Churches Conceding to Mainstream Culture with Pastor Brandon Holthaus

EX-CATHOLIC MIKE GENDRON: Discerning Deceitful Doctrines of Demons, January 31, 2024

You Will Be Shocked by the Twisted Teachings of Catholicism~April 7, 2023~Catholics submit to a different authority, believe in a distorted gospel and worship a false Christ.

Pope Francis’ Silence On Hamas

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/11/pope-francis-silence-on-hamas;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Pope Francis, terminally naïve about Islam, believes he has a true understanding of the faith-based partly on the reassurances given to him by his new friend, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb. “War is deceit,” says Muhammad in a famous hadith, and Al-Tayeb has been cheerfully deceiving the Pope every chance he gets. Pope Francis has learned a lot from Al-Tayeb. He insists in his new book, Non-Sei Solo: Sfide, Risposte, Speranze (You Are Not Alone: Challenges, Answers, Hopes), that “either you are a terrorist or you are a Muslim.” A “true” Muslim, he thinks, cannot be a terrorist. No one has pointed out to the Pope that Muhammad himself says in another hadith that “I have been made victorious through terror.” (Bukhari 4:52.220) And Muhammad is the Perfect Man and the Model of Conduct, whose behavior is to be emulated by Muslims.

Islam talks about peace, all right — the peace that will prevail once Islam everywhere dominates, and Muslims rule, everywhere. Until then war must be made on the Infidels, who when conquered must be either killed, or made to convert to Islam, or to accept the inferior status of dhimmis, enduring a host of social, political, and economic disabilities, including payment of the extortionate jizyah tax. In his infinite wisdom, the Pope has declared on many occasions, and in his latest book, too, that “Islam, in truth, is a religion of peace and the majority of its members are peaceful.” He’s wrong, of course. He need only look around the world at the Muslim terror groups that have been waging war against Infidels, and even against less fanatical Muslims, in recent years: the Islamic State, Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Boko Haram, Al-Shebaab, and so many more. Muslims have committed more than 44,000 terror attacks around the world since 9/11. The Qur’an is filled with verses about violence and waging war on Infidels. The Believers are instructed to “kill them [the Infidels] wherever you find them” (Qur’an 2:191, 4:89, cf. 9:5). But one has a distinct impression that the Pope has never read the Qur’an. Why should he bother to do so, when such authoritative experts on Islam like Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb assure him that Islam is all about peace?

Given the Pope’s affection for Islam, it is not surprising that he has been circumspect in his remarks on the atrocities carried out by Hamas on October 7. More on his failure to forthrightly condemn those attacks, which is risking the Vatican’s relations with the Jewish world, can be found here: “The Vatican is risking its relationship with the Jewish world,” by Vittorio Mascarini, JNS, November 16, 2023:

Relations between Israel and the Vatican have become tense in recent weeks.

In the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, an ecumenical group of Christian leaders that includes the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, issued a joint statement in which they made no explicit mention of the Hamas atrocities. They included only a vague condemnation of any act that targets civilians.

The Israeli embassy to the Holy See criticized the statement’s “immoral linguistic ambiguity,” which failed to be clear about “what happened, who were the aggressors and who the victims. … It is especially unbelievable that such a sterile document was signed by people of faith.”

This controversy is only the latest in the fraught history of Israel-Vatican relations, which were officially established in Dec. 1993. Besides the Catholic Church’s historical antisemitism, the Vatican was long reluctant to formally recognize Israel for several reasons: Israel did not have internationally recognized borders, the status of Jerusalem and access to its holy sites had not been internationally guaranteed, and Catholics and their institutions were, the Church claimed, not adequately protected under Israeli law.

In addition, the Vatican had concerns about the treatment of Palestinians in the disputed territories and feared that relations with Israel could have negative repercussions for Catholics in Islamic countries.

This may explain why, to date, Pope Francis has not labeled Hamas a terrorist organization and has not met with families of Israeli hostages. The latter has not gone unnoticed, especially because the families were received by many leading national figures, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

According to the Catholic news site Cruxnow, the pontiff’s behavior can be explained as “positioning the Vatican potentially to play a mediating and peace-making role.” In addition, “The bulk of the Christian population in the Holy Land is Arab and Palestinian, so Middle Eastern bishops and clergy tend to be strong supporters of the Palestinian cause.”

Given the deplorable treatment of Israel by the Vatican — of which the failure to condemn Hamas is just the latest example, it is doubtful that Jerusalem would accept the Vatican as a mediator between the Jewish state and those who would destroy it.

Moreover, Cruxnow sees a historic shift underway in terms of the Vatican’s interfaith priorities: “Since the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s, Judaism has been the Church’s primordial relationship, unquestionably the highest priority in inter-religious dialogue. Under history’s first pope from the developing world, that’s no longer necessarily the case, as other relationships, especially the dialogue with Islam, have become at least an equally compelling perceived priority.”

Given this, it is not surprising that, since war broke out, Pope Francis has spoken with numerous world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, but there are no reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been among them.

Wouldn’t you think that after the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, the Pope would have wanted to speak with the leader of the Jewish state, if only to express his solidarity and understanding? But though the Pope has spoken with many world leaders about the ongoing war in Gaza, he has apparently snubbed the Israeli President. How does he hope to ever be a mediator if he will not talk to the Israeli prime minister?

The larger Catholic world has shown equal ambivalence towards the war. Among Eastern Catholic leaders, the Latin Catholic and Eastern churches in communion with Rome have issued what Israel deems a lukewarm and insufficient condemnation of Hamas. Their first communiqué, issued on Oct. 8, contained a generic statement “against any acts that target civilians, regardless of their nationality.” The next, on Oct. 13, decried the humanitarian situation in Gaza and called for de-escalation. It singled out only Israel in connection with humanitarian issues….

Instead of deploring the Hamas atrocities, the Eastern Catholic leaders uttered a generic condemnation “against any acts that target civilians.” They were afraid of the Muslim reaction if they singled out Hamas — as they should have — which would, however, make the lives of Catholics in the Arab countries more difficult. And just like Pope Francis, they did not mention the 240 hostages held by Hamas, or call for their release.

The Pope has to understand that the Jews of Israel now deserve his unambiguous support as they fight to destroy a murderous enemy that has pledged not only to destroy the single Jewish state and replace it with a twenty-third Arab one, but to kill Jews everywhere. No moral equivalency should be allowed. And he must also denounce, as he has not yet done so, the tidal wave of antisemitism, prompted in part by the war in Gaza, that threatens to engulf much of the world. He needs first to unambiguously denounce Hamas and all those who support the terror group. But will he? The signs from this Pope, who believes “Islam is all about peace,” are not good.

So far, Pope Francis has been weighed and found wanting.

Al-Azhar fatwa committee top dog: ‘Rejoice in the demise of the descendants of the pigs’

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/11/al-azhar-fatwa-committee-top-dog-rejoice-in-the-demise-of-the-descendants-of-the-pigs;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Pope Francis and Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb signed an agreement a few years back about how violence in the name of religion is a perversion of religion. Is the pope naive, or evil?

“Virulent Incitement By Al-Azhar: Praise For Palestinian Jihad Fighters; Israel Is Destined To Perish; U.S. Is The Greatest Satan; Jews Are Descendants Of Apes And Pigs,” MEMRI, November 10, 2023:

In recent weeks, the Cairo-based Al-Azhar institution, the leading center of religious learning and supreme source of religious authority in the Sunni Muslim world, and senior members of this institution have been voicing support for Hamas and for terrorism and inciting against the U.S. and Israel, while using virulently antisemitic rhetoric….

Al-Azhar Fatwa:  The Occupying Entity Will Perish And The Lives Of The Martyrs Will Be Longer Than Those Of Their Murderers

On October 18, 2023,  Al-Azhar’s “Global Center for Online Fatwas” posted a fatwa on its Facebook page which predicted Israel’s demise….

“…In its steadfastness, resistance, and persistent adherence to its land, the Palestinian people continue to present a model of heroism, despite the danger of the arbitrary Zionist bombardment. It [also] places the world – which remains silent, neglects, or [even] encourages these crimes – in a great human and moral predicament, removing the fake mask of humaneness from its ugly face.

“The term ‘civilian’ does not apply to the Zionist settlers of the occupied land. Rather, they are occupiers of the land who usurp rights, disregard the ways of the prophets, and attack the holy sites in historic Jerusalem and the [sites of] Islamic and Christian heritage there…

“The world deliberately ignores the fact that the occupying Zionist entity is a cancer in the heart of the Islamic and Arab nation. According to international conventions and laws, occupying forces have no right to the land, the resources and the holy sites [they are occupying], and their aggression must necessarily be met with resistance against their usurpation, oppression and tyranny….

Faculty Dean At Al-Al-Azhar University: May Allah Bring Perdition Upon The “Cursed,” “Treacherous” Jews, “The Descendants Of Apes And Pigs”

Addressing Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel in a series of posts on his personal Facebook account, Muhammad Omar Al-Qady, dean of the Faculty for Islamic and Arabic Studies at Al-Azhar University, made virulently antisemitic remarks, glorified the jihad in Palestine and wished perdition upon the Jews….

“It brought the Palestinian issue back to the center of global attention, after it had almost disappeared and been forgotten… It managed to shatter the false myth about the might of the Israeli army and prove that it is weak and exhausted… It proved that the entire West – with the exception of the peoples – is a single community, especially the governments of the greatest Satan, America, and of the European countries, who follow the orders of the Zionist lobby that is part of [the camp of] our treacherous enemy… It managed to eliminate, if only for a while, the vast enterprise of [Israel’s] normalization with many Arab and Islamic countries, which was making large and rapid strides… [The resistance] also made additional achievements, which will be discussed in the future. I ask Allah to strengthen His soldiers and his camp and grant our brothers in Gaza, Palestine and in the rest of the Muslim countries victory over their enemy and ours, the enemy of Allah and humanity, the cursed descendants of apes and pigs [i.e., the Jews].”[5]

In another post Al-Qady wrote: “Allah, bring perdition upon the cursed and treacherous [Jews], the murderers of prophets, of rulers and of decent people, and on whoever helped them and agreed to their deeds…”[6]

Abbas Shuman, Inspector General Of Al-Azhar’s Fatwa Committees: “Rejoice In The Demise Of The Descendants Of Pigs”; The Zionists Are Worse Than Rabid Dogs

Abbas Shuman, formerly the deputy of Sheikh Al-Azhar and currently the inspector general of Al-Azhar’s Fatwa committees, likewise slammed Israel and expressed support for Hamas’ terror attack, gloating over the suffering caused to Israel. For example, on October 7, the day of the attack, he shared a post in which he praised it, writing, “Allahu Akbar, long live the noble Palestinian people. Allah will inflict defeat on the oppressive occupation and shame and disgrace on the Zionists and their supporters.”[8]

Additional posts over the following days were equally vitriolic and even antisemitic. For instance, on October 17, 2023, Shuman wrote, “I knew that the Zionists had no morals, but I didn’t imagine that they were filthier and more despicable than rabid dogs…”[9]

On October 18 he posted, “…The situation has reached the point of bombing hospitals, after the murder of children and even of fetuses, and [has reached the point where] the great satans [i.e. the world leaders] have come to Palestine to publicly support the Zionists. Rejoice in the demise of the descendants of the pigs.”[10]

Lecturer At Al-Azhar University: The Jews Of The World Can Be Resettled In Southeast Russia; Aiding Palestine Is A Religious Duty Of Every Muslim

In an October 19, 2023 article in the Egyptian daily Al-Usbu’, Dr. Ahmad Karima, a lecturer on Islamic law and comparative jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University,  stated that “aiding Palestine is a religious duty of all Muslims, a national duty of the Arabs, both Muslim and non-Muslim, and a moral obligation,” which must be carried out by the Muslim armies, according to their ability and the assessments of the rulers, by the wealthy Muslims, according to their financial ability, and by the clerics and experts, according to their rhetorical ability. Later he described his own efforts in supporting the Palestinian cause, including by publishing books and studies on Palestine and Jerusalem, as well as books on jihad….

