Pope Francis receives death threat as he grapples with Vatican financial scandals By Claire Giangravé | Religion News Service Today at 6:03 p.m. EDT VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Italian police officers are investigating an envelope discovered Monday (Aug. 9) containing three 9mm bullets and a letter referring to Vatican financial mismanagement, in an apparent threat aimed at Pope Francis. The message is the latest bizarre twist in a 3-year-old scandal that is at the center of a high-profile trial involving 10 individuals accused of misappropriating more than $400 million from the Catholic Church. According to local media reports, the letter, addressed to “Pope Francis — Vatican City — St. Peter’s Square in Rome,” was sent from France and the suspect is known to Vatican police. Read more at: Pope Francis receives death threat as he grapples with Vatican financial scandals - The Washington Post I think some articles say security has been beefed up. I must have missed this being posted on the Holy Father.
May God help and protect Pope Francis from the nefarious elements and those responsible around the Vatican finances, and in all areas of his earthly mission Amen.
May God help and protect us from the Holy Father and the nefarious elements he has placed in positions of power all around him.
Oh Padraig, if we fail to love this poor Pope and pray for him; the devil could end up getting his poor soul and Jesus would be heartbroken to lose another child of God in spite of His Agony and death on the Cross. I can forgive everything for Jesus sake, so Jesus can forgive everything that could come between me and the salvation of my own poor soul. Don't give up hope for Pope Francis while there is life in his body, please. Merciful Jesus, cover the soul of Pope Francis with Your Precious Blood so You can purify, cleanse, heal and restore his soul; that he may be pleasing in the sight of our Holy God, be reconciled completely; and share in all that we hope to enjoy in Your Heavenly Kingdom. Amen
Here is a link with some good news, all we need to do is focus on Jesus and find how He is working all the time to keep us safe and saved. There is an interview in the link that just might cheer us all up. Pray, Hope and don't worry. https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/736359/
I love the Pope, I love Hitler and Stalin and Ghengis Khan and Judas and Nanci Pelossi and Al Capone and just about any name you could come up with. But I don't have any illusions about any of them. If the Pope is surrounded by Nefarious individuals it's because he put them there. I am happy to pray for anyone no matter how bad they be. But the fact that I pray for them doesn't mean they aren't bad. I'm afraid any hopeful illusions I had about our present Holy Father flew out the window a long, long time ago.
Maybe Pope Francis is cleaning up the church more actually as far as that goes. I think the premise of the 1983 book which I have, it's about finances and Pope John Paul I (Albino Luciani), Review: Unfortunately, this heinous crime is established in such forensic detail as to leave the reader somewhat stultified. The middle section contains long and exhaustive details of Vatican banking practices, for example. Useful in establishing motive, but also agonisingly dry. What little I have seen in this present case with PF, is that whomever left those bullets, left them in what is about finances. Pope Francis receives death threat as he grapples with Vatican financial scandals (religionnews.com) Italian police officers are investigating an envelope discovered Monday (Aug. 9) containing three 9mm bullets and a letter referring to Vatican financial mismanagement, in an apparent threat aimed at Pope Francis. Pope Francis receives death threat; Manila archbishop calls for prayer for pontiff's safety | Inquirer News Somewhere, it may not always be about the Pre-Vatican II church being perfect, "Watch Song for a Raggy Boy (2003) - Free Movies | Tubi (tubitv.com)", "Song for a Raggy Boy", sure, it probably has slanted info, I see it some myself. Yes, Church attendance has declined under Pope Francis but I'm hardly sure that is about whom he has placed around him, it's because of his more liberal outlook. 4.2 Million Catholics In U.S. Leave Church To Protest Pope Francis (newspunch.com) But back to finances, from late July, 2021: Vatican prosecutors have alleged a jaw-dropping series of scandals in the biggest criminal trial in the Vatican’s modern history, which opens Tuesday in a modified courtroom in the Vatican Museums. The once-powerful cardinal and nine other people are accused of bleeding the Holy See of tens of millions of dollars in donations through bad investments, deals with shady money managers and apparent favors to friends and family. They face prison sentences, fines or both if convicted. In the minefield of these abuse scandals, it looks like Francis has cracked down more. Chile sexual abuse scandal: pope accepts resignations of bishops | Chile | The Guardian They were among 34 Chilean bishops who offered to resign last month after Francis said the country’s religious hierarchy was collectively responsible for “grave defects” in handling sexual abuse cases and the church’s resulting loss of credibility. Juan Carlos Cruz, a survivor who has been a vocal critic of Barros and repeatedly called on the Vatican to take action, said: “A new day has begun in Chile’s Catholic church. Pope Francis names replacement for Australian archbishop who covered up abuse | Catholicism | The Guardian Pennsylvania abuse survivor calls on Pope Francis to intervene | Catholicism | The Guardian
Pope Francis does give the boot to paedophile clergy but usually when his back to the wall and he has no other choice. For instance Archbishop Vigano outing Cardinal Mc Carrick. Pope Francis had no other choice but to dump him, the same with Cardinal Wuerl. A good example of Pope Francis making what he himself calls , 'Grave Errors', was in Chile, where he blamed the victims rather than the Clergy. Even the New York Times had a field day: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/world/americas/pope-francis-sex-abuse-apology.html
