How Low Can We Go?

Posted on by charliej373

By Charlie Johnston

Boy, do I miss the days when the question, “Is the Pope Catholic?” was just rhetorical.

These last few months of Francis’ Papacy have reminded me of the closing sequence of The Godfather. In those scenes Michael Corleone piously stands as godfather at his nephew’s baptism, while his henchmen kill off all his opponents and irritants. Pope Francis removed Tyler, Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland from his See without giving any canonical reason. Then he had Cardinal Burke kicked out of his Vatican apartment. To top it off, the Pope broke bread with a bunch of transgenders he had invited to Rome. Now he gives his approval to blessing same-sex unions.

I will have a piece after the first of the year about the crisis in the Church, but I can’t blame Catholics in the pews for getting more and more dismayed and disheartened. I don’t think it was an accident that lightning struck the Vatican shortly after Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation. The Church was about to enter her passion. It has become rough enough that even the pretzels (those folks who twist themselves in knots explaining what Francis ‘really means’ when he says or does something hideously anti-Christian) are starting to say, “Whoa!” Thirty years ago many Evangelical Protestants were flooding into the Church under Pope St. John Paul the Great. Now, prominent Evangelical leaders are concerned about the damage Pope Francis is doing to Christianity generally. Fortunately, already there are conferences of Bishops around the world that are refusing to buy into this. I think that movement will grow and pick up steam, This could be the “bridge too far” that gives voice to orthodox Bishops who, until now, have chosen to suffer in silence.

Be not afraid. The darkness will not prevail, though these surely are times that try men’s souls. Blessed are those who keep faith and fidelity to the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. As Our Lord said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” God’s promises are altogether true and His word stands fast forever. (If you click on no other link, please listen to this magnificent homily from the last Sunday before Advent by Fr. Robert Altier. It describes exactly where we are – and why we should lift our heads up. Hat tip to Deacon Tony from Texas for sending it to me.)

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Once again, the Colorado Judiciary shows itself to be a parody of justice to the rest of the nation. Almost everyone knows that, years after the US Supreme Court said to knock it off, Colorado courts continue to collaborate with trans and gay activists to harass Jack Phillips, the Christian owner of Masterpiece Cake Shop in Lakewood (right next door to me). See, most of the judges in Colorado are activist political hacks who think their job is to give the most “woke” result possible and give it a legal-sounding justification. Actual jurisprudence can take a flying leap.

I am friends with a fellow who charged a woman in a civil suit in Colorado with wronging him. In the course of the suit, she acknowledged the wrong – but neither apologized for nor corrected it. The judge ordered the man to pay her legal expenses. His astonished lawyer asked how the judge could come up with that. The judge noted the woman had acknowledged the wrong. In no other court system in the nation could that happen.

Now the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump cannot be on the Republican Primary ballot in the state because he engaged in insurrection. Never mind that he has never been charged with, much less convicted of, the federal crime of insurrection. The judges on the Colorado Supreme Court hate him with the fire of a thousand suns and care not a whit for justice nor jurisdiction so it was the only possible outcome. When the premier judges in the state are clown hacks, how can anyone ever get a fair shake?

How did the court system in my home state become such a woke joke? Very simple: universal mail-in voting and “merit selection” of judges. In 2013 Colorado went to universal mail-in balloting. Everyone gets their ballot mailed to them. This pumps out huge numbers of ballots to voters who do not vote – and many who do not exist, while utterly destroying any effective chain-of-custody. Not surprisingly, the only offices Republicans have been allowed to win since then are those that do not threaten Democratic rule. (Gotta let some Republicans win to keep the gag from being too obvious). In Colorado judges are all appointed by the governor. The only time they face the voters is in a retention ballot. This is what is called “merit selection.” If truth in advertising rules applied it would be called “don’t let those grubby, rube citizens have ANY say over who wears a robe and gets a gavel.” Voila, only allow Democrats to be elected to the offices that count and then only let those Democrats choose who they want on judicial benches and you have a system that Stalin would have endorsed.

Having ventured into territory that affects the entire nation, the Colorado hacks in robes will finally earn the rebuke from federal courts they have long been begging for. Meantime, my advice to you should you ever find yourself embroiled in a case in a Colorado court is to abandon all hope of prevailing. Just opt for damage control and get out as quickly as you can. That, of course, is if you are Christian or conservative. If you are woke, your case can be as ridiculous and evidence-free as you please and it will still be a slam dunk with these embarrassing hacks.

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I am stunned to see a new Harvard poll out that says that the long-term answer to the conflict between Israel and Hamas is to “end” Israel and give all the land to Hamas and the Palestinians. I guess calling it the “final solution” would have been too obvious. While we were sleeping our colleges have raised a new and more virulent version of the Hitler youth. Yet another example of the compassion and tolerance of the left.

A strange component of all this is that the less objective knowledge some people have, the more forceful and violent they are in pushing their errant beliefs. There has always been an element of this among people who want to play smart on the cheap, but I honestly am not aware of any time where it was so systemic.

Meanwhile, in cities across the country lefties are dismantling successful public schools and programs because they are “not fair.” In 2nd grade, I was assigned to be the narrator at our school’s Christmas Pageant (remember those? I know…those of you under 50 can’t because the left killed them). Watching a child’s Christmas Pageant this year, I realized why it was such a hit: having a tiny kid who can read smoothly with inflection had to be absolutely adorable. Thank God that was then: now I would be sent to the corner with a dunce cap for making other kids feel bad.

We truly do have a lot of wood to chop.

*********

 More and more serious commentators are worried that, if present trends continue, we are going to lose our country. As I have been saying for a few years now, we have already lost it. A very real insurrection took place in the wee hours of Nov. 4 when Democrats used massive vote fraud to manufacture enough ballots to illegitimately install Joe Biden in the Oval Office. The leftists promptly got to work trying to establish a one-party state whose rule could not be brooked. The country was lost on Dec. 11 when the Supreme Court refused, on procedural grounds, to examine the evidence of massive fraud propping up this insurrection. Everything since then has been death throes.

