Evil Italian Bishop Forbids Immemorial Mass — Help Comes From Unexpected Source

For ten years, the bishops of Cremona have refused to celebrate Holy Mass in the traditional form of the Roman Rite.

(Rome) The Bishop of Cremona refuses believers the Holy Mass in the traditional rite. The hostilities of the ecclesiastical hierarchy do not want to end. On the other hand, however, criticism rises from an unsuspicious side.

The pastoral theologian Msgr. Antonio Napolioni was appointed Bishop of Cremona in 2015 by Pope Francis. "The Latin Mass is discovered by sociologists but hampered by the bishops," wrote the Nuova Bussola Quotidiana (NBQ) on 2 March. This is especially true in Italy.

For ten years, believers have been asking the local bishop to allow them to celebrate Mass in the traditional rite, but in vain. The Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum does not seem to have reached Cremona.

The predecessor of the incumbent Bishop, Msgr. Dante Lafranconi, appointed by John Paul II in 2001, did not want to know anything about the "Latin Mass.” His successor does the same. The episcopal behavior of Cremona shows, according to NBQ, "that many Italian bishops have a veritable phobia against the Latin Mass."

A new attempt after the Bishop's change

After the change of bishop took place, a new group of believers made an application in the hope that now the time would finally be ripe. On March 27, 2017, the answer was given by Bishop Napolioni:

"This request was already made to my predecessor, who saw in the diocese the conditions were not met to be able to accept the request and it was therefore refused, especially due to the fact that in more than 40 years the implementation of the liturgical reform of the Council throughout Diocese was adopted in peace. "

Bishop Antonio Napolioni

The faithful tried to make the bishop understand that there are a considerable number of believers in his diocese who have this desire. This is verifiable, because the faithful sought refuge in the monastery church of the Barnabites, which is thus not directly under the episcopal jurisdiction, where a priest after the repeated rejection of the bishops declared to celebrate in the traditional rite.

The bishop was unimpressed. He affirmed his refusal and cited the Barnabite priest himself. He reproached him severely and demanded that he bend down and stop the celebrations. Otherwise, he is guilty of a break in the ecclesial community. All arguments did not help. The bishop remained inaccessible. Since he did not want to bow, the religious was banned to celebrate sine populo two weeks ago. The Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum excludes private celebrations from any restrictions. The Barnabite the. capitulated. The faithful are back without Holy Mass.

"What problems does the bishop have?"

Since Summorum Pontificum, the bishop is no longer entitled to express approval or rejection. It was like that before, but it has not worked since.

"The prevalent liturgical creativity and pastoral relativism are prevalent everywhere, but that does not seem to be a problem," says NBQ.

The believers now receive support from an unsuspicious side.

On March 6, Giovanni Battista Cardinal Re spoke up. He was , until 2000, Substitute of the Cardinal Secretary of State and then until 2010 Prefect of the Congregation

Of Bishops. Since 2017 he is Cardinal Sub-Dean. In the local newspaper La Provincia di Cremona he was "astonished by the Bishop of Cremona" and stated: "The Tridentine Mass is allowed.” He adds:

"I do not understand the reasons, but I will deepen the matter. It is celebrated all over the world. "

On March 8, a tweet by Matteo Matzuzzi followed the Vatican newspaper of the newspaper Il Foglio. The journalist also did not spare a swipe that alludes to Pope Francis' judgments:

 "I am not a visitor to Vetus Ordo Masses, but I ask myself: what problems does the Bishop of Cremona have for forbidding believers who ask him to do so, according to a rite authorized by a Pope? Who in this case is the 'rigorist',

who is guided by an ideology? "

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Image: Nuova Bussola Quotidiana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Church Desecration in Madrid

Church desecration and robbery of the Holy of Holies.

(Madrid) On the night of March 9th to 10th,  unknown perpetrators invaded the parish church of San Rafael Arnaiz Sanchinarro in Madrid and robbed the Holy of Holies. Archbishop and parish call for reparation.

The parish dedicated to the holy Trappist and mystic Rafael Arnáiz Barón (1911-1938) is still young. It is located in a new neighborhood of the Spanish capital. The church is a provisional one, since the future parish church is only under construction.

The perpetrators, apparently burglars, took things which seemed somehow precious. However, they also broke the tabernacle and robbed monstrance and ciborium. The consecrated Hosts were poured on the floor. The Custodia with the Body of Christ was also stolen, kept there in the form of a consecrated Host in the Monstrance.

The Episcopal Vicar celebrated an expiation on the day after the sad discovery.

The parish published a press release with an appeal to the perpetrators to return the Blessed Sacrament intact.

"We pray for the repentance of those who have committed the worst sin that can exist. We pray to make reparation for the sacrilege done to Our Lord. "

Members of the parish searched the area and all garbage bins for the body of Christ.

The declaration of the parish states, referring to the Lord present in Real Presence:

"This attack must make us love Him even more, love Him even for those who do not love Him, and for the times when we did not love Him enough."

Carlos Cardinal Osoro Sierra, the Archbishop of Madrid, will probably visit the parish today and celebrate a rite of expiation in the parish church. In the evening there will again be a rite of expiation with Eucharistic adoration.

[Update: 15:24 clock] Originally it was said that the parish is dedicated to the Archangel Raphael. An attentive reader pointed out the mistake. Brother Rafael Arnáiz Barón died at the age of 27 after a serious illness. In 1992 he was beatified by John Paul II and canonized in 2009 by Benedict XVI.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Image: Parroquia San Rafael (screenshot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

“What Planet Are Our Ecclesiastical Leaders From?”

Cardinal Zen, archbishop emeritus of Hong Kong, sharply criticizes Vatican's China policy: "The call to trust the [Chinese] government is incredible!"

Vatican-Beijing (kath.net) "The call to trust the [Chinese] government is incredible! Is there any lack of information about the recent suppression of our Vatican supervisors?" asks Cardinal Joseph Zen, Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, who criticized the Vatican's current China policy so sharply. This was reported by the "Catholic Herald".  Zen responded with a blog post to Cardinal Fernando Filonis (Vatican Secretariat of State) praising the controversial deal between the Communist People's Republic of China and the Vatican. The Vatican has been trying for some time to defuse the conflict over underground Catholics who are not recognized by China's government. Catholics in China are divided into two groups, a not-until-recently recognized Vatican Catholic State Church (which does not recognize all parts of Catholic doctrine) and a Catholic Church of underground Catholics, some of whom have suffered massive persecution and continue to suffer.

Cardinal Zen explained: "The Holy See intends to present the dialogue with China as a homogeneous process from John Paul II through Benedict to Pope Francis." It remains unmentioned, "that John Paul II and Benedict who lived under totalitarian regimes have never believed in the theory of Ostpolitik.” With the election of Pietro Parolin as Secretary of State of the Vatican "Pope Francis gave the group of powerful men of the Curia the opportunity to resume their project of Ostpolitik. By following Pope Francis in his optimism, he dangerously surrenders easily, hiding the terrible face of Chinese Communism, of which he [Parolin] is well aware."

The negotiations between China and the Vatican were partly also in the hands of the disgraced, after massive allegations of abuse, US Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who provides further explosive force in the controversial deal.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

10,000 Come to Penance at Maria Vesperbild in 2018

While in some places the sacrament of confession is almost dead, it blooms in Maria Vesperbild.

