Cross Procession in Saint Petersburg -- October Revolution and the Return of Religion

(Moscow) Pictures of the cross procession in Saint Petersburg from September 12th. The procession led from the Kazan Cathedral over the famous Nevsky Prospect to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery.

Icon of Alexander Nevski

The Rurikid Alexander Newski, Prince of Novgorod (from 1249 Grand Prince of Kiev), brought the advance of the Swedes into Russian territory to a halt at the Battle of the Neva in 1240, and in 1242 in the Battle of Peipus also that of the Teutonic Order. He has been officially honored by the Russian Orthodox Church since 1547 as a saint. The Nevsky Prospekt, a 300-year-old grand boulevard of 4.5 kilometers, connects the Tsar's winter palace to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery at the other end. In the monastery, the bones of the Saint Prince Rurikid are buried.

Along the boulevard you will also find the Kazan Cathedral, erected more than 200 years ago. It was built with St. Peter's in Rome as a model. The cathedral was built over an older predecessor, the Church of the Virgin Mary. It is named after an icon of the Mother of Kazan who is venerated in the cathedral.

Kazan Cathedral

The church is considered a memorial church for the victorious defense against Napoleon's campaign of 1812. In it, Field Marshal Michail Kutusov is buried, who as the Russian commander-in-chief, directed the defense. The Field Marshal had prayed before the fighting in the just finished church and asked the Mother of God for help.

After the Communist October Revolution, the cathedral was plundered and devastated. In 1918 the Archpriest of the Church, the philosopher Ornatsky, suffered martyrdom together with his two sons. Ornatsky had celebrated a requiem for the victims of the Communists. Shortly after, he and his two sons were then arrested. He was allowed to say a prayer for those condemned to death on a cliff above the Finnish Gulf, then he, his sons and 30 other men were shot and their bodies thrown over the cliffs into the sea.

Cross-process through the Nevsky Prospect 2016

In 1922 all the valuables, liturgical implements, and icons were confiscated by the Soviet government, and the cathedral was transformed into a museum of atheism in 1932.

In November 1990, the Sacred Liturgy was celebrated for the first time in consultation with the Museum Directorate - the museum has renamed the Museum of Religious History after the end of the Soviets. In 1999 the evacuation of the museum and the return of the cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church was agreed. The transfer was completed in 2001. In 2002 the icon of the Mother of Kazan was returned to the church. Since 2017, the cathedral has once again been the seat of the metropolitan of Novgorod and Saint Petersburg.

After more than 90 years, the first cross-procession took place in 2013, which commemorates the transfer of the relics of the Rurikid Prince Nevsky to the monastery named after him at the end of the Nevsky Prospect. The video shows recordings of the fourth cross procession since its revival (September 2016).

Archbishop Forte Lashes Out at Cardinals: "The Dubia Cast Doubt on Those Who Raised Them"

Symposium on Amoris laetitia, 9 March, 2017, San Salvatore in Lauro
(Msgr. Forte, 2nd from the left, Alberto Melloni, 2nd from the right.)

(Rome) Archbishop Bruno Forte, Pope-Servant during the two episcopal synods over the family, has attacked the four cardinals: Brandmüller, Burke, Caffarra and Meisner because of the Dubia (Doubts) they have submitted to the pope for the disputed post-synodal letter Amoris laetitia.

The Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto had been appointed by the Pope as the Special Secretary of the Synod. As such he played the little praiseworthy role in the preparation of the individual reports. In the first bishop's synod in the autumn of 2014, the controversial passages on homosexuality came from his pen in the interim report. At the beginning of May 2016 he revealed that he had received a special commission from Pope Francis for the preparation of the final report of the second bishop's synod in autumn 2015. The mission was to obscure the aims of the Pope with the Synod. For this reason, Forte would not mention the remarried divorced in the final report because it could arouse strong resistance. According to the papal commission, the resistance should remain as low as possible. He, the Pope, would then set the course for the remarried divorced.

On May 2, 2016, Forte, in the town theater of Vasto, explained  Pope Francis' order as follows:

"If we expressly speak of Communion for remarried divorced couples, who knows what kind of a casino [a whirlwind] this will make for us. We therefore do not talk directly about it. Make it so if the premises are given, I will draw the conclusions."

Forte was enthusiastic about the papal tactics. This is "typical of a Jesuit," commented Forte, jokingly, his revelation, praising the "wisdom" of Pope Francis, who had allowed us to reach Amoris Laetitia.

The Symposium on Amoris laetitia was in the Church of San Salvatore in Lauro

The Symposium was entitled, "The power of love in a society of indifference." This took place on Thursday in the Roman church of San Salvatore in Lauro, opposite the Castel Sant'Angelo. One of the speakers was Archbishop Bruno Forte, in his capacity as Special Secretary of the Bishops' Synod, whose "accomplishment" is the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia. Another speaker was the historian Alberto Melloni, head of the progressive "Bologna School."

Forte used his allotted time to attack the four reputable cardinals who expressed doubts (Dubia) and gave the Pope five questions on September 19, 2016, which the latter has refused to answer. According to Romasette, the online diocesan blog of the diocese of Rome, Archbishop Forte declared that the criticism of Amoris laetitia, "has no right to exist". Romasette reported:

A faithful interpreter of Amoris laetitia, who had experienced it at the Synod at close quarters, from which the apostolic letter came, namely, Monsignor Forte said: "The doubts raised (Dubia) raise doubts about those who raised them because they were present and experienced the collegial spirit for themselves. Amoris laetitia focuses on the crisis of the real family. The message is that despite the wounds and the failure, it is worthwhile support the family. So what is to be done? Love as God does. And how shall this attention be expressed for the wounded? With forgiveness, which is the great power of love."  Then Forte presented the proposals of apostolic writing: accept, accompany, discern and integrate. "The way of accompanyment has its summit in the Communion for the remarried divorced, which is a sign of obedience toward the mercy of God."

