Without Pope Francis, I would not have developed such a love for the perennial Roman Rite because I saw what he was persecuting and I liked it. It is true that it wasn't a direct result of TC for my attendance was long before that, but TC and the responses only did the opposite of what Pope Francis intended. All he ever had to do was get rid of all the men responsible for the coverup of clerical abuse of children and crack down on the clown masses and "Pride" masses, and I can tell you that I wouldn't have had such an attachment to the perennial Roman Rite.
Yes. It seems, at least to me, that it brought many things to an end by making the existing corruption visible and forcing many of us to choose a side. Many of us care far more now about the Faith and the Church than in the seemingly calm, comfortable days under Pope Benedict XVI, when we were far less aware, far more complacent, and often, far more lazy.
If you're old enough, I'm 70 in June, you recognize Francis as a creature of the Sixties, Argie Jebbie version. In my mind, I always see him wearing granny glasses, bell bottoms and a tie-died t-shirt. I converted in 1977, with the help of a good Jesuit. A year later I knew this young Jesuit who was all into Teilhard, Mary Daly, saying daily Mass with the faithful in a circle (but he believed in the Real Presence), reading the news headlines before the Gospel, etc. And he was a contract priest at a U.S. Army base where I was stationed! It was all so long ago and, to me, reading St. Thomas and listening to the Missa Solemnis, seemed stale even then. No wonder young people are pushing it aside and going back to the true, the good and the beautiful.
How refreshing! As usual Dr K approaches this event with balance, truth and plain speaking. We all know that what he said is a candid assessment of the Francis pontificate sans rose colored glasses! And he speaks for us traditional Catholics as he reveals the truth of what I know we are all to some degree feeling : a sense of relief. Free at last as we hope for better days ahead.
For his own corruption and his horrendous personnel choices Francis himself is entirely responsible and has now been judged. For the doctrinal and liturgical issues and the institutional corruption within the Vatican there is a LONG pedigree for all of that so I am not going to hold him solely responsible for any of it nor do I hold any kind of romantic view of his two immediate predecessors.
Traditionis Custodes was nothing more than a failed footnote to the liturgical disasters inflicted on us by the dictatorial popes of the 20th century like Pius XII and Pius X who trads for some bizarre reason are taught to venerate as heroes. I mean Pius X didn't even give himself the fig leaf of an ecumenical council, he just erased a liturgical tradition of fifteen hundred years with the stroke of his pen in Divino Afflatu. It is no wonder then that that Francis, God rest his soul, wanted to drag his dying body to publicly venerate that man's tomb only a few days before he left this world.
And very weirdly Francis did end up doing some liturgical good for the Church. That 2018 indult from Ecclesia Dei (which they would not have done if they hadn't had at least his tacit approval) to allow use of the pre-55 Holy Week liturgies did a great deal to popularize discussion on the pre-Vatican II liturgical changes, allowed Catholics to experience these rites again in large numbers for the first time in a long time, and helped people much better understand the actual liturgical history of the twentieth century.
"Too many Catholics, be they high-ranking churchmen or laity, seem to have forgotten fundamental truths."
Well, more to the point (in the case of the laity, certainly), they never learned them.
Or, perhaps even more to the point, they never cared to learn them.
Then again, maybe they learned their Baltimore Catechism or whatever, and the one truth to rule them all that emerged in their impressionable little souls was: Always listen to and obey your priest/bishop/pope -- they know more than you.
If someone were to criticize your "airing out of the laundry" when it comes to Francis, they must be reminded that everything we bring up of these past twelve years are actions he was quite proud of. None of the covert, secret matters of corruption are being brought up, but rather the very public actions that he did in the light and was quite happy to sign his name to. Why ought we hide what the man was so eager to keep out in the open?
Exactly. And as I have pointed out, he was a major figure on the world stage, one who affected the daily lives of millions (billions?) of people. Such a one must be held accountable, especially if he has led many souls to perdition.
Kudos. The mention of Fr. Rosica almost gives me bad flashbacks bringing to mind when he showed up at the 2000 meeting of the CMA when I was president-elect and he attempted to insert himself into the meeting but without success.
With Pope Francis I believe we had the pope we deserved in the wake of the destructiveness wrought by the Second Vatican Council but that God still brought good from this evil in the form of a rejuvenated traditional liturgy and clergy for all who would avail themselves of it.
Thank you. Excellent. While he has exited his position here, he has definitely sown many weeds by way of his appointed bishops & cardinals. The still faithful Catholics on the front line under the boot of these men, will continue to suffer & fight the good fight for decades until they die. God bless us all, especially the faithful priests & seminarians.
Thank you for putting in the work for this excellent compilation.
And I appreciate your point that pretending Francis was a good Pope is NOT charitable to the Church he harmed.
Nor would it have been charitable to the man himself to portray him as something he was not.
Caritas is always in veritate. Caritas in falsitate is a contradiction in terms. (With due consideration for intention, etc., of course.)