Ziemetshausen (kath.net) While in some places the sacrament of confession is almost dead, it blooms in Maria Vesperbild. The pilgrimage directorate of Maria Vesperbild draws attention to this in a press release. "Maria Vesperbild do not complain about many other places of pilgrimage: In 2018, 10,247 people confessed their sins in Maria Vesperbild. We know that very well because every confessor records the number of penitants. More than 10,000 people have thus relieved their conscience and have come to terms with themselves and with God. "The Department of Sanctity recalls that these confessions are a blessing" also for society, for families and any other community, because "that is more than 10 000 people who do not let themselves go, but fight against their great and small wickedness and, in addition, avail themselves of God's help.”  Furthermore, in Maria Vesperbild nine priests for confessions and confessional talks are available.

In the sacrament of confession, Jesus Christ forgives the penitent and assigns to him the fruits of His suffering and death on the cross, as kathpedia explains confession. God forgives the penitent through the mediation and words of the priest. Only a consecrated priest, legally authorized by the Church, has the authority to administer the sacrament of confession.

Pope Francis had made several confessions in St. Peter's Cathedral in front of cameras in order to invite the faithful to emulate his own example.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

There Are Now 122 Papal Electors

As of yesterday, 122 cardinals are eligible to vote in the conclave.

(Rome / Manila) Yesterday Cardinal Orlando Beltran Quevedo completed his 80th year. Thus, 122 cardinals are currently eligible to vote in a conclave. In the autumn, new cardinal appointments by Pope Francis could be forthcoming.

Cardinal Quevedo was born on March 11, 1939 in the northern Philippine city of Laoag on the South China Sea. Since 1954 he has belonged to the Order of the Oblates of the Immaculate Virgin Mary (OMI). He was ordained a priest in 1964 after completing his novitiate in Texas and his studies in the United States.

Cardinal Quevedo

In the same year he became chaplain of the cathedral parish of the Diocese of Cotabato. He spent all his priestly life on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Three quarters of the islanders are Christians. Two thirds of them are Catholics. In addition, there is a fifth of Muslims, which in the past has led to political and problems of violence.

He became Dean of Studies at the University of Cotabato and finally Rector of this University. In 1980, John Paul II appointed him bishop and prelate of Kidapawan. In 1982, when the Pope elevated the prelature to the suffragan of the archdiocese of Cotabato, Msgr. Quevedo became its first bishop. In the diocese is the Apo, which is the highest mountain in the Philippines at almost 3,000 meters.

In 1986, John Paul II made him archbishop of Nueva Segovia and in 1998 archbishop of Cotabato. From 1999 to 2003 he was President of the Philippine Episcopal Conference. In 2014, Pope Francis created him cardinal. His Roman titular church is the parish church of Santa Maria Regina Mundi and Torre Spaccata, built in 1970.

Cardinal Quevedo was almost 80 years old when Pope Francis made emeritus archbishop of Cotabato. Under Francis this means a very special appreciation. At the level of the universal Church, the cardinal has not been noticed. His elevation to  cardinal goes back to his personal contact with Pope Francis, who met the Filipino at the CELAM meeting of Latin American bishops in Aparecida in 2007, which plays a central role for Francis, as he edited the final document. Quevedo took part as representative of the bishops of Asia.

With the departure of the Filipino Cardinal from the electoral body, 122 cardinals remain eligible to vote in the conclave. These are two more than the limit set by John Paul II. This will be reached next April 27th. Until then, Cardinal Edwin Frederick O'Brien, Archbishop Emeritus of Baltimore, and Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, Emeritus Archbishop of Krakow and longtime personal secretary to John Paul II, have left the circle of papal electors. Both were elevated by Pope Benedict XVI.  to the rank of cardinal.

By the end of 2019, the number of papal electors  will drop to 114. After April 27, another six cardinals will reach the age of 80: Cardinal Tong Hon (Hong Kong, PRC) on 31 July, Cardinal Brady (Ireland) on 16 August, Cardinal Monsengwo Pasinya (Congo) on 7 October, Cardinal Grocholewski (Poland) on 11 October, Cardinal Menichelli (Italy) on 14 October and Cardinal Toppo (India) on 15 October.

The exact number may change, however, as the conclave of 2013 showed, in which Cardinal Walter Kasper was still eligible to vote - and became the master builder of the current pontificate - even though he was already over 80.

In 2020, another four electors will leave (the Maronite Cardinal Raï, Cardinal Vicini Vallini, Synod Secretary Cardinal Baldisseri and Cardinal Wuerl, who was prematurely retired as Archbishop of Washington as part of the sexual abuse scandal in the United States).

If not already in the autumn of 2019, no later than 2020, new cardinal appointments by Pope Francis can be expected.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Picture: MiL

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Brazilians Do Not Want Married Clergy

Bishop: This is an idea of ​​'white priests' like Bishop Kräutler and not the Brazilian

Kazakhstan (kath.net) Catholics in Brazil do not want married priests. This is an idea of ​​"white priests, not the natives." This was emphasized by Bishop Athanasius Schneider in an interview with "LifeSiteNews." Schneider explained that he himself had been working in Brazil for seven years and that he knew the people very well there.

Married priests are an idea of ​​priests who do not lead a "deep apostolic and self-sacrificing life." According to Schneider, Brazilians are "very pious and simple people. They would never get the idea of ​​married priests.” Two prominent Catholic "white priests" who want to push married priests there are, according to Schneider, the Austrian bishops Erwin Kräutler and Fritz Lobinger. Both are now emeritus, but Kräutler was to be found in the Preparatory Committee for the Amazon Synde.

According to Schneider, the shortage of priests is recognizably only an "excuse to practically (not theoretically) abolish celibacy in the Latin Church.” This was the goal since Luther. For the enemies of the Church and the sects, the first step is always to abolish celibacy. Priestly celibacy is the last stronghold that would be abolished in the Church. The sacramental life is only the pretext for it.

The auxiliary bishop explained:  "The shortage of priests in the Amazon is an example to me of the opposite: Perhaps the priests lack a deeply committed and devoted life in the spirit of Jesus, the apostles and the saints. They are therefore looking for human replacement. Indigenous married clerics will not lead to deepening and growth in the Amazonian Church. Certainly the advent of married clerics in the indigenous culture of the Amazon and in other parts of the world of the Latin rite will cause other problems.”

The German-born Schneider is an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Astana, Kazakhstan.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Poland’s Bishops Oppose LGBT Charter

The Polish Catholic Bishops' Conference contradicts the LGTB Charter, which is currently much debated in Poland with a powerful statement - the charter promotes homosexual situations, but stigmatises people with a different view of the world or other religions

Warsaw (kath.net) Poland's bishops emphasize in a joint statement that they lack respect for the dignity of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals, but they have the "common good of society as a whole and, above all, the rights of parents and the Polish Catholic Bishops' Conference writes in its statement against the "LGBT Charter,” which is currently heavily debated in Poland and proposed by some local governments: "The Church does not use the name 'LGBT' because it calls into question the Christian image. In the scriptures it reads that, God created man according to his image and image, as man and woman, different in vocation but equal in dignity, and the divinity desired by God is the foundation of marriage and the family built on it, which is the basic cell of society. The proposed vision of the human images does not count toward the truth about human nature and only refers to imaginary ideological ideas. Not only are they completely alien to European civilization, but if they were to become the basis of social norms, they would be a threat to the future of our continent.”

