Welcome to the Weekend Roundup! – News & Views – 4/16/22

• Pope Francis receives new US ambassador to the Holy See

This past Monday, April 11, pope Francis received Joe Donnelly (photo above) as the U.S. ambassador to the “Holy See” (aka Vatican City). The Vatican is the smallest “nation” in the world, with only 800 residents and comparable in size to Central Park in New York City. The Vatican is not really a “nation,” but rather the administrative center of the Roman Catholic church. The name “Holy See” (Latin: Sancta Sedes, “holy throne”) implies the pope has sovereignty over all of the nations of the world. The United States had wisely declined from appointing an ambassador to the RCC’s administrative center until 1984, when President Ronald Reagan appointed William A. Wilson to the “Holy See.”

• Catholic bishop requests Catholic school remove BLM and pride flags, sparking criticism

Last week, I reported that Robert McManus, Catholic bishop of Worcester, MA, criticized a Catholic school in his diocese for flying the BLM and L*** flags. This week, the prelate formally “requested” that the school remove the flags under threat of barring the school from calling itself “Catholic.” This same drama is being played out in Catholic dioceses across the country.

• Irish priest says it’s ‘sad’ Catholic Church will bless tractors but not same-sex couples when they marry
• Conservative Catholic theologians oppose German Cardinal’s Statements Supporting Homosexuality

The feud is heating up within the RCC over the sanctioning of same-sex weddings and the acknowledgement of practicing L***ers as members in good standing.

• How to Obtain a Plenary Indulgence During Holy Week 2022

The Roman Catholic church teaches that all members who die with venial sins on their souls or with unmeted temporal punishment for mortal sins allegedly absolved in the confessional will go to purgatory. The church further claims the ability to grant indulgences – the shortening of the purgatorial sentence – for individuals or their designated deceased loved ones. This article details the indulgences available during this “holy week.” None of this is connected with the genuine Gospel of salvation by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.

• Chicago Muslims, Catholics gather to mark start of Ramadan

The Roman Catholic church declared during its Second Vatican Council sessions that Islam and all other religions are legitimate pathways to God. That is NOT Christianity.

• St. Bernadette’s Relics Tour the United States

Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes is one of Roman Catholicism’s most revered saints and the shrine at Lourdes, France, is one of RC-ism’s most beloved “holy” sites. It’s alleged that Mary appeared to Bernadette at a grotto in Lourdes in 1858. Bernadette’s relics, including “part of her rib,” will tour 30 U.S. Catholic churches or shrines. Thousands of Roman Catholics will be queueing up in hopes of receiving blessings and/or healings from the relics.

• In Palm Sunday Mass, Pope Francis calls for Easter ceasefire in Ukraine without mentioning mass-murderer Vladimir Putin

It’s been seven weeks since Vladimir Putin directed the Russian military to invade Ukraine. The number of deaths – Ukrainian and Russian – is in the tens of thousands and the devastation is incalculable, yet pope Francis continues the Catholic practice (see pope Pius XII re: Adolf Hitler) of not singling out genocidal mass-murderers by name.

• There will be blood: Filipino Catholic devotees re-enact crucifixion in brutal Easter ritual

Self-flagellation as a penance for sin has a very long history within the Roman Catholic church. Flagellantism was widespread throughout 14th century Catholic Europe and continued into modern times in convents and monasteries. Catholic sources report pope John Paul II whipped himself daily and Mother Teresa wore a cilice, a pain-inflicting metal garter with spikes worn around the thigh.