Archbishop Forte no longer knows in 2017 what he said in May 2016 

According to Archbishop Forte, Pope Francis implicitly did not have to answer the questions of the four cardinals because their concerns had "no right of existence". The failure to answer the questions and the lack of response to the concerns of the four cardinals was justified by Forte, because they had been synodalists, and had witnessed the "collegial spirit" of the Synod. The whole was garnished by Forte with polemical wordplay.

On the basis of the revelations of May 2, 2016, made by himself, Forte knew that the Synod had not made a statement with which the controversial passages of Amoris laetitia can be justified. The "collegial spirit" of the Synod is, therefore, unrelated to Amoris laetitia, and certainly not with the Dubia, which consists of five questions, which were asked to be answered by Pope Francis in order to end the ensuing confusion. "Only a blind man can deny that because of Amoris laetitia there is great confusion in the Church," said Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, one of the four signatories of Dubia.

Archbishop Forte obviously does not belong to the blind. On March 9, 2017, he does not even know anymore what he proudly proclaimed on May 2, 2016.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Photo: Romasette (Screenshot) in the Church of San Salvatore in Lauro
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches..
AMDG

19 Year Swiss Man Stabbed at Shisha Bar by Syrians

[Epoch] A brutal murder has shattered the Lake Constance region. A 19-year-old man from Switzerland was involved in a quarrel at a Konstanz shisha bar. In the parking lot, one of the attackers drew a knife. A little later the 19-year-old died in the hospital. The offender is said to have been a Syrian, which the police neither denied nor confirmed. The deadly stab wounds are alleged to have been directed specifically against the heart and throat of the 19-year-old.


 Symbolic image: Shisha water pipe whistle Photo: Public Domain 

The investigation by the 50-member special commission of the Kriminalpolizei of Friedrichshafen found several young me. in the course of Sunday, who are suspected to have been involved in the lethal dispute before a Konstanzer Shisha bar. Four suspects were arrested. The role of the persons involved in the event is currently under investigation.

Also on Sunday an autopsy was performed on the 19-year-old victim. The result is expected for today, Monday.

Homicide at shisha bar

In the night of Saturday, March 11, 2017, a deadly conflict broke out at 1.30 am in the parking lot in front of the shisha bar "Pasha of Dubai" on the Fritz-Arnold-Strasse in the industrial area of ​​Constance.

 For hitherto unknown reasons, two groups of people were involved in an argument, during which a 19-year-old Swiss man was stabbed, presumably with a knife. While the victim was still able to go to the bar, where he collapsed, the culprit escaped with his companions." (Police authority)

"In spite of immediately initiated rescue and resuscitation measures, the 19-year-old died a little later in the hospital," said police officer Markus Sauter from Constance.

https://youtu.be/yV7gyl6Be0E

http://www.epochtimes.de/politik/deutschland/konstanz-junger-schweizer-19-mit-gezielten-messer-stichen-vor-shisha-bar-getoetet-taeter-offenbar-syrer-polizei-verschweigt-herkunft-a2069438.html
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Lenten Exercise 2017 for Pope and Roman Curia --- Why Can't He Just Kneel?

All kneel, only the pope stands. Eucharistic Adoration during the Fifth Exercise 2017 for the Pope and the Roman Curia.

Marginal remarks by Gerd Varga

In the Vatican, the Lenten Exercises for the Roman Curia are taking place. Even Pope Francis takes part. As in previous years, the Pope and the Curia have retreated on Sunday to the Casa Divin Maestro Retreat House in Ariccia, just outside the gates of Rome. The Retreat House and the Holy See have published photos on their pages, which have not gone unnoticed. Two marginal remarks:

Marginal Remark 1

The Church of Jesus Magister 1

During the eucharistic adoration in the church of the retreat house, all the cardinals and archbishops who lead the curia offices were kneeling before the exposed Sacrament. Pope Francis stood in the middle of the church.

The picture recalls an unexplained question, which is somewhat polemical, as follows: Why did Pope Francis kneel at the annual foot-washing on Holy Thursday, but not before the Most Blessed Sacrament?

To be fair, it should be added that Pope Francis was kneeling on a photo taken on Tuesday for a Eucharistic blessing. A rarity in view of his practice on Corpus Christi. This is precisely why it is to be pointed out.

Marginal Remark 2

The Church of Jesus Magister, Via Veritas et Vita Retreat House, next to which there are still several smaller chapels, has an extraordinary seating arrangement: no church benches but cushioned single armchairs. The seating has, however, has kneelers, which is not necessarily self-evident in new buildings or after conversions of churches. The "mature Christian" is familiar with God, he drones in the head, with which we would again refer to observation 1.

The Church of Jesus Magister 2

The first comment may sound presumptuous, but the Holy See would not let a stone fall out of the never used tiara, if it declared the papal weakness of knee briefly and concisely but officially. Who would not understand if there was a physical affliction for it? The physical presence before the Blessed Sacrament is, in any case, is no triviality, and can therefore not be dismissed as the private affair of a pope.

The latter remark may seem irrelevant. Is it, though? I admit: I'm also irritated by Swiss churches, which are heated up to room temperature in the winter. The visit to the church should not be too pleasant and comfortable.