The problem for the authoritarian left is that they moved before cementing their authority. There are too many of us and not enough of them. They keep trying to crack down with new depravities to force us to get in line – and every time they do they lose more of their own. Some of their own luminaries are wondering why so many of their former comrades are moving right. Most well-timed authoritarian movements gain ground as they go, simply from the human propensity to want to be on the side that is winning. The harder the modern left tries the more supporters it sheds. With great sturm und drang it is dying before our eyes. But it has taken over almost all of the institutions of the republic – so it is taking them down with it.

Now the left is openly thinking about civil war as the means to get all us recalcitrants in line. Of course, they have long ago lost (or abandoned) the capacity for critical thinking. As Kurt Schlichter amusingly explains, this, like everything else in their imagination, will not work out as they planned. But it does reveal that they would rather kill and subdue rather than live with the possibility of loss of their power and influence. That is what happens when you make power and influence your god.

The atrocities Hamas visited upon innocent Israeli civilians on Oct. 7 laid bare the progressive soul in a way that is stark. The left chose to side with the rapist, torturing, murdering savages who even took glee in roasting infants alive. It was not a great leap for people to see that, if they support that in the name of equity, that is what they would do to all of us if they got the chance. And so, as Victor Davis Hanson starkly puts it, our choice now is between civilization or its destroyers. I choose civilization.

The leftist barbarians are not going to go gently into exile. If we are ever going to have a healthy, pluralist society again, we must thoroughly banish, discredit, jail and defeat the barbarians. We are witnessing the ugly closing of the old era. What the new era that follows it will look like is entirely up to us.

*********

By now it is clear to all but the most obtuse that the Russian-Ukraine War will end with Ukraine ceding much or all of the Donbass and Crimea (which identify as Russian anyway) to Russia in exchange for peace and a guarantee of the integrity of historical Ukrainian borders. It was not necessary for over a half million Ukrainian and Russians to die for this: it could have been accomplished 20 years ago – or 10 years ago – or two years ago, for that matter. It was American intransigence that prevented such a settlement.

All the happy talk about Zelensky being the new Churchill, Ukrainian troops decimating baffled Russian troops, and democracy being at stake in this battle of Eastern European strongmen has been overtaken by reality – which is what I told you it was from the start.

Zelensky is no sophisticated and elegant western statesman, nor is Putin a snarling beast bent on world domination. Both are strongmen in societies that are not free and lack the political infrastructure in which a genuine democratic statesman can flourish. Putin wants what has been continuously Russian for nearly 500 years. Zelensky was seduced by the notion that infusions of weapons and cash could make his small nation, rife with corruption, into a major player on the world stage.

Hopefully, negotiations to end this can be held forthwith to end the meat grinder. If America had a mediocre foreign policy establishment, Russia would already be our most important ally in the effort to block China and fight Islamic Jihad. But like the advisors to King Canute, these clowns think that if they command the waves to rise the waves must obey. Stupidity has consequences. A LOT of people have paid with their lives for our stupidity.

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A couple of administrative notes…

Good old Dr. Joe Brickner and I will do another Seven Questions podcast next week, just in time for New Year’s prognostications. If you have a question you would like me to grapple with on-air, send it to seven7questions@gmail.com.

We are planning out my schedule of visits to Florida and up the east coast after the first of the year. If you care to have me come and ramble on for a while in your community, check in with my scheduler, Gina, at ginaw@coracusa.com. I will be available on and after Jan. 8, 2024. Unlike the Allman Brothers, I was not born a ramblin’ man – but I have grown into it.

If communication goes out for any length of time, meet outside your local Church at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings. Tell friends at Church now in case you can’t then. CORAC teams will be out looking for people to gather in and work with.

Find me on Twitter at @JohnstonPilgrim

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66 thoughts on “How Low Can We Go?”

  2. Charlie- I think you are mistaken on the Fiducia supplicans text. I am not a “pretzel” or even a fan of Pope Francis, but I was pleasantly surprised at the actual wording of the document. It actually reinforces traditional Catholic teaching on marriage and explicitly denotes that these blessings cannot be Liturgical (or appear liturgical), cannot be pre-planned (the way a wedding is), cannot include special clothing (wedding dress, tux, etc.) and cannot even have the appearance of a ritual that could be mistaken for a sacrament.

    My initial reaction was the same as yours when I saw the glee coming from noted proponents of same-sex marriages in the church. But having read it and listening to a priest whom I trust and would not be considered among those proponents, I see it kind of does the opposite of what I thought. I think Fr. Martin and his like are misinterpreting (perhaps knowingly) the document and benefiting from the ensuing confusion. Just my honest and humble take.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I appreciate your take, Jayman, as you are a trusted and insightful commenter here. Are you accustomed to reading formal documents like this? They often are not what they seem. They enable something that sounds innocuous while re-emphasizing their commitment to a generally accepted stance. By blessing “couples” together in these relationships, while pretending that the blessing is just for each of them individually, this elides the controversial part while pretending that nothing has changed. But blessing them together blesses the act, as well.

      I was once on the floor with some friends in the Illinois State Capitol when a big deal was going on between Dems and Reps over a tax increase. (You can guess who was for and who was against). The Dems were trying to sneak it in via an innocuous “vehicle bill.” I asked my friend, the Minority Whip, to explain to me precisely what a vehicle bill entailed – and so he did. While he went about some other business I sat at his desk reading through other stuff coming up that afternoon. One piece of legislation on the consent calendar (which includes those uncontroversial bills that all legislators can agree to – and so are passed unanimously in a group) struck me funny. I read through it three times – and then called the Minority Whip to explain to me why one piece did not qualify as a vehicle bill. He chuckled and then picked it up to show me my error. Then his face darkened and, in near panic, he grabbed the minority leader and, after a short intense conference of the caucus, the bill was removed from the consent calendar. It pleases me to know that I was one of the last people to ever save Illinois citizens from a tax increase.

