Author Father Ariel

Bishops, fashions and advice for new careerists: "Be poor, existential and peripheral-sloppy»

BISHOPS, FASHIONS AND TIPS FOR NEW CAREERS: "BE POOR, -EXISTENTIAL PERIPHERAL AND SLOPPY»

 

together with the pretext of the poor, Today we have a veritable army of Judah, thieves and traitors, ready to use the poor as false and measure as a new pretext for their personal gain, always moved by those irrepressible ambitions originating from the queen mother of all deadly sins: the Superbia.

 

 

Author Father Ariel

Author
Ariel S. Levi di Gualdo

 

 

Country Priest

the work of George Bernanos, Diary of a country priest.

There are numerous private messages that more brothers I have posted priests from various parts of Italy, all moved by the same underlying substance; but not only them, several confreres from North America and Latin America have also asked me the same question: "Today, to be elected bishops in Italy, it has become a fundamental prerequisite to have been pastor of some more or less peripheral parish, and having dedicated themselves above all to the poor and derelict?».

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Before proceeding further I would like to make an introduction to our readers, because as they know who reads my writings assiduously, it is my habit to call people and situations by their name, I'm so accustomed to shun the "to say and not to say”, the "do not name"but at the same time"make it clear”, If anything oozing poison also, According to the incorrigible habit of certain clerical, that when they press “it is said that…“, shortly after squirt cyanide at its purest.

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paul farinella

THE NEW UNTOUCHABLES – two Genoese priests wearing a kind of apron for housekeeping and a colorful Sadat, taken while travelling with their own Bishop to celebrate the funeral of Don Andrea Gallo, more Companion of ideological Brigade brother in Christ.

Continue with round off on its way to the heart of a problem whose delicacy claim useful examples, starting from this first: time ago, a group of priests - including me - pointed to the president of the regional episcopal conference a little over fifty fellow priest who in our opinion had an Episcopal respectable profile; and maybe, for this, nor his bishop nor the bishops of that area who also knew him they had never dreamed of taking it into consideration. When a bishop does not report its own priest as a factor of the episcopate, and the bishops of the region show no interest to accept him as one of their "band”, it is unlikely that the alert can go forward. Needless then to report potential bishop to various departments of the Holy See, without making sure that does not end impallinato by snipers at the first request for information; because each of the sniper is usually provided with a list of friends of friends to promote and place. This is the reason why in Italy in particular, it is for specialists in cutting the legs of the good elements. Spent time and having had no response, It was sent on ahead myself as a "battering ram" to request explanations. The vice-president of the local bishops' conference gave me this short answer: "Undoubtedly it's a great priest, but it does not correspond to what are now the criteria and pastoral styles of Pope Francis'. I replied: "I am not aware that the Word of God, first, Pietro da He covered an extraordinary and heavy vicarious function, after, We have never proceeded to choose the apostles through the principle of cloning '. Instead of behaving like "sport" the bishop acted for the little man who was said and as such: "But in short, you can not always throw everything in theology!». I replied: "And what should I throw it, in gastronomy?». It resulted in having the bishop turned to the authentic leader impallinatore which was actually, beginning to throw up everything and more, up to define this holy priest as "theologically and liturgically in plaster, rigid and not flexible pastorally ". Something due to the fact that in the two parishes where he had been previously pastor had forbidden the Neocatechumenal celebrate on Saturday night, at the movie-hall of the parish, the "Agape", also known as "messa kikiana”. Had forbidden to lay men and women rule the roost on the presbytery changed during the sacred celebrations in their stage, to make so-called "resonance" during the Liturgy of the Word, because they were often real rants spree doctrinal errors. He had forbidden them to compose the Prayer of the Faithful, to teach catechism to the children of the First Communion and Confirmation to the boys in the questionable "doctrine" Neocatechumenal, explaining calmly but clearly: "In this parish children and adolescents will be prepared to receive the sacraments by the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the texts approved by the Italian Episcopal Conference". And after twenty years of unchallenged domination Parish neocatechumenal, He made for a whole year a series of reflections to explain the liturgical reform contained in Holy Council [text, WHO] the post-synodal exhortation Sacramentum [text WHO] the sense of what is done during the Eucharistic celebration and its meaning in the light of the Roman Missal; but above all he explained that the Holy Mass is the sacrifice, the sacrifice of passion, death and resurrection of Christ the Lord, not a dance party where others - be they people O idea - End up being the real stars.

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Michel-Marie Zanotti

PRIESTS FILL-CHURCHES – Michel-Marie Zanotti, a priest in France ultra secularist drew many faithful, young species, starting from the element basilar: presenting more visibly as a priest [see WHO]

Given the progress achieved, although paid by the priest with a price of accusations and obstructions, after five years the bishop decides to move it to a larger parish where this time the problem was the charismatic "filled" with the Holy Spirit, led by a group of lay people who organized "rites" healing, liberation "rites" of alleged diabolical possession and so on. very difficult task, because if a group of seasoned lay appropriates a parish which manages years after creating the vacuum and turned away anyone who dares not to follow the dictates of the Holy Spirit in the exclusive service of the ringleaders of that movement, the priest may risk being lynched, if not the physical surely the moral, that is worse. Heedless of all, just arrived first of all taken by the "boss"Of the group"pretesse"Filled with special gifts of the Holy Spirit and enjoined: "Give me her copy of the key of the tabernacle". she answers: "I have it for years and I need to organize the Communion to the sick '. Replies the priest: "Give sick I go there, even because, before receiving Communion, several of them, especially the elderly used to frequent use of confession, They might want to confess, What she can not do. Or maybe you think you could be absolved for his charismatic special grace?». Soon said: the "pious women" launched against the pastor anything that resembled the Demon that Jesus rebuked: "enough! What do you want from us, Jesus of Nazareth? You come to destroy?» [cf. Lk 4, 31-37]. After two years it was a real pleasure to celebrate Mass in that parish, where often the brother invited me to preach in some special occasions, so that the faithful also should hear the voice of a different preacher pastor.

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Bishop in tie

THE BISHOPS EMPTY-CHURCHES – S. AND. Mons. Claude Dagens, Bishop of Angoulême (France)

In short, a presbyter reminder for confession and spiritual direction, respected by young people as a priestly figure, not as a priest trendy playing at the little friend Brigadier, because not only do young people need, but they want the very priest who is such authority, authority and discipline of inner life, devoted to prayer and study in his spare time, open and available to all, but at the same time he reserved and always witness through his words and above all his works the sum sacramental dignity of which is covered by permanent and eternal character. I fellows Brigadier our young people if they go them to look elsewhere, certainly not among priests.

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After briefly He had responded to the bishop which he had claimed: "Undoubtedly it's a great priest, but it does not correspond to what are now the criteria and pastoral styles of Pope Francis', here is that the good shepherd covered the fullness of the apostolic priesthood, He kneeled before me with a blouse-clergyman scollacciata - I'd rather duly presented by the bishop with my best Roman cassock - not knowing where to stick told me: "I felt, I understand you, he and others, you are of the same "school" ... in short, however young, Priests are "old fashioned", in cassock always on him. For charity, fate pure, nothing to say, but at least realize that times have changed, whether you like it or not ". He spread his arms and then shined with thumb and left index finger ring on his right middle finger up making the boy who leaves you understand "both the bishop's me, I am ... "and with a wry smile concluded: «… cheat a reason!».

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bishop in tie 2

THE BISHOPS EMPTY-CHURCHES – S. AND. Mons. Jacques Walnut, Bishop of Amiens (France)

What is disheartening for a priest find himself wearing his best cassock, for the respect due initially to the bishop, even though it is revealed as an authentic quintessence of sloppiness. It is bitter to find themselves before a bishop in his pants, with scollacciata shirt, but with the ever-present on the pectoral cross dangling belly, sign of his power and of his often arbitrary humoral. At that point - and I do not regret it - I answered: "You see, Excellence, in my opinion it would be more prudent to avoid annoying people who refused any kind of education and thus of transformation through the gifts of grace, can move abruptly and laid the hoe to the pastoral ". And by that I mean shut the speech. Indeed it also closed the bishop, but he did it with a sentence that confirmed my theory about hoe and pastoral, in addition to confirming that the seminaries - I renamed pretify, great hotbed of deformation and deformed - by four decades not train and do not want to educate anyone. soon exclaims Bishop: "But to go see affanc ...!». And having said that I refused his hand to kiss, because if a bishop sends me to hell, more so I will kiss the hand, not for the obvious poor man who is, but for the sacramental grace of which is covered.

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bishop in tie 3

THE BISHOPS EMPTY-CHURCHES – S. AND. Mons. Francois Fontlupt, Bishop of Rodez (France), please note the mustache to Freddie Mercury …

Soon after, the bishops of that region chose for one of their vacant sees a parish priest who in the three parishes where he had been confined himself to celebrate Mass, leaving everywhere lay people rule the roost, the organization of catechism classes to the liturgy, it prerogative of the inevitable "pretesse”. And when some relatives of sick elderly parishioners, They asked if he could get him to bring Communion, at least sometimes, He said that "there were lay leaders in whose ministry he could not interfere". When together with two other priests in that parish I went to confess several dozen kids the following Sunday they would receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, together with my two brothers I was amazed: boys and girls did not know what to say, were silent scene looking right and left, no one knew the act of contrition and all I had to say to make the sign of the cross while the priest was giving them absolution …

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Freddie Mercury

… singer Freddie Mercury, perhaps more or less distant relative of S.It is. Mons. Francois Fontlupt, Bishop of Rodez.

… and while this took place in the parish church, eight catechists were sitting before the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to chat, to laugh with each other and to send text messages with cell phones, all with their backs toward the tabernacle of the sacred reserve Eucharistic. When I arrived at the parish church dressed in cassock, breviary with arm and purple stole folded over - because of penitents waiting I well “effrontery” old style even to recite the Liturgy of the Hours -, the pastor, today bishop, he said laughing: "But where are you going? Dressed like me scares the boys, They are not used to seeing a priest dressed up in this way. Go to the sacristy, take off this stuff and put white dawn, if you want". Indeed, he administered the confessions with a shirt unbuttoned paintings sitting with his legs on a bench. And when the fateful day he was summoned to the Bishop's Curia of his diocese and was communicated his episcopal appointment, his bishop, dressed in a clergyman sdrucite, after the reading of the official text put on the newly elected head bishop, dressed in civilian clothes, the red skullcap. A scene that, if it were not pathetic, it would be really ridiculous …

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enrico bat

SMALL KÜNG NOSTRANI – the priest Enrico Mazza, course lecturer at the pontifical university catholic-protestant Sant'Anselmo.

… just as in 2011 pathetic was the chaplain of a hospital in Pisa, with whom I went from Rome in the early morning, I come from whom I sought the chaplain and asked if I could administer the anointing of the sick to my brother-in-law. He looked at me as if I were a Martian and enjoined me: "This is a secular environment and if you think to go up in the oncology ward to dress this way, then I say no right away ». Faced with this answer does not think, our dear readers, I had gone to steal from the closets of a clown Circus Moira Orfei clothes with which to clothe me from Rome, absolutely not! I was wearing the cassock and surplice arm, the stole and the book of the ritual anointing of the sick. I took off my cassock and went up in the oncology department with trousers and white shirt under my, because if I have to open the gates of Heaven to a soul, But any dementia - including a priest - requires me before singing "Red flag”, in that case I pretend for two minutes of being untouchable Genovese heretic priest Andrea Gallo and without hesitation attack: "Next people to the Rescue, Red flag …». Of all this, that soul deeply Catholic my brother, he was upset, species at that particular juncture, so much so that he said: "I do not think you go for a few words with the Archbishop of Pisa?». Eruppi with a laugh and replied: "My brother, come on! To make a word with those who, with that good man of John Paul Benotto, to which the priests give pats on the back while on the other hand he could have serious problems in being able to give an order to the porter of the archbishop's palace?». And of course let it go, because if you lose valuable time to reason with certain priests often serves, to lose it with certain bishops is even worse and far more disappointing.

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Paolo Giulietti

BISHOPS DRAWS-YOUNG? – S. AND. Mons. Paolo Giulietti, auxiliary bishop of Perugia [see WHO]

I have just brought the examples of two different parishes that showed in the facts to be: one, a man of God and a man of government, a shepherd caring for the souls that if necessary he says what is right and what is wrong to do, pastorally acting accordingly in conformity with the doctrine, the magisterium and to the laws of the Church. The other, although bad pastor, however, it was provided by his protectors of a "card" where they had been impressed some really magic words today: "... He has dedicated himself to charitable activities, he was an assistant at Caritas, He attended the youth of the nearby golf Rom, etc..". And reading this "" tab there is clear the bleak present and the worst foreseeable future that awaits us. That's clear why the second of two parish priests brought to mo 'sample, and now Bishop, She could not take care of the sacred liturgy left outsourced to the laity; that is why he could not go and bring the Eucharist to the sick; that's why he could not watch over the First Communion children who did not even know the Our father and the boys of Confirmation that not even know what it was the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. He could not do anything about all these things “secondary” because he was engaged in something far more primary: visit the local Roma camp! A topic that which I have already discussed in my previous article, to explain between the lines that if God's ways are notoriously endless, those of the clergy are more and more "finished" and "defined", sometimes even so not just fool [see WHO], because nothing is more dangerous than an incompetent who exercises a power that first of all is a heavy duty; power which in any case does not come to him either by the sovereign people or by the appreciation of the everyday The Republic, but by Christ God.

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Paolo Giulietti 2

BISHOPS DRAWS- YOUNG? – S. AND. Mons. Paolo Giulietti, auxiliary bishop of Perugia.

If someone decided to choose new bishops give her existential suburbs, or to promote the episcopate priests who played at “Compagnucci Brigadier” In fields scouts, instead fascinate young people with the style and charisma of a man of God like the French priest Michel Marie Zanotti [see WHO], go ahead, but the failure will be sealed through the ecclesial drama of the fall in the ridiculous. And unfortunately, in the space of not many years, the results will be paid by the Church of Christ and the People of God. All without even knowing who really make it through, because the mechanism of appointment of new bishops itself is so complex, species in a particular country like Italy, it's almost like a game of Chinese boxes. For what we know is the kind of work done by various church institutions and departments of the Holy See for the selection of future bishops. Work in which are involved several clerics who sometimes manage to drive certain appointments much more than they can make certain influential bishops and cardinals; and not infrequently, the various organs of the Holy See who have tried to carry out a serious and meticulous work characterized primarily on prudence, in an effort to select suitable candidates, you see everything clear before all’Friend of a Friend to place; and often, for these coups, you do not even know what “santo” to thank.

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Nicholas Anselmi

FIGURE STOLEN IN CINEMAS TO ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE? – S. AND. Mons. Nicolo Anselmi, auxiliary bishop of Genoa [see WHO]

Ultimately comes to work concluded a dossier to the Pope containing a set of three names, from which he usually chooses the first indicated among the three candidates. There are several eyewitnesses who reported that often John Paul II signed without even reading the summaries of the three names listed, while Benedict XVI gave him a last and then signed. It is true that to appoint bishops his collaborators is Peter, but the mechanism is quite complex and in most cases the Holy Father merely ratify the choices of others that are the result of investigations, research and evaluations almost always very complex, both for good and for evil. Thing in itself entirely understandable: how could it, the Supreme Pontiff, take care of appointments and the periodic replacement of about 5.000 bishops scattered throughout 'Catholic world? All his time would not be enough for that alone.

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nicole anselmi 1

FIGURE STOLEN IN CINEMAS TO ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE? – S. AND. Mons. Nicolo Anselmi, auxiliary bishop of Genoa.

From these delicate situations It comes the element of fundamental importance for any Pope: get close to her precious and especially loyal employees. It is the preciousness is loyalty panels on a clear premise: selflessness and faith in the deserved eternal reward for having served freely and without according any purpose the Church of Christ and Peter her Supreme Pastor; and to make these valuable services to the Church and her Supreme Pastor Peter, They are the ones who tell you always what they think, not those who are adept at concealing their own and be equally adept at trying to please in every way, the wagon master. Many are the damages caused to the Church by the period of the last Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, all due precisely to this: choosing bad associates who, in turn, They polluted the dioceses on the one hand and the Roman Curia on the other hand, often placing in the second even those most resembling the parakeets instead of males with all its appurtenances; and when these subjects are then lobby, We know what happens [see my old interview, WHO].

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St. Pius X cartoon

the Holy Pontiff Pius X depicted in a satirical cartoon of the anti-clerical newspaper L'Assiette au Beurre (Butter dish) n. 242 of November 1905.

For forty years the Church has been playing with the world of the media which is based on logical ruthless image increasingly anti-Christian. Once - in recent times, not centuries ago - the Roman Pontiff and the bishops of many large and medium-sized diocese could walk on foot through the crowd camouflaged in civilian clothes, no one would recognize them; and in fact many did. The image of the Roman Pontiff was just over an effigy of the State coins Pontifical, while that of the bishop was depicted in a picture inserted into an inner room of the cathedral church in which they were collected the paintings of his predecessors. There were several bishops to control the scattered parishes in their dioceses turned camouflaged by secular, without being recognized even by pastors, but above all by the many manicured country that made up the bulk of the slice of their clergy. The Popes of the late nineteenth early twentieth century we had only a few official photos and from the pontificate of Benedict XV some very short and rare footage. With John XXIII the televisions begin to get into places until just before impenetrable and finally, with the pontificate of John Paul II, the media make their entrance “triumphal” in the Church, and every move and breath of the Roman Pontiff will be made public: from the “cradle of the newborn” inside the conclave until his dead body lying on the bed inside the room of his private apartment. Now, I do not say that this is bad, I say that all would be able to handle, why the media, wanting, They can also transform us into a truly grotesque structure through the most dangerous subliminal messages …

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seminarian sfranta

The OF PRODUCTS TODAY PRETEND, THAT IS SEMINARS – within which there is no selection and supervision, where often there are no suitable trainers who have first been educated and made suitable to impart an ecclesiastical education appropriate to the dignity of the future priest [see movie WHO]

… example: beyond the respect of the Italian television after Democrat, if we analyze the shooting made by US television stations owned by secularist or Protestant societies, not to mention the Arab and Israeli, we see in close-ups during the celebrations of Benedict XVI a small army of ceremonies that sway between smiles and flattery, and they do not give some beautiful image of the Apostolic See, but they transmit in seconds the idea subliminally that the rate of male testosterone in certain ecclesiastical circles is quite low. No one pretends that they are chosen as bishops of fashion models, But enter the world of the image with caricatured figures if not worse grotesque, It hurts the Church, making the game that some ecclesiastics are very dangerous and harmful to the media …

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Nosiglia

WHEN THE CHURCH PLAYS WITH DANGEROUS WORLD IMAGE – S.E. Mons. Nosiglia, Archbishop of Turin.

… be clear: Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani was not an Adonis, it was not the Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, and it was not John XXIII, the ugliness of which was, however, surpassed by that of Leo XIII, to follow with the frail and hunchbacked Benedict XV. But the ugliness of certain figures or Pappagorgia which endear Ottaviani, They were offset by capacity and uncommon talent also recognized by many people adverse to the Church. What so I lament is the multiplication of figures that even cartoonists of the nineteenth century anti-clerical were going to draw, almost as if today the Church wanted to make a lavish wedding dinner with nuts and dried figs, public figures who presentanto, in addition to being unpleasant, they have not at all the charisma and the talent that would make it very beautiful even in their ugliness. And who reasonably believes that I am wrong, Please indicate and demonstrate publicly my error analysis and evaluation - and if the case so requires well with all canonical appeals of the case -, starting from pundits that the Holy See is at the Italian Episcopal Conference dealing with social communication, namely the service staff of catering organizing lavish wedding with nuts and dried figs.

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Bagnasco Anselmi-001

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco and his Auxiliary Bishop, Teodrammatica a contemporary church in which the servant can never be more beautiful master …

Which aims to shake it's obvious, we understand ever since the Holy Father, ignoring all theologians at its disposal, He launched yet another message inviting a priest to preach the spiritual exercises to the Roman Curia. The message passed, however, was the only unusual thing in itself, ie sberlone another given to the Curia and the Curia by a Latin American with the aggravation of the Argentine spirit, and burdened - and let's face it! - By many anti-Roman prejudices. Because at this point I do not know what the Holy Father has truly taken care to know Rome and its history, including the history of the Roman Curia that he would reform, but it certainly can not be reformed without first getting to know her well and thoroughly, but above all without being free from the burden of prejudice. Over time, however, we can assess retrospectively what he is free party, or solid and adamant about their own prejudices, then acting accordingly.

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John XXIII 2

… Also John XXIII was ugly, at times almost caricatural, but he was a man who despite all his amiability could inspire awe at a glance, and the talent that had, faith, hope and charity that animated him, united with his loving sympathy, not only made it beautiful, much more: They made it holy and heroic virtues model.

Singular and unique is the fact it sberlone linked to those spiritual exercises, because what just passed, Once again it was the gesture, or if you prefer the Holy Father's setback came in pullman Ariccia where the exercises were held, taking with him the bishops and cardinals style "group holidays Piedmont, if part! ”, in the words of an old TV commercial. So here's that journalists have delighted telling us that the Holy Father is sitting in the midst of all, the equal of all, in a simple way, resigned … because Francesco is “er papa de noartri ”. Let me be clear: I have nothing to say on certain styles homemade the Holy Father, I would much rather to ask about things far more serious, from the first: of those spiritual exercises, What is left? What was discussed? How it was talked about? What message it was launched by a particularly enlightened by God speaker, He called the onerous office of preaching before the Successor of the Prince of the Apostles and the other Apostles? If we go to practice we find that the spiritual exercises of Pope Francis there only remains the image of a pastor who preaches them, of a Supreme Pontiff sitting on pullman with everyone and among all. That there remains, and it's really miserable thing, as are many other buildings that house day after day, instead of on the rock, It is erected on the sand [cf. Mt 7, 26-27]. On the contrary, instead, memorable spiritual exercises preached in Lent 1971 by Father Divo Barsotti to the Roman curia on the invitation of Paul VI, Today it has left behind a monumental text, sometimes prophetic, work of a mystical authentic, of an authentic theologian, of a real Father of the Church [see WHO]; without which none of us know and without anything to any of us interests and as the board of what the participants have arrived, or where the Blessed Paul VI was sitting on the way.

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This is not to say that it is wrong to take something of parish priests solid experience and promote them to the episcopate, because what they vitally need the many small, but also medium-sized Italian dioceses, It is the figure of a Bishop with pastoral experience, who knows how to treat this with his presbyters and that can receive and guide the flock portion of the People of God entrusted to him. But be pastor is not a guarantee, because the bishop demand extra completeness that few pastors have: first of all, He must be able to govern their own priests with authority and authority, confirming them day after day in faith [cf. LC 22, 31-34] then drive in a decisive and credible God's People.

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fist on the table

the bishop has requested an iron fist covered with a delicate velvet glove.

The bishops must be adverse compared to the attitudes spineless that to please everyone and not upset anyone, create self-destructive paralysis situations because they do not actually govern their particular Church, leaving that to govern is bullying, quarrels and priests arbitrarities divided among themselves, where light is only the arrogance of the strongest in the time that you are placed in the right places after collecting the worst weapons of blackmail. Priests in some dioceses, although representing a small number of three or four elements, they put in check and silenced three bishops one after the other, after making them understand that they had in hand instruments of blackmail both on the moral side both on the economic side to blow up an entire diocese, with all the criminal implications in the event that certain information had reached the competent civil courts. And not a few Italian bishops, in such situations, They remained with their beautiful pastoral in his hand used solely as Liturgical trinket to do done anything.

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Episcopal chair

the chair of the bishop great master [The model shown in the picture belongs to the Cathedral of Massa Marittima, WHO]

The bishop must be a master of doctrine. And here it should be noted that I have not said a supremely theologian but a master of doctrine, able to teach and if necessary enforce compliance with the Magisterium of the Church which the supreme guardian in his particular Church deposit of credit. And consider the recorded sermons that were spoken both for their settlement is in the chair during the first acts of the episcopal ministry by several of these bishops from parishes-existential-devices, the doctrine of several of them is not that exciting; and when you do not know well and thoroughly deposit of credit, safeguard it is not easy, although of course no limits to the grace of the Holy Spirit, but it is good not to challenge.

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The bishop must also be a connoisseur of law, with a keen sense of natural law. And here you notice: I did not say that it should be a supremely doctor in canon law, but a person with the sense of entitlement, because if it is not, easily slip in free agency, factory all the worst injustices. And also in this case, many of the new recruits, leave to be desired as well in this sense, although it was priests for many years.

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carlo maria martini 3

Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, to which we have devoted a few critical articles to his theological thought [see WHO, WHO], but we have always referred to with reverence as one of the most beautiful episcopate figures of the twentieth century, simple but solemn liturgist.

The bishop is the supreme liturgist and celebrating the Eucharist depends on the validity of all the Masses celebrated in his own particular Church. And even in this case it is good to gloss over the sloppy manner and approximate with which certain bishops from parishes-existential-devices, true or presumed, They have been taken for years and years by many cameramen while celebrating liturgies that you may want to draw a veil.

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I stop here not to proceed further, but there is enough to say that both trends, both conformism, lead by different routes but both parallel to the same disaster. Indeed, first fashion maverick bishops-pastors, we experienced both the fashion-curial bishops is the fashion of the bishops-professors. these seconds, mostly linked to the pontificate of Benedict XVI, that realizing how inside the Church of the ferment of heresy or doctrinal errors had pushed up huge panettone, to remedy, instead of closing the factories of panettone, instead of removing certain pontifical universities and pontifical universities the title "Pontifical", He begins to appoint bishops more or less illustrious professors of theology, often right from these factories of heresies, inside which were themselves the first and most pernicious speakers. Unfortunately these professors, some of which are true theologians others instead of pure windbags, over time they have sown around the Italian diocese so many and such damage that in many cases it will take decades before they can repair, especially when such serious damage are related to the priestly ordinations of many wrong subjects as such should never have become priests.

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priest who blesses the peasants

two farmers kneel on the muddy ground as it passes the country priest who leads the Most Holy Eucharist to a sick. In front of these witnesses and testimonies, how they can, bishops and priests, show up today “trousers and shirt sleeves“? For what, perhaps to attract young? deluded! Are the priests like the one portrayed in this picture only that today might come to fill our churches, if the clerical pride would not close his eyes well before the evidence of the facts.

Problems not solved by switching between fashion, He has already done politics. Either the Church wants to repeat the political mistakes? Does anyone remember the times when before the political fall to historic lows of credibility, politicians tried to lure voters applying actors, singers and players on the electoral roll? Actually it was nominated and elected as well as a famous pornstars. We want to repeat the same mistakes in the Church, pornstars included?

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The problem It is not to become bishops You need not be priests, or professors of theology, or who work in the Curia duties. It is not in fact the role that makes holy man, but the man who sanctifies the role that has been appointed to. A good bishop can then exit out of a suburban parish priest as a luminary of theology; by a qualified diplomatic service or by a priest who served the Church in a curia office, precisely because it is the man who makes the good bishop and certainly not the specific office he has held.

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Ildefonso Schüster

BISHOPS WHO HAD UP TO A FEW TENS OF YEARS AGO – Blessed Ildefonso Schüster, Archbishop of Milan from 1929 al 1954. Figure of great theological depth, mystic and great shepherd of souls. When he made a pastoral visit, often he came at five in the morning in front of the parish churches, he knelt and prayed in the square waiting for the pastor opened the door for the celebration of the first Mass.

In my book published in early 2013, speaking of the episcopate and of our natural vocation to holiness, written in the water of our baptism, It said that it is up to the Church to establish how consecrated in the sacrament of Holy Order should play and pay their grateful and valuable services; the assumption that what is at the basis of the nature of the sacrament of Holy Orders. It is unacceptable that the priests are proposed as candidates for the episcopate, or bishops propose to major metropolitan locations, office of the Roman Curia or the honorary title of Cardinals. Anyone, in direct or indirect way it did, the penalty should be excluded from any possibility of promotion. No one is in fact promoted and consecrated bishop for his personal prestige but to be a faithful servant and devoted to the particular Church entrusted to him, always bearing in mind that God became incarnate in Jesus not to be served but to serve [CF. Mt 20,28]. Therefore we should work towards a day to an important result: a Catholic clergy formed by secular and religious priests are well aware that being bishop of a large and important diocese or be pastor of a small country parish is equally dignified and important for the Church, within which the Bishop of the largest diocese and the parish priest of the small country church offer both an essential service, united by their very nature of servants.

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In the Church there is precious inspiring figure and the high example of the Holy Bishop Charles Borromeo, but there is just as valuable inspirational figure of no less high and example: John Mary Vianney, He elected not by chance patron of parish priests and priests. Surely no sane mind would ever sent Carlo Borromeo parish priest at Ars, and Jean Marie Vianney as bishop in Milan; but it is precisely the Church, the unique and the only one to determine who is to become Bishop of Milan and who the priest of Ars, to better develop its natural vocation to holiness and to preserve and save the faith of the People of God.

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Bishop Mario Enrico Delpini

FROM THE HIERATIC FIGURE OF SCHÜSTER TO CURRENT TIMES – S. AND. Mons. Mario Enrico Delpini, President of the team for the Ongoing Formation of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Milan [see WHO]

When common sense take over fashions or market strategies played on real advertising slogans, the risk that we run is to put John Vianney being the Bishop of Milan and Carlo Borromeo to make the priest at Ars, with a sad consequent results: neither will become saints. The first, will not become holy because be an inappropriate subject as not up to the Bishop of Milan; The second one, will not become holy because it is an inappropriate subject as not up to the priest at Ars, and both sow damage to no end.

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In the state in which we find ourselves, it is useless to look small, futile and clerical strategies, today targeted the baked professors and curial, tomorrow in the parish priests who have taken upon themselves in some way - or really clever joke - the smell of the poor and of those existential suburbs that seem to go out of fashion today. Each of these choices are only palliatives that will lead to total failure. What in fact does not seem to enter into the ever smaller heads of certain ecclesiastical, It is the fact that to come to be truly perfect in one [Cf Gv 17, 23] We must proceed if necessary with dramatic divisions, mindful that Christ the Lord also came to bring a sword and war, not only peace [cf. Mt 10,34]; Mindful that sooner or later, at the right moment, wheat will be separated from the chaff, when you are sure that to rip the weeds is not lost even an ear of corn, which is not to say: ups weeds that choke the good grain permanently [CF. Mt 13, 24-30].

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Rafael Merry del Val

Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, Secretary of State of the Holy Pontiff Pius X, a man who today do not ever become a bishop, or that maybe they would not even be a priest.

Fashions are always harmful, of whatever kind they are, including the current research of parish priests with past real or imagined between Caritas, slums and Roma settlements, because this means that today, a man of God of extraordinary human completeness, morale, theological, legal and pastoral as Rafael Merry del Val, not only it would never became cardinal, but neither bishop and maybe even a priest, because only the sound of his name would turn up their noses many who pretend to want to smell the sheep to be taken on themselves, without having all understand what the Holy Father Francis wanted to say and convey to the shepherds in the care of souls by saying: "Be shepherds wearing the smell of the sheep". Nor ever he would have done any road a man like Giovanni Battista Montini, accused of coming from a family of the old Lombard bourgeoisie. Supersedes then the unhappy fate that in the Church trendy Today would be affected to a person like Eugenio Pacelli and step directly to Angelo Roncalli, but to the real, not to Santino from popular iconography. Today as today, the future St John XXIII, at the peak of the diplomatic career as apostolic nuncio in Paris, It would never become Patriarch of Venice - most ultra seventy -, after spending his entire life in the diplomatic service of the Holy See? Of course not, because if the logic had been applied fashionistas Today would have been tried definitely a pastor of some Veneto province that between 1945 and the 1950 He had enriched their curriculum, up to make it in such a way episcopabile, after dedicating himself to refugees and war orphans or have served meals to the homeless.

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Bishop Claudio Cipolla

S. AND. Mons. Claudio Cipolla, former pastor, newly elected Bishop of Padua, where from 85 years was not chosen a cadidato that was not already a bishop with pastoral experience. Faced with this cute face is affectionately to say: to certain parish priests, until they give him a red, a dignified black cassock if not even put to picking up the appointment as bishop.

If at certain bishoprics They are sent from decades, or even centuries of bishops who have already gained pastoral experience in other dioceses where they have given proof of good governance, There must be a reason? If some Italian archbishop's offices have for centuries also cardinals locations, is because there are ancient traditions related to the history and the past kingdoms and principalities of the Italian peninsula; this has established a tradition that is said to be maintained. Rules and habits can be changed and in fact, to do it, Peter does not have to ask anyone's permission. Limit it, if he wants, or if it has the necessary humility to do it, can ask people who are certain historical and ecclesial mechanisms may know them even better than him, but he still bears the full power to act as considers most appropriate. So that the current Patriarch of Venice was not created cardinal, perhaps to the person concerned does not affect anything, but the Venetians used to having for centuries a patriarch also awarded the honorary title of cardinal very interested and, this failure to red biretta, they experienced as a humiliation. At the other end of our country, the Palermo, are already wondering if after his appointment as Cardinal Archbishop of Agrigento, also for their home will not be given the title of Cardinals to successor to the resigning Cardinal Paolo Romeo.

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Erio Castellucci Archbishop of Modena

S. AND. Mons. Erio Castellucci, newly elected Archbishop of Modena

I understand that the Holy Father He hath now declared as part of "the other side of the world," but that does not mean engage in making things of this world, because it is common ground that the Italian Church, its bishops and clergy, soprattutto alla sua storia bimillenaria, is due at least the same respect that the Holy Father shows to have for real or alleged refugees [see WHO] landing for an average of 700/800 per day in a country - ours - unable to contain and assist such a flood of people, because we are talking about 400.000/ 500.000 people a year who arrive on a certain non-extended territory as Australia. The Italian Church and its history is due at least the same respect that the Holy Father for the inhabitants of the Roma camps, whose workers in dell'accattonaggio blaspheme Christ and all the saints along Via della Conciliazione behind those who dare not give him money. It is not beautiful nor good, even for a Roman Pontiff, albeit enveloped in "liberal" to which he believes seriously or just pretend that case geriatric Eugenio Scalfari, let it be understood: "I am and I do what I want". For us there is no doubt that you are Peter - for your Pentecostal friends do not know ', but to us you are Peter -, But before you establish precise rules, you have full authority to do so. Before Abolish customs and practices, then you should appoint a cardinal who you want and when you want, preventing a slice of your faithful, who for centuries they have been at the head of their diocese a bishop always created cardinal practices, they have to ask: "But what have we done wrong to the Church and the Holy Father?». The Church needs of their steadfastness and their own stability, which they contribute to some extent the traditions and customs of all accidental and quotas as such are changing and may be abolished at any time by the Supreme Shepherd. But I think that the least likely candidate to make the dangerous game to destabilization without first having established rules, is the Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, also because sooner or later, the People of God, that has never been a fool in the whole course of the history of salvation, You might begin to wonder: in which pro 'all this, but especially, at what price?

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Giuseppe Siri

Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, Metropolitan Archbishop of Genoa, also remembered as a man of extraordinary class and hieratic dignity. His mother worked as a concierge and his father was a handyman. He became a priest, however, at a time when the workshops were equipped with all the educational tools needed to maximize human development, morale, spiritual and theological of young talent.

The greatness of the Church has always been to be a mother and teacher, and a good teacher, which it is also mother, primarily educates. This is the reason why this extraordinary mother who is a body whose head is Christ [cf. With the 1, 18], He never made the class distinction, race and nation. We know all the flaws of our Church, holy and sinful according to the old definition ambrosiana. historical defects that the undersigned knows enough to have them repeatedly stigmatized in deference to the wise admonition of Pope Leo XIII who on September 8 1899 stated:

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"The Church historian will more strongly emphasize its divine origin as has been loyal in no way conceal the evidence that the sins of her children and sometimes of his own ministers did suffer this bride of Christ".

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Yet this mother and teacher, and at the same time holy and sinful, even in its most controversial eras and you contrasted saw up to their so-called leaders many men from very simple and modest families; because even in its most controversial eras and contrasted could spot talent, rather: I was looking right. Who today says, a spirit so romanofobo as anti-historical, which until not so long ago, to become bishops and cardinals had to be called Borghese, Orsini, Column, Odescalchi, Chigi, Doctors, Sforza ... wrong and mind. The histories of the bishops who have succeeded in many of our numerous Italian dioceses, They include many names of men from poor families, entered in the seminaries with kits donated to them by a poor country priest who had collected offers from equally poor faithful.

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pietro Gasparri

Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Secretary of State succeeded to Cardinal Merry del Val, He came from a family of farmers Marche, by many is considered as one of the greatest canon lawyers of the twentieth century.

Do not forget that to succeed Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, who had a blood concentration of the oldest noble families of Europe, was Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, who was secretary of state under Pope Benedict XV and Pius XI, as well as a signatory of the Lateran Treaty that ended the long Roman question began with the capture of Rome on 20 September 1870 lasted 59 long years. Peter Gasparri, born in the Marche in a village of the province, He came from a family of farmers pastoralists, was a canonist of rare refinement and decisive was his contribution to the drafting of the Code of Canon Law 1917. From modest family came the Holy Pontiff Pius X, who also he wanted beside him in the role of Secretary of State, Cardinal Merry del Val. From a poor family born Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, in the Trastevere, where his father worked as a laborer at a baker. We stop to these few examples that really would be the long list of men whose names are now part of the history of the Church and were not taking all the surnames of the most powerful European princely families.

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What about the fact that in the early sixties, while in the United States there was racial segregation between blacks and whites, in Rome, a newly elected black cardinal red dress with purple and ermine cape magna, received kissed knee flexed by the papal nobility? Knows the Holy Father Francesco these edifying pearls of history related to a Roman curia kissing the hand of a black while in the US blacks could not even go on public transport? He is informed, the Holy Father Francis, that his Supreme Predecessor Benedict XIV, nee Prospero Lambertini, In the 1741 He did not hesitate to challenge, even with all the risks of the case, the major European powers, condemning without appeal slavery and declaring illegal, under penalty of immediate excommunication, the sale and the reduction of the Indians to slavery? Condemns, however, already delivered earlier by his predecessors Supreme Eugene IV [1435], Paul III [1537], urban VIII [1639], none of which came from existential suburbs They never played any apostolate in villas miseries.

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Alfredo Ottaviani

Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani in an image of old age. Was prefect of the then Holy Office, today Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, man of great acumen and theological character of Vatican II. He was born in Trastevera from a very poor family and as Cardinal. Merry del Val is very devoted to charitable activities in favor of Roman children of that neighborhood, who affectionately they nicknamed him for his enormous double-chin “er jowl Cardinal“.

Unfortunately I fear that for some decades they are crushed delicate and old balances, and today we seem apotheosis joints. man ever, in the past, a Rafael Merry del Val prevented a priest of recognized talent with him to sit in the pews of the College of Cardinals, as guilty of coming from humble beginnings. But what today we should instead fear is that many Pietro Gasparri and Alfredo Ottaviani totally devoid of great talent and great compassion which characterized these men of God, but filled with ambitions in return for which they never could aspire in the civilized world, can prevent a Merry del Val to become bishop and cardinal, since "it does not correspond to what pastoral criteria and styles are today" - from villas miseries - "The Holy Father Francesco", with all the terrible harm that would result to the private church of this faith, of such talent and such a rare intelligence.

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I do not know if anyone will reflect on all this, in a Church no longer able to educate and logical grasp the talent and mutate in the very principles of the Gasparri and Ottaviani, making them the principles for nothing less principles of a prince of birth as Merry del Val. I fear that in these sad times, where many churchmen seem the immediate junkies and live day after day without thinking of the future and to build for the future, few will make similar reflections. When in fact the one hand they make a coup and the other one gives in to fashions, the first thing you lose the freedom of the children of God and trying the worst coercion and arbitrary action of the worst even force others to the loss of this precious gift of grace. A church that no longer free teetering between bankruptcy and fashions equally unsuccessful experiments is bound to collapse, from his heart: the Sacred College of the Apostles, in which to recruit a mediocre after another into effect the coup of mediocrity in power. Never as today is in fact echoed the false and misleading warning which Judas:

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[…] then Mary, took a pound of ointment of true nard, very precious, He anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair, and the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. Then Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who would betray, he said: "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?». He said this not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and, He had the bag, to take what was put therein. Then Jesus said: "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you have always with you, but you do not always have me " [GV 12, 3-8]

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E together with the pretext of the poor, Today we have a veritable army of Judah, thieves and traitors, ready to use the poor as false and measure as a new pretext for their personal gain, always moved by those irrepressible ambitions originating from the queen mother of all deadly sins: the Superbia, which always blinds, preventing to correctly perceive the present and the future to build a holy manner to the praise and glory of God.

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6 replies
  1. Stefano says:

    When I arrived at the parish church dressed in cassock, with the breviary under his arm and purple stole folded over - because while waiting for penitents I have also the "boldness" old style even recite the Liturgy of the Hours..”

    MYTHICAL!!!

  2. father ariel
    Ariel S. Levi di Gualdo says:

    Dear David.

    Although the last Code of Canon Law, that in force, to want to be good has been deeply weakened the concept of authority and certainty of punishment, I am not at all well disposed to my nature to make me “hit” by authoritarianism of certain “chanterelles crazy” who tend to act not according to the codified laws of the Church, but according – often – to their agency humoral.
    These subjects, a me, not come near, because if they scratch, I Sbrano and then hopping around their festive safely shreds I've earned a little slice of heaven for this really charity.

    I respect the authority of the Church, imagine, I promised filial and devout obedience; but not compared, indeed necessary fight any form of arbitrariness humoral exercised in defiance to all ecclesiastical laws, but above all to the Christian charity.

    So, to tell me something, I should first be determined that I have violated the deposit of faith, the doctrine, the Magisterium of the Church and its canon laws to which they are bound.

    No one pulled my ears because in fact:

    1. I am not a heretic and not diffuse erroneous doctrines or worse heretical;
    2. I not contravvengo regulations of Code of Canon Law;
    3. not lead a public and private life that is in any way detrimental to the honor of the sacred priestly order thereby giving scandal to the faithful;
    4. I never disrespected and ecclesiastical obedience Authority.

    I like to tell the truth and to analyze the ecclesial reality for what it is, traveling to certain ecclesiastical many more annoyances than them to him instead if not arrecherei contravvenissi in the worst ways to the four points just listed above.

    No, no one ever called me back, either today or yesterday, rest assured.

  3. father ariel
    David Farmer says:

    … Excuse Father, perhaps curiosity is not lawful, but the question I just itches: after this article no one has said anything? No one has pulled the ears?
    Sorry again.

  4. Angelo Bellettini says:

    I enjoyed this article in one breath, father ariel! So sadly true: like pains me to see those photos of Italian and French bishops in suits, where the pectoral cross distinguishes them barely some gray bureaucrat buried in a ministry (but they are so different?).
    French bishops, the same ones that have emptied the churches with verbose inanity of their sermons, the same people who now – in the name of dialogue, is intende – they want to leave the Mohammedans their churches, the same short, clubbing the sheep with the same hand with which to caress the wolves.

    • father ariel
      Ariel S. Levi di Gualdo says:

      «… the same short, clubbing the sheep with the same hand with which to caress the wolves»

      Dear Angelo,

      one sentence, you said what I have expressed in a long article, to try and try again – as I wrote in it – than the true people of God was never fool, nor ever it has been a people ox, although some pastors think they can treat by that.

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