Pope Kisses the Waldensian Bible --- Pope Francis, Don Bosco and the Waldensians

+Bergoglio Kisses Waldensian Bible

(Turin) last Monday, 22 June Pope Francis appeared in the main church of the Vaudois, the day after his pilgrimage to the grave Shroud of Turin in the Piedmontese capital.

It was a scene that was recorded photographically. The Waldensian pastors handed Pope Francis their Bible that the Pope   kissed   before their eyes.

A "disturbing" image, says Chiesa e postconcilio . "What does the great catechism of St. Pius X, # 887. What should a Christian do if he is offered a Bible by a Protestant or an emissary of the Protestants? Answer: When a Christian of a is offered a bible by a Protestant or an envoy, he must reject it with disgust, because it is forbidden by the Church; when he  accepts it, not noticing,  then he must throw it immediately into the fire or deliver his pastor."  As far as radio Spada thinks of the episode, what Pius X. here recommends   Christians recommends, so too did St. John Bosco, as he stood against the Waldenses.

"Unchristian, Inhumane Behavior" of the Catholic Church?

Pope Francis has entered as the first Catholic Church leader, into a Waldensian Temple. Certainly it's an historic moment. The Catholic Church leader is quoted in his address to the Waldensian from the Scriptures and that - as expressly stated - in a "interconfessional version".

Francis apologized to the Waldenses for everything that was done to them by Catholics: "On the part of the Catholic Church, I ask you for forgiveness for the unchristian and even inhuman attitudes and actions, which we have done in  history against you. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us! "

"Pope Overcomes a Wall of Charges of Heresy"

Bare Interior  of Waldensian Church of Turin

The Moderator of the Waldensian Table, Pastor Eugenio Bernardini replied: "The Pope has overcome a wall that was built eight centuries ago when our church was accused and excommunicated by the Roman church of heresy." The pope did not argue.

The Waldensian movement originated as mendicants in 12th century Lyon from the teachings of the merchant Peter Valdes. They understood themselves in response to the civil power then exerted by the Roman Church. Today, they are commonly referred to as aligned to Calvinist Protestants. They  practice a number of errors that have similarities with the Donatists. St. Augustine said of these heretics: "In many ways, the heretics are with me in some others, not; but because of these few points, where they separate from me, it does not help them in everything else to be with me." (In Psa. 54, no. 19, PL 36, 641).

Historically, it is also important that about half of the adherents were  liberals and Freemasons in the 19th century who crossed over from the Catholic Church to the Waldenses. This fact and its liberal attitude meant that they had a lot of weight in spite of their small numbers in state-supporting circles of Turin.

Pius XI. against the "Panchristians"

In Mortalium Animos wrote the Blessed Pope Pius XI. 1928:

"These things and others that class of men who are known as pan-Christians proudly repeat and disseminate; and these men, so far from being quite few and scattered, have increased to the dimensions of an entire class, and have grouped themselves into widely spread societies, most of which are directed by non-Catholics, although they are imbued with varying doctrines concerning the things of faith. This undertaking is so actively promoted as in many places to win for itself the adhesion of a number of citizens, and it even takes possession of the minds of very many Catholics and allures them with the hope of bringing about such a union as would be agreeable to the desires of Holy Mother Church, who has indeed nothing more at heart than to recall her erring sons and to lead them back to her bosom. But in reality beneath these enticing words and blandishments lies hid a most grave error, by which the foundations of the Catholic faith are completely destroyed."

Don Bosco and his Persecution by the Waldensian

Don Bosco

As Pope Francis in Turin attended a Waldensian Temple, it is good to remember  St. John Bosco, who had done great things in this city. So great that Francis also  paid a visit to the Centre of the Salesian Order, founded in the Valdocco in Turin by Don Bosco  with the large church of Mary Help of Christians. The Saint lived from 1815 - 1888 and experienced at that  time the Italian unification movement, which was to smash the Papal States in 1870.

The Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont, with its anticlerical-Masonic state doctrine prepared big trouble for the Piedmontese saint. . As the state persecution finally subsided, then entered these  Waldenses who were placed at the service of the new kingdom. They unfurled lively propaganda activities in Turin, with  attacking Don Bosco and sought to discredit him to the public. Finally, they called him confidently out to theological disputes. All Waldensian leaders of Turin appeared to dispute   the Saints, however, were defeated. Finally, they offered the best known of their pastors, Jean Pierre Meille from Provençal Luzerna e San Jan in Piedmont.

The Dispute with the Famous Waldensian Pastor Meille

The debate in Valdocco took seven hours until it ended with a comic scene. Don Bosco had tried to reason with the history and with the Latin Scriptures. But Meille did not want to admit defeat, and finally said that the Latin Bible was not enough, one must consult the Greek text. Don Bosco stood up, walked to the bookcase, fetched a Greek Bible and put it to the Waldensian pastor out by saying, "Here, sir, the Greek text. You are welcome to refer to it, and you will find that it agrees completely with the Latin text." Meille had bluffed, so as not to have to admit defeat. He had no knowledge of Greek, which is why looked at  the book upside down and leafed through it. When Don Bosco turned it right side up, he was embarrassed, turned crimson, jumped up and stormed out of the hall. The dispute was over.

