A NICE FLAT (IN THE VATICAN) FOR THE FLEEING APURON

"You guys talk about transparency and accountability with our government, and being open, yet they (referring to Archbishop Michael Byrnes) sweep Bishop Apuron away, and there's zero accountability for all the injustices; that he committed here on Guam, and they're hiding him in the Vatican."- Guam Pride founder and president Lasia Casil

While Casil is grossly misinformed if Casil thinks Archbishop Byrnes has anything to do with Apuron being swept away and "hiding in the Vatican," Casil may be right that someone or "someones" are hiding Apuron in the Vatican. 

As demonstrated here, "someone" in the Vatican is certainly keeping an eye on JungleWatch. On August 31, 2020 alone, there were 18 views of JungleWatch from Vatican City - and all from the same computer. 

A few of the links tell us what the "someone" in Vatican City was looking for:

• http://www.junglewatch.info/2019/04/pdn-lawsuits-against-archdiocese-of.html
• http://www.junglewatch.info/search/label/Civil%20cases
• http://www.junglewatch.info/2018/08/dm-vs-anthony-sablan-apuron-filed-aug-8.html

We shouldn't be surprised if Apuron is being hid, not only "by the Vatican," but maybe even "in the Vatican." 

There is, of course, the "Red Pope," aka Cardinal Filoni, and Apuron's connection with the powerful Neocatechumenal Way. But there is also what Pope Benedict called the "gay lobby," which is sometimes referred to as the "Lavender Mafia" because of how much power "it" has. 

In memoirs, ex Pope Benedict says Vatican 'gay lobby' tried to wield power: report (Reuters)

While Apuron might have been labeled a "pedophile" because of the allegations against him for sexually molesting underaged males, there is no evidence that Apuron was a pedophile. 

A pedophile, clinically defined, is a biological adult who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children. None of Apuron's known victims were prepubescent children, all were post-pubescent (adolescent) teenagers. 

And while Apuron's alleged victims might have been under the legal adult age of 18, all (taking the norm into account) were fully developed biological adult males. 

In other words, Apuron's alleged abusive acts were homosexual acts, albeit still "criminal" because of his alleged perpetrating said acts on unwilling victims - not to mention the alleged trickery and abuse of his clerical office.

Note: Criminal is in quotes because the criminal statute of limitations has now expired so even if said acts occurred as they are alleged, said acts cannot be labeled criminal. The law permitting the alleged victims of Apuron to sue Apuron for child abuse. 

So it makes sense that the Vatican, now so widely known to be in the control of several pink prelates, would have a nice flat for the fleeing Apuron. 

In fact, given what we now know about Apuron's alleged victims. Apuron may feel right at home in Francis' Vatican (i.e. "who am I to judge?")

Vatican cops bust drug-fueled gay orgy at home of cardinal’s aide (NY Post)

Great observation, Lasia Casil. The gay lobby (i.e. the Vatican "LGBTQ community") may in fact be hiding this guy.

Oh Yah. Trick or Treat. 

Accusers locate Apuron

Investigators find archbishop in California

KUAM'S BARNETT TO AB BYRNES: "I DON'T KNOW IF WHERE HE PUTS HIS PENIS NEGATES THAT."

A segment of this interview was made into a news item and was referenced in the previous post "FOR THE VIOLENT BEAR IT AWAY." Here is the full interview. It is programmed to start at the point Barnett challenges Archbishop Byrnes with the penis reference.

FOR THE VIOLENT BEAR IT AWAY

Several days ago, the archbishop of Agana, Guam, Archbishop Michael Byrnes, issued a letter in response to comments made by Pope Francis in support of civil unions for same-sex couples. 

In the letter Archbishop Byrnes rightly and correctly stated that the pope's comments do not change Church teaching. 

Apparently, certain persons on Guam took offense to the Archbishop's comments and KUAM ran an article titled: "Guam LGTBQ members share thoughts on archbishop's same-sex marriage stance"

Yesterday, radio talk show host, Bob Klitzkie engaged the KUAM article on his afternoon show "Tall Tales," and I (Tim Rohr) called in. 

You can listen to what I said, but the gist of what I said is that what Archbishop Byrnes said is NOT his "stance." 

Neither the Archbishop nor the Pope has the authority to change Church teaching. 

More after the video.

