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Pope Francis Has Been Recalled

Pope Francis, 2013 to 2025. One of the last images from the Vatican Image Service.

A first obituary by Giuseppe Nardi

Almighty God has called Pope Francis to Himself at 7:35 AM. Thus ended the most recent pontificate, which will go down in Church history as one of the most unspeakable, after twelve years, one month, and eight days. Katholisch.info has critically followed this pontificate from the beginning. Our database documents this pontificate, accessible to everyone.

It will now be said that it is "too early" to draw a balance. But that is not so. Attentive and sensitive Catholics already felt the looming trouble for Catholicism on the day of his election, March 13, 2013. And precisely this sense of those whom God allows to recognize more was confirmed with each day of the 266th pontificate.

The titles that characterized the now-ended pontificate have already been written: There was talk of the "dictator pope" and the "lost shepherd." The pope from Argentina did not heed the warning voices until the end. He followed his agenda, which gave faithful Catholics an uneasy feeling from the beginning, confirmed by the harshness of the facts and verifiable at any time.

The pontificate will remain inextricably linked to his distancing from non-negotiable values, with unspeakable documents like Amoris laetitia, the document on the fraternity of all people from Abu Dhabi, with Fiducia supplicans and Traditionis custodes, with the homo-agenda, the Corona pandemic-lie, the pandering to the globalist agenda, the disregard for the sacred liturgy and its rubrics. The pontificate will be recorded in the annals of the Church as that of the pope who did not want to kneel and did not administer communion, who made the Holy Thursday liturgy with the institution of the Sacrament of the Altar and the Sacrament of Holy Orders invisible, and who fled the public veneration of the Holy Eucharist on Corpus Christi. The talk will inevitably be about the false friends with whom Francis surrounded himself, with Emma Bonino, Marco Pannella, and Eugenio Scalfari, to name the church-hostile, Freemason atheists; but also with the false advisors in the Church itself, such as Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo and Victor Manuel "Tucho" Fernández. It was not the false advisors who misled him. Francis himself set the direction and chose the appropriate advisors and friends for it.

Francis will also be remembered as the pope of the McCarrick boys and the absolution for abortion politicians like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi. Also as the pope of arbitrariness against orthodox bishops, communities, and churchmen.

He will also be recorded as the pope who wanted to radically reshape the constitution of the Church like no other before him through synodality and his bitter and unjust struggle against the clergy, but also through already implemented legal norms or at least the groundwork for them. This hidden revolutionary side will demand much reparation from his successors, in this and many other areas. Not least, consider the neo-absolutism that Francis quietly imposed, and which was "overlooked" by the mainstream so well-disposed to him, up to the strangulation of contemplative women's monasteries and the fact that the rights for religious foundations were taken away from the bishops.

Among the shadows of the past years is also that too many have remained silent. This is based, consciously or unconsciously, on a false understanding of the papacy, whereby the papacy is absolutized in the wrong place, while where it is absolute in the preservation and defense of worship, tradition, and Catholic identity, it was dismantled, not least by Francis himself.

Francis was also the pope, which should not be concealed, who did not cover up the West's complicity in the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, but spoke of the "too loud barking of NATO" at Moscow's door.

The cardinals, that mass of purple-clad men whom Francis himself appointed with great urgency in recent years to make the processes he initiated irreversible, will gather in a few days for Francis's funeral mass in St. Peter's Square and shortly thereafter convene for the general congregations that precede the conclave. What will follow is the conclave, which, in all likelihood, will give the Holy Church of Jesus Christ the 267th pope by mid-May at the latest.

As the 2013 conclave showed, much is done in certain high Church ranks to lock the Holy Spirit out of the Sistine Chapel at the "Extra omnes." However, He works, that is the justified confidence of every Catholic, where and how He wills.

The succession games have long begun, even before Francis was admitted to the Gemelli Clinic in mid-February. The lists of the so-called papabili have been circulating for months. Francis knew at the end, as much as he tried to lay down his papacy, at least how to die like a pope, by not resigning, although it would have been appropriate for him to do so, unlike his predecessor. He died in office, as is fitting for a pope elected for life, and he died in the Vatican, not in any hospital. That may be little, some will find, given the less than pleasant balance of the pontificate, to put it euphemistically, but at least.

The purple-clad men have begun to play election sum games. The numbers are on the table: 135 cardinals are eligible to vote in the upcoming conclave, should Cardinal Becciu's resignation be legally valid, which is to be assumed. If all papal electors appear, at least 90 votes are necessary for the election of the 267th pope to reach the two-thirds majority. That is more than ever before in church history.

Many of the cardinals will see and get to know each other personally for the first time at the general congregations. This is a byproduct of the Bergoglian appointment practice. However, not all were inactive. There are preparations on various sides, because: when a pope dies, a new one is elected.

The faithful, earthly speaking, in the holy Church, which is hierarchically structured by Christ, have no voice in the chapter of the papal election. But they have a powerful means at hand, prayer.

~We have to thank God that the 266th pontificate of history has come to an end.

~We have to ask God for mercy for the late pope. The personal judgment has already passed for Jorge Mario Bergoglio, elected in 2013 as the Vicar of Christ on Earth.

~We have to ask God for a holy pope, whom He may give to His Church: for a holy, apostolic, charismatic, and missionary pope, who celebrates the holy liturgy and strengthens His brothers in faith.

Francis has already passed the moment of personal judgment, which occurs immediately at the moment of death. The Lord knows everything, the good and the bad of a long life. May He repay all the good and be merciful.

Lord, grant Francis eternal rest,

and let eternal light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace. Amen.

Image: VaticanMedia (Screenshot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Pray for the Conclave

Pope Francis has passed to his judgment. Whilst he was in the hospital, my Latin Mass community prayed that he would be delivered from sudden and unprovided for death. I hope you did the same.

Pope Francis was an unremarkable product of the post-conciliar church. Like most seminarians approved for ordination in 1969, he got through the process precisely because he wrongly believed that the pre-conciliar rites of holy Church had no remaining value for “modern man,” and that the Church is somehow obliged to alter everything that she is and does to accommodate “modern man.” At no point, do contemporary churchpersons feel the need to explain who modern man is or why s/he deserves accommodation. Like most Jesuits, he had no appreciation for high liturgy.

 

Pope Francis has now been judged. Pray and fast for the Cardinal electors that they may exercise their right to vote wisely.

 

This is our chance; the conciliar church is mostly dead. Pray and fast.

Veronica’s Veil

Is it not the Veil of Veronica in Manoppello, but the Holy Face (the small burial shroud)?

By Roberto de Mattei*

Simon of Cyrene and Veronica are two figures that the tradition of the Church have placed close to the hearts of the faithful because they participate in the Passion of Our Lord during the Way of the Cross.

Of Simon, the Gospel says: "And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross" (Mk 15:21).

Simon of Cyrene, a city in North African Libya where there was a flourishing Jewish community at the time, happened to be passing by and was forced to carry the cross because Jesus no longer had the strength, and the Jews wanted him to go all the way to Golgotha to have him crucified there. The compulsion to which Simon was subjected became an extraordinary privilege for him. It is therefore permissible to imagine that divine providence chose him because his soul was seized with deep compassion in the face of the shameful spectacle.

Veronica, on the other hand, acted on her own initiative, out of that impulse that often makes women more generous and self-sacrificing than men. The reward for her was extraordinary. According to tradition, the image of the Holy Face of Jesus was imprinted on the linen cloth that she had offered the Savior to wipe the blood and sweat from his face.

Little is known about both, but the fact that Mark's Gospel (15:21) mentions Simon's sons suggests that his family may have played an active role in the early Church, and that the Rufus mentioned by Mark is the same one Paul mentions in the Letter to the Romans when he says: "Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well" (Rom 16:13).