Then they changed their approach. One Sunday in August 1853, two men came and went to the Saint, one of them was a Waldensian pastor, as it turned out later. They flattered Don Bosco, and finally offered him a considerable sum of money, with the announcement that he would get a lot more of it, if instead of writing books about religion, he would turn to history of science, because his contributions could be so valuable. Don Bosco rejected indignantly, and the two men swore at him and finally even threatened, "If you leave the house, are you are sure to return?"

"Catholic Priests are for the Glory of God and the Good of Souls and Ready to Die"

John Bosco answered them: "I see that you do not seem to know who I am. I am a Catholic priest and Catholic priests are for the glory of God and ready to die for the good of the souls entrusted to them." The two men wanted to attack the Saint physically. Don Bosco took a chair and said, "If I wanted to use violence, I would have the power to make you feel this provocation. The power of the priest is but in patience and forgiveness. So I think that it is time to end this conversation." At that moment the door opened and Giuseppe Buzzetti, a loyal employee of Don Bosco stood in the doorway. The Saint said quietly to him, "Accompany these men to Confession!"

The Waldensians then attacked with other means of persuasion. One evening Don Bosco was called to a patient to take his confession. In the house he found a group of men who flattered him and urged to drink with them a glass of wine. Don Bosco remarked, however, that his glass was filled from another bottle, than the glasses of the men present. When he refused, two of the men were holding him, while the other wanted to for the wine violently. He dealt with predicament in a ruse: "If you believe it is necessarily, then I drink, but let me free, otherwise the wine will only spill". When they released him, he jumped quickly to the door, flung it open and called in the four young men, who had accompanied him to protect him. The men gave up their project in he face of the changing situation. Don Bosco asked a friend to inquire about the background of this attack. It turned out that the men in the house had been paid to poison the saint.

Assassinations against Don Bosco

Called to a dying person, a group of armed men with truncheons lurked for the saint, who would kill Don Bosco. Since the attackers had turned off the light, the Saint could initially protect himself with a table. Alarmed by the noise, his four faithful companions came to his aid, so that he escaped from the house unharmed.

Protestants now wanted facts: On a January afternoon in 1854 Don Bosco got a visit from two men. They called on him to stop the publication of Catholic writings or else we'll fix you. As the threats did not impress the Saint, the men said to him: "Either you do it or you're dead." They pulled guns and held them on the Saint's  breast. "Then shoot!" Dom Bosco hurled against  them  with a strong voice. Giovanni Cagliero, a confidant of the Saint,  had not trusted the men and  therefore followed them on his own initiative to Dom Bosco's room. He now rushed with   loud shouts of  "Help"   into the room, which surprised the two attackers, who wanted to intimidate the Saint that they quickly hid the guns  and ran out of the room.

Despite the many attacks on his life, the saint never wore weapons and  never used violence. He gave himself completely to Providence, which protected him. This included  "Grey", a powerful large dog who repeatedly freed the holy Don Bosco from dangerous situations.

Don Bosco's Concern for a Fallen Priest Who Became a Waldensian Pastor

Vain however, was the effort of John Bosco to the Catholic priest Luigi De Sanctis. The Roman De Sanctis was a member of the Camillian Order,  a professor of theology and a well-known priest in Rome in the 1830s. But in the revolutionary year of 1848, De Sanctis turned his back on the Catholic Church, left his Order and its parish and went to Malta. He became a Protestant and married. A little later he was Vicar of Pastor Meille in Turin and took part in the anti-Catholic magazine "The Evangelical Light", which was directed primarily against Don Bosco. When it came to conflicts within the Waldensians, De Sanctis became Calvinist, which is was what cost him his place in the Waldensians and plunged him into a deep crisis.

Don Bosco contacted De Sanctis on 17 November 1854. He tried to pave the apostate priest's  way back to the Catholic Church. The move may seem surprising, after all, De Sanctis was a "traitor" and had written numerous writings against the Catholic Church, especially attacks against the Sacrament of Penance. But Don Bosco was convinced of the dogma, Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus. He was concerned about the salvation of the souls of men.

In fact, De Sanctis replied. This resulted in an intense exchange of letters that has been preserved. "You can not imagine the impact that your friendly letter of yesterday had  on me. I could never imagine that there is so much generosity and so much kindness in a man who is my open enemy. Let's make no mistake about it. I fight your principles and you fight my principles, but while you fight me, show me,  love me sincerely ... "

Don Bosco, who was convinced that in a fallen priest there must prevail the largest moral dilemma, which is why he wanted to present him with his hand of friendship, but was disappointed. Six months later, De Sanctis resumed his attacks against the Catholic Church again, went to Florence, returned there back to the Waldensian Church and died a Waldensian in 1869. Don Bosco should speak of a "hardened heart" and a "darkened intellect", which kept its grasp on the former Camillian.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Chiesa e postconcilio / Wikicommons
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
AMDG

Pleading For Sandro Magister and Against the Poison of the New Courtiers of the Pope

Sandro Magister

(Rome) The expulsion of Sandro Magister after 41 years as an accredited journalist of the Holy See has  led to diverse reactions, between unbridled glee and states of shock. The withdrawal of accreditation "is the worst thing for a Vaticanist" gleefully wrote wrote Magister's  opponent Francesca Chaouqui who is one of the "new courtiers" of this pontificate. The statement hits the point and explains the state of shock of those who afford themselves an independent view outside the jubilee choir for the Argentine pontiff. It's an attitude that is increasingly becoming a dangerous luxury when even when one as veterate and renowned as Sandro Magister Vaticanist must be put to the sword without mercy. While the courtiers have erupted in loud jubilation over the slaying of their "enemy", the voices among Vaticanists  can be counted on one hand, who dare to take sides for their previously highly respected colleagues, to move some things into perspective.

