Catholic Monitor

http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2019/10/do-most-actual-catholics-reject-amazon.html?m=1

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Do Most Actual Catholics Reject the Francis Amazon Synod as Idolatrous & Racist?

Francis collaborator Alberto Melloni, the director of the John XXIII Foundation for Religious Studies in Bologna, claims that the majority of actual Catholics support Francis’s idolatrous and racist Amazon Synod.

Melloni in the liberal Atlantic said:    

“‘We have a small, noisy minority and a large silent majority…’ ‘The noisy minority is struggling, with a certain success, to represent themselves as half of the Church, and they are not. They’re not even half the College of Cardinals, not even half the episcopate.'”
[https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/10/pope-francis-revolutionary-culture-war/600877/]

Do most actual Catholics support Francis’s idolatrous and racist Amazon Synod?

Before we get to rather the Synod has the support of actual Catholics, first we’ll prove that there was idolatrous worship at the Vatican and then later we will discuss if the Synod was racist.

Glolia.Tv reported in the article “Italian Police Confirms: Pachamama Idols Were ‘Used For Prayer’”:

“In a highly embarrassing move, VaticanNews.va (October 25) published the communiqué of the Carabinieri of Roma San Pietro who recovered the three Pachamama idols who were disposed off in the Tiber.”

“The communiqué explains that the three idols had been ‘removed from a side altar’ of Santa Maria in Traspontina church ‘where they were used for prayer by the ‘Itinerant Team’.”

“The text describes them as ‘a Catholic group based in South America that takes part in the Synod on the Amazon.'”

“According to Cruxnow.com (October 19) the group bought its idols years ago at an artisan’s market in Manaus, Brazil, and uses them since.”
[https://gloria.tv/post/9WAEcFzDmGDA6MWGqC4QgQAnU]

Moreover, LifeSiteNews reported that Francis, himself, confirmed that the idols that were prostrated before and worshipped in front of Francis in the Vatican gardens were images of the pagan goddess Pachamama:

“Pope Francis has… confirm[ed] suspicions that the [“Vatican ‘Pachamama'”] statues were idols.”

Moreover, the news outlet quotes Francis himself declaring the “pachamama” idols were recovered and may scandalously and sacrilegiously be “displayed… at the closing Mass of the Synod.” Francis said:

“I would like to say a word about the pachamama statues that were removed from the Church at Traspontina, which were there without idolatrous intentions… the Carabinieri… commander said, ‘the display of the [idol] statues [will be] at the closing Mass of the Synod.’ We’ll see.”

“I delegate the Secretary of State who will respond to this.”

“This is good news, thank you.”
(LifeSiteNews, “Full transcript of the Pope’s comments on pagan ‘Pachamama’ statues” and “Pope calls statues ‘Pachamama’ and apologizes for their removal from church,” October 25, 2019)

The LifeSiteNews article, also, revealed that former head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal Gerhard Muller on EWTN said:

“[A]ccording to the Law of God Himself – the First Commandment – idolism [idolatry] is a grave sin… to bring the idols into the Church was a grave sin, a crime against the Divine Law.”

It is apparently beyond doubt that Francis is a explicit heretic in terms of the First Commandment.

Cardinal Muller said Francis actions are “a crime against Divine Law.”

Even supposing that Francis’s actions had no “idolatrous intentions” which can only be judged by a imperfect council, the very “bring[ing] [of] the idols into the Church” and now saying that he is open and apparently willing to commit the scandalous sacrilege of “display[ing]… the [Sachamama idol] statues at the closing Mass of the Synod” which is “a crime against” the First Commandment that means he is “knowingly corrupt[ing] the faith.”

Muller showed that Francis’s syncretistic (mixing Christianity with paganism) claim that it is morally justifiable “to bring the idols into the Church was a grave sin, a crime against the Divine Law” despite his claim that there was no “idolatrous intentions.”

LifeSiteNews, also, reported that on the EWTN World Over show, Canon lawyer Fr. Gerald Murray said that the Francis Vatican had a “pagan religious ceremony… This should not be – ever occur in a Catholic institution.”
(LifeSiteNews, “Pope Francis causes ‘confusion’ by participating in ‘pagan’ ritual,” October 11, 2019)

Also, on the EWTN, The Catholic Thing editor Robert Royal called the ritual “syncretism” according to the LifeSiteNews article.

To understand the enormity of the grave heresy, crime and sin of Francis just imagine if Moses on seeing his people prostrating in front of the graven idols had said there was no “idolatrous intentions” so let’s consider the possibility of”display[ing]” the idols in God’s Paschal liturgy.

Now, we get to Francis collaborator Melloni’s claim that actual Catholics support the idolatrous Synod which takes us to the CINOs or Catholics In Name Only problem which has been with the Church since the beginning.

Francis’s ambiguity on syncretism and idolatry is contrary to Scriptures and the infallible teachings of the Catholic Church and has been called by Bishop Robert Barron in another matter “eloquent ambiguity.”

In the time of the Arian crisis those with forked tongues who spoke with “eloquent ambiguity” like Francis were called Semi-Arians or semi-heretics.

St. Athanasius said Semi-Arians, that is semi-heretics, were accomplices and Arians in disguise trying to promote “the Arian madness” through ambiguous statements designed to have “an orthodox and a heretical interpretation.”
(The Great Athanasius, page 136 and Bad Shepherds, page 27)

Athanasius said:

“They disguise their real sentiment, and then make use of the language of Scripture… as a bait for the ignorant, that they may inveigle them into their own wickedness.”
(The Great Athanasius: An Introduction into his Life and Works, page 136)

Early Church expert Rod Bennett writing of the Arian crisis said:

“[T]he number of episcopal [bishop] sees that can be shown to have remained in orthodox [Catholic] hands throughout the crisis can be counted on the fingers of one hand.”
Bad Shepherds, page 29)

As far as I can see in our world today it is very much like the time of the Arian crisis. We only have one bishop who is Athanasius-like: Bishop René Gracida who has firmly and unambiguously condemned the Vatican syncretism and idolatry.

The CINOs or Catholics In Name Only in the time of Athanasius were called Arian heretics and Semi-Arians or semi-heretics. The CINO or Catholics In Name Only in our time are called Liberal heretics and Semi-Liberals or semi-heretics. Sadly, Melloni is right in saying that “not even half the College of Cardinals, not even half the episcopate” are actually Catholic, but are CINOs or Catholics In Name Only as in the time of Athanasius.

Now, it is time to get to the laity and it is probably true as Melloni said that most of the CINOs or Catholics In Name Only lay “Catholics” who don’t believe the teaching of the Church support the idolatrous and pagan Amazon Synod because they are not Catholics, but pagans who call themselves “Catholics.”

However, I have no doubt that the vast majority of real or actual believing Catholics which is probably about 10% of all baptized Catholics reject the idolatrous and pagan Amazon Synod. Church Militant explained the numbers:

“A look at the numbers: Out of every 100 baptized Catholics, 80 do not go to Mass; that leaves 20 who do.”

“Of those remaining 20, we know seven do not believe in the Real Presence. That leaves just 14 — and remember, this is 14 out of 100, not 14 out of 20.”

“Now, of the remaining 14, there is some portion that reject some or all of the Church’s teaching in the area of sexual morality, because they accept contraception or divorce and remarriage or premarital sex or their nephew or son is homosexual.”

“Whatever the reason, some number of those remaining 14 sitting in Mass each Sunday simply do not believe those teachings.”

“So if we are extremely conservative in our guestimations and downplay the number and say it’s four who reject these teachings — knowing it’s probably far higher — what are we left with?

About 10 out of every 100 Catholics — 10%  — are actual Catholics in terms of belief.”
[https://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/vortex-what-the-hierarchy-will-not-admit]

Finally, we get to: Was the Synod racist?

Ricochet’s Scott Wilmot put it best:

“[Francis mouth piece Fr. Antonio] Spadaro labels orthodox Catholics, who want nothing more from this synod than for the Holy Father to protect the faith, as fundamentalists, racists… This is outrageous.

“If anyone can be labeled racist at this synod it is retired Bishop Erwin Kräutler of Xingu, Brazil (assumed to be one who had great influence on writing the pre-synod working document), who, when commenting on the need for married priests said that the indigenous people are not smart enough to understand the concept of celibacy.” [https://ricochet.com/688579/the-pope-pachamama-politics-and-the-periphery-everything-is-connected/ ]

The German Kräutler said:

“There is no other option. The indigenous people don’t understand celibacy.”
[https://cruxnow.com/amazon-synod/2019/10/09/synod-drama-features-married-priests-women-deacons-and-ecological-sins/]

My grandmother was indigenous or Native American from Northern New Mexico and I have the ancestry genetic proof to show anyone, on top of what my mother told me, unlike Pocahontas Elizabeth Warren, because of a gift I received this year.

I say to Kräutler and all those at the Synod that followed his ideology that you are racists. The indigenous or Native Americans and Latinos are not animals. We understand celibacy. Take your German Nazi racist ideology out of the Church.

I am, also, sure that the vast majority of actual Catholics do not support Kräutler and all those at the Synod that followed his racist ideology. 