Image: Casadivinmaestro / Vatican.va

Link to Katholisches...
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

CDF Wants SSPX to Help in Fight Against Modernism

March 9, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) – In an explosive homily delivered Sunday, the leader of the Society of Pius X (SSPX) said the Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith wants the SSPX to be fully reconciled to help fight modernists in the Church.

"Bishop [Bernard] Fellay [reported] the comments of Cardinal (Gerhard) Muller asking the SSPX to join his fight against the modernists," according to the SSPX's USA District.

Fellay said "there is much contradiction" among Church leaders with regard to the SSPX, which had a break with the Vatican over Vatican Council II.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/vatican-cardinal-enlists-the-help-of-sspx-to-fight-the-modernists

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Pope Francis Gives First Interview to German Journalist: "I am a sinner and I am fallible"

[From Die Zeit] In an interview with the ZEIT, which will appear on Thursday, Pope Francis has critiqued the faith. When asked whether he also experiences moments in which he doubted the existence of God, he says: "I also know the empty moments." But the crisis is also an opportunity to grow: "A faith that does not fall into crisis (...) remains infantile." Pope Francis himself has the experiences of a normal believer. "I do not see myself as something special," says the head of over a billion Catholics around the world: "I am a sinner and am fallible." To every kind of papal cult, therefore, Francis declares a rejection. "We must not forget that the idealization of a person is always a subliminal kind of aggression." When I am idealized, I feel attacked," he says in an interview with ZEIT, which took place at the Vatican in late February. It is the first interview that Francis has given during his four-year term to a German journalist.

The Pope is concerned about the rise of populism in the Western democracies: "Populism is evil and ends badly, as the past century has shown," says Francis. "Populism means to use the people", it always needs a Messiah and also the justification to keep the identity of the people.

The Pope described the increasing lack of priests as a problem in many countries, for example in Germany. The Church is challenged and should face this and other problems also fearlessly. The task of theology is to research. "The truth is not to be afraid," says Francis, "Fears closes doors, freedom opens them, and when liberty is small, it opens a window." In addition, in the interview, there will be a discussion on celibacy, the ordination of married men to the priesthood, Francis addresses himself to the hostility toward his person and whether he will accept the invitation to visit Germany in the "Luther Year."

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Muslim Interrupts Mass in Augsburg Shouting "Allu Akbar"

A Lectoress in Dillinger Studienkirche (Diocese of Augsburg) had to interrupt the reading briefly -  church service visitors afterwards said that they had been frightened.

Dillingen (kath.net) In the Dillingen Studienkirche (diocese of Augsburg) there was a disturbance  last Sunday during the Sunday Mass. According to the police, a man shouted out during the first reading with slogans like "Convert to Allah" and with spread arms "Allahu akbar" (God is great). This was reported by the "Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung". The lectoress had to interrupt the reading briefly. According to the newspaper, various faithful said afterwards that they felt frightened. The  sacristan and two other men led the non-violent man out of the Church and informed the police. They took the 38-year-old Turkish man in the county temporarily and brought him to a hospital because of mental disturbances. It is still unclear whether the pastor will report the incident.

 'Diocese of Augsburg'

According to the Augsburger Allgemeine, last September, the 38-year-old had already damaged several costly statues in a different church, and he also kicked several cars outside. The man was temporarily arrested and then sent to the hospital.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

1.5 Million Peruvians Demonstrate Against Gender-Ideology in the Schools -- Leave the Children Alone

Anti-Gender Ideology Demonstration in Lima Last Saturday

(Lima) Peru is defending itself against the state's compulsory inclusion of gender ideology in the schools. After months of resistance at all levels, from rallies before parliament to parliamentary debates, from newspaper articles and television discussions to signature collections, a million and a half Peruvians went on the streets on 4 March.

The gigantic popular movement was initiated by the movement #Conmishijosnotemetas (hands off my children). In many Peruvian cities, large-scale demonstrations were held. The biggest demonstration took place in the capital Lima.

The Peruvian government wants to transform the entire curriculum at public schools in the sense of gender theory starting with the coming school year, with effects on the children from the most tender age. Cardinal Cipriani Thorne speaks of "ideological colonization." The organizers described the gender-compliant curriculum as "ideological brainwashing for the new generations." The curriculum is a serious attack on parental rights, which should be given priority in the education of children.

The March for Life in Lima.The attack on life is the other
side of the same coin.

The President of Peru has been Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Godard since July 2016. This son of a German Jew and a Swiss Protestant is Catholic. The director Jean-Luc Godard is his cousin. Peru is a semi-presidential republic. The President of the State appoints the government. Parliament can overthrow the government by a vote of no confidence. However, this has not yet happened. In parliament, Kuczynski's party has only 20 out of 150 seats. The absolute majority is held by the party of Keiko Fujimori, whom Kuczynski had just narrowly defeated. Fujimori is the daughter of former Peruvian president, Alberto Fujimori. The Peruvian left supported Kuczynski as a "lesser evil" against Fujimori.

Kuczynski is a dazzling figure. The investment banker, who became Minister for the first time at the beginning of the 80s, took part in the Bilderberger Conference in Tyrol in 1988. After his election as president, he dedicated Peru to the heart of Jesus and the heart of Mary. He implements the gender agenda, which is run by international institutions, including several UN agencies, without hesitation. The will of his people and the convictions of the vast majority of the Peruvians do not seem to bother him.

Beatriz Mejia, the spokeswoman for #Conmishijosnotemetas, called on Kuczynski to take a step backward and not to impose on the people anything that they neither want nor need.