One who has done so publicly is Riccardo Cascioli, the chief editor of the Catholic  Internet newspaper La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana (NBQ). Here is plea for Sandro Magister and against the "new courtiers" in the Catholic Church.

No mercy for Magister

by Riccardo Cascioli

The premature announcement of documents is never a pleasant thing, but it is difficult to understand why the pre-publication of the Pope's encyclical Laudato si  two full days has brought the Holy See to the brink of a nervous breakdown and some Vaticanists laughably losing even their sense, are claiming the incident as a conspiracy to damage from Pope Francis.

What kind of a conspiracy could depend on the contents of the encyclical being unveiled two days early? On the contrary, the initiative of the Espresso appears to have heightened the attention of the official press conference to present the Encyclical  on 18 June at 11 O'clock. And it was only in order to determine any differences between the already known version and the final version.

The Public Pillory and Toxic Malice for Magister

Yet the advance publication has been treated like a conspiracy, so that the Vatican press office even took the drastic measure and indefinitely suspended the accreditation of longtime Vaticanist Sandro Magister, who is believed to be the culprit of the incident. Not only that: The letter by which Magister's sanction was announced  was publicly posted in the press service of the Vatican and published with great luridness on the semi-official news blog Il sismografo.That's not all: as if it were not already enough punishment to publicly pillory Magister without any process, there appeared tons of poisonous comments on the internet  by colleagues and Vatican representatives against Magister.

Magister is a very famous Vatican expert. His official website chiesa.espresso and his blog Settimo Cielo are much read and at the international level. For many Catholics, but also journalists, Magister is an important reference point in order to be informed about developments in the Catholic Church and the Vatican, which go beyond the official statements. It is obvious that he has made some enemies ​​over time. The way he is now treated, in any case, raises a number of questions.

Nothing like that at Vatileaks - did not violate any embargo period

Eugenio Scalfari took the place of the Pope and formulated its own answers  of the same - impunity

Mainly because there were no comparable penalties in connection with the Vatileaks scandal, as numerous personal and confidential documents from the desk of Benedict XVI. were stolen and published and caused a scandal. By comparison, the preliminary publication of a public encyclical is ridiculous. In addition, Magister can at best be only indirectly responsible for the publication, then the copy of the encyclical-draft - as has been said from the very beginning - was landed on the table of the Espresso  -Chief Editors who decided the publishing and asked Magister to write a short introduction.

Ultimately, you can not even speak of a violation of the embargo period, as the American Vatican expert John Allen remarked. An embargo period is there when a document shall be made in available in advance to  journalists to give them time to read it and to prepare for the publication. In practice, this means: I give you a document in advance  and you commit yourself to not speaking about it before a specified time. In this specific case, the Holy See, however, had decided, which is unusual and not very pleasant, to present the Encyclical only a few hours before the press conference. No journalist had thus officially received it and was therefore bound to a fixed vesting period. A moral obligation of the Espresso chief editor would only be given if the invisible hand that has leaked him the text  would require experts to comply with the embargo period on June 18., but that seems highly unlikely.

Nevertheless, the wrath of the Vatican erupted over Magister: no extenuating circumstances, no mercy, only public disgrace and expulsion from the Olympus the Vaticanists.

No Mercy for Magister - a Reward for Eugenio Scalfari

One behaved quite differently  with the old fox Eugenio Scalfari, as in the two interviews published with Pope Francis. One in October, 2013, the other in July 2014. Both caused no small stir in the Church. Then it became known that the first interview statements were put in the mouth of the Pope by  Scalfari, which he had never said. And that the second interview was supposed to never be released because Scalfari had committed, not to speak publicly about this private conversation with the Pope. The only measure against Scalfari was a public statement by the Holy See. But on the contrary. Scalfari was even rewarded for the two interviews. Both were printed a few months ago in an official book by  the Lev Vatican Publishing house.

Reckoning With one Who did not Join in the Chorus of Adulation

The gloating of the papal Commissioner Chaouqui about Magisters expulsion

One can reasonably assume, therefore, that Magister, is rather than paying for the advance publication of the encyclical, but instead for his constant informational activities with which he strives to brighten backgrounds and illuminate decisions and statements in a way that does not correspond to the chorus of adulation which surrounds and damages this pontificate. The incident with the encyclical is just a pretext to settle accounts with a leading journalist, but is considered as a reference point for the opposition. A precise signal that is being emitted by the new courtiers and to all who dare to question, and according to an old strategy: to teach one hundred strike one.