Moreover, recently, when I wrote a piece on the White liberal Mark Shea, I got a taste of what appeared to be racism from a follower of Francis apologist Shea. Sadly, he and his followers appear to be CINOs or Catholics In Name Only and no doubt are the “Catholics” that Melloni says support the idolatrous and pagan Amazon Synod.

Here is what one of Shea’s followers said and my response:

 Frank J. Tassone said…

For a blogger whose font choice makes you look like a wannabe infomercial writer, you sure spend a lot of words trying to normalize borderline schismatic, conspiratorial radtrad mouth-foaming in an vain effort to paint Mark Shea and Eric Scott Alt as deranged Catholic leftists. It’s like watching a Chihuahua nip the ankles of an Alpha male Timberwolf. 9:49 AM 

Fred Martinez said… Thanks disciples of Mark Shea’s school of argumentation. No arguing of points, but only “hatred” from Shea’s “little bag of talking points” This is funny stuff. 10:31 AM 

Fred Martinez said…

Also, I thought the disciples of Shea weren’t supposed to be racist. Note the analogy of the  
White Mark Shea as “an Alpha male Timberwolves” and the Latino Fred Martinez as “a Chihuahua nip[ping] the ankles of the Aryan White “Alpha male” Superman. [http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2019/08/mark-shea-his-patheos-lap-dog-are-good.html]
Recently, President Donald Trump supporter Kanye West after making his new album, Jesus is King, said he was sick of “White liberals” telling Black people who to vote for.

I as a Latino and Native American on my father’s side am sick of White “Catholic” liberals telling Catholics who are Latinos and Native Americans that we are not “smart enough to understand the concept of celibacy” and must worship pagan idols to be true to our identity.

I am sick of the White liberal Francis pretending to be a Latino and leading Latinos away from the Catholic faith.

I as a actual Catholic, and I am sure I am joined by the vast majority of all actual Catholics of all races and nationalities, am sick of the liberal Francis pretending to be a Catholic and leading Catholics away from the Catholic faith.

I join Bishop Rene Gracida and the vast majority of all actual Catholics in calling on all faithful actual Catholic cardinals to convene a imperfect council and demand Francis recant all his implicit and explicit heresies or be deposed as well as investigate the validity of the Francis conclave and the Pope Benedict XVI resignation.

It is time for all actual Catholic cardinals and bishops to end this absurd charade that is called the Francis papacy.

Pray an Our Father now for the restoration of the Church

Pachamama

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to navigationJump to searchFor other uses, see Pachamama (disambiguation).

Pachamama
Earth, life, harvest, farming, crops, fertility
Representation of Pachamama in the cosmology, according to Juan de Santa Cruz Pachacuti Yamqui Salcamayhua (1613), after a picture in the Sun Temple Qurikancha in Cusco
Other names	Mama Pacha, Mother Earth, Queen Pachamama
Region	Andes Mountains (Inca Empire)
Consort	Pacha Kamaq, Inti
Offspring	Inti Mama Killa
Parents	Viracocha

Pachamama is a goddess revered by the indigenous people of the Andes. She is also known as the earth/time mother.^[1] In Inca mythology, Pachamama is a fertility goddess who presides over planting and harvesting, embodies the mountains, and causes earthquakes. She is also an ever-present and independent deity who has her own self-sufficient and creative power to sustain life on this earth.^[1] Her shrines are hallowed rocks, or the boles of legendary trees, and her artists envision her as an adult female bearing harvests of potatoes and coca leaves.^[2] The four cosmological Quechua principles – Water, Earth, Sun, and Moon^[2] – claim Pachamama as their prime origin. Priests sacrifice llamas, cuy (guinea pigs), and elaborate, miniature, burned garments to her.^[3] Pachamama is the mother of Inti the sun god and Mama Killa the moon goddess. Pachamama is said to also be the wife of Inti, her son.

“For the general public, the best-known ancient South American civilization is that of the Inka (also spelled Inca) who flourished between about 1438 CE until the Spanish conquest in 1532. During this rather short time period, they established over 100 ceremonial centers on the summits of many of the highest mountains in the area. The Spanish chroniclers of the Inka reported that at these centers offerings were made to the mountain gods: food, incense, alcoholic beverages, textiles, and ceramics. In addition, the Inka offered human sacrifices.

On the high mountain tops, the Inka sacrificed children. Sacrificing the life of a child, according to Inka religion, would bring honor to the parents and a blissful afterlife to the child. The children were selected for sacrifice based on their beauty and purity. In the Capacocha ceremony, children were sacrificed to the fertility goddess Pachamama which provided abundant harvests in the following year.

Archaeologists have uncovered the mummified bodies of several sacrificed children. At the summit of Llullaillaca (22,109 feet in elevation), archaeologists found an Inka platform, three burials, and several groups of offerings. Isotopic analysis of the hair from one of the mummies (a 15-year-old girl known as the Llullaillaco Maiden) revealed that her diet had changed in the year before she died: during her last year of life her diet was rich in animal protein and maize, foods generally reserved for the elites. This tends to suggest that she had been selected as a sacrifice some time before the actual ritual and had been provided with a special diet. For most of her life she had consumed primarily root crops, vegetables, and quinoa with very little meat. Isotope analysis also showed that she had had a mobile childhood, perhaps with seasonal migrations.”

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2019/3/13/1841332/-Religion-101-Ceremonial-Human-Sacrifice

In pre-Hispanic culture, Pachamama was often a cruel goddess eager to collect her sacrifices. After the conquest by Spain, conversion to Roman Catholicism took place and the figure of the Virgin Mary was equated with that of the Pachamama for many of the indigenous people.^[4]

As Andean cultures form modern nations, Pachamama remains benevolent, giving,^[5] and a local name for Mother Nature. Thus, many in South America believe that problems arise when people take too much from nature because they are taking too much from Pachamama.^[6]

Contents

• 1Etymology
• 2Modern-day rituals
  • 2.1Household rituals
  • 2.2Sunday parade
• 3New Age worship
• 4Political usage
• 5See also
• 6References
• 7External links

Etymology[edit]

Pachamama is usually translated as Mother Earth, but a more literal translation would be “World Mother” (in Aymara and Quechua).^[7] The Inca goddess can be referred to in multiple ways; the primary way being Pachamama. Other names for her are: Mama Pacha, La Pachamama, and Mother Earth. La Pachamama differs from Pachamama because the “La” signifies the interwoven connection that the goddess has with nature, whereas Pachamama – without the “La” – refers to only the goddess.^{[citation needed]}

Modern-day rituals[edit]

Pachamama Museum in Argentina

Pachamama and Inti are worshiped as benevolent deities in the area known as Tawantinsuyu. Tawantinsuyu is the name of the former Inca Empire, and the region stretches through the Andean mountains in present-day Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and northern Argentina. People usually give a toast to honor Pachamama before meetings and festivities. In some regions, a special kind of libation known as a challa is performed on a daily basis. The challa is performed by spilling a small amount of chicha on the floor, and then drinking the rest.

Pachamama has a special worship day called Martes de challa (Challa’s Tuesday), when people bury food, throw candies, and burn incense to thank Pachamama for their harvests. In some cases, celebrants assist traditional priests, known as yatiris in Aymara, in performing ancient rites to bring good luck or the good will of the goddess, such as sacrificing guinea pigs or burning llama fetuses (although this is rare today). The festival coincides with Shrove Tuesday, also celebrated as Carnevale or Mardi Gras.

The central ritual to Pachamama is the Challa or Pago (Payment). It is carried out during all of August, and in many places also on the first Friday of each month. Other ceremonies are carried out in special times, as upon leaving for a trip or upon passing an apacheta [es]. According to Mario Rabey and Rodolfo Merlino, Argentine anthropologists who studied the Andean culture from the 1970s to the 1990s, “The most important ritual is the challaco. Challaco is a deformation of the Quechua words ‘ch’allay’ and ‘ch’allakuy’, that refer to the action to insistently sprinkle.^[7] In the current language of the campesinos of the southern Central Andes, the word challar is used in the sense of “to feed and to give drink to the land’. The challaco covers a complex series of ritual steps that begin in the family dwellings the night before. They cook a special food, the tijtincha. The ceremony culminates at a pond or stream, where the people offer a series of tributes to Pachamama, including “food, beverage, leaves of coca and cigars.^[8][9]

Household rituals[edit]

Rituals to honor Pachamama take place all year, but are especially abundant in August, right before the sowing season.^[2] Because August is the coldest month of the winter in the southern Andes, people feel more vulnerable to illness.^[2] August is therefore regarded as a “tricky month.”^[2]During this time of mischief, Andeans believe that they must be on very good terms with nature to keep themselves and their crops and livestock healthy and protected.^[2] In order to do this, families perform cleansing rituals by burning plants, wood and other items in order to scare evil spirits who are thought to be more abundant at this time.^[2] People also drink mate (a South American hot beverage), which is thought to give good luck.^[2]

On the night before August 1, families prepare to honor Pachamama by cooking all night.^[2] The host of the gathering then makes a hole in the ground^[2] If the soil comes out nicely, this means that it will be a good year; if not, the year will not be bountiful.^[2] Before any of the guests are allowed to eat, the host must first give a plate of food to Pachamama.^[2] Food that was left aside is poured onto the ground and a prayer to Pachamama is recited.^[2]