Massively present in this mass uprising against gender ideology was the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. It was led by Cardinal Cipriani Thorne, Archbishop of Lima and Primas of Peru. The next date was just announced at the rally: the March for Life on the 25th of March. The right to life is the other big front, which is attacked from the international side.

There was massive criticism of the mass media at the demonstration, which barely offered space to cover the popular protest against the gender ideology, or downplayed and ridiculed it. The media follows a script that similar popular movements in other countries have experienced: from Manif pour tous in France, the Family Day in Italy and to the Demo Fuer Alle in the Bundesrepublik Deutschland.

"The civil society of Peru proves to be healthy and ready for battle. Will the political power be ready to listen to the citizens?" This is the question asked by Notizie Pro Vita which also formulated an indictment against the prevailing distortion of representative democracy, as can be seen not only in Peru.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Il Timone / InfoVaticana
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
AMDG

Cardinal Müller: "End with the Cliche of a Reforming Pope and Anti-Reform Resistance"

(Rome) Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine and the Faith, is visibly angry. He had had several occasions to do this in recent times. It is not always possible for him to react. He does not accept everything silently. Now he has reacted to the resignation of Marie Collins.

The resignation of the Irish citizen, Marie Collins as a memeber of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was reproached by some of the media in an accusation against the Congregation for the Faith, led by Cardinal Prefect Müller. That was astonishing. Müller is known for a practice of zero tolerance. It was a hard indictment that he had hindered the work of the anti-pedophile commission. It is an accusation that does not want to match the facts.

"Fake News" from and about the Vatican

The presentation by the media, out of agency reports, however, was one-sided. The resignation had been properly exploited in order to put the position of Cardinal Müller and his Congregation in a bad light on such a delicate subject. The "evil Congregation of the Faith" is a stereotype, which not a few frequently want to willingly believe. The context of the "evil Congregation of Doctrine and the Faith" and the hindrance of the persecution of pedophile clerics and anti-pedophile prevention are all the more a scandalous mixture. Only, this is just not right. They are a lame media, or in other words, fake news, as they are so fond of saying. Coincidence, bad research, disinformation, attempted influence in inner-church affairs?

The line of zero tolerance, which Cardinal Müller pursues in terms of sexual child abuse, is authentic. It is different with the course of Pope Francis. Those who have good contacts with close papal-dignitaries or the pope himself are treated more gently than those who do not have these contacts. The key word Don Mercedes should suffice to name this line Of double standard. The dismissal of three members of the Congregation of the Congregation of the Congregation, which the Pope himself ordered, and which was enforced against the will of Cardinal Mueller, is also connected with the subject. Two of the three dismissed were concerned with the prosecution of clerical offenders, and their dismissal was not because they had a double standard. They represented the null-tolerance line of Cardinal Mueller, still holding to that which had been issued  by Pope Benedict XVI.

Cardinal Müller's Defense - The Case of the Chilean Bishop

Cardinal Müller can not publicly argue a series of connections to his own justification and the protection of his dicastery, because they could appear as a criticism of Pope Francis. Nevertheless, he did not want to take the attacks sitting down and formulated a defense. He criticized the criticism of the resigned Marie Collins, who had been chastised by the media for the Congregation, with the remark that the "Anti-Abuse Commission had so far only asked the Congregation for the dispatch of letters." In plain words, what impediment should have taken place if the Commission did not want anything from the Congregation, and therefore nothing could have been rejected.

The concrete reason for Collins's resignation, who herself had even been abused as a child, is the case of the Chilean bishop who had himself demanded Collins' resignation. Since this was not done after repeated requests, she took her own step to protest according to this threat. However, the bishop's benefactor is not the Congregation of Faith, but  Pope Francis himself.  The bishop concerned is Juan de la Cruz Barros Madrid, the Bishop of the Chilean diocese. Francis himself had appointed him Bishop of Osorno in 2015. Immediately, victim organizations were indignant at the appointment. However, Francis stood by Bishop Barroso Madrid, and in Rome, he even assured the Chilean faithful who wanted to bring to this to his attention (see The Bishop of Osorno has a super lawyer, Pope Francis, including a video of the correction). The bishop is not accused of sexual abuse, but a priest, Fernando Karadima, who is very well known in Chile.

Cardinal Müller's more fundamental criticism: "end with the stereotype"

The defense of Müller is thus made clearer in a further sentence, when he attacks a common stereotype: "With this stereotype that the pope stands on one side and the resistors on the other." Thus, the Cardinal already cited Matteo Matzuzzi in the Sunday edition of Il Foglio  in its title.

The fact that Cardinal Müller mingled his statement by no means only in the matter of the anti-pedophile commission is evident from his choice of words. The quotation goes back to an interview of the Cardinal Prefect with Gian Guido Vecchi of the Corriere della Sera. Müller had said:

"I think that this stereotype should be brought to an end, the idea that on the one hand is a pope who wants reform, and on the other a group of adversaries who want to block it."

The words could also be translated so as to recognize their explosive nature. It is probably due to the conflict over the anti-pedophile commission, but it can also be read in a general context. "End with the stereotype that this pope is on the side of the good and the resistance is on the side of the evil."

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

The Invisible Last Super Under Pope Francis -- Footwashing: The All-Purpose Social Gesture

(Rome) The Holy See announced the papal celebrations for the Holy Week, together with the Feast of Easter. As in previous years, the calendar is devoid of the day of the Holy Thursday.

On the morning of the 13th of April, the Pope will be celebrating the Chrism Mass as usual in St. Peter's. The Mass of the Last Supper is not mentioned,  the evening of Holy Thursday, with which liturgically, the Triduum Sacrum begins.

