Not many years ago, the Catholic right was led by persons who fully accepted the Second Vatican Council. They tended to ignore much of its teachings. They emphasized conservative magisterial teachings and tended to ignore whatever might be considered liberal. But they also accepted every Pope from John 23 to Pope Francis. Some of these leaders of the conservative Catholic subculture even proposed rather liberal views on certain questions, such as contraception or other intrinsically evil acts. On the subject of salvation, they held a rather moderate view, often considering that non-Catholic Christians and non-Christians could attain salvation without conversion to Catholicism or to Christianity.
During the reign of Pope Francis, a changing of the guard occurred. Whosoever spoke against Pope Francis more strongly received more attention and support from anonymous conservative Catholics online. The conservative Catholic media began to feature writers who opposed the Roman Pontiff more and more. The support of the audience, which conservative media seek to please, shifted to outright heretics and schismatics, like Vigano and Schneider, as well as to any authors who wrote in the same vein. And the more moderate of the conservatives lost their influence. No one cares anymore about Jimmy Akin’s 17 “things to know and share” about the latest papal document. It’s all-out war against the Pope, the Council of straw,* and the body of Bishops. While the old guard venerated Pope Saint John Paul II as “the great” and as a probably Doctor of the Church, the new guard has thrown him in the dustbin of slightly liberal Popes along with Pope Pius XII, Pope Saint Paul VI, and Pope Benedict XVI.
And the new leadership of the conservative Catholic subculture are both manifest heretics and manifest schismatics. They put themselves above the Magisterium, thinking themselves fit to sort through the teachings of Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, in the one true Church, whether of the Vicar of Christ or any of the 21 Councils held to be Sacred and Ecumenical by dogmatic fact. Nothing is considered by them to be of the Magisterium unless it is approved by them. They think that any teachings of a Pope or Council, or of the body of Bishops dispersed in the world, but teaching in communion with the Roman Pontiff, can be rejected at will or whim, as long as the person who judges the Magisterium is conservative. Ultra-conservative.
That is not faith. When Jesus walked this earth, the true disciples of the Lord believed what He taught because of the Teacher, not the teaching.
[John]
{6:61} Therefore, many of his disciples, upon hearing this, said: “This saying is difficult,” and, “Who is able to listen to it?”
{6:62} But Jesus, knowing within himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, said to them: “Does this offend you?
{6:63} Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending to where he was before?
{6:64} It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh does not offer anything of benefit. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
{6:65} But there are some among you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who were unbelieving and which one would betray him.
{6:66} And so he said, “For this reason, I said to you that no one is able to come to me, unless it has been given to him by my Father.”
{6:67} After this, many of his disciples went back, and they no longer walked with him.
{6:68} Therefore, Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
{6:69} Then Simon Peter answered him: “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
{6:70} And we have believed, and we recognize that you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
{6:71} Jesus answered them: “Have I not chosen you twelve? And yet one among you is a devil.”
{6:72} Now he was speaking about Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. For this one, even though he was one of the twelve, was about to betray him.
The true disciples believed Jesus because they recognized Him as the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. The false disciples would not accept any difficult teachings, anything contrary to their own understanding. They murmured against the Lord. They were offended. “Please don’t teach us anything that offends us.” That’s them, then and now.
And now, as then, many disciples no longer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. They walk their own path. The do not walk with the Vicar of Christ. They have departed from him, for his teachings offend them, his teachings are too difficult for them. They find his teachings confusion and ambiguous, because they lack faith. The lack the willingness to accept a teaching precisely and merely because it is of a particular teacher, the Roman Pontiff, and Ecumenical Council, or the body of Bishops, dispersed in the world, in communion with the Pope. They are like Judas Isacariot. They speak and behave like devils. For Satan was the first created person to rebel against the authority of God, and against Christ.**
Do you understand the difference? Some Catholics only accept teachings of the Magisterium which accord with their own mind and hearts. Some only accept those teachings which are also taught by the conservative Catholic subculture which they have accepted as their replacement for the Pope, the body of Bishops, and the Magisterium as a whole. These Catholics do not have faith, or if they have any faith left, it is dying of starvation and negligence. They will reject any teaching of any Pope or Council or of the ordinary and universal Magisterium if it is contrary to their own mind and heart, or contrary to the subculture they have chosen, the anti-Francis subculture or the ultra-traditionalist subculture, or whatever.