      My most memorable and disgusting use of this sort of code involves St. Joan of Arc. The Church did not inflict punishment. That was reserved to secular authorities. They just acquitted or convicted, then turned the convict over to secular authorities with a recommendation. If they wanted the convict burned at the stake, they would tell the secular authorities to “deal with her tenderly” – which is what they told them.

      Eric Sammons, of Crisis Magazine, has the full text and useful commentary on the official language.

      Liked by 8 people

      1. I also do not think one has to turn oneself into a pretzel in regards to this declaration. While it is not unreasonable to take a position that is has its areas of poverty in how it was written. (E.g., it could have been more clear about the call to repentance and deeper conversion that a blessing includes for all us sinners.)

        I do find it reads like many texts that are trying to maintain the deep nuance of truth, and those types of texts are very easy to read in whatever way a person wants to.

        It does seem to write clearly that:

        “…there is no intention to legitimize anything, but rather to open one’s life to God, to ask for his help to live better, and also to invoke the Holy Spirit so that the values of the Gospel may be lived with greater faithfulness.”

        ——

        Again, just 2 cents. Could I be wrong in that there actually is some nefarious plan to open the door to trying to legitimize disordered behavior, sure.
        But I also don’t want to fall into the trap of seeing a conspiracy behind every “frosted door.”

        Will the evil one try to use this for his benefit, always, like everything he does. But that’s why it is so important for lay people like ourselves to speak clearly, and as nuanced and compassionately as possible.

        Liked by 3 people

        1. To add some further clarity to my thoughts on the declaration, the one thing that brought me some unease was the word “couple.”
          There was something in that which seemed to be change from blessing individuals or marriages.

          Jason Evert released a video (linked below) which I thought he did a wonderful job in his personal concern with the phrase of blessing a “couple.”

          Like

      2. Charlie, you are certainly more versed on these types of papal documents. I guess the language can’t be taken at literal meaning. It’s frustrating. I suppose we’ll know soon enough as there are already priests blessing same sex couples using this document as cover. If they are not reprimanded for what they are doing, you were completely right on your reading of the situation.

        Thanks for your kind words.

        Liked by 3 people

      3. I totally agree with Charlie about the blessing. The blessing is really an attempt to change everything without issuing a formal document. It is double speak. The meaning of his words is made totally clear by the priests he promotes and those that he crushes.

        Liked by 5 people

      4. Jesus said “nor do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” The dishonest successors of is apostles take the “nor do I condemn you” part and then write a hundred pages of sophistry explaining why you never sinned to start with so carry on. Or maybe technically you did but God understands so He will go ahead and forgive you with no particular need to repent and reform. The “blessing” is really just blessing the “good parts” but how often does the priest also explain that blessings really don’t do you much good if you’re in serious sin and refuse to repent. What are the odds that sophist-in-chief in training James Martin is including that part now that he can gleefully bless his “gay couple friends”? (As if he wasn’t already doing so. Nobody is fooled by that guy.)

        Lake

        Liked by 2 people

      5. I’m hoping to put this as tenderly as possible. If this was just a matter of a person receiving a Blessing, then there would be absolutely no reason for this document to exist. Anyone who shows up for Mass, or attends a function, such as a Papal Audience, will receive a Blessing. The state of their soul and God’s Will shall determine how efficacious that Blessing will be. What is being sought here is something entirely different.

        The year following the pachamama fiasco was a disaster for the world. Now we have this affront. I’d hold onto your hats for 2024. I’m starting to understand what Our Lady of Akita was speaking about and there are 2 cities mentioned in Genesis that probably understand better than most.

        Liked by 3 people

  3. The only criticism I have of this is when Charlie writes “…good OLD Dr. Joe Brickner”!

    With the anti-biblical decisions the Pope is making lately, what would happen if Catholics stop sending money to Rome?

    Liked by 5 people

  4. After Francis made this new pronouncement, I actually looked up the verb “to bless” to be sure I actually understood its meaning. He creates one whopper after another.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I wish it would, Jaykay; but I know that neither of us is holding our breath. I’m confident that the bishop of my diocese will forbid any such blessings. But I also suspect that Francis will summarily yank from his diocese any bishop who makes big news by opposing this travesty.

      On a lighter note, I wanted to tell you that in September I started taking an online course through the University of Montana: Beginning Irish. It is so much fun! The instructor is from County Cork, and class starts back up sometime in January. It’s a challenge, but at least I can tell you this: Nollaig shona! 🙂

      Liked by 8 people

      2. Wow!! Well done indeed, Mick. It’s not an easy language (not least the spelling) but a good teacher really helps. Nollaig shona dhuit féin, agus do do theaglach uilig.

        As of today, there’s nothing from our Bishops on this issue. The sheep are left out in the cold, exposed to the icy blasts of bien-pensant public “opinion” – you can guess as to which direction those are blowing! I expect that soon there’ll be some sort of test case rigged-up (much as they did with the “wedding” cakes issue), and some poor faithful Priest will be thrown to the lynch mob. It’s the way they work.