Veronica does not appear in the canonical Gospels, but unlike Simon, she is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church, which makes her an undisputed historical figure who, thanks to her veil, which has become one of the most precious relics of Christianity, holds great significance in ecclesiastical veneration.

The Veil of Veronica has been kept in St. Peter's Basilica since at least the beginning of the 8th century, when Pope John VII had a special chapel built in St. Peter's dedicated to the relic, which, like many others, may have come from Constantinople. The recognition of its authenticity is also evident in the fact that Pope Innocent III, in the 13th century, approved its public display, and from then on, it was shown to pilgrims from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica on special occasions, attracting a large influx of faithful. This is attested to by Dante Alighieri, who, in a famous passage of the Divine Comedy, compares himself to one of the many pilgrims who came "perhaps from Croatia" to venerate the icon of the Face of Christ in the first Holy Year in the Church's history in 1300:

Like one who perhaps comes from Croatia

to see our Veronica,

who cannot be sated with his ancient longing,

but says in his thought while he gazes:

"My Lord Jesus Christ, true God,

was then your face like this?"

Paradise, XXXI, 103–108

An expression of this veneration is also the large statue of Veronica by the sculptor Francesco Mocchi from 1640, located in a niche of the four pillars of St. Peter's Basilica.

The Jesuit Heinrich Pfeiffer (1939–1921), professor of art history at the Pontifical Gregorian University, argues in his book Il Volto Santo di Manoppello ("The Holy Face of Manoppello," Carsa Edizioni, Pescara 2000) that the precious relic, which was kept in St. Peter's Basilica for centuries, was allegedly stolen and secretly brought to the small Abruzzese town of Manoppello between 1608 and 1618.

Veronika Maria Seifert, lecturer in Church history at the Sant’Apollinare Higher Institute of Religious Sciences, concludes in her meticulously researched book Il sudario della Veronica e il Volto Santo. Storia e devozione ("The Sudarium of Veronica and the Holy Face. History and Devotion," Velar, Bergamo 2024) that the relic removed from St. Peter's Basilica in the 17th century was not the Veil of Veronica, but the Holy Face, that is, the small burial shroud that John saw in the empty tomb (Jn 20:7). The Mother of God, the apostles, and the disciples had carefully collected all the objects that had come into contact with Jesus, explains the author of this study, and the two relics, which were kept in the Church from generation to generation, both came to Rome. The Veil of Veronica is still in the Vatican, while the Holy Face was brought to the Capuchin monastery of Manoppello in the 17th century. There are unfathomable points of contact between the two relics, but also profound differences: from the closed or open eyes to the more or less recognizable "image" imprinted on the cloth.

St. Peter's Basilica has claimed possession of the Veil of Veronica since the Early Middle Ages and last publicly displayed it on April 6, 2025, as on every fifth Sunday of Lent, from the Veronica Loggia. The holy relics considered "Acheiropoieta," that is, images not painted by human hands that show the faithful the image of the suffering, dead, and risen Christ, are therefore three: the Veil of Veronica, the Holy Face of Manoppello, and the Shroud of Turin.

Regardless of the number of these relics and the place where they are kept, the Holy Face of Jesus has always been deeply venerated. Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face was an ardent devotee. She contemplated with immense love the Face of Jesus, which, despite the traces of all the wounds, blows, and humiliations suffered, expressed an impressive mercy, gentleness, and noble features.

The Church is the mystical body of Christ and stands before us like Christ before Veronica. In the Holy Face that Veronica has transmitted to us, we contemplate today the sufferings of the Church, which suffers on its Good Friday but preserves the extraordinary dignity that made the Face of Christ shine in his suffering. The saints of all centuries have wept over the suffering of Christ. May the Mother of God at least moisten our eyes and stir our hardened hearts, uniting us closely with her redeeming compassion during the Holy Triduum.

*Roberto de Mattei, historian, father of five children, professor of Modern History and History of Christianity at the European University of Rome, president of the Lepanto Foundation, author of numerous books, most recently in German translation: Verteidigung der Tradition: Die unüberwindliche Wahrheit Christi, with a foreword by Martin Mosebach, Altötting 2017, and Das Zweite Vatikanische Konzil. Eine bislang ungeschriebene Geschichte, 2nd expanded edition, Bobingen 2011.

Books by Prof. Roberto de Mattei in German translation and the books by Martin Mosebach can be obtained from our partner bookstore.

Translation: Giuseppe Nardi

Image: Corrispondenza Romana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Bergoglio Destroys Another Conservative Religious Association

Pope Francis Extinguished the Flame of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV) by Dissolving the Community

Pope Francis has dissolved the conservative Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), an international Catholic lay community that also includes about a hundred priests. Once again, the actual or perceived failure of individuals in the intra-Church directional conflict provided the lever for the welcome dismantling of the opposing side on a completely different level. The dissolution of the Sodalitium cannot be understood without considering the open properties that remain in Latin America.

The dissolution was announced yesterday by the Vatican Press Office and also disseminated by the secular media with obvious satisfaction. The reason given was the failure of the founder, who is accused of severe sexual abuse, although no formal proceedings, let alone a conviction, have taken place in any secular or ecclesiastical court.

What is being concealed: The dissolution decisively resolved a decades-long power struggle in the Church in Latin America, as the Sodalitium represented a counter-movement to Marxist liberation theology.

The Vatican Press Office published the decree of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life, which, however, bears no date, leading to initial assumptions that it was dated yesterday. In fact, the dissolution had already taken place on March 29th, a few days after Francis' return from the Gemelli Clinic to the Vatican. This was announced yesterday by the Sodalitium itself.

The dissolution followed years of investigations involving serious abuse allegations against the founder, as well as alleged financial irregularities within the community. The wording of the statement released yesterday is as follows:

"Upon conclusion of an investigation ordered by Pope Francis on July 5, 2023, to verify the validity of the accusations of various responsibilities attributed to Mr. Luis Fernando Figari and numerous other members of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, it was decided to dissolve the Societies of Apostolic Life of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae and the Marian Fraternity of Reconciliation, as well as the Associations of the Faithful of the Handmaids of the Plan of God and the Movement of Christian Life.

The corresponding decrees of dissolution, issued by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and expressly confirmed by the Holy Father, have recently been notified."

The 85-year-old Luis Fernando Figari

The SCV was founded in Peru in 1971 as a movement for spiritual renewal within the Catholic Church. It developed into an international community with a broad global presence. Over the years, however, increasing concern grew regarding the internal practices of the community. At least, that is the generally vague portrayal.

In reality, the matter goes deeper, with two levels to be distinguished: the Sodalitium and its significance for the Church in Latin America, and the personal actions of its founder.

The Background

Let's take a step back. During the Cold War, Latin America became an ideological and geopolitical battleground between the two power blocs. The Soviet Union at that time sought to lead the decolonization movement and thereby expand its influence. This was particularly true for Africa and Asia. In Latin America, while not the primary focus, communist propaganda attempted to introduce such elements, but the main issues were stark social disparities and, in particular, a major adversary, the USA, which, since the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904, claimed the entire American continent as its sphere of interest and exercised dominance there.

Thus, political forces that had sympathized with European fascism or even National Socialism before 1945, primarily as a chance to break free from US encirclement, switched to the communist side after 1945, as the Soviet Union alone seemed a promising counterplayer to the USA. This phenomenon also occurred within the Catholic Church. A particularly well-known example of this shift is the Brazilian Archbishop Hélder Câmara, but Pope Francis himself, albeit in the wake of a lingering movement, is personally involved through his sympathies for Peronism.

Within the Church, against the backdrop of these political and social conflicts, Marxist-influenced liberation theology emerged, aiming to unite Christianity and socialism. Peru was a core region: There, in 1971, the Dominican Gustavo Gutierrez gave the movement, which had been active since the early 1960s, its powerful name: Liberation Theology.