Those with true faith accept all the teachings of all the 21 Ecumenical Councils. Sometimes a Council prepares a teaching for the faithful, but the Roman Pontiff rejects or modifies that teaching or that discipline. In such cases, as always, nothing is truly of a Council unless it is approved by the Roman Pontiff. For a body without a head is not alive. The Pope is the head of the body of Bishops gathered in a Council. Those with true faith accept the teachings of each and every Roman Pontiff, of each and every Council.
The difference between the true disciples and the Judas Iscariots is whether you accept the teachings of the Magisterium because they are of the Magisterium, or only if you find them to be compatible with your own mind and heart. In the former case, you are worshiping Christ; in the latter case, you are worshiping yourself or the conservative Catholic subculture.
Test yourself. Answer the following questions.
1. If an Ecumenical Council decides to suppress the Latin Mass, and require the Mass to be only in the vernacular language, only in the Novus Ordo, and Communion to be given only on the hand, will you attend this Mass or join a schismatic group?
2. If Pope Francis teaches a doctrine which meets the conditions for Papal Infallibility, but the teaching is declared to be a heresy by Burke, Vigano, Schneider, and other conservative Catholic leaders, and that teaching is clearly a heresy according to your own considered judgment, will you accept the teaching as true, or reject it as false?
— what might Pope Francis teach under Papal Infallibility? that non-believers and non-Christian believers can be saved without converting to belief in God or to belief in Christianity; that women can be ordained as deacons; that each and every Roman Pontiff is prevented from sins of apostasy, heresy, and schism, and from idolatry, blasphemy, and sacrilege; etc.
Notice that in the criteria for a teaching to be certainly true under Papal Infallibility, nothing pertains to the content of the teaching. You don’t get to judge the teaching, and decide if it is in accord with your understanding of Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. If it meets the criteria, regardless of the content, it is infallible. That is the benefit of having Papal Infallibility, Conciliar Infallibility, and the ordinary and universal Magisterium. It frees you from your own limitations and errors; it frees you from biases due to conservatism or liberalism or whatever else. You can know that the teaching is true, without having to make a correct judgment about its content. Just as the disciples knew they could trust the teachings of Jesus, we know we can trust the Magisterium.
(1) Do not worship the exterior things of conservatism. Do not demand that the priest face the altar, away from the people. Do not demand Communion on the tongue. Do not demand of the Lord Jesus, that you only worship Him in Latin. Accept whatever disciplines the Church chooses for you.
(2) If a teaching is of the Magisterium, accept it as from the Lord Jesus. Infallible teachings cannot err at all. Non-infallible teachings cannot err gravely. The Church has difficult teachings, just as Jesus did. Those teachings too are of Jesus.
Do not put yourself above the Magisterium to decide what is and is not of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you are confused about any teaching of the Magisterium, seek for yourself faithful teachers. Abandon those teachers who oppose any Roman Pontiff. They are not of the Lord. Oppose anyone who opposes the Vicar of Christ, lest you find yourself joining them in their opposition to Jesus Christ.
But if Jesus is not your Lord, then leave the Catholic Church. Stop pretending to be Catholic Christian when you do not accept the teachings of the Catholic Christian Church. If the teachings of Pope Francis are too difficult for you, walk away; no longer walk with the Vicar of Christ. But don’t pretend that you are doing so because you are above the Magisterium, having understood better than the Holy Spirit speaking through Popes and Councils.
Ronald L. Conte Jr.
* Martin Luther, famously hated by the present-day Catholic far right, called a book of Sacred Scripture “the Epistle of straw.” And now the right imitates him by treating the Second Vatican Council as if it were the Council of straw. But in both cases, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of a Council, the teachings are of the Holy Spirit.
