Thank you to everyone for your responses. I really appreciate this conversation and everyone's take. Gives me a much better sense, which is comforting and discomforting at the same time.
I’m not judging. Pope Leo grew up Catholic in Chicago. Not exactly the best diocese then, maybe not even now.
Yes, while it is important in this time of instant news, to be aware of developments within the universal Church so as to better know how to intercede, the Bishopric and Vatican are ultimately in the hands of God. Best to discern how we as individuals can impact the lives of those around us.
There is also the financial politics where if certain things aren't done funding is cut. Like what happened in the US when USAID was cut. The USCCB grouped up and condemned it because they were all getting funded by it. Rome had and possibly still has financial incentive to follow globalist policies.
Yes, but "Rome" is so filled with freemasons, they're all working for the same goals. Like in the rest of the world, there is probably a very small percentage of faithful ones in the Vatican...not enough to overcome the wolves around them, but doing the best they can with God's help to minimize the damage and draw down graces with their silent martyrdom.
I’ve been reading through this thread and reflecting on some of the comments about recent popes. When you look at the history of the Church, we’ve had some pretty bad popes. Some did things completely contrary to what Christ taught. Yet the Church is still here. I believe Christ promised to protect His Church, particularly in matters of faith and morals. That doesn’t mean every pope is a saint or that every decision he makes is right. Even Peter denied Christ three times. But reading this thread also has me thinking about something more personal. Last night at our NCW catechesis, we reflected on the Gospel of Peter walking on water. I’ve heard it many times, but it struck me differently last night. Jesus sends the disciples out in a boat, and they find themselves in a storm. Peter sees Jesus walking toward them and asks Him to call him. Jesus says, “Come.” And Peter actually gets out of the boat and walks on the water. But then he becomes frightened by the wind and begins to sink. I see myself in Peter. I’ve had plenty of storms in my own life, especially these past couple of years. I struggle with wanting to control things, fix problems, and make everything right. And when I can’t, I get frustrated. Sometimes angry. I struggle with judgment, forgiveness, and even loving people who are difficult for me to love. I know what Christ asks of me. But knowing it and actually living it are two very different things. Something else our catechist said last night really stayed with me. Prayer is a battle. It’s not simply asking God to give me what I want or make things turn out the way I think they should. It’s recognizing that I can’t do this on my own. That I’m weak. That I need Him. I think that’s one of the hardest things for me to accept. I spend so much time trying to be strong, trying to figure things out, trying to fix what’s wrong. And maybe that’s part of why I struggle so much when things are beyond my control. What struck me about Peter is that the storm was still there when he walked on the water. Jesus hadn’t made it disappear. But Peter could walk toward Him, even in the middle of it. And when Peter became frightened and started to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out His hand. That really speaks to where I am right now. I don’t need to have everything figured out. I don’t need to fix every problem or understand every decision made by someone else, including those leading the Church. I need to learn to trust Christ, especially when things aren’t going the way I want. And when I fail, when I lose sight of Him and start sinking again, I need to remember that I don’t have to save myself. I only have to cry out, “Lord, save me.”