It is therefore no coincidence that those who spread the poison against Magister, are among the enthusiastic supporters of the new charity. This includes those who should of their own volition and on the basis of their institutional position, employ a certain lack of self control. There is the s PR expert hired for a Pontifical Commission, Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui who has never forgiven Magister that he publicized her  tendency to too great loquacity, wrote immediately after becoming aware of  Magisters punishment on Facebook:

The entry ends with the words: "Happy Sandro, Ex-Vatican expert". Any further comment is superfluous. Law has Chaouqui was only correct in stating that the withdrawal of accreditation is "the worst thing for a Vaticanist."

Betting that L'Espresso already published the final version

The entry gives testimony that the spurting of venom from the Vatican is far from past. This is evidenced by a further signal: Il Fatto Quotidiano has named  the Secretariat of State Security as a source of the copy that the Espresso leaked. The daily newspaper also claimed, it involves  an alleged act of sabotage by "conservatives" against Pope Francis.  Information that has been properly spread not by chance. Rather, it appears to be a notice that we will soon be informed of things quite differently.

NB: The Vatican spokesman Father Lombardi explained that it told Espresso  that it was  only a draft of the encyclical and not to publish the final version version. He made ​​it clear that the text has undergone further changes. But we are willing to take a bet that the published text already represents the final version. On Thursday we will know it.

Text: Riccardo Cascioli / NBQ
translation: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: RAI1 / Dagospia / Facebook (screenshots)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMDG

Influential Critic of Pope Francis Shown the Door by the Holy See

(Rome) Sandro Magister has been Vatican expert  of the weekly magazine L'Espresso  since 1974. For 41 years, he has reported on the Holy See and the Catholic Church firsthand. An activity that he has exercised under five popes since Paul VI. He reported with remarkable prudence and background information, including disclosures. Under no Pope he was reprimanded. Under Pope Francis, things have changed, however.

A draft of the eco-Encyclical Laudato Si which was printed a few days ago by the Vatican printing house, but would have been scrapped for revisions, was published by L'Espresso. The Italian newspapers immediately suspected "conservative Pope critics" behind the leak. It's an assertion which was also heard from voices close to  the Pope in the Vatican.  From the Holy See Press Office, the publication of Magister charged and brought against him the most serious of possible sanctions. His accreditation to the Holy See has been suspended "indefinitely". For 41 years  Magister, a veteran Vaticanist, has worked for the Holy See Press Office on and off.  He is still among the long-serving and  the most experienced Vaticanists.

The written notice of the Vatican Press Office:

"I regret very much, your Federico Lombardi"

The letter from the Vatican Press Office, Vatican expert Sandro Magister of the is excluded

"Dear Dr. Magister,
the draft you caused to be released of the encyclical of the Pope, despite a publication ban being declared, is a manifestly incorrect initiative, and the source of great disturbance  for many fellow journalists and is a serious breakdown of the sound functioning of this Press Office.

I therefore wish to inform you that your accreditation is suspended from our press office from tomorrow, indefinitely.

I regret very much, your

Federico Lombadi SJ

NB: Of course, these sanctions must be made known to colleagues of the Press Office.

CC:
Dr. Luigi Vicinanza
Chief Editor L'Espresso "

Magister, who studied philosophy, theology and history at the Catholic University of Milan,  was the chief editor and consultant of the television station of the Italian Episcopal Conference TV2000.

Revealing to the Pope unveiling fall from grace of the past of Francis-confidant Battista Ricca

It is known that Magister was among the most well-known  Vaticanists representing a particularly critical position towards the pontificate of Pope Francis. Magister had already fallen out of favor with the Argentine Pope  in June 2013   when he criticized the appointment of Msgr. Battista Ricca, the director of the guesthouse Santa Marta to the house prelates of the Vatican Bank IOR. Magister revealed his homosexual past of the former Vatican diplomat. But Pope Francis did not took his decision back, but on the contrary.

Magister's revelations prompted journalists on the flight back from World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro to ask the Pope about the Ricca case. Pope Francis responded to the infamous question with: "Who am I to judge?" It's a sentence that has since been completely detached from the case Ricca and generally recognized as widespread recognition of homosexuals and other offending behaviors against the Church's moral teaching. Although politicians believe he is saying the legalization of "gay marriage" is justified,  Pope Francis has seen no need to correct the statement in almost two years. 

"To Those Within," a red flag

For Magister it meant that he was cut from certain prelates of the Vatican, particularly the closest familiar circle of Pope Francis since June 2013. Sandro Magister was "to those within," meaning the guest house Santa Marta with the Papal entourage, as a red rag. Many contradictions of the current pontificate were visible through his excellent information and his keen analysis on a broad scale. He revealed the role of a director, whom the pope himself employed in the disputed machinations around the Synod of Bishops in 2014.

He criticized the controversial Pope interviews with atheists Eugenio Scalfari, while other Vaticanists offered them blind applause or "explained" with various contortions. It was a criticism that Magister employed, although Scalfari himself was  from 1963-1968, the editor of Espresso. That was before Magister began to work for the magazine, but Scalfari is to this day the gray eminence in the publishing group. The weekly magazine L'Espresso and the daily newspaper La Repubblica belong to the same media group. Even internally, the professional journalist made ​​no friends with his criticism. 