The challenge in these days of poorly catechized Catholics (and even clergy) is defining what is meant by "the teaching of the Church." 

The Catholic Church is the only Church which can and does trace its "deposit of faith" to Christ and the Apostles, i.e. "one, holy, catholic, and APOSTOLIC faith.

Other "churches" trace their "deposit of faith" to the Bible, and more specifically, to one individual's particular interpretation of the Bible, which is why there are more than 30,000 "churches."

And this is why so many churches these days (e.g. Episcopalians) believe themselves divinely empowered to not only embrace homosexual marriage, but also authorized to ordain openly homosexual men and women into the ministry, the priesthood, and even the bishopric.

So when Archbishop Byrnes says that the pope's comments don't change Church teaching (capital "C"), he is functionally saying that not only do some off-hand comments by the pope in a documentary NOT carry any "ecclesial weight," Archbishop Byrnes is also saying that the pope has NO AUTHORITY to change that which was handed down from Christ through His Apostles and continues to live before us today.

I'm glad I listened to this next video till the end because I almost turned it off. It appeared that Archbishop Byrnes was caving. A certain Glenn Lujan had just said "God loves us all and he forgives us..." 

Before I tell you how Archbishop Byrnes responded, let's be clear, God does love us all, God does want to save us, God does want to bring us home to heaven, and God DOES want to forgive us. BUT WE MUST REPENT AND PROMISE TO "SIN NO MORE." - Jesus, John. 8:11 

So it doesn't matter if we are in a same-sex union, an adulterous union, or an intentionally contraceptive union; unless we "firmly resolve with the help of thy grace to sin no more" (the Act of Contrition), there is NO forgiveness. NONE.

Now, back to what Archbishop Byrnes said.

In this radio segment, it appeared at first that Archbishop Byrnes was making this about his personal beliefs and not the Apostolic Faith; and that Mr. Lujan was getting the better of him. However, Archbishop Byrnes shifted gears and said "Sin is Sin." 

We don't know what happened after that because KUAM cut the interview at that moment, but not before Mr. Lujan's face showed that he didn't have an answer. 

Perhaps that's why KUAM cut it?

Jesus said a lot of strange things, and this is one:

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away." - Matthew 11:12

Look it up if you want. There are many interpretations. But Jesus himself showed us what it means to sacrifice your body when he permitted his own Sacred Body to be subjected to the most torturous violence ever allowed by God: the Sacred Passion and Death of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

And having paid that price, Jesus now sits "at the right hand of the Father" and will come to "judge the living and the dead." 

For the violent bear it away.

GUAM CLERGY SEX ABUSE UPDATE

 

Parties in Guam's clergy sex abuse cases could receive assistance with the mediation process, at no cost, to help settle the cases in three months.

Posted by The Guam Daily Post on Tuesday, October 27, 2020

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT "CATHOLIC" JOE BIDEN

 

BOB CALLS OUT THE GUAM WOMEN'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BAIT AND SWITCH

The Guam Women's Chamber of Commerce holds itself out to be an organization to "advance women in business." But given 3 of the 6 questions on its candidate survey, the GWCC appears to be little more than a front for the pro-abortion women of the Democrat party. 

2. Do you support the re-election of President Donald Trump? Why, or why not?

3. Do you support a woman's right to choose?

4. 10 GCA subsection 3218 requires that a physician who performs an abortion on Guam must fill out a report containing 25 potentially identity-revealing items about the patient: age, ethnicity, village, number of living children, etc. This report must be turned in to the Department of Public Health and Social Services. This statute and a number of other statutes are designed to intimidate women and doctors with regard to abortion on Guam. If elected, would you be willing to repeal 10 GCA 3218?

Bob Klitzkie called out the bait and switch GWCC yesterday on Tall Tales.

VATICAN KEEPS AN EYE ON JUNGLEWATCH

On his radio show today, Bob Klitzkie mentioned that the Vatican keeps on an eye on JungleWatch. He's right. 

