[ 0 → 4] TrapCast Express [ 4 → 14] TrapCast Express, it's Wednesday, April 11th, 2018. [ 15 → 21] Father Rene Gracida is the retired Novos Ordo Bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas. [ 22 → 28] Last September, he had already opined that Francis may not be the legitimate Pope. [ 28 → 31] And this past Saturday, he upped the ante just a bit. [ 31 → 40] On his blog Abyssus Abyssum Invocat, the 94-year-old Benedictine has called for a new conclave. [ 40 → 42] Yes, you heard that right. [ 43 → 50] Gracida is the first member of the Novos Ordo hierarchy who has openly called for a new conclave to elect a Pope, [ 51 → 54] because Francis is obviously not it. [ 54 → 58] And while he sees the cause of Francis' invalidity in a violation of faith, [ 58 → 61] of conclave rules established by John Paul II in 1996, [ 62 → 69] he says the heresies and other errors Francis spouts show that he cannot be the legitimate Roman pontiff. [ 70 → 73] There's no time, unfortunately, to get into all this here and now, [ 74 → 77] but you can read all about it on our blog. [ 77 → 80] Just look for the post dated April 10th, entitled, [ 81 → 87] CISM Ahead, Retired Novos Ordo Bishop Rene Gracida Calls for New Conclave. [ 88 → 90] So, what else is there to talk about? [ 90 → 95] Well, the big new document, of course, that Francis released this past Monday, [ 95 → 98] another so-called apostolic exhortation, [ 99 → 103] the third one after Evangelii Gaudium and Amoris Laetitia. [ 104 → 109] It is entitled Gaudete et Exsultate, Rejoice and Be Glad, [ 109 → 113] and the topic is, at least supposedly, holiness in the modern world. [ 114 → 118] Now, I took one for the team here on Monday and read, [ 118 → 122] the entire document, just over 22,000 words. [ 123 → 124] Yep, I did. [ 124 → 125] And you're welcome. [ 126 → 128] And we'll talk about the content in just a minute. [ 129 → 133] First, I want to say something about the timing of the release of this document. [ 134 → 135] It was perfect. [ 136 → 139] You see, Francis is clueless when it comes to Catholicism, [ 139 → 142] but he's very clever in how to deal with his enemies. [ 143 → 146] So, he released this thing on Monday, April 9th, [ 146 → 148] which was exactly the... [ 148 → 151] the first working day after the big church crisis conference [ 151 → 154] that took place in Rome with cardinals, [ 155 → 157] Brandtmuller, Burke, and Zen, [ 157 → 159] and Bishop Athanasius Schneider, [ 160 → 165] which was basically a what-we-can-do-about-Francis-without-saying-he's-not-the-Pope meeting, [ 165 → 167] and it was very well attended. [ 168 → 172] So, by releasing the exhortation on April 9th, [ 172 → 176] Francis ensured that no one would be talking about this anti-Francis conference, [ 177 → 177] and instead, [ 178 → 180] everyone would be reading, commenting on, [ 180 → 183] and talking about his latest exhortation. [ 183 → 184] Well played. [ 185 → 187] So, what about this new document? [ 188 → 190] Well, as you can probably imagine, [ 190 → 191] in typical modernist fashion, [ 192 → 195] it contains a good mix of true things with false things, [ 196 → 200] genuinely Catholic ideas mixed together with modernist concepts [ 200 → 203] so as to mislead souls as much as possible, [ 203 → 206] while always having passages to point to [ 206 → 207] that are perfectly orthodox, [ 208 → 212] as Pope St. Pius X wrote in his encyclical against modernism, [ 212 → 213] quote, [ 213 → 230] And that's from the encyclical Paschendi, number 18. [ 231 → 233] In Gaudete et Exsultate, [ 233 → 235] Bergoglio uses countless words [ 235 → 237] to express a lot of apparently nobly-like things, [ 237 → 237] but also to express a lot of apparently nobly-like things, [ 237 → 237] and to express a lot of apparently nobly-like things, [ 237 → 239] and to express a lot of apparently noble and lofty ideas. [ 239 → 241] But don't let that fool you. [ 241 → 243] These novel sort of modernists love to talk about, [ 244 → 246] for example, how the Mass, the Holy Eucharist, [ 246 → 249] is the source and summit of the Christian life. [ 250 → 252] And they use other very high-sounding, [ 252 → 253] beautiful expressions. [ 254 → 257] And then you look at how they celebrate their liturgy, [ 257 → 258] how they conduct what they claim [ 258 → 262] is the highest and most profound act of divine worship. [ 263 → 267] And what you see is the pathetic and absurd modernist mess [ 267 → 267] that they're having. [ 267 → 269] They're having what they call Eucharistic celebration. [ 270 → 272] And with Bergoglio, it's particularly bad. [ 273 → 275] I mean, he's even had tango dancing [ 275 → 278] during one of his supposed Masses in Argentina. [ 279 → 282] There's