Sunday parade[edit]

A main attraction of the Pachamama festival is the Sunday parade. The organizational committee of the festival searches for the oldest woman in the community and elects her the “Pachamama Queen of the Year.”^[2] This election first occurred in 1949. Indigenous women, in particular senior women, are seen as incarnations of tradition and as living symbols of wisdom, life, fertility, and reproduction. The Pachamama queen who is elected is escorted by the Gauchos who circle the plaza on their horses and salute her during the Sunday parade. The Sunday parade is considered to be the climax of the festival.^[2]

New Age worship[edit]

See also: Goddess movement

There has been a recent rise in a New Age practice among white and Andean mestizo peoples. There is a weekly ritual worship which takes place on Sundays and includes invocations to Pachamama in Quechua, although there are some references in Spanish.^[10] Inside the temple, there is a large stone with a medallion on it, symbolizing the New Age group and its beliefs. A bowl of dirt on the right of the stone is there to represent Pachamama, because of her status as a Mother Earth.^[10] Many rituals related to the Pachamama are practiced in conjunction with those of Christianity, to the point that many families are simultaneously Christian and pachamamistas.^[9] Pachamama is sometimes syncretized as the Virgin of Candelaria.^[11] Certain travel agencies have drawn upon the emerging New Age movement in Andean communities (drawn from Quechua ritual practices) to urge tourists to come to visit Inca sites. Tourists visiting these sites, such as Machu Picchu and Cusco, are offered the chance to participate in ritual offerings to Pachamama.^[6][12]

Political usage[edit]

Belief in Pachamama features prominently in the Peruvian national narrative. Former President, Alejandro Toledo, held a symbolic inauguration on 28 July 2001 atop Machu Picchu which featured a Quechua religious elder giving an offering to Pachamama.^[6] Pachamama has also been used as an example of autochthony by some Andean intellectuals.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/amazonian-bishop-slams-demonic-sacrilege-at-vatican

AMAZONIAN BISHOP SLAMS ‘DEMONIC SACRILEGE’ AT VATICAN

NEWS: WORLD NEWS

by Jules Gomes  •  ChurchMilitant.com  •  October 25, 2019    

Bp. Azcona confirms ‘Pachamama’ is a pagan goddess

VATICAN (ChurchMilitant.com) – An Amazonian bishop is denouncing the “demonic sacrileges” taking place in Rome, confirming that the controversial fertility figure dubbed “Pachamama” is indeed a pagan goddess.

Bishop José Luis Azcona, Emeritus Bishop of Marajó in the Amazon region, is condemning the pagan rites surrounding the idol as “demonic sacrileges that produce scandal.”

“In those rituals there is the devil, there is magic. Our Lady is not the Pachamama, she is the Virgin of Nazareth,” the Spanish-born prelate thundered in a 45-minute sermon given Oct. 16 in the Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth, Belem, in the Amazonian state of Para, Brazil.

Bishop Azcona, who in August called the synod’s Instrumentum Laboris (working document) a “document of straw,” referred to REPAM’s pre-synodal meeting in Brazil last June during which several “indigenous rituals with invocations and prayers in which some bishops also participated” took place.

Synod fathers carry “Pachamama”

REPAM is a Catholic network that advocates on behalf of Amazonians and is headed by Cdl. Claudio Hummes, relator general of the Amazon Synod, and a proponent of ordaining women deacons and making exemptions to clerical celibacy.

“These are fundamental issues and here in the Amazon we know the meaning of Macumba or Condomblè,” said Bp. Azcona, lashing out at the Vatican ceremony. “They are magical rites and curses, coming from northeastern Brazil and the state of Bahia, which are frequent here.”

Delivering his homily in Portuguese, Bp. Azcona affirmed that “these celebrations depend on the spirits that are evoked and it is evident that this is witchcraft, from which the letter of St. Paul to the Galatians warns us, in chapter 5, verse 29, when he denounces the sin of idolatry that is incompatible with the Gospel and with mission.”

The bishop likened the idols “venerated in the Vatican” to the Anatolian mother goddess Cybele and to the Hellenic goddess Astarte: “Both express the fertility of women.”

Pagan offering to Pachamama

“The invocation of the statuettes in front of which even some religious have bowed in the Vatican (and I will not mention the religious order to which they belong) is the invocation of the mythical power of Mother Earth, to which they are asking blessings upon humanity or offering gestures of gratitude,” he insisted. “These are scandalous demonic sacrileges, especially for the little ones who can’t discern.”

“Mother earth should not be worshiped because everything, even the earth, is under the dominion of Jesus Christ,” he said. “It is not possible that there are spirits with a power equal to or greater than that of Our Lord or that of the Virgin Mary.”

In a homily punctuated by applause from a packed congregation, the prelate declaimed:

Pachamama is not and never will be the Virgin Mary. To say that statue represents the Virgin is a lie. She is not the Lady of the Amazon because the only Lady of the Amazon is Mary of Nazareth. Let’s not make syncretistic mixes. All this is impossible: the Mother of God is the Queen of Heaven and earth.

In a subtle reference to Pope Francis, Azcona called for the discernment of the Holy Spirit to distinguish what comes from the devil or from the human mind, noting that the Holy Father talked a great deal about discernment.

The Amazonian bishop’s sermon will be seen as a rebuke to liberal Western Catholic media who have attacked the traditional Catholic opposition to the idols as “shameful racist and sexist.”

 Investiture of Bp. Moisés Atisha of Arica, Chile, where bishops tookpart in an indigenous ritual invoking the spirits of the Aymara Indians

Last month, Bp. Azcona criticized the Instrumentum Laboris for promoting neo-Pelagian heresy and said that it had completely ignored the real issues of the Amazonian region: Pentecostalism and pedophilia.

Calling child abuse a “dramatic, piercing problem, of which the document does not speak” and “which reaches impressive levels,” the bishop spoke of how this victimization constituted “an essential part of the abandoned and destroyed face of Jesus in the Amazon.”

In Pará alone in one year there were 25,000 reports of crimes of pedophilia, while experts said that for every case of child sex abuse reported there are four others unreported, Bp. Azcona observed.

“Where is the pastoral sensitivity on the part of those responsible for the Instrumentum Laboris so obvious and so firmly expressed by the Holy Father Pope Francis?” he asked.  

“The Amazon, at least the Brazilian Amazon, is no longer Catholic,” because it “has a Pentecostal majority,” the bishop noting that “in some regions of Amazonia the Pentecostal majority reaches 80%.”

Cdl. Gianfranco Ravasi participating in “Pachamama” ritual

Returning to the theme of the demonic, he lamented that “nowhere in the Instrumentum Laboris is there talk of the presence of demons or their influence, of their wickedness in people, peoples and cultures, as well as the victory of Christ, His liberation and destruction of the power of the Malignant,” cautioning that the Amazon Synod ran the risk of fomenting schism.

Meanwhile, Brazilian sources have told Church Militant that the syncretism exposed at the synod is only the tip of the iceberg and such pagan practices have deeply penetrated Catholicism under the guise of inculturation.

This is one reason why Catholics are leaving the Church and joining Pentecostal and evangelical groups, they said.

At the investiture of Moisés Atisha, bishop of Arica, Chile, the bishops participated in an indigenous ritual invoking the spirits of the pagan Aymara Indians.

In a YouTube video, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, biblical scholar who directed the Italian Catholic Bible project and former president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, can be seen participating in a pagan Pachamama ritual in San Marcos Sierras, Argentina.
Cardenal Gianfranco Ravasi participando del culto a la Pacha MamaCeremonia en San Marcos Sierras. Atrio de los Gentiles en la Argentina, organizado por el Foro Ecuménico Social,…

Catholic Monitor

http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2019/10/its-so-pathetic-that-they-have-yet-to.html?m=1

Sunday, October 27, 2019

“It’s so Pathetic that they have yet to Pronounce him [Francis] an Idol Worshipper”

Many times the comments in the Catholic Monitor section are better than many of my posts. This time a long time reader of CM and someone who I know prays for me and the website, Praypraypray, wrote a excellent comment which needed to be a posted:

Thank you for this very important article. 

It’s so pathetic that they have yet to pronounce him an idol worshipper, after all of this evil pagan idol worship. It’s truly an abomination! 

I’ve read countless stories and comments about the evil coming from the Vatican and Amazon Synod. It’s infuriating! Where are the true Catholics/Christians!?! So many people are saying, just wait until God or Our Lady do something about this!

Now, I’m Not saying that God or Our Lady won’t intervene. It’s just that these people seem so cowardly. It reminds me of children saying, “Just wait until I tell my Dad or Mom on you!” Moses, himself, threw the tablets to make them get rid of the golden calf. Why can’t they strongly say or do something about this!?! Where is their courage to stand up for Truth, for Christ and His Church!?!

Some of them are saying, Saint ____, (fill in the blank), would burn the idols and kick the idol worshippers out of the Church, yet these people allow all of this idol worship and these demonic pagan practices to take place in Catholic holy places. 

