Wow. I really really hope that this is not true. What keeps coming to mind with this China deal outside all the talk of schism is all the countless people who have suffered imprisonment and death for decades to live the faith there according to God's law. God Bless them all and the sacrifices they have made for the Faith. I have hoped that some day we might come to know them as Saints. If this deal goes through will they ever be remembered or will they be intentionally forgotten and the memory of them erased. We all know how this works with communists.
The situation in China has parallels to the Cristeros in Mexico. The Vatican asked them to put down their arms as part of a truce with the Mexican government; then they were all slaughtered.
I will try to get more info on this; whether it is true. Thank you for posting this Dolours. I did not believe that the so-called "underground" Msgr Wei Jingyi' was a true representative of the faithful/real Catholics in China. The article confirms this and lets us know the true stand of the authentic Catholic Church in China. Like I said, we can never trust the Communists.
An extract from the latest in the series of reflections by Cardinal Muller as published in "First Things": When “pastoral change” becomes a term by which some express their agenda to sweep aside the Church’s teaching as if doctrine were an obstacle to pastoral care, then speaking up in opposition is a duty of conscience. Hieronymus, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and other great Catholic authorities have attributed exemplary significance to the Antioch incident when Paul openly opposed Peter, who, on account of his ambiguous behavior, was “not straightforward about the truth of the gospel” (Gal 2:14). Above all it is important to recall that the pope, as a “private person” (Lumen Gentium n. 25) or brother among brothers, cannot prescribe his personal theology and lifestyle or the spirituality of his religious order to the whole Church. Obedience as a religious vow is different from the obedience of faith that every Catholic owes to revelation and to its ecclesial mediation. The bishops are bound to obey the pope because of his judicial primacy and not on account of a personal vow they have taken. The papal and episcopal offices are at the service of preserving the unity of faith and communion. Therefore, it is among the pope’s and bishops’ first duties to prevent polarization and the rise of partisan mentalities. All this means that in the exercise of its teaching ministry, it is not enough for the Church’s Magisterium simply to appeal to its judicial or disciplinary power as if its teachings were nothing but a matter of legal and doctrinal positivism. Rather, the Magisterium must seek to present a convincing case, showing how its presentation of the faith is in itself coherent and in continuity with the rest of Tradition. The authority of the papal Magisterium rests on its continuity with the teachings of previous popes. In fact, if a pope had the power to abolish the binding teachings of his predecessors, or if he had the authority even to reinterpret Holy Scripture against its evident meaning, then all his doctrinal decisions could in turn be abolished by his successor, whose successor in turn could undo or redo everything as he pleased. In this case we would not be witnessing a development of doctrine, but the dire spectacle of the Bark of Peter stranded on a sandbank. Recently groups of bishops or individual episcopal conferences have issued directives concerning the reception of the sacraments. For these statements to be orthodox, it is not enough that they declare their conformity with the pope’s presumed intentions in Amoris Laetitia. They are orthodox only if they agree with the words of Christ preserved in the deposit of faith. Similarly, when cardinals, bishops, priests, and laity ask the pope for clarity on these matters, what they request is not a clarification of the pope’s opinion. What they seek is clarity regarding the continuity of the pope’s teaching in Amoris Laetitia with the rest of tradition. The entire article is really worth reading. Here's a link: https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2018/02/development-or-corruption https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2018/02/development-or-corruption
Notice in your example though they did not go into schism. They stayed loyal to Rome no matter what they hardship. Today those who died are celebrated as martyrs. The current situation though has much more similarity with the Church under Napoleon where his revolutionary government appointed bishops according to his own liking. The Vatican signed an agreement with France during that time as well extremely limiting the Church. Bad things happen in difficult times. It is very sad, but it is no reason to break with Rome.
I love the Sensum Fidelium channel and listen to the priests there all the time, I think they are really wonderful. But if I heard one advocating schism I would switch off and very sadly listen to him no more.
Ah EWTN my heroes. Thank you Jesus for the gift of EWTN at this difficult time, thank, thank, thank you.
