Sobering

The computer is still at the shop, but I have my daughter's today and wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas!

The situation in Rome continues to show us its face. For a long time, I was anxiously waiting for Pope Francis to say something that demonstrates his intention to steer Christ's Ship onto its divine course. But now, each time the force in control opens its mouth and projects its vomit, I find myself simply nodding my head and saying 'yup, there it is'.

A few days back on Facebook, I came across Bishop Fulton Sheen's description of the antiChrist.

'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. . .

. . . But the twentieth century will join the counterchurch because it claims to be infallible when its visible head speaks ex cathedra from Moscow on the subject of economics and politics, and as chief shepherd of world communism.'



It's like taking a bullet, isn't it?

Sometimes people who live on the margins will ask me what I think of the Pope Francis show. I treat these situations a lot differently than I treat conversations with catechized Catholics. The potential is there to do compound the scandal. I find myself treating each situation and person diffefrently--sometimes groping for the right answer for that particular individual or group of them.

I will often say Pope Francis has led the people I love away from right judgment in the face of temptation, destroyed 30 years of catechesis of a faithful mother and good priests, so I don't think very much of him.

A Protestant friend who read Bishop Sheen's comment on my wall and questioned was a bit stickier. I wanted to post my answer to him in case you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

Certainly Obama is a tool but the spirit of the antichrist has infiltrated everything, even the papacy. It doesn't mean they are spawns of satan, it simply means the power is unchained and able to use flaws and sins of people who try or think they are acting in good faith (including us). The agenda is what it is and the ape of Christ's Church is materializing before our eyes. We have a front row seat. The best course of action is being a witness to the Truth and sticking as close to possible to the Sacraments, prayer, redemptive suffering, to the extent we are able offering of indulgences for those in purgatory or living people as applicable. And a good sense of humor cuz we ain't seen nothing yet.

Good times.

Happy New Year!!