Pope Francis Removes Conservative Texas Bishop

VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE-AUDIENCE
Pope Francis waves to the crowd during the weekly general audience on November 8, 2023 at St Peter's square in The Vatican. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)

Pope Francis waves to the crowd during the weekly general audience on November 8, 2023, at St Peter’s square in The Vatican. (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN’s Abril Elfi 
11:22 PM – Sunday, November 12, 2023

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/pope-francis-removes-conservative-texas-bishop/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Pope Francis has removed Bishop Joseph E. Strickland from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas.

On Saturday, Pope Francis ordered the removal of Bishop Strickland who is one of his harshest detractors among Roman Catholic conservatives in the United States, after he refused to resign following a Vatican probe. 

The decision came amid Strickland, 65, who has emerged as a prominent critic of Francis, accusing him earlier this year in a tweet of “undermining the deposit of faith.” 

Strickland recently questioned Francis’ month-long closed-door debate on making the church more welcoming and attentive to the concerns of today’s Catholics. The gathering debated a number of traditionally taboo themes, such as women in leadership posts and accepting LGBTQ+ Catholics, but the final text did not depart from established doctrine.

Strickland called it a “travesty” that such topics were even on the table for debate before the meeting.

The Vatican brought in investigators earlier this year to check into his governance of the diocese, following reports that priests and laypeople in Tyler had complained and that he was making unorthodox assertions.

The Vatican never revealed the conclusions, and Strickland argued in media interviews that he was given a mandate to serve as bishop by the late Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 and couldn’t relinquish that role.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the head of the church in Texas said that the two Vatican investigators sent to investigate Strickland “conducted an exhaustive inquiry into all aspects of the diocese’s governance and leadership.” 

“The continuation in office of Bishop Strickland was not feasible,” DiNardo said in a statement Saturday, following their inquiry.

The Vatican urged Strickland to quit on Thursday, but he refused, causing Francis to dismiss him two days later, according to DiNardo’s statement.

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Just What the World Needs: A Woke Pope

Just What the World Needs: A Woke Pope
AP Photo/Eric Gay
In 452, an unarmed and unaccompanied Pope Leo I met Attila the Hun outside the gates of Rome and singlehandedly persuaded him not to sack the city.  In 1095, Pope Urban II gave a rousing speech to the assembled nobles in Clermont, France, which launched the first of a series of Crusades to liberate the Holy Land from the bloodthirsty Turks.  In 1801, Pope Pius VII successfully negotiated a concordat with Emperor Napoleon, effectively protecting religious freedoms for Catholics and Protestants alike from the oppressive zeal of the revolutionary Left.

In 2023, Pope Francis wagged his finger and decried pet owners as guilty of “selfishness.”

For better or worse, whether people like it or not, the Catholic pope is the most influential leader in Christendom.  From the coronation of Charlemagne to the dissolution of the Soviet Empire and beyond, no other Christian figurehead carries as much spiritual or diplomatic weight. The papacy funded the first universities, global exploration, scientific development, and the European Renaissance. It bore the brunt of the Jacobin Terror and pulled Christianity through the dark ages of 19th-century nihilistic rationalism and 20th-century atheistic communism.

The bimillennial history of the papacy has seen its share of both good and bad popes. The Left likes to bleat about keeping religion out of politics. But those versed in religious history know the main problems occur when politics tries to intrude into religion, not vice versa. Most of Catholicism’s bad popes were those too corrupt or too weak to keep political interests from intruding onto their temporal turf. It was during times when popes were able to prevent or undo political intrusion into religion that Christianity flourished.

Enter Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis).

Shortly after becoming pope, he made waves at his first impromptu press conference. When asked about the idea of gay clergy, Francis famously replied, “Who am I to judge?” And, oh, how the press fell all over themselves. How they fawned and swooned. How they chuckled and swayed and surged forth to touch his flowing robes. Not because they agree with biblical teachings on judgment, mind you, but because they (correctly) saw in Francis their long-awaited Manchurian candidate.

Since that staged comment, Francis has made plenty of judgments.

Against whom, you tenderly ask with an inquisitive ear? Against the two Muslim “youths” who cut the throat of 85-year-old Father Jacques Hamel as he was performing Mass at his church in St.-Etienne-du-Rouvray? Francis had nothing to say about them at all, other than to clarify for us the true motive for their attack, about which he stated, “It’s war… a war of interests, for money, resources. I am not speaking of a war of religions. Religions don’t want war. The others want war.” Gotcha. That video the killers made in which they pledge allegiance to ISIS, along with multiple attempts to travel to Syria to fight in its ranks, made for quite the diversions.

And the Afghan “youth” who attacked traingoers with an axe in Wurzburg while yelling “Allahu Akbar”? Or the Syrian “refugee” who blew up a music festival in Ansbach because Germans “obstruct Islam”? Or the ISIS terrorist who killed 84 people with his truck in Nice, France, in a war against “crusader states”? Were they all motivated by the evils of capitalism as well?

Per Francis, they’re not the problem. The problem is Europeans attempting to prevent millions of military-age men from the Islamic world from arriving. Those who attempt to deter such illegal arrivals, says Francis, are exhibiting “gestures of hate against brothers,” made possible by the “fanaticism of indifference.” Hate and indifference. That’s how Pope “WhoAmIToJudge” judges anyone who disagrees with him on immigration policy.

Ah, but immigration is his pet issue, you say. He’s allowed to get a little rambunctious about it, which would explain why he told a crowd of teenagers in Verona to “make noise” about immigration issues. Don’t pray, don’t sacrifice your time volunteering, don’t offer your lodgings or other resources, and certainly don’t lead by example. Make noise. Be good little activists.

But wait, Francis has more judgment to deal with because he has another pet issue. In November, Francis will travel to Dubai to discuss… Israel’s right to self-defense? Support for religious minorities in the Muslim world? Support for women’s rights? Nope. The world’s most influential voice for the abandoned and oppressed will be discussing (drumroll) climate change!!!  We have “ecological sins” to repent for, you see. And by “we,” he means only Westerners, specifically Americans. Neither the Chinese Communist government nor any other tin pot dictatorship needed to lie awake at night fearing Francis’s vigilant gaze. It will fall upon our unrepentant shoulders to bear his wrath for the sin of making Greta Thunberg’s life miserable.

On other issues, Francis is blatantly contradictory. He has long referred to weapons manufacturers as “merchants of death.” He chides European nations for not giving enough of these same weapons to Ukraine, decisions he blames bizarrely on the arms industry. He rants against American burning of fossil fuels but can’t unequivocally condemn Hamas terrorists who burn alive entire families.

But who or what can fill the void? The Anglican Church? The current Archbishop of Canterbury is totally on board with “affirming” the wrong gender for kindergarteners. The previous Archbishop of Canterbury said that sharia law in England will be “unavoidable,” so the backwoods Tory clingers might as well get with the program. The Orthodox Church? Its biggest denomination, the Russian branch, is Putin’s puppet. One of the myriad American denominations, the Presbyterians and whatnot? The PCUSA is too busy adorning their apses with pride flags and BLM banners to notice their pews emptied a long time ago.

Christendom is not in a good place right now.  The Vicar of Peter is currently George Soros in a miter, and most other Christian leaders follow the latest Quinnipiac poll rather than the Bible. Lately, the only Christian official who seems to be doing any actual fighting in defense of the faith is a French nun who chased down and tackled some pansy environmental activist whom she caught destroying building materials intended for a chapel.

The real question is what the Catholic Church will do once Francis retires or dies. Was Francis an unintended mistake, a Bud Light moment for the church? Or will it continue down this woke path? A course correction would obviously be the ideal scenario not just for the Catholic Church but for all of Christendom. Until that happens, Christians the world over are on their own. For those Christians living among Francis’s “brothers” in Sudan and Pakistan, it’s a death sentence, with each passing day simply a matter of borrowed time. For those Christians living in China, the totalitarian sewer where Francis never met a government official whose boots he didn’t eagerly lick clean, public professions of faith get you permanent vacation in the gulag.

Just this month, Italian police reinforced security at the Vatican, complete with bulletproof vests and machine guns, in response to an Islamic terror attack in Brussels. Keep in mind the two cities are 915 miles apart. That’s like an American president upping security for this entourage in Chicago because there was a shooting in Dallas.

But being woke affords you these double standards. The octogenarian priests getting their throats cut aren’t privy to machine-gun wielding guards, just as the Hollywood jet set isn’t expected to “go green” by flying commercial where they might make eye contact with the hoi polloi, and just as the Martha’s Vineyard folks aren’t forced to fill their hotels, airports, and police station lobbies with illegals the way the rest of us are.

Pope Francis is a base political animal of the abominable liberation theology strain. Let’s hope the College of Cardinals runs better background checks at the next papal election.

Pope Francis: ‘May humanitarian rights be respected, above all in Gaza’

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/10/pope-francis-may-humanitarian-rights-be-respected-above-all-in-gaza;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Like any standard-issue Leftist, the pope assumes that Israel will commit human rights violations in Gaza, but he doesn’t dare say a word about the possibility that those whom he has courted so assiduously for “dialogue” might engage in another orgy of slaughter against civilians, as they did on October 7. After all, he has claimed that “authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran reject any form of violence,” so he likely thinks that Oct. 7 was an anomaly that his pious friends won’t repeat.

Pope Francis and the Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, in 2019 published “A Document On Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.” Here’s one of its egregiously false statements:

Terrorism is deplorable and threatens the security of people, be they in the East or the West, the North or the South, and disseminates panic, terror and pessimism, but this is not due to religion, even when terrorists instrumentalize it. It is due, rather, to an accumulation of incorrect interpretations of religious texts and to policies linked to hunger, poverty, injustice, oppression and pride. This is why it is so necessary to stop supporting terrorist movements fuelled by financing, the provision of weapons and strategy, and by attempts to justify these movements even using the media. All these must be regarded as international crimes that threaten security and world peace. Such terrorism must be condemned in all its forms and expressions…

Terrorism is due to “an accumulation of incorrect interpretations of religious texts and to policies linked to hunger, poverty, injustice, oppression, and pride.” So when the pope sees the Hamas massacres in Israel, he sees something that needs to be addressed by wiping out hunger, poverty, injustice, oppression, and pride. We have to shower money and aid upon the poor dears, not defend ourselves against them.

Israel has taken exception to the papal myopia:

 

“Pope Francis calls for humanitarian corridors to help those under siege in Gaza,” Reuters, October 15, 2023:

VATICAN CITY, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Pope Francis on Sunday called for humanitarian corridors to help those under siege in Gaza and again appealed for the release of hostages held by the militant Islamist group Hamas.

“I forcefully ask that children, the sick, the elderly and women, and all civilians do not become the victims of the conflict,” he said at his weekly address to thousands of people in St. Peter’s square.