        Liked by 3 people

  6. Nothing surprises me anymore Charlie! 😂. I just wonder what’s next!!! Regardless; acknowledge God, take the next right step and be a sign of hope to all those whom God puts in your path🥰🙏

    Liked by 3 people

  8. The publication Responsum (link below) issued by the Vatican in 2021 describes why blessing same sex relationships is prohibited. Now, 2 years, later a new head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith writes it is now permissible to do so. This is not based on a new Magisterial teaching but on Pope Francis’ “pastoral vision”. (Quote from the new document Fiducia Supplicans: “…this implies a real development from what has been said about blessings in the Magisterium and the official texts of the Church.”)
    The Responsum document from 2021 spells out why the church cannot bless these relationships:
    “Consequently, in order to conform with the nature of sacramentals, when a blessing is invoked on particular human relationships, in addition to the right intention of those who participate, *it is necessary that what is blessed be objectively and positively ordered to receive and express grace*, according to the designs of God inscribed in creation, and fully revealed by Christ the Lord. *Therefore, only those realities which are in themselves ordered to serve those ends are congruent with the essence of the blessing imparted by the Church.*
    For this reason, it is not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage (i.e., outside the indissoluble union of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of life), as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex. The presence in such relationships of positive elements, which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated, cannot justify these relationships and render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing, since the positive elements exist within the context of a union not ordered to the Creator’s plan.”
    (Responsum of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to a dubium
    regarding the blessing of the unions of persons of the same sex).
    https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2021/03/15/210315b.html

    The new Declaration Fiducia Supplicans (link below) spends a lot of time warning about potential abuses of the new rule and from reading what many pro LGBTQ commentators are saying, this has already begun because it allows for the blessing of same sex “couples”.
    If there is any doubt about this new document actually allowing the blessing of couples in same sex relationships here is a direct quote;
    “The value of this document, however, is that it offers a specific and innovative contribution to the pastoral meaning of blessings, permitting a broadening and enrichment of the classical understanding of blessings, which is closely linked to a liturgical perspective. Such theological reflection, *based on the pastoral vision of Pope Francis*, implies a real development from what has been said about blessings in the Magisterium and the official texts of the Church. This explains why this text has taken on the typology of a “Declaration.”
    It is precisely in this context that one can understand the *possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples* without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage.”
    https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2023/12/fiducia-suplicans-dicastery-for.html?m=1

    Liked by 2 people

  9. The current Pope is a lost cause, he always was the very moment he was installed, college of Cardinals was compromised, and it’s a miracle we got Pope Benedict XVI to “restrain” the evils as long as he did.

    Our restrainer is no more, any Bishop wanting to oppose the corruption at Vatican will likely suffer the same fate as Bishop Strickland, as anyone just & moral is purged from the Church. Fr Malachi Martin was right about the Jesuits being corrupt, and what would happen if a enemy of Christ was installed as a Pope.

    Liked by 4 people

  10. I didn’t make it through all the comments here, but the sources I heard, that the word was “couples” rather than “unions”
    Is that true?
    And that in legality, it makes a huge difference…
    Is that true?

    Like

    1. Why issue a decree if it changes nothing? If there is nothing you want to change, then you leave it alone. Priests have always been able – and willing – to bless individuals regardless of what their disposition is. To bless couples is to make their sin the phantom recipient of the blessing. Do not fall for the patently absurd line that this change had to be made so that nothing would change.

      Liked by 10 people

  11. Meh… “theag*h*lach”. Well, I did say the spelling was… ummm… perhaps “eclectic” best describes it. Not in the same league as Polish, though 😏)

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Ha, Jaykay! If it’s any consolation, the spelling error went right over my head. I find that I often write “mh” when it should be “bh,” and vice versa. And in my head I’m saying “v,” so then it’s really confusing. No matter, though; I love learning Irish. I hope that my ancestors from Donegal and Antrim/Derry are looking down on me and nodding their approval… or at least getting a good laugh over my efforts. 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  12. Cardinal Muller expresses well the problems with FS: https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/muller-fiducia-supplicans-is-self

    The dictator is at work in this, his new mess. As Cardinal Muller noted:
    “The document, which was neither discussed nor approved by the General Assembly of Cardinals and Bishops of this Dicastery, acknowledges that the hypothesis (or teaching?) it proposes is new and that it is based primarily on the pastoral magisterium of Pope Francis.”

    Liked by 5 people

  13. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! ….. Happy Day … 😉

    https://catholicexchange.com/seeking-the-burning-babe-who-sets-our-hearts-aflame/

    https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/what-will-you-get-jesus-for-his-birthday

    10 Most bizarre Christmas traditions found in Europe

    https://www.toddstarnes.com/cancel-culture/dc-transit-rejects-ad-banners-featuring-george-washington-kneeling-in-prayer/

    https://whatweneednow.substack.com/p/papal-power-and-the-obedience-of

    https://catholicvote.org/trump-vows-to-defend-christians-targeted-by-fbi-doj/

    https://www.catholicleague.org/christmas-joy-eludes-atheists/

    https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/urban-vs-icy-decree-and-a-big-news

    https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/prudence-and-symbolic-ambiguity

    https://catholicvote.org/dem-senators-move-keep-pro-life-protections-out-spending-bills/

    https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/12/bidens-open-borders.php
    ….along with Democrat Baby Murder Inc. …. ;-(
    https://www.lifenews.com/2023/12/20/kamala-harris-says-christians-can-support-killing-babies-in-abortions/

    https://www.catholicleague.org/medical-profession-bows-to-transgenderism/

    https://spiritdailyblog.com/commentary/a-shameful-movie-with-prophetic-and-sobering-elements

    https://stream.org/jacki-deason-on-why-christians-should-care-about-energy-policy/

    TinFoil Hat Stuff!? …. THEY demand thee be Injected .. Like it or no!
    https://newstarget.com/2023-12-20-needleless-vaccines-are-here-poisons-delivered-ultrasound.html

    Situational Awareness … Make Time for HeadLine Scan!
    https://www.bishopstrickland.com/blog/
    https://hotair.com/
    https://newsbusters.org/
    https://dailycaller.com/
    https://thedailybs.com/news/
    https://www.zerohedge.com/
    https://www.wnd.com/category/front-page/
    https://pjmedia.com/
    https://www.westernjournal.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 2 people

  14. I keep coming back to one question: What *exactly* are you blessing? I’ve heard/read the apologists, reflected on it for a few days, and am unconvinced by their arguments. If you bless a couple in an irregular relationship then you aren’t blessing two individuals, you are blessing a couple and implicitly all that goes along with it.