Pope Francis will not celebrate the Last Supper of the Lord in the Lateran Basilica, the Episcopal Church of Rome and the "Mother of All Churches", but in a place not yet known. In the fifth year, a central liturgical moment, which is of paramount importance to the Universal Church, disappears from the field of vision.

As in previous years, a "spectacular" foot wash can be expected in 2017 as well. The speculation among Vaticanists is currently looking at whose feet the Pope will wash this year, excluding the public and the Church.

The Mass on the evening of the Holy Thursday is a liturgy of constitutive importance for the Catholic Church and of great concentration. The washing of the feet recalls the sign the Lord made to the apostles. It's a sign that the apostolic succession must always be a humble service. To express this, Popes, Cardinals and Bishops wash feet as direct followers and direct subordinates.

This is just one element. On the same evening, the establishment of the Blessed Sacrament of the Most Holy Sacrament was conceived by Jesus Christ, and inseparably, the establishment of the consecrated priesthood. This dual institution forms the center of the liturgical liturgy and is closely connected with the Church as a sacred sacred space. This really requires that the Holy Mass in Cœna Domini be celebrated by the leaders in their bishop's church with the faithful.

In other words, the establishment of the sacrament of the priesthood and of the altar's Sacrament (Eucharist) are again behind the gesture of footwashing, which appears above all as a social gesture, through the papal visit to an unknown, closed place.  It's an aspect emphasized by the circumstance that Pope Francis has also washed the feet of Muslims.

Since the visits to prisons and the refugee home, the question has also been raised as to whether Pope Francis gave Communion to those others than believers. Corresponding inquiries were not answered either by the Vatican or by the chaplains of the institutions visited.

In 2014 an initiative of Catholic media called on the bishops not to leave their cathedrals this evening to celebrate in other places. The absence of the bishop from his bishop's church is an "anomaly". This initiative, however, had to fallen into the void, since it was the Pope himself who left his bishop's church, the Lateran Basilica. Pope Francis has made the central Liturgy of Holy Thursday "invisible", according to Messa in Latino. The Holy Mass in the Lateran Basilica was open to all the faithful and was broadcast on television.

The Missa in Coena Domini by Pope Francis, which exclude the public:

2013: Visit to the Youth Prison
2014: visit to a disabled facility
2015: visit to prison
2016: visit to refugee home
2017 :?

Text. Giuseppe Nardi
Photo: Vatican.va (Screenshot)

Link to Katholisches...

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Cardinal Müller on Medjugorje: "Some Exaggerate the Importance of These Phenomena"

(Rome) "Some exaggerate the importance of these phenomena as if they were almost a dogma," said Cardinal Gerhard Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Congregation, who responded yesterday to the questions by the ANSA Press Agency on Medjugorje.

"Even if the Church has spoken out for events of this kind, no Catholic is obliged to go there or believe in it," Cardinal Müller continued.

Since 1981, The Mother of God, is said to appear for "six seers" in the Herzegovinian mountain village of Medjugorje. In the 1980s and 1990s, the bishops declared that they were unable to establish any "supernatural origin" of the phenomenon. Nevertheless, for more than 36 years, pilgrimages of pious and lukewarm Catholics, but also unbelievers and the curious  have been pilgrimaging  to the Balkan village. Recently, the Kinofilm Mary's Land by Juan Manuel Cotelo showed a cross-section of people who say that they have found faith or believed again in Medjugorje, and who have founded apostolic, missionary, or charitable works.

At the request of Pope Benedict XVI. 2010-2012 an international commission investigated the phenomenon. The final report was handed over to Pope Francis in 2014. In February, he appointed a special envoy for Medjugorje, who was to submit proposals for "pastoral solutions" to the Church. The mission of Bishop Henryk Hoser is to be completed in summer 2017.

On the question of whether a decision on Medjugorje should be expected soon, Cardinal Miiller said:

"It takes time. At this moment, it is more important to regulate pastoral care, confession ... "

And further:

"The future of the Church does not depend on either Medjugorje or the recognized pilgrimage places such as Fatima or Lourdes: they are helpful, they can help to convey the message of the repentance of today's world."

Faith, however, is the one "laid down in daily life, in the family, at work, in the parish."

Responding to the "seers" of Medjugorje, the prefect of faith said:

"As for the role of the seers, I must say as a Catholic that we should concentrate on Jesus Christ. There may be some private revelations, but they do not replace the only revelation of God through Jesus Christ. "

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

Ad Orientem Mass Returns to San Francisco Parish

SAN FRANCISCO (ChurchMilitant.com) - Starting Ash Wednesday, a parish priest in San Francisco is offering all Masses ad orientem — facing the altar.

Father Joseph Illo — pastor at Star of the Sea in Abp. Salvatore Cordileone's archdiocese of San Francisco — told Church Militant the inspiration behind this change in orientation came from Cdl. Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Liturgy. Referencing Cdl. Sarah's talk at the 2016 Sacra Liturgia conference and Cdl. Sarah's book — God or Nothing — Fr. Illo related, "It was Cdl. Sarah's suggestion that we requested permission to implement; but Abp. Cordileone gave his approval."

http://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/fr.-illo-restoring-ad-orientem-mass-ash-wednesday

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Roberto Mattei: After the latest scandals, we demand the resignation of Archbishop Paglia and Bishop Sanchez Sorondo

Vincenzo Paglia (left), President of the Pontifical Academy for Life (Formerly Family Minister of the Holy See), gave a lecture on the politician Marco Pannella, one of the most disgraceful church enemies; Curia bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo (right) invited Paul Ehrlich, an overpopulation and abortionist ideologist, to the Vatican. What is going on in the Catholic Church when the most intimate confidants of the Pope celebrate abortion ideologues, and when Ehrlich himself says he is "electrified" by the direction Pope Francis is taking the Church?