I am very,very suspicious indeed at this point in time of anyone who tries to justify the actions of the Holy Father. There was a time I might have made some allowances, but that time is long since gone. It reminds me of Germans who attempted to justify the Third Reich after the Camps were uncovered.. It is so clear now that the, 'Ape of the Church', long ago prophesied by Our Lady of Good Success is very actively under construction. “Thus I make it known to you that from the end of the 19th century and shortly after the middle of the 20th century…the passions will erupt and there will be a total corruption of morals… As for the Sacrament of Matrimony, which symbolizes the union of Christ with His Church, it will be attacked and deeply profaned. Freemasonry, which will then be in power, will enact iniquitous laws with the aim of doing away with this Sacrament, making it easy for everyone to live in sin and encouraging procreation of illegitimate children born without the blessing of the Church … In this supreme moment of need for the Church, the one who should speak will fall silent….” “How deeply I grieve to manifest to you the many enormous sacrileges – both public as well as secret – that will occur from profanation of the Holy Eucharist. Often, during this epoch the enemies of Jesus Christ, instigated by the Devil, will steal consecrated Hosts from the churches so that they might profane the Eucharistic Species.” -Our Lady of Good Success, 1610 A.D. “[Satan] will set up a counterchurch which will be the ape of the [Catholic] Church … It will have all the notes and characteristics of the Church, but in reverse and emptied of its divine content.” We are living in the days of the Apocalypse, the last days of our era. The two great forces – the Mystical Body of Christ and the Mystical Body of the anti-Christ – are beginning to draw battle lines for the catastrophic contest. The False prophet will have a religion without a cross. A religion without a world to come. A religion to destroy religions. There will be a counterfeit Church. Christ’s Church the Catholic Church will be one; and the false Prophet will create the other. The False Church will be worldly, ecumenical, and global. It will be a loose federation of churches and religions, forming some type of global association. A world parliament of Churches. It will be emptied of all Divine content, it will be the mystical body of the anti-christ. The Mystical Body on earth today will have its Judas Iscariot, and he will be the false prophet. Satan will recruit him from our Bishops. The Antichrist will not be so called; otherwise he would have no followers. He will not wear red tights, nor vomit sulphur, nor carry a trident nor wave an arrowed tail as Mephistopheles in Faust. This masquerade has helped the Devil convince men that he does not exist. When no man recognizes, the more power he exercises. God has defined Himself as “I am Who am,” and the Devil as “I am who am not.” Nowhere in Sacred Scripture do we find warrant for the popular myth of the Devil as a buffoon who is dressed like the first “red.” Rather is he described as an angel fallen from heaven, as “the Prince of this world,” whose business it is to tell us that there is no other world. His logic is simple: if there is no heaven there is no hell; if there is no hell, then there is no sin; if there is no sin, then there is no judge, and if there is no judgment then evil is good and good is evil. But above all these descriptions, Our Lord tells us that he will be so much like Himself that he would deceive even the elect–and certainly no devil ever seen in picture books could deceive even the elect. How will he come in this new age to win followers to his religion? The pre-Communist Russian belief is that he will come disguised as the Great Humanitarian; he will talk peace, prosperity and plenty not as means to lead us to God, but as ends in themselves … The third temptation in which Satan asked Christ to adore him and all the kingdoms of the world would be His, will become the temptation to have a new religion without a Cross, a liturgy without a world to come, a religion to destroy a religion, or a politics which is a religion–one that renders unto Caesar even the things that are God’s. In the midst of all his seeming love for humanity and his glib talk of freedom and equality, he will have one great secret which he will tell to no one: he will not believe in God. Because his religion will be brotherhood without the fatherhood of God, he will deceive even the elect. He will set up a counterchurch which will be the ape of the Church, because he, the Devil, is the ape of God. It will have all the notes and characteristics of the Church, but in reverse and emptied of its divine content. It will be a mystical body of the Antichrist that will in all externals resemble the mystical body of Christ … ” (Fulton J. Sheen, Communism and the Conscience of the West [Bobbs-Merril Company, Indianapolis, 1948], pp. 24-25)
Pope Francis has spoken countless times against abortion, has visited pro-life locations to speak for life. I don't think he can fairly be mentioned in the names of fallen away Catholic-type politicians. 12 Things Pope Francis has said about abortion (aleteia.org) Pope Francis has reaffirmed the Catholic teaching that euthanasia “is always wrong, in that the intent of euthanasia is to end life and cause death,” but, as Pius XII taught 60 years ago, “there is no obligation to have recourse in all circumstances to every possible remedy” to keep a person alive. “In some specific cases,” the pope said, “it is permissible to refrain from their use.” Pope Francis: No to euthanasia, but we should not obstinately resist death | America Magazine First things first: Pope Francis’ overlooked pro-birth and pro-life message – Catholic World Report Just for me, this is the deal-breaker, if Pelosi, etc. were pro-life, then, maybe I'd find some acceptability in what they say. He has not backtracked and even if one says, so and so spoke at some convention in the Vatican, there was one pro-choice politician who spoke at a Vatican conference under Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict but who was disinvited under Francis. I don't defend Francis but what is fair is fair.