** The common theological opinion of Saint Thomas Aquinas and his peers at the time was that the created angels, all of them, did not initially have the Beatific Vision of God. They were then tested by being shown the plan of God to become a human being, a creature less than the angels, and by being told to worship God-made-man (and in particular, God-made-man on the Cross). Some refused out of pride, and they fell away, becoming devils. Those who obeyed were given the Beatific Vision of God and became the holy Angels.
the reproach of Christ 
A very powerful post Mr. Conte. I know it is for more conservative Catholics, but I take it to heart as well. During my conversion, and even afterwards, I struggled with accepting clear teachings of the Church, I acted as if “non-infallible” meant “freely disregard this” and repeatedly tried to shape the Church into my own image. Each time I was rebuked by God, and broken and humbled for it. Some lessons definitely learned: authority is not wisdom as you know it, status of any sort, or what you would consider honorable, and not even what seems rational to you in the moment. A Pope who taught would still teach authoritatively if he was educated little, was a great sinner in his personal life (not sins against faith, as it can not be done), carried himself in an undignified way, and taught something that to your mind in the moment (or maybe even for your whole life) seemed heretical, stupid, or senseless.
Authority is separate from all of those things, and is to be obeyed. It is a moral capacity given by God to someone/thing to obligate a subject to do (or often in the case of the Church: believe) something. If you agree that it is good to do, that is nice, but the authority is still there, and your agreement/disagreement doesn’t make it more or less real. Obviously there are limits on it, God and the moral law, etc. But the Church, Pope, and others like them aren’t asking for us to sin, although some people act like that is so. Neither will they ever teach us and try and obligate us to sin. By humility and obedience we will come to know God. Lord save us.
From a 12th century author: “Break yourself, then, by the labor of obedience, by the humiliation of repentance. Bear in your body the marks of Jesus Christ by accepting the condition of a servant, not of a superior. And when you have emptied yourself, you will know the Lord through the breaking of bread.”
Thanks very much, David. Yes, this applies to everyone, not just conservatives. The current schism has a conservative face, but for many years now liberal Catholics have behaved similarly, disregarding authoritative Church teaching. I think we will see a liberal schism as soon as we have a conservative Pope.
At least all consevatives believe in transubstantiation, where the majority of liberal do not. Or that gay marriage is sinful, most conservatives believe it is very sinful. 60 years of liberal church has brought us billions in lawsuits, coward bishops, closing of parishes, and most Catholic voting for pro abortion canidates. You ring hollow on your constant attacks of the right.
You sound exactly like the Pharisee, speaking about the publican. That parable is in part about times in the Church where one Catholic group denigrates another while exalting itself. Can you hear yourself? “At least we’re not like the publicans, who fail in this way or that.” But you attack the Roman Pontiff, and refuse to be led by him.
the ultra-conservatives do not have the monopoly over conservatism, understanding of prophecy, following the Church and following Jesus. They think they are the only ones but they are wrong.
moreover, it is not “we are conservatives and right versus you are liberals and wrong”. The ultraconservatives themselves set that bi-polar model, maybe influenced by the US politics, don’t know. There are different kinds of conservatives, not necessarily ultra, not necessarily supporting Vigano and de facto secession from Rome. As well as there are different kinds of liberals. One thing is a “liberal” who wants married priests for example (allowed in the Eastern Catholic rites, and stopped by pope Francis probably for his desire to keep the unity, he should be called conservative by those who keep accusing him?). Another thing is to support abortions.
Another big fault is to connect all issues together – moral issues (i.e. sexual – 6th commandment), abortion (killing – 5th commandment, not the sexual sins that are 6 commandment), social justice (5th commandment – killing by hunger and disease, 7th commandment -stealing including by unfair wages or work conditions or by unemployment that allows 100 billionaires to be richer than the 3.5 bln people, 10th commandment – root of revolution to want what is not yours etc), Environmental protection (protection of life both born and unborn, both today’s and future, therefore CLEARLY 5th commandment to the extend of surviving the human race).
All of that is a BIG MESS in the minds of the ultra conservatives. Still they think it is only THEY who understand it correctly and follow the truth. No, it is not they. Not because I say so. Not because of the numbers on blog posters, where they seem have majority in their own blogosphere. Popes have said so. St John Paul II’s works are enough to blow up the entire ultraconservative doctrine. But no one from them reads or quotes him. And above all, Jesus said so. The Sermon on the Mount is still the valid roadmap for the Church today and in the future. Not manmade rules much later, rules that are not dogmas.