Many of the Saints knew that they would be killed for destroying idols, yet they destroyed them and died martyrs’ deaths, because they cared more about Christ and His Church, than worrying about their own lives. Sadly, today, people don’t even speak out if they fear they might not get invited to certain parties or might get verbally scolded or arrested. 

Why do the Cardinals wear the red, which stands for martyrdom, when most don’t even want to speak against this abominable evil? What are they waiting for?… human sacrifice on the altars in Catholic Churches?… before they finally utter a word against it all!

It’s PATHETIC! 

Thank you for calling them to do something substantial. God bless you, Fred.
[http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2019/10/it-is-sheer-madness-if-cd-muller-doesnt.html?m=1]

Here is the post:

It is Sheer Madness if Cd. Muller doesn’t Convene a Imperfect Council to Remove Francis as a Heretic against the First Commandment 
Today, LifeSiteNews reported that Francis confirmed that the idols that were prostrated before and worshipped in front of Francis in the Vatican gardens were images of the pagan goddess Pachamama:

“Pope Francis has… confirm[ed] suspicions that the [“Vatican ‘Pachamama'”] statues were idols.”

Moreover, the news outlet quotes Francis himself declaring the “pachamama” idols were recovered and may scandalously and sacrilegiously be “displayed… at the closing Mass of the Synod”:

“I would like to say a word about the pachamama statues that were removed from the Church at Traspontina, which were there without idolatrous intentions… the Carabinieri… commander said, ‘the display of the [idol] statues [will be] at the closing Mass of the Synod.’ We’ll see.”

“I delegate the Secretary of State who will respond to this.”

“This is good news, thank you.”
(LifeSiteNews, “Full transcript of the Pope’s comments on pagan ‘Pachamama’ statues” and “Pope calls statues ‘Pachamama’ and apologizes for their removal from church,” October 25, 2019)

The LifeSiteNews article, also, revealed that former head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal Gerhard Muller on EWTN said:

“[A]ccording to the Law of God Himself – the First Commandment – idolism [idolatry] is a grave sin… to bring the idols into the Church was a grave sin, a crime against the Divine Law.”

It is apparently beyond doubt that Francis is a explicit heretic in terms of the First Commandment.

Cardinal Muller said Francis actions are “a crime against Divine Law.”

Even supposing that Francis’s actions had no “idolatrous intentions” which can only be judged by a imperfect council, the very “bring[ing] [of] the idols into the Church” and now saying that he is open and apparently willing to commit the scandalous sacrilege of “display[ing]… the [Sachamama idol] statues at the closing Mass of the Synod” which is “a crime against” the First Commandment that means he is “knowingly corrupt[ing] the faith.”

To understand the enormity of the grave heresy, crime and sin of Francis just imagine if Moses on seeing his people prostrating in front of the graven idols had said there was no “idolatrous intentions” so let’s “display” the idols in God’s Paschal liturgy.

St. Thomas Aquinas stated “idolatry is the most grievous sin” in which “heretics… knowingly corrupt the faith.”

There appears to be no doubt that Francis is as Doctor of the Church St. Francis de Sales says is “explicitly a heretic” in terms of the First Commandment who must by the “Church… [be] declar[ed]… deprived of his Apostlic See”:

“The Pope… when he is explicitly a heretic… the Church must either deprive him or as some say declare him deprived of his Apostlic See.”
(The Catholic Controversy by St. Francis de Sales, Pages 305-306)

It is now sheer madness if Cardinal Muller and the other faithful Catholic cardinals do not convene an imperfect council to “declare” Francis “deprived of his Apostlic See” after he is given canonical due process and allowed the opportunity to recant and, also, to investigate the validity of the Francis conclave and the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI which Bishop Rene Gracida has called for.

The greatest Doctor of the Church St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologiae in “3. Whether idolatry is the gravest of sins?” condemned Francis when he wrote the sin against the First Commandment idolatry is the “most grievous sin” especially when “heretics… knowingly corrupt the faith”:

“[I]dolatry is the most grievous sin… heretics, if they knowingly corrupt the faith they have received, from sinning more grievously than idolaters who sin through ignorance… Idolatry presupposes internal unbelief… Idolatry includes a grievous blasphemy.”
(Newadvent.org, Summa Theologiae: Idolatry (Secunda Secundea Partis, Q. 94)

Finally, this is a warning to myself and all Catholics, but especially to Cardinal Muller and all the cardinals who believe the Catholic faith.

Our God given faith united with our free will actions as well as our non-actions determine if we go to Heaven or Hell.

God is looking at you right now.

Your actions or non-actions may determine not just rather you fail to do God’s will in this ultimate crisis of the Church, but rather you may spend eternity with the all-loving God or spend eternity with the all-hating Satan and his demons one of whom is Pachamama.

“For all the gods of the Gentiles [heathens] are devils.”
– Douay-Rheims, Psalms 96:5

Pray an Our Father now for the restoration of the Church.Fred Martinez at 2:45 PM

The Last RefugeRag Tag Bunch of Conservative Misfits – Contact Info: TheLastRefuge@reagan.com

← Press Briefing With Senator Lindsey Graham Reaction to Baghdadi Death….

Flashback 2016: Secretary of State John Kerry Admits President Obama Intentionally Armed ISIS in Syria – Audio Recording and Transcript…

Posted on October 27, 2019 by sundance

CTH has some new readers, so against the backdrop of the UniParty in Washington DC jumping into action to criticize President Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria; and against the backdrop of President Trump authorizing an operation last night that killed ISIS leader Baghdadi, perhaps a little factual and historic refresher is in order….

On September 30th 2016 the New York Times quietly released a leaked audio recording of Secretary John Kerry meeting with multiple factions associated within Syria.

The 40-minute discussion took place on the sidelines of a United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting took place at the Dutch Mission to the United Nations on Sept. 22nd 2016:

[…] Kerry’s off-record conversation was apparently with two dozen ‘Syrian civilians’, all from US backed opposition-linked NGO’s in education and medical groups supposedly working in ‘rebel-held’ (aka terrorist-held) areas in Syria.

This opposition conclave also included ‘rescue workers’ which can only be ambassadors from the White Helmets, a pseudo NGO which serves as Washington and London’s primary PR front in pursuit of a “No Fly Zone’ in Syria, and it’s being bankrolled by the US, UK, EU and other coalition states to the tune of well over $100 million (so far). (link)

When you listen to the audio recording (embedded below) it becomes immediately obvious what was going on in 2014, 2015 and 2016 as an outcome of policy from the White House. In addition, you discover why this jaw-dropping 2016 leak/story was buried by the U.S. media and how it connects to the prior 4 years of perplexing U.S. mid-east policy.

This evidence within this single story would/should forever remove any credibility toward the U.S. foreign policy under President Obama. It also destroys the credibility of a large number of well known republicans, and explains how the prior action placed President Trump into a precarious position requiring a careful approach.

The key Secretary Kerry moments are at 02:00, and again at approximately 18:30 forward.

The discussion from 18:30 through to 29:00 are exceptionally revealing and should be listened to by anyone who has wondered what was going on in Syria. Kerry even makes mention of the “Responsibility to Protect, or R2P” principle:

.

@18:30 Secretary John Kerry [transcript]:

[…] “Well, the problem is the Russians do not care about law, and we do. And, we don’t have a basis -our lawyers tell us- unless we have a U.N. Security Council resolution, which the Russians can veto and Chinese, OR unless we are under attack from the folks there, or unless we are invited in. Russia was invited in by the legitimate regime, well, it’s illegitimate in our mind, by the regime. And so, they were invited in and we’re not invited in.”

“We’re flying in airspace there, where they can turn on the air defense and we have a very different scene. The only reason they’re letting us fly is because we’re going after ISIS. If we were going after Assad, those air defenses, we’d have to take out all those air defenses, uh, and we don’t have a legal justification, frankly, for doing that unless we stretch it way beyond the law on a humanitarian basis, which some people argue we should – by the way.”

“Uh, but so far American legal theory has not gone into these so called “right to protect”, uh, and we don’t even have what we had in Kosovo where we had an, you know, an existing resolution and so forth. Uh, even though we went alone.”

“And so it’s complicated, it’s not easy. And we’ve been fighting. How many wars have we been fighting? We’ve been fighting in Afghanistan, we’ve been fighting in Iraq, we’ve fighting -you know- in the region for fourteen years. And a lot of Americans don’t believe that we should be fighting and sending young Americans over to die in another country. That’s the problem.”

“The congress won’t vote to do it. And you can be mad at us, but what we’re trying to do is help Syrians fight for their own country; and we’ve been spending a lot of money, a lot of effort to try and help do this. So, there’s an opposition there; the opposition is doing very well. Russia came in, and that’s a problem I know, because, uh, y’ know, uh, we don’t behave like Russians, it’s just a different standard.”

“So we are trying to see if we can test whether Russia, you see, is serious about a political solution. And if they are not serious, then we will help the opposition more. But I don’t think that’s particularly good for Syrians in the end because it will mean more fighting.”

