The Era of Pope Francis
Do you ever find yourself reading an article about the pope and wondering....
How did we get here?
Now, let me make something clear. I believe Pope Francis is a valid pope, I respect the Chair of St Peter. However, we all need to acknowledge the elephant in the room.
He's doing a really poor job of things.
When he was first elected, I bought into all the hype. Pope of the people, kind and gentle spirit, a true follower of Christ. Unfortunately, it's more like Pope of the vague, what did he mean by THAT, and is that even a Catholic teaching? As years went on, it became more apparent that he was NOT who we thought he was. Of course, thinks like this don't help:
or this:
and let's not forget this...
I can't tell you how many "Catholics" I come across, who insist that they follow the doctrine of our faith - but also believe that homosexuality isn't a sin and abortion is acceptable. This is directly related to Pope Francis and his vague behavior. The examples above aren't just the only times he has said things directly contradicting Church teaching. There have been countless others.
Because of this, I've seen articles lauding him, hollywood celebrities loving him, and liberals calling him a "true" Catholic. Meanwhile, the traditional rule followers are now described as "rigid" and "unfeeling". I've seen people go full SSPX. I've seen them start going to Mass in trailer parks where a priest flies in to say a reverent Mass for a small congregation in a mobile home. All because they can't deal with going to a NO and hearing a liberal agenda shouted from the pulpit. Watching liturgical dance party up the aisle, so they leave. All of these, while unacceptable - isn't all THEIR fault. It's also the fault of the enormous amount of ambiguity coming from Rome.
People just don't know what to think.
Now, I say this all the time - but I truly believe the answer is simple. It's catechesis. It's teaching people their faith. I can't tell you how many debates have crumbled in minutes, because a Catholic was asked a question and they just didn't have the answer. How many faithful turned agnostic/atheist, because they didn't learn a defense of their faith. So when opposing viewpoints were brought up, or shown to them... they questioned their own beliefs?
Pope Francis wouldn't have an effect on anyone, if they simply learned their faith.
Now, you're probably wondering - where do I start? How do I know what's right?
I'm not sponsored or anything, so I'm not getting paid to tell you this or promote their course - I just simply believe in it...
Take the Marian Catechist Program.
It's as easy as signing up for their online course and paying $25. That's it.
Of course, the more advanced you become - you'll eventually need to get books... but the basic program is a fantastic starting point. It was created by Fr. John Hardon (a Jesuit priest)... and yes, that might immediately set off alarms for some, but trust me. He was truly a good man, who knew exactly what he was talking about.
Here's a good read if you'd like to learn more about him, and see his cause for canonization:
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimgraves/fr.-john-hardon-may-be-on-his-way-to-canonization
I was lucky enough to receive my First Holy Communion from Fr. Hardon - and have never taken that for granted! I know it's a sin to brag, but it is one of my favorite conversation starters...
But back to my original point, it's all about catechism. I have often found that RCIA is in need of desperate repair. My husband is a convert, and was baptized in 2014. He graduated in a matter of months, and was taught the faith by an elderly couple with zero experience in catechism. They were also recent converts and most of what they taught him, had to be corrected over time. Yet, this is everywhere. They rush the conversion, have hardly any real studying and BAM - they're baptized. No real test to see if they understood or grasped the faith. No deep prayer. Nothing.
I see the same thing in bible studies and first communion classes for the children. Children who are Catholic by birth, being taught completely false information. It's an epidemic.
The best way to arm yourself against being part of the herd - is to educate yourself. Don't be sheeple. Don't fall in line because you're confused. Research. Learn. Most importantly, pray.
We need real warriors for Christ. We're low in numbers. The more truth we have, the more the light shines on the darkness.
“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J R R Tolkien
Signed,
The Girl in the Mantilla
+JMJ+
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