And it is not we to set the date of His Second Coming and thus to wash our hands as Pontius Pilate. Actually, much worse than Pilate. Pilate didn’t want first to kill Jesus (ref. Peter in Acts), and after he crucified Jesus he repented by putting the label and allowing Jesus’ body to be taken. Can we say the same for many leaders today? They crucify us, only much slower not for 3 hours but for decades.
Crony capitalism is not conservatism, it is socialism for the rich. Most socialist or communist countries are enviomental disasters, and global warming is driven by the sun. Hence Greenland got its name way before carbon dioxide. The fact of the matter is,many children cant get baptized now or last rites are being denied, and China is still persecuting Christians after the McCarick deal, with 2 billion funneled to the Church. Soft feminate clergy abound, and they are all liberal. Period. they have destroyed the Church. The Great Monarch will clean this mess up.
Whether there are cycles in the Sun/Earth energy influx, maybe it is so and we can’t do anything about.
The connection between the industrial revolution with unrestricted burning of coal, and the CURRENT global warming (not hundreds years ago in Greenland but NOW, all over the world) is indisputable scientific fact. And even before being scientific proof, everyone of us can feel how we burn more and more every next Summer. Arctics melts. Jet streams are disordered. That means also at SOME places there will be abnormal freezing, and luckily for the US president a notorious scientific denier that happens over his head to prove his personal views that have nothing to do with any science. That doesn’t really change the picture that in Western Europe there is virtually no snow anymore. How about Arizona in the Summer? How hot it must become in order for the Americans to believe it? And we just don’t care what happens in India with temperatures reaching 40-45. Indians can be sacrificed in that model of selective Christianity and salvation. And the Chinese are always so bad… Who are good, btw? Latin America that are predominantly Catholic, and predominantly POOR after 500 years history in which they have ALWAYS been Catholic?
Something is wrong in that picture of selective Christianity and Catholicism. Because the ultraconservative catholics do not really care for 1.3 bln Catholics, they care, frankly speaking, for THEMSELVES. Literally. And when someone or a group of people want to do something about it, be it a pope or some civil leaders, they are called all possible names. Well, let make it clear: no one of us is perfect. And if someone has moral sins and goes for them in hell, it is his choice. Meanwhile, the politicians are elected to serve the people, not vice versus.
Otherwise it becomes a pre-planed holocaust, in which we are deluded intentionally with pseudo science to make us believe everything is in control. Until we all die. Sr Lucia said it. Tsunami etc (in her recently published vision). John Paul II said it in Fulda, Germany. A just punishment, yes. But also a punishment that the humanity made with its own hands, as another apparition in Brazil used to say. And I really don’t know where that all will stop, with Covid, with Ebola, with Global scorching, or with nuclear explosions, or is it a comet strike… The list doesn’t stop here, but I will stop anyway. All is bad, and there is always worse.
Because humanity have shown that the Love and brotherhood have never been its priorities, not even in the so called Christian countries, in any given century. Today it is just the end of it.
And sorry but I do not want to participate in the mass mad sacrifice of hundreds of millions (God forbids, billions) who will be deluded to the point to prefer to wait and die from the tsunami or whatever else, as shown well in apocalyptic movies. I will use the rescue way, whatever form it may take. Secret space program, alien ships, landing as refuges or flying off the planet. Whatever it takes. And here is the big delusion for the chosen ones who will be left to perish because they do not want the knowledge of all that, because they think it is THEY who know it ALL, because they follow FALSE PROPHETS. “To deceive if possible even the elect ones”. And “My people perish because of lack of knowledge”. It is a sad fact, but the result will be, in the restored Church on the other side of the events there wouldn’t be ultra conservative catholics anymore. They had their chance.
Now I will respond in relation to prophecies, because apparently the other information is out of the reach of mind and rejected apriori.
Holzhauer – he doesn’t say HOW exactly we will reach that new era, and what lies between now and then. We don’t know how bad it will become before it becomes a pristine earth. (and did I ever say that I disagree with the pristine earth picture? Only it can’t support 7 bln people without the modern agriculture. And don’t “assume” it is the ultra conservatives who will inherit it. Isn’t it said “the meek shall inherit the earth”?).