Secretary Kerry is then questioned by an obvious sympathizer toward the extremist elements (calls pro-assad Sunni faction “Sunni Jews”) about why the U.S. fights the extremist Sunni (ISIS), but not the extremist Shia (Hezbollah). Kerry’s response:

“Well, they’re [Hezbollah] a terrorist organization, we’ve designated them a terrorist organization. The reason for [airstrikes against the Sunni Extremists] is because they have basically declared war on us; and are plotting against us, and Hezbollah is not plotting against us; Hezbollah is exclusively focused on Israel, they’re not attacking now, and on Syria where they are attacking in support of the, uh, in support of Assad.”

“So it a, uh, it’s…”

[Interrupted]

Question: “But how to make the majority of the Syrian people accept this approach, that because Hezbollah or the Iraqi or Iranian groups are not attacking the U.S. now when they are attacking against the terrorism in Syria?”

Kerry: “Well, they, they are targeted by the opposition who we are arming and training.”

What the recording reveals is substantive:

♦ First, only regime change, the removal of Bashir Assad, in Syria was the 2013, 2014, and 2015 goal for President Obama. This is admitted and outlined by Secretary John Kerry.

♦ Secondly, in order to accomplish this primary goal, the White House was willing to watch the rise of ISIS (’13, ’14, ’15) by placing their bet that ISIS’s success would force Syrian President Bashir Assad to acquiesce toward Obama’s terms and step down.

♦ Thirdly, in order to facilitate the objective, Obama and Kerry intentionally gave arms to ISIS and even, arguably, attacked a Syrian government military convoy to stop a strategic attack upon the Islamic extremists killing 80 Syrian soldiers.

Pause for a moment and consider those three points carefully. Because the audio, along with accompanying research now surfacing, not only exposes these three points as truth – but also provides the specific evidence toward them.

The problem in the Obama/Kerry’s secret strategy became clear when ISIS grew in sufficient strength to give the White House optimism for the scheme – however, instead of capitulation Assad then turned to Russia for help.

When Russia came to aid Bashir Assad the Syrian Government began being able to defeat ISIS and the Islamic Extremist elements within Syria. For the hidden plan of Obama/Kerry (and also McCain, Graham, et al), Russia defeating ISIS, al-Qaeda and al-Nusra, upended their objective.

Against the backdrop of this recording we can reconcile so many historic issues. We already know of a Second Presidential Finding Memo authorizing additional CIA covert action in 2012, this time in Syria. However, unlike the 2011 Libyan operation we do not know the operational name of the second action in 2012 Syria.

2012: WASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing U.S. support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, U.S. sources familiar with the matter said.

Obama’s order, approved earlier this year and known as an intelligence “finding,” broadly permits the CIA and other U.S. agencies to provide support that could help the rebels oust Assad. (link)

Further consider how this Kerry audio tape, and the now transparent Obama policy toward Syria, absolutely confirms our earlier research as contained within the Benghazi Brief surrounding Syria. [Previous post]

President Obama, Secretary Clinton (2011, 2012) and later Secretary Kerry, together with John McCain, and the CIA tentacled team within the Republican party (2013, 2014, 2015) were willing to support extremist (under all factional names) in order to overthrow Bashir Assad…

…THIS WAS THE Obama/Kerry POLICY.

This was their 2016 admitted policy, only because they were caught.

Nothing else mattered.

President Trump took office in January 2017, and began a process to kill and remove, with extreme prejudice, the ISIS forces that President Obama, Secretary Clinton and Secretary Kerry armed. He began with the end in mind, and delivered the following quote:…

That mission has been accomplished.

Department of State✔@StateDept

Last night, the United States brought the world’s number one terrorist leader to justice. President @realDonaldTrump addresses the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder and leader of ISIS. Full remarks: https://youtu.be/GYzNpv-7F7M  | More: https://go.usa.gov/xpCDb 24.7K11:45 AM – Oct 27, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy

← October 27th – 2019 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day #1011

President Trump Announces The Death of ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi…

Posted on October 27, 2019 by sundance

Earlier today President Trump announced the death of ISIS loser Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. [Video below, transcript will follow]

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[White House Announcement] – Last night, the United States brought the world’s number one terrorist leader to justice. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead. He was the founder and leader of ISIS, the most ruthless and violent terror organization in the World. The United States has been searching for Baghdadi for many years. Capturing or killing Baghdadi has been the top national security priority of my Administration. U.S. Special Operations forces executed a dangerous and daring nighttime raid into Northwestern Syria to accomplish this mission.

No U.S. personnel were lost in the operation, while a large number of Baghdadi’s fighters and companions were killed with him. He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming. The compound had been cleared by this time, with people either surrendering or being shot and killed.

Eleven young children were moved out of the house un-injured. The only ones remaining were Baghdadi in the tunnel, who had dragged three children with him to certain death. He reached the end of the tunnel, as our dogs chased him down. He ignited his vest, killing himself and the three children. His body was mutilated by the blast, but test results gave certain and positive identification.

The thug who tried so hard to intimidate others spent his last moments in utter fear, panic and dread – terrified of the American Forces bearing down. We were in the compound for approximately 2 hours, and after the mission was accomplished we took highly sensitive material and information from the raid.

Baghdadi’s demise demonstrates America’s relentless pursuit of terrorist leaders, and our commitment to the enduring and total defeat of ISIS!

The reach of America is long. As you know, last month we announced that we recently killed Hamza Bin Laden, the very violent son of Osama Bin Laden, who was saying very bad things.

He was the heir apparent to Al Qaeda. Terrorists who oppress and murder innocent people should never sleep soundly, knowing that we will completely destroy them. These savage monsters will not escape their fate – and they will not escape the final judgement of God.

Baghdadi has been on the run for many years, long before I took office. At my direction, as Commander-in-Chief, the United States obliterated his ‘caliphate’ in March of this year. Today’s events are another reminder that we will continue to pursue the remaining ISIS terrorists to their brutal end.

Baghdadi and the losers who worked with him – in some cases people who had no idea what they were getting into and how dangerous and unglamorous it was – killed many people. Their murder of innocent Americans Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller were especially heinous. The shocking publicized murder of a Jordanian pilot who was burned alive in a cage for all to see, and the execution of Christians in Libya and Egypt, as well as the genocidal mass murder of Yazidis, rank ISIS among the most depraved organizations in history.

The forced religious conversions, the orange suits prior to many beheadings, all of which were openly displayed for the world – this was all Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s work. He was vicious and violent, and he died in a vicious and violent way, as a coward, running and crying. This raid was impeccable, and could only have taken place with the acknowledgement and help of certain other nations and people.

I want to thank the nations of Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iraq, and I also want to thank the Syrian Kurds for certain support they were able to give us. Thank you as well to the great intelligence professionals who helped make this very successful journey possible.

I want to thank the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines involved in last night’s operation. You are the very best there is anywhere in the world. I want to thank General Mark Milley and our Joint Chiefs of Staff, and I also want to thank our professionals who work in other agencies of the United States government and were critical to the mission’s success.

Last night was a great night for the United States and for the World. A brutal killer, one who has caused so much hardship and death, was violently eliminated – he will never again harm another innocent man, woman or child. He died like a dog. He died like a coward. The world is now a much safer place.

God bless the United States of America!

The Pompous and Pitiless

Fr. Paul D. Scalia

THE CATHOLIC THING

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2019

There is something comical about pride. It makes a man look ridiculous. Of course, it is primarily an offense against almighty God and a theological absurdity: the claim that the gifts of God are your own accomplishment. But in the Christian view, the absurdity of pride plays out as foolishness. The ancient pagan stories present pride as tragic. But Christians know that pride has been conquered. We can laugh at it and create stories to mock it. Thus such literary figures as Shakespeare’s Falstaff, Dickens’s Mr. Bumble, and Andersen’s nude emperor.

But before any of those authors appeared on the scene, our Lord Himself painted an amusing portrait of the pompous fool in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. (Lk 18:9-14) He tells us that the Pharisee, convinced of his own righteousness, took up his position to pray. Now, we can easily imagine the position this kind of man would take: chest puffed out, nose in the air, eyebrows raised. In short, the posture of the aloof, haughty man who doesn’t know how absurd he looks.

More foolish still, the Pharisee then prays, if you pay close attention, to himself. This is inevitable for the proud man, because he regards no one as above himself. In effect, he has no one else to pray to. For him God is not someone to speak with but just an occasion to talk to himself about his favorite topic: himself. He may make a pretense of speaking to God, but his prayer is ultimately self-referential.

This self-centered prayer reveals an inevitable effect of pride: it isolates us. It renders us so turned inward that we become incapable of real dialogue or genuine relationships. We become so focused on ourselves – out of vanity or insecurity – that we cannot see others. The truly proud man might speak at people, but he never speaks with them.

Now, if pride were simply a matter of the pompous fool, then it would be amusing and little more. But pride also tends to become cruel. To preserve his petty kingdom of self, the proud man must beat back any perceived pretenders to the throne. As our Lord makes clear, the proud are not only convinced of their own righteousness, they also despise everyone else. Thus the Pharisee’s silly prayer is also spiteful: O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous – or even like this tax collector.

