Francis is the culmination of quite nearly every argument brought against the legitimacy of the popes who have sat on the seat of Saint Peter since Pope Pius XII — at the latest. Francis’s utterances, positions and propositions — to say nothing of his actions — have at the very least given credence to, and vigorously supported claims that he is not the pope ... after all.  Given the overwhelming support of the heresy of Modernism that now infects virtually every aspect of the Church — and which Francis appears to champion at every opportunity — the question is quite suddenly no longer academic. Nor can we appeal to the New Code of Canon Law improvised during Vatican II to settle the question, since the Code itself is infected.

Francis sits in the Chair of Saint Peter, and exercises all the prerogatives of a pope — but quite possibly is not the pope. His ascending to the Throne of Saint Peter was scandalously preceded by canonically illicit and incredibly open lobbying (the infamous ST. Gallen Group, a.k.a the “Vatican Mafia” as they enjoyed calling themselves) who were subsequently given seats of the highest honor following his election. He has celebrated the Protestant Reformation and ordered Vatican postal stamps be issued with Martin Luther piously presented. He has equated all religions as paths of sanctification — and ultimately salvation: in a word, he appears, by word and deed, to be a Pantheist under the guise of Ecumenism. His love for the ascription of “humility” to him is painfully obvious given his carefully orchestrated and widely publicized “humble gestures”. On the other hand, in the real world, to those who disagree with him, he is a petulant, angry and often vulgar autocrat who tolerates no dissension from his Weltanschaung and who ruthlessly punishes critics of his signature platforms. “An atmosphere of fear permeates the Vatican” ² it is often written and quoted. Of what? Of not going along to get along; fear of not supporting his most ambitious “reforms” lest punishment follow. It rather sounds more like the reign of Caligula than a pope.

Francis has distorted, defied, or denied Sacred Scripture — which is to say what Jesus Christ Himself teaches us — even as he is portrayed on nearly every Catholic web site kneeling and praying ... even by some of those who openly challenge what he is doing to the Church. Think of it: when a tragedy occurs, Catholic websites claim as “news” that “Pope Francis laments” or “condemns” such and such.  That is supposed to be newsworthy? Atheists do the same but do not get the copy. It is the incessant indoctrination of the mantra “Francis the humble” that the worldly press encourages because they know he is dismantling 2000 years of Catholicism that opposed all or most of their anti-Catholic views on abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, ecology, Mother Earth, and even politics ... all of which, received more of Francis’s “humble” “mercy”  either explicitly or implicitly in that New Age Encyclical he called Amoris Laetitia.

Now we are told, by one of Francis’s staunchest supporters (and benefactor of Francis) that “We must let go of “cherished beliefs” (Cardinal Cupich) “re-imagine the Church” (that was never imaginary to begin with) and begin a “revolution” that will wean Catholics away from what he described, verbatim, as “an adolescent spirituality into an adult spirituality.” ¹ Presumably, given Francis’s penchant for Lutheranism this must mean Protestant and not historically Catholic spirituality— but which one of thousands of Protestant sects, we wonder, does he see as the paradigm for “grown-up spirituality”? Lutheranism appears to be on the fast track. Or perhaps it may be Islam? Judaism? Taoism? Hinduism? All?

Francis’s smug arrogance toward those who presented questions in the form of legitimate Dubia (which a year later remain contemptuously unanswered) for clarification by Francis has been nothing less than scandalous — because what he stated in Amoris Laetitia and elsewhere leaves not only simple Catholics confused, but cardinals, bishops, and philosophers as well (all of whom he penalized for their support of clarification of important Scriptural and Church doctrine which he has compromised and cannot answer without revising his agenda for the “Church of Surprise and Encounter” that he, Cardinal Cupich, and his coterie of disaffected Catholics at the Vatican are endeavoring to build — and that has little or no resemblance to the Catholic Church of the 2000 years preceding Vatican II.

The fact is, I do not recognize the Church I once knew. Nor its Mass. Nor its increasingly secular teachings that appear to conform to the world  and not Christ — and at the expense of Christ and that now quaint and childish notion of “the salvation of immortal souls”.

Francis is genuinely a “legitimate” pope, and his reign will be — unquestionably — the most destructive in Church history.

But then again, face it: we deserve this pope. He is definitely attuned to this generation! He is — and he appears to be acutely aware of it — and what the world wants. Of course what the world wants and what Christ wants are quite different ... in fact, diametrically opposed. (Saint John 15.19)

Although, if we are asked, “is Francis really pope?” We may be inclined to infamously retort: “Who are we to judge?” But the fact of the matter is that he is legitimately — however much regrettably —  our pope. He is an affliction upon us and deservedly so. His penchant for putative “environment issues”, Mother Earth, politics and redistributive economies — all of which are very popular secular issues that redound to his popularity (and he knows it) — largely reflect our own. Even many Catholics. All those transcendent and supernatural things with which the Church occupied Herself prior to Vatican II and especially the pontificate of Pope Francis, interest most Catholics as much as they apparently interest Francis — which is to say, little. Oh, yes we make the superficial gestures and utter perfunctory formulas at Mass ... if we even go anymore ... and some declare themselves “Pro-Abotion Catholics”! Eternal Life — just as with Eternal Death (the “Second Death” in Holy Scripture) — are non-issues for us any longer: they belong in that reliquary we call Pre-Spirit-of-Vatican-II — you know, Offending God, Death, Heaven, Hell, Mortal Sin, satan and demons, Exorcisms, Penance, the Real Presence (of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist), modesty, purity, innocence, chastity — in a word everything we have given up to be acceptable to the world ... however much we offend God and lose our immortal souls. “All that comes later, anyway” — right?

It appears to be fairly easy to be “more Catholic than the pope” these days.

Why don't we try it? It may even lead us to that other long-neglected concept called “holiness”.
 

NOTA BENE:  Bear in mind — for it is of the greatest importance — that the Holy Catholic Church does not cease to exist when there is no pope on the Seat of Peter. The longest papal election lasted nearly three years and occurred in the 13th century when the cardinals convened to choose a successor to Clement IV on Mar 11, 1271. The Church endured this interregnum. It will surely outlast Francis and friends.

Comments? Write us:  editor@boston-catholic-journal.com

A note about the graphic: No, it is not the backdrop of a horror film superimposed on the cardinals present. It is the Paul VI Audience Hall. See "Why does the Paul VI Audience Hall look so demonic?" https://www.quora.com/Why-does-the-Paul-VI-Audience-Hall-look-so-demonic