If the devastation between now and then is too big, it is possible not even one person to be able to survive on the surface of the earth. Remember Noah. Many apparitions say, now it is worse than the time of the Flood, and God will punish the mankind worse with fire instead of water. Akita and Neues Europa version of Fatima are enough, but not the only ones.
From Anguera we read (just few extracts from enormously rich messages for many years):
“The collision between two giants in the universe will cause great damage to the earth. Fire will fall from the sky and many regions of the earth be reached” (01/24/2009)
“The earth will shake and immense rivers of fire will rise from the depths. Sleeping giants will awake and there will be great suffering for many nations. The axis of the earth will change and My poor children will live moments of great tribulations.” (4/24/2010)
“Still you will see horrors on earth. Fire will fall upon humanity. The clash of two giants in space will bring suffering to the men.” (30/06/2009)
“Dear Sons and Daughters, Humanity will drink the bitter cup of suffering. Rivers of fire will run over the land and many places will disappear. Rivers will change their course and lakes will appear.” (25/11/2010)
And here is what many did not expect to read in Our Lady’s messages, although they could make the same conclusions from Our Lady in Garabandal speaking of the existence of extraterrestrials who need conversion (i.e. other habitable planets do exist).
1,711 – Message from Our Lady Queen of Peace, transmitted in 3/11/2000
“The Lord is preparing new heavens and new earths for those who are faithful. Courage.”
Our Lady talks in PLURAL – NEW EARTHS.
2,433 – Message from Our Lady Queen of Peace, transmitted in 10/22/2004
Do your best in the mission entrusted to you and you shall see new heavens and new earths. Don´t lose heart.
23 October, 2007. Message from Our Lady of Peace, 2906, Meceió/Al
Those who seek The Lord will find rest. These will be the ones who experience new heavens and new earths. Don´t get away from Jesus. Your victory is in Him. Courage.
Let see what Our Lady says in Garabandal:
From ‘Garabandal’ Book, pages 160-161,
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1962
THERE EXIST INTELLIGENT BEINGS ELSEWHERE THAN ON THE EARTH
As an echo, in some way, of the lively discussion going on in the world at the time, Mercedes Salisachs, a remarkable witness, present these days at Garabandal, hadConchita ask the Blessed Virgin if there were intelligent beings in outer or interstellar space. – “Yes”, was the stunning answer!
Days after, Conchita, again in ecstasy, was heard asking her Vision if these mysterious beings are like us, sinners? – “They are like men, tainted alike by sin, but also redeemed by Christ just like men,” was the new astonishing answer!
These new revelations made to Conchita were to appear so exceptional to Fr. Lucio Rodrigo, S.J., when he learned about them, that, after an uneasy first impression, and then, after reflection, he went out to write that “it would well be that the Blessed Virgin, and through Her, Our Lord, were lifting the veil of a mystery which broadens in that way the dimensions of the Kingdom of Our Lord (and of the Most Blessed Virgin), so to include other rational creatures, which could, of course, not be angels (. . .)”. (Letter, October 22, 1965, to the Marques de Santa Maria).
[From ‘Garabandal’ Book, pages 160-161]
Those who call all of that science fiction, they don’t understand ANYTHING and it is a lost time to argue with them.
Alex, please do not post messages from http://www.jesusmariasite.org as it has some false private revelations (mixed with some true ones). I don’t want people led astray by these false visionaries.
Also, George and Alex, please don’t use the comments section to argue off-topic. Keep to the topic in the post, please.
Indesputable sceince facts???…thats why Wikipedia removed a list of thousands of scientists that think global warming is all scam . God and his other sun control the climate, not a small percentage of plant loving carbon dioxide increase. Of course Jefrey Sachs, Bill Gates, George Soros, Al Gore dont like it, but they love contaception, abortion, and gay marriage. Wow, the rescue almost sounds science fiction. Read Holzhauer how the Church will be after the tribulation, simple and holy with no space ships.
Before you call the secret space program sci-fi, Google it and see what serious people military and scientists who work in secret labs say about all that. I said secret space program only but there is much more. Shutting down nuclear silos during the cold war etc. One has to be very blind not to read all that, while at the same time pretending of conspiracy and crying wolf. Or you think that Trump will send people on the moon in 3-4 years only because he is god-chosen, and not because that has been developed for decades in the shadow?
Your words “God and his other sun control the climate, not a small percentage of plant loving carbon dioxide increase.” Do you hint at two suns conspiracy by saying “other sun”? In anyway, the plant loving CO2 that the humans produced for decades could mean returning to past geological eras when the climate was tropical in the arctic and dinosaurs enjoyed it. With or without a pole shift, the climate was much warmer than now. Only we are not made for such climate by God who chose otherwise for us. Neither do we want to end up like dinosaurs,be it from ecological catastrophe, nuclear war or asteroid, or maybe combined. God cannot save anyone against his will. I will not repeat my first comment.
1) Be disappointed, but stay where I am.
2) Prayerfully consider where I went wrong and what ramifications that might have.
How’d I do?
perfect
Ron, I’m sorry if I strayed off topic, and it is really hard to concentrate on one issue only.
The messages I posted are from Our Lady in Anguera, you can check each one of them by its number and date at http://apelosurgentes.com.br/en-us/ I don’t care if they are copied in some other site that I do not follow, everyone can copy them and pretend whatever. Anguera apparition is not fully approved, but it is not disapproved either. I posted them because they are relevant of what I was talking about. If it matters in this topic, let me say that I have researched Anguera for years, it contains much more information than the published above, including of what is going to happen in Rome.
No problem, Alex. I was not objecting to Our Lady in Anguera nor to apelosurgentes.com, but to another site that contained some messages from other claimed revelations.
I think it is extremely important to make it clear the messages posted above are from Our Lady in Anguera and not from any other alleged apparition. I see now that the English section of Apelosurgentes.com.br is trimmed heavily at least in year 2008 for reasons unknown. I checked twice each message I posted above (actually parts of messages shortened for length), and they all are present in the Portuguese section of Apelosurgentes except the one on 4/24/2010 that is present in the English section only. The messages from 01/24/2009 and 10/23/2007 are present only in the Portuguese section. I guess you download especially Year 2008 http://www.apelosurgentes.com.br/pt-br/mensagens/ano/2008/ that speaks explicitly of Rome…Should I say anything about that? War in Rome etc…It deserves a separate long post by you, if not a year of research and a book! Out of 150+ messages (3 a week) in the Portuguese section, there are only 3 messages left in the English section in 2008. I am shocked, since I have read the translated English messages years ago. All the years messages are extremely important and cover different aspects of the coming Chastisement as well as the spiritual preparation for it. It is remarkable that every message ends with the long wording:
“……..This is the message that I transmit to you today in the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Thank you for permitting me to reunite you here once more. I bless you, in the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Stay in peace.”
I’m sorry I didn’t put the entire messages in the previous post, maybe then you would not doubt as of their origin.
(private to Ron) Im sorry I posted Anguera at all. If you want, delete both my post, and your response, and do not post my new comments. As you wish. But that is certainly not holylove or anything else, it is Anguera. If you want, you clarify it. I really do not want to get involved more than that. I am not sure whether Anguera is true or not, I dont know. And feel VERY UNEASY now. The fact is, I researched these messages for long, and even posted them online, and then I stopped for various reasons. Anyway, God bless.
Well, Ron, I think you need some control buttons in these posts, really. Including the option to edit and delete. One post is moderated and the other not, one post appears automatically without option to change it, another that clarifies it, not.
In regard to Anguera, I must say that I am not sure whether it is true apparition or not. While some messages predict remarkable earth changes, as those quoted above, others run on the edge by talking of the antichrist. I will not bet more on it. I will follow what the pope rules on it, or a definitive ruling of the bishop that is not objected by the Vatican (as it was in Medjugorje case). As long as such ruling doesn’t exist, I read Anguera as interesting information only, but not as something 100% proven as Fatima. With that being said, I think my role in that discussion ends here.
Posts are moderated when they have links. There is no option in the wordpress blog controls to let people edit their posts.