“May humanitarian rights be respected, above all in Gaza, where it is urgent and necessary to guarantee humanitarian corridors to help the entire population,” he said…

Pope Francis Hints Openness To Blessing Same-Sex Couples

Pope Francis Hints Openness To Blessing Same-Sex Couples

Pope Francis leads an ecumenical prayer with Protestants and Orthodox at St. Peter’s square in The Vatican on September 30, 2023. (Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images) / Canva edit

OAN’s Brooke Mallory
1:30 PM – Tuesday, October 3, 2023

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/pope-francis-hints-openness-to-blessing-same-sex-couples/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Pope Francis hinted at a reversal of the official Vatican position by allowing some Catholic priests to bless same-sex nuptials.

On Monday, Francis noted several important qualifications, such as the need for case-by-case consideration and the fact that they should not be seen as equivalent to heterosexual wedding ceremonies.

Back in 2021, the Vatican said that it could not support same-sex relationships because “God cannot bless sin.” The pope did, however, hint that there may be some exceptions to this attitude on Monday.

“We cannot be judges who only deny, reject, and exclude,” he said in a letter to five cardinals who asked for clarity on the issue.

Although Vatican doctrine has not changed, some LGBTQ+ Catholics have seen Francis’ remarks as a significant step toward ending the isolation and judgment they claim to face inside the church.

Francis made the comments in a letter that was released on Monday by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Five conservative cardinals from Asia, Europe, Africa, the United States, and Latin America gave a list of “dubia,” which means “doubts” or “inquiries.”

They pressed him to uphold traditional Catholic doctrine on same-sex unions and other contentious topics like women’s ordination.

In response, Francis stated that there may be “forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons” that might be given sometimes. The clergy were urged to practice “pastoral charity,” which he defined as “kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness, and encouragement.”

The pope continued, saying that these unions “do not convey a mistaken concept of marriage,” however, they also “should not necessarily become a norm.”

This focus on permitting these partnerships on a “pastoral” rather than official basis may be a reference to a number of German Catholic priests who have recently publicly blessed same-sex weddings in a dispute with their diocese.

LGBTQ+ Catholics and other progressives hailed his comments as a major victory for the cause of “religious equality.”

“Though the Vatican’s latest statement about same-gender couples does not provide a full-fledged, ringing endorsement of blessing their unions, the document significantly advances Pope Francis’ work to include and affirm LGBTQ+ people,” said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, an organization that uplifts LGBTQ+ Catholics.

The 86-year-old pope, who has recently struggled with a variety of health challenges, is no stranger to progressive causes. He has established himself as a strong voice on everything from the immigrant crisis to climate change-related topics.

When challenged about LGBTQ+ matters and priests’ sexual orientations many months into his pontificate, Francis responded, “Who am I to judge?”

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Pope Francis appoints pro-abortion, pro-LGBT friend as founding member of new Vatican institute

Featured Image
Eugenio Zaffaroni and Pope FrancisVideo screenshot/Unsplash

VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis has appointed his longtime friend and fellow Argentinian Eugenio Raúl Zaffaroni to a Vatican position, despite Zaffaroni’s controversial record and his support for homosexuality and abortion.

Announced on August 18 by the Holy See Press Office, Pope Francis formally recognized a group first created in 2019 and made the peculiar move of designating it as a private association of the faithful.

The Pan-American Committee of Judges and Judges for Social Rights and Franciscan Doctrine [COPAJU] had its statutes and logo formally approved by the Pope, along with its first appointments and staffing assignments.

A brainchild and subsidiary of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Committee was first established in 2019 from a meeting in the Vatican of 120 magistrates from across the Americas. According to the Pope’s chirograph, the group is oriented to “protection and promotion of social rights from the magistracy, placing special emphasis on the discarded social sectors, affected by the different processes of neo-colonialism.”

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As a subsidiary of COPAJU, Pope Francis instituted a new research group, appointing to it a friend from his native Argentina whose record on life and family issues contradicts Catholic moral teaching. Raúl Eugenio Zaffaroni was appointed as one of the three founding board members of the new “Fray Bartolomé de las Casas” Institute for Research and Promotion of Social Rights.

The new Institute will deal with the “academic, teaching and formation purposes on the field of social rights, migration and colonialism.” As such, it will be financially “supported, directed, and administered by COPAJU and will operate under the auspices of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.”

But Zaffaroni, despite his appointment to a Vatican-based body, has a long-standing record of promoting abortion and homosexuality. A former member of Argentina’s Supreme Court from 2003 through 2015, Zaffaroni also served as a judge for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) from 2016 through 2022.

As LifeSite’s Dr. Maike Hickson reported in 2019, Zaffaroni was chiefly responsible for organizing an event at the Vatican for LGBT activists on the decriminalization of homosexuality. The invitation letter, of which LifeSite obtained a copy, stated that “Professor Zaffaroni’s words will be followed by a historical speech by His Holiness relevant to the subject matter.”

READ: Pope Francis set to give ‘historic speech’ involving ‘persons of the same sex’, leaked letter claims

The event was revealed by Dr. Frédéric Martel, an open homosexual and author of a book alleging widespread homosexuality amongst clergy in the Vatican. Martel described Zaffaroni as “a friend of Pope Francis.”

To support this claim is the well-documented fact that Pope Francis, when still the archbishop of Buenos Aires, invited Zaffaroni in 2010 to participate as a speaker at a diocesan event on children and youth, something that caused indignation among Catholics at the time. A letter penned to then-Cardinal Bergoglio at the time described Zaffaroni as someone who

publicly advocates for abortion rights (at a time when our country is prey to a ruthless campaign for the murder of the innocent), and has clearly and emphatically expressed in favor of homosexual “marriage” (which includes corruption of our children due to the possibility of adoption recognized by law), also in favor of the decriminalization of drugs, and countless sins from which the Church  – as Mother and Teacher – and her pastors, must protect their children.

Indeed, Zaffaroni has made no secret about being a long-standing supporter of the decriminalization of homosexual relationships along with opposing the criminalization of abortion.

Zaffaroni and Francis: Pachamama supporters

An interesting parallel between the Argentine Pope and the Argentine judge is their advocacy for Earth-centered ecology, including support for Pachamama. Pope Francis was infamously a participant at the 2019 Vatican event which saw Pachamama statues being worshiped in the Vatican Gardens. The statues of the Incan fertility goddess were then placed in a church just meters from the Vatican, before being thrown into the river by Catholic activist Alexander Tschugguel. Francis apologized to Amazon indigenous leaders for the statues’ being thrown into the river.

Zaffaroni is himself also a proponent of Pachamama idolatry. A 2017 article written by Pope Francis’ friend — the disgraced former Franciscan priest and liberation theologian Leonardo Boff — praised a book written by Zaffaroni entitled Pachamama and the Human Being. Boff argued the text was in the same spirit as Francis’ 2015 environmental encyclical Laudato Si’ and strongly defended animal rights against centuries of “human cruelty.”

The book also aligns with Francis’ 2020 text Fratelli Tutti, in that a concept of fraternity divorced from religion is proposed as the answer to the crises of humanity. “Only by substituting the knowledge of the dominus for the frater we can regain human dignity,” Zaffaroni wrote.

Zaffaroni and Argentine prostitution

But additional controversy has long surrounded the Argentinian judge. A 2011 investigation by Perfil found that numerous apartments he owned in Buenos Aires were being used for a lucrative prostitution business.

Zaffaroni denied being involved in the business, arguing that management of the property was handled by a real estate company and that he was a victim of a media campaign. Calls were subsequently made for Zaffaroni’s impeachment given he was serving as a judge on the nation’s supreme court at the time.

Then in 2013, Zaffaroni’s attorney Ricardo Montivero testified in court that it was he who had been managing the prostitution business, not Zaffaroni. Montivero paid a fine for the management of a brothel. Montivero’s fine was reportedly the minimum penalty for the offense and it did not lead to a criminal record.

Pope Francis Weighing Removal of Conservative Texas Bishop

Pope Francis Weighing Removal of Conservative Texas Bishop
AP Photo/Andrew Medichini
Pope Francis is considering a request for the resignation of an outspoken conservative bishop in northeast Texas.

According to a report by Catholic news outlet The Pillar, Bishop Joseph Strickland of the archdiocese of Tyler was the subject of a Sept. 9 meeting between the Holy Father and cardinals-elect Robert Prevost and Christophe Pierre. Prevost is the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, the body responsible for recommending the appointment of new bishops, and Pierre is the Vatican’s apostolic nuncio — or national ambassador — to the United States.

“The situation of Bishop Strickland is the agenda, and the expectation is that the Holy Father will be requesting his resignation,” an unnamed source told the publication.

Strickland has gained notoriety in recent years for his opposition to abortion, vaccine mandates, and LGBTQ ideology.

In January, Strickland criticized President Joe Biden for his support of taxpayer funding for abortions, arguing, “It is time to denounce Biden’s fake Catholicism.”

In May, he accused Pope Francis of “undermining the Deposit of Faith,” a term for the divine authority Catholics believe has been vested in the presumed successor to the Apostle Peter. Although Strickland’s statement was an attempt to clarify that he disagrees with the assertion by a conservative Catholic podcaster that Francis is not the legitimate pope, he implicitly endorsed the podcaster’s criticism of the pontiff for embracing lockdowns and the COVID-19 vaccines while failing to defend the church’s traditional views on issues like abortion, divorce and remarriage, and homosexuality.

And in June, Strickland led a prayer rally outside Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles during the team’s “Pride Night” event featuring a group of drag queens known as the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” one of whose members was recently arrested for “indulging” himself in public. Although the local archdiocese urged Catholics to pray for their community in response to the event, they stopped short of endorsing the rally held outside the stadium, fearing it could lead to confrontation and paint Catholics in a negative light.

Later that month, Strickland was visited in Tyler by emissaries from the Vatican. During his weekly podcast, he compared the visit to “being called to the principal’s office,” saying he was being investigated for “simply preaching the truth.”

However, the Vatican has had eyes on Strickland for at least the last two years.

At the 2021 annual meeting for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Strickland was confronted by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, who warned him to tone down his rhetoric because “we’re watching you.”

When contacted by Religion News Service for comment on the report of the pope’s meeting, Strickland said he had not heard anything about it from the Vatican. He also indicated he would not resign if asked to do so.

“As a basic principle I cannot resign the mandate given to me by Pope Benedict the XVI,” he wrote in an email. “Of course, that mandate can be rescinded by Pope Francis, but I cannot voluntarily abandon the flock that I have been given charge of as a successor of the apostles.”

If Strickland is removed by Francis, some critics worry conservative Catholics would view him as a political martyr.

Massimo Faggioli, a professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University, expressed this concern to Religion News Service in May when the aforementioned incident between Strickland and Pierre was first disclosed.

“I believe that the fear is that, if he’s removed, his visibility will be amplified,” Faggioli said.

However, Strickland insists his priority is the gospel of Christ, and he isn’t trying to make a name for himself.

These recent remarks echo what he said during a July episode of his podcast.

“Really, it isn’t about me, but it’s about the truth of our faith,” Strickland explained.

Exclusively for our VIPs: Pope Francis Skewers U.S. Catholic Church for Being ‘Reactionary’

Nevertheless, he indicated nothing would deter him from this mission, saying, “I’m willing to go through anything [that] I have to, to continue to proclaim that message because love for God’s people means we share the good news of Jesus Christ.”

“They won’t stop me,” he continued. “When we’re speaking the truth of Jesus Christ, there is no politically correct. And the world can try to shut us down, but it won’t work.”

Pope Francis and the Vatican might have something to say about that, but it doesn’t appear Bishop Strickland will be riding off into the sunset anytime soon.

