[ 0 → 4] TrapCast Express [ 4 → 14] TrapCast Express, it's Monday, December 10th, 2018. [ 14 → 16] Don't you hate it when that happens? [ 16 → 19] You've been spouting heresy the better part of your life, [ 19 → 23] and then in one particular case you're a little ambiguous, [ 23 → 28] and boom, immediately someone accuses you of orthodoxy. [ 28 → 31] Well, obviously you can't let that go unrefuted, [ 31 → 36] so you've got to jump into action and clarify that you really did mean heresy. [ 37 → 39] No? Never happened to you? Good. [ 40 → 43] But that's what happened the other day with Father Joseph Ratzinger, [ 43 → 48] better known by his stage name, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. [ 50 → 54] On November 28th, the Boston Pilot reported, [ 54 → 54] quote, [ 55 → 58] Retired Pope Benedict XVI sent a letter courting, [ 58 → 62] directing a German theologian who implied that the former pontiff [ 62 → 67] encouraged the evangelization of the Jewish people as a mission. [ 68 → 71] In a message sent to the German monthly Herder Korrespondenz, [ 71 → 76] Pope Benedict responded to an article in which Michael Bornke, the theologian, [ 76 → 80] criticized the pope and accused him of advocating proselytism. [ 81 → 86] Judaism and Christianity are two ways of interpreting the scriptures, [ 86 → 88] the former pope said. [ 89 → 90] The accusation in the article is [ 90 → 96] Grotesque nonsense and has nothing to do with what I said about it. [ 96 → 101] I therefore reject his article as a completely false insinuation. [ 102 → 102] Unquote. [ 103 → 105] Well, thanks for the clarification, Razzi. [ 105 → 109] Not that we really needed it, but, you know, it doesn't hurt. [ 109 → 112] For more information on this, please see our post, [ 112 → 117] Benedict XVI, No Mission to the Jews, Just Dialogue. [ 117 → 121] We published that on November 26th at our blog at [ 121 → 125] novusortowatch.org slash wire. [ 125 → 131] Remember this incident as a case in point next time some recognize-and-resist trad [ 131 → 135] tries to tell you that we cannot know that something the pope said [ 135 → 139] that sounds heretical was actually meant in a heretical sense. [ 140 → 144] The false Novus Ordo popes are quite capable of clarifying ambiguous statements [ 144 → 146] when they want to. [ 146 → 149] It's just that when they do finally clarify something, [ 149 → 153] it's to reinforce the heretical sense, not the orthodox sense. [ 154 → 154] Oops. [ 155 → 159] In other news, when you have a pope who isn't Catholic, [ 159 → 161] or when you think you have one, [ 161 → 164] you kind of start wondering whether you really should be praying [ 164 → 167] for the intentions of the Holy Father, [ 167 → 170] as is required to gain a plenary indulgence. [ 170 → 173] In an article published at First Things today, [ 173 → 175] entitled Pray for the Pope, [ 175 → 177] author Michael Warren Davis writes, [ 178 → 201] And, of course, a good bishop is something Francis definitely isn't. [ 202 → 203] Neither good nor a bishop. [ 204 → 205] Davis then continues, [ 205 → 208] and says that that was a mistake, [ 208 → 210] and so that he resumed praying for Francis [ 210 → 215] after reading the following quote from St. Catherine of Siena. [ 215 → 215] Quote, [ 216 → 218] Even if the pope were Satan incarnate, [ 218 → 221] we ought not to raise up our heads against him, [ 221 → 223] but calmly lie down to rest on his bosom. [ 224 → 227] He who rebels against our father is condemned to death, [ 227 → 230] for that which we do to him we do to Christ. [ 230 → 233] We honor Christ if we honor the pope. [ 233 → 235] We dishonor Christ if we dishonor. [ 235 → 236] We honor the pope. [ 236 → 239] I know very well that many defend themselves by boasting, [ 239 → 242] they are so corrupt and work all manner of evil. [ 243 → 246] But God has commanded that even if the priests, [ 246 → 249] the pastors, and Christ on earth were incarnate devils, [ 249 → 252] we be obedient and subject to them, [ 252 → 254] not for their sakes, but for the sake of God, [ 254 → 256] and out of obedience to him. [ 256 → 257] Unquote. [ 258 → 260] Unfortunately, Davis doesn't cite a source [ 260 → 263] for these alleged words of St. Catherine of Siena, [ 264 → 265] but let's take them at face value, [ 265 → 269] St. Catherine is obviously using some hyperbole [ 269 → 273] because, for one thing, Satan cannot ever be incarnate. [ 273 → 275] But she's obviously talking about, [ 275 → 277] and this is the important point, [ 277 → 281] a morally wicked, corrupt, evil pope [ 281 → 284] who nevertheless professes the true faith. [ 284 → 289] In other words, a really, really, really bad Catholic. [ 289 → 292] And indeed, our submission to an immoral pope [ 292 → 295] must be the same as to a saintly pope. [ 295 → 299] Which is precisely why the Catholic doctrine on the papacy [ 299 → 303] never distinguishes between morally good and morally bad popes, [ 304 → 306] except to say, for example, that the church in her faith [ 306 → 310] is equally protected, not from, but by the pope. [ 311 → 313] Here is what Pius XII said, for instance, [ 313 → 318] in the address Ancora Una Volta of February 20th, 1949. [ 319 → 319] Quote, [ 319 → 322] The pope has the divine promises. [ 322 → 324] Even in his human weaknesses, [ 324 → 325] he is invincible, [ 325 → 326] and unshakable. [ 327 → 330] He is the messenger of truth and justice, [ 330 → 332] the principle of the unity of the church. [ 333 → 336] His voice denounces errors, idolatries, superstitions. [ 337 → 338] He condemns iniquities. [ 338 → 341] He makes charity and virtue loved. [ 341 → 342] Unquote. [ 342 → 345] The pope, the pope as such, [ 345 → 348] regardless of whether he's a murderer, a fornicator, or a thief, [ 349 → 353] that's because the papacy was created by God, not by man. [ 353 → 355] Only God can guarantee, [ 355 → 360] that the pope will always be the rule and guardian of orthodoxy, [ 360 → 364] despite any sinful life he may lead to the scandal of many. [ 365 → 368] And we even see this verified in church history. [ 369 → 374] As Fr. Fernand Mouret writes in Volume 3 of his History of the Catholic Church, [ 374 → 375] quote, [ 375 → 378] Divine Providence, watching over the church, [ 378 → 381] miraculously preserved the deposit of faith [ 381 → 384] of which this young voluptuary, [ 384 → 385] Pope John XII, [ 385 → 386] was the guardian. [ 387 → 389] This pope's life was a monstrous scandal, [ 389 → 391] but his bularium is faultless. [ 392 → 394] We cannot sufficiently admire this prodigy. [ 395 → 397] There is not a heretic or a schismatic [ 397 → 401] who has not endeavored to legitimate his own conduct dogmatically. [ 402 → 404] Fauchus tried to justify his pride, [ 404 → 406] Luther his sensual passions, [ 406 → 407] Calvin his cold cruelty. [ 408 → 410] Neither Sergius III, nor John XII, [ 410 → 414] nor Benedict IX, nor Alexander VI, [ 414 → 414] Supreme Pontiff, [ 415 → 416] definers of the faith, [ 417 → 419] certain of being heard and obeyed by the whole church, [ 420 → 422] uttered from the height of their apostolic pulpit [ 422 → 423] a single word [ 423 → 427] that could be an approval of their disorders. [ 427 → 428] Unquote. [ 428 → 431] Now, of course, this applies only to true popes, [ 431 → 433] and that's why the divine promises [ 433 → 435] are not realized in the Novus Ordo, [ 435 → 436] popes, [ 436 → 439] because they are not true popes. [ 440 → 441] By the way, [ 441 → 443] this whole business of praying for the intentions [ 443 → 445] of the Holy Father to gain a plenary, [ 445 → 452] indulgence has nothing to do with whether the pope is good or bad, because he must necessarily [ 452 → 459] be a Catholic, and as such, his intentions always include the following, according to the sacred [ 459 → 466] congregation of indulgences, the progress of the faith and the triumph of the church, peace and [ 466 → 472] union among Christian princes and rulers, the conversion of sinners, and the uprooting of [ 472 → 479] heresy. And you can find this printed in the preliminary pages of the Raccolta, the traditional [ 479 → 486] Catholic manual of indulgences approved by the Holy See. Well, one thing's pretty clear. Those [ 486 → 493] intentions are definitely not the intentions of Francis. Progress of the faith and triumph of the [ 493 → 499] church can be a break. That smacks of rigid certainties, no room for doubt, proselytism, [ 499 → 502] and especially triumphalism. [ 502 → 507] Peace and union among Christian princes and rulers? Forget it. Francis doesn't believe in [ 507 → 512] Christian nations or societies. He wants religious liberty and separation of church and state. [ 513 → 520] Conversion of sinners? Well, maybe, but definitely not to Catholicism. Uprooting of heresy? [ 523 → 530] Good one. So, no, these intentions are definitely not the intentions of Jorge Bergoglio. [ 530 → 532] They're quite incompatible. [ 532 → 537] With Pope Francis. Now, what might that tell us? [ 538 → 543] Tradcast Express is a production of Novos Ordo Watch. Check us out at tradcast.org. [ 543 → 546] And if you like what we're doing, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution [ 546 → 550] at novosortowatch.org slash donate.