The Polish bishops further explain that the LGBT Charter proposes activities "that promote homosexual environments or initiatives that stigmatize people with a different worldview or religion. In other words, although the Charter requires the fight against discrimination, it nevertheless promotes discrimination against others. "Moreover, the bishops criticize that" these projects would be funded by public funds, but raise doubts about respect for the principles of social justice.”

The most worrying, according to Polish bishops, is the demand for "the introduction of sex education courses addressing 'issues of psychosexual identity and gender identity, in line with WHO (World Health Organization) standards and guidelines. This project can easily take away parents' influence on their children's education and become a corrupt program for them,” say Catholic Church Pastors.

Link to the statement of the Polish Episcopal Conference in full length on its homepageStanowisko Konferencji Episkopatu Polski w sprawie tak zwanej Karty LGBT

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Leading Member of Sankt Gallen Mafia Dies — Godfried Cardinal Daneels Goes to His Judgement

Gay Patriarch

Pope praises Danneels as an "avid shepherd".

Vatican City (kath.net/KAP) On the death of the Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels, Pope Francis has expressed his "deepest sympathy" to the Catholic Church of Belgium. In a letter of condolence to the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, Cardinal Jozef De Kesel, published by the Vatican on Thursday, the Pope acknowledges Danneels as an "avid shepherd.” He had "served with great commitment not only to his diocese but also to the entire world Church.” Danneels, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels from 1979 to 2010, died on Thursday at the age of 85 in Brussels.

Photo credit, Vox Cantoris...

AMDG

Francis Has Handed the Helm of the Church to Gay Lobby

Pope Francis with sodomite group of the Archdiocese of Westminster.

(Rome) The LGBT + Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council met with Pope Francis. "An encounter that weighs like an encyclical," said Riccardo Cascioli, editor-in-chief of Nuova Bussola Quotidiana (NBQ). The problem is not the reception of people with homosexual inclinations, who are anchored in the bosom of the Church to know and struggle for their sinfulness. The problem is the reception for organized homosexual groups whose goal is to change the teaching of the Church and to entertain their deviancy.

The Pope of gestures

Pope Francis knows that gestures and above all media propagated images of these gestures have more effect than a thousand words. His pontificate is founded in no small portion on this conception. Pope Francis is the "Pope of gestures".

"That's why there's little to interpret," says Cascioli, when one sees the warm welcome Francis granted to Westminster's gay community. Francis can also be very different, as the reception for US President Donald Trump showed.

The homo community of Westminister, which is sponsored by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, was already the subject of a review by the Congregation of the Faith, as Cardinal Gerhard Müller had the say there. The instructions given by him seem to have received little attention.

It was the homosexuals themselves who joyfully announced the papal attention on Monday.

Desired meeting

The meeting took place on March 6 and formed the conclusion of the pilgrimage to Rome, which was led by the Jesuit, Fr. David Stewart.

There has been no shortage of preferred treatments in Rome. At the general audience on St. Peter's Square, the Homo group received "privileged seats". At the end of the general audience they were invited to an "encounter with Pope Francis".

Good-humored Pope with "LGBT + Catholics Westminster"

These are not "random photos" that have been distributed on the Internet, but a planned meeting that was desired by the Holy See. This is confirmed by the attached message from Cardinal Nichols. If it was not the Pope himself, the gathering was favored, at least by his entourage. Martin Pendergast, the well-known homosexual activist, was able to introduce the group to a beaming Pope Francis.

An obvious "sign of acceptance and humanity" as Pope Francis asks of the Church, Cascioli says with an ironic undertone.

Of course, the method is "exhausting," according to the NBQ editor-in-chief, "to pretend that nothing will change so that everything changes." It is exhausting for contemporaries to see through the observers, those affected, the bishops, the faithful, and to understand what is being played at. The method consists in hollowing out the doctrine of faith through practice until it is empty, without ever admitting it, ever speaking about it, and without giving any justification for it. So one day comes the moment when it is determined that everything has changed and no one knows or wants to know how it could have happened.

A sin yesterday, today a virtue?

Until yesterday, practiced homosexuality was an unnatural sin, even an outrageous sin calling for the vengeance of God. This is how St. Pius X taught it, and so it is still today in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (KKK, 1867). This is not the invention of a pope. It is the Holy Scripture that teaches it.

Today, however, homosexuality seems to be a virtue.

On what basis did this change occur? What has changed? Maybe nature?

There are no answers to that, at least not from the Vatican. There it was simply decided, without saying it, without admitting it and without explaining that it is simply different now. Just because. Anyone who criticizes this, who - as Francis speaks - is a "rigorist", a "teacher of the law", a stickler for the law, a stubborn dogmatist, a "hard-hearted" who throw stones.

The Pope's requests to speak frankly and freely, to cultivate the synodality, on closer inspection, quickly turn out to be cheap words that the facts can not match.

The Jesuitization of the Church

The essential feature of papal action "is the ambiguity,” says Cascioli.

"Let your yes be yes, your no a no; everything else comes from evil” (Mt 5:37).

This message from the Lord who delivers the Gospel seems to be nothing more than an "impossible" relic of the past - according to Pope Francis. Jesuit general Arturo Sosa will argue that there were no tape recorders at that time, which is why these words may have been handed down incorrectly. Who knows exactly.

Some critics speak of a Jesuitization of the Church, and do not mean that positively.

From Rome it echoes differently, and many babble about it: "The Pope takes all. We are all sinners.” Does he help people with that, or is it simply bowing and scraping as the price of relativism? There is no doubt that Francis sets his gestures out of this spirit of acceptance, according to Cascioli.

"But the gesture also has an objective message, and that goes way beyond. Objectively, this gesture legitimizes sin.”

The gay lobby has taken command in the Church 

The Pope did not meet individuals on 6 March, to whom he personally turned. He met with an organized group that considers and promotes their homosexuality for something good and great. He met with a structured lobby that denies human nature and aims to change Church doctrine and Scripture. The latter is even clearer as far as God's plans are concerned, as larger parts of the Church doctrine since the Second Vatican Council. The clear statements of Scripture begin with the Creation account (Gen 1:27), where it is plain that God created man "as a man and a woman".

At least he could  justify the paradigm shift practiced. Was God wrong? Has the Church taught wrong things for about two thousand years?

"There is no escape from such questions. It can not be that an act is a sin in one day and the most natural thing the day after. This is not a deepening of the doctrine but its denial," says Cascioli.

The meeting with the Homo group wanted by the Pope makes it even easier to understand later why the anti-abuse summit in February avoided the issue of homosexuality, although several bishops raised the problem. For Cascioli, one thing is clear:

"If it's still not clear, the gay lobby has taken command in the Church."

For those who are too innocent in thought, and for those who do not want to admit it, there are two more comments to better understand what is happening.

Note 1

The English aberrosexual group celebrated the morning praise "in memory of the victims of homophobia and transphobia" during their stay in Rome in the Church of San Bartolomeo all'Isola. The church is run by the community of Sant'Egidio. In it, however, the Church does not remember this "sacrifice" but "the martyr of our day". If you grasp this point, you have understood something.

"I think that no one can escape the fact that there is an attempt to put the alleged victims of even more alleged discrimination against the Christian martyrs of the twentieth century, who were killed for their love for Jesus Christ, on a par."

Here an ideologically motivated operation is taking place to profane the place that Pope John Paul II intended to commemorate millions of Catholics killed by the totalitarians of the previous century.

