Welcome to the Weekend Roundup! – News & Views – 7/28/18

• Evangelicals Warn Mary Has ‘Taken Jesus’ Place on the Cross’ as Millions Seek Miracles in France

Praise the Lord for these brothers and sisters from the Pioneers mission organization who are bringing the Gospel to lost Catholic souls at one of the major centers of Mariolatry in Lourdes, France.

• 50 Years Later, Many U.S. Catholic Women Still Ignore Vatican’s Contraception Ban

Pope Paul VI’s “Humanae Vitae” (Latin: Of Human Life) encyclical, which banned all forms of contraception, was issued fifty years ago this weekend. With the possible exception of the pedophile priests and cover-up scandal, nothing has done more to damage the credibility of the church hierarchy in the eyes of its membership than the preposterous ban on contraceptives, including even non-abortifacients.

• Pope Francis has utterly failed to tackle the church’s abuse scandal

Elected in 2013 with no obligations to the previous two papal regimes, Francis was in a position to take decisive and comprehensive action in regards to one of Catholicism’s biggest headaches, the festering pedophile priests and cover-up scandal. I believe Francis’ unexplainable failure to act is part of the Lord’s providence by which the Catholic church continues to be marked by this disgrace.

• Cardinal Müller Slams Rome Over Intercommunion

I’ll continue to post these news reports of conservative prelates objecting to Francis’ heterodoxy, such as the lifting of the ban on communion for remarried divorcees and allowing communion to Protestants via the discretion of individual bishops. We’re still waiting for a conservative who has the courage of his convictions to step out and call for a formal break from Francis. However, most pious Catholics would rather take a hot poker to the eye than come out publicly against the pope, even if he is a heretic.

• Newly-ordained German priest hosts ‘homoerotic’ service in Catholic church

The above story from a Catholic source is not surprising. Catholic pundits concede that 20% to 30% of priests are gay (I believe the percentage is even higher) and point out that the clerical gay lobby, the “Lavender Mafia,” is firmly entrenched within the Vatican Curia.

• The state should embody Catholic truth. Two popes explain why

As European governments became increasingly democratized during the 19th century, Rome reacted in horror and has always maintained its theoretical right to its formerly privileged status, including the limitation of freedoms for other religious groups. Incredulous? See my post on the topic here.

• Was “she” denied Communion because “she’d” been chewing gum — or because “she’s” transgender?

So sad to see these confused children egged-on by their “hipster” parent/s. But, regarding the chewing gum, it’s true, Catholics are not allowed to eat anything 60:00 minutes prior to consuming the Jesus wafer or they incur a mortal sin. And that includes even the flavoring from chewing gum. See my post on the topic here.

• After Thought: Where are all the Protestants?

If Roman Catholic, Brett Kavanaugh, is confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, that would make three Jews, one Episcopalian, and five Catholics on the SCOTUS, which would have been an unnerving situation for evangelical Protestants sixty years ago (and would have fueled all kinds of conspiracy theories from Jack Chick thirty years ago). But because of changing society, the Catholic church has largely abandoned its political-religious militancy. In many parts of the world, the church can longer even induce its membership to attend mass on Sunday let alone coordinate a political coup. Remember when the Jesuits were known for their political skullduggery on behalf of the pope? These days they’re known for such things as advancing the Gay agenda within the church.

• Couple Seeks New Church Where They Can Experience Deeper, More Reliable Connection To WiFi (satire)

Leave it to the Babylon Bee to once again hit the nail on the head!