Tag Archives: Pope Francis

ASK FATHER: Can I go to a wedding at an SSPX chapel?

From a reader… QUAERITUR: Is it permissible to attend an SSPX wedding? I thought that the couple (or priest) would first need to request permission from the local bishop and then also have a diocesan priest at the wedding, but … Read More

Posted in One Man & One Woman, SSPX | Tagged , , ,
5 Comments

Pope Francis changed the Catechism about the death penalty. What next? Wherein Fr. Z opines.

I wonder if the recent move of the Holy Father to change the text – the teaching of the Church – of the paragraph in the Catechism of the Catholic Church about the death penalty will generate enough buzz to … Read More

Posted in The Coming Storm, The Drill, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
79 Comments

Does Pope Francis have a “long game” strategy?

We had a phrase in the Curia that described our approach to some questions and challenges: Cunctando regitur mundus.   This is a fundamental dimension of Romanitas: the world is ruled by delaying. You outwait your opponents, rather than outwit them.  Think Cincinnatus and … Read More

Posted in Francis, Sin That Cries To Heaven, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
17 Comments

Reading #GaudeteEtExsultate – Pope Francis blasts “punctilious concern for the Church’s liturgy”

I’ve been working my way through the very long Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et exsultate.  It’s a whopping 20K words. A point that people have been asking me about, and which libs will surely throw in the teeth of anyone who wants a … Read More

Posted in Liberals, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, The Drill, Vatican II, What are they REALLY saying? | Tagged , , , ,
24 Comments

Rex and Douthat on the edges and contours of the “Francis Effect”

At First Things, there is an essay cum review by Richard Rex (professor of Reformation history at Cambridge ) of Ross Douthat’s recent book: To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism I wrote about Michael “Wile E. Coyote” … Read More

Posted in Francis, REVIEWS, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
12 Comments

Author of “The Dictator Pope” revealed (officially) and book format now available

Some people were clued in a long time ago, but were asked to keep it under wraps.  Now it is out in the open. The Dictator Pope (revised and updated) – now available in hard copy from Regnery for pre-order (23 … Read More

Posted in Francis, The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged , ,
14 Comments

UPDATES – More of and about The Letter™ of Benedict XVI on the booklets

Because I have about 60 emails having to do with this, and since I’ve already made a few comments about this odd story elsewhere, here is a follow up, for the sake of completeness. Sandro Magister posted the full text … Read More

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged ,
17 Comments

Pew Research Center looks at Pope Francis’ numbers 5 years into his pontificate

At the site of the Pew Research Center you can read about the survey about Pope Francis five years into his pontificate.   The numbers are on the move.   They also, in surveying Americans, break the numbers down according to political leanings. … Read More

Posted in Francis, The Drill | Tagged ,
12 Comments

Video interview with Phil Lawler about book on Pope Francis: Lost Shepherd

I’m still reading the book, which will be vilified – with its author – by papalotrous libs who will not have read it.  The New catholic Red Guards don’t permit questions.  They don’t have to read, either.  They react. Lost Shepherd: … Read More

Posted in Francis, REVIEWS, The Drill | Tagged , ,
30 Comments

Fr. Blake on That Book – “The Dictator Pope”

A couple people in my email have referred to the pseudo-anonymous offering Il Papa Dittatore – The Dictator Pope as “The Book”.  My post HERE No… The Book™ remains  Remaining in the Truth of Christ: Marriage and Communion in the Catholic Church – US HERE – … Read More

Posted in Francis, Mail from priests, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
11 Comments

Controversial Book about Pope Francis: “The Dictator Pope”

UPDATE: I am just about done with this.  It’s quite a read.  Among other things it is a summary of events of the last few years. At the pace of the modern world, one forgets. It is in English, too. … Read More

Posted in Francis, REVIEWS, The Drill | Tagged ,
21 Comments

A new “manifesto” in Rome urging prayers for the Pope

Do you remember that, no too long ago, some wags in Rome clandestinely slapped up some posters “manifesti” on the walls of Rome addressing themselves – in the Roman way – to Pope Francis?   The posters were hurriedly removed. … Read More

Posted in Francis, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices, What are they REALLY saying? | Tagged , ,
10 Comments

How does Pope Francis choose bishops of important dioceses?

Italian vaticanista Andrea Gagliarducci writes regularly a column at his place called “Monday Vatican”. You should read him. Today, however, he has a piece at CNA about how Pope Francis seems to approach the selection of and translation of bishops. … Read More

Posted in The Drill | Tagged , , , , ,
20 Comments

Another young person’s reaction to Pope Francis about liturgical reform

A young woman at my home parish, St. Agnes in St. Paul, MN, penned a piece for the National Catholic Register in reaction to Pope Francis’ recent curious statements about liturgical reform. As you may recall, the Pope (or, better, his ghost … Read More

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged , , , , ,
7 Comments

Pope Francis saw a psychoanalyst every week for six months

His Holiness of Our Lord has made an interesting revelation. See the story at the UK’s best Catholic weekly (for which I also write), the Catholic Herald. Pope Francis saw a psychoanalyst every week for six months when he was … Read More

Posted in Francis | Tagged
28 Comments

Putin v. Francis – FAKE NEWS

Claimed: Russian Prime Minister and former-KGB Lt Colonel Vladimir Putin has offered some rather negative comments about His Holiness Pope Francis. QUAERITUR: Is this “fake news”? Sure looks like it. From Your News Wire (my emphases and comments): Putin: ‘Pope Francis Is … Read More

Posted in Francis | Tagged , ,
31 Comments

Did Pope Francis insult some young priests? Fr. Z opines and tells a story.

This isn’t the sort of thing that should pull much of our attention or energy.  However, I have been asked about it in email by a surprising number of people, including priests. It seems that the site Messa in latino picked … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Francis, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Drill | Tagged , ,
23 Comments

On this day… “Getting Francis Wrong”

Here is something to ponder.  HERE On this day in 2013 I posted: Over at First Things I saw a piece called Five Myths About Pope Francis by William Doino Jr. What are those myths? 1. “Francis is the anti-Benedict.” … Read More

Posted in Linking Back | Tagged
32 Comments

New book about influences of Communism and Socialism on Pope Francis

I arose today to a loud PING on my phone as a friend in Rome sent me a link to a piece in the American Spectator by the hardly-ever-subtle George Neumayr about the influence of Communism and Socialism on Pope Francis. The Spectator … Read More

Posted in Francis, REVIEWS, The Campus Telephone Pole, The Drill | Tagged , ,
25 Comments

‘Monday Vatican’ analysis of the state of the pontificate

In the wake of last week’s cover of the Rolling Stone, Andrea Gagliarducci in his Monday Vatican offering does some analysis of the status quaestionis, the present state, of the pontificate of Pope Francis, especially in view of the MSM. Read the whole thing, … Read More

Posted in Francis, The Drill | Tagged ,
12 Comments