Note 2

The meeting of the Pope with the Homo group and their press release revealed that the Archdiocese of Westminister even has a "Pastoral Council of LGBT + Catholics". Probably, according to Cascioli, this is not even an isolated case.

"That means that in different dioceses the language of the Church is no longer spoken, but that of the world. The gender ideology has fully invaded pastoral care. "

Every second and fourth Sunday in London, there is a Mass for the LGBT + at Farm Street Church, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. The church was chosen by Cardinal Nichols. The Mass is celebrated by Jesuits.

At the World Family Meeting in August 2018, for the first time, program items sponsored by aberrosexuals were honored. The "wish" came expressly from Rome. In the Youth Synod in October 2018, there was found in the preparation document, the aberrosexual self-description  LGBT. It was missing in the final document because the pressure on the synod was so great.

"As you can see, the reality is much greater. There are already bishops and cardinals who, out of conviction or convenience, have adapted to the new dictatorship and want to impose it on the whole Church. "

[+Nichols has always been an enabler of sodomy and its glorification.]

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Picture: lgbt-ca-w (screenshots)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Neocatechumenate Cult Grabs Mount of Olives For Judaizing Project

(Jerusalem) A part of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, a place that played an important role in the life of Jesus Christ, has become the property of the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Mount of Olives, a range of hills east of the Temple Mount, plays an important role in salvation history and is therefore of particular importance for Christianity and Judaism. The prophet Zechariah announced that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem via the Mount of Olives and hold the Last Judgment in the Kidron Valley at the foot of the Mount of Olives. That's why there is a large Jewish cemetery there.

As the Gospels testify, Jesus moved across the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and then prayed before his capture in the garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the ridge. From the top of the Mount of Olives on the 40th day after Christ's resurrection His Ascension took place.

The Mount of Olives around 1899. At that time there were about 30 percent Christians in the Holy Land. Today it is less than three percent.

The Neocatechumenal Way was founded in 1964 by Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández in Spain and is one of the so-called new spiritual communities in the Catholic Church. The movement is popular and has a high degree of mobilization, as demonstrated by the Family Days in Italy, which protested for the protection of children, against abortion and against the introduction of gender ideology in schools. Controversial are Judaizing elements and the handling of the liturgy: the Mass celebrations in some halls instead of in churches and on Saturday evening (anticipated Mass), bypassing Sunday.

As reported by the EFE press agency and the daily La Vanguardia, Panama-based Catholic Foundation, Domus Jerusalem purchased a 5173-square-meter part of the Mount of Olives from a tender in Milan on July 31, 2018. The property belonged to "the Italian Monte Tabor". This is likely to mean the  San Raffaele del Monte Tabor Endowment by Don Luigi Maria Verzè (1920-2011). The hospital empire of Don Verzès collapsed in 2011 and was liquidated as a result, as well as the assets of the Foundation.

The purchase price for the property is given as five million euros. The foundation, based in Panama, then donated it to the Neocatechumenal Way. This new spiritual community wants to establish "an international mission center in the Holy Land" there.

The project Domus Jerusalem

Several religious organizations had shown strong interest in the property. For this reason, finally, a call for tenders was made. Finally, the circle of interested parties was reduced to three: the Domus Jerusalem Foundation, the Eritrean Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria.

Through a middleman for the priest Manuel Anselmo Diaz Ortiz, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Panama, the president of the Domus Jerusalem Foundation, they were  awarded the contract.

The foundation, hence its name, was founded with the intention of creating a "new retreat and ecumenical center" in Jerusalem "to welcome pilgrims from all over the world". According to the model and the experience of Domus Galilaeae, it is to be built on the Mount of Beatitudes, which was also built by the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Domus Galilaeae on the Mount of Beatitudes

The Domus Galilaeae was completed in the year of the Holy Year 2000. It is run as a study and conference center and retreat house. The Neocatechumenate describes the mission of this Domus,  "to read the Gospel in the light of tradition and the Jewish liturgy" to "proclaim the mystery of this people, which does not prove the existence of God, but as a living witness announcing its presence throughout history." The authorization for the construction of Domus Galilaeae on the Mount of Beatitudes was provided to the Neocatechumenal Way by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. The foundation stone was laid in 1999 with a fragment of the tomb of the Apostle Peter from the Vatican, which was blessed by Pope John Paul II (for Domus Galilaeae see also The Conversion of 1000 Jews: What does the Neocatechumenal way about the end of the times and conceals it ?).

The foundation Domus Jerusalem was therefore created in Panama, as it is also known to Neocatechumenate related circles, because the idea arose there and pastor Diaz Ortiz there acts.

Model of the project Domus Jerusalem 

The Domus Jerusalem project is supported by "many personalities and benefactors," including Cardinals Sean O'Malley of Boston, Cardinal Antonio Rouco of Madrid, and Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, as shown on the project's website.

In recent years, funds have already been collected for the realization of the project, but there was still a lack of suitable land. With the acquisition on the Mount of Olives, near the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed with His disciples after the Last Supper and suffered mortal fear before he was arrested.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Image: Domus Jerusalem / Domus Galilaeae (Screenshots)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Statement by Prior of Johannes Brothers About Sex Abuse

We understand that victims are still angry at our community - the Johannes Community has published a recent statement on the allegations of abuse against the founder of the community, Fr Marie-Dominique Philippe

Vienna-Paris (kath.net)  Kath.net documents the statement:

Following a shocking testimony of an abuse victim of Fr. Marie-Dominique Philippe over the last few days, the Brothers of St. John set great store by asking forgiveness from all the victims.

The Brothers of St. John denounce any incident of sexual abuse and abuse of power and reaffirm their commitment to communing with Pope Francis in the fight against abuse. They are aware that their approximately 45-year religious history is painfully shaped by their founder's sexual abuse cases - which was unveiled on the Prior General’s own 2013 initiative - and by confreres, as well as by mistakes made in dealing with sexual abuse cases, in particular by a lack of awareness of the victims' suffering and lack of training and inadequate procedures in dealing with such cases.

Mistakes that have happened in the past would not be possible today and have been for several years. Each reported incident will be handled according to state and ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

We understand that the victims of our community can still be angry. In a letter to all the brothers on the 20th of February [1] this year, Father General Thomas Joachim, General Prior, wrote about the painful issue of abuse: "I want to take this opportunity to ask forgiveness from those victims who have not been sufficiently heard and / or accompanied (...). I would like to apologize to the victims of our founder and some of our confreres.”

The governing body of the Brothers of St. John has for years, with courage and determination, taken important steps to prevent the errors and mistakes of the past from being repeated. In a letter from the Vatican dated 18 February 2019 to the General Prior of the Brothers, "[the Dicastery] recognizes the measures taken and encourages all the brothers and sisters of St. John to continue on this path in humility and with courage, trust and determination.”

The General Prior stated in his letter of 20 February 2019 to the brothers: "In order to fight against the manifold abuse and the internal climate that made this possible, we had to implement measures in at least four areas. They concern: 1) the education of the brothers 2) a facility for immediate hearing of victims 3) a facility to handle reported incidents seriously and promptly 4) measures to assist victims of abuse and provide real assistance.” In fact, numerous measure have been implemented for several years; At the same time, these included: the distinction of vocation, the basic and secondary education of the brothers in affective and sexual matters, the prevention of pedophilia, spiritual guidance, procedures for dealing with allegations or testimonies against a brother, and in particular the establishment of an Abuse Commission in 2015, which also includes two lay people - including a psychologist - which includes full cooperation with Rome and the state authorities. For all this, we call on the support of external experts.