East Texas Bishop Faces Investigation After Criticizing the Pope and Taking Political Stances

Strickland has taken political initiative by describing President Joe Biden as an “evil president.”

BY

SEE: https://texasscorecard.com/local/east-texas-bishop-faces-investigation-after-criticizing-the-pope-and-taking-political-stances/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

TYLER — East Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland is facing an investigation by Pope Francis after criticizing the church’s leadership and speaking out politically.

Appointed in 2012, Strickland has expressed concerns about certain aspects of Pope Francis’ leadership and has called for Catholic Christians to embrace Jesus Christ rather than over-adhere to the Pope’s directives.

In May, Pope Francis initiated an apostolic visitation—a critical visit from a papal representative—because Strickland had endorsed several controversial videos and repeatedly called out the Pope for poor leadership. The visitation lasted for nearly a week, as it included several interviews with clergy members and laity.

Bishop Strickland took to Twitter to voice his position, stating, “It is time for me to say that I reject his program of undermining the Deposit of Faith. Follow Jesus.”

Moreover, Strickland previously endorsed Texas Priest Frank Pavone, who was subsequently defrocked in December of 2022 for his staunch anti-abortion stance and commitment to conservative values.

In addition to his criticisms of Pope Francis on Twitter, Strickland has taken political initiative by describing President Joe Biden as an “evil president.” He has also endorsed videos strongly discouraging Catholics from voting Democrat in political elections.

The self-described “red-pilled” bishop has amassed more than 124,000 followers on Twitter. Yet, despite his large following, Strickland has not commented on the visitation.

According to Elizabeth Slaten, the communications director for the Diocese of Tyler, the process was handled with the utmost confidentiality, thus preventing her from speaking on the matter.

“The whole process was very confidential,” Slaten told National Catholic Reporter. “[She was] not free to speak on behalf of Mother Church and the nuncio.”

The investigation into Bishop Strickland’s actions and statements underscores the looming tensions within the Catholic Church, as many are calling on the Internal Revenue Service to strip the Diocese of Tyler of its tax exempt status.

Pope Kowtows to Chinese Communists, Accepts Cardinal Appointed by Beijing

Pope Kowtows to Chinese Communists by Accepting a Cardinal Appointed by the State

BY RICK MORAN

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2023/07/16/pope-kowtows-to-chinese-communists-by-accepting-a-cardinal-appointed-by-the-state-n1711021;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

In 2018, Pope Francis and the Vatican signed an agreement with the Chinese Communists that, among other things, gives both sides a say in the appointment of bishops. This agreement was ignored by Beijing three months ago when they unilaterally named Bishop Joseph Shen Bin to lead the Diocese of Shanghai.

Instead of standing up to the Beijing bullies, Francis gave in and announced on Saturday that he had accepted the Communist’s appointment despite Beijing’s blatant violation of the 2018 accord.

The Church in China is sharply divided between the “official” Catholic Church sanctioned by the government and an “underground” church that follows the Vatican. It puts Francis in a difficult position, but is he so naive as to believe that every time he gives in, the Communists won’t take advantage and push the agreement a little farther?

Cardinal Joseph Zen, a former bishop of Hong Kong, and other critics have complained that the agreement is “a betrayal of the country’s underground Catholics loyal to the pope,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

The “official” Catholics have very little freedom.

Religious groups have been required to revise their practices and teaching in accordance with Communist Party doctrine and to develop what Xi has called “socialist religious theories with Chinese characteristics” through a process of “sinicization.”

The Vatican has acknowledged that the results of the deal have been meager so far. Only a handful of new Chinese bishops have been ordained under the agreement since 2018.

Last November, the Vatican accused Beijing of violating the deal by transferring Bishop John Peng Weizhao from his Vatican-approved post as bishop of Yujiang to a new role as auxiliary bishop of Jiangxi, a diocese not recognized by the Vatican.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Cardinal Secretary of State, said that Pope Francis wanted to “remedy the canonical irregularity created in Shanghai, in view of the greater good of the diocese and the fruitful exercise of the bishop’s pastoral ministry.”

“Canonical irregularity”? It’s important to properly prostrate oneself when paying homage to the Mandarins in China.

Related: FBI Wants to Deny Catholic Advocacy Group Access to Spying Records

Parolin said that the Pope’s “intention is fundamentally pastoral” and will allow the bishop to “work with greater serenity to promote evangelization and foster ecclesial communion.”

In other words, Francis is waving a big white flag and will now write a “strongly worded letter” to let the Chinese Communists know they can continue to walk all over him and the Catholic Church.

National Catholic Register:

In an interview with Vatican News published with the announcement of the Chinese bishop’s appointment, Cardinal Parolin underlined that it is “indispensable, that all episcopal appointments in China, including transfers, be made by consensus, as agreed, and keeping alive the spirit of dialogue” between the Holy See and China.

The Holy See first entered into a provisional two-year agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops in 2018, which was renewed in 2020 and again in 2022.

One month after the Holy See agreed to renew the deal last October, the Vatican said that Chinese authorities violated the terms stipulated in the agreement by installing Bishop John Peng Weizhao as an “auxiliary bishop of Jiangxi,” a diocese that is not recognized by the Vatican.

There are 10-12 million Catholics in China, and the Vatican apparently feels little responsibility to stand up for them in their bid to win the freedom of worship. “Indeed, the dialogue between the Vatican side and the Chinese side remains open and I believe that it is a path that is in some way obligatory,” Parolin said.

As long as the Chinese see that “obligation” going one way, nothing is likely to change.

Illegal Immigration and Western Spiritual Sickness

Enforcing the law has become abnormal.

BY VICTOR DAVIS HANSON

SEE: https://www.frontpagemag.com/illegal-immigration-and-western-spiritual-sickness/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

The usual suspects have weighed in on recent belated efforts to enforce U.S. immigration laws.

Our now bankrupt media, the corrupt government of Mexico, and the Diversity/Equity/Inclusion apparat have damned a series of laws recently passed by the Florida legislature and signed by Governor Ron DeSantis that enforce existing federal immigration laws.

Such critics seem oblivious to the current violence that is paralyzing Europe in general, and in particular France—as if such European chaos offers no lessons for the U.S. or any other salad-bowl, open-borders Western nation.

Florida decided no longer to provide de facto and illegal exemptions to foreign nationals who entered and now reside in the state illegally.

Gov. De Santis is conveying a message to the country that not enforcing the laws, exempting those who break them, or treating foreign nationals as if they had a birthright to enter the U.S. illegally, does not even win gratitude from those who violate U.S. law.

Such American magnanimity is seen, and rightly so, by illegal immigrants and the government who sends them here, as Western spiritual decadence. Thus illegal immigration is to be unapologetically leveraged and forever manipulated—and rarely to be reciprocated with any appreciation.

The Mexican government was not only more fearful of destroying the U.S. border during the Trump years; it oddly also gave the hated Trump more respect than it had shown either the supposedly messianic Barack Obama or compliant Joe Biden.

Indeed, the more Mexico praised and manipulated Obama and Biden, the more contempt it showed the U.S. Paradoxically, the more Mexico denounced Trump, the more it conceded to Trump that it must begin to cease its export of multimillions of its own citizens.

No one is now arguing that Florida is breaking any laws by enforcing them.

Again, the outrage is instead over the state’s legal adherence to the law.

No one privately believes the illegal aliens affected by the new enforcement are euphemistically merely “undocumented migrants.”

In truth, illegal aliens never sought nor possessed nor intended to possess immigration “documents” in the first place, although millions of would-be law-abiding immigrants easily do just that. Instead, they have shown contempt for U.S. laws and those who made and enforced them.

So “illegal alien” is precisely the correct term. Most other euphemisms are designed deliberately to obfuscate criminality and brand anyone a racist who would seek to differentiate legal immigrants from illegal immigrants, and legally residing aliens from illegally residing aliens.

The Hostility of Mexico

Note that the Mexican government now routinely urges those of its expanding expatriate community that are legal U.S. citizens to vote against Republican candidates in general, and De Santis in particular. Such interference is simply a warning sign of how much illegal immigration has warped the entire political landscape of America.

Imagine if a Republican U.S. president urged the 1.6 million American citizens now residing in Mexico to speak out against Mexico City’s immigration policies. Or what if he hectored millions of Mexican citizens now residing in the U.S. to become politically active in opposing the Obrador government? Would the Mexican people applaud that interference?

Note that Mexico never shows appreciation that some 20-30 millions of its citizens have entered the U.S. illegally and with impunity and been treated as if they were citizens. Instead, it is always a demand for more, more and more. Indeed, any mere suggestion of enforcing our own law—not Mexico usurpation of it—is again smeared as “racism.”

Why does Mexico feel it has an inherent right to mock U.S. laws—aside from the natural contempt it holds for America for reacting in such logical fashion to its aggression?

Remittances via illegal immigration is a $30 billion profitable Mexican enterprise. U.S. cash sent southward is the largest source of its foreign income.

Exporting human capital reduces social welfare costs for a racialist Mexican government that does not extend sufficient social welfare for many of its own largely indigenous people in the south.

Through illegal immigration, Mexico creates a favorable expatriate community that helps to influence U.S. policy to transition illegal aliens to citizens through blanket amenities.

It encourages those to enter the U.S. without background checks, on the self-interested rationale of also sending northward felons and others deemed undesirables by the Mexican government.

Moreover, Mexico attacks any smidgeon of U.S. immigration law enforcement on the strategy of putting Americans on the defensive as “racists” and “xenophobes.” That way it softens any American pushback to the cartels’ exportation of Chinese-reformulated fentanyl to the U.S.

Apparently, the billions of dollars the cartels harvest from their drug profits that pour into the Mexican economy outweigh the dangers such criminals pose to the rule of law in Mexico.

Mexico City acts as if the 100,000 norteños gringos that die from illegally imported Mexican opioids are tolerable collateral damage. In some sick way, does weaponizing cartel fentanyl serve Mexico by creating a sort of deterrence against enforcing the rule of law across the entire border—as in ”close the border—and you’ll get even more of our drugs!”?

In a word, any unbiased and disinterested observer would interpret the behavior of the Mexican government as at war with the U.S.

The European Mess

We are beginning to see something similar now coming to a head in Western European countries such as France, the Netherlands, and Sweden in particular, but also Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Greece. While European illegal immigration differs from the American brand, the same parameters of Western spiritual bankruptcy persist.

Mexico and its citizens accept that millions in Mexico prefer to live in the United States even though America is premised on principles antithetical to Mexico.

They also assume that by smearing the American hosts as racists, xenophobes and nativists, they will achieve greater concessions.

So too millions of North Africans, Middle Easterners and sub-Saharan Africans flee without legal sanction to Europe.

The premise shared by such illegal immigrants, their host country, and their home governments is that literally hundreds of millions of people would prefer to move to Europe—and abandon their own homes, extended families, and familiar landscapes to enter a completely alien and antithetical culture.

Such illegal aliens, like those who enter the U.S., likewise assume they can lodge preemptive indictments of their hosts as racists, nativists and xenophobes—largely on the brief that after leaving their own poorer and often most failed states, they did not magically obtain near parity soon enough after arrival.

Illegal aliens in Europe further feel they can enter a mutually beneficial relationship with Western Leftists. The Left will normalize and amnesty their illegality. It will claim their own governments and people are racists for looking askance at illegal immigration. And it then will leverage illegal aliens to form a large new demographic bloc that will support leftist causes, either in the street, or legally through acquisitions of amnesty, green cards, and eventually citizenship.