Conversely, Magister was because of his sober attitude, which absented him from a false apologetic, the addressee for a wealth of information that has been leaked to him by prelates critical of the Pope.

How the sanctions will affect his work must be seen. First will to be seen will be how his employer reacts. In the editorial board or on the publisher and owner level, the opinion could prevail that a Vatican expert without accreditation is a contradiction. In L'Espresso , the Italian equivalent of the German Spiegel such a view is not mandatory.

A Blemish as a Welcome Occasion?

The wrath of the other Vaticanists about Magister alone is remarkable. Nevertheless, some believe that Magister's involvement is inconvenient to someone in the Vatican. Vatican spokesman Lombardi explained the sanction with the objective certainty that  Magister had broken the publication embargo. This is exactly what  Magister denied to Associated Press. The editor of Espresso had decided to publish. He, Master, had only written a short introduction, which seemed necessary to him. It had no effect on the decision to publish it.

Magister is not the first journalist to whom  accreditation has been withdrawn. Nevertheless, sanctions are extremely rare.  All the more intensified is the impression that the incident had offered someone a welcome opportunity to punish the most influential critics of Pope Francis among Vaticanists in front of everyone. That Pope Francis is resentful, is sufficiently well known. The withdrawal of accreditation at the Holy See Press Office removes the ground from under  Vaticanist's work.  A step, that's for sure, which came as a surprise even for Magister.

"The new despotism in Vatican claims another victim" said Chiesa e postconcilio on Magister's ouster, who is described as "incorruptible and really a Catholic." "The new compassion in action in this case,  would be laughable to ridicule, if it wwere not so worrying," said the traditional website.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: InfoVaticana

Trans: Tancred verkon99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMDG

Cardinal Burke Received by Pope Francis in Audience

Raymond Cardinal Burke

(Rome) According to the Daily Bulletin of the Vatican Press Office, Cardinal Raymond Burke has  been received today in private audience by Pope Francis in Santa Marta guesthouse.

The American Burke was Cardinal Prefect Head of a dicastery of the Roman Curia until 2014. After the Synod of Bishops in 2014, where he became the spokesman for the defense of the marriage sacrament, the pope dissmissed him for   his a  as prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura and removed him from the Roman Curia.

The Pope pushed him off to the post of cardinal protector of the Sovereign Order of Malta, which, however  prestigious, does not affect the management of the universal Church.

Just recently, the excellent canon lawyer defended against the accusation he was opposed to Pope Francis in an interview from Infovaticana. It's an allegation which was especially widespread clamoring of Kasperians.

Now there was a private audience, although recently there were rumors that the Pope had no interest in such a meeting. Was it a routine reception? Or did both sides try mutually to explore positions with regard to the forthcoming final part of the Synod of Bishops?

As Cardinal Prefect Burke  2014 was  automatically included in the Synod Synod of Bishops. By his dismissal he could only take part in the Synod of Bishops in 2015 if Pope Francis personally appoints him  to the Synod. But that seems pretty unlikely.

The content of the discussions at the meeting today has been unknown.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Mil

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMDG

The Pope in Sarajevo -- Strengthen Brotherhood --- Inter-religious Dialogue

(Rome) "I come to Sarajevo to strengthen Catholics in their faith and to support inter-religious dialogue and peaceful coexistence." Pope Francis said this in a video message ahead of his pastoral visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will take place this coming June 6 .. As Vatican spokesman Father Lombardi said, the visit has no connection with the alleged Marian apparitions in Herzegovinian Medjugorje. The Pope will not take a position on the Medjugorje phenomenon in Sarajevo  so Lombardi.

Catholics ought to "be witnesses of faith and love of God". For this, the Catholic Church leader wants to support  inter-religious dialogue between Christians and Muslims and to "encourage"  peaceful coexistence.These are the goals that     Pope Francis has named for his Sarajevo visit. The video message was published in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The motto of the Pope's visit is "Peace be With You". The Pope called on Catholics to unite with him in prayer, so that the visit "will bring the expected fruits for the Church and society as a whole."

"For my part, I prepare to come to you as a brother, as a messenger of peace to all of you - all! - To express my appreciation and my friendship. I want every person, every family, every community to preach the mercy, the tenderness and the love of God."

Pope Francis is to visit the Bosnian city of Sarajevo on Saturday, June 6. It is the seat of government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country which is divided into two sub-states since 1995. The division is a result of ethnic-religious war between 1991 and 1995, which broke out with the collapse of communist Yugoslavia. Another consequence is that the Croat-Muslim Federation, founded in 1994 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Orthodox Serb Republic (Republika Srpska) were forced by the international community against their will into a common state. The Catholic-Croat and the Muslim-Bosniak population were forced into an unloved federation.

Pope Francis is to visit this Catholic-Muslim defacto EU protectorate. The highest political authority and therefore the actual decision-makers is the "High Representative" of the UN. It was established and carried out by the EU, USA and Russia. Since 2009  an Austrian diplomat, a   Carinthian Slovene Valentin Inzko, has held this office.