We would like to remind you that any (affected) person can contact the Abuse Commission directly by sending an e-mail to sos.abus@stjean.com or by contacting the complaints office of the French Episcopal Conference at: paroledevictimes@cef.fr

Our commitment to correcting mistakes is also motivated by the desire that we will not overlook all the good that is done in the 50 or so priests of the brothers of St. John on all 5 continents, and that the life of the great majority of the brothers, dedicated to the service of God and man, continues to be a sign of hope in this world.

In the following words, the General Prior concluded the letter of February 20 to his brothers: "Thanks to the power of the Johannine charism we have received, thanks to our brotherhood, which amazed me most recently during our last Vicariate meeting, in the face of all the trials we have I am convinced that, in his letter of June 2016, Cardinal Braz de Aviz [Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life] rightly said to us, "That young people in your family of St. John can be called to spiritual life, is a good for them and the Church. "The joint work begun will certainly bear fruit for our community in the medium term, even if we have to sow in tears.

Trans: Tancred veiron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Just Breaking in News: Evil Cardinal Sentenced to Prison for Covering up Sex Abuse

The French Bishops' Conference did not want to comment on Barbarin's move - VIDEO: Statement by Cardinal Barbari

Paris (kath.net/KAP) [Modernist] Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, sentenced to six months probation for not reporting a case of abuse, will offer Pope Francis his resignation. The Archbishop of Lyon announced this on Thursday in a brief statement to media representatives. "I take note of the court's decision and have decided to go to the Holy Father to offer him my resignation," said Barbarin. Pope Francis will receive him in the Vatican in a few days.

The French Bishops' Conference did not want to comment on Barbarin's move. A brief statement on the website said that the judgment against the Cardinal was being noted and that the outcome of the appeal hearing was now awaiting notice. Barbarin's decision to submit his resignation to the pope was subject to the "personal conscience" of the cardinal. At the same time, the Episcopal Conference reaffirmed its determination to tackle all sexual aggression committed by clerics toward minors.

Diocese of Lyon / France: Statement by Cardinal Barbarin: 'I will ask the Holy Father for dismissal' (French)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Sassy Pants Hamburg Archbishop Wishes His Flock, “Could Have Done This Shit Alone” as Catholic Education Collapses

Planned school closings in the Archdiocese continue to cause fierce debate among Catholics and beyond. Archdiocese does not want to transfer schools threatened with closure to Fundación Arenales, which is supposed to be close to Opus Dei

Hamburg (kath.net/rn) In the archdiocese of Hamburg, the planned school closings among the Catholics and beyond continue to cause heated debate. This is reported by FAZ. After the diocese had determined that its own school association barely formed pension provisions and the schools were not operating while covering costs, the emergency brake was pulled and eight school closures decided upon. Because of the over-indebtedness of the budget in the amount of 83 million euros in 2017, the debt would rise in the next five years, according to the diocese to 350 million euros. The nerves in the archdiocese of Hamburg are likely to have been pushed to the edge by the diocesan administration. The FAZ quotes the Hamburg Archbishop Heße as follows: If he had known what to expect in Hamburg, "then they could have done the shit alone.”

It is also interesting that the Archdiocese of Hamburg offered schools that were to be closed to establish new sponsorship associations. A director then founded an Edith Stein School, which since January 1, 2019, a daughter of Diakoniewerk New Bank Ramp, a non-profit Christian carrier from the region. Another school has already taken similar steps.

According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, however, six out of a total of 21 archdiocesan schools are still to be closed, and two more are subject to a moratorium of one year.

An explicitly Catholic school would like to avoid the Archdiocese of Hamburg, however. An offer of school takeover by a Spanish foundation called Fundación Arenales, which according to the FAZ is close to Opus Dei and the Neocatechumenate, was rejected. The Fundacion already runs a kindergarten in Munich. The Archdiocese said that the Foundation does not want to transfer any schools.

Incidentally, the number of students at the Catholic schools in Hamburg has fallen from more than 10,000, and since 2013 it is presently around 8,500.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Did God Comment on the Recent Sex Abuse Summit in Rome?

By David Martin

The worst storm to hit Malta since 1982 produced hurricane force winds of up 133km/h, according to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The storm, which occurred on February 24, generated the intense sea turbulence that can be seen in the video below. One immense wave in particular rolled over the Ricasoli Breakwater Lighthouse in Valletta, Malta, which was filmed by Ben Cardona for Pineapple Media where he works. The slow-motion effect was added in post-production.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6769395/A-30ft-lighthouse-covered-wave-85mph-winds-hit-Malta-islands-worst-storm-1982.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490

What is interesting is that February 24 was the closing day of the Vatican summit on clerical sexual abuse, which excused homosexuality rather than to address the cause of sexual-abuse in the Catholic Church. The issue of homosexual priests—the very cause of the sex-abuse scandal—was completely sidestepped at the summit.

And who was the key organizer of the summit but Archbishop Charles Scicluna of MALTA, who said on February 22 that decades of widespread homosexuality in U.S. seminaries had "nothing to do with the sexual abuse of minors," and who likewise said that he would never dare point to the category of homosexuality as having "the propensity to sin." Unfortunately, the summit he organized was all about concealing the Vatican’s collusion with homosexuality under the guise of "protecting minors."

A wave of divine justice appears to have collided with the lighthouse in Malta to punctuate the fact that the episcopal beacon of Malta has gone out! We pray this will be a wake-up call for the archbishop and the entire hierarchy as to how Almighty God feels about the infamous summit that served, not to halt, but to further the advance clerical sexual abuse by deflecting the attention from homosexual activity of bishops and priests. 

This negligence was punctuated by Pope Francis’ own statement at the summit's close, when he said, "Those who perpetrate abuse, that is acts of physical, sexual or emotional violence, are primarily parents, relatives, husbands of child brides, coaches and teachers." Not a word about homosexual clergy.

The hand of divine justice apparently has refused to waivethis negligence. Hopefully, this puts the matter in the rightlight for all to behold from afar.

More on +Scicluna:

https://fatima.org/news-views/did-god-comment-on-the-sex-abuse-summit-in-rome/

AMDG

Richest Church in the World Pays Abuse Victims 5,000 Euros

Bundestag vice-president Kubicki "If we consider that many people are marked by these terrible deeds for life, then such a sum, which a bishop earns in half a month, appears maximally unjust.”

Berlin (kath.net) An abuse victim is typically paid only  5,000 Euros for compensation in Germany in the past few years by the Catholic Church. This was reported by BILD, citing the Central Coordination Office. This had been recommended until autumn 2017 for 1788 applications of 8.7 million euros in compensation, which on average is only 5,000 euros per victim. Bundestag Vice-President Wolfgang Kubicki made heavy criticism of these compensatory payments: "If we bear in mind that many people are marked by these terrible deeds for life, then such a sum, which a bishop earns in half a month, appears maximally unjust." Those affected are outraged by these low payments. "For years, the richest church in the world has been offering ridiculous compensation payments to its victims. 1000, 3000, 5000 Euro are a new humiliation for those affected," says Matthias Katsch of the victim association Eckiger Tisch. "In the US, victims were awarded millions of dollars, but there the state carries out the proceedings, in Germany because of the statute of limitations, the church itself.

