by | November 13, 2023 · 9:45 pm

Catholic Scandal

Pope Francis has frequently promoted modernist, pro-LGBT clerics who, like Francis, hate the Latin Mass, support abortion, and despise conservative Catholics. He’s said nasty things like “Catholics don’t have to breed like rabbits” and made it impossible for many to attend the Latin Masses they so love. But he has really showed his ugly side with three actions he has taken in the past 18 months that directly attacked three of his most faithful clerics.

In March 2022, Pope Francis abruptly and without explanation removed Bishop Daniel Fernández Torres from the Diocese of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Although there was no explanation, it is likely the action was a response by this pissy, vindictive pope to Torres’ support for conscience objections to COVID jab mandates. According to Pope Francis, you can’t be a good Christian if you’re unjabbed which, like his position on the death penalty and climate change policies, is a violation of Church teaching.

At the time, Bishop Torres decried Pope Francis’ removal of him as “a totally unjust action” noting that he was never formally accused of anything and had, in fact, been informed that he had committed no crime. “I was informed that I had committed no crime but that I supposedly ‘had not been obedient to the pope nor had I been in sufficient communion with my brother bishops of Puerto Rico. It was suggested to me that if I resigned from the diocese I would remain at the service of the Church in case at some time I was needed in some other position; an offer that in fact proves my innocence. A successor of the Apostles is now being replaced without even undertaking what would be a due canonical process to remove a parish priest.”

In November 2022, Pope Francis again ignored Canon Law when he defrocked Father Frank Pavone, the founder and president of Priests for Life, without warning or legal recourse. If I recall correctly, Pavone received the notice shortly before his father passed away, so was unable to celebrate his funeral Mass. As a priest who was allegedly guilty of blasphemy and disobedience to his bishop, Pavone had specific rights under the Code of Canon Law. He was denied these rights and wasn’t even given the courtesy of a warning. He received a “Supreme Decision admitting of no possibility of appeal,” something only the pontiff can issue, and told he had to stop celebrating the sacraments immediately. As a laicized priest, he has one right remaining, which is to hear a confession and absolve a sinner who is in danger of death.

And here we are, a year later, and it’s happened again. Pope Francis just removed Bishop Joseph Strickland from his position as shepherd of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas. Strickland, who is known for his unequivocal defense of Catholic teaching that is often cast in confusion by papal statements, says he doesn’t personally blame the pope. I don’t feel as generous. I think the man has shown his stripes to us all and has to take responsibility for the kind of advisors he has.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD7aknd8qgQ [7:13] to hear Terry Barber talk about the news. He says the apostolic nuncio (ambassador from the Vatican) to the United States said something to Bishop Strickland three years ago that should shock every faithful Catholic. The nuncio, Cardinal Christophe Pierre (photo above with Pope Francis), approached Bishop Joseph Strickland three years ago at a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and told him, “Look, the Holy Father is watching you. You need to stop talking about the deposit of faith. There is no deposit of faith.”

Note that being removed from their posts did not make Strickland or Torres back into a “father.” It just makes them bishops without flocks. In the Catholic Church, there are three steps to full ordination. The first is to deacon (“Deacon so and so”), the second to priest (“Father so and so”), and the third to bishop (“Bishop so and so”. The distinctions have to do with what sacraments the man is permitted to dispense. Only a full bishop can do all seven. Sometimes a priest will do a confirmation, but that occurs only with specific permission for that person on a particular day and only because the bishop can’t make it. Only a bishop can ordain a deacon or a priest; it takes three bishops to ordain a bishop.

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