By Roberto de Mattei *

Among the most recent events, which have caused upset among Catholics, two make for special attention.The first incident is the immense praise for Marco Pannella by the Archbishop of Verona, Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life . The occasion was the posthumous presentation of Pannella autobiography at the headquarters of the Radical Party in Rome: "Lo Spirito di Marco ci aiuti a vivere in quella stessa direzione " (The Spirit of Marco help us to live in the same way).

The second incident is the presentation by Dr. Paul Ehrlich, a well-known representative of today's "culture of death", which he was able to hold at the invitation of the Roman Catholic, Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, in the Vatican. The American biologist is connected with Marco Pannella,  and both the deceased leader of the Radical Party like Ehrlich, is an abortion advocate and a declared enemy of the Catholic Church. While Mgr. Paglia more or less gave spontaneous explanations as in delirium, Sanchez Sorondo, in his capacity as chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, made an official invitation to Ehrlich.

Sanchez Sorondo, like Paglia, is a confidant of Pope Francis, and although "thousands of people have asked Francis to end this scandal, it goes on," complained Maria Madise of Voice of the Family. More than 10,000 signatures had been sent by the Catholic Organization of the United States to Pope Francis, with a request to prevent the participation of Ehrlich in the Vatican.

In a joint press release, the Voice of Family , LifeSiteNews , the Lepanto Foundation and Famiglia Domani have emphasized that Ehrlich is one of the most famous Neo-Malthusian abortion representatives. In 1968 he published the bestseller The Population Bomb. He prophesied to mankind a cataclysmic future dominated by overpopulation and demanded compulsory measures for birth control in order to avert them.

Although his predictions did not occur and had even colossally disregarded the facts, Ehrlich continues to assiduously demand selective abortion and mass sterilization as a legitimate means of population control. Ehrlich's ideas have been implemented in the People's Republic of China, India, Kenya and other states with governmental authority, making him responsible for the millions of deaths of those unborn.

In an interview by Mara Hvistendahl of 2011, Ehrlich defended selective abortion by saying, "It would be a good idea to leave the people the right to make decisions so that they have only a few children and only those who want them." The determination of the sex of the born children by abortion and even the killing born children is better for women, says Ehrlich, than the fate that she would expect in an overpopulated world.

In an article published in 2015, Ehrlich attacked the Catholic faith as "dangerous", because it opposes the contraceptive mentality. In the same year, he openly criticized the encyclical of Laudato si by Pope Francis, because he made passages against the birth control.

In 2014 he said:

"The Pope and many bishops represent a real evil and are part of the backward forces of the planet, which I believe are primarily interested in preserving their power."

John Henry Westen, the editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews , wrote that Pope Francis, by not attacking Ehrlich, "does not follow his duty to protect the faith entrusted to the Church by Christ." Westen added:

"In an interview, Ehrlich told us that he was 'electrified' by the direction that Pope Francis is giving to the Catholic Church."

The invitation of Ehrlich to the Vatican, therefore, represents a scandal which increases the already existing confusion in the Church. Perhaps Monsignor Sanchez Sorondo thinks of Ehrlich what Msgr. Paglia said about Marco Pannella:

"He is a man of great spirituality (...) His death is a great loss to our country (...) His mind blows on ... He was the stimulus of a more beautiful life, not only for Italy, but for our whole world, the more Because every man needs to know how to speak (...) I wish that the spirit of Marco might help us live in the same way. "

All quotes can be checked on Youtube.

Some Catholic associations and media have rightly demanded the resignation of Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia from his office as President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and as Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Institute John Paul II for Studies on Marriage and the Family. For the same reasons, we also demand the resignation of Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo from his office as Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences .

* 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.

Image: Corrispondenza Romana
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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Two New Benedictine Orders of Tradition Are Recognized

(Rome) On March 21, the Order of the Benedictines of the Immaculate will be canonically erected  by the Bishop of Albenga-Imperia. The Benedictines of the Immaculata are a religious order of strict observance, founded in Liguria in 2008. Its charism includes Benedictine spirituality, tradition and the traditional form of the Roman Rite.

Benedictines of the Immaculate

The young order was founded by two monks from the old-rite Benedictine abbey of Le Barroux in France, which, in the diocese, were established at the request of the then Bishop of Albenga-Imperia, Monsignor Mario Oliveri.

Bishop Oliveri was unjustly forced out of office by Pope Francis and replaced by Bishop Borghetti. The canonical recognition of the young order had already been provided for by Bishop Oliveri, but had been restored by the change at the head of the diocese. The Franciscans of Immaculata, a Franciscan order of tradition, had three branches in the diocese and was also called for by Bishop Oliveri. After the Order had been placed under a commisar's administration by the Vatican in July 2013 and Bishop Oliveri had publicly defended the Order, the Apostolic Commissioner dissolved all three branches.

According to a statement by the Benedictines of Immaculata, the new bishop only had only to get to know his diocese. On March 12, 2016, he paid the first visit to the young Benedictine community. On several occasions, Monsignor Borghetti emphasized, the statement goes on to say that, although there is no personal sensitivity to tradition, be he respects the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum by Benedict XVI.

The numerous Mass locations of tradition in the diocese were left by the new bishop. "On March 21, he will be able to erect our Order canonically and accept our vows."