Edit: it has more to do with the German Church being a spiritual, welfare arm of the Bundesland.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Bishop Huonder of Chur to Keep Contact With SSPX for The Vatican as He Retires

Acceptance of the age-related resignation of the 77-year-old Swiss bishop is expected shortly - Diocese Chur recently confirmed that Huonder is keeping contact with the Society for the Vatican

Edit: he’s been one of the most Catholic Bishops in Europe, who has remained astonishly in his post till past retirement in a hostile diocese run by professional Catholics in a hostile Church that destroys its best disciples and exults evil ones.

Vatican City (kath.net/KAP) Bishop Vitus Huonder of Chur was received on Monday by Pope Francis in private audience. Details of the conversation were not announced by the Vatican and the Swiss diocese. Vitus Huonder (76) has been Bishop of Chur since 2007; In April 2017, the Pope had extended his term by two years. As the acceptance of his resignation is expected shortly, on April 21 Huonder will complete his 77th year of life.

As the diocese confirmed at the end of January, Huonder wants to retire to Wangs in the canton of Sankt Gallen. There he will keep contact with the Society for the Vatican. The "Society of Saint Pius X" runs a school in Wangs, the "Institut Sancta Maria".

In January, Pope Francis dissolved the Vatican Commission "Ecclesia Dei" responsible for the dialogue with the Society of Saint Pius X and integrated its task into the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In the dispute with the Society, there were only differences in Church doctrine, and for this, only the Congregation itself was responsible, it was said in the Pope’s decree.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

Pastor Shortage in Protestant Church in Germany

Edit: if they only allowed them to marry and have normal lives, the Evangelical Church in Germany wouldn’t be having these problems. They really need to get with the times.

According to a report by the FAS, the number of pastors is falling faster than the number of church members among Protestants

Frankfurt (kath.net) The Protestants in Germany also have a pastor's shortage. This has been reported by the FAS (Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung). According to the Protestants, the number of pastors is falling faster than the number of church members. According to the report, more and more churches have to share a pastor. Sixteen of the twenty Protestant churches announced that they could no longer meet the needs of pastors until 2030.

Meanwhile, Washington Post asks if Protestant Ministress can streamline her stodgy, dying Protestant mainline church into a progressive, cringey (and presumably more lucrative) Evangelical one.

As mainline Protestant churches struggle with membership losses across denominations, Butler is looking for ways to infuse some of what has made evangelicalism thrive into a more progressive form of Protestantism, two forms of Christianity usually seen at odds with one another.

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

How New Can Something Be Which is Only Fifty Years Distant From Us

The tomb of Msgr. Annibale Bugnini.

A book review by Christoph Matthias Hagen

In 2019 it is fifty years since Paul VI. promulgated his new Missale Romanum. What it contains is still more colloquially called the Novus Ordo Missae or even more striking: the New Mass. In the February issueof the Information Paper of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Fr. Sven L. Conrad asks the question: "When was the liturgy new?" (See above, pp. 3-5) and answers it soberly and at the same time clearly. Whoever wants to deepen his understanding of the question and the English is powerful, should read the book published at the end of 2018: Annibale Bugnini. Reformer of the Liturgy. This is a translation of the Bugnini biography originally published in 2016 by the French historian Yves Chiron.

With even more detail than can be accomplished in Conrad's compact review, the reader can follow the steps that took place from 1962 to 1965 and then in 1967 and 1968 which led to the new liturgy of 1969/70. From a certain point of development, being new means that it is no longer up to date, but different or non-Roman.

In a way, this is true even with the reorganization of the Ordo of the Mass in 1965, but undeniably with the creation of alternative prayers alongside the Canon of the Mass. The difference is at least a task of the Roman, at least when one understands more than just the formal departure of the so-called post-conciliar liturgical reform of the Pope in Rome.

Ritual correctness as typical Roman

This Roman character of the liturgy consists more in a typical Roman mentality, the roots of which were even pre-Christian and can be decisively localized in a certain understanding of religion as ritually correct cult-performance, accompanied by customary legal thinking. It can even be said that Roman religiosity and jurisprudence were at first identical and that Roman law is in a sense already the secularized independence of a segment that originally formed a unity with the Roman religion. It is only with this historical understanding that one quite understands the scope of the section, Paul VI. has completed.

Universal liturgy as a creeping tendency

It was prepared, of course, by an old tendency, which, with the rise of the Franciscan movement, made the liturgy of the papal court so ideal that it was adopted outside Rome, not least in order to prove its special solidarity and fidelity to the pope. After 1570, the Roman-Tridentine liturgical books were increasingly used for a principally universal liturgy of the whole world, which, strictly speaking, did not correspond to the intent of the Council of Trent, but in the nineteenth century absorbed even the last, local ecclesiastical rites in an ultramontane undertow. It is not surprising that the prototype of Novus Ordo Missae Paul VI. of Bugnini's so-called Missa normativa, of all things, was a unitary rite, geared in principle to globalization. This uniformity tendency seems to be the deciding factor for Paul VI. which could be seen in his own  liturgical re-creation could and, as early as 1955, Pius XII. had done this with his intervention in the venerable rites of Holy Week.

If, fifty years later, one critically reviews the post-conciliar liturgical reform and the resulting wide liturgical practice, one must first of all first realize these fundamental, historical conditions of the Roman rite, before it makes sense to note the deficits in the content of the Novus Ordo Missae and problematize and distance yourself from it. The value of an Editio typica of 1962, which was formally universal until 1965, must then be scrutinized critically. The Bugnini biography by Chiron can be an important help.

Bibliographic information:

Chiron, Y., Annibale Bugnini. Reformer of the Liturgy, (Angelico Press) Brooklyn 2018, 200 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-1-62138-411-3, € 21.00, - (D). The book can also be purchased in a linen-bound edition and as an e-book.

The book can be purchased through our (Katholisches) partner bookstore.

Image: Orbis Catholicus Secundus (screenshot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Newspaper: Italian Bishops Write Letter to Victims of Abuse

Chairman Bassetti announces "full cooperation with civil authorities" 

Rome (kath.net/KAP) Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, has written a letter to Italian victims of abuse, according to a media report. This was reported by the newspaper "Il Messaggero" on its website. Accordingly, the Episcopal Conference announces that it will cooperate with the Italian judiciary. At their meeting in May, the bishops said they wanted to "fully cooperate with civil authorities," the newspaper quoted from the letter to Francesco Zanardi, founder of the Italian victims' association "Rete l'abuso". 

The bishops wanted to avoid "any forms of concealment, whether by the victims or their families, or by ecclesiastical authorities." Action must be determined by "respect for the truth, justice and the well-being of the child, as well as people in charge of protection." These should come first. The Episcopal Conference also wants to order that in the commissions of the dioceses for dealing with cases of abuse victims should also be represented, it says to other contents of the letter. 

Zanardi had been disappointed after the four-day Catholic anti-abuse summit in the Vatican. The victims would have expected something different at the end of the global meeting - "at least the announcement of the expulsion of several bishops," he told the Italian daily La Repubblica. 

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

USCCB: Catholic Representatives Should Not Present Themselves for Holy Communion

KANSAS, February 27, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, who chairs the American bishops’ Committee on Pro-life activities, has requested that Catholic politicians who support abortion should “not present themselves to receive Holy Communion.”