In the same year, also in Peru, Luis Fernando Figari, a layman strongly motivated by personal faith, founded the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), which, in contrast to the Marxist liberation theologians, sought to provide less a political but more a religious response. Social and political answers had to arise from personal conversion, the conviction held, which is why everyone had to start with themselves.

Peru had been ruled since a military coup in 1968 by General Juan Velasco Alvarado. As the leader of the Peruvian Revolution, he pursued a decidedly left-wing course. Velasco took a critical stance against the USA and sought closer ties with both the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. In his numerous fundamental reforms, Velasco was supported by liberation theologians. The Church in Peru was deeply divided by the overall developments.

The founding of the SCV, like Opus Dei, met the needs of many Catholics aligned with the traditional order. Thus, the SCV was not only a movement of spiritual renewal but, from the beginning, if not directly, a counter-movement to liberation theology.

While liberation theology found great and often favorable media support in Western Europe, the SCV remained largely unnoticed for a long time but was perceived in Latin America as a conservative bulwark against leftist subversion of the Church – by both sides.

The conservative orientation in Catholic doctrine, the emphasis on the hierarchical structure within the Sodalitium, the recognition of ecclesiastical authority, the strong spiritual focus, the rejection of leftist ideologies and revolutionary aspirations, and the defense of Catholic identity made the SCV one of several conservative magnets in Latin America. Thus, the Sodalitium became a Catholic reference point and attracted numerous young men seeking a clear Catholic identity in contrast to the spreading progressive tendencies in the Church. The SCV maintained schools in several countries and had direct influence on at least one university founded by it in Peru. In 2002, Figari was appointed Consultor of the Pontifical Council for the Laity by Pope John Paul II.

With the election of Pope Francis, liberation theology circles in Latin America saw the opportunity to decide the decades-long power struggles in their favor. This primarily included the suppression or complete elimination of disliked communities, such as Opus Dei, the SCV, the Instituto del Verbo Encarnado, and the Heralds of the Gospel, to name a few.

Pope Francis himself comes from Latin America and is very familiar with the conditions there. Above all, he supports the fight against markedly conservative communities out of his own conviction.

The Scandal and the Dismantling

Around 2010, internal allegations of psychological and homosexual abuse by Figari against young men of the Sodalitium reportedly became known. Publicly, this happened only several years later. Figari continues to deny the allegations. In 2010, at the age of 70, he resigned from the leadership of the SCV, of which he had been the Superior General since 1971. Outwardly, the resignation was presented as a voluntary withdrawal; internally, it is said, there was pressure due to unspecified allegations. Thus, his figure remained untouched within the community for the time being. He no longer had formal influence but continued to enjoy great respect and thus informal influence over the community's houses.

In 2011, the General Chapter elected the former Vicar General Eduardo Regal Villa as the new Superior General. Like his predecessor, Regal is also a layman. Although the SCV also includes priests, it is fundamentally a lay movement, which is why the leadership of the community was also in lay hands. During Regal's tenure, the abuse allegations against Figari intensified and likely led to Regal's resignation.

In 2012, Alessandro Moroni Llabrés was elected as the new Superior General.

In 2015, the book "Mitad monjes, mitad soldados" ("Half Monks, Half Soldiers") by former SCV member Pedro Salinas, in collaboration with a Peruvian journalist, was published. He accused Figari of psychological violence during his time as Superior General and claimed, albeit vaguely, to have been a victim of psychological and physical abuse himself in the 1980s. He reported homosexual abuse, which he accused Figari and some others of, from hearsay.

The Peruvian Public Prosecutor's Office initiated preliminary investigations, which were archived in 2017 because they were substantially insufficient or already time-barred, but above all because no victims came forward. Subsequently, five alleged victims filed a criminal complaint for forming a criminal association and kidnapping, which is why another prosecutor reopened the investigation in 2018 amid polemics against his colleague who had archived the case. The politicized media accompaniment apparently played the largest role, suggesting that there was a cover-up even in the judiciary. However, the new investigations, despite being pursued for eight years, also had to be archived without result in 2024.

Pope Francis, however, had initiated ecclesiastical investigations in parallel in 2015.

In 2015, Pope Francis sent Bishop Fortunato Pablo Urcey, Prelate of Chota in Peru, as Apostolic Visitor.

In 2016, the Sodalitium declared that an internal investigation had confirmed the allegation of sexual abuse and that Figari was therefore declared persona non grata. Based on the visitation report, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith imposed sanctions on Figari for sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and unethical behavior. Figari emphasized his innocence and spoke of a campaign to discredit his person and the Sodalitium.

In 2017, the SCV leadership declared that it accepted the Roman judgment and that Figari was no longer a member of the Sodalitium, as he had lost all rights and duties as a member. Based on the aforementioned conviction, the Roman Congregation for Religious imposed a series of penalties on Figari: he was expelled from the community, he had to lead a life of penance and seclusion in an assigned place (Rome); he was no longer allowed to return to Peru and he was not allowed to have contact with the community. Figari complied with the measures.

In 2018, Pope Francis sent Msgr. Noel Londoño, Bishop of Jericó in Colombia, as Papal Commissioner with full powers to lead, supervise, and reform the SCV, although the community's leadership formally remained in office, but the final decision on all matters rested with Londoño. Figari's appeals against the Roman measures were rejected.

In 2019, a new Superior General was elected: José David Correa González took office.

In 2022, the homo-activist and Pope's friend Juan Carlos Cruz, inexplicably a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, demanded the dissolution of the Sodalitium. This move fueled doubts about the motives of the papal actions in the SCV case.

In 2024, the Vatican expelled ten members from the SCV. Some were accused of abuse of various kinds, especially psychological. Mainly, the Vatican decision stated, the individuals had contributed to maintaining Figari's "system" and its cover-up. Figari himself was also expelled, as, according to the justification, there had been no formally legally valid expulsion decree until then. Emeritus Archbishop José Antonio Eguren of Piura was also expelled. No guilt is discernible in the case of other expelled individuals. The accusation that they had "endangered the credibility and integrity of the Church" is very broadly worded. The fact is that there were efforts to save the SCV, not least to prevent the ecclesiastical balance from tilting further to the left. An appeal against the expulsions was prohibited by Francis.

In 2025, the Sodalitium and all affiliated associations were dissolved.

David Correa, the fourth and last Superior General of the Sodalitium, pictured with Pope Francis.

Necessity or Revenge?

Figari had resigned in 2010, his influence had been minimal since 2012 and non-existent since 2016. He has not been in the community for almost ten years. Therefore, the question arises whether the dismantling of the Sodalitium is really a necessary and appropriate measure. The repression applied since 2015 is seen by secular and ecclesiastical media as a "turning point in the Church's handling of internal abuse scandals" and demonstrates "the Vatican's willingness to hold even influential members accountable." However, this interpretation is precisely where the reading falters. The fact is that under Francis, a strict selection takes place in the fight against abuse: abuse is actively and unilaterally fought, then all the more loudly, when it can be used to eliminate conservative intra-Church opponents. Were revenge thoughts ultimately the real driving force behind the Roman interventions against the SCV?

The purge that Francis has carried out in Latin America is considerable. A look at the four conservative communities mentioned above paints a clear picture. Opus Dei was made compliant through some targeted measures (withdrawal of the legal status for the Work of God and the episcopal dignity of the Superior General) and massively weakened in Peru by the retirement of Cardinal Cipriani Thorne; the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae was dissolved, and the Instituto del Verbo Encarnado and the Heralds of the Gospel were placed under Apostolic Commissars. The accusations that were taken as the occasion (or pretext?) vary greatly. What these communities have in common, however, is that there are old, open scores to settle and that they stand in the way of the Bergoglian agenda.