In other words, the Left increasingly has realized in both Europe and North America that its policies on immigration, identity politics, climate change and fossil fuels, crime and the economy are nihilist.

Their agendas eventually transform their large cities into precivilizational enclaves. And they are losing popular support. Thus the international Western Left needs both new voters and new dependents to be whipped up to serve as blameless victims of their conservative enemies.

The Illogic of Illegal Immigration

One could argue over whether 18th and 19th-century Western imperialism and colonization of Asian, African, and New World landscapes proved solely lethal and toxic or sometimes beneficial to native peoples or both.

And further few can agree whether colonization proved in the long run and in a cost-to-benefit analysis, even predictably profitable for European interlopers, colonists and imperialists.

Yet whatever one’s take on past European colonization beyond the borders of Europe, what is indisputable is that most colonized people eventually rose up and threw out colonials—whether by violence in Algeria, Kenya, Rhodesia or Vietnam, or transitionally and over time in India, Libya or Egypt.

Apparently, sinful Westerners were once spit out abroad, but as penance now are to be hosts to millions from those lands they fled.

But on what logic or premises exactly?

Did the former victims of colonialism announce, “We hated you and yours so much in our country that we are now risking our lives to join you in yours?”

Or was the subtext the placard slogan used by demonstrators on the closure of the once huge American base at Subic Bay in the Philippines, “Yanquis, go home!—and take me with you?”

In surreal terms, the old anti-colonialist mantras of the 1950s and 1960s of “our country for ourselves” has now become something like, “Keep out of our country, but don’t keep us out of yours.”

What is far more astounding are the actual illogical absurdities of illegal immigration as it is practiced in the West.

One is the failure to integrate and assimilate into the culture of the host. Note again the logical fallacies. If the immigrant wishes to import his culture and seeks to retain it in Europe and if then that ensuing culture were to become the dominant one, would not the immigrant wish to move away from the very thing he had created—in the manner he had already done so in the past by leaving home?

In other words, if North Africans succeed in xeroxing Algeria or Somalia in France, why would they stay in France, since they already had fled to there precisely because it was not Algeria or Somalia?

Second, what about the ancient relationship between the guest, or rather the uninvited guest, and the host? Has it ever been a custom in any culture, country, or civilization in any era, that the guest enters the home of his host and makes demands upon it?

Or more absurdly, do uninvited guests ever fault the furnishings, the food, or the ambience of what the host has offered to him? Did Homer and his gods approve when the suitors made demands on the house of their host Penelope?

The answer is, of course no, because of an ancient comeback—so often caricatured but never refuted by the Left—that if the present wares are so bad, then why not just be free of them, leave and return home to paradise?

If President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico is so critical of the U.S., then why does he not block the border and insist that his citizens stay home safely far distant from a toxic host and its contaminating culture?

But again these are mere word games because we know the answers to all the above paradoxes and absurdities.

Western Spiritual Sickness

The non-West sees a richer, more leisured, and more relativist West as something akin to H.G. Wells’s posthuman Elois—strangely effete creatures who coast on the fumes of a distant past that once bequeathed to them their present wealth and leisure. Yet these perceived unworthy inheritors of the work of prior generations are seen as hardly deserving of respect. Indeed, they rightfully earn from illegal immigrants even greater contempt for not defending what they enjoy.

Thus, millions with impunity swarm American and European borders. Many are defiant in smearing their would-be hosts as racists or worse for daring to enforce the sort of immigration laws taken for granted in their own homelands.

In Paris, they riot and burn on the assumption that the soft West deserves what is dished out. The host apparently is seen as some sort of sick masochist who enjoys being told how sinful the West was and is—and how deserving it is of a comeuppance of riot, arson, mayhem and violence.

If that logic seems preposterous, then why does the violence periodically break out to such devastating effect? Exploitation? Racism? Yet, in Europe there is less of both than in his prior homeland, evident by the vote of his own two feet.

The Ethiopian in Italy, or the Algerian in France apparently sees his European host also as a sheep that merely bays when given a needed periodic sheering—albeit with the care of the sheerer to clip away at, but not extinguish, his bountiful host.

A Middle East immigrant to Sweden would never act as he routinely does in Malmo if he were in Budapest, much less in Singapore or Beijing. An illegal immigrant knows that as much as he detests the French and loathes the Dutch, he needs more of the French and more of the Dutch than more of himself in the land of the French and Dutch—if his dreams and agendas of living differently from where he came from are to be reified.

None of these irrationalities are about race. Instead, they pertain to human nature and culture. And the fault is not all the on the part of the illegal alien, and his plethora of self-serving hypocrisies.

His host is culpable as well. The West demands little of the illegal entrant, whether defined as obedience to laws, or to melt into and absorb the culture that he has voted for with his feet. The Westerner’s greatest fear is not even hostile, violent, and unassimilated illegal aliens, but the perception that such a community judges the Westerner as illiberal.

Instead, the post-civilizational Westerner has lost all confidence in his homeland, his traditions, his values, and his very future, to the point that he is well beyond the inability of defending his civilization—given that he no longer even knows how to define it.

 

Incorruptibles and Relics-Living Divine Mercy TV Show (EWTN) Ep.95 w/ Fr. Chris Alar

REPUGNANT OR FASCINATING? CATHOLICISM'S DISGUSTING PAGANISM OF EXHUMATION DISPLAYED IN A JOKING, CAVALIER MANNER BY A PRIEST:

"What does science have to say about a saint's body when it is found to be incorruptible? Why do Catholics venerate relics? Is this science or superstition? Is it faith or paganism? Join Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, to hear about this "fascinating" subject. And hear the story of a man who made his living as a chef, feeding bodies, to become a priest, feeding souls."

"STRIVING FOR HOLINESS IS THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT DECAY"???

SALVATION BY WORKS; NO! THROUGH JESUS CHRIST ALONE!

SEE OUR PREVIOUS POST:

https://ratherexposethem.org/2023/07/01/nun-whose-body-shows-little-decay-since-2019-death-draws-hundreds-to-rural-missouri/

Pope Francis says he feels ‘indignant and disgusted’ over Qur’an-burning in Sweden~OPENLY CLAIMS “ANY BOOK CONSIDERED SACRED” MUST BE RESPECTED~DOES THAT INCLUDE THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE? APPARENTLY NOT!

"The pontiff is not enraged over the industrial-scale clerical sex abuse that has plagued the Church, about the escalating persecution of Christians worldwide, or about the wholesale abandonment of Christianity in Europe. Instead, he is furious because an Iraqi refugee in Sweden set fire to a copy of the Qur’an. Meanwhile, when has Pope Francis ever said he was “indignant and disgusted” over Islamic jihad violence? Why, never. He has never acknowledged that Islamic jihad violence even exists. Admitting it does might harm his beloved “Muslim-Christian dialogue,” which he pursues indefatigably despite its never having saved a single Christian from persecution. It does get him woke points, and that seems to be all that matters."

Pope Gets Angry Over the Burning of a Book That Calls Christians 'Vile'

BY ROBERT SPENCER

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/07/pope-francis-says-he-feels-indignant-and-disgusted-over-quran-burning-in-sweden;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

When has Pope Francis ever said he was “indignant and disgusted” over Islamic jihad violence? Why, never. He has never acknowledged that Islamic jihad violence even exists, and instead has insisted counterfactually that “authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Qur’an reject every form of violence.”

“Pope Francis decries the burning of the Quran in Sweden,” Vatican News, July 2, 2023:

In an interview with the United Arab Emirate’s daily ‘Al-Ittihad,’ Pope Francis laments the burning of the Quran, Islam’s holiest book, in Sweden, while urging individuals take to heart the values promoted in the Document on Human Fraternity.

“I feel indignant and disgusted by these actions,” Pope Francis expressed to Hamad Al-Kaabi, editor of the UAE’s daily Al-Ittihad, regarding the burning of copies of the Quran in Sweden in recent days.

Any book considered sacred by its authors must be respected out of respect for its believers, and freedom of expression must never be used as an excuse to despise others, and to allow this, must be rejected and condemned.”

Al-Itthad is an Arabic language newspaper published daily in the United Arab Emirates. It is part of the Abu Dhabi Media group, a government organization….

The Pope, recalling his visit to Abu Dhabi in 2019, expressed appreciation for the Commitment of the UAE and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed for the path taken to spread brotherhood, peace and tolerance, and called for young people not to be left by adults in the grip of mirages and clashes of civilisations.

“In my opinion, the only way to protect young people from negative messages and false and fabricated news, and from the temptations of materialism, hatred and prejudice, is not to leave them alone in this battle, but to give them the necessary tools, which are freedom, discernment and responsibility.

“Freedom,” he continued, “is what distinguishes a person. God created us free even to reject Him, freedom of thought and expression are essential to help them grow and learn.”

“We must never fall into the experience of treating young people as children incapable of choosing and making decisions,” the Pontiff continued, “they are the present and investing in them means guaranteeing continuity,” always following the golden rule of doing to others what you would like to be done to you….

___________________________________________________________

SEE ALSO:

https://pjmedia.com/culture/robert-spencer/2023/07/04/pope-gets-angry-over-the-burning-of-a-book-that-calls-christians-vile-n1708212

Nun whose body shows little decay since 2019 death draws hundreds to rural Missouri

THE WORK OF GOD, SATAN, OR THE MORTICIAN?

INSERTED INTO THE GLASS CASE LIKE A MUMMIFICATION

Sister Wilhelmina's body was reinterred in a glass display case inside the church of the Abbey of Our Lady of Ephesus in Gower, Missouri, on May 29, 2023. Joe Bukuras/CNA

RACIST POPE FRANCIS IS LIKELY TO DECLARE HER A SAINT TO GENERATE MORE CONVERSIONS; MEANWHILE, HIS PROPAGANDA IS BEING BROADCAST AT THE SAME TIME THE SUPREME COURT IS DECLARING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AT COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES AS REPEALED.

BIBLE QUOTES:

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 ESV For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Matthew 24:24 ESV  For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

2 Corinthians 11:3 ESV  But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

1 John 4:1 ESV  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 Peter 2:1-3-False Teachers and Their Destruction

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with feigned words and making merchandise of you. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
WAS BURIED  IN THE GROUND FOR FOUR YEARS

 

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEE: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nun-whose-body-shows-little-decay-2019-death-draws-hundreds-rural-miss-rcna87080;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Some say it’s a sign of holiness in Catholicism, while others say the lack of decomposition may not be as rare as people think.

Pictured is Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster's incorrupt body on display at a chapel in Gower, Missouri

Pictured is the nun, who died in 2019 and was exhumed on May 18

Pictured is one person who was among those flocking to Gower to see the nun's body

People pray over the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster at the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles abbey near Gower, Mo., on Sunday.Charlie Riedel / AP

The abbess of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles speaks with reporter Catherine Hadro about Sister Wilhelmina’s life and her experience when the foundresses’ remains were exhumed.

Hundreds of people flocked to a small town in Missouri this week and last to see a nun whose body has barely decomposed since 2019. Some say it’s a sign of holiness in Catholicism, while others say the lack of decomposition may not be as rare as people think.

Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster was exhumed in April, according to a statement from the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, in Gower, Missouri.

The nuns had been preparing for the addition of a St. Joseph shrine, and that involved “the reinterment of the remains of our beloved foundress, Sister Wilhelmina,” the statement said.

When they exhumed Lancaster, they were told to expect only bones, since she had been buried in a simple wooden coffin without any embalming four years ago.

