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Cardinals Raymond Burke, Joachim Meisner, Walter Brandmuller and Carlo Caffarra: We must pray for these faithful prelates, who surely face dangers which are at once spiritual and temporal.
Facing Doubts Full On
In the conclusion to the previous light-hearted piece, I alluded to a ''trial'' to get to the very heart of the truth of the present grave crisis facing the Church. It would seem that such a trial has already begun. I speak, of course, in relation to the incredible news of the four illustrious cardinals who have officially asked Pope Francis to ''untie the knots'' in Amoris Laetitia.
The full communication consists of requests from Cardinals Burke, Meisner, Brandmuller and Caffarra for Pope Francis to clarify no less than 5 doubts - dubia in Latin - relating to Amoris Laetitia. The original communication can be accessed at sites like Rorate Caeli. It certainly repays a close reading.
The fact that Pope Francis has reportedly failed to respond to the cardinals' original request - even though it was first made by them in private on the 19th September, 2016 - has now moved the four cardinals to inform the entire People of God of their initiative; and to provide them with access to the entire documentation of their concerns.
As Rorate Caeli has reflected, this marks the first time since the Counter Reformation that a reigning pontiff has been asked for clarification on his own teaching office in relation to a major papal document.
Since this morning, Rorate Caeli's Roman correspondent Fr. Pio Pace has added that there were more cardinals who presented this communication to Pope Francis, but these others did not wish to go public with their communication.
The Silence of Francis
Fr. Pace adds that, according to the process of the dubia, these questions must be answered, either yes or no, with modulations if necessary, but they must be answered nonetheless.
Fr. Pace concludes: ''And the Pope made known to the Cardinals that HE WOULD NOT ANSWER THEM. In all truth, it's this silence that makes the earth tremble.''Â
I think that anyone who is trying to follow Our Blessed Lord in these evil times will be able to discern how all of this might just relate to the various warnings and chastisements which have already afflicted the earth in recent times; and which will likely occur with increasing gravity should Christ's Holy Law continue to be rejected on such a serious scale. We may have more to say on this in future articles.
A Real Kind of Trial
For now, it appears to us that today's news marks the opening of a very real kind of trial for Pope Francis.
Three Possible Outcomes
Now that the four cardinals' communication is public, Francis appears to face a few serious choices.
All of which are climactic.
1. Fidelity
If, by God's grace, he were to act as a faithful son of the Church, and thus clarify the problematic parts of Amoris Laetitia in an unambiguous and orthodox manner, then he will have restored the Barque of Peter from the precipice near to which he has too long sailed her.
Such action would also mark the end of the use of ambiguity which has given so many people an illicit opportunity to collude with grave sin and its proponents in such a sophisticated manner.
Put simply: that particular show would be over.
2. Infidelity Expressed Openly
If, however, Francis were to answer in an unorthodox manner, then not only would the entire Catholic Church face an unprecedented - we may even say apocalyptic - crisis, but the entire raison d'etre of Francis' own authority would crumble, not only in the eyes of Catholics, but also before the eyes of the entire world.
For, by publicly and unambiguously contradicting Sacred Scripture and Tradition, he would be literally sawing off the branch upon which he sits. Why would it be consistent for anyone to continue listening to him then?
That would also pose orthodox Catholics with some very grave choices and courses of action. Let us state now explicitly, that these must always include keeping the True Faith and not quitting in the confusion.
3. Infidelity Expressed by Silence
Alternatively, if Francis were to continue to defiantly ignore this latest request, especially now that it has become so well known throughout the globe, then such action would appear to us to itself be an affirmation of the unorthodox response imagined above in the second ''option''.
For, although Francis has already chosen to ignore multiple requests - from cardinals, bishops, priests and laity - to affirm the true teachings of the Church, an important and measurable process, with precedent in the custom of the Church, has just been initiated in public by this latest letter from the four cardinals.
I think many readers will agree that we are now at an epochal moment.
We must pray much for Pope Francis, for the four cardinals, for all the others who originally signed up with them, and for the Church.
Let Christ Be Your Peace
That being said, I do not wish to sow despair in the hearts of any readers. Last night, I came across this following image at the Dymphna's Road blog. I am sorry, I still cannot get working links in the blog-page, but do pop over and visit Dymphna's Road.
The image was captioned with the words: Cease! The Sacred Heart is with me. When I saw that picture, and read those words, I received a peace that broke me free from some kind of spiritual storm which I had been enduring for a few days.
The basic point is this: we may be in apocalyptic times, and I would affirm that we actually are, but even this must not be allowed to remove one's focus from Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Peace which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Let us each ask Our Lady for the graces needed to enter into and remain in the shelter of the peace of Jesus. And let us pray for one another to persevere in fidelity to Christ and His eternal Truth.
Keep the Faith, Go to Confession/Holy Communion, Pray the Rosary with your family.