Since 2024, the Vatican has prohibited the Sodalitium from holding its planned General Chapter and conducting new elections. Thus, Correa remained in office as Superior General until the canonical dissolution, but was under the constant supervision of the papal commissar, who was somewhat euphemistically called a delegate. Since the appointment of the commissar , no significant decisions could be made in the SCV without Vatican approval.

Summary

In the long shadows of the ecclesiastical directional conflict, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae was an uncomfortable thorn for many – conservative, loyal to the Pope, committed to doctrine, hierarchical. For the representatives of a progressive theology, not least in the circle of Pope Francis, it was a thorn in their side. The lever for an open dismantling was apparently provided by one of their own: Luis Fernando Figari, founder and charismatic leader. His alleged moral failure ultimately became the target that had been sought for years and, through the election of Francis, could be used against the SCV from above with the full papal authority. Thus, the alleged misconduct of the individual became a triumph of the opposing side over an entire community – not through persuasive power, but through the weakness of the opponent. The conservative side did not fall behind due to a loss of arguments, but due to actual and alleged personal failure.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Image: SCV/VaticanMedia/MiL (Screenshots)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Bergoglio Visiting Papal (Including Pius X) Tombs — Jesuit Father General Addresses Rupnik

Pope Francis showed himself yesterday for the first time without the white robes of the Pope, wearing black trousers and a kind of black and white poncho.

After 38 days in the Gemelli hospital and two weeks in the seclusion of Santa Marta, Pope Francis has been shown in public again since last Sunday. Following his surprising appearance at the Angelus on Sunday and the associated passing through the Holy Door, Francis was pushed through St. Peter's Basilica yesterday. 

Surprisingly, the head of the Church appeared for the first time without the white robes of the Pope. Had the Pope of gestures already put them aside? But the gestures didn't stop there.

Yesterday at 1 p.m., Francis was surprisingly pushed through St. Peter's Basilica. He greeted some people who happened to be there. During this appearance, he was not wearing the white robes of the Pope. He or any other Pope before him had never been seen like this. Had he become the Jesuit he was before again? He had never given up the black trousers; they were always visible under the white robes, as were the black shoes he had also worn as a Jesuit. The papal robes were placed over them, an always somewhat strange-looking combination that gave the impression of being put on top, as one sometimes perceives with mixed feelings with some religious.

Why such an appearance yesterday? Was there no time to put on the white robes? Why not?

Let's ask the question the other way around. What did Francis have so urgent or pressing to do? Francis was taken to the so-called Altar of Pius X (1904–1914), which means nothing other than the tomb of this holy Pope, with whom Francis actually has very little connection. Pius X is the terror of all progressives, as one tends to call the modernists of that time today. The holy Pope from Veneto actively fought against this intellectual current in the Church. At the same time, Francis also visited the recently restored tombs of Paul III (1534–1549) and Urban VIII (1623–1644).

So what was Francis doing in St. Peter's Basilica? Such visits have not been previously reported of him. We can note, if one wants to find a common denominator, that he visited three tombs. A signal? The three tombs are located in very different parts of St. Peter's Basilica. However, the Popes buried there do not seem to have been a substantive goal, as no common thread can be discerned, certainly not really related to Francis:

Paul III was a Pope of the Catholic renewal after the Protestant schisms. He convened the Council of Trent in 1545 and recognized the newly founded Jesuit order in 1540. Which would be a connection.

Urban VIII was a Pope of Baroque splendor, to whom significant nepotism is attributed and who mainly acted as a patron. Under him, the trial against Galileo Galilei took place, about which Black Legends, spread by enemies of the Church, persist in the collective consciousness to this day.

Pius X, the saint among those mentioned, was distinguished by deep piety and popular spirituality. His main area, for which he is noted in church history, was above all the aforementioned fight against modernism.

Francis asked the security personnel accompanying him to call the two restorers who were finishing work on the restored tombs to him, in order to shake their hands and thank them for their work.

Does the Jesuit order represent a connecting link between the three Popes? This cannot be confirmed either. While Paul III promoted and recognized this then very young order, Urban VIII had a rather ambivalent relationship with it, as he was confronted with conflicts between the Jesuits and other orders and European monarchies. Pius X, on the other hand, had a positive attitude towards the order, which was restored in 1814, which he supported as a defender of tradition as well as in education and mission. That was a long time ago.

Speaking of Jesuits. Speaking of Rupnik

It is still unknown whether Francis has meanwhile taken down the Rupnik picture in his study in Santa Marta. Yesterday, the Superior General of the Jesuit order, Father Arturo Sosa, commented on the work of the former Jesuit and artist priest Marko Ivan Rupnik, who is accused of multiple serious abuses, at the seat of the foreign press in Rome. General Sosa said that there is "no uniform rule" for dealing with Rupnik's works. The Jesuit from Venezuela literally said:

Arturo Sosa, Superior General of the Jesuit order, gave a press conference in Rome yesterday.

"I don't think there is a uniform rule for everything, but it depends on how much it really hurts someone."

The question of how to deal with Rupnik's oeuvre is therefore a question of whether someone demands its removal or not, with Sosa adding restrictively that "not a single person should make such a decision [of covering or removing]". Rather, it is the "community" that must "enter into a collective decision-making process."

The former Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had already established Rupnik's excommunication in the past, but it was miraculously not executed due to higher intervention. Under public pressure, Francis finally ordered a renewed investigation into the case, which has been dragging on without result for almost two years.

The reaction of General Sosa to possible further charges was somewhat strange, as he said: "We are not afraid. If there are complaints, they are welcome." So far, around 30 complaints in the Rupnik case have been received by the order.

However, Rupnik is no longer a member of the Jesuit order, as Sosa emphasized. He was excluded in June 2023 precisely because he did not cooperate with the "healing process." The Society of Jesus, in agreement with the victims, is trying to find "ways of healing," which requires an individual response, because every wound is different.

How Francis deals with Rupnik's legacy could soon become apparent as soon as new pictures from his study are published. What is to be said about yesterday's and the previous appearance, including the brief reception for King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and his wife Camilla? Apparently, these are first attempts, in the course of recovery, to sound out a public action by the Pope. Above all, however, the impression is that Francis is to be shown to the public in order to prove his ability to act, which has recently been strongly doubted. Whether this is actually the case remains to be seen. Francis also showed great difficulty speaking yesterday.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Image: Video/Facebook/X (Screenshots)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Evil Cardinal Fernandez is Grooming Kids to Mutilate Themselves

[Troubler of Israel] In an historic rupture with Catholic teaching, the head of the Vatican’s doctrine watchdog has issued clarifications permitting the mutilation of gender-confused individuals who are seeking gender reassignment.

Edit: isn’t Fernández gone yet? With all the problems in the world, with the war, economic hardships for workers, this deranged gay Cardinal is trying to encourage children to endure psychological and surgical mutilation. 

It’s never been easier to say the Novus Ordo is the false church. Clearly, Fernandez is an anti-Christ.

“There are cases outside the norm, such as strong dysphorias that can lead to an unbearable existence or even suicide,” Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced in an undated post on the DDF and Vatican websites.

“We do not want to be cruel and say that we do not understand the conditioning of the human person and the deep suffering that exists in some cases of ‘dysphoria,’ which has also been manifested since childhood.”