plenty of pictures and video you can find online [ 282 → 285] about how that man engaged in what he claims [ 285 → 288] is the most profound act of Christian worship. [ 289 → 292] Or take another example, Amoris Laetitia. [ 293 → 296] There, Bergoglio writes over 57,000 words [ 296 → 297] about love and the faith of God. [ 297 → 300] And in the end, he tells you [ 300 → 303] that sometimes God wants you to commit adultery. [ 304 → 306] So don't be fooled when you find [ 306 → 308] some beautifully written passages [ 308 → 309] in these modernist documents. [ 310 → 312] They are there to make the spiritual poison [ 312 → 315] contained elsewhere in the document digestible, [ 316 → 318] just like someone who wants to poison you physically [ 318 → 321] would mix the poison into a stew or a cocktail [ 321 → 323] rather than give it to you straight [ 323 → 325] because then you'd refuse it. [ 326 → 327] And what did Pope Leo III say? [ 327 → 328] What did Pope Leo XIII say about that? [ 329 → 330] He said, quote, [ 330 → 332] There can be nothing more dangerous [ 332 → 334] than those heretics who admit nearly [ 334 → 336] the whole cycle of doctrine [ 336 → 337] and yet by one word, [ 338 → 340] as with a drop of poison, [ 340 → 342] infect the real and simple faith [ 342 → 344] taught by our Lord [ 344 → 347] and handed down by apostolic tradition. [ 347 → 348] Unquote. [ 348 → 349] And that's from the encyclical [ 349 → 352] Satis Cognitum, number nine. [ 353 → 355] All right, let's finally get to the content [ 355 → 357] of Gaudete et Exsultate, [ 357 → 360] the title means Be Glad and Rejoice [ 360 → 362] and is taken from the Beatitudes [ 362 → 363] in Matthew 5, 12. [ 364 → 367] Presumably, there won't be a follow-up exhortation [ 367 → 370] to warn people of the reality of eternal punishment [ 370 → 372] if they don't die in sanctifying grace. [ 373 → 374] Perhaps entitled [ 374 → 375] Discerite Maledicti, [ 376 → 377] Depart, Ye Accursed, [ 377 → 379] from Matthew 25, 41. [ 380 → 382] In fact, hell isn't mentioned at all [ 382 → 384] in Gaudete et Exsultate except once [ 384 → 386] in paragraph number 118, [ 387 → 390] though of course not as the place [ 390 → 392] of eternal punishment for the damned, [ 392 → 395] but as the origin of what Francis denounces [ 395 → 396] as, quote, [ 396 → 399] verbal violence through the internet [ 399 → 402] and the various forms of digital communication. [ 403 → 403] Unquote. [ 404 → 407] Funny how he remembers hell when it suits him. [ 408 → 411] And there's nothing really new in this exhortation. [ 412 → 413] It's basically a document [ 413 → 415] in which many of Francis' favorite friends [ 415 → 417] make another appearance. [ 418 → 419] Encounter, tenderness, [ 420 → 422] the church as museum or as NGO. [ 423 → 425] Then he mentions masochism, [ 425 → 426] the god of surprises, [ 427 → 429] corruption, Pelagianism, [ 429 → 431] rigidity, rules and laws. [ 431 → 432] It's all in there. [ 434 → 435] And one thing I can say [ 435 → 438] after reading the entire pseudo-apostolic exhortation is, [ 438 → 441] boy, he sure loves quoting [ 441 → 443] and referring back to himself. [ 444 → 446] Although Francis does mention [ 446 → 447] supernatural grace, [ 447 → 450] at times the main focus of the document [ 450 → 452] is very horizontal, of course, [ 452 → 455] with heavy emphasis on helping our neighbor [ 455 → 457] as though that were the be-all and end-all [ 457 → 459] of Catholic existence. [ 460 → 461] But hey, let's not just criticize. [ 462 → 464] The Holy Rosary does get a mention. [ 465 → 466] Yes, a mention. [ 466 → 468] Exactly once in paragraph 16 [ 468 → 471] as an example of a path to holiness [ 471 → 473] on a par with not gossiping, [ 473 → 475] listening with patience and love [ 475 → 477] to a child while being tired, [ 477 → 478] and saying something nice [ 478 → 480] to a poor person on the street. [ 481 → 483] As is typical for the new theology [ 483 → 484] of Vatican II, [ 484 → 486] the document also contains [ 486 → 487] a number of statements [ 487 → 489] that just make you scratch your head [ 489 → 492] because it's not clear exactly [ 492 → 494] what they're supposed to mean. [ 495 → 497] For example, in paragraph 34, [ 497 → 498] he says, quote, [ 498 → 500] holiness is an encounter [ 500 → 501] between your weakness [ 501 → 504] and the power of God's grace. [ 504 → 505] Unquote. [ 505 → 507] Now, what in the world, [ 507 → 509] does that actually mean? [ 510 → 512] You can see here once again [ 512 → 515] the heavy emphasis on experience, right? [ 515 → 517] Everything is an encounter, [ 517 → 518] an experience, [ 518 → 521] some kind of an empirical event. [ 521 → 523] Now, if he had said that holiness [ 523 → 525] consists in or is reflected in [ 525 → 527] overcoming your weaknesses [ 527 → 529] with the help of God's grace, [ 530 → 532] then that would have been a clear statement [ 532 → 533] and perfectly comprehensible. [ 534 → 535] You would know what he's saying. [ 536 → 537] But to say that holiness [ 537 → 540] is an encounter between your weakness [ 540 → 541] and the power of God's grace, [ 541 → 544] that has no clear meaning. [ 545 → 546] And of course, that's by design. [ 547 → 549] Let's look at another example. [ 549 → 551] Paragraph 42, quote, [ 551 → 553] even when someone's life [ 553 → 555] appears completely wrecked, [ 555 → 557] even when we see it devastated [ 557 → 559] by vices or addictions, [ 559 → 561] God is present there. [ 562 → 562] Unquote. [ 563 → 566] What the heck is that supposed to mean? [ 567 → 569] God is present there. [ 569 → 571] Well, God is present everywhere, [ 571 → 572] so I'm not sure this tells us [ 572 → 573] anything of significance. [ 574 → 575] So what's it mean? [ 576 → 578] What is being said here? [ 578 → 580] Your guess is as good as mine. [ 582 → 584] Now, of course, we all know [ 584 → 586] how concerned Francis is [ 586 → 587] about the spread of heresy [ 587 → 588] in our day, right? [ 589 → 590] And so it is a given that [ 590 → 591] in this exhortation, [ 592 → 593] he wastes no time in denouncing [ 593 → 596] the two great heresies of our day. [ 596 → 599] And they are, you guessed it, [ 599 → 602] Gnosticism and Pelagianism. [ 603 → 605] Now, what he really does with that [ 605 → 607] is he hijacks those two notions [ 607 → 610] and puts a very heavy spin on them [ 610 → 611] so that he can use them [ 611 → 613] to slap his opponents. [ 613 → 614] Here's what he says [ 614 → 617] in paragraphs 40 and 41. [ 617 → 618] Quote, [ 618 → 621] Gnosticism is one of the most [ 621 → 622] sinister ideologies because [ 622 → 625] while unduly exalting knowledge [ 625 → 626] or a specific experience, [ 626 → 629] it considers its own vision [ 629 → 631] of reality to be perfect. [ 631 → 633] When somebody has an answer [ 633 → 634] for every question, [ 634 → 636] it is a sign that they are not [ 636 → 637] on the right road. [ 638 → 640] They may well be false prophets [ 640 → 642] who use religion for their own purposes [ 642 → 644] to promote their own psychological [ 644 → 647] or intellectual theories. [ 647 → 648] Unquote. [ 649 → 650] Now, I don't know about you, [ 650 → 653] but that sounds just like Francis to me. [ 654 → 656] He's the man who always has an answer, [ 656 → 657] to every question, [ 658 → 660] constantly wants to offer his advice, [ 660 → 662] and always has something to say [ 662 → 662] about everything. [ 663 → 665] And he constantly uses his own [ 665 → 667] psychological and intellectual theories, [ 668 → 670] like all the tenderness and encounter jazz, [ 671 → 673] that have nothing to do with Catholicism, [ 673 → 675] and pushes them on people [ 675 → 678] who think that these must be Catholic ideas. [ 680 → 681] Aside from that, [ 681 → 682] the idea that if someone has an answer [ 682 → 683] to every question, [ 684 → 685] he is not on the right road [ 685 → 686] is entirely wrong. [ 686 → 686] So, [ 686 → 687] it's completely arbitrary. [ 687 → 688] It's gratuitous. [ 688 → 690] Precisely how should having an answer [ 690 → 692] to everything be a sign [ 692 → 694] of being on the wrong road? [ 694 → 696] He doesn't give a reason, of course. [ 696 → 698] He simply declares it to be so. [ 699 → 700] But the Catholic Church [ 700 → 702] does have an answer to every question [ 702 → 703] on faith and morals. [ 704 → 705] At least potentially. [ 706 → 707] And that's not surprising. [ 707 → 709] Christ promised his apostles, [ 709 → 709] quote, [ 709 → 711] but when he, the spirit of truth, [ 711 → 712] is come, [ 713 → 715] he will teach you all truth. [ 715 → 715] Unquote. [ 715 → 716] That's from, [ 716 → 718] John 16, 13. [ 719 → 721] And in 1 Timothy 3, 15, [ 721 → 723] St. Paul refers to the church [ 723 → 724] as the, quote, [ 724 → 727] pillar and ground of the truth. [ 727 → 727] Unquote. [ 728 → 729] But here we go again [ 729 → 732] with our answers for every question. [ 733 → 735] And we've got to stop here for today. [ 735 → 738] Otherwise, this podcast will go on for too long. [ 738 → 740] But we'll pick up here [ 740 → 742] and talk about Gaudete et Exsultate [ 742 → 743] some more [ 743 → 745] in the next Tratcast Express [ 745 → 746] in just a few days. [ 746 → 747] Stay tuned. [ 748 → 749] Tratcast Express is a production [ 749 → 751] of Novos Ordo Watch. [ 751 → 752] Check us out at Tratcast.org. 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