Disobeying the Pope and Sins of Omission - Michael Voris' Latest Thoughts

JMJ

Church Militant TV just issued another vortex on the topic of obedience to the Pope, when it is really

Michael Voris has another vortex out and touches on the topic of criticizing the Pope publicly.

His rationale has two foundations:

Criticizing the Pope publicly results in driving many 'confused Catholics' into schismatic or near-schismatic (SSPX) groups.
It is useless to criticize the Pope as it is the Bishops who are the ones who are really the problem.

I disagree with Michael on the principle that it is not right to publicly criticize the Pope. In practice, the criticism must be delivered with respect for his office and charity for the souls - the Pope's first as well as the rest of the Church.

Even the Pope said he accepted the criticisms of the late journalist (name escapes me) and he accepted them because he knew these criticisms came from love.

So criticising or complaining about the Pope's actions do not necessarily translate into an attack upon the person of the Pope.

For example, I can definitely criticize St. Pope John Paul II's decision to kiss a koran that was presented to him. This is a sinful act against the first commandment and no one should imitate the Pope in this matter.

I also would like to note that Pope Francis' orders being disobeyed by the bishops were curiously absent. I suspect that there aren't any orders to disobey since the Pope himself is acting in accord with the bishops.

But I digress.

The reason why anyone should criticize the Pope is in order to remove the confusion about Church Teaching/Doctrine that the Pope is himself creating.

The koran kissing is a good example, but there are many examples of Pontifical actions that are causing scandal and causing people to leave the Church of Christ because of the confusion. Far more leave the Church altogether than the few thousands that take refuge in the SSPX and even the sedevacantist organizations.

And they are leaving in droves.

To not say something can be a sin of omission and as such when the Pope does something scandalous, those in positions of authority need to assert the elements of the True Faith - within their realm of authority.

Michael point about the local bishops is right - to a point however his aerial vs ground assault analogy is completely off base.

Why?

Because this crisis of the Church will not end until the Pope is strong enough to take a stand on Catholic Teaching. This is true from a doctrinal point of view and true from a cultural point of view.

Any gains made at the diocesan level can be erased as quickly as a new bishop can be installed.

Those who have a wider influence have an obligation to make use of that influence for the service of the Church. If it is required to point out, with respect, to the Pope that he is damaging the Mystical Body of Christ - then so be it.

I would not want to stand before my just judge and say: But he was the Pope.

Everyone of the abuses sickening the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, Roman Church was approved by a Pope.

Following Michael's logic we should hunker down and listen to them and obey.

But the cognitive dissonance would tear us apart.

Until next time ...

P^3
Prayer
Penance
Patience

Comments

A Look Back: A short history of the SSPX

+ JMJ I started a timeline a while back but never finished it. Fortunately, here's one that brings us up to 1994!!! P^3 http://archives.sspx.org/SSPX_FAQs/a_short_history_of_the_sspx-part-1.htm A short history of the SSPX A presentation given by Fr. Ramon Angles in Kansas City, MO, on the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the SSPX and reprinted from the January 1996 issue of The Angelus . Part 1 The history of the Society of St. Pius X begins, of course, in the mind of God. But do not believe that its temporal origin is to be found solely at the time of the post-conciliar crisis. The Society of St. Pius X was made possible ...

Hermeneutic of the Hermeneutic of Continuity - sspx.org

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SSPX and the Resistance - A Comparison Of Ecclesiology

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Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

Dogmas of the Catholic Faith (de fide) - Expanded Listing: Answer for Reader

+ JMJ A reader asked the following question in the 2015 version of the article on the Dogmas of the Catholic Faith (link) : 117: "In the state of fallen nature it is morally impossible for man without Supernatural Revelation, to know easily, with absolute certainty and without admixture of error, all religious and moral truths of the natural order." Where can you find this in the documents of the Church? ( Link to comment ) Here's the reference from Ott: The citation that Ott provided was Denzinger 1786 and the source document is Dogmatic Consitution Concerning the Faith from the First Vatican Council (Papal Encyclicals - link) : Chapter 2 On Revelation, Article 3: It is indeed thanks to this divine revelation , that those matters concerning God, which are not of themselves beyond the scope of human reason, can, even in the present state of the human race, be known by everyone, without difficulty, with firm certitude and with no intermingling of error. Here's ...

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