations.

6. That there will be restored in the Church the spirit and the praxis of reparation and expiation for sins committed.

7. That there will start in the Church a securely guaranteed selection process of candidates to the episcopacy, who are demonstrably true men of God; and that it would be better to leave the dioceses several years without a bishop rather than to appoint a candidate who is not a true man of God in prayer, in doctrine and in moral life.

8. That there will start in the Church a movement especially among cardinals, bishops and priests to renounce any compromise and any flirtation with the world.

Finally! And, yes, Archbishop Viganò is "absolutely worthy of belief"

For over ten years we've documented the homosexual infiltration within the Archdiocese of San Francisco--now in the process of being cleansed and healed by our good Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone.  It is great to see the same rot being exposed at the very highest levels of the Church--for only then can the healing begin!

Vox Cantor quotes Fr. Carlos Martin:

I just spent the last two hours on the phone with a friend in the Vatican Curia. He said that the news of Archbishop Viganò has hit the Curia like an atomic bomb. Two things are universally noted regarding Viganò: 1) He is highly respected as a professional, and 2) His Curial positions gave him clear access to the damning information he reported. In other words, he is not a hack, and he is not relying on rumor. This makes his report absolutely worthy of belief. 

Of course it is worthy of belief. Francis’s two right –hand men are Cardinal McCarrick and Cardinal Maradiaga.  That would be disgusting creep “Uncle Ted” McCarrick, corrupter of who knows how many seminarians, priests, and children, and Oscar Maradiaga, a disgrace to the Salesians, (whose episcopate, as we wrote in 2014, saw the reduction of Catholics in Honduras from 94% to 46% of the population) and whose response to the queer infestation of his seminary was to blame the good seminarians who brought it to his attention.

And, surprisingly, the gabby Francis has finally found a reason to button his lip, a subject he's willing to avoid. Like countless bishops before him, he is refusing to address the quite detailed and specific points made yesterday by Archbishop Vigano:

(Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday he would not respond to explosive accusations by a former top Vatican official that the pontiff had covered up sexual abuse, saying dismissively that the document containing the allegations “speaks for itself”.

Francis, talking to reporters aboard the plane returning to Rome from Dublin, said he would “not say one word” on the 11-page document, in which the former official says Francis should resign. The pontiff said journalists should read the document carefully and decide for themselves about its credibility.

I doubt anyone needs any encouragement to 'read the document carefully'!

American Supreme Court Slaps Down California Abortionists

Remarkable what happens when grownups get involved. Congratulations to our friends over at Support Circle, Alpha Pregnancy, etc.

Washington D.C., Jun 26, 2018 / 08:19 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked a California law requiring pro-life pregnancy centers to post information on programs to obtain a free or low-cost abortion.

The 5-4 ruling in National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) v. Becerra sent the case back to a lower court to be reconsidered, in light of the Supreme Court’s finding that “We hold that petitioners are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the FACT Act violates the First Amendment.”

Lower courts had rejected a petition to temporarily block the California law while it was being legally challenged. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the case against the law was unlikely to succeed on its merits.

The Supreme Court reversed that ruling, saying that the Ninth Circuit was wrong to treat the speech of pregnancy centers as a lesser category of free speech simply because it is “professional speech.”

Is this the end of Women's Sports? Results of "transgender" activism

Today, LifeSiteNews (among others) reports that in next week's Boston Marathon men will be allowed to compete as women. Should prove instructive. The GenderTrender website has a long list of men who declare themselves women, and then, unsurprisingly,  go on to dominate women's sports.

Just one example: How does a 53 year old become the leading scorer and rebounder on a college basketball team? Easy: just be a man and claim you’re a woman! 

In 2013, ESPN profiled Robert Ludwig, a 52 year-old man playing on a woman’s College basketball team. How obtuse the ESPN writer is is illustrated by first reading paragraph 27:

“What some of the nastier adversaries seemed to dwell on when Ludwig first began playing was the notion that she somehow had an unfair advantage against her opponents, but even at 6-6 that was not the case both because of female hormones reducing her muscle mass as well as the unavoidable fact that she is 52.”

Then rereading it armed with the additional information from paragraph 39: 

“’She's the leading scorer and rebounder, and this team is somewhat built around her,’ (Coach Corey) Cafferata said.”

Emphasis added.

Pope Francis’s Disordered Exhortation

From Pope Francis's Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exusultate:

101. The other harmful ideological error is found in those who find suspect the social engagement of others, seeing it as superficial, worldly, secular, materialist, communist or populist. Or they relativize it, as if there are other more important matters, or the only thing that counts is one particular ethical issue or cause that they themselves defend. Our defence of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection...

102. We often hear it said that, with respect to relativism and the flaws of our present world, the situation of migrants, for example, is a lesser issue. Some Catholics consider it a secondary issue compared to the “grave” bioethical questions …

Emphasis added. The New York Times correctly noted that Francis’s argument here is: 

“consistent with a view articulated by Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin, the archbishop of Chicago who died in 1996, and who called for a ‘consistent ethic of life’ that wove issues of life and social justice into a ‘seamless garment.’”

Before you can have a garment (seamless or otherwise) you have to have cloth. The right to life is not part of the seamless garment—it is the cloth from which the garment is made. To put the right to life on the same level as “the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection” as Francis does, is disordered.

More from Cardinal Zen on Capitulation to Communists: "It’s a complete surrender. It’s incredible.”

The great Salesian continues to battle on behalf of Jesus's Church.

Cardinal Zen Celebrating Mass

LifeSiteNews reports today:

Chinese bishops appointed by the country’s communist government are voicing support for the Vatican’s dealings with China that may allow the government to decide who becomes bishop. 

Bishop Peter Fang Jianping of Tangshan said he was confident that the Chinese government and the Vatican will soon reach an agreement on appointment of bishops, reported Eurasia Review on Tuesday. 

He noted that if mainland bishops appointed by the government obtained legal status from the church, it could promote development of what Eurasia Review called the “China Church.” The government runs the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, a fake church of communist-approved and monitored clerics. The real Catholic Church is underground and is persecuted. 

Bishop Fang said that Catholics a should support President Xi proposed sinicization of religion “because we, as citizens of the country, should first be a citizen and then have religion and beliefs.”

Emphasis added, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is all you need to know. These fake bishops, whom Pope Francis and the Vatican are so eager to recognize, openly proclaim their allegiance is not to the Church but to the state.