AMDG

Zionism: Rebellion Against God?! | Rabbi Speaks Out

Five Years On, Remember When Hospitals Were Empty During a Pandemic?

 https://gemmaodoherty.com/five-years-on-remember-when-hospitals-were-empty-during-a-pandemic/

Likely Sede Nevertrumper Blasts Novus Ordo Priest in Oklahoma

Photo Credit: Kansas City Star News

 Edit:  a man with very stringent views on politics and religion has shot and killed what looks like a popular semi-Pelagian transplant priest from India, Father Arul Carasala. The murderer is a retired Boiler Mechanic. He may have even helped with the renovation of the parish in 2013 which needed boiler repair. Anyhow, despite this preposterous act, which doesn't have a clear motive, I’m sure most of the people who come to this blog would agree with much of what Gary Hermesch believes, like in this statement, taken from KSNT:

“Let’s not sweat the small stuff, though, maybe if we just follow Donald Trump’s example we’ll ‘make the Church great again’. So why are things headed south like a runaway freight train? Simple. The faith is not being taught. Now is that equality and tolerance of other religions, or what?” 

STATEMENT EXCERPT BY GARY HERMESCH FROM AUG. 4, 2021 LETTER TO THE EDITOR, THE COURIER-TRIBUNE

He refers to the Novus Ordo fake church in editorial letters. 

QF: MSM Excerpt from March 24, 2024 Courtesy: The Courier-Tribune

The slain Father Caracala’s parish has female lectors, lay Eucharistic monsters and altar chicks. Certainly, there were a lot things to object to at Saintsv Peter and Paul Parish of Seneca, Kansas.  While this area is where Hermesch grew up, he resides some 4 and a half hours away in Tulsa, OK. We’re not sure where he attended Mass, but there were plenty to choose from, like Clear Creek Benedictine Monastery.  There are two CMRI chapels within an hour and a half of driving. There’s an SSPX parish in Oklahoma City. Anyway, the man likes to drive around. He could find a Mass anywhere.

Maybe Hermesch was annoyed by Father Caracala’s lamentable taste in music, like the “All Are Welcome”?

"He was very giving," Steinlage said. "People would go to him all the time and they were in trouble. They needed some help. They go to Father and he would give them whatever he could ... One of his favorite songs was 'All Are Welcome' in church. 'All Are Welcome,' it was the song that he says that says it all. You're all welcome." [KMBC]

Get ready for the denunciations and calls for the banning of the Immemorial Mass of All Ages from the usual suspects! Marcy Shea post in 1…2

Certainly, we pray for the repose of the soul of Father Caracalla and Gary Hermesch. And we also pray for the conversion of Mark Shea, that he doesnt die from choking on a sandwich or claimed by runaway diabetes.

AMDG

Evil Ex-Cardinal McCarrick is Dead

 Check out this fruitcake fransissycan who’s talking about McCarrick!  He's a creepy laicist and gives an inverted eisegesis of the parable of the Talents. These evil Fakeciscans really love to put things in backwards!

Edit: McCarrick is one of the last Cardinals to resign his dignity. He’s possibly one of the most evil.  Isn’t this an indictment of Bergoglio’s autocratic Marxist rule? McBrien resigned under Bergoglio, but opted out of participating in the election of Bergoglio, though he was a member of the Sankt Gallen Mafia.

Besides O’Brien and Becciu, the only other Cardinals to resign in the last century was Villot in 1927, a decidedly conservative voice who was silenced for supporting the prescient political message of Action Francaise and Charles Maurass. Small thanks for defending Europe from the hoardes beyond the sea.

Now it seems like the church is finally disposing of modernist and sodomite clergy, and under Bergoglio no less. 

We wonder what secrets McCarrick took with him and what his experience of the first moments of eternity are.

[Fishcrap] Defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the once-powerful archbishop of Washington, D.C., who was removed from the priesthood amidst one of the worst sexual-abuse scandals in the history of the American Catholic Church, has died at the age of 94 in Missouri. 

His death on Thursday was confirmed by two people briefed on the matter but who initially asked not to be named. 

Ordained in 1958, McCarrick became archbishop in Newark, New Jersey, in 1986 and then archbishop of Washington, D.C., in 2000, rising to power despite church officials’ knowledge of sexual-abuse accusations against him. 

AMDG

Minnesota Governor Is a Satanist? Satan Has a Special Place for Minnesota Governor

Edit: Pam Altendorf,  a congressman for the State of Minnesota, streamed her reaction to the Church of Satan’s special plaque for Tim Walz displayed prominently in the Minnesota State Capitol building, which suggests that Satan has a special place in Hell for Tim Walz. I guess I’m not surprised that a guy who brings minors to gay bars would be destined for some place comfortably hot! 

Some may also remember the draconian treatment Walz meted out to Catholics during the Covid Craze where Minnesota dullards informed on their neighbors.

Others will also remember that this isn’t the first time that Walz has broadcast his true allegiance:

 AMDG

 

It’s April Fools’ Again! Bergoglio to Volte Face on Immemorial Mass of All Ages

Edit: this story is TOO CRUEL for those of us who have suffered Bergoglio’s draconian rule. Like Ming the Merciless, the sadistic Marxist Argentinian has attempted to make the Mass of All Ages disappear like many before him over the centuries. He will go down in history with Martin Luther, Zwingli and Julian the Apostate, but let’s not forget the promise and hope of Spring. Not the New Springtime, which never bloomed and instead festered and rotted with the decaying of the class of 1968, but a fulsome, supple, ever youthful springtime of all ages.

A lot of puritanical fools despise April Fools’, but it’s an ancient thing where roles were changed. Apparently, in the the Julian Calendar began on January 1st but was celebrated on the Feast of the Annunciation March 25, but when the calendar changed after the reforms of a real ecumenical Council, Trent, many in France didn’t know of the change, and kept on with the old reckoning. Maybe this year, let us have a Catholic for Pope! Maybe Micheal Dimond?

Don’t get twisted m8

Throughout medieval Europe, there were various celebrations around this time that involved elements of mischief and role-reversal, themes common to April Fools' traditions. The "Feast of Fools," a popular festival during the Middle Ages, often involved the appointment of a mock bishop or pope and involved playful mockeries of church customs. While not directly linked to April Fools' Day, such festivities emphasized the playful inversion of social norms.

Recent SHOCKING News: I just got news from Great Orman Street Hospital where my friend, Gupta Sihgn works as an orderly, that Gaybrielle had a heart attack when he heard the news that Bergoglio had laid off the real Mass! Oh no! What a loss for Christendom if he goes to the Syndicho-Anarchist Commune in the sky!

Remember when we reported that Cardinal Kasper had died a week after going to confession for the first time in 20 years? 😂  Holy Steve got so mad!!

AMDG

Who wants to board an airline with double-vaxxed transsexuals sitting up front?

We've been on top of this from the beginning, and we've been covering affirmative action and the perversity of United's Scott Kirby for some time.

Thaddeus Kozinski: "Covid-19 and the War Against Reality"

Pope Francis may be Astrofreezed in the Basement of the Vatican...

As noted only on the Eponymous Flower here, there's a real possibility that popes have been punished in the past by being astrofreezed in the basement of the Vatican by the Vatican deep-state machine. Those days may have come upon us again. Apparently, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi has told The New York Times, "They say we, the Roman Curia, keep Francis frozen so that we can do our scheming." How are we to discern that that assertion is not meant to be taken as literal, Gospel truth?

Connected to astrofreezing, would have to be the new technology developed alongside the Covid "vaccines" that enables people who are just too damn old to remain alive and to keep running the world into the latrine that it's becoming.

James Angleton Conspired Against JFK to Arm Israel with Nuclear Weapons

Edit: let’s see where this news goes.

BREAKING: A newly released JFK file reveals that CIA counterintelligence chief James Angleton helped Israel obtain nuclear weapons, defying Kennedy’s orders. 

 @GeneralMCNews 

Note: I considered that Angleton is a Marrano, but he did entertain Sikhism as he became older.

 In 1973, William Colby was named Director of Central Intelligence by Richard Nixon. Colby reorganized the CIA in an effort to curb Angleton's influence and weaken the Counterintelligence branch, beginning by stripping him of control over the Israel desk. Colby demanded Angleton's resignation. 

 CITATION Johnson, Loch K. (2013). "James Angleton and the Church Committee". Journal of Cold War Studies. 15 (4): 132.

 AMDG

Bergoglio Invokes “Saint” Teihlard de Chardin and Hopes for the Globohomo

Edit: Bergoglio has more faith in the accepted scientific hegemony and eventual solution to what he perceives are thw world's problems, the usual platitudes about hunger, evolution and human understanding. 

Since he doesnt have hope and faith in the Savior, what does he believe? The Noosphere?

He’s not extolling the religion of Christianity, he’s advancing globalist secular humanism.

His brush with death has left him more confirmed in this cold and dark agenda than ever before, and he invokes its Anti-Saint, Chardin.

We can cite as an example of this type of research Fr. Teilhard de Chardin and his attempt - certainly partial and unfinished, but daring and inspiring - to enter seriously into dialogue with the sciences, practising an exercise in trans-disciplinarity. It is a risky path, which leads us to wonder: “I ask whether it is necessary for someone to throw the stone into the pond – indeed, to end up being ‘killed’ – to open the way”.1 Thus he launched his insights that focused on the category of relationship and interdependence between all things, placing homo sapiens in close connection with the entire system of living things.

Mannheim Terror Attack Shuts Down Carnival Celebration

[Junge Freiheit]  Mannheim.  In Mannheim, a driver raced into a crowd.  On Monday morning, a black car drove from Paradeplatz towards the water tower to a crowd, injuring around 15 people and killing at least two, including a woman.  Previously, several media had reported up to 25 injuries.  According to the police, the alleged perpetrator has already been arrested.

Eine Überwachungskamera zeigt den Täter, wie er mit hoher Geschwindigkeit durch die Fußgängerzone rast. #Mannheim pic.twitter.com/RYXviXMWpq

— JUNGE FREIHEIT (@Junge_Freiheit) March 3, 2025

 According to time online, he is a 40-year-old “German” [emphasis ours] citizen from Rhineland-Palatinate without a migration background.

As Die Welt reports, he is said to have noticed in the past because of showing unconstitutional, right -wing radical symbols and also is also mentally unstable.  He was treated in the hospital after his killing spree.  The police assume that it is a single offender.  But: According to current information, he is only the owner of the crime vehicle.  It is still unclear whether he was also at the wheel.

In August last year, the perpetrator who owened the car, was put in the hospital, according to Die Welt.  He is said to have threatened to fill out a petrol can and to light himself.

According to reports from the world, the alleged perpetrator shot himself into his mouth when he was arrested after the amoking with a shot gun and injured it life -threatening.

 A police spokesman said that there is currently no more precise information about the matter.  In connection with the investigation, traffic impairments could occur temporarily, the statement says.  The police therefore advised the citizens to avoid the entire city center in a large area.

 Mannheim hospital calls out disaster alarm

In June last year, Mannheim was a victim of Islamist terror.  There, the Afghan Sulaiman A. had attacked several participants of an Islam-critical event with a knife and killed the police officer Rouven Laur.  The crime had caused horror nationwide.

In the meantime, the intensive care unit of the Mannheim University Hospital has declared a disaster alarm.  With around 320,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second largest city of Baden-Württemberg.  It is located in the north of the state on the border with Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse.

According to reports from the Rheinpfalz, the local Carnival events have now canceled traditional brewery festivals on Rosenmontag in Oggersheim, and further events are to be examined.  All planned carnival events in public space were also canceled in Mannheim itself.

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser cancelled her participation in the Rosenmontagszug in Cologne prematurely because of the events in Mannheim.  The minister is continuously informed, a spokesman said.  "The rescue of human life, care for injuries and the first investigations by the authorities in Mannheim" are now more important.

As a police spokesman said, it cannot be ruled out that despite the driver's arrest, there is still a risk to the population.  The authorities have advised  avoiding the urban area.  The city center will remain closed until the evening, it is said.

The authorities do not assume other suspects, as reported by the news agency dpa.

Die Tat in Mannheim erschüttert uns. Meine Gedanken sind bei den Opfern und ihren Angehörigen. Der Vorfall – wie auch die schrecklichen Taten der vergangenen Monate – mahnt uns eindringlich: Wir müssen alles tun, um solche Taten zu verhindern. Ich danke allen Einsatzkräften, die…

— Friedrich Merz (@_FriedrichMerz) March 3, 2025

 As the Rheinpfalz reports, the president of the police union in Mannheim, Thomas Mohr has commented on the matter.  He thanked all the emergency services and expressed his sympathy for the victims and their relatives.  The way in which the car was driven at high speed directed at people, Mohr said,  constitites vehicular homicide..

In the meantime, the carnival trains planned for Tuesday in Heidelberg, Brühl and Schwetzingen have also been canceled, as the Mannheim Morning News reported.

The carnival trains in Brühl, Heidelberg and Schwetzingen, all of which had taken place on Tuesday, were canceled.

As the dpa news agency reports, Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann is on the way to Mannheim to get a picture of the situation on site.

AMDG

Who Are The Papabile for the Conclave After Francis?

The publicist Gaetano Masciullo, author of books on modernism and recently about the struggle of the Freemasons against the church, dares to take a look at what Cardinals are in play for the upcoming conclave as papabili.

To Francis: Who are the Papabili?

By Gaetano Masciullo*

[Edit: surprisingly he omitted the evil Dominican Cardinal Schönborn. Perhaps the Austrian Pornokardinal is too tired after years of extolling Freemasonry and insulting Christ?]

Today, the Cardinal College consists of 252 purple supporters, 138 of which cardinals are voting in the conclave.  No less than 149 of all living wearers of the purple (or 60 percent) were appointed by Francis.  It is even 80 percent of the papal voters!  Only 103 of the living cardinals were appointed by the predecessors of today's head of the Church.  In the twelve years of his pontificate, we have experienced a very high number of consistories and cardinal appointments, many of which come from the world and the church or - as we prefer to say today - come from the "margins".

This is apparently a way to give those people a voice that have so far been pushed to the margins in the management of the Church.  After his departure, the choice of a Pope "according to his own image and likeness", who is capable and willing to promote the work of a profound neomodernist  Revolutionation of the nature of the Catholic Church and in particular to complete or at least continue.

There are two effects that Francis has caused by creating so many "peripheral" cardinals.  First, the majority of today's cardinals are not familiar with the complex curial logic of power.  Second, the members of the college do not know each other in their large majority.  This paves the way for the second phase of the strategy: in the hope that the selected cardinals are "grateful" for the title they have received and are aware that they are all of more or less progressive Tendencies correspond within contemporary Catholic theology to combine in the conclave and to support the "Franciscan" party of the college, which means those cardinals that actively pursue the Bergoglian agenda which party - as we will see - is not as a majority - as capable as it may seem.

In order to close this large gap in knowledge among the cardinals, the well -known Vaticanists Edward Pentin and Diane Montagna did a work that is as necessary as it were commendable.  The College of Cardinals Report is an interactive website that offers a short but not superficial overview of the most important data in the college as a whole, but also via the individual cardinals.

In this way, every cardinal can deal with the profiles of his "most prominent" colleagues and hand over his vote in a much more well -informed way.  This website could serve as a damper for Bergoglio as mentioned above if it is circulated among the princes of the Church.  Mind you: I don't say that these are the intentions of Pentin and Montagna, it is just my own consideration.

With the help of this invaluable instrument, which is now accessible to everyone, we can find 22 papabili among the cardinals and among them 12 particularly outstanding.  If we imagine that these cardinals are distributed according to a "parliamentary" seating arrangement, whereby the cardinals, who are most eager to protect Catholic tradition, are on the right side and the most radical neomodernists on the left, the following picture arises.

In the red I highlighted the cardinals that are most positive about tradition.  In violet I marked the papabili, who are not expressly or obviously friends of the Catholic tradition (especially the liturgical tradition), which can nevertheless be considered conservative as the Ratzinger line and following from theological, moral and pastoral perspective.  It can be seen that the traditionalists and conservatives are largely the majority, even if you could believe that, but maybe it will help us to understand why Francis chose the strategy described above.

In the left area we find the most progressive wing of the papal candidates.  In the cobalt -colored area, we find three cardinals that could be described as "moderate", very discreet in their statements, which most likely sympathize with the "Franciscan" party.  Finally, in the blue part we find the actual Franciscan party, those who repeatedly referred to Bergoglio as his favorites and protégés (in truth, his dauphine has experienced more and less favor from the seer in recent years).  The names of the most promising candidates are written in fat white letters.

Assuming that the "Franciscan" party suffers a defeat in the conclave, it is appropriate to supplement our brief analysis of the papal election with a premise.  After the death of Bergoglio, the Church will need a very brave and strong one, but above all a young pope who can resolve the damage caused in recent years.  If there are no unforeseen events, it will take at least twenty years to put things in liturgical, doctrinal, moral and legal terms, not to mention the problems in the administration of the Vatican, the IOR and many other serious problems,  which were created long before this pontificate.

If the cardinals want to go the authentic path of the Catholic counter -revolution, they need a young candidate, and in the current list there are very few who would be suitable for this project, except perhaps Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa (59 years), who was named by Francis himself.  It is therefore not to be ruled out that the cardinals decide to look outside of this list in the vote.  To show interest in some outsiders, such as, for example, the very young Canadian Francis Leo (53), who was also made Cardinal by Francis.

Another element must be taken into account: dissatisfaction among the cardinals is widespread.  These twelve years were difficult to cope with even for those who are very close to the favored group of St. Gallen.  Therefore, one could also make the following consideration.  In the event of the death of Francis, many cardinals that have previously set forth cautiously and discreetly can express their contrary positions openly.  As is well known, Fiducia Supplicans triggered great outrage and disappointment with African cardinals, who were originally very close to the Bergoglian agenda.  In the event of a abdication from Francis (a view that is unlikely but should not be completely excluded), these cardinals could safeguard the profile of discretion, and in this case the choice could fall on a "compromise" candidate while the time  Wait to fulfill your duty.

The traditionalists and conservatives among the papabili

So let's start with the more traditionalist wing.  The most broadest right of everyone is the American Cardinal Raymond Burke, who does not have to be presented.  He is a decisive opponent of women's deaconate, the blessing of homosexuals, the abolition of priestly celibacy, the restriction of the Tridentine Mass, the secret contracts with the People's Republic of China, Communion for remarried divorced and overcoming Humanae Vitae, but it is very unlikely that he will be elected to the papacy.  Recently he even spoke positively about Donald Trump, which certainly annoyed a large part of the cardinals.  Nevertheless, Burke will surely play an outstanding role in coordinating the anti-Franciscan party, which also explains the numerous attempts by the current owner of the Cathedra Petri in recent years to restrict and hinder his work.

Then there is the Guyanese Cardinal Robert Sarah, who is named on the Pentin and Montagna website as one of the twelve favorites.  This is probably due to his African origin: he would be the first African Pope after Gelasius I, who was Pope in the 5th century.  In the six-sided article, which was published by Paris-Match in July 2022, he is described as a person with "enormous influence".  Nevertheless, Cardinal Sarah has never publicly expressed his active interest in the papal election.  Instead, he continued to write, preach and give interviews and concentrated on the "defense of faith".  During the past conclave, he was not one of the favorite papabili.  However, it is known how much silent help Sarah was offered by Benedict XVI.  in the promotion of loyalty to Church teaching, and maybe this will be taken into account with the conclave.

 The German Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former prefect of the Congregation for the Faith, is considered theologically Orthodox and at the same time is firmly behind the teachings of the second Vatican Council.  Müller represents traditional positions in several questions, rejects the consecration of women to diaconate and defends against changes in priestly celibacy and defends Ritus in Latin.  He has criticized the German synodal path and what he perceives as a deviation from established Church teaching.  As a critic of globalism and the 2030 agenda, he publicly expressed doubts and questions about the actions of Francis, but endeavors to avoid direct criticism of the Pope.  However, the liturgy does not seem to be his priority.

The Uruguayan Cardinal Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet has a strongly Ratzingerian line.  He sees the fight against institutionalized secular culture and the increasing spread of a religious feeling without God as a challenge for the Church.  He often emphasizes the central importance of the Eucharist for life.  He has a severe judgement of Fiducia Supplicans and described the document as "ambiguous, divisive  and confusing".  He too is very skeptical about synodality.

The Italian cardinal Mauro Piacenza has demonstrated administrative skills and deep spiritual sensitivity, properties that would make him suitable for the management of the Church not only in Italy, but worldwide.  He is an advocate of orthodoxy and highly regarded as a .  Although he has not yet publicly commented on the question of Traditionis Custodes, he is aware that he decidedly rejects any restriction of the traditional form of Roman Rite in private conversations.  As a lover of teaching clarity, he repeatedly emphasizes the beauty and effectiveness of the sacrament of Confession as a remedy for individual evil.  Attention is of particular importance that Piacenza is devoted to the reform of the clergy: he often emphasized how important it is that the priests are well trained in teaching and are up to date in moral and bioethical questions.  However, his old age (80) does not make him a primary candidate.

In contrast to the (perhaps still little-known) Singalese Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, who has held many functions over the years, from the pastor to the bishop in various dioceses, from Apostolic nuncio to the Curial Officer to Metropolitan Archbishop.  As an experienced polyglott, some see him as a figure that stands in perfect continuity to Benedict XVI..  His geographical origin also speaks for him: he comes from the global south, specifically from Asia, an area in which the Church grows quickly.  On the liturgical level, he supported elements such as the restoration of the choir lofts or the communion rails and the kneeling oral communion.  He also shares some pastoral elements with Pope Francis, such his concern for the poor.  However, this is another element in order to consider him a potential desired candidate also of those cardinals who are not traditionalists.

The Dutch Cardinal Willem Eijk is considered another favorite for the papal office, since he is characterized by several characteristics.  As a great expert for bioethical questions due to his medical and theological training, he is known for his adherence to Catholic teaching and his willingness to defend it, even with unpopular topics such as Humanae Vitae and the indissolubility of marriage.  He also showed great skill in the financial and pastoral restructuring of the dioceses in which he worked, corrected liturgical abuses and promoted new initiatives for young people.  As an archbishop, he had to put the challenges of sexual abuse by clergy by establishing committees and aid programs.  As a strongly Marian-shaped purple bearer, he spoke out against women's ordination, blessing of same-sex couples and gender theories.

The Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő is another top candidate.  Born and raised under the communist regime, Erdő learned first -hand what it means to defend religious freedom for Catholics.  As an internationally recognized canonist, his appointment as a general rapporteur for family synods (2014 and 2015), a position that is traditionally reserved for a potential successor of the Pope further increases his reputation.  He is unanimously considered a man of equanimity and unity, who is able to enter into dialogue with different positions within the Church.  Although he prefers the Novus Ordo, he is ready to allow the traditional form.  Ultimately, Erdő seems to be the perfect candidate if the cardinals want to choose someone who will continue the Church on the conservative line in the sense of Ratzinger, without giving the impression of an abrupt change of course to Francis.

The aforementioned Italian Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is considered "too young" by some, but maybe this element could favor him (let's not forget the logic that raised the young Wojtyla on the Throne of Peter).  His experience and leadership qualities result from his long service in such an important and complex region as the Holy Land.  This experience gives him a balanced view and the ability to dialogue with the various religious and political communities in this area of ​​the world.  His biblical and linguistic training is another distinguishing feature.  He is considered a man of impartiality and openness and is able to combine loyalty to tradition with a sharp view of modernity.  His Franciscan spirituality and concern for the poor and suffering are other elements that could make him interesting for the members of the Francis party.