    Liked by 5 people

  15. Pope Francis seems to contradict himself from just few years ago, when he signed under a statement that God cannot bless homosexual couples since God cannot bless sin.

    The older this pope gets, the madder he becomes.

    Looks like the time of mercy ended ( this is what Jesus told St. Faustina is going to happen) with the pontificate of John Paul II (which was extended bit by the pontificate of Benedict XVI). Now we are in the time of confusion under this heretic pope.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. The pope is not saying it is okay to bless the unions….but we are all sinners and every individual is entitled to a blessing. If a couple living outside church accepted unions are attending mass they receive the blessing each time at the end of mass. Too many Catholic influencers, in my observation, are reactionaries. As for Strickland and Burke, Michael Voris..they are all pope bashers and this causes some to leave the church yet I see otherwise good men continue with the saga of condemning the pope for fallacious reasons.

      Like

      1. I observe erudite and holy men and women criticizing the Pope’s actions – not his person, but what he actually does – with well reasoned responses, including those made by the writer of this blog and many of the commenters here who are faithful to the Church and are deeply concerned about the disconnect in this papacy between what is said by Pope Francis and what he actually does. The archives of this blog contain many a sound argument which point to the ways Pope Francis has fulfilled his own exhortation expressed at WYD nearly nine years ago when he urged young people to “make a mess.”

        Obviously, we strongly disagree about the ways and deeds of Pope Francis. Time will tell which stance is accurate.

        Liked by 3 people

        1. Yes, I see your disagreement on this site and as a result I can no longer follow Charlie nor be apart of this club. Sad because I think Charlie is a good man and you as well Beckita.

          Like

      2. In reference to: “…As for Strickland and Burke, Michael Voris..they are all pope bashers…”
        Sorry but I strongly disagree, I do not see/hear anything like that from them that’s “bashing the Pope.
        All they do is to proclaimed the actual gospel./scripture, and the actual teachings of the Catholic Church.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Exactly!

          The current Pope persecutes, ridicules, & despises anything, anyone, and everything that is remotely traditional in relation of the Catholic faith. We’re not just talking about the Latin mass people, but everything including prayers, devotions, beliefs, and correct interpretation of the Gospels as understood for the past 2000 years.

          My conclusion, the current Pope is against Christ, against Peter and against the magisterium.

          Like

          1. Yup I agree with you on that , except the last part: …”My conclusion, the current Pope is against Christ, against Peter and against the magisterium…”
            I just can’t do that(anymore)… That’s judging his “intentions”(i.e. his heart)(the “why” part). I can’t remember where but I think it’s written we’re called to judge people’s actions/words, but not hearts, because hearts is reserved for our Lord to judge.
            But I’ll freely admit that I have done exactly that in my past more times than I could count!!! Until someone pointed it out to me just a few years ago, so now I try to avoid that part)

            Like

            1. People don’t need to judge this Pope’s heart & intentions, Matthew 12:34 “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.”. By this Pope’s words & actions he has declared what’s in his heart & intentions.

              “A good tree cannot bear good fruit, nor a bad tree bear good fruit.” Pope JPII years ago openly warned of “epic battle between good & evil, between the Church and the antichurch.”. The current Pope is loyal to the antichurch, and this is why favors the antichurch and persecutes thosr loyal towards the Church. And this is all than can be said on this matter without opening a big can of worms.

              Like

              1. Dear ACAD, First of all, I recently stumbled on this verse:
                Proverbs 9:8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
                reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
                I would *not* call myself wise, but it is true that I absolutely LOVE it when someone “reproves” me!!! As long as it remains as a “conversation”, it is ALWAYS a win-win(learn-learn)!!! (in todays world, it’s often called “constructive criticism”)
                However, as soon as one person or the other becomes angry, it converts from a conversation to an argument. at that point, there is no point in continuing, because the learning/benefit from the conversation abruptly stops, and becomes destructive instead of constructive

                Ok, I see your point with Matt 12:34b. It is parallel with Matt 15:18. Yup, what ever is in our hearts most definitely influences whatever comes out of our words/actions for sure!!! But with our simple human perspective, we can not tell if the other person has a 2(or more)-stage motive. Only God himself can know this.

                that said, Here’s a little more of “where i’m coming from”:
                Galatians 6:1 & Titus 3:2 both call for gentleness when dealing with someone who has transgressed you… (Yup, I do feel transgressed by/from our pope, so I am trying hard to be gentle in my thoughts/words)
                Romans 2:1, (I don’t want to be condemned).
                John 8:15-16, (Yup, we humans can only judge according to the flesh, what we see/hear. actions & words. but on verse 16, Jesus says He (and The Father combined) the judgement is actually *true* (not blurred by human/flesh perspectives))

                Then there’s 1 John 4:1, & Matthew 7:15 Both warn us to be testing/watchful, of false prophets, etc… but neither tell us to “Judge”… only to to be watchful and cautious.

                For many years, I have been a person who tries hard to see the positive in people/events/etc, rather than the “knee-jerk” natural tendency to just point out, or even dwell on, the obvious negatives. I must admit that a large part of this is because I do love a “challenge”, and there are lots of various people that I have met in this world that it’s a serious challenge to find the positive in them!!!

                I couldn’t find it, but I agree, scripture says we *should* judge others on their *words/actions*. However, an extremely strong human tendency (I assume concupiscence) is to also try to figure out/assume “why” the person did/said what they did… That’s what I think is the *especially bad* part.