For all its haughtiness, this prayer actually reveals the all-encompassing slavery of pride. Notice that the Pharisee’s good standing before God depends on his being better than others. He gives thanks not for God’s goodness but for his own superiority to others. He knows nothing of God’s simple love for him – not for him as he compares to others, but for him as he is, made in God’s own image and likeness.

So it always works. Pride traps us in an endless loop of comparison to and competition with others in order to establish our worth before God. This assessment inevitably produces either haughtiness, if we find ourselves superior, or insecurity, if we find others superior. Either way, the soul knows no peace.

The tax collector (or publican), on the other hand, reveals the simple blessings of humility. Our culture, of course, would consider him not just unusual but psychologically unhealthy. He seems too hard on himself: standing off at a distance, keeping his eyes lowered, and beating his breast. Clearly a case of “low self-esteem.”

But in fact he has esteemed himself correctly: O God, be merciful to me a sinner. Who is able to say otherwise before God? This humility frees him for dialogue with God. He speaks directly to the Lord, and not just to himself. Such humble words bring him out of the isolation of pride and sin and into a genuine conversation with God. His simple prayer opens him to a relationship with God and, by extension, with other people.

Our Lord summarizes the different consequences of pride and humility: whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Now, we need not think that God is the one doing the humbling and exalting. Rather, the results follow inexorably from the orientation of our souls. Pride – the exalting of oneself — leads inevitably to being humbled precisely because it imprisons us in the endless cycle of judgment and isolates us from God and His grace.

Humility, on the other hand, leads to our exaltation – not because of a capricious decision of God but because it opens us to the glorifying work of God. May the Lord grant us an increase in this virtue, to free us from the bondage of self and increase His life within us.

© 2019 The Catholic Thing. All rights reserved. For reprint rights, write to: info@frinstitute.orgThe Catholic Thing is a forum for intelligent Catholic commentary. Opinions expressed by writers are solely their own.

Fr. Paul D. Scalia

Fr. Paul Scalia is a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, Va, where he serves as Episcopal Vicar for Clergy. His new book is That Nothing May Be Lost: Reflections on Catholic Doctrine and Devotion.

Fr. Rutler’s Weekly Column October 27, 2019

If “religio” is translated as being bound to a particular outlook on life, then everyone is religious. The saints simply have bound themselves to true religion. Today that is a socially unacceptable assertion, but “political correctness” is itself a form of religion. Early Christians were condemned as atheists because they refused to worship the gods approved by the government. The term “agnostic,” presumably coined by T.H. Huxley in 1869, is just a lazy form of atheism. But institutionalized atheism, which the Soviets called “gosateizm,” has caused the deaths of hundreds of millions. In our own country, it has created a hollowness of spirit and consequent despair. It is not irrelevant to this case that the most impressionable age group in our society, adolescents, have had a 56% rise in suicides in the last ten years.    Saint Polycarp could have been spared death by burning had he renounced “Atheism,” which meant Christianity, but he shocked the pagans in the stadium by shouting that they were the real atheists. Around 110 AD, Pliny the Younger, governor in northern Asia Minor, would exonerate Christians if they would worship the emperor Trajan as a god, along with the statues in the state pantheon, “which it is said bona fide Christians cannot be induced to do.” Thus there were even then what we now call “CINOs”—Catholics in Name Only, not “bona fide,” who claim to be Catholic only when politically convenient, or in order to get married in a pretty church.   “Secularism” is a religion with a non-creedal creed censuring those who do not believe in unbelief. Young people in the United States who claim to have “No Religion”—called “Nones”—now outnumber Catholics, and they have their own prophets, redefining morality and predicting apocalypse by carbon emissions. “Politically incorrect” thinkers are banned from universities as heretics. Attorney General William Barr recently exposed this in an address at the law school of Notre Dame University: The secular project “is taking on all the trappings of religion, including inquisitions and excommunication. Those who defy the creed risk a figurative burning at the stake—social, educational and professional ostracism and exclusion waged through lawsuits and savage social media campaigns.”   Some church leaders have tried to cajole secularists by avoiding mention of true religion. By contrast, Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan, whose family suffered under Stalin’s pogroms, has said that a dispirited Catholicism is “an extremely cunning method of Satan to take away the successors of the Apostles and priests from prayer and evangelization—under the pretext of a so-called ‘synodality.’”    The Founder of what politically correct idolaters in every age have considered heretical atheism warned: “For he that shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of man shall be ashamed, when he shall come in his majesty, and that of his Father, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). Faithfully yours in Christ, Father George W. Rutler

Grand Jury, St Paul’s School & the Diocese of Manchester

Posted by Fr. Gordon J. MacRae on October 23, 2019 11 Comments

Blocking a grand jury report on St Paul’s School in Concord NH, a judge ruled that a 2003 report on the Diocese of Manchester failed to protect legal privacy rights.

• “Did my bishop throw his priests under the bus illegally?”

This post is by necessity contentious, so it must begin with a disclaimer. The current Bishop of the Diocese of Manchester is not in any way complicit with the events described herein with one possible exception: his recent publication of a list of priests who have been “credibly” accused. Ryan MacDonald wrote of this in his latest guest post, “In the Diocese of Manchester, Transparency and a Hit List.”

The term “credibly” accused has serious due process problems which even some bishops now acknowledge, but only because the standard is now also being applied to them. I described this affront to justice in “The Credibility of Bishops on Credibly Accused Priests.” Now there is a new and stunning development in this story. Saint Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, with historic ties to the Episcopal church, has a long and storied history as a prestigious American prep school. Its distinguished alumni list reads like a Who’s Who of political insiders. It includes congressmen and senators, ambassadors and Secretaries of State, and the children and grandchildren of U.S. presidents.

Graduates of St. Paul’s include Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, Former “Russia Probe” Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller, and Democratic Senators John Kerry (MA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (CT). In 2011, Princeton University Press published Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St Paul’s School by Shamus Khan.

In recent years, St. Paul’s has been embroiled in a sexual abuse controversy. In 2015, former student Owen Labrie was tried and convicted for the statutory rape of a 15-year-old freshman while in his senior year at St Paul’s, a story reportedly connected to an unsanctioned school custom called “Senior Salute.”

In 2017, St. Paul’s was the subject of a sexual misconduct investigation led by former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger. His investigation included allegations over a forty year period from 1948 to 1988.

In July, 2017, New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald convened a grand jury to investigate St. Paul’s School. The grand jury completed its investigation late in 2018 at which point a plea deal was signed between the Attorney General and St Paul’s School administrators.

The plea deal was nearly identical to one arranged in 2002-2003 by the New Hampshire Attorney General with Bishop John McCormack, former Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Manchester, and his Chief Compliance Officer, Rev. Edward J. Arsenault. Both deals allowed their respective targets – St Paul’s School and the Diocese of Manchester – to squash a possible charge of endangering the welfare of minors in exchange for a five year plan of staff training and improved monitoring.

A central tenet of both deals was that the prestigious school and the Catholic diocese would waive grand jury confidentiality so the respective reports and documents could be published. Officials of both the Diocese of Manchester in 2003 and St Paul’s School in 2018 signed these waivers. In the case of the Diocese, the grand jury report and related files were published with massive local and regional media coverage in March, 2003.

This is why Ryan MacDonald published “In the Diocese of Manchester, Transparency and a Hit List,” a well-researched report of how this closed-door deal and its behind-the-scenes manipulation by some central staff of the Diocesan Chancery Office sabotaged due process rights for me and other priests.

NOW COMES JUDGE RICHARD McNAMARA

Ryan MacDonald’s article laid out the closed-door duplicity at work at the time the deal was carried out. My defense file and a vast amount of exculpatory material were requested by the Bishop’s Chief Compliance Officer, Rev. Edward Arsenault, under the false pretense of securing legal counsel for me. Once obtained, the confidential files were turned over to state prosecutors to be selectively published after the removal of exculpatory material.

The deal allowed the diocese to arrange for each accused priest to have a ten-day review to challenge in court any material deemed to be confidential. I was the only priest of this diocese to be denied that right. In the end, as Ryan reports, I protested the deal between my bishop and the state because of its blatant sabotage and misuse of privileged files.

My protest was sent to Bishop John McCormack’s appointed Delegate, Father Edward Arsenault, who seemed to be behind most of the suppression of rights. Like all other attempts to address this with my diocese, my multiple letters were met with silence.

I then wrote directly to Bishop McCormack who responded that the diocese tried in good faith, but without success, to prevent release and publication of confidential materials. He claimed that the Attorney General issued a subpoena to take indiscriminate custody of the priests’ files with no opportunity to challenge their publication.

In contrast, Assistant Attorney General Neals-Erik William Delker wrote in a letter to me that under New Hampshire law, grand jury investigations, reports, and files are confidential. For the report and related documents to be published, he wrote, the Bishop of Manchester had to waive confidentiality, and did waive confidentiality, on behalf of all parties involved.