The Catholic Croats have repeatedly initiated complaints that they have been treated less favorably than the Bosniaks (see The ignoring discrimination against Catholic Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina German). The ethnic-religious divide in the Federation is about 70 percent Bosniaks and 30 percent Croats with a tendential shift in favor of Bosniaks. Among these it is found, according to observers since the Civil War, a considerable re-Islamization instead. Both Turkey and Saudi Arabia are trying through the construction of mosques, to win the establishment of madrassas and assistance toward influence among these European Muslims (see Islamization of Bosnia - Turkey Tries to Establish pro-Turkish Lobbyists  German).

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: RotW
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

El Papa Solitario: Only 20 Percent of the Bishops are For Franciscus? -- The Shadow Cabinet of Santa Marta

(Rome) Pope Francis (almost) place for all merciful words, but when he talks about the bishops of the Catholic Church, "he seems to pick up the stick," the Corriere della Sera. Italy's bishops had to be told some of the pontiff at the opening of its spring conference on May 18. They had strives startled in the days before, to take cover and Francis to appease (see "Cicero's" Stab in the Hornet's Nest - Italy's Bishops to Take Cover and Rehabilitate even the Ghostwriter of the Pope ).

For months the bishops registered pain not only in Italy, and to their surprise, a rigor of Argentine Pope, with whom she had not expected. A rigor that is directed against them.

Behind expressions of loyalty and fidelity to the Holy Father, there is palpable  discomfort in the episcopate. As much as  the Italian bishops also endeavor to recognize the Pope's cultural coordinates, to understand and to follow these, they seem increasingly convinced that the Argentine Church leader - despite Italian roots - cherishes an anti-Italian prejudice  whose edges are difficult to dull.

Pope of "epochal turning point" has trouble finding followers in the episcopate

The discomfort affects not only the Italian Episcopal Conference and the Vatican. Staff at the Roman Curia have been left pretty hang dog since being  papally diagnosed with 15 diseases diagnostics before Christmas 2014. The mood disorder has been detected also in other countries and their church hierarchies. Francis, the Pope of the "epochal turning point" (Corriere della Sera), seems to be, thanks to media support, easy to do, acting as a popular triumph. Much more difficult, i is for the head of the church to find a convinced followers in the church hierarchy. Moreover, the consensus of Francis seems to sink among the bishops.

According to the Corriere della Sera from last May 20th the numbers 20, 70, 10 apparently reflect the mood of the Roman Curia.  Among all the employees of the pope  there are only 20 percent who would support him with conviction in his government. 70 percent said they would form a "silent majority", which would remain "neutral" to fulfill their cause and wait for the next pope. Ten percent are strongly, however, among the group (though not always stated) who are opponents of Argentina's pontificate.

These figures would tossed around in the papal residence of Santa Marta, in the Argentine community in Rome and in Argentina. The Corriere della Sera talks about a "potential geographic and strategic break".

Bishops Take Pontificate as Truly "Anti-Italian, Anti-European, Anti-Western" 

Catholic bishops

How accurate these figures are, can not be said on the basis of the newspaper's vague source. The fact is that not only in Italy is  the pontificate of Pope Francis perceived as "anti-Italian, anti-European and anti-Western." But  was he not exactly what the Cardinals in conclave wanted? Apparently not quite.

The Fifth General Conference of Latin American Bishops' Council in 2007 in Aparecida, whose final document was then still largely dominated by Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires,  was in the forefront  of Latin American church leaders. Pope Francis register "exactly" that there are cardinals and bishops who never mention Aparecida. In turn, can be heard by high church officials that they did not understand the "reforms of Francis". And ever is the "model Buenos Aires" simply not applicable to the whole Church. It would involve "a" experience, but not "the" experience of the Church.

From the Latin American, especially Argentinean environment of the Pope, however, the   claim is fast at hand among European bishops, and  above all the Western bishops, have the habit to  still to see thsemselves "almost like princes."

Pope Francis seems to do nothing to prevent this divergence between a culturally diverse understanding of the Church at the episcopal level or wanting even merge the two ways of thinking.

Francis "el jesuita" always looking for new ways to reach the goal

However, Francis is quite Jesuit, which is why he seeks the targets in the most viable way. If the opposition to a way is too big, he does not care to insist   and looks for another way to target the same goal. This process repeats itself tirelessly until the set goal is achieved. The probability that a goal was to be closed, is quite low, because it presupposes that the target is recognized as wrong.

A concrete example: When Pope Francis came to Rome, he wanted to change the Roman Curia radically and largely dissolve it. He now had to recognize that this goal is not attainable. The existing Curia but still not to be trusted,  but he has created within the Roman Curia his own "Curia in reduced form".

The remaining Curia he described in turn in his Christmas message of 2014, as the "Levites". Clearly his disapproval of an entire institution could not be missed. Some Vaticanistas felt that the Pope had thus undermined his own pontificate. But Francis sees it differently. In this part of the curia he does not rely in any case. His mansion is a small part of a real existing parallel Curia.

Pope's own parallel Curia - cursus honorum : assets cancelled  with resignation of Benedict XVI. 