1,728 VIEWS PER DAY

ARCHBISHOP BYRNES STATEMENT RE POPE'S COMMENTS ON SAME-SEX CIVIL UNIONS

 Oct. 23, 2020

 

Archbishop’s statement regarding

pope’s comments on same-sex civil unions

 

National media yesterday reported that Pope Francis made the following comments as part of a new documentary, Francesco: “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God. You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.” – AP

I will address this issue with our Catholic faithful by way of a pastoral letter shortly to provide guidance and minimize confusion that I’m certain has arisen. However, to immediately respond to questions by our Guam media, I issue this statement:

 

First, it’s important to note that the comments attributed to the Pope are from a documentary -- NOT a papal pronouncement. I regard it similar to what he says when he lets reporters ask him questions on his flights to and from whatever country he has visited. Which is to say, it has very little ecclesiastical weight. It does NOT alter Church teaching.

 

In his papacy, the Holy Father has historically expressed great compassion and concern for our brothers and sisters who struggle with same-sex attraction. Rightfully so. However, he has repeatedly affirmed Church teaching on marriage, that marriage as designed by God, is a union of a man and a woman. I emphasize that the Catechism of the Catholic Church has not changed with respect to the Sixth Commandment.

 

United in matrimony, a man and woman cooperate with Our Creator in the miracle of life, procreation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:  1601 "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament."⁸⁴

 

When it comes to our relationships with persons who struggle with same-sex attraction, God is the one to judge, the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts our hearts toward repentance and our role is to love all sinners into holiness.

 

 Archbishop Michael Byrnes

Metropolitan Archbishop of Agaña

HE'S JUST PAPA...FOR NOW

Posted by Tim

By now, half the world knows that Pope Francis has come out publicly in support of same-sex unions. 

Pope Francis calls for civil union law for same-sex couples, in shift from Vatican stance

Catholic News Agency

And Francis' arch-nemesis has already fired back:

Archbishop Viganò responds to new film in which Pope endorses homosexual civil unions

Lifesite News

_____

I can't do better that Vigano, so I'll leave the big arguments for the big people. However, I will quibble with the pope on something I (and many lay people) have more authority than the pope to quibble about.

Francis argues that we ought to have "civil unions" so that "homosexuals" - or at least those desiring legal recognition of their union - "are legally covered." 

And this is where we lay people can tell Papa to go pound sand. 

Anyone who has endured a court-ordered break-up of a marriage (which is what a "civil union" is), will know that in this age of no-fault divorce, the last thing you can count on is being "legally covered." 

No-fault divorce statutes have not only castrated the marriage contract, said statutes can functionally force civilly-joined people to surrender their "legal cover" to the state. 

Today, not withstanding a "pre-nup" to the contrary, any married person in a no-fault divorce state, for no reason at all, can simply file a petition for a couple hundred bucks and demand a divorce and half or more of everything accumulated during the marriage. Laws and rules vary by jurisdiction (i.e. states, counties, etc.), but basically that's the gist of it. 

Example

Let's say there is a same-sex couple in a civil union - such as the one Francis says we should have. And let's say Partner 1 is the breadwinner and Partner 2 doesn't produce income. And let's say they've been in a civil union for 10 years. 

And let's say that thanks to Partner 1's high paying job, Partners 1 and 2 have been able to acquire an upscale home, create several investments, stash a lot of money into a retirement account, and acquire some really nice stuff, i.e. cars, furniture, vacation home, etc.

And let's say one day Partner 2 grows tired of Partner 1 and files for divorce. No fault divorce says that Partner 2 gets half of everything Partner 1 worked for.

This is what Papa Francis calls "legal cover." Had they not been in a civil union, neither one of them would have any right to the property of the other. 

Best Interest of the Child

Of course this has nothing to do with the sex of the couples. But at least heterosexual marriage - being that it is naturally ordered towards the bearing and raising of children - has a built-in foil against jumping from partner to partner. And even in a heterosexual marriage gone bad, the presence of children is potentially a moral neutralizer. 

Most states now, including Guam, have legislated a "best interest of the child" standard. And any marital breakup wherein minor children are involved, invokes the "best interest" statutes, including the division of property, which may be divided by the court in the "best interest of the child." 

In fact, the whole "community property" idea, wherein all assets acquired during the marriage belong to the couple, is all about the "best interest of the child," since the law assumes that marriage exists for the bearing and raising of children.

It gets complicated, but despite all the arguments about "love" being the reason for marriage - which is the basis of Francis' argument - civil laws, nationwide, still say that love doesn't matter. In fact, in all of marriage law, the word "love" never appears. And it doesn't appear in divorce law either. What matters is the child, the BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD.