                Reinforcing my opinion on this, is the numerous scriptures that say we shouldn’t judge the “hearts” of anyone, that’s reserved to God himself.
                I understand the word “heart(s)” to be the same as someone’s: Intentions, thoughts, motives, etc, in general, their “reason” for their words or actions… The “why”…

                My specific thoughts on Pope Francis:
                When I judge Pope Francis on his words/actions, in both what he does/says, and fails to do/say, I see terrible, just plain *terrible*!!! *Especially* the timing of his release of Letter #127, Mon Sep 25. This, I agree with Fr. John Ricardo, it was terrible, timing!!! It caused turmoil, and distracted so many people from meditating on what they should be during advent: the upcoming birth of Christ!!! Instead, many people became focused on this papal letter. And from another source: a letter/release “that really didn’t need to be”…

                However, I also understand that our Lord judges us mostly on our “hearts”. Which is much more than on our actual words/actions… i.e. he judges us more on what we are actually “trying” to do.

                In order to help me to not have bitterness towards our current pope, I am trying to see any possible positives… i.e. Just maybe, he is actually attempting to do good. i.e. To welcome all same-sex-attracted people towards our Church, for the hidden/actual purpose to later convert them to orthodoxy!!! Jesus himself did this a lot!!! He associated with sinners of *all* kinds. The Pharisees did not like this, and looked down on him for it.

                … and… if the opposite ends up being true… Even if our pope is not trying to do good… i.e. if he is actually trying to hurt the church, there is still huge good coming out of this. Our Lord is the “Master” of making fruit of evil!!! (yes… pun intended) and in making fruit of any other humanly perceived bad things/happenings.

                I believe even if it is true that our pope has bad motives, our Lord is *clearly* using our pope to clean/repair/rebuild His Church!!! (another multi step/stage process) With Pope Francis at the seat of St. Peter, it is making most, if not all, other priests/bishops/religious, and even lay people to take their stand, and/or make their choice. This is true in both directions. Those who are orthodox are making themselves publicly known as orthodox!!!

                and… Those bishops/priests, and even lay people, who are… let’s just say, non-orthodox, are becoming very *emboldened*, “sticking their heads out”, and are standing up and making their stand with our current pope’s words/actions, and making themselves “very” obvious.

                Our Lord almost always uses us humans to do his work here on earth… One day when this all comes to a close, all the humans who need to know, those who have the authority, will know exactly who needs to be kept/nurtured/strengthened/promoted, and those persons in the church that need to be “pruned” out of the church, but preferably, rather than pruned, *converted*, back to orthodoxy. (i.e. Our Lord converting Saul to Paul)

                It is my opinion/belief: The end result of all these tough times will be a Church that will likely be more pure than it has ever been on this earth!!!

                Blessings to you/yours, -kevin-

                Like

  16. Hm, what to make of the Jedi squirrel pictured at the bottom wielding both a purple light saber AND the Force lightning. Bit of trivia: in Star Wars fiction, purple lightsabers are generally associated with characters who walk the line between the dark and light side of the Force. As for the Force lightning, I don’t recall it being used by any other than Darth Sidious, the evil Emperor Palpatine, who was ended by the late redemption of Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader). Force lightning is one of those dark side of the Force powers among the many abilities some would consider unnatural. It’s basically and outpouring of rage and hate, so addictive that we see it unleashed again on such a scale that the ensuing lightning storm almost destroyed the entire Galactic Fleet.

    Some may be more familiar with the common blue light saber as wielded by Obi-Wan, and Luke Skywalker for a time before he switched to green. Blue, traditionally wielded by those who were expected to uphold qualities of courage and righteousness. Green, typically wielded by those who are famed for their wisdom and mental refinement.

    Maybe you were going for something subtle to be pondered, or perhaps just a bit rusty on your Star Wars canon. Hahaha! Whatever the case, maybe that sheds a little more light on your pop culture meme.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Nah…the evil emperor was sending the lightning at the poor squirrel, but the little fella turned out to be far more powerful than the emperor expected and caught the lightning in his paw. Of course, catching the emperor’s lightning turned his brilliant blue light sabre purple for a moment as the noble squirrel processed the evil from the emperor and dissipated it. This was caught at exactly the moment the squirrel caught and began dissipating the evil, thus the momentary color disturbance.

      Liked by 3 people

      2. Well, that explains it (though it doesn’t really explain my penchant for dry humor and a bit of playful satire). I constantly marvel at the lengths some go to soften the blow of the latest nonsense out of the Vatican. It’s not rocket science.

        Liked by 2 people

          1. I neither laughed nor scratched my head. Just noted the snark and got lumped in with others accused of being fallacious without the least attempt to support that thesis.

            People are scared. That’s why I recommend they start challenging themselves to do harder things and build on healthy disciplines. For example, start asking better questions. Even scary questions.

            Does it contradict Church teaching? OK, that’s a question, but why not ask a better question. Why single out that group? Why not single out hookers, or the mafia, or any number of such? Blessings are useless in those who have no intention of repenting or amending their lives. Further, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what the blessing of sinful unions implies.

            Want a real example of Christian behavior in such matters? John 4:1-26. A snippet:

            “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

            Tough Love, but Live nonetheless.

            Like

          2. My immediate thought was that “this club” was meant to be derogatory and diminish “A Sign of Hope” (if for no one but the writer).

            Like

  18. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! ….. PS: 😉

    https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas

    https://stream.org/how-christmas-split-time-in-two-while-also-making-life-timeless/

    https://news.yahoo.com/dickens-did-christmas-carol-debuted-080103092.html

    Blast from the Past … I’m surprised it’s still Out-There.

    Merry Solstice 😉
    https://www.astronomy.com/observing/why-the-winter-solstice-is-the-longest-night-every-year-and-when-it-happens-in-2023/

    https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20231221-maeshowe-the-uks-doorway-to-another-world

    https://stream.org/the-brew-winter-arrives-as-democracy-heads-for-the-hills/

    Tony Shaffer: 2023: Lessons for Biden, Zelenskyy, and Netanyahu

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/americans-must-choose-between-civilization-or-its-destroyers/

    https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2023/10/lawfare-against-free-speech/

    https://patriotpost.us/

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 1 person

  19. I hadn’t planned to comment on the election fraud topic again, but since this issue hasn’t faded away as I’ve read the posts here over the past year…

    There has been a lot of general hand-waving over the past few years about the “massive” election fraud and because of how adamant many people were about it, I figured it was only a matter of time before lots of hard evidence came out.