In previous preparations of the repeatedly announced eco-encyclical, Francis has not availed himself of the Curia. Rather, the entire preparatory work bypassed the curia. He consulted with it personally, but principally with his team of advisors, selected personalities and experts. For the transcript, he let his ghostwriter from Buenos Aires work. Titular Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, had largely written the instruction of Bergoglios  final document of Aparecida. The text shoul be subjected to in recent weeks to a further revision. The trusted people who crafted it on behalf of the Pope hand, have but remained the same.

And as for the Bishops, Francis does not rely on structural changes, but to a radical change of the cursus honorum ."So, it's as if all balances after the resignation of Benedict XVI. have been canceled," says the Corriere della Sera .

"Insulated" Pope or self-isolation?

More voices of an "isolated" Pope do not refer to a lack of support of the Pope by diocessan bishops or curia representatives, but in a form of self-isolation. It is the Pope, who merges the traditional hierarchies of the Church, ignoring the usual decision-making processes at the Vatican. "I do not know how long the Pope will succeed in  steering the process and to master that which he has set in motion,"  cited the Corriere della Sera  an unnamed "concerned European cardinal". You've seen it in the Synod of Bishops last October. The pope "was in danger, that it slips from his hand," said the same Cardinal.

More significant  is another concern. As the Pope points his finger again and again at all in the Church, Francis' strength, indeed himself, but weakens the Church. Francis has changed the image of the Church. Conflicts such as Vatileaks, the Vatican bank, pedophilia would now felt far less traumatic than under his predecessor. At the international level, the Church is more active than ever in political issues of Ukraine on the Middle East to Cuba. In an indication that there are many in the Church, also in a leading position, who do not understand the reform plans of the Pope, is countered by the   of the circle of the Pope with a standardized statement: Only those who would say that are those who don't want to change anything.

Francesco Cardinal Montenegro

Lightning careers: From unknown province bishop to cardinal

The Pope tried fractures and fissures that open up because his actions -despite his best efforts- are not understood by a part of the Church, to engage   his charisma.  How long this will be possible is also indicated by the Corriere della Sera on the outstanding issues. Above all there has been no match in language between the Pope and many bishops.

Who agile, as the Archbishop of Agrigento, Francesco Montenegro, whose diocese is in  the headline-grabbing  Lampedusa, has experienced a meteoric rise from unknown provincial bishop to be made a cardinal and this overnight possibly the future Pope, theoretically he may even be a contender for the successor of Peter.

The shadow cabinet of Santa Marta

These capricious personnel decisions reinforce the gap between the "People's Pope" (Corriere della Sera) and the bishops. They feel outclassed by the all overshadowing figure of Francis. Yet they do not say it. However, they complain about the Pope's  attempts to govern the universal Church on  demand by means of a shadow cabinet in Santa Marta. Not all seems to be aware that this criticism also means that the procession of the Pope from the Apostolic Palace to Santa Marta more than just a gesture of humility was that gave him much sympathy in the media and among the people. Santa Marta would then not only form a virtual, but  an actual break between the Pope and the Roman Curia.

Pope Francis always makes for new construction, but the resulting internal church problems and fractures do not seem to concern him in any way. It seems as if the constant unrest, unease and a latent discontent is a means of government for him. Above all the last  , two years, two months and two weeks after taking office have been uncomfortable, especially for the critics of Argentine Pope. Francis himself still seems to literally enjoy his pontificate.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Corriere della Sera / Angelo Gelo
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches....
AMDG

How Has Jorge Mario Bergoglio Changed Since His Election?

(Rome) two years and two months ago  Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope. Has he changed since then? If so, how? This question was recently raised by the daily El Pais in an interview with the new vicar general of Opus Dei.

Msgr. Mariano Fazio is Argentineans as Pope Francis. The former Top of Opus Dei in Argentina since February its vicar general based in Rome (see The Argentine move of Opus Dei ).

El Pais: How Bergoglio has changed?

Monsignor Mariano Fazio:  Now he smiles constantly,  he  didn't do that  before. The  current Cardinal of Buenos Aires: Bergoglio had the mien of gravedigger.

The Vicar General quoted the acting archbishop of Buenos Aires and Primate of Argentina, Cardinal Mario Aurelio Poli.  Two weeks after his election, Pope Francis named the then Bishop of Santa Rosa as his successor as the head of the Church in Argentina. In February 2014 he raised  him  to the state of Cardinal.

Monsignor Fazio also provided a rationale for why the transformation of the  "permanent smile"  from the "gravedigger face": "I think this is a grace of the Holy Spirit, but essentially it is the same, very spiritual, very close."

The testimony of Msgr. Mariano Fazio for El Pais became   a "softball interview for Francis," said the well-known Spanish blogger Francisco de la Cigoña.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: El Pais (Screenshot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMDG

Pope's Argentine Successor Urges State to Recognize Catholicity of SSPX

Edit: this will make some people at Vatican Insider very unhappy.

Note from CFN: Bishop Fellay and SSPX Leadership have to yet to publicly comment on this development, but will probably do so soon.

Argentina formally recognizes SSPX as part of the Catholic Church - at the request of the Archbishop of Buenos Aires (and Pope Francis?)
Our partners at Adelante de la Fe have broken the news that the Argentinian government has recognized the SSPX as part of the Roman Catholic Church: La FSSPX reconocida en Argentina como parte de la Iglesia Católica Romana.In the words of the official state Resolution granting this recognition:

http://www.cfnews.org/page88/files/0829beea0af2b1811ba5fb8777ba136f-366.html

Live Streaming Easter Vigil With Pope Francis

Edit: see for yourself how he's doing, live streaming.