Now, sixteen years later in a stunning development, New Hampshire Superior Court Judge Richard McNamara has denied publication of the grand jury report and investigation files in the case of St Paul’s School. In his 23-page order, Judge McNamara dropped a bombshell that should shake the earth beneath the feet of Catholic bishops and their lawyers across the land. In denying the Attorney General’s Motion to publish, he wrote:

• “For hundreds of years, the grand jury has been a buffer between the power of the state and the citizen. Confidentiality of witness and cooperator information has been an essential part of how the grand jury works since colonial times.”

Making this development more stunning still, the Attorney General argued that there is in fact a precedent in New Hampshire for publishing grand jury reports: The 2003 Agreement with the Diocese of Manchester. It is easy to see why the current Attorney General cited this precedent. In 2003 he was an attorney representing the Diocese of Manchester in the matter of negotiating settlements.

JUDGE: “ALL SORTS OF FALSE, DAMAGING, ONE-SIDED INFORMATION”

The following are excerpts from Judge NcNamara’s 23-page Court Order denying the Attorney General’s motion to publish the St Paul’s School report using the precedent of the 2003 Diocese of Manchester Grand Jury Report:

• “The OAG [Office of the Attorney General] argues that a common law precedent for such a report does in fact exist because the Hillsborough County Superior Court authorized an agreement between the OAG and the Diocese of Manchester to waive the secrecy of a grand jury investigation … and to authorize the release of sealed subpoenas, pleadings, and orders related to the grand jury investigation … The Hillsborough County Superior Court endorsed the Diocese-OAG Agreement without explanation and without any written order.”
• “The Court respectfully disagrees with the decision of the Hillsborough County Superior Court to approve the Diocese-OAG Agreement. The Agreement … fulfilled none of the traditional purposes of the common law grand jury. Rather than investigation of crime, the report is a post hoc summary of information the grand jury considered but did not indict on. It did not protect the privacy interests of those witnesses and subjects that were never charged with a crime by the grand jury.”

Judge McNamara explained that he is blocking publication of the St Paul’s School grand jury report for the same reasons that the Diocese of Manchester report and files should have been blocked in 2003. He wrote that grand jury testimony can involve “all sorts of false, damaging and one-sided information.” In holding that the Diocese of Manchester Report did not protect the privacy rights of those named, Judge McNamara concluded:

• “Mark Twain famously said that a lie is halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. In an internet age, he might have added that the lie will forever outrun the truth as search engines become ever more efficient.”

It is for these reasons, Judge McNamara ordered, that grand jury investigations in New Hampshire are confidential. As a reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leaderobserved, “His ruling decided a case that had been argued in secret” (see Mark Hayward, “Judge blocks release of St Paul’s grand jury info,” New Hampshire Union Leader, Oct 1, 2019).

TRANSPARENCY IN THE DIOCESE OF MANCHESTER

There are some alarming questions that arise from the handling of these reports, the potential for conflicts of interest, and the apparent absence of effective judicial oversight of the Diocese of Manchester grand jury report in 2003.

Publication of that report sabotaged the due process rights of many priests and placed damning information in public view resulting in condemnation without trial. The content from this report was then absorbed by the toxic site, Bishop-Accountability which was established for a singular purpose: to foster new accusations against priests with no effort to corroborate any of the claims gathered and published there.

Judge McNamara’s Order explains that a grand jury is seated for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting crime. In the cases of the Diocese of Manchester in 2003 and St Paul’s School in 2018, no indictments were issued. The Judge wrote:

• “Grand jury reports that criticize individuals are extremely controversial. A grand jury report that does not result in an indictment but references supposed misconduct results in a quasi-official accusation of wrongdoing drawn from secret ex-parte proceedings in which there is no opportunity available or, presented for a formal defense. The Florida Supreme Court described [such] a grand jury report as ‘not far removed from … and no less repugnant to traditions of fair play than lynch law.’”

The respective “deals” contain a hint of extortion. A misdemeanor criminal charge could be avoided if the administrations of the two institutions agreed to waive grand jury confidentiality and allow the reports to be published. The threat of prosecution weighed heavily on Bishop John McCormack who wrote in a December 10, 2002 letter to priests:

• “The substance of the [grand jury’s] conclusion was to weave 40 years of history into one moment, and, based on some rather, complicated legal understanding of knowledge and intention, they concluded that they had enough evidence to indict the Diocese of Manchester for the endangerment of the welfare of children…”
• “I agreed with the Attorney General that it was in the best interest of the Church and the people of the State to resolve this matter by a public Agreement between the Diocese of Manchester and the State of New Hampshire… Let me assure you that no archival material regarding any priest, other than those against whom we have had a credible accusation … was submitted to the Office of the Attorney General.” (December 10, 2002 letter to priests of the Diocese of Manchester.)

But was the threat of prosecution against either St. Paul’s School or the diocese even realistic? Louisiana State University Law Professor John S. Baker had doubts. Writing for the Boston College Law Review in 2004 Professor Baker revealed that the New Hampshire Attorney General admitted in 2004 that the theory of law behind the threat of such a charge was “novel” at best, and highly unlikely.

The statute of limitations for a misdemeanor child endangerment charge is one year while the time period of the grand jury report dated back forty years or more. The report unveiled not a single contemporary case. So why did Bishop McCormack sign such an agreement? The question remains unanswered, but it set a dangerous precedent for the Catholic Church in America. Prof. Baker wrote:

• “The Church should recognize the New Hampshire settlement for what it potentially is: the camel’s nose inside the tent.’… This intrusion by a state prosecutor into the jurisdiction of the Church may encourage and be the basis for actions by other state prosecutors… The decision by the Diocese to enter into this agreement represents a dangerous capitulation by one diocese that may have created a serious threat to the other dioceses in the United States.” (John S. Baker, “Prosecuting Dioceses and Bishops,” Boston College Law Review, 1061, 2004)

The claims of transparency in the Diocese of Manchester are highly selective. There is much related to this matter that is far from transparent. It would be difficult to believe that Father Edward Arsenault – who would later be charged, convicted, jailed and dismissed from the clerical state for his embezzlement of $300,000 from his Diocese – was not involved in the Kafkaesque diocesan affairs of 2003.

In his published resume, which has been removed from public view, Arsenault identified himself as “Chief Operating Officer / Chief Compliance Officer” for the Diocese of Manchester from 2000 to 2009. He was thus at the center of all that Ryan MacDonald wrote about in his report, “In the Diocese of Manchester, Transparency and a Hit List.” The resume went on to describe Arsenault’s role:

• “[To] provide advice and counsel to the Bishop of Manchester for pastoral governance, strategic management, and operational oversight of the Diocese of Manchester including but not limited to the successful settlement of over 250 civil claims associated with sexual abuse.”

In the strangest twist, the lawyer retained by staff and former staff, of St Paul’s School who successfully challenged publication of the grand jury report was Attorney David Vicinanzo, the same lawyer who Father Arsenault claimed was retained by the Diocese to represent me at the time Father Arsenault obtained my defense files under false pretense. Neither Arsenault nor Mr. Vicinanzo ever responded to my multiple requests for explanation in 2003.

Strangely, in December of 2003, nine months after the grand jury report and files exploded in the press, Arsenault wrote in a letter to me: “I have not yet had a chance to discuss with Attorney Vicinanzo the matters we previously discussed.” I never heard from Arsenault again.

In his successful blocking of the 2018 grand jury report on St. Paul’s School, Attorney Vicinanzo was quoted in the news media. He called Judge McNamara’s Order “a full-throated defense of the grand jury as an institution.”

Judge McNamara issued his Order stating that the 2003 grand jury report on the Diocese of Manchester should not have been published because it failed to protect the privacy rights of those involved. Just a few days previously, the current Bishop of Manchester, published a list of all 73 priests of his diocese who have been “credibly” accused. He did this, he says, for transparency.

There is much more to come on the murkiness that is now called “transparency.”

+ + +

Note from Father Gordon MacRae: David F. Pierre Jr. of The Media. Report has an excellent brief analysis of the above along with some links to how it connects to and impacts my own situation. See TheMediaReport.com (October 9, 2019): “Stunner: New Hampshire Judge Says 2003 Diocese of Manchester Grand Jury Report Never Should Have Been Released.”

You may also wish to read and share these related articles from some very accomplished writers:

• Justice & a Priest’s Right of Defense in the Diocese of Manchester by Ryan A MacDonald at A Ram in the Thicket
• Journalism Outside the Box: Wall St. Journal Bravely Profiles Stunning Case of Wrongfully Convicted Priest by David F. Pierre, Jr. at The Media Report
• Travesty of Justice: The Ordeal of Father MacRae by Catholic League President Bill Donohue at These Stone Walls
• Spotlight Oscar Hangover: Why ‘Spotlight’ Is a Terrible Film by Joan Wypijewski in CounterPunch

“In the course of my 1994 trial, and while sentenced to life in prison, and during State and habeas corpus appeals I have never been allowed to utter a single word in my own defense. In 2011 a two-part documentary video was made of my testimony. It went missing for several years and has just turned up.” – Father Gordon MacRae

Part 1:

Part 2:

Transcript Parts 1 and 2 Interview Father Gordon MacRae and Father Kenneth Gumbert (PDF)Please share this post!