May 31, 202301:34

Georgetown, the Oldest Catholic University in the U.S., Opens a Big Mosque on Campus

Georgetown, the Oldest Catholic University in the U.S., Opens a Big Mosque on Campus

1

BY ROBERT SPENCER

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/culture/robert-spencer/2023/05/05/georgetown-the-oldest-catholic-university-in-the-u-s-opens-a-big-mosque-on-campus-n1692878;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Georgetown University, which was founded as Georgetown College in 1789 and is the oldest Catholic university in the United States, has earned yet another distinction: it is now the oldest Catholic university in the U.S. that has a large new mosque on campus. This is great news, right? This is just the sort of openness and good-heartedness that will erase misunderstandings, melt hostility and mutual suspicion, and usher in a new era of peace. Won’t it? Meanwhile, we eagerly await the announcement of which Islamic university anywhere in the world is planning to open a Christian chapel on campus.

The College Fix reported Friday that Georgetown “recently completed a major construction project erecting a large mosque on campus.” The university happily proclaimed that the Yarrow Mamout Masjid, which was named after a famous Muslim freed slave and entrepreneur who lived in the Georgetown area in the early nineteenth century, is “the first mosque with ablution stations, a spirituality and formation hall and a halal kitchen on a U.S. college campus.” How exciting! And really, what could possibly go wrong?

The Georgetown mosque has been happily welcomed at the highest levels. The College Fix stated that it has actually been operating since 2019 while construction continued, but finally the building “was completed earlier this year to much fanfare, with a dedication ceremony March 18 drawing Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who issued a proclamation recognizing the mosque.”

Yet even with a proclamation from the mayor and proud Catholic university administrators boasting about ablution stations and a halal kitchen, the university didn’t seem eager to talk about its grand new structure. The Fix noted that “Georgetown University’s media relations, as well as representatives of its Catholic Faith Communities, Catholic Ministry and alumni center, all ignored requests over the last week from The College Fix seeking comment on the mosque.” Now, that’s downright strange. Are they proud of their new mosque or not?

They should be if they have any interest in being consistent. The College Fix also points out that “the Catholic Georgetown is not shy about embracing Islam. Its news release touted the fact that Georgetown was also the first U.S. university to hire a full-time Muslim imam 24 years ago.” And “in 2016, students at Georgetown University elected a Muslim student to serve as their student association president, a first for the school.” Fr. Mark Bosco, the vice president for Georgetown’s Mission and Ministry division, explained the underlying rationale for all this when he said: “We need to embrace interreligious dialogue.”

Fr. Bosco has several million reasons to say this. The Daily Caller reported back in June 2019 that Georgetown was among the American universities that have “taken hundreds of millions of dollars from the government of Qatar, a middle eastern nation with suspected links to international terrorism.” Long before that, the Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal gave Georgetown $20 million for the Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, which pumps out “Islamophobia” propaganda by the bucketload, gives Sharia supremacist and pro-slavery and rape apologist Jonathan A. C. Brown and other disingenuous Islamic apologists an aura of respectability, and sponsors the Bridge Initiative, which endeavors to hoodwink Catholic institutions into thinking there is no jihad threat and that “Islamophobia” is the real problem (as if they needed much convincing).

Related: Wokeness on Steroids: Indiana University Hosts Deported Jihad Mastermind as Featured Speaker

The links to Saudi Arabia and Qatar make it clear: Georgetown is bought and paid for, like so many other American universities today. The new mosque is more about that than about a genuine attempt to foster interfaith understanding and dialogue. And regarding that dialogue, a parting question for Fr. Mark Bosco: where is the Islamic university that is opening a Catholic chapel, or any kind of Christian chapel? Why does the “interreligious dialogue” to which you are so indefatigably committed, despite the fact that it has not saved a single Christian from persecution or prevented one church in a Muslim country from being destroyed, always and in every case go only one way?

The renowned twentieth-century Muslim Brotherhood theorist and Islamic scholar Sayyid Qutb put it plainly: “The chasm between Islam and Jahiliyyah [the society of unbelievers] is great, and a bridge is not to be built across it so that the people on the two sides may mix with each other, but only so that the people of Jahiliyyah may come over to Islam.” Georgetown, still supposedly a Catholic university, has become one of those bridges.

Pope in Hungary: It is ‘sad and painful’ to close doors to people who are ‘unlike us’~Pope says of Christianity and Islam that ‘our common commitment is to a good life’

“Let us open the doors”: Pope celebrates Mass in Budapest with interfaith leaders

Hungary has much to teach the Pope about responsibility to one’s own household. The Pope is more moved by illegal economic migrants than he is by Christians being slaughtered in Africa and the Middle East.

Pope Francis, seen also on a giant screens, celebrates mass in Kossuth Lajos Square in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 30, 2023. (Tibor Illyes/MTI via AP)

HUNGARIAN CPAC!-You Won’t Believe What Tucker Carlson Said In Hungary!!!

BY CHRISTINE DOUGLASS-WILLIAMS

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/05/pope-in-hungary-it-is-sad-and-painful-to-close-doors-to-people-who-are-unlike-us;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

In 2021, Pope Francis urged Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban to take in more migrants, “opening ourselves to the thirst of men and women of our time.” On a recent visit to Hungary, the Pope again urged Orban to take in migrants and even became political in urging an end to “self-referential forms of populism” in Europe. He equated open-door migration to Christianity.

ABC reported that “while Orbán’s government has consistently rejected asylum-seekers from the Middle East and Africa, around 2.5 million Ukrainians fleeing war in their country found open doors.” Orban has made his position clear on numerous occasions as to why he has closed Hungary’s doors to the mainly Muslim migrants flowing in from the Middle East and Africa. It was all about national security and preserving Hungary’s culture. He stated in 2021 that “migrant armies are banging on Europe’s doors, on the doors that seal off migration routes on land and at sea.”

In contrast, the UK projects that 56,000 illegal migrants will enter the country via the English Channel this year. Serious criminals — including murderers, terrorists, and rapists — have been found among English Channel migrants. The situation has prompted UK Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick to warn that illegal migrants “cannibalize” communities by importing “different lifestyles.” Italy has also now declared a state of emergency over its own influx of illegal economic migrants from Africa.

Hungary has chosen to preserve its values, protecting its citizens from the threat of jihad, Sharia no-go zonesSharia patrolshigh crime, Islamic supremacism, sex assaults, “Islamic separatism” and the like. The small nation has also been spending tens of millions of dollars to rebuild churches and Christian communities destroyed by jihadis in the Middle East. So this is not about “racism,” as the Pope also suggested by saying that it was “sad and painful” to see doors closed to people who were “unlike us.”

Actions speak louder than words. Until the Pope enables opening the doors of the Vatican, including those of his own quarters, to the mainly Muslim migrants from Africa and warmly welcomes all of the illegal, unvetted migrants,  he should carefully consider his words to Hungary. He should also tell the victims of the worst crimes — including victims of terror — to their faces that open-door migration policies are a positive good.

Hungary has much to teach the Pope about responsibility to one’s own household. The Pope is more moved by illegal economic migrants than he is by Christians being slaughtered in Africa and the Middle East.

“Pope Francis urges Hungarians to ‘open doors’ to migrants,” BBC, May 1, 2023:

Pope Francis has urged Hungarians to “open doors” to migrants, ending his visit to the country led by a nationalist anti-immigration cabinet.

Speaking at an open-air mass in the capital Budapest, the pontiff said it was “sad and painful” to see doors closed to people who were “unlike us”.

Up to 100,000 people attended the mass, including Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Mr Orban has criticised migration, building a barbed-wire border fence to stop migrants crossing into Hungary.

Addressing the crowd near the Hungarian parliament building on Sunday, Pope Francis pleaded to everyone – including “those with political and social responsibilities” – to be more open.

He was speaking about “the closed doors of our selfishness with regard to others… the doors we close towards those who are foreign or unlike us, towards migrants or the poor”…..

______________________________________________________________

Pope says of Christianity and Islam that ‘our common commitment is to a good life’

BY ROBERT SPENCER

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/05/pope-says-of-christianity-and-islam-that-our-common-commitment-is-to-a-good-life;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

All right, but the definition of “a good life” differs sharply in both religions. The pope would stoutly deny this and call anyone who pointed it out “Islamophobic,” but nonetheless, it is the case.

Qur’an 98:4-6: “Nor were the people of the book divided until after the clear proof came to them. And they are not ordered to do anything else but serve Allah, keeping religion pure for him, as hanifs, and to establish prayer and to give alms. That is true religion. Indeed, the unbelievers among the people of the book and the idolaters will remain in the fire of Gehenna. They are the most vile of created beings.”

Qur’an 5:14: “And with those who say: Indeed, we are Christians, we made a covenant, but they forgot a part of what they were reminded about. Therefore we have stirred up enmity and hatred among them until the day of resurrection, when Allah will inform them of their handiwork.”

Qur’an 5:17: “They indeed have disbelieved who say, Indeed, Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. Say, Who then can do anything against Allah, if he had willed to destroy the Messiah son of Mary, and his mother and everyone on earth? To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. He creates what he wills. And Allah is able to do all things.”

Qur’an 4:157: “And because of their saying, We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of Allah, they did not kill him nor crucify him, but it seemed so to them, and indeed, those who disagree about this are in doubt about it, they have no knowledge of it except pursuit of a supposition, they did not kill him for certain.

Qur’an 4:171: “O people of the book, do not exaggerate in your religion or say anything about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and his word that he conveyed to Mary, and a spirit from him. So believe in Allah and his messengers, and do not say Three, Stop, it is better for you. Allah is only one God. It is far removed from his transcendent majesty that he should have a son. Everything that is in the heavens and everything that is on the earth is his. And Allah is sufficient as defender.”

Qur’an 5:116: “And when Allah said, O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to mankind, Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah? He said, Be glorified. It was not for me to say what I had no right to say. If I said it, then you know it. You know what is in my mind, and I do not know what is in your mind. Indeed, you, only you, are the knower of hidden things.”

Qur’an 19:35: “It is not fitting for Allah that he should take to himself a son. Glory be to him, when he decrees a thing, he says to it only, Be, and it is.”

Qur’an 9:30-31: “And the Jews say, Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say, The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the statements of those who disbelieved before. May Allah curse them. How perverse they are. They have taken as lords besides Allah their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah, the son of Mary, when they were called to worship only one God. There is no God except him. May he be glorified from all that they ascribe as partners.”

Qur’an 9:29: “Fight against those do not believe in Allah or the last day, and do not forbid what Allah and his messenger have forbidden, and do not follow the religion of truth, even if they are among the people of the book, until they pay the jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued.”

“Pope: Christianity, Islam share common commitment to good life,” by Francesca Merlo, Vatican News, May 4, 2023 (thanks to Tom):

Addressing participants at the VI Colloquium between the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, Pope Francis encouraged each member, noting that with this being their sixth encounter, their perseverance is clear.

Commonalities between religions
The theme of the colloquium, “Creative Commonalities between Christianity and Islam”, the Pope said, reflects how “each of us is like the link in a long chain: many people have preceded us on the beautiful and challenging road of encounter and friendship, others will follow us, as we hope and pray, confirming that feeling of brotherhood that is the foundation of relations between peoples”….

Bringing his message to a close, the Pope noted that the dialogue practiced and promoted requires a style of sincerity and mutual respect if it is to be fruitful, and requires “an awareness of both convergences and divergences”. He spoke of compassion for all, before adding that “we also believe that not everything ends with death, but that there is another life, eternal, where we will give account to God for our actions and receive reward or punishment”.