Nuns Rush the Papal Throne: "They Are Going to Eat Him!"

Edit: just for your amusement.  Perhaps they were admonishing him with love?

Opus Dei's Argentine Chess Move

(Rome) For the first time in its history a Spaniard  will not take a top position in Opus Dei. The election of the new Vicar General of the personal prelature fell to the Argentine Msgr. Mariano Fazio, whom Jorge Mario Bergoglio knows personally. "It's a decision that seems carefully considered in order to strengthen and improve the relationship between the Prelature and Pope Francis," said the Vatican expert Sandro Magister.

In these first two years of the pontificate, the relation between the Pope and Opus Dei has been formally excellent.   This was contributed to by the hearings which were granted Msgr. Carlos Maria Nannei, the predecessor Fazio as vicar of Argentina. In reality, the signals indicated in the exact opposite direction.

No dispensation for beatification - No Opus Dei representative to Synod

The Opus Dei would have liked   the beatification of their second superior,  Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo, in Rome. Portillo was the successor of the founder, St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer. However, Pope Francis did not grant a dispensation. Thus, the ceremony was held last September 27  in Madrid, although the new Blessed had spent the last decades of his life in Rome and died there.

It has  also not escaped observers that Pope Francis not summoned on a single  representative of Opus Dei to the synod as experts or auditors for the 2014 Synod of Bishops, although the personal prelature counts many renowned theologians and canonists in its ranks. Since there is no President of a Bishops' Conference and no head of a dicastry  in the Roman Curia which belongs to Opus Dei, the work of God has had no part in the Synod work.

In 2015, the Synod of Bishops things will be different. Among the Synod Fathers elected by the episcopal conferences there are already three representatives of Opus Dei: Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles (USA), Archbishop Antonio Arregui Yarza of Guayaquil in Ecuador and Bishop Jaime Fuentes Martín of Minas, Uruguay.

Dismissal of Opus Dei Bishop Livieres of Ciudad del Este

A few days before the start of the Synod of Bishops in 2014  Pope Francis decreed the dismissal of an Opus Dei bishop.  On September 25, it was announced in Rome and Paraguay that Bishop Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano, a most outstanding figure, was relieved of the episcopate of the Latin American country, without giving a reason of why his  office was taken.  Bishop Livieres was summoned to Rome  a few days earlier (in his environment, it means you've lured him from his diocese), where he had learned from the media of his dismissal. The statement by the Vatican Press Office, still had given to understand that the faithful bishop disturbed his brother Bishops in  Paraguay.  Since Liviere promoted priestly vocations in contrast to other dioceses  and built  a private seminary for that reason, free of the influence of liberation theology,  he had three times the number of seminarians in a diocese which includes ten percent of Catholics in the country, which is almost three times as many seminarians as all  of the other dioceses. The bishop also promoted the traditional rite. The seminarians were trained in both forms of the Roman Rite. In almost all of the parishes of his diocese the Immemorial Mass of All Ages was celebrated. It's a situation that was unbearable in other parts of the church.  Despite repeated requests to see Pope Francis, he was refused an audience. Since Bishop Livieres did not let his dismissal by the Vatican without comment, he was immediately dropped from Opus Dei.

Weakening of Opus Dei in Peru

In Peru, Opus Dei had suffered bitter defeats. In recent months, two of its prelates were emeritus of age. Neither Archbishop Juan Antonio Ugarte Pérez of Cuzco nor Bishop Jesús Moliné Labarte of Chiclayo were replaced by brothers of the Opus Dei. Although Cardinal Juan Cipriani Thorne  an Opus Dei member is Archbishop of Lima in 1999, he was in contrast to his predecessor never elected President of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference. John Paul II. tried to renew the Peruvian episcopate on Cipriani Thorne and Opus Dei. It was a renewal that got stuck half way and now runs in reverse. With the recent appointment of bishops, the anti-Opus Dei majority was strengthened in the Peruvian episcopate.

Mariano Fazio: El Papa Francisco

Attempts to find favor with Francis

Msgr. Mariano Fazio was appointed to be the new vicar general of the only personal prelature of the Catholic Church, after having been received  last September 30th by Pope Francis. The name of the Argentine prelate was then curiously misspelled  in both the daily bulletin of the Press Office and  in the Osservatore Romano as "Fassio".

Fazio is a Professor of the History of Political Theory at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross of Opus Dei in Rome. He is a long time proven expert in the modern history of ideas. In Argentina it is said that Fazio knows the enemies of the Church and their thinking.

The former Vicar (Upper) of Opus Dei in Argentina wrote right after the choice of the Archbishop of Buenos Aires to be pope, a Francis-book: "El Papa Francisco: Claves de su pensamiento." (Pope Francis The key of his thought). That may have been taken into account in the calculation, that Pope Francis will hopefully be benevolent to the Argentine Fazio. He has not explained, however, the "key" to Bergoglio's thinking  in his book.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Rialp / Diario Argentino

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMDG