Thoughts on today’s Catholic Church

Movers and shakers related to my own Christian upbringing (Plymouth Brethren) tended more often than not to be dismissive of Catholics (just as did most Protestants of a bygone era).

Like so much of my earlier indoctrination, while grateful for much of the sound teaching grounding I got, over the years as a result of studying the Bible for myself, seeing the “enemy” in action (positively) etc., have questioned some of that early teaching, while still maintaining the faith of my youth. I have, for example, met many fine Christian Catholics, even though I may differ from them theologically. But, as I have sometimes pointed out, the Lord God of Heaven is in the shaking business and is not beholden to favouring one group of Christians over another, but rather He blesses those who love Him with a pure heart.

I recently come across an article to do with the current Pope referred to, approvingly, by a Facebook friend, along with the comment to the effect Pope Francis is right, titled: “The Catholic Church can’t go backwards”. The article begins: “During his press conference on the plane returning to Rome from Canada, Pope Francis made a remark about so-called traditionalists that rankled some conservative Catholics and confused others. “A church that does not develop its thinking in an ecclesial way is a church that goes backward,” the pope said. “That is the problem of many today who claim to be traditionalists. They are not traditionalists, they are ‘backwardists.’ Tradition is the root of inspiration in order to go forward in the church”” and goes on to support the position taken by the Pope.

When Pope Francis began his tenue, I was a fan, feeling the Pope was a needed breath of fresh air. For example, I blogged seven years ago “Pope Francis and climate change” and in doing so placed the Pope in a positive light. But my views have changed, especially as a result of my research (reference my blog) I have come to see the world being run by a globalist cabal with the Pope as one of its allies. 19 months ago, I wrote “Is Pope Francis THE False Prophet?”, which reflected some of my thinking. More recently, as I considered the views of a traditionalist Catholic, Michael Matt, I came to see there is a movement in Catholicism critical of Pope Francis. His views are reflected in an article titled “Woke Catholics and Baptists; True Christianity” that I wrote three months ago. Then with respect to the Pope’s Canadian visit Michael Matt posted three days ago: “DICTATOR POPE: A Traditional Catholic Uprising” where, among other criticisms, he condemns the Pope for selling out Catholics in the past who had brought the truth of the Gospel to Canada and traditionalist leaning Catholics today, who are in the forefront of standing against government tyranny.

As a non-Catholic, I have not earned the right to tell Catholics how they should respond to the current Pope. With reference to my earlier article, the Pope, while not The False Prophet mentioned in the Book of Revelation, is A False Prophet. Moreover, I regret it when fellow Protestants praise this Pope, believing they have been deceived, as Jesus said would happen in Matthew 24. Contemporary versus Traditional is not the issue at stake here, but rather it is the question of truth, much of which can be found in the ancient paths.