Finally, the Pope noted that “our common commitment is to a good life” and this, he concluded, “gives glory to God and joy to all those we meet on our earthly pilgrimage”.

EX-CATHOLIC MIKE GENDRON: An Urgent Plea to Roman Catholics

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

What can we say to Catholics who are stubbornly happy with their religion? How should we respond when they say, "I was born a Catholic and I will die a Catholic?" Is there a way we can warn our loved ones of their pending peril without harming our relationships? Yes, we must speak the truth in love, with compassion, and pray for our Sovereign Lord to open their hearts (Acts 16:14). We must warn them that sin has separated them from God (Isa. 59:2). As ambassadors for Christ, we must beg them on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).
Following are some biblical and persuasive heart-to-heart conversations we can have with our Catholic friends and loved ones.
What if Our Roles Were Reversed?
If our roles were reversed, I would want you to pursue me with the truth until I repented and believed God's Word. Never would I want you to give up on me, because so much is at stake. I love you too much to let you march proudly down the wide road to destruction without warning you. There is a reason why the Lord Jesus said very few find the narrow way that leads to life (Mat. 7:14). It is because the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Cor. 4:4). One of Satan's most powerful tools to blind unbelievers is religious pride and indoctrination. The only way this veil of blindness can be removed is when you turn to Christ (2 Cor. 3:14-16). This means you must turn away from your priests, who are false mediators, and turn to Christ, who is the only mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5). As God's perfect man and man's perfect God, He is worthy of all your undivided trust and faith!
Only the Gospel Can Transform Sinners into Saints
Please understand that we were all conceived in sin and born sinners (Psalm 51:5). There is more bad news because there is no human cure for sin. Sacraments, penance, indulgences, the Mass, and good works can never cancel the punishment for sin, which is an eternity in hell away from the presence of God (Rev. 20:13-15). However, there is good news! God's love and mercy provided the one way to be saved! A divine cure is available free for the asking because of a love story written in blood on a wooden cross 2000 years ago. The Lord Jesus Christ died as a sinless substitute for sinners who would repent and trust Him alone for the forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God (1 Pet. 3:18). He died once for all sin, for all time; there are no more offerings for sin (Hebrews 10:10-18). Three days later, God raised Him from the dead for our justification and to show that divine justice was satisfied (Rom. 4:25). This is the greatest news a condemned sinner on death row could ever hear!
There Is Only One Infallible Source for Truth
Did you know that the nature of deception is that people never know they are deceived until they are confronted with the truth? Many Catholics first found out they were deceived when they began reading the Bible. Once in bondage to religious deception, they were set free by the truth (John 8:31-32). I plead with you to trust Jesus, who is the personification of truth (John 14:6). He came to testify to the truth and everyone who is of the truth hears His voice (John 18:37). His Word must become your supreme authority for truth because it is the only infallible source to protect us from the lies and deception of false teachers (John 17:17).
Test the Uninspired Words of Men with the Inspired Word of God
Please understand the crucial difference between the Bible and religion. The Bible is what God says, while religion is what man says God says. You can go directly to the source for truth and test the uninspired words of men with the inspired Word of God (Acts 17:11). We know that all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). That means Scripture is our divine authority for exposing what is false and correcting the errors. God has left us with His Word so that we can avoid being deceived by false teachers. Did you know that the Catholic teaching on venial sin is a perpetuation of the first lie of Satan in the garden? The serpent told Eve "You surely will not die" if you disobey God (Gen. 3:4). The lie of venial sin is reproved by Scripture, which declares all sins are punished by death (Rom. 6:23).
The Promise of the Gospel Is Eternal Life
Please know that Catholicism withholds the Gospel's promise of eternal life from its people. Instead, it offers "conditional life" by teaching you must attain salvation by what you DO instead of what Christ has DONE. This makes your eternal destiny conditional because you will never know in this life if you have done enough to merit the glory of heaven. The Catholic Church deceives you by distorting the Gospel and denying the sufficiency and finished work of Jesus (John 19:30; Gal. 1:6-9). You have been misled into believing the work of redemption must continue on Catholic altars. Please reject this false and fatal gospel and put all your faith in what Christ has already DONE. When you do, God will give you the assurance of eternal life (1 John 5:13). There is no greater joy and peace than to know the moment you take your last breath you will be in the presence of your Lord and Savior forever!
Members of the True Church Will Never Perish
Your priests have indoctrinated you with a false security that you belong to the one true church founded by Christ. Yet, the Catholic Church looks nothing like the first-century church. It drifted into apostasy when it was no longer submitted to the supreme authority of Scripture. The apostles warned that apostates would depart from the faith of the apostles and follow doctrines of demons, including forbidding the clergy to marry (1 Tim. 4:1-3). Jesus said there would be many, not few, false Christians who called Him Lord but will not enter into heaven (Mat. 7:21-23).
The true Church is built upon the one foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). It upholds the doctrines they preached and warns about traditions of men that invalidate the Word of God (Mark 7:13). This is the only Church in which no one member can perish or be cast away (John 6:37-40). This is the Church to which the Lord Jesus promised, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). The Lord Jesus purchased this church with His own blood and He is its only Head (Acts 20:28). It is the Church which man enters as he is born of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). If anyone does not belong to the one true church at the end of their days, it will have been much better if they had never been born.
Religion Cannot Save Anyone
I recognize that you are proud of your religion and are committed to it, but religion cannot save you. If anyone had reason to boast in his religion, it was the apostle Paul. He was passionately religious, zealous for good deeds, and blameless and righteous according to the law. Yet, he counted it all loss for the sake of Christ. Paul realized his righteousness fell short of the perfect righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. He exchanged his religion for an eternal relationship with Christ (Phil. 3:3-9). It is my heart's desire that you do the same. One day you will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and He will either be a merciful Savior or a sin-avenging judge. If you have not believed His Gospel, you will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thes. 1:8-9). God's Gospel is a message to believe, an invitation to accept, and a command to obey. I plead with you to come to Jesus, with empty hands of faith, before it is too late.

Jihadi Control and Influence In U.S. Evangelical Community is Overwhelming

BY JOHN D. GUANDOLO

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/04/jihadi-control-and-influence-in-u-s-evangelical-community-is-overwhelming;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

To understand the capture of the U.S. evangelical community by the Global Islamic Movement is to truly be overwhelmed.

For the purposes of this article, UTT is highlighting a few big pieces of the puzzle in our ongoing effort to help American Christians realize the adversaries of Jesus – and, therefore, the adversaries of liberty – are savvy and advancing a massive counterintelligence effort that has many Christian leaders under its control, whether the Christians intend that or not.

Let’s set the table with the following internationally known evangelical leaders/organizations promotion of the Global Jihadi Movement (click links on “here” below):

  1. Nationally known pastor Jack Hibbs advancing the work of a Muslim Brotherhood operative here
  2. Rick Warren’s work with the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood’s ISNA here
  3. Josh McDowell’s “Sharia Love” efforts here
  4. Matt Chandler’s “outreach” to Hamas/MB groups here
  5. The National Council of Churches supports Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood and works with its leaders here
  6. The World Evangelical Association support for international jihadi information operations here
  7. The National Association of Evangelicals Chairman of the Board, John K. Jenkins, Sr. hosts the leader of the Global Jihadi Movement’s key line of operation – Interfaith Outreach – here

(L to R) Rabbi David Saperstein, Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr, MWL Secretary General Mohammad Al-Issa, Pastor Bob Roberts Jr (Dallas), Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Magid

For a deeper dive, as noted in example 7 above, we will look at the “Christian” media outlet All Arab News.

UTT assesses All Arab News as a hostile information operation acting on behalf of the Global Jihadi Movement, and likely its communist partners.

What evidence exists that All Arab News works with jihadis?

The leading advisor on the Advisory Board for All Arab News is Mohammad bin al Issa, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League.

The Muslim World League (MWL) was created in Saudi Arabia in 1962 by Saudi leadership and the International Muslim Brotherhood. The MWL’s Secretary General is appointed by the Saudi Crown Prince, and MWL is directly tied to the Saudi government. The MWL has many “humanitarian” and “relief” organizations as a part of its network, many of which have had their assets frozen by the U.S. government for directly supporting significant terrorist operations worldwide. Finally, the Muslim World League is directly tied to senior Al Qaeda leadership and terrorist organizations and operations around the world.

See evidence of MWL’s ties to Al Qaeda and other terrorist networks HEREHERE, and HERE.

To be clear, numerous international Saudi charities controlled by the Saudi government have been directly implicated in terrorist attacks against U.S. interests around the world over the last 30 years.

Mohammed bin al Issa’s Muslim World League is at the center of much of this activity.

At the international level, The MWL’s Secretary General Mohammad Al Issa works closely with the World Economic Forum, the World Health Organization, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the World Council of Churches, the World Food Programme, the International Federation of Red Cross, and Red Crescent Societies, and others.

This is the “key advisor” to All Arab News – which purports to be a “Christian” media outlet.

Another key advisor for All Arab News is His Excellency Dr. Ali Al Nuaimi, the first Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders.

Some of the most well-known Islamic scholars and supporters of the global jihad sit on the Muslim Council of Elders, including:

  1. Chairman, “His Eminence” Grand Imam Shaikh of al-Azhar, Dr. Ahmed al-Tayyib. Al Azhar is the oldest and most prestigious university of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence on the planet. Al Azhar teaches that “warfare against non-muslims” is obligatory for all Muslims until “Allah’s divine law”/sharia is imposed on every human on earth. Specifically, “Now if the deeds of the jihad – including fighting the infidels and breaking their spine through all possible means – are permissible according to Sharia, then it is impossible to define those acts as terrorism.”
  2. Dr. Abdullah Nassif (also Naseef). Nassif is one of the founders and senior leaders of the Rabita Trust and the International Islamic Council for Dawa and Relief (IICDR), both of which fund Al Qaeda, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations. The Rabita Trust is a part of the Muslim World League and has been identified by the U.S. and other governments as supporting terrorism.
  3. Dr. Abdallah bin Bayyah. Bayyah serves in senior leadership positions in the International Muslim Brotherhood’s International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), Global Center for Renewal and Guidance (GCRG), and several other leading Muslim Brotherhood organizations overseeing operations in Europe.

The alignment of bad actors in positions of national leadership and influence in the U.S. evangelical community is preparing their next action steps coordinated with the communist Movement, including controlled opposition (read “republican leadership”), in accordance with the Muslim World League (MWL) and the General Secretary’s Global Interfaith Operations.

The MWL Secretary General – Mohammad al Issa – has penetrated conservative Christian leadership circles and solidified their support. Meanwhile, the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood leaders – specifically the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) – continue to create “partnerships” in the Christian community – Catholic, protestant, and evangelical/non-denominational alike – in order to subvert and hinder their efforts, and advance already established information operations.

If you are still unsure about how badly penetrated the evangelical community is in the United States, look at the biographies of the Board of Directors for All Arab News here.

That should convince you.

Pope Francis denies that Hell is ‘a place,’ says it is ‘a posture towards life’

The pope's latest scandalous comments contradict the teachings of the Church Fathers on the existence of Hell.

Featured Image

BY MICHAEL HAYNES

SEE: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-denies-that-hell-is-a-place-says-it-is-a-posture-towards-life/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — In an interview to mark his 10-year anniversary, Pope Francis appeared to deny the existence of Hell, saying that it “is not a place” but is instead simply “a state of the heart” and “a posture towards life.”

