To be Catholic is to cleave to the Pope—a truth once as obvious as the nose on your face, yet now beset by bewildering doubts in this topsy-turvy age. Let's be honest: today, Church unity with the Pope seems more an ideal of yore, a relic of Orthodox yearning rather than a lived reality. This erosion has been creeping in for ages. Progressives, true to form, never quite warmed to the papacy, whether it was John Paul II, Benedict XVI, or now Francis. Even conservatives find themselves at odds with Francis, not merely accused of wandering off but feeling estranged from their own shepherd.
In this bizarre comedy, both liberals and traditionalists strangely clamor for unity under Francis to maintain their Catholic bona fides. Yet, this unity resembles a frail skeleton more than a solid reality. Francis himself has strayed far from traditional Catholic doctrine—a novelty that's not just new, but a catastrophe for the Church. It's as if the Catholic cosmos has turned on its head.
Let's remember: the Pope isn't an end unto himself, nor is unity with him a fetish of Catholicism. His role is to bind the Church closer to Christ. But under Francis, achieving such unity seems elusive, as he himself appears less than fully aligned with Christ. Many see this truth, a silence like that among the Corleone family in The Godfather—yet even stones would cry out against such silence (Luke 19:40).
Christ did not bless adultery or homosexual unions, yet Francis has sanctioned them in ways deemed heretical and blasphemous. This isn't just deviation—it's a calamity shaking the very foundations of Catholic belief. If the Pope is meant to guarantee unity with Christ, Francis has cast himself into shadows by these actions.
Francis suggests all religions lead to God, blurring Christ's unique role as savior: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Under Francis, one wonders if Christianity might be supplanted by other faiths, rendering Christ's sacrifice meaningless and martyrs' blood shed in vain.
While others debate Francis' legitimacy, he surrounds himself with loyalists who share his unorthodox views—a clear sign of his intent to transform the Church into a haven of heresy, eating away at its core.
As ordinary Catholics, we feel powerless to change this course, yet we must question our unity with Christ and His Church under this Pope. One thing remains clear: wherever Francis strays from Christ, we cannot follow. This sentiment is widely held but seldom uttered—a testament to the silence that shrouds dissent.
Let me be clear: we do not call Francis a heretic, or an anti-pope, as some do. However, he espouses teachings that often appear to contradict Christ's own words, dispensed without clarity, causing deep division and dealing a grievous blow to Church unity.
The *Catechism of the Catholic Church* (CCC) emphasizes that the laity have a duty to actively participate in the Mass and to hold clergy accountable for its proper celebration. According to paragraph 907, the faithful are called to voice concerns to their pastors when the good of the Church is at stake. Since the Mass represents Christ's sacrifice, any deviation from tradition or doctrine undermines its sanctity. Therefore, the laity must ensure that the liturgy remains faithful to the Church’s teachings and is offered reverently.
The time has come to break this "Catholic law of silence," not for our own sake but for Christ, His Church, and the future of the papacy.