The bedroom

After reading many comments on several postings in social media re Francis' support of same-sex civil unions, the most common put-down of anyone who dared oppose the pope's message was the tired-old argument, i.e. "who are you to tell people what they can do in their bedrooms."

The answer is "Nobody." 

Nobody has the right to tell anyone what they can do in their bedrooms. The issue is that Francis and others do not want to leave it in the bedroom. They want to force it into the courtroom...and into legislative chambers...and into your face.

End Notes

On a private note, I have had long years of experience with this issue. And I have found that the happiest and most secure same-sex couples want nothing to do with civil unions, same-sex marriage, an agenda such as Papa's, or a contract that is not worth the paper it is written on in the age of no-fault divorce. 

Lastly, it doesn't matter what Francis says in a documentary, on an airplane, or even in an apostolic exhortation. Francis is not the Church. He's just the Pope ("Papa")...for now.  

Every morning, I pray the "Morning Offering" which normally ends with these words: "for the intentions of the Holy Father." However, these days, I leave out the words: "the intentions of..." 

MARXIST FEMINISM’S RUINED LIVES

 I’ve known women who fell for this creed in their youth who now, in their fifties and sixties, cry themselves to sleep decades of countless nights grieving for the children they’ll never have and the ones they coldly murdered because they were protecting the empty loveless futures they now live with no way of going back.  “Where are my children?  Where are my grandchildren?” they cry to me.

“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy; its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”  Winston Churchill wrote this over a century ago.

During my junior year in high school, the nuns asked about our plans for after we graduated. When I said I was going to attend State University, I noticed their disappointment.  I asked my favorite nun, “Why?” She answered, “That means you’ll leave four years later a communist and an atheist!” CONTINUED

COMMUNITY RALLY

 

VATICAN SEX SUMMIT REPORT: DAY ONE

This is an article from February 2019 dealing with the McCarrick matter which appears to have involved much more that McCarrick's homosexual predator behavior. 

Communists successful in infiltrating Catholic Church

by Michael Voris, S.T.B. • ChurchMilitant.com • February 21, 2019 

The communists were incredibly successful in infiltrating the Church; McCarrick was one of their men

This summit has been assailed as a phony sideshow by homosexual clerics attempting to hide their own homosexual network, chief of which had been Theodore McCarrick, who the network protected for decades and in many ways is the entire reason for this meeting.

But there now appears to be much more to this story than just the homosexual angle, as large as that still looms.

CONTINUED

The McCarrick affair intersected with the Apuron matter in August 2018 when the McCarrick story first broke. JW has always believed that the pope's strange comments about the Apuron matter indicated that Apuron's powerful NCW allies deep inside the Vatican had succeeded in channelling Apuron's appeal directly to the pope and that the pope had intended to reverse Apuron's guilty verdict. However, before the pope could exonerate Apuron, the McCarrick affair broke and it appears that Francis simply had no way out other than to deny Apuron's appeal. 

*****

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/pope-francis-dismisses-viganos-accusations-mccarrick-cover

The pontiff revealed that the last bishop to have been judged by such a process was Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who the Vatican announced in March had been found guilty of "certain of the accusations" against him, which included sexually abusing young men decades ago.

Noting that Apuron is appealing the verdict, the pope said that because it is a "very, very difficult case," he had decided to "take the appeal upon myself."

"I took it upon myself and I made a commission of canonists to help me," Francis explained, adding: "It is a complicated case on one hand, but also not difficult because the evidence is very clear."

"But I cannot prejudge," he said. "I'll wait for the information, and then I will judge."

KLITZKIE: THE GOVERNOR HAS CROSSED THE LINE

Restrictions on churches and churchgoers violate the free exercise of religion clause

By Robert Klitzkie

Our Organic Act has held since 1950: “No law shall be enacted in Guam respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of their grievances.” It’s 48 USC § 1421b. (a) and it tracks the First Amendment to the US Constitution. CONTINUED

EX-CARDINAL BECCIU IS NOT NEW TO JUNGLEWATCH

Cardinal Becciu: Vatican official forced out in rare resignation (Story here)

Dossier To Vatican Alleges Cardinal Becciu Covertly Channeled Money to Australia 

The National Catholic Register (EWTN) stops short in its headline of stating exactly why Becciu allegedly did this, but at least the article goes on to suggest that Becciue did this to knock out Cardinal Pell, the Pope's number one guy investigating Vatican finances at the time.

Meanwhile, Becciu has shown up several times on JungleWatch long before he made news re the current scandal. 

APURON'S ACCUSERS WANT APURON TO GET WHAT HE SAID HE WANTED

 

In August 2017, Apuron's attorney said:

"I think it is important for Apuron to have his day in court...The longer this case is delayed, the higher risk my client will die with this case hanging over his head." 

"Attorney: Apuron wants his ‘day in court,'" Guam Daily Post, Aug. 8, 2017.

However, ever since then, Apuron has been trying to avoid "his day in court." Last month, Apuron filed a motion to halt the sex abuse cases pending against him. 

"Former archbishop uses 2016 law in attempt to halt sex abuse cases," Guam Daily Post, Sep. 10, 2020

Today, it was reported that Apuron's accusers are insisting that Apuron gets what he first said he wanted:

"Apuron accusers move to block request to halt lawsuits'"  Guam Daily Post, Oct. 3, 2020

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT

 

THANK YOU. ARCHBISHOP BYRNES

 Guam's Catholic churches will resume celebrating Mass indoors on Oct. 3

Churches are not yet allowed to reopen for indoor Mass and other group activities.

The clarification was issued after Archbishop Michael Byrnes announced Guam's Catholic churches will reopen on Oct. 3 and 4 for indoor Mass.

The governor's office said churches don't have the go-signal yet. CONTINUED

TIM PROVIDES A TEMPLATE

 How ordinary lay people took on a vast church power structure extending into the deepest recesses of the Vatican - and prevailed - is a template for how Guam's citizens who are fed up with gubernatorial tyranny can do the same.

TALL TALES WITH BOB KLITZKIE,  Sep. 15, 2020

LETTERS TO THE GOVERNOR

 From Fr. Michael Crisostomo - Sept. 25, 2020

From Dr. Thomas Shieh - Sept. 27, 2020

IF THIS IS TRUE...5 YEARS LATER?

 JW's stats for the last 7 days show a post titled "IF THIS IS TRUE" as the post getting the most attention. 

The post turns out to be a post from 2015 posted the day after a certain Fr. Luis Camacho was arrested. 

Now why would there be such interest in this issue five years later?

SANDY SAYS...

Well, we haven't had such a full throated defense of the Kiko like this in quite awhile. Thanks, Sandy. We miss people like you here on JungleWatch. Hope to hear from you again soon!

SandySeptember 25, 2020 at 1:57 PM

Only a moralistic idiot like Nestor can write such shit like he has.The bible stupid, is a summary of an EXPERIENCE that has to re-discovered in the COMMUNITY - can you spell that word or speak it properly? COMMUNITY!!! People continue to suffer you "blind bat" - where do you hail from - the moon? But God enlightens the sufferring however small and life proceeds and is ressurrected again - Read Pope Benedict's books before you talk shit. Sandy Darwin Australia

NOTE: Sandy is referring to a certain comment made by a certain "Nestor" on this post from 2016. 

THE OTHER PANDEMIC

Today, Guam's governor shut down our island for the 6th week in a row reportedly because the number of Covid infections and Covid-related deaths continue to rise.

LETTER FROM A PRIEST IN KENYA TO SEMINARIANS

The original post is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/frolusifaithdigest/permalink/3514442548601965/

Dear Seminarians,

It is not an easy time right now to be a priest or one studying to be a priest.

Praise God.

The Church is being not only humbled but humiliated by the sins of Her own ministers.

Praise God.

Countless innocent priests are looked at with suspicion if not outright hatred because of the sins of their guilty brothers.

Praise God. 

I praise God in this not to downplay the depravity of my brothers’ crimes, scandles or ignore my own weeknesses, frustration, anger, and sadness at every bit of this awful situation. 

I praise God because the truth always sets us free and the Cross always conquers.  

The fact is, I am a priest of Jesus Christ. The natural habitat of a priest of Jesus Christ is the Cross – condemned for someone else’s sins; cursed reviled, mocked, and scourged – all willingly and for the sins of others. 

I may think to myself, “I never hurt a child in my life. I would never dream of sexually abusing anyone. Why am I looked at with suspicion?” 

Why? Because I am a priest of Jesus Christ. Because the priesthood into which I was ordained means that the monsters who committed these crimes or covered up for those who did are my brothers. I benefit every day from the love people have for their priests because of truly saintly ones who have gone before me; I must also willingly suffer the distrust, suspicion, and hatred because of the sinful ones who have gone before me as well. 

At a deeper level, though, to borrow a point from Fr. Mike Schmitz: I can say, I never did anything to deserve this, but you know what, those kids didn’t do anything to deserve what happened to them either. The victims - those members of the Church hurt in unspeakable ways by those who were ordained to care for them. They didn’t deserve what happened to them, and the burden they carry and pain they experience are incomparably worse than being judged for the sins of another.

Why am I writing this to you? So that, in the midst of present chaos in the Church and the world, you may not lose hope. 

There are snakes in the priesthood you hope to enter. But there are also saints. For every Judas, there are eleven other apostles who strive to be faithful.

On the darkest day the world has ever seen, at the very beginning of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, one betrayed, one denied, and nine fled. Only one remained. 

It is now, at this moment of crisis in the Church – uncertainty regarding every level of her leadership – that we are all given the opportunity to choose what kind of man and what kind of priest we want to be. 

We’ve seen those who have betrayed, and what they’ve done should make us sick to the stomach and furious to the very depths of our souls.

We’ve all at one point or another been those who deny the Lord or run away from our faith when times get hard and we get scared. I thank God that, in His mercy, He accepts us back and replaces our cowardice with courage, just as He did with His original disciples. 

At this crucial moment in the life of the Church, though, let’s be the one who remained. 

Let’s be the ones who remain. 

What does that mean? Just don’t leave the Church? No. So much more.

To remain as the Beloved Disciple remained is to cling to Christ when He doesn’t seem all that powerful, to be associated with Him when He is not all that popular, to suffer alongside Him as His Body hangs, bleeding and battered, on the Cross. To remain with Him means to be close to His mother who weeps for the members of her Son’s Body so deeply wounded by those who were meant to represent Him.

To remain at the Cross with our Crucified Lord and our Sorrowful Mother. 

What does that look like?

For one thing, it means being still when the world around you is chaos. 

It means spending more time in the chapel than in the blogosphere. 

It means being more filled with the ancient wisdom of Scripture than the hot takes and hastily scribbled opinions of this writer or that. (Might I suggest making your way through the books of the prophets during this particularly turbulent time? Doing so has been a great help to me in these weeks). 

It means refraining from jumping to conclusions prematurely, rather choosing to reflect long and hard before coming out with confident statements regarding someone’s innocence or guilt, recognizing that almost always, more facts must come to light before a good judgment can be made. 

Accusations this public and far-reaching are far too serious matters to decide without a truly thorough investigation. Thankfully, it is neither your job nor mine to conduct the investigation.

So what is our job? Remain at the uniquely uncomfortable place that is the foot of the Cross – a place where we can say both that justice demands a thorough and transparent investigation of everyone implicated in the McCarrick scandal and that charity demands that we withhold condemnation until the full truth comes out.

So, at the foot of the Cross we remain. 

And remember, who do we find there? Our bleeding Lord and our weeping Mother. Company infinitely better than either extreme of the Catholic blogosphere; consolers incomparably more effective than the “comfort sins” we may be accustomed to turn to when life gets overwhelming; a King and a Queen we can trust in totally when our faith in our  own leaders has been shaken. 

While we don’t want to become totally distrustful of those tasked with leading us, we have to be honest about the fact that in this current climate of “his word or mine”, we don’t know who or what to believe anymore.

Believe this: The King has nails in His hands and the Queen a sword in her heart. You can trust them. You can trust them because they are hurting as much as you are. Remain with them. Suffer with them. 

The Church Needs You to Remain

You have, I’m sure, been enjoined in these days to “defend the Church”. I ask you to do the same. Defend the Church. 

But what does that mean? Defend the institution and its structures? Defend the hierarchy and its failures? Attack the media for its chronic and seemingly willful misreporting on the issue? Point out to the world that this is a sickness that reaches well beyond the confines of the Catholic Church?

No. Those discussions all have their time and place, and it is not here and now. 

How do we defend the Church here and now? Defend the victims. Never forget that before the Church is an institution, it is a believer. And thousands of believers have been wounded. 

The Church’s reputation has been wounded. So have so many of Her children. Shed your tears for the children rather than the reputation and, by the grace of God, both may be healed. 

It is now more than ever that the Church needs you. But it needs you to be the saints God invites you to become. We no longer have time for mediocrity, for settling, for compromise. 

We need men who are willing to give over every part of themselves to the work of bringing Jesus into a sick world, working within a Church that caught the world’s worst sickness. 

We need men who – imperfect though they be – are willing to remain firmly planted between the Crucified Christ and His Sorrowful Mother and thus become the new generation of priests God raises up to heal the wounded in His Church.

We need a generation of priests who will restore the faith and trust in the people of God that the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus. 

We need a generation of priests as tender in their love for the Lord and His beloved people as they are uncompromising in their battle against sin – in themselves, their brothers, and the Church at large. 

We need a generation of priests to lead us to our only true hope for salvation: Jesus Christ. 

And we need you to be that generation. 

It’s not by chance but by providence that God has called you into formation at this exact time and not another. Because of this, you can trust that He will give you the grace to do what we need you to do and be who we need you to be. 

Rise up to the challenge. Work with the One who is forming you into men capable of being the priest-saints that will bring Christ into countless broken lives desperate for His love. Pray with all you’ve got. Study with all that’s in you. Learn to serve. Learn how to take care of yourself, physically and spiritually. Build friendships that support and strengthen rather than enable and cover up. Let God use the seminary to form you into the saints we need for these troubled times. 

And in the midst of it all, know that we love you, that we’re praying for you, and that the God who calls you to a great and noble vocation will carry you every step of the way in living it out, if you let Him.

TODAY'S CATHOLICS - THE NEW RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

The basis for one of the theories of how Israel lost the Ark of the Covenant is found in 2 Chronicles 12:9:

So Sesac king of Egypt departed from Jerusalem, taking away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and he took all with him, and the golden shields that Solomon had made...

Why God permitted the Ark (possibly) to be stolen by Sesac is inferred in two earlier verses:

2 And in the fifth year of the reign of Roboam, Sesac king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem (because they had sinned against the Lord)

5 And Semeias the prophet came to Roboam, and to the princes of Juda, that were gathered together in Jerusalem, fleeing from Sesac, and he said to them: Thus saith the Lord: You have left me, and I have left you in the hand of Sesac.

Throughout the history of Israel, God, while not completely abandoning his chosen people, permits "the world" to correct their course, giving them up to captivity and attack "because they had sinned against the Lord," and because "You have left me...I have left you..." 

("I have left you" - a direct inference to the disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant which, for the Israelites, was the direct earthly manifestation of God in their midst.)

It is hard not to see the parallel happening today as the latter day kings and queens of Egypt and Babylon take "away the treasures of the house of the Lord," by forbidding us to enter "the house of the Lord," wherein lives the greatest treasure, the true Ark: the True Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - albeit under cover of a pandemic decree. 

But like ancient Israel, which God permitted to be punished for its unfaithfulness, today it appears God is permitting the same. 

Today;

• Only 39% of Catholics attend Sunday Mass, 
• Only one third of Catholics believe in the real presence, and
• 87% of Catholics either contracept or believe that contraception is not a moral issue. 

Further, 

• 48% of Catholics are okay with abortion at any stage and 
• Over 57% strongly favor same sex marriage. 

So what grounds do we have to complain to the Caesars, Nebuchadnezzars, and the baby-killing servants of Moloch, i.e. the new crushing dictators of the secular kingdoms, to give us our churches and sacraments back when we, the  MAJORITY of Catholics, have already traded in the Golden Ark of the New Covenant (our Catholic Faith) for an Ark of Tin and Trash of our making?

There is nothing left to do but to prepare for Chastisement. Perhaps a good place to start is to read the rest of 2 Chronicles. Perhaps God will still spare the faithful remnant...as He once did. 

P.S. Some faithful Catholics may take offense to this post. However, When God permitted the chastisements of Ancient Israel, God did not separate the weeds from the wheat. The whole nation suffered together - while always preserving that "faithful remnant." Let's make sure we're the remnant and offer the chastisement for the conversion of others.