Welcome to the Weekend Roundup! – News & Views – 6/20/20

• Catholics urged to remember priests as ‘spiritual fathers’ on Father’s Day

“And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” – Matthew 23:9. Roman Catholics look to their priests and prelates for salvation rather than to God the Father and the only way of salvation that He provided, through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

• Militant conservative Catholic org denounced for calling black archbishop ‘African Queen’
• Tweet from Trump puts controversial Catholic archbishop Viganò back into US politics
• Will conservative Catholics be horrified by latest Viganò letter?

Last weekend, I briefly commented on President Trump’s photo op in front of the statue of pope John Paul II at the John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. Progressive Catholic archbishop, Wilton Gregory, responded by criticizing the president, which led to angry denunciations of Gregory by conservative Catholics, including archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò. The former-papal nuncio to the United States gained fame among conservative Catholics in 2018 for accusing pope Francis of complicity in cover-ups for disgraced ex-cardinal and sexual predator, Ted McCarrick. In his June 7 letter, Viganò, praised the president for visiting the shrine and, among other things, claimed the restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were part of a Masonic plot to establish a New World Order.

• Once forbidden, outdoor Catholic weddings could be pandemic trend

Roman Catholic dioceses restrict wedding ceremonies to Catholic churches with only a few exceptions. Dispensations for outdoor weddings were granted during the pandemic lockdown. Where there’s a crack in the dam, a flood usually follows.

• In Italy, new book suggests changes to Catholic doctrine on homosexuality

Two weekends ago, we saw that Austrian Catholic bishops were promoting a book that propagated full acceptance of practicing LGBTers in the RCC. Now there’s this book published by Italian Catholics pushing the same agenda. Progressive RC crusaders are systematically turning the tide to full-acceptance of practicing LGBTers.

• Returning to Mass and communion an emotional experience for Catholics

Catholic churches are gradually reopening and many Catholics are rejoicing at the “opportunity” to once again attend the “sacrifice of the mass” and receive the alleged Jesus wafer. Catholics love their religious rituals and ceremonies, but don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. I consumed the Jesus wafer for twenty years (ages 7-27) as a Roman Catholic. It was not some kind of life-changing, mystical experience as fervent Catholics describe. It was simply stale bread in my mouth. Jesus Christ must be received as Savior by faith alone.

• Pope Francis prays for the soul of George Floyd and for peace and justice in US (June 3)

This news article is two weeks old, but I wanted to point out pope Francis’s prayers for George Floyd’s soul. Catholic prelates teach that most souls will go to purgatory after death for the expiation of venial (minor) sins and that prayers from the living will shorten their stay. Most Protestants no linger even blink at such un-Biblical statements.