Please do not interpret my post as justifying unorthodox words or actions of Pope Francis. We need to cover all our understanding with the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, or we are leaving ourselves very vulnerable in the situation we find ourselves. Emotions are the door the evil one uses to drag us down to his level, right where he wants us. Anger leads to hatred and where does that lead. The devil is incapable of loving, forgiving, mercy or humility. Therefore love, humility, forgiveness, mercy are the tools we have been offered to defeat evil when we are in the face of it, and anyone who does not understand that is going to suffer terribly before this is all over. We need to pray for one another each day. I put all Forum members and their families on the paten this morning at Holy Mass, sorry to tell you but I also placed Pope Francis there along with all Cardinals, Bishops, Priests and Religious; asking Jesus to take care of our wellbeing and redemption. Next time I will ask Jesus to put a good gap between you and Pope Francis incase you give the poor soul a black eye. Sorry but the thought of you and Pope Francis on a paten in front of Almighty God right now is not a pretty sight. Pray, Hope and don't worry.
I don't mistake being loving with being nice, Julia. Just as don't mistake the need for Mercy with the need for Truth and Justice. I used to think this Pope was the worst in history, I ama fraid the situation is far, far worst than this...
Pope Francis has consistently and firmly placed pro life issues in the back seat, to the really, really important issues (as he sees it) such as Global Warming and Social Warrior issues. He has invited the most radically pro abort individuals on the planet to speak at the Vatican. The incident that for me showed the Popes true colours was his open praise for the most pro abort campaigner in Italy: Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. https://www.cal-catholic.com/pope-francis-praises-italys-leading-abortion-rights-proponent/ Pope Francis praises Italy’s leading abortion rights proponent February 29th, 2016 Pope Francis (left) has compared former Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino (right), who is an abortion rights activist, to great historical figures such as Konrad Adenauer and Robert Schuman. (photo from Christian Today article/Reuters/Wikipedia) The following comes from a February 29 Christian Today article by Shianee Mamanglu-Regala: Pope Francis shocked church traditionalists and pro-life advocates after he recently praised a leading abortion rights advocate and even dubbed her as one of Italy’s “forgotten greats.” The pontiff made the statement during an interview February 8 with Corriere Della Serra, where he compared former Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino to great historical figures such as Konrad Adenauer and Robert Schuman. Bonino has been known for decades as Italy’s most outspoken abortion rights activist. At 27, she had an illegal abortion and then worked with the Information Centre on Sterilisation and Abortion which boasted over 10,000 abortions. There are famous photos of Bonino performing illegal abortions using a homemade device operated by a bicycle pump. Arrested for the then-illegal activity, she spent a few days in jail, was acquitted and then entered politics, according to reports. In 2013 when was she was appointed Italy’s foreign minister, there was reportedly a general outcry from life and family leaders at the ”appalling situation.” Pope Francis acknowledged that his statements were “controversial” but dismissed them, saying, “True, but never mind. We have to look at people, at what they do.”
I may be stating what is very obvious and trite. But I will go ahead and do so anyway. Truly evil people do not come right out and say and do evil things without disguising them. They duck and weave and dissemble. In other words they hide their agenda and intent. They duck and weave. Our present Holy Father is the very, best ducker and weaver I have encountered in my entire life. He could teach Master Classes in ducking and weaving. But of course he is an ardent Peronist and that's what Peronism consists of, expert ducking and weaving. Our Holy Father learnt under the all time greats. Political sleight of hand. Pope Francis is political to his toe nails.
Padraig, are you saying that praying for Pope Francis' soul is being too nice? Do you believe we should not ask God for mercy on Pope Francis while he is still alive? I certainly understand your feelings, but thank goodness as Catholics taking up our cross and following Christ, our feelings are not what matter. Christ Himself asked us to love our enemies. And love does not mean "be nice" or agree with literally anything the person does...but I would argue to my last breath that "love" means to desire the salvation of even the worst person's soul and even be willing to lay down one's life if it would save that person's soul.
Yes Padraig, from a human point it looks very bad everywhere we look. But we have to stand firm and strong in our precious Faith. Where is that lovely saying from Saint Theresa of Avilla, "Let nothing disturb you etc." Let's cherish the blessings in the present moment, they are only visible when we keep our eyes firmly fixed on dear Jesus. Sometimes it feels like it would be nice to have that whip Jesus used in the Temple and whop some Hierarchical behinds; but I noticed in the Bible Jesus never recommended the Apostles or disciples use that particular discipline themselves. Hang on in there when He comes He will use whatever Justice requires to make paths straight again. Fingers crossed we won't find ourselves in the line of fire when the whip falls. Pray, hope and no worries.