Benedictine of the Eternal Worship of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar 

The Benedictines of the Eternal Worship of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar were erected canonically on 25 February, 2017.

Last Saturday, another Order of Tradition was canonically recognized in Ireland. In the Irish Diocese of Meath, theBenedictines of the Eternal Worship of the Most Holy Altar were erected according to the Church law.

The first monks came from Tulsa in the USA in 2012. According to the press release by the Order, this was the first foundation of the Order in the Diocese of Meath since the abolition of the Order in 1536 by King Henry VIII.

The Prior of the order is Dom Mark Kirby.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Photo: Il Timone / Diocese of Meath (Screenshots)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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Pope Francis Lampooned at Huge Viagreggio Carneval Parade as "Papa Communista"

Che Pope with Hammer and Sickle

(Rome) Rose Monday is a traditionally cheerful day celebrated in the Rhineland and the Alemanic areas with large carnival parades. Four years ago, on this day, the Catholic Church was struck by the unexpected announcement of Pope Benedict XVI. Surprising, as he was the first head of the Church in history to step down from his office because of old age and weakness. In 2017, Pope Francis was the main figure of the largest Italian Carnival parade - in a very special way.

At Carnevale di Viareggio, Italy's most famous carnival parade, to which more than 300,000 people came to the Tuscan city this year, were met by a float dedicated to Pope Francis.

Fidel Castro, one of the four Communist "godfathers" of the "Papa Comunista".

The Catholic Church's chief was portrayed with a radiant face, Che Guevara cap and red star. His shepherd's staff in his right hand was not decorated by a cross, but by hammer and sickle. Apparently it was a homage to the hammer and sickle cross, which Bolivian President Evo Morales had given to the pope in 2015. The left hand was clenched to the fist, the battle salute of the workers' movement, which is still practiced by left-wing groups. The pope was surrounded by putti-like gold figures depicting Marx, Lenin, Mao and Fidel Castro.

In short, Pope Francis was shown as "Papa Comunista", "Communist Pope".The laughing expression of the face of the carnival figure testified that the authors did not mean this representation negatively in any way.

The Carnival parade of Viareggio, a town in deeply political Tuscany, was founded in 1873, when some rich citizens disguised themselves to demonstrate incognito against excessive taxes. Since then, the move has served as a "valve" to let go of displeasure in current circumstances or to express things that are otherwise might not be said.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: InfoVaticana
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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Cardinal Müller: "Small Left and Right Factions" -- "Announce the Gospel Without Betraying"

(Rome) There have been rumors for weeks that Cardinal Gerhard Müller could be replaced by Pope Francis as Prefect of the Congregation for Doctrine and the Faith. The former bishop of Regensburg was appointed by Benedict XVI. eight months before his unexpected resignation, to Rome. He still tries to form a counterpoise to the Pope's line by means of written and oral statements,  at present mainly on the question of the admission of remarried divorced persons to the sacraments.

Personally, the cardinal vehemently denies this, as in the interview published yesterday by La Repubblica.

The balancing act between the task of guarding the faith, on the one hand, and the fact that he exercises  this task only as an employee and an assistant on behalf of the pope.

"Let there be no hesitation to bring sexual abuse to the authorities"

In yesterday's Sunday edition, Paolo Rodari published a detailed interview with Cardinal Müller. As Vaticanist of the daily Il Foglio, Rodari accompanied the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. With the election of Pope Franziskus, he moved to La Repubblica in 2013, the "only" daily newspaper, which Francis regularly reads according to his own statement. Since then it has been quieter for the journalist.

In the opening credits of the conversation, Rodari writes that Cardinal Müller "denies the vernacular, which wants to see him as a  'right' guardian against the 'left' openings of Francis. The occasion for the interview was the publication of the Italian edition of Cardinal Müller's book "The Message of Hope", according to English title. The book was originally published in the spring of 2016 in Spanish.

The Cardinal reaffirmed the "zero tolerance" for pedophile priests. He urged the bishops to urge such priests to self-report and to bring the offenders to the authorities themselves. He also called minors themselves to bring cases to the public authorities.

"Priests are citizens like everyone else. If they commit a crime, they are to be held responsible for civil and criminal law. This is the only way to avoid a repeat of the abuse. "

Is there opposition to Pope Francis in the Roman Curia?

Rodari: Does Francis have adversaries in the Roman Curia?

Cardinal Müller: All Cardinals have studied theology, they all know the doctrine of the papacy and the episcopate. We are competent priests who know the mission of the Pope and its importance for all. We live with Francis an affective and effective collegiality. Unfortunately, some media are more aware of the legitimate differences of opinion and not the great harmony. The pope is the 266th successor of Peter, and everyone, including him, has his own history. This individuality is the form in which everyone fulfills their mission. Francis has the peculiarity of coming from an outside European continent. This difference is precious to us.

Rodari: Especially in the Internet, there is no lack of those who are able to oppose what you say about the doctrine of the faith ...

Cardinal Müller: These are small right and left-wing factions, which use me and the pope to argue among themselves. These are ideological positions that I do not share. By the way, soon a book of mine will be published about the pope and the papacy. [The German original edition was published on 20 February ] We all serve the work of the Pope. We work together to serve its mission.

Rodari: Do you think that with regards Communion, Francis is taking a new step for the remarried divorced?

Cardinal Müller: We have the message of Jesus and the Bible, which speaks clear words to the foundation of marriage in God's salvation. The sociological conditions are changing, but one must also bear in mind that there are different anthropologies which ours, based on the Word of God, do not accept. The Gospel is to be proclaimed without betraying it. With the sermon and testimony of Christian life, Francis wants the people of God to feel the closeness of the Good Shepherd.