Speaking about recent efforts to "perpetuate and expand abortion in state laws" — such as New York’s Reproductive Health Act, which was signed in January by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Catholic — Archbishop Naumann wrote in a Feb. 19 piece republished on the USCCB website that such legislation has “illuminated the deplorable actions of some Catholic public officials and advocates.” Noting that these efforts will result in the killing of many more unborn children, the archbishop said that advocacy of “intrinsically evil acts, like abortion” is seriously immoral.

“While we can object to the actions of these public officials, we are not able to judge their souls. At the same time, we know there will be a Judgment Day,” he said. 

AMDG

California Lawmakers Considering a Law to Regulate Catholic Seal of the Confessional

[Town Hall] Lawmakers in California are currently considering a bill that would require priests in the Catholic Church to violate the seal of confession when it comes to the subject of child sexual abuse.

The newly-proposed legislation was introduced Wednesday by Democratic State Senator Jerry Hill, according to a report by Fox News.

Senate Bill 360 is titled “Removing Clergy Exemption from Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting.” The bill would remove an exemption in the state’s “mandated reporter” law that allows all clergy members to withhold knowledge of suspected child abuse from law enforcement if that information is obtained during a "penitential communication," such as Catholic confession.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/briannaheldt/2019/02/25/california-bill-would-require-priests-to-break-the-seal-of-confession-to-report-abuse-n2542136

AMDG

Cardinal Coccopalmerio on Homosexuality, Gender Theory and Women’s Fashion

Interview with Cardinal Coccopalmerio on homosexuality in the Church, gender theory and prayer.

(Rome) Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts until April 2018, described in an interview all allegations of being part of the gay lobby in the Vatican as "false". With a smile he replied to every question, including the question of why the allegations are being made against him: "To harm me especially and to harm the Pope."

The canon lawyer Coccopalmerio owes his rise to the high ecclesiastical hierarchy to "Ante-Papa" Carlo Maria Cardinal Martini SJ, whose Auxiliary Bishop he was in Milan. With his self-designation "Ante-Papa" in deliberate reference to "anti-papa" (anti-pope), the Jesuit Martini clarified his claim as a counterweight to John Paul II and as "future pope". This did not happen. Martini died in the summer of 2012, not without first vigorously demanding Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation. While he personally did not succeed in 2013, another Jesuit, whom Martini had already supported in 2005 as an alternative to the prevention of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger: Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio.

Whatever the channels, it was Benedict XVI who brought Coccopalmerio to Rome in 2007, where he was very inconspicuous. That was to change under Pope Francis. The new line evidently meant more to the priest of the Archdiocese of Milan, as evidenced by his public defense of controversial decisions.

In June 2017, Coccopalmerio's secretary, Msgr. Luigi Capozzi, was arrested by the Vatican gendarmerie at a drug homosexual party in his home. It was not only the situation, but also the fact that the apartment was in the Palace of the Congregation of the Faith. Although the whole thing had nothing to do with it, but with the fact that the palace is accessible to both the Vatican and Italy. It was apparently a security breech, which was suitable to bring drugs and homosexuals into the building.

Pope Francis ignored the event, which also had no apparent consequences for Coccopalmerio. However, since then, the cardinal has no longer appeared in public to make statements.

In October 2018, when the largely homosexual abuse scandal of minors by clerics and the McCarrick Affair dominated the headlines, more details were passed around that could explain why the Cardinal had become so quiet: The Canadian news agency LifeSiteNews reported that it was not only the cardinal's secretary who was caught at the sodomitical drug orgy. The gendarmes had also found Coccopalmerio himself in the apartment, but quickly pushed him out of the rooms for reasons of state and put the veil of silence over it. Corresponding reports of the incident also reached the Pope, who left Coccopalmerio in office until his 80th birthday in April 2018. According to reports, the question arose as to whether the purple bearer could remain cardinal any longer. Pope Francis ignored the whole thing.

In an interview published today by InfoVaticana, the cardinal stated that he was an opponent of today's "female fashion". However, this is currently not necessarily the focus of the a”interview. By contrast, concerning the "hot iron" of homosexuality, the cardinal was quite reserved.

As for him personally, he denied all homosexual allegations against his person. Incidentally, if he were a pope, Coccopalmerio said, he would have invited the Dubia cardinals "for an aperitif".

The interview by journalist Almudena Martínez-Bordiú was coincidentally agreed upon before the recent flight to Rome and led just before the Abuse Summit in the Vatican, in which Cardinal Coccopalmerio did not attend. The cardinal's photo was taken on the occasion of the interview.

Some excerpts:

Martínez-Bordiú: Who is Francesco Coccopalmerio?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: I can define myself as a Christian who believes in and hopes for Jesus.

At the age of thirteen, the current Cardinal first felt the call to the priesthood.

Martínez-Bordiú: Have you had any faith crises since then?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: Maybe not during my life ... during the past years, although I can not say that I had a crisis, but I had temptations.

Martínez-Bordiú: Temptations?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: Yes, to think that our faith is not true. I believe that we all have these moments of temptation that must be overcome with the grace of the Holy Spirit. I recently met a very good priest, a missionary, who told me that he had great crises of faith, and I believe that the Lord does not escape that experience. We have great saints like Mother Teresa of Calcutta ... or at first I would call Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, who had had these experiences with the "Night of Faith", a dimming, as if the Lord had withdrawn completely from her life. Jesus also had this experience on the cross.

Martínez-Bordiú: The Cardinals Brandmüller and Burke have written a letter to the participants in the summit on the sexual abuse of minors. They point to "the homosexual evil that has spread throughout the Church" and call on the bishops to "break the silence" at the meeting. Archbishop Charles Scicluna said that 80 percent of sexual abuse victims are male. Do you believe that there is a connection between homosexuality and clerical abuse?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: I am not a psychologist, it has many problems and is difficult to judge. I could not even if I was a psychologist. I would have to be a specialist in this area, so I can not give judgment. It is true that homosexuality is widespread, that is a notorious fact. There may be a connection between homosexuality and abuse, but I can not say for sure because I'm not a subject matter expert.

Martínez-Bordiú: Do you think that this topic should be dealt with at the summit?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: I think they could talk about it, yes. But I do not know what they will talk about.

Martínez-Bordiú: In your opinion, what measures should be taken with regard to the evil of abuse against which the Church suffers? What solutions can be found for the selection of candidates for the priesthood?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: This topic should be studied and deepened. For example, I have always supported the need for all those who wish to enter the seminary to be ordained priests or deacons to be subjected to a serious psychological study.

The Code of Canon Law only states that if the rector or the bishop allows a person to attend the seminary, only they can attest the candidate's mental and physical health. The physical health certificate can be given by a doctor, but the psychic test must be done by a psychologist, by a psychiatrist. It is therefore necessary that this test exists. It is not enough to say: "Yes, it is a person who shines well". The psyche must be examined with a certain amount of attention, as I have always argued.

My position, which I consider fair, has always been rejected: "It is not necessary, some may do this test, but not all ..." It is necessary for this test to be done and for the aspects of each personality to be looked at.

Martínez-Bordiú: And what happens if it is discovered at some point that the person has mental problems?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: You can say to him, "Look, you are not fit for the priesthood, and we dispose you of it." Every case has to be considered, because there are simple cases that can be solved with therapy, and more complex cases. If it is not curable, we can say, "It is not your place, not your service."

Martínez-Bordiú: In February 2018, you published a book on the eighth chapter of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia. Why did you find it necessary to talk about this section?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: I've written about this chapter because it's the one that has a closer relationship to my specialization. Labor law, behavior, intentions, practice. I pay particular attention to this chapter because it is a very rich and rather confusing chapter.