    As you can expect, I’ve been disappointed with the lack of real, hard evidence that there was even close to the amount of fraud needed for President Biden to have lost the election.

    There was that initial “Immaculate Deception” document from The Navarro Report that made a lot of claims without yet the hard evidence to back it up. Since then, I haven’t seen any real, hard evidence to back up much of anything in there.
    If I have missed something, I’m happy to have people provide documents, links, etc., so I can educate myself.

    Could one claim that there has been a conspiracy to cover up the evidence, sure. But again, without a decent bit of hard evidence, it seems making these serious claims in a way that makes them sound like unrefutable truths, at minimum, takes away from one’s credibility on other things, and is reckless at worst.

    —-

    (This is similar for some of the claims about the mRNA vaccines causing horrible widespread death and destruction. There have been some safety signals like the myocarditis and pericarditis, but don’t seem even close to widespread death and destruction talked about. This is separate from claims of any reckless shortcuts were taken in regards their development. It could be a case of “even a blind squirrel…”)

    Anyways, just a few cents worth 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Philip & Gang,

      I have NO DOUBT that there was MASSIVE ELECTION FRAUD in 2020 in the Five Targeted, by The Usual Suspects, Blue Swing States …. and a bit more than “normal” fraud in other regions.

      The Usual Suspects never want to talk about Voter Fraud and distain those that do … Why is that!? If there was any significant GOP/Conservative fraud it would be 24/7 News Foreva!
      So…. that would lead a thinking person, with a smattering of USA Historical knowledge, to reasonably assume that Voter Fraud USA = Democrat Party USA!

      When the Levers of Power are controlled by The Radical Democrats w/Global Re-Set Left-n-RINOs …. Swamp DC DOJ/Judiciary (SCOTUS too) plus MEDIA, it is quite elementary to understand that HARD EVIDENCE has been Covered-Up, Erased and Shredded.
      Those that have dared to speak of and demonstrated Hard Evidence have been reviled, intimidated, suppressed and visited/persecuted by Jack Booted Gubermint Thugs… Nationwide and Blue States in particular!

      Same, SAME the ChinaPlague Hoax, Lockdowns and suppression of HARD EVIDENCE…. still coming out daily … of “Excess Deaths”, Heart Damage, incapacitation of Pilots, Ball Players and otherwise, prior to 2020, healthy people.

      The VAXX is the real KILLER and very Rich, Powerful Gubermint, Big … Pharma, Medical, Box Retail & Tech are ALL in on it …. and using the same levers/organs/tactics of the Election Fraud Cover-Up Op! …. AND THEY are still Pushing the mRNA Agenda …… WHY!??

      THEY can’t afford for Trump & Deplorables to win in 2024 ’cause THEY are Very Afraid of EXPOSURE & JUSTICE!

      https://www.markmallett.com/blog/a-watchmans-warning

      GOD SAVE ALL HERE

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Agreed, CD! Anyone with eyes to see would know that the courts never dismissed evidence of any fraud, they just declined to hear the cases, including the Supreme Court! Or made up other excuses, so as not to open the proverbial can of worms.

        Thanks for all your hard work searching for news.

        Thanks to Charlie for all his writing and support, and blessings to all during the holy season!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Phillip . . . Wow.

      If, after all this time, you need people to “provide documents, links, etc.” to aid in your education . . . I’m almost at a loss for words. The overwhelming amount of evidence has been available at innumerable online locations since the first few weeks after the fraud occurred.

      I’ll leave it there.

      Liked by 2 people

  20. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! ….. Happy Day PM … 😉

    https://catholicexchange.com/healthy-holiday-feasting/

    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256340/indiana-catholic-womens-college-reverses-transgender-admissions-policy-we-are-deeply-sorry

    https://www.lifenews.com/2023/12/21/76-christian-universities-caught-promoting-abortion-and-planned-parenthood/

    http://blog.newadvent.org/2023/12/whats-fastest-fish-in-sea-heres-video.html

    https://www.wnd.com/2023/12/satanic-roots-lefts-war-christian-america/

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/not-offended-by-christmas/

    Boston Pops-1959 … USA … Gone With The Wind.
    https://borepatch.blogspot.com/2023/12/arthur-fiedler-boston-pops-orchestra.html

    https://catholicvote.org/media-attack-johnson-teaching-chastity-to-minor-daughter

    2023 Year in Review with guest Victor Davis Hanson
    https://rumble.com/v42gsyn-2023-year-in-review-with-guest-victor-davis-hanson.html

    https://townhall.com/columnists/victordavishanson/2023/12/21/we-are-well-beyond-hypocrisy-n2632713

    https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/12/the-barbarians-are-within-our-gates/

    Then THEY came for the Jews and then THEY came for ……………………
    https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-investigating-record-number-swatting-incidents-jewish-institutions-appear-coordinated

    https://townhall.com/tipsheet/rebeccadowns/2023/12/21/jordan-and-biggs-hunt-down-information-on-jack-smiths-unprecedented-investigation-and-prosecution-n2632735

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/12/21/what-will-2024-bring-another-chinese-bioweapon-another-government-psyop-be-prepared/

    https://americanmind.org/memo/rebuilding-americas-military/

    https://thedailybs.com/news/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 1 person

  21. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! ….. Happy Day … 😉

    https://catholicexchange.com/the-fourth-sunday-of-advent-prophecy-fulfilled/

    https://onepeterfive.com/yes-mary-knew/

    https://dnyuz.com/2023/12/22/no-better-time-to-be-a-catholic/

    https://catholicfamilynews.com/blog/2023/12/22/weekly-news-roundup-december-22-2023-blessing-sin-vigano-re-consecrated-fssp-expelled-from-diocese-convent-in-holy-land-attacked/