Leaked docs raise question of Pope’s personal role in new Vatican financial scandal ROME, February 20, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) –Leaked documents obtained by LifeSiteNews connect the Pope himself to a new Vatican financial scandal and raise serious questions about his global reputation as the “pope for the poor.” LifeSiteNews has obtained internal documents of the U.S.-based Papal Foundation, a charity with a stellar history of assisting the world’s poor, showing that last summer the Pope personally requested, and obtained in part, a $25 million grant to a corruption-plagued, Church-owned dermatological hospital in Rome accused of money laundering. Records from the financial police indicate the hospital has liabilities over one billion USD – an amount larger than the national debt of some 20 nations. The grant has lay members of the Papal Foundation up in arms, and some tendering resignations. Read the rest at: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/l...-popes-personal-role-in-new-vatican-financial
I do not like this talk of false Mercy because there is no such thing as, false Mercy! When liberal catholics and others speak of Gods mercy, without an accompaning awakening of the soul, they are stating Gods mercy is 'God's embracement of sin'?! This is diabolical! They are in fact, cheapening, disfiguring and dishonouring one of God's magnificent attributes! In their liberal language they are saying sin can co-exist with Gods Holiness? His Purity? His Oneness? and His Truth? This is complete trash because sin is eternal death! Let us forever lable what they are saying for the reality that it is! they are not talking about God's mercy at all, they are in fact "condoning sin', which has nothing to do with God's Mercy! God's Mercy is given as an extension of Gods love, this Love wipes out the eternal punishment due to sin! and the sinner once extended this mercy! humbles himself before the Almighty and lives in accordance with truth and love and is thankful that he has been saved from his sins! Now let us look at Gods Holy, Beautiful and Magnificent attribute of His Divine Mercy! Litany to The Divine Mercy Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us. God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, unfathomable love of the Sanctifier, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, expression of the greatest might of God, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, in creation of heavenly spirits, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, in calling us forth from nothingness to existence, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, shielding us from deserved punishment, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, lifting us from the misery of sin, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, justifying us through the Person of the Incarnate Word, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the wounds of Christ, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, giving us the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of Mercy, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, in revealing the mysteries of God, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, in the founding of the Holy Church, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, in instituting the Holy Sacraments, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, first of all in the sacraments of Baptism and Penance, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, in the Holy Eucharist and the sacrament of Holy Orders, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, in calling us to the holy faith, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, in the conversion of sinners, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, in sanctifying the just, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, in perfecting of the pious, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, fount of help for the sick and the suffering, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, accompanying us in every moment of our life, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, anticipating our needs with graces, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, repose of the dying, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, heavenly delight of the saved, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, respite and relief of the souls in Purgatory, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, crown of All Saints, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, inexhaustible source of miracles, we trust in You. Divine Mercy, repose of Hearts, peace amidst fear, we trust in You. Lamb of God, who revealed the greatest mercy in redeeming the world by dying on the cross, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who mercifully offers Yourself for our sake in every holy Mass, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away our sins with inexhaustible compassion, have mercy on us. V: The Mercy of God is above all His works. R: Hence, we will praise The Divine Mercy forever and ever. Let us pray: Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, King of mercy, who with You and the Holy Spirit shows us mercy now and forever. Amen.
Yes there must be a real holy total horror of sin. There does not seem to be a lot of that going the rounds in the Vatican at the moment. The attitude seems to be, 'Well why worry? God will get over it,'
I know my above post seems to come out of the blue! but what I am saying is that we must trust! And I now tend to look at all things with this prayer in mind........ Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion is inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen
Two points: 1). We must distinguish this individual pope from the position of the papacy. In other words, Pope Francis, through his words and deeds might no longer command loyalty, but the notion of a pope, in general, is a position that we must continue to respect. I can't deny this is extremely difficult. 2). There is a difference between political and doctrinal matters. Doctrine has been clearly explained throughout the history of the Church. Political events are all unique. I don't like the China affair any more than you, although I concede that you are closer to the ground in your location, so you probably know a lot more about these Communists, but this wouldn't be the first time the Church betrayed her own to communism. Wasn't ostpolitik essentially a sop in order to keep on side with the Orthodox?
Perhaps smacks of desperation, as things are beginning to unravel in the media for these wretches. When they've begun to receive criticism in the likes of the Guardian... Even the liberal press is reluctant to be seen to side with this kind of blatant totalitarianism. If Pope Francis is so wonderful and so popular, why this fear of criticism?
Of course there is a thing false mercy. When a baby in the womb is killed because the mother finds out it is deformed or they don't feel they can provide for it, that is false mercy. When a person decides to pull the plug of another in a coma, because they have deemed their life is of no value, that is false mercy. One could go on and on about false mercy.
That is the point I'm trying to emphasise. This pope has proven beyond any doubt that he is not being faithful to Christ's teachings in scripture, Apostolic Tradition and the previous Magisterium. He is highly critical of faithful Catholics who are orthodox in their beliefs and very friendly to everyone else. He has enabled heretical teaching, and promoters of heresy are given free rein in the Church, but he clamps down hard on the true and faithful clergy. And yet, we are constantly being exhorted to obey him in all things but sin. Like I said before, this is simply schizophrenic. Sin is allowed to be glorified in this papacy! According to this pope, God himself is asking people to continue in sin. Then, are we not to learn from history about past events with devastating results for Catholics? Isn't this what our Blessed Mother has been warning about for so long? It is not reasonable to say that this pope is merely making a political decision, and the underground Chinese need to obey the pope. They would be joining the false church, devoid of Christ. It is better for them to be martyred than to give in to this diabolical scheme. Acts 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men."
If this is a shot across the bow it is a very foolish one. To faithful Roman Catholics this is akin to a declaration of war.