Martínez-Bordiú: Why confusing?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: Confusing in the sense that there are things that could have been said more clearly or with greater logical order. Sometimes something is said that could have been said before, other things that could have been said later. I wanted to create a tutorial guide to make the text more readable and clearer. But I did not want to comment on the eighth chapter or add anything to the chapter. I just wanted to create a clarifying guide for reading this text.

Martínez-Bordiú: In September 2016, four Cardinals demanded an opinion from Pope Francis on Amoris laetitia. What do you think, why the Holy Father has not responded to the Dubia to this day?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: That's his decision. If I had, I would have called the four of them and said: Brothers, let's have a coffee, an aperitif or a dinner together to talk. I would have done that, but he seems to think otherwise.

Martínez-Bordiú: In June 2017, the media reported that the Vatican gendarmerie has uncovered  homosexuals in the Vatican rooms of Mgr. Luigi Capozzi, then your secretary. A few months later, a North American media source assured that you, too, were found in your secretary's apartment that night. Were you really there?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: Everything that has been said is wrong. The unbelievable thing is that they invented everything.

Martínez-Bordiú: That of Capozzi too?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: He did not do anything bad. They invented that there was a meeting in his apartment between homosexuals, with drugs, and that I could not have known ... all wrong, all invented! Any why is this the case? In the first place, to harm me and harm the Pope.

How should I say ... you look in the Curia, in the Vatican: Who is there? There is one like Coccopalmerio, who is a friend of the Pope, and then ... Do you understand that? Unfortunately, things come like that. If someone meets them on the street, pulls a gun and shoots them, what can they do about it? What can they do when they are dead?

The problem is that they do not want to believe it. It has been denied, but from time to time this thing comes up again. There was news about this case a few months ago, and now there has been an official denial. But while many ch is made of false news, Little is made of clarifications.

Martínez-Bordiú: Have you taken action against those who claim otherwise?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: We did not do anything like that ... But it is sad that it is so.

Martínez-Bordiú: What do you think of gender ideology, this current that denies the existence of biological differences between men and women and the so-called LGBT group?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: This gender theory is very complex. As I said, I am not a psychologist or an expert in this field. I can say the same about this topic now. There are things that need to be studied and deepened by several experts. But I think there are some things that can not be easily accepted. For example, that you are a man and then declare that you are a woman, that seems to me to be such a thing ... Or to deny that there is a difference, at least of a physical nature, between a man and a woman. Some things, I mean, can not be denied. "I decide that there is no difference, then it has to be that way", that's not right.

I've been to a Latin American country in recent months where I've been told something I did not know, and I was surprised that there is this theory of "macho": the man who dominates the woman. And they explained to me the example of a man who comes to the bank with a woman, and the bank official was respectful and cordial when he talked to him. As soon as the woman opened her mouth, the officer turned away and did not listen. An amazing thing. This whole part should be studied.

I also take the opportunity to say that I am very worried and think we need to do something about female fashion.

Martínez-Bordiú: The female fashion?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: Yes. Now, when summer starts, you can see in St. Peter's Square that generally all girls are dressed as if they were on the beach. For me, this is not an acceptable thing, because they cause different reactions in the men, which can be overcome with intelligence, goodness and virtue. But why should people get into trouble? You should know that there are also "non-normal" people who do not have the intelligence and not the virtue and easily fall. Something has to be done here. The girls can not go that way, they should not dress provocatively, so they provoke no reactions of the same kind in the opposite sex. That should be said. My opinion may be popular or unpopular, but it seems fair to me.

Martínez-Bordiú: This Thursday [21. February], the book "Sodoma" by the French sociologist Frédéric Martel, who claims after interviews with the highest dignitaries of the Vatican, that 80 percent of the consecrated people in the Vatican are homosexuals. What do you say to this claim?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: I do not know ... I find it an assertion that does not convince. There may be homosexuals who have this tendency and at the same time overcome this condition. And there may be others who get into this situation from time to time. But I think it's an exaggerated assertion that needs proof.

Martínez-Bordiú: Ex-Cardinal McCarrick was dismissed. Is sexual abuse an example that mercy must be overcome by justice?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: That's a topic of criminal law. When they say, "I must forgive, I must also exercise mercy toward those who are heavy sinners." At the same time, the church must also say that it does not agree, that this kind of action is not good, it can not be accepted. There must be a reaction to the evil that immediately takes place against the person who has wronged.

When assigning an official position or task to a person, this is because that person should perform the assigned function. If this person is unable to fulfill what has been assigned to them, there is a reaction against wrongdoing, but also a sanction, such as the impossibility of continuing work in the same capacity.

You can be merciful to the person, but you must put an end to the evil and remove the person who has caused it. This does not contradict mercy, because mercy can also be shown to the person with closeness, prayer, and even friendship. This would be on the personal level.

Criminal and administrative sanctions are public. Friendship, closeness and prayer are something private. You have to make that distinction. But if the Church sees that this priest has committed abuses, and nothing is done about it, it would quickly mean that the Church approves of this behavior. The reaction shows that this behavior is wrong.

Martínez-Bordiú: Do you think that you should hold to account those who knew what had happened but kept silent?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: I can not tell you that because I did not investigate the case. Whether they knew it or not, I can not say it. Concerning these things, this problem of having covered such behaviors can also be said ... If you have a child ... Are you married?

Martínez-Bordiú: No ...

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: Well, if you had a child doing bad things, something serious, what is your immediate reaction? "I hope nobody knows, because I want my son to be respected". By that I mean that this is not concealment that justifies the bad action. It can also be covered, because that would be a nuisance to many believers. Then the shepherd, the bishop says: "We hope that it will not be known to avoid a scandal".

Martínez-Bordiú: But McCarrick was allowed to continue doing evil ...

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: If lying is about being able to carry on, that's not ... You have to intervene and say, "Look, you can not go on doing what you do, I'm taking your office away." In this sense you should not cover up. It however, can also be understood that there can also be types of cover-ups in the sense of saying, "We hope that it will not be known so there will be no scandal". It can also be understood that there have also been cover-ups in this sense. But if it means that it is still allowed to continue the evil, then obviously it is not right. You have to see from case to case what happened.

Martínez-Bordiú: Pope Francis said at the general audience on Wednesday said that "one should not pray like parrots". How do you pray as a cardinal?

Cardinal Coccopalmerio: Like most people, I have a daily routine of prayer. As a priest, I celebrate Mass and the Litirgy is the Hours. Then I put a lot of emphasis on the Lectio Divina, a part of Scripture, and I do not read it as if it were some book, but as the Word of God, as something Jesus told me at that moment. I also attach great importance to the visit to the Blessed Holy. In general, I stay 15 minutes before Jesus, because He allows a face to face friendship. And I always devote a time of prayer to the Virgin by praying the Rosary. And then there is the confession that I - I do not know - go to once a month.

The journalist Almudena Martínez-Bordiú added at the end of the publication of the interview, a personal assessment, which should also be added:

"It is said that the look is the reflection of the soul, and even if only God knows, his eyes seem to speak the truth."

Former Apostolic Nuncio in the US, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò  names Cardinal Coccopalmerio in his dossier as a member of the gay lobby. It was therefore all the more peculiar that Pope Francis expressly instructed him in early September 2018 to take legal action against Archbishop Viganò, although the cardinal was directly affected.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Image: InfoVaticana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG