Welcome to the Weekend Roundup! – News & Views – 9/12/20

• Postcard from Plymouth: The Mayflower at 400 celebratory year adapts

This month, we note the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrim Separatists’ journey to the New World. The Pilgrims left Plymouth, England on September 16, 1620 and arrived in New England on November 11. The events that were planned to commemorate the anniversary will obviously be scaled-back because of the pandemic. Sadly, most will view this occasion as a secular event with few references to the Pilgrims’ Christian faith. It occurs to me that in the “new think” revisionism being promoted by BLM, the arrival of the Pilgrims will probably be viewed as an “invasion” rather than something to be commemorated.

• Transgender woman’s role at Mass stirs controversy

Expect to see incidents such as this one multiply as Jesuit priest, James Martin, and other Vatican-backed progressives continue to push for acceptance of practicing LGBTers within the RCC.

• Vatican consultant urges U.S. priests to refrain from telling people voting for Joe Biden is ‘mortal sin’

• Catholic priest says Democrats are going to hell — and Texas bishop backs him up

The internal fight within the RCC over Catholic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, is heating up, with progressive members enthusiastically supporting him and conservatives disavowing Biden and warning that anyone who votes for him commits mortal sin.

• Pope Francis reveals why he said ‘no’ to married priests

Catholic progressives were shocked beyond belief when pope Francis didn’t push for married priests at the Vatican Amazon Synod last October as they expected him to. But Francis has already roiled church conservatives to fever pitch and is content to let his successor introduce this “reform.”

• Pope Francis extends Loreto jubilee to 2021

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, pope Francis had to postpone the anticipated “Loreto jubilee” until next year. Catholics assert that Jesus’s boyhood home in Nazareth was transported by angels to Loreto, Italy (see here). If pilgrims visit the “holy house” in Loreto, they will receive a “plenary indulgence,” which allegedly erases all punishment for venial sin and any remaining temporal punishment that would otherwise need to be expiated in fictional purgatory.

• Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT): A Statement on Public Officials and Public Office

I was surprised by this article to see that ecumenical, Gospel-betraying ECT is still issuing declarations. This new statement exhorts politicians and public officials to defend life, protect freedom of religion, and support traditional marriage. The obvious underlying message to Catholic and evangelical voters is that they should only support political candidates who uphold these values. Ecumenical evangelicals deprive Catholics of the genuine Gospel by insinuating that the Catholic gospel of salvation by sacramental grace and merit is “close enough.” From the list of Gospel-betraying signers, I recognize Kevin J. Vanhoozer and longtime ECT supporter, Timothy George. Shame on them.

• Tabernacle stolen from Canadian Catholic cathedral

Catholics believe priests turn bread wafers into the actual body of Jesus Christ. Surplus Jesus wafers are then stored in the altar tabernacle. If a thief steals the tabernacle, as happened in this case, Catholics believe the Jesus wafers inside experience unthinkable desecration.