Tuesday, October 27, 2015

The Smell of the Shepherd: The Stink of Deception




"BRUSSELS (KerkNet / Kath Press) - Pope Francis has all the participants of the Synod at the end of the meeting made a gift book in which he explains his views on the episcopate. The publication of the Jesuit working in Rome Diego Fares is titled: "The smell of the shepherd. The bishop, in the opinion of Pope Francis. The title refers to a homily of Pope Francis in which he said that the bishop as shepherd of the flock, the smell of his sheep should have. The foreword was written by the Italian Jesuit Antonio Spadaro, editor of the Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica."

But what does it smell like?

Fr. Z has posted his thoughts on the final synod document.

He posted the thoughts of a faithful Catholic that he agreed with and felt was insightful. The faithful Catholic wrote to another Catholic who opined that the Pope brings in theologians to suggest his people embrace immorality and mortal sin because he believes they shouldn't.

We see this peculiar argument from smart, faithful Catholics all over the internet.

I just don't buy these folks truly believe - a pope passing out Playboy magazine and promoting its contents while sitting quietly on the sidelines like he has nothing to do with it, and then when lucid people say here are the reasons this circus is misleading the uncatechized, tell them they are closed-hearted Catholics hiding behind doctrine who will not follow the real Gospel of Christ - is a pope who believes Church teaching and is trying to lead his people to living each day in a state of Sanctifying Grace.

These are not the actions of an individual attempting to lead people to truth, right judgment and Church teaching.

These are the actions of an individual who introduces ideas contrary to truth, right judgment and contrary to Church teaching.

Here is Fr. Z's charitable and truthful response:



Thank you for your thoughtful analysis. However, whenever I read your articles, I am always left with one unanswered question: why do you always suggest, without any evidence whatsoever, that the adapters that placed the Pope in office, and that he has appointed to high positions, and that he has surrounded himself with, are not expressions of the Pope’s mind? The Pope is basically elected by them; the Pope makes them his closest advisers; the Pope appoints them to draft and control important documents; the Pope appoints them to the Synod when bishops’ conferences did not; they claim to speak the Pope’s mind, and he never contradicts them; the Pope severely criticizes the opponents of the adapters, likening them to men with hardened hearts, not alive with the Gospel. The Pope, against the numerical will of the majority of bishops does not clearly close the issues at variance with the adapters. Is it not a logical conclusion to draw to say that the Pope is in fact their man, and that they are the Pope’s men? Why do you refuse to draw the obvious conclusion? Perhaps you know something we do not. If so, you have never said it.

We are heading now into 50-some-odd months of this pontificate in which he has consistently conveyed he believes what Kasper and Marx believe and it is his intention to get Catholics to stop believing in the doctrines of the Church.

The evidence is before us. He has unhinged our loved ones from Church doctrine and latched them onto the heretics he appointed to teach them.

He has been told by millions that this is what is happening in our families, the damage could be irreparable unless he upholds Church teaching and his response was to slander us and line up heretics to produce a deceptive document.

The discernment period has ended. The smell of the shepherd has risen in St. Peter's Square and all I smell is deception.



11 comments:

DJR said...

Thank you for posting that. It is what needs to be said... and loudly.

Common sense... (COMMON SENSE, PEOPLE!)... tells us that, if something looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, what you are looking at is... A DUCK!

The pope has made abundantly clear where his sentiments are, and they are NOT with traditional Catholics.

Jane Galt said...

I suggest you go back and look at the link to Father Z's website. What you have labeled as his response is not: it's a response written by a reader of Andrea Gagliarducce's article. I can see from the formatting why you made that mistake. It's not clear.

Jane Galt said...

I suggest you go back and look at the link to Father Z's website. What you have labeled as his response is not: it's a response written by a reader of Andrea Gagliarducce's article. I can see from the formatting why you made that mistake. It's not clear.

Ever mindful said...

Thank you for your tremendous blog... Keep going... It is valuable and much appreciated

TTC said...

Jane, I see what you mean! Thank you!

I will say that Fr Z posted this response from another person because they represented his own convictions. This is what the Holy Father does, only he is too sneaky to admit it so he distances himself from his own production.

The sleaze of it all adds to the untrustworthiness of anything he says or does or causes others to say and do.

It bears the mark of the ancient deceiver.

To compare this insidious circus to the two previous popes is sophomoric. Who would compare the deposit of faith St John Paul II left us with the promotion of heresies for two years?

Pope Benedict was not as precise when articulating doctrine but could never compare to the catastrophic confusion of a pope who caricatures doctrine as the enemy of salvation and him above It.

Anonymous said...

We must be truly honest here because souls are at stake. This deception goes all the way back to VII. Read the documents and see the errors; if it does not agree with what the Church has always taught, everywhere at the same time, it is not Catholic. Religious liberty and ecumenism being two of them. You cannot put a band aid on this stuff. The current Pontificate is what you get when the tree is rotten.

poeta said...

50-some-odd months?

Michael Dowd said...

Thanks for all you do and you do for us for free. Please let us know if you could use a contribution once in awhile.

TTC said...

poeta,

haha. That typo was a Freudian slip.

TTC said...

Michael,

ps - thank you so much for your acknowledgment of the work I do without solicitation. I have thought about putting up a paypal from time-to-time. I live on the edge and there are times when something breaks or I have a bill I struggle paying that I am tempted to put up a paypal. I had one of these spells about six months ago - some medical bills, my car needed about 1500 of work to get back on the road, I was out of a car and a few other bills came in that overwhelmed me. I contacted three very wealthy local people who have followed my work for at least a decade, some more. I've worked on numerous projects with them and they know as a single mother, I paid postage and other kinds of fees to produce documents and send them to Rome or wherever. Another one I helped when his own ministry was in a squeezola. I asked them to help get my car back and not one answered me. Thank God for good friends - one of whom let me borrow their car, another prayed, I spent my mortgage money, my kids gave me a few hundred and I have a new car under my butt and slowly recovering. This is the kind of crap many laborers in the vineyard deal with every day. These wealthy men will pay thousands for a seat at a swanky event beside a bishop they know is corrupt and they complain about the other 364 days of the year.


I did once ask for contributions from readers about ten years ago when I was really sinking and many generous folks helped me out of the hole - for which I am very, very grateful. I have resisted doing it again for a number of reasons. Mainly because I ask God for many favors for my family, friends, colleagues, readers - people who ask me to pray sometimes for a miracle - I am afraid those prayers will have less efficacy if I am paid for my work. It's a gift I want to give to people who are suffering in this valley of tears. Something I hope burns off some of my time in purgatory. Something I can offer to Christ on my day of reckoning--that did everything possible for every soul that crossed my radar. I think all of that would get lost if I gave in to the temptation of taking money for my work.

Thank you though for letting me know that it's made a difference in your life. It meant a great deal to me. More barter for a miracle!

Michael Dowd said...

Carol--

Please set up a Paypal account for your site. I think it will make many of us feel better and help you, too. It will also be good spiritually for all of us. Taking alms is often harder than giving alms.