    The best part of this is the Jesus Haters exposing themselves!
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67784060

    https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/rabbi-goldstein-pope-francis-israel/2023/12/21/id/1146774

    The Former, Transform USA, Prez is actually in his 3rd Term now! ;-(
    https://spiritdailyblog.com/commentary/a-shameful-movie-with-prophetic-and-sobering-elements

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/12/22/51-days-later-tucker-carlson-releases-interview-with-julian-assange/

    HullyGee! Why be dat!??
    https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/wealthy-californians-ditching-state-putting-tax-revenue-risk

    Fool me once; shame on you ……
    https://catholicvote.org/small-percentage-soldiers-kicked-out-covid-shot-rejoin-army

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/open-borders-leads-to-massive-surge-in-baby-syphilis/
    …… Yep! ;-(
    https://www.infowars.com/posts/too-late-for-us-naval-deterrence-in-red-sea-after-biden-misled-world-on-houthi-attacks/

    https://www.wnd.com/2023/12/watch-tucker-carlson-people-used-suspicious-debt/

    https://spiritdaily.org/blog/news/democratic-staffer-kisses-satanic-statue

    War is awful! Allowing Evil to survive is more so!
    https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2023/12/22/associated-press-returns-to-pure-propaganda-form-with-story-about-the-damage-in-gaza-n2632778

    https://thedailybs.com/news/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 1 person

  22. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! ….. PS: 😉

    https://stream.org/the-gay-persecution-of-pastors-has-begun-it-will-only-get-worse-thanks-to-pope-francis/

    Up The Resistance! …… I’m no Seer but I had PF pegged as a Problem Area early on.
    I’m guessing that future Historians will write that PB16 demise and “election’ of PF was a Coup perpetrated by The Smoke of Satan Vatican Cult …. but God’s Plan! 😉

    https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/fiducia-defense-incompetence/

    https://onepeterfive.com/patriarch-sviatoslav-fiducia-supplicans-has-no-legal-status-in-ugcc/

    https://onepeterfive.com/bishops-of-the-world-resist-francis-to-his-face/

    https://newdailycompass.com/en/mueller-blessings-for-gay-couples-are-blasphemous

    https://onepeterfive.com/bishops-of-ukraine-no-blessing-for-those-living-in-sin/

    https://catholicvote.org/marians-immaculate-conception-to-refrain-from-blessing-same-sex-couples/

    https://catholicvote.org/archbishop-chaput-ambiguity-become-dangerous-pattern-of-pope-francis-pontificate/

    https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/what-is-a-couple

    https://catholicvote.org/zimbabwe-catholic-bishops-acknowledge-confusion-over-fiducia-supplicans/

    https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/fiducia-supplicans-ambiguity-makes-way-for-multiplying-misinterpretations
    …… & sweet Barron Outs himself!
    https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/bishop-barron-says-new-vatican-document-affirms-churchs-timeless-teaching-marriage

    Pastor Dana – Sat

    Home

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 2 people

  23. As the “day of preparation” begins for the festivities tonight and tomorrow, I want to stop a moment and thank Charlie and Beckita for all they do to serve God and all of us here. I know I do not post very often, but I am here, listening and learning and praying.

    I wish all here a holy, Spirit filled and joyful Christmas.

    JT

    Liked by 3 people

  24. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! ….. Happy Last Day of Advent … 😉

    https://townhall.com/columnists/myrakahnadams/2023/12/24/a-quick-bible-study-vol-197-what-does-christmas-eve-mean-to-me-n2632603

    https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/dec/23/when-heaven-and-nature-sing-wonders-of-gods-love/

    https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2023/12/no-room-in-the-inn-what-inn-dwight-longenecker.html

    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256360/catholic-church-reportedly-closer-to-getting-its-first-samurai-saint

    https://spiritdaily.org/blog/news/o-holy-night-wshats-the-best-version

    https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/12/22/biblical-illustrations-woven-into-charles-dickens-a-christmas-carol/

    https://www.wnd.com/2023/12/watch-stunning-christmas-eve-message-came-space/

    https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/telescopes-illuminate-christmas-tree-cluster/

    From 2017 …. 81 Years Ago!
    https://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/calhoun_times/world-war-ii-diary-remembering-christmas-1942-75-years-later/article_65999052-e739-11e7-8f4b-9fc7dd2f4d91.html

    https://freebeacon.com/culture/christmas-and-the-boy-reader/

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/letters-father-christmas-jrr-tolkien

    https://www.noradsanta.org/en/map

    SUNDAY MORNING CLASSICS ON TBP – SPECIAL CHRISTMAS EDITION

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!!

    Like

    1. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! ….. PS: 😉

      https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/12/24/fourth-sunday-of-advent-5/

      Interesting Christmas Specials from Steve Bannon ;-):

      https://generaldispatch.whatfinger.com/episode-2369-traditions-of-christmas-a-warroom-special/

      https://generaldispatch.whatfinger.com/episode-2370-traditions-of-christmas-a-warroom-special/

      https://generaldispatch.whatfinger.com/larry-schweikart-on-the-commercialization-of-christmas-and-original-traditions-from-colonial-times/

      GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

      Like

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Published by charliej373

Charlie Johnston is a former newspaper editor, radio talk show host and political consultant. From Feb. 11, 2011 to Aug. 21, 2012, he walked 3,200 miles across the country, sleeping in the woods, meeting people and praying as he went. He writes on cultural, global and political issues from an orthodox Catholic perspective. He emphasizes that we find God most surely through the ordinary, doing the little things we should with faith and fidelity. His constant refrain is that, to live real joy, we must acknowledge God, take the next right step, and be a sign of hope to those around us. He lives in the Archdiocese of Denver in the United States.