Rodari: What does it mean that Mercy lives?

Cardinal Müller: God is not a cold lawgiver, but a present, near God. Already in the Old Testament, God had proved his closeness to his people by freeing them from slavery and giving them milk and honey. Jesus was merciful towards the needy, the sick ... Living mercy means to live the Gospel all the way.

Rodari: Is there the danger that the insistence on love forces the circumstance into the background that the truth has a name for the faithful: Jesus Christ?

Cardinal Müller: There is no contradiction. God is the creator of all men and loves all. Everyone has an identity and is to be respected. Jesus is not pushed into the background. The insistence on love is rather to speak the language of Jesus. Recently, Francis has met the representatives of other cultures. He said to them, "Even if we do not speak the same language, we can understand each other because we speak the language of the Holy Spirit, love."

Text / translation: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: La Repubblica (screenshot)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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Pope Bergoglio's Double Standard in Pederasty Cases

(Rome) What does Pope Francis mean in the sexual abuse of minors by priests: zero tolerance or double standards?

Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Congregation of the Faith, called for a clear line in an interview published yesterday by La Repubblica: "Zero tolerance for pedophile priests. The bishops are to force them to self-report. "

Only the day before, Nicole Winfield, associate press correspondent from the Vatican, reported that Pope Francis, on the other hand, had a double standard  in the matter of pedophile priests.

Officially zero tolerance, in fact "the exact opposite"?

Officially "zero tolerance" is demanded and thus spread by the media. "Quite apart from the radar, things are diametrically opposed," says Secretum meum mihi. Whoever among the pederasts has "friends" among the Roman Curia, who are close to the Pope, has good prospects to get off easily.

The key to the two dimensions that Pope Francis uses is "mercy." In this context, Nicole Winfield refers to the dismissal of Cardinal Müller's three close associates at the CDF. Two of these were directly concerned with the cases of pedophile priests and their punishment. An accident? If one follows the statements of Winfield, then not.

According to the Vatican, Pope Francis "quietly reduced the punishments against a number of priests" who had been condemned by the Congregation for Religious responsible for serious offenses for the sexual abuse of minors. The Pope turned to "his vision of a merciful Church," according to Winfield.

"Don Mercedes" and the friends of the pope

The correspondent mentions the case of Don Mercedes. The Italian priest had been found guilty by the Congregation of Doctrine and the Faith, but had been pardoned by Pope Francis. Don Mercedes, aka Mauro Inzoli, found a new young victim in this way, and was now condemned by an Italian criminal court. As AP reported, a new Church law procedure is already pending against Don Mercedes.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith considered the suspension of his priesthood. He should be condemned to a life of repentance, prayer, and silence and no longer be allowed to exercise his priesthood. Don Mercedes, however, had good relations with the Roman Curia, those who were close to the Pope.

Pope Francis is known to persecute opponents, but not to let friends fall, nor the friends of his friends. Under Pope Benedict XVI, there was actual zero tolerance. Between 2005 and 2013, 800 priests were sentenced and deprived of their ministry. Petitions for pardon were only granted in the rarest cases and after careful examination.

Were Dismissed Figures in the Congregation in the Way?

Winfield cited the removal of the three members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, two of whom had to return to their home diocese at the end of 2016, who were directly linked to the sanctions against pedophile priests. The employees were directly involved in the prosecution of pedophile priests. Was the "zero tolerance" undermined by their removal because they were not receptive to "friendships"? Their dismissal had been ordered directly by Pope Francis. Cardinal Müller tried to defend them against it. The Pope told him Directly: Who has the say! The third dismissed must vacate his Office as of 31 March.

Pope John Paul II was criticized for being too slow in the prosecution of pedophile priests. However, it was at that time the necessary sensitivity for the subject arose. Today, the Church is a pioneer among all institutions in the fight against sexual abuse. Pope Benedict XVI, who was serious about zero tolerance, was nevertheless heavily beaten by mainstream media. Towards the end of his term, church-factional groups wanted to drag him to an international court because of pedophile priests. At the same time, the Church under his leadership made serious, more than any secular association, than left-wing experimental education projects and secular sports clubs have shown. Even then, observers spoke of a mere pretext for damaging a displeased pope.

This presumption seems to be a new affirmation: Pope Francis, who, in contrast to his two predecessors, who appears to have a double standard, has so far been treated with velvet gloves in the case of pedophile priests.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: MiL
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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Four Months of Prison for Vatican Bank Executives Accused of Money Laundering

Director Cipriani and his deputy found guilty of money laundering.

Rome (kath.net/KAT)  Two former executives of the Vatican Bank IOR have been condemned by an Italian court for violation of anti-money laundering regulations. A Roman court imposed on the former director Paolo Cipriani and his deputy Massimo Tulli imprisonment of four months and ten days, as Italian media reported on Friday. Thus, for the first time, important employees of the IOR were convicted of violating anti-money laundering laws. The defenders announced their appeal.

Cipriani and his deputy were sentenced for three transfers of 48,000, 100,000 and 120,000 euros, which were without the proper communication. The defenders stressed that both were released for two much higher transfers of a total of 23 million euros in 2010, that was not held against them. The sum was to have been transferred under dubious circumstances from a branch of the Italian bank Credito Artigiano to the Banca del Fucino and the Frankfurt branch of JP Morgan. The prosecutor had frozen the money in June 2011.

Cipriani and his deputy had resigned from their offices in July 2013. The Vatican said at the time that this move was in the interests of the financial institution. As director, Cipriani headed the IOR's daily business. 

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

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