Without Pope Francis, I would not have developed such a love for the perennial Roman Rite because I saw what he was persecuting and I liked it. It is true that it wasn't a direct result of TC for my attendance was long before that, but TC and the responses only did the opposite of what Pope Francis intended. All he ever had to do was get rid of all the men responsible for the coverup of clerical abuse of children and crack down on the clown masses and "Pride" masses, and I can tell you that I wouldn't have had such an attachment to the perennial Roman Rite.
Yes. It seems, at least to me, that it brought many things to an end by making the existing corruption visible and forcing many of us to choose a side. Many of us care far more now about the Faith and the Church than in the seemingly calm, comfortable days under Pope Benedict XVI, when we were far less aware, far more complacent, and often, far more lazy.
If you're old enough, I'm 70 in June, you recognize Francis as a creature of the Sixties, Argie Jebbie version. In my mind, I always see him wearing granny glasses, bell bottoms and a tie-died t-shirt. I converted in 1977, with the help of a good Jesuit. A year later I knew this young Jesuit who was all into Teilhard, Mary Daly, saying daily Mass with the faithful in a circle (but he believed in the Real Presence), reading the news headlines before the Gospel, etc. And he was a contract priest at a U.S. Army base where I was stationed! It was all so long ago and, to me, reading St. Thomas and listening to the Missa Solemnis, seemed stale even then. No wonder young people are pushing it aside and going back to the true, the good and the beautiful.
How refreshing! As usual Dr K approaches this event with balance, truth and plain speaking. We all know that what he said is a candid assessment of the Francis pontificate sans rose colored glasses! And he speaks for us traditional Catholics as he reveals the truth of what I know we are all to some degree feeling : a sense of relief. Free at last as we hope for better days ahead.
For his own corruption and his horrendous personnel choices Francis himself is entirely responsible and has now been judged. For the doctrinal and liturgical issues and the institutional corruption within the Vatican there is a LONG pedigree for all of that so I am not going to hold him solely responsible for any of it nor do I hold any kind of romantic view of his two immediate predecessors.
Traditionis Custodes was nothing more than a failed footnote to the liturgical disasters inflicted on us by the dictatorial popes of the 20th century like Pius XII and Pius X who trads for some bizarre reason are taught to venerate as heroes. I mean Pius X didn't even give himself the fig leaf of an ecumenical council, he just erased a liturgical tradition of fifteen hundred years with the stroke of his pen in Divino Afflatu. It is no wonder then that that Francis, God rest his soul, wanted to drag his dying body to publicly venerate that man's tomb only a few days before he left this world.
And very weirdly Francis did end up doing some liturgical good for the Church. That 2018 indult from Ecclesia Dei (which they would not have done if they hadn't had at least his tacit approval) to allow use of the pre-55 Holy Week liturgies did a great deal to popularize discussion on the pre-Vatican II liturgical changes, allowed Catholics to experience these rites again in large numbers for the first time in a long time, and helped people much better understand the actual liturgical history of the twentieth century.
"Too many Catholics, be they high-ranking churchmen or laity, seem to have forgotten fundamental truths."
Well, more to the point (in the case of the laity, certainly), they never learned them.
Or, perhaps even more to the point, they never cared to learn them.
Then again, maybe they learned their Baltimore Catechism or whatever, and the one truth to rule them all that emerged in their impressionable little souls was: Always listen to and obey your priest/bishop/pope -- they know more than you.
If someone were to criticize your "airing out of the laundry" when it comes to Francis, they must be reminded that everything we bring up of these past twelve years are actions he was quite proud of. None of the covert, secret matters of corruption are being brought up, but rather the very public actions that he did in the light and was quite happy to sign his name to. Why ought we hide what the man was so eager to keep out in the open?
Exactly. And as I have pointed out, he was a major figure on the world stage, one who affected the daily lives of millions (billions?) of people. Such a one must be held accountable, especially if he has led many souls to perdition.
Kudos. The mention of Fr. Rosica almost gives me bad flashbacks bringing to mind when he showed up at the 2000 meeting of the CMA when I was president-elect and he attempted to insert himself into the meeting but without success.
With Pope Francis I believe we had the pope we deserved in the wake of the destructiveness wrought by the Second Vatican Council but that God still brought good from this evil in the form of a rejuvenated traditional liturgy and clergy for all who would avail themselves of it.
I have not heard or read anyone referring to Bergoglio as holy. That is, to me, most telling of all. May God grant him a merciful judgment.
Well said.
Excellent summation.
how can pontificate from hades merit purgatory?
better send to place which judas iscariot reside.
how can pontificate from hades merit purgatory?
better send to place which judas iscariot reside.
Thank you. Excellent. While he has exited his position here, he has definitely sown many weeds by way of his appointed bishops & cardinals. The still faithful Catholics on the front line under the boot of these men, will continue to suffer & fight the good fight for decades until they die. God bless us all, especially the faithful priests & seminarians.
Excellent commentary on the passing of Pope Francis and the trainwreck of his pontificate.