The profile of the Italian cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, even if he is no longer available (82 years old), seems perfect in the event that the cardinals decide on a "transitional man of patience", who according to the internal divisions within the Church, nevertheless, continues a traditional approach and conservative leadership distinct from Pope Francis.  He has human and spiritual qualities that would make him a relevant and respected personality.

The Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo seems to be the ideal candidate for the choice of a Pope who has a great pastoral experience in difficult contexts and places a pastoral focus on human rights and social justice (in this regard he would be valued by the Bergoglians)  As well as a deep understanding of the challenges of the Asian world, which seems to become more and more important in the life of the Church.  However, BO is also a strong supporter of the synodality funded by Pope Francis.  He believes that it is important to listen to the voices of all members of the Church.

The Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet was a strong candidate for the papacy during the 2013 conclave, but has had to find in recent years that his reputation decreased as a favorite for the papal office.  One of the factors that initially made him was his great experience in the Church due to his decades of leadership in today's episcopacy.  His commitment to unity and the community within the Church were other factors that spoke for him because he is considered a "conservative prelate with a modern perspective".  On the liturgical level, he has shown a particularly hostile attitude towards the traditional liturgy under the pontificate of Francis.

The Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius, born in Switzerland, who praised by Francis in 2022 as "a person who can show us the way into the future" is also a papabile.  He is known for his open and optimistic personality and has extensive experience in the service of the Church, since he holds several important positions, including the chair of the Scandinavian Bishops' Conference and membership in various Vatican dicastries.  He is a strong sponsor of interreligious dialogue (one should not forget that he himself is a convert from the Lutheran to the Catholic Church) and is perceived as a very modest and selfless person: properties that are very appreciated in a Pope, especially according to the experiences with Bergoglio.

 The "moderate" and neomodernistic papabile

 Now we come to the other wing of the list of favorites.  Let's start with the "moderate" modernists.  These are three cardinals that have not yet been controversial, but this cautious silence could be a deafening symptom for the crypto modernist.

The French Cardinal Jean-Marc Noël Aveline is viewed by some of Francis as protégé.  His commitment in the areas of migration and interreligious dialogue coincides with the priorities of the current incumbent.  It is known that the two meet regularly in the Vatican, also outside of official working hours, and he is particularly valued by the left -wing political and Church circles.  Finally, Aveline supports a strong decentralization in the Church.  In view of this last element and there-as mentioned at the beginning-the party of Francis has adopted the will of the St. Gallen-Mafia to revolutionize the concept of papacy itself, Aveline could indeed be a dangerous candidate in the next conclave.

The Congolese Capuchin Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu is a strong advocate of liturgical inculturation and the Zairian rite.  After the proclamation of Fiducia Supplicans, Ambongo got into the sights of the media because he criticized the document as inappropriate and even "Eurocentric".  In Africa there are indeed different topics than the blessing of homosexual couples.  While he defends the traditional values ​​of the Church in questions such as the family and priestly celibacy, he has opened himself to a dialogue on other topics, such as the diaconate of women.

The Italian Cardinal Fernando Filoni is not one of the top candidates for the position of the Pope, but is high in reputation due to his extensive diplomatic and curial experience.  However, there are also aspects that could stand in the way of his choice: in particular, he has no experience in the management of dioceses and is identified with the Italian “old guard of bureaucracy”.  Perhaps these properties make him the ideal security candidate for the cardinal voters who want to keep the status quo of the church for a while.

With this we get to the real modernists, the revolutionary at the forefront.  The Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch has a comprehensive knowledge of the Church and its theological challenges, which today seem very important when you consider how important it is to preserve the unity of the Church in an environment like the German -speaking world, which is very vulnerable to divisions and schism.  He is known for his skepticism towards the German synodal, which could arouse the sympathy of some conservative voters, but overall he is not a friend of tradition: In terms of female deaconate, he has obviously commented over the years while he is liturgically regarded for his repeated reconciliation of Vetus and Novus Ordo in order to have only one form as a (Hegelian) synthesis.  In short, Koch has many parallels to Ratzinger: a progressive one that has mitigated over time, but is still very modern.

The Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin is the current State Secretary of the Vatican, a very prominent role in the Roman Curia.  In recent years he has repeatedly campaigned for concerns that are considered conservative within the Church, but one should not forget that his actions were always very revolutionary.  To tell the truth, Parolin would be the ideal candidate for a pontificate in full continuity with Francis because he would follow the same reforms, but in a less striking and more diplomatic and pragmatic way.  Parolin is also considered an advocate of Eastern Policy (Ostpolitik) a strategy of cooperation with enemy powers through compromises and reconciliation, especially in relationships with China.  In fact, he played a crucial role in the resumption of direct contacts between the Holy See and Beijing.  I personally think that the chances for Parolin to be chosen as the successor to Francis are very high today.  However, we must not forget the old Roman saying that the one who goes into the conclave as a Pope comes out as a cardinal.

South African Cardinal Stephen Brislin is apparently a less favorite papal candidate than others, but in the past it has been granted that his choice is technically possible.  He expressly speaks for the inclusion of LGBT in the Church and the women's diaconate and considers Víctor Manuel Fernández, the current prefects of the Dicastry, to be one of the "true giants with great intellect and experience".  I think it is not necessary to anything else.

The Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle has long been considered a Bergoglio successor, so much that he has received the nickname "Asian Francis".  In 2022, however, he ended his term as President of Caritas Internalis after defects in the facility had been found during an independent examination.  These events nourished speculation that Cardinal Tagle has lost the favor of Pope Bergoglio.  As a member of the school of Bologna, who, according to the second Vatican Council, has to be interpreted in complete departure from previous teachings and practices, Tagle has expressed and indicated on topics such as communion for sacramental couples and homosexuality that they  universal moral principles could not "apply in all situations".  He is also a great supporter of the secret agreement between China and the Vatican.

Portuguese Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, although he is not one of the leading papabile, is considered a possible compromise candidate for the next conclave.  Despite his relatively young age (59), he is very close to Francis.  For the papal electors, who would like a very long pontificate of continuity, certainly heterodox and modernist, with an even larger revolutionary impulse than Francis, this cardinal could be the ideal candidate.  In a conclave, he will probably collect voices among his Portuguese and Brazilian brothers, where he should have great influence.  In fact, there would be a lot to pray for if he was chosen. ...

After all, we still have the Italian cardinal Matteo Zupi, who is literally the opposite of Cardinal Burke.  While the latter never had too many scruples to criticize progressive openings within the Church, to judge them in all clarity and thereby draw the hatred and the dislike of a large part of the world episcopate  (not only of the openly modernist), Zuppi has also explicitly pronounced for the more radical neomodernist instances of contemporary theology.  In May 2022 he was elected President of the Italian Bishops' Conference.  He took part in several synods of the Vatican and sees synodality as "fundamental" for the renewal of the Church.  Although he has progressive tendencies, he tries to keep dialogue with Todos, Todos, Todos, even with those who are theologically and liturgically conservative, and to keep the channels open with those who support the liturgy of all time (but who knows whether  he would continue this approach as a Pope?).

 *Gaetano Masciullo, born in Bari in 1993, studied philosophy and history, freelance publicist, author of several books, in brief “La tiara e la loggia.  La Lotta Della Massoneria Contro La Chiesa "(" Tiara and Lodge. The struggle of Freemasonry against the Church ") with a foreword by Don Nicola Bux, Verona 2023.

 Translation: Giuseppe Nardi

 Image: Gaetano Masciullo

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG