When the first Pope scandalized the faithful, one of the foremost bishops of the day did not hesitate to rebuke him in public, resisting him to the face (cf. Galatians 2).

But Paul, Paul…

…who among your brothers will rebuke him in our own time?

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Francis AGAIN in public sin, ERROR

For the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul a few days ago, although he couldn’t be present in person, Pope Francis nonetheless decided to forsake the great Saint’s legacy and facilitate some communicatio in sacris and serious scandal in the Apostle’s great basilica.

Among other things, he formally cooperated in public worship with heretics and schismatics: something we’ve noted before as unthinkable for any Catholic prior to Vatican II, not to mention canonically illegal up until 1983; the JPII Generation and all that.

More troubling still, Francis condoned the serious errors of these men (and women, as ministresses aplenty were on hand) by again delivering a grave ecclesiastical category error:

Onto this vine, which is [God] himself, all of us, the baptized, are grafted like branches… We are branches of the same vine.

Got that? If you’re baptized, you’re in the vine.

Particularly given its context, how Francis’ above statement can be understood as anything other than a manifest declaration of heresy is rather difficult to ascertain.

By way of simple contrast, one might try Augustine: “The Christian is a Catholic as long as he lives in the body: cut off from it he becomes a heretic – the life of the spirit follows not the amputated member.” Or Cyprian: “Whosoever is separated from the Church is united to an adulteress…. He who observes not this unity observes not the law of God, holds not the faith of the Father and the Son, clings not to life and salvation.” Or any number of voices in the tradition.

Perhaps a refresher from 1928, not even a century ago:

“So, Venerable Brethren, it is clear why this Apostolic See has never allowed its subjects to take part in the assemblies of non-Catholics: for the union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it, for in the past they have unhappily left it. ….For since the mystical body of Christ, in the same manner as His physical body, is one, compacted and fitly joined together, it were foolish and out of place to say that the Mystical Body is made up of members which are disunited and scattered abroad: whosoever therefore is not united with the body is no member of it, neither is he in communion with Christ its head.” (Mortalium Animos, n. 10)

Francis Commands fast, free, easy annulments

In the lead-up to his coming “Amoris Laetitia Year of the Family” (O God help us), Francis just reminded the “Apostolic Court, as well as the other tribunals of the Church, to make more accessible and agile, possibly totally free, the procedures for the recognition of cases of [marriage] nullity.” See the Vatican reporting here.

It seems Francis wants No-Fault Catholic Divorce. If this is the “joy of love,” ye Saints preserve us.

More enigmatic was his statement:

[The broken family] is always and in any case the blessed fruit of the conjugal covenant; it cannot be extinguished  in toto by the declaration of nullity, because being a family cannot be considered a suspended good, insofar as it is the fruit of the divine plan, at least for the offspring generated. 

Although it is perilous to attempt any unraveling of Francis’ theologizing (especially in translation), what can be made of the above thought, other than: “God positively wills the existence of broken families”?

What can one say to the children? To the abandoned spouses?

Yet this monstrous pontificate rolls on, unchallenged even by “the good bishops.”

Saint Paul, pray for us. Raise up a true shepherd for us – and if not in the Roman Chair, then at least one who will serve that See as you did: by resisting its occupant to the face.

And bravo the Restoration!