The pontiff’s comments formed part of a lengthy conversation conducted by Argentinian news site Perfil, one of a number of recent interviews the Pope granted journalists to mark his decade upon the papal throne. Touching on a number of topics he discussed with other reporters, Francis also spoke about his philosophical and theological thought, along with aspects relating to global politics.

As part of the in-depth discussion, Francis was asked, “What is your own interpretation of Hell and paradise, and what happens to people who go to Hell, and what happens to those who go to paradise?”

Giving a trademark lengthy, convoluted, and somewhat evasive answer, Francis appeared to deny the existence of Hell as an actual place. “Hell is not a place,” he said. “If one goes to attend the Last Judgment, and sees the faces of those who go to Hell, one gets scared. If you read Dante, you get scared. But these are media representations.”

Expanding on his answer, Francis described Hell simply as “a state” — a description that appeared to refer to a state of mind. “Hell is a state, there are people who live in Hell continuously.”

He clarified that he was not referring to suffering generally, but to “those who make a world of bad or sick self-referentiality, and end up living in Hell.”

Hell is a state, it is a state of the heart, of the soul, of a posture towards life, towards values, towards the family, towards everything. There are people who live in Hell because they seek it, there are others who do not, who are suffering. And who goes to Hell, to that Hell, to that state? They are already living from here.

Not content with appearing to deny the existence of Hell, however, Francis implied that there was no one actually in Hell — an about-turn in his argument that saw him appear to thus accept that Hell could be real.

“If you ask me how many people are in Hell, I answer you with a famous sculpture of the cathedral of Vézelay,” he said. Providing a description of the sculpture, Francis noted that the sculpture “has Judas hanging and the devil pulling him down, and on the other side they have the Good Shepherd, Jesus who grabs Judas and puts him on his shoulders with an ironic smile.”

“What does that mean?” he queried. “That salvation is stronger than damnation. This pilaster is a catechesis that should make us think.”

“God’s mercy is always at our side, and what God wants is always to be with his people, with his children, and not for them to leave him,” he ended.

His remarks echo those made in a controversial interview with atheist journalist Eugenio Scalfari, in which Scalfari claimed that Francis denied the existence of Hell and argued instead that “lost souls” were annihilated upon the death of the earthly body.

The Vatican subsequently issued a process of damage control following Scalfari’s publication of the interview. At the time, Fr. Thomas Rosica, English-language assistant to the Holy See Press Office, told LifeSiteNews: “All official, final texts of the Holy Father are found on the Vatican website,” and since they were never published by the Holy See Press Office they “should not be considered official texts.”

They were, said Fr. Rosica, “private discussions that took place and were never recorded by the journalist.”

DAVID WOOD: The Truth About Ramadan~Vatican Says Ramadan Is Important for Christians, Too?

Ramadan is typically described as a month-long fast. Yet the entire month is filled with feasting. Indeed, binge eating during Ramadan is causing a health crisis in Muslim countries. So why are gluttony and excess portrayed as a strict discipline and self-control in Islam? Is there a spiritual component to Ramadan? David Wood explores the issue and uncovers the disturbing truth about Islam's holiest month.

THE HISTORY BEHIND FASTING IN RAMADAN

What Are They Smoking? Vatican Says Ramadan Is Important for Christians, Too?

What Are They Smoking? Vatican Says Ramadan Is Important for Christians, Too

BY ROBERT SPENCER

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/culture/robert-spencer/2023/03/26/what-are-they-smoking-vatican-says-ramadan-is-important-for-christians-too-n1681627;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Christians of all traditions were likely surprised on Friday when the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue issued a message to Muslims for Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting by day and gorging by night. The fact that such a message was sent was not a surprise, as interreligious dialogue has for many years been far more important to the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and other Churches than actually spreading the Gospel message. The surprising aspect was that in the message, which was entitled “Christians and Muslims: Promoters of Love and Friendship,” the Vatican asserted that Ramadan is important not just for Muslims, but for Christians as well. Christians, were you aware of this?

The message was signed by Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, a Spanish prelate who is the prefect of the Interreligious Dialogue Dicastery, and Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku Janakaratne Kankanamalage, a Sri Lankan who is its secretary, is addressed to “Dear Muslim brothers and sisters.” It immediately states, “The month of Ramadan is important for you, but also for your friends, neighbors, and fellow believers of other religions, in particular Christians.” Can Cardinal Guixot or Msgr. Kankanamalage give us any examples of Christians who observe Ramadan, or who think it important?

Certainly, there are many Christians who believe for various reasons that it is very important to build good relationships with Muslims, but one would be hard-pressed to find any who actually join in the fasting-and-gorging month, just as it would be difficult to find any Muslims who observe the Christian fasting season of Lent. Although there is always some overlap, particularly among people in mixed marriages, it is rare for people of one religious tradition to follow the practices of another. The Vatican is so anxious to reach out in friendship to Muslims that it is massively overstating its case. That’s not to say that most Christians have a negative view of Ramadan. They just aren’t thinking about it at all.

The Vatican message, however, goes on to assert that during Ramadan, “existing friendships are reinforced and others are built, paving the way for more peaceful, harmonious and joyful coexistence. This corresponds to the divine will for our communities, and indeed for all the members and communities of the one human family.” Gee, that’s swell, but even Guixot and Kankanamalage seem to realize that it’s a bit pollyannish, as they go on to assure us that “we are aware, dear friends, that peaceful and friendly coexistence faces many challenges and threats: extremism, radicalism, polemics, disputes, and religiously motivated violence.”

You can say that again. In fact, much of that religiously motivated violence comes from people who are observing the month of Ramadan that the Vatican is busy celebrating. In April 2022, the Palestinian Authority’s Supreme Sharia Judge, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, declared that “Ramadan is not a month of laziness but rather a month of activity, of effort, and of hard work, and as it also was in the life of the Prophet, a month of jihad, conquest, and victory.” The jihad he had in mind was violence against unbelievers, and not getting the kids to school on time, as a Muslim cleric in India, Maulana Bashir Ahmad Khaki, made clear in 2018: “Ramadan is the pious month of ‘Jihad-o-Qital’ (Jihad and killing). Those who attain martyrdom while waging Jihad, doors of heaven remain open.” In 2012, a jihad group in Bulgaria explained, “Ramadan is a month of holy war and death for Allah. It is a month for fighting the enemies of Allah and God’s messenger, the Jews and their American facilitators.” Or as the Vatican put it, “The threats are fueled by a culture of hate.”

Related: Catholic Cardinal Opens ‘Abrahamic Family House’ With Muslims Praying Prayers Denouncing Jews and Christians

The Vatican did not, however, explain exactly where that “culture of hate” was coming from. Instead, it pretended that both sides had an equal responsibility to seek peace: “We need, then, to find the most appropriate ways of countering and overcoming such a culture, enhancing instead, enhancing love and friendship, in particular between Muslims and Christians, due to the bonds that unite us.” Terrific. But did Guixot and Kankanamalage ever pause to ponder why such statements always and in every case come from the Christian side of the interreligious dialogue with Muslims, not from the Muslim side? Where are the Muslim leaders exhorting their coreligionists to reach out to Christians and other non-Muslims in friendship, and to reject the understanding of Ramadan that includes violence?

The Vatican’s naïve and willfully ignorant Ramadan message only highlights the fact that in this as in virtually all other cases, the friendly outreach to other religious traditions is decidedly one-sided.

Interfaith Shrine Features Muslims Denouncing Others There

Catholic Cardinal Opens ‘Abrahamic Family House’ With Muslims Praying Prayers Denouncing Jews and Christians

Catholic Cardinal Opens ‘Abrahamic Family House’ With Muslims Praying Prayers Denouncing Jews and Christians

BY ROBERT SPENCER

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/culture/robert-spencer/2023/02/24/catholic-cardinal-opens-abrahamic-family-house-with-muslims-praying-prayers-denouncing-jews-and-christians-n1673581;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald, the Roman Catholic Church’s apostolic nuncio emeritus to Egypt and apostolic delegate emeritus to the Arab League, as well as a past president of the Pontifical Council for Irreligious, er, that is, Interreligious Dialogue, on Sunday represented Pope Francis at the first prayer service in St. Francis of Assisi Church in Abu Dhabi, which is part of the new Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith shrine that comprises not just a church, but also a synagogue and a mosque. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty.

“The place of prayer,” Fitzgerald announced happily, “should also be a place of joy, and I hope that this will be true for all of us here present.” Fitzgerald also expressed the hope that the new three-in-one house of worship would be “a house of prayer for all the peoples.” Maybe it will, but Fitzgerald and his colleagues are ignoring the fact that the Islamic prayers held in the building three days before the St. Francis of Assisi Church was inaugurated were hardly as welcoming to non-Muslims as the Christians and Jews have been to the Muslims.

ChurchMilitant.com reported Wednesday that Fitzgerald also said: “Worship opens us up to others, instilling in us care for justice, encouraging us to act with integrity. We cannot truly pray to God without remembering the other members of the Abrahamic family, and indeed of the human family.” Meanwhile, however, one of the other “members of the Abrahamic family” was not quite as generous. Muslims “had earlier prayed the Maghrib prayer in the mosque section of the shrine on Thursday evening.” According to a Muslim jurist who converted to Christianity, this was not the wonderful manifestation of interfaith harmony that Fitzgerald assumed it to be: “Remarkably, Cdl. Fitzgerald, an acclaimed Islamic scholar, ignored the fact that the Maghrib prayer contains Surah Al-Fatiha, which is one of the most anti-Christian and anti-Jewish texts in the Qur’an. The inclusion of this prayer, which is considered indispensable in Muslim worship, tells us everything we need to know about how serious Muslims are about interfaith dialogue.”

Indeed. The Fatiha (Opening) is the first sura (chapter) of the Qur’an and the most common prayer of Islam. If you’re a pious Muslim who prays the five requisite daily prayers of Islam, you will recite the Fatiha seventeen times in the course of those prayers. The final two verses of the Fatiha ask Allah: “Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom you have favored, not of those who have earned your anger, or of those who have gone astray.”

The traditional Islamic understanding of this is that the “straight path” is Islam, while the path “of those who have evoked Allah’s anger” are the Jews, and those who have gone “astray” are the Christians. The classic Qur’anic commentator Ibn Kathir explains that “the two paths He described here are both misguided,” and that those “two paths are the paths of the Christians and Jews, a fact that the believer should beware of so that he avoids them.” Ibn Kathir is not alone; in fact, most Muslim commentators believe that the Jews are those who have earned Allah’s wrath and the Christians are those who have gone astray.

Related: Pope Benedict Unleashes Posthumous BOMBSHELL on the Catholic Church

So as Cardinal Fitzgerald opened his “house of prayer for all the peoples,” one of the three principal groups included in it was praying not to be like the other two, but to be guided instead to the truth. What’s more, as I explained to Church Militant, no matter how friendly the relations are between the groups in the Abrahamic Family House, this friendliness will not lead Muslims to abandon core Islamic doctrines regarding how Christians wrongly proclaim Christ’s divinity and are under the curse of Allah as a result (cf. Qur’an 9:30; 5:17).

As in all other cases, Muslim/Christian dialogue is seen on the Muslim side as an opportunity to proselytize for Islam and intimidate Christians into fearing to discuss the rampant Muslim persecution of Christians, for fear of harming the dialogue. This interfaith shrine in Abu Dhabi is Pope Francis’ house of cards. It will result in nothing lasting except the continued ignorance and complacency of Catholics regarding the threat of Islamic jihad. Leftist Catholics such as Fitzgerald who think this is a positive step are being naïve. At best.

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