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About Fr. Gordon J. MacRae

The late Cardinal Avery Dulles and The Rev. Richard John Neuhaus encouraged Father MacRae to write. Cardinal Dulles wrote in 2005: “Someday your story and that of your fellow sufferers will come to light and will be instrumental in a reform. Your writing, which is clear, eloquent, and spiritually sound will be a monument to your trials.” READ MORE

Comments

1. Liz saysOCTOBER 26, 2019 AT 7:20 AMThank you for shining the light of truth on all of this. There is a lot of weasel-like behavior that will some day have to be answered to. I shudder to think if these people do not repent. God have mercy.REPLY
2. MaryJean Diemer saysOCTOBER 25, 2019 AT 9:51 PMHi Fr Gordon! Slowly but surely people are waking up.Just the last two weeks of the Amazon Synod fiasco have shown many that there is serious corruption going on and it is being promoted by smoke and mirrors. The corruption runs deep all the way to the top. The good are falsely accused and punished and the evil ones continue on their way. We need to pray that God will send us a real leader for the church who will once and for all clean house.
   Sending love and prayers as always. JeannieREPLY
3. Helen saysOCTOBER 25, 2019 AT 6:20 AMFather Gordon, it’s only by the grace of God that you have retained your sanity. Reading the outrageous and disheartening actions on behalf of our legal system and, most especially, our bishops, cuts right to the core. I have often wondered if YOUR case could be heard by the Supreme Court. Surely, you have reason to take it that high.
   I’m not an expert of how things work (or should work) in the legal field, but I would love to see your case go that far.God bless and keep you, Father Gordon. If anyone deserves to have a miracle bestowed upon him, IT’S YOU.HelenREPLY
   • Maria Stella saysOCTOBER 25, 2019 AT 10:20 AMHelen, in 2017 I wrote the USCCB asking them to review Fr. Gordon’s case and to appeal to the Supreme Court if need be. I included excerpts from Attorney Sanzone’s post that Fr. Gordon linked to in his comment. I also included the complete post of Attorney Sanzone in an appendix.
     I also sent Cardinal DiNardo the same letter in case the letter to the USCCB did not make it through to the bishops.No reply. Zilch, nada…nothing.Shame,Shame on them.REPLY
     • Helen saysOCTOBER 26, 2019 AT 4:53 AMGod bless you, Maria, for trying so hard. How disheartening not to even receive an answer.
       How right you are: shame shame on them!!! Lord, fill them with Your compassion, love and WISDOM.REPLY
4. Vincent J. Sanzone, Jr., Esq saysOCTOBER 24, 2019 AT 11:55 AMIt is time that the bishops in this country stop throwing their priests under the bus at the behest of insurance companies and to cover-up their own indiscretions. God Bless Father Gordon, and for all of his good works in spite of the injustice that was levied against him. Let him inspire all of us to do what is right and just.REPLY
   • Father Gordon MacRae saysOCTOBER 24, 2019 AT 9:34 PMI am pleased and honored to have this comment by Attorney Sanzone. He was the author of a riveting guest post about my case that is very much worth reading and sharing. Thank you again, Mr. Sanzone. Here is that link: http://thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/vincent-james-sanzone-a-criminal-defense-expert-unfurls-father-macrae-case/
     With blessings,
     Father Gordon MacRaeREPLY
     • Helen saysOCTOBER 25, 2019 AT 6:15 AMMr. Sanzone, it is a great comfort and hopeful to read your comment. To ‘see’ someone defend Fr. Gordon’s honor is greatly needed. We continue to pray for him hoping an answer will come soon.Thank you HelenREPLY
5. Fr.Stuart MacDonald saysOCTOBER 23, 2019 AT 6:45 PMFather Gordon,The corruption runs deep. The conflicts of interest among some of the civil entities of these stories is simply risible. No integrity whatsoever. God give you strength!best,
   Fr. StuartREPLY
6. Chris K saysOCTOBER 23, 2019 AT 6:21 PMThis post, and the whole chain of events that lead to an innocent priest being locked up, are hard to read. It’s just so terrible. It goes against Justice, and the rights we are always told we have as Americans. I won’t even mention how hard it is to think that the members of the Church, who are supposed to guide us on our journey home, absolutely refused to show any mercy or wisdom.God bless you Fr.Gordon and thank you for showing us what Fortitude looks like.REPLY
7. Claire Dion saysOCTOBER 23, 2019 AT 3:57 PMDear Friends of Father Gordon MacRae–Here is our chance to help Fr Gordon. Please SHARE this post with everyone you know. It would be especially helpful if you have family or friends in New Hampshire you never know who might read it. . The Catholic Church and the State of New Hampshire have completely ignored Fr. Gordon.Shame on them. It would be nice to have a New Hampshire newspaper reporter pick it up and publish it.

Eccles is saved

THE CATHOLIC HERALD, UK

This is the spiritual journey of me, Eccles, my big brother Bosco, and my Grate-Anti Moly. Eccles is saved, but we’ve got real problems with Bosco and Anti.

This is me, Eccles

Saturday, 26 October 2019

Sherlock Holmes and the Pachamama affair

I have described elsewhere how my friend Sherlock Holmes had on an earlier occasion been consulted by the Holy Father in order to track down the mysterious Marcantonio Colonna. One October day we were summoned again to the the papal presence in order to investigate the Crime of the Century.

“Right, Zuhlsdorf and Voris will keep us covered, while Donnelly and Taylor Marshall knock off the idols. We’ll meet at the Tiber.”

After offering us a humble glass of indigenous Amazon water, Pope Francis explained the problem to us. “Mr Holmes, only you can help us. Last night thieves broke into the Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina, removed four idols of the Blessed Pachamama (here the Holy Father knelt down and kissed the ground) and threw them into the Tiber.”

At this point I was so shocked that I sipped at my indigenous drink and immediately felt a sharp pain in my tongue. Removing the piranha fish that had been swimming in the glass of Amazon water, I coughed a few times, and listened while the Successor of St Peter gave us our instructions.

“Do you not have replacement idols?” asked Holmes. “I saw traces of Brazilian sawdust on the floor when I came in, which suggest that an idol-making factory is somewhere nearby. I have written a monograph classifying six hundred varieties of sawdust, and these fragments clearly came from the deadly Hummes tree of Brazil.”

“Oh yes, we have a whole shed full of the idols,” explained Francis. “We shall be sending one to every parish in the world. But it is important for the prestige of the Synod that we recover the missing idols and place them in St Peter’s Basilica.”

Coming soon to every Catholic church!

We went into the garden, and I remarked to Holmes, “That’s a very strange-looking garden-gnome standing on top of the compost-heap. Or is it another pagan idol?”

“I think not, Watson,” replied my friend. “One can see that it is moving its lips.”

As we approached, we could hear the gnome talking to himself. “Hail Pachamama, Our Lady of the Tiber! Those fascist, alt-right, racist, anti-semitic, Hitlerite, conservative, neo-Nazi, fascist, Brexiting, cat-torturing, thieving, baby-snatching, Telegraph-reading, criminal fascists have committed the Worst Crime in the World! But I will be avenged on the whole pack of you, or my name isn’t Austen Ivereigh the Caped Crusader!”

We promptly turned round and walked away.

Massimo Faggioli joins the hunt for the missing idols.

Holmes and I went down to the Tiber bridge from which Pachamama had received her early bath – now renamed St Pachamama’s Bridge – and looked for clues. Would the idols have sunk into the mud, or would they be drifting out to sea, like a small flotilla, wending their way back to the shores of South America? There were no clues, and the crime seemed to be motiveless. What Catholic could possibly object to the demotion of the Trinity, the Virgin Mary and the saints, and their replacement by a smelly old lump of wood? Only the worst extremist Genghis Khan-following fascist sedevacantists, as little Austen might put it.

Bowing to Pachamama. Catholic worship at its best.

After a detailed search of the neighbourhood, Holmes and I finally stumbled across a quaint Italian shop, which advertised “LITURGICAL SUPPLIES. Puppets, statuettes, idols, and dolls. All your Catholic needs supplied here.” Disguising ourselves as indigenous Amazonians (those feathers really tickled), we went in and asked to see something “spiritually nourishing”. There, sitting on a shelf, were four muddy idols, which were clearly the missing Pachamamas.

“I do not wish my name to appear in this case,” said Holmes. “Let us alert Inspector Ploddo of the Flying Squad, and allow him to take the credit for this discovery.”

And so it was. Following Inspector Ploddo’s advice, the Pachamama idols appeared in a place of honour in St Peter’s, the following Sunday. Inspector Ploddo was there, ready to arrest anyone seen trying to liberate them. Indeed, the Holy Father had organized a “Bring your own idol for blessing” service, to which I took along my own ten-foot statue of Moloch.

Blessed by Pope Francis.

Holmes was not present. Bored by the whole affair, he had retired to his chamber to inject himself with another 7 per cent solution of Coccopalmerio.Posted by Eccles at 13:09 Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels: Austen Ivereigh, diving, Fr John Zuhlsdorf, idols, Massimo Faggioli, Michael Voris, Moloch, Nick Donnelly, Pachamama, Pope Francis, Sherlock Holmes, Taylor Marshall, The Lavender Hill Mob, Tiber