In the time of Athanasius would Eric Sammons have been a semi-Arian & in Hitler's rise would he have been among the silent who brought about that regime according to Psychology of Totalitarianism by Dr. Desmet?
Cardinal Burke: A Pope Who Professes Formal Heresy Would Cease to Be Pope
[https://onepeterfive.com/cardinal-burke-a-pope-who-professes-formal-heresy-would-cease-to-be-pope/]
Why I Didn’t Sign the Call for the Resignation of Pope Francis
Last week a group of 17 prominent Catholics released a “Call for the Resignation of Pope Francis.” In the lengthy statement, they claim that “the words and actions of Pope Francis have caused an unprecedented crisis in the Catholic Church.” The statement details a laundry list of alleged crimes—against canonical, civil, natural, and divine law—committed by Pope Francis during his pontificate, as well as alleged heresies he has promulgated. - Eric Sammons [https://crisismagazine.com/editors-desk/why-i-didnt-sign-the-call-for-the-resignation-of-pope-francis]
- LifeSiteNews, "Confusion explodes as Pope Francis throws magisterial weight behind communion for adulterers," December 4, 2017:
The AAS guidelines explicitly allows "sexually active adulterous couples facing 'complex circumstances' to 'access the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.'"
- On February 2018, in Rorate Caeli, Catholic theologian Dr. John Lamont:
"The AAS statement... establishes that Pope Francis in Amoris Laetitia has affirmed propositions that are heretical in the strict sense."
- On December 2, 2017, Bishop Rene Gracida:
"Francis' heterodoxy is now official. He has published his letter to the Argentina bishops in Acta Apostlica Series making those letters magisterial documents."
In the time of Athanasius would Eric Sammons have been a semi-Arian & in Hitler's rise would he have been among the majority of those whose silence brought about that regime according to The Psychology of Totalitarianism by Dr. Matias Desmet?
Firebrand's Kenneth J. Collins gives a summary Dr. Desmet's research on how totalitarian regimes come to power which appears to put Sammons in the second group after the true believers -- both of who help tyrants come to power:
As this process of mass formation continues apace, three clearly distinct groups emerge in this social order. The first group wholeheartedly believes the story or ideology that offers so many social benefits. These are the “true believers,” as Desmet terms them, who are themselves hypnotized, caught up in powerful social forces of which they are only dimly aware. They are the most fanatical in the holding of the script, and they are therefore the least tolerant of any opposing views. They make up about a third of the population. The second group, interestingly enough, is both similar and dissimilar to the first group. On the one hand, it does not actually believe the story (it does indeed realize that it’s a fiction), but on the other hand, it will go along anyway by not publicly opposing it. In the end, this group simply doesn’t care all that much about truth. Put another way, this second group in the larger context of mass formation (and it can be as high as fifty or sixty percent of the population), will remain quiet simply because in its judgment the social goods to be enjoyed are so great (popularity and social power) and the social evils to be suffered (for the sake of truthfulness!) are so bad that they are best avoided. However, what is sacrificed by this second group in this odd exchange is not only the truth of things but also the integrity of conscience. Again, unlike the first group, this second one actually knows that it is living a lie but it does so anyway--in silence, of course, and perhaps even in despair.
As this pivot plays out in its narrative form in new phases, the earlier psychological components of frustration and the desire for aggression now find their objects in the form of those who, for all sorts of reasons, refuse to go along with the narrative now reigning in the culture and with the mass formation that is occurring. This is the third group, and they represent humanity at its best. As Desmet observes, “Those who do not join in the collective madness and quietly and sincerely continue to assert their opposing voice are, by doing so, steadily elevated in their humanity” (175). For one thing, the members of this third group do not believe the ideological narrative spun out by society’s leaders. For them it is and remains fictive. No amount of gussying it up will ever work. More importantly, unlike the second group, these folk speak out against the reigning narrative, often at great personal cost while their consciences remain intact.
Many social and cultural leaders, even key academic and ecclesiastical figures, will find the speech of this third group to be so disturbing, a clear affront to their sense of what is good, decent and even appropriate, that they will demonize its members, going the ad hominem route. In other words, they will categorize this third-group speech as “hateful,” and in the end they will censure such offending language in any way possible. One approach is to engage in word games that don’t invite serious reflection or critical thinking at all, but that simply attempt to shut down these truth-seeking processes by offering the unthinking masses catchphrases and slogans, such as the label of conspiracy theories and the like. These word games keep the population well within the walls of the mass formation that has already occurred and with no desire to check any sources or to gather any additional information. “La passion de l’ignorance (the passion for ignorance) is flourishing like never before” (167).
The leaders of this mass formation society on the way to totalitarianism, however, have a great cause for concern. Their fears are not idle but are well grounded. As Desmet observes, it is the members of the third and last group, only about ten percent or so of the population, who can cause these leaders so many problems. Indeed, this small but vocal group has the power to undo the ideological mischief and the mass formation along with it. That is, if its small number of members continue to speak out, if they unswervingly refuse to be silent, regardless of cost, more and more public expressions of disbelief will occur and the spell of the ideological narrative will be broken for many. As Desmet explains, “The first and foremost task is to keep speaking out. Everything stands or falls with the act of speaking out. It is in the interest of all parties. The specific manner in which the act of speaking out takes place…is of less importance; everyone who, in his own way, speaks out about the truth contributes to the cure of the ailment that is totalitarianism. [https://firebrandmag.com/articles/the-road-to-hell-is-paved-with-good-intentions-a-review-of-the-psychology-of-totalitarianism-by-mattias-desmet]
Sammons also declares it is a "daring claim" to say "a pope can be deposed.":
The statement declares, “If Pope Francis refuses to resign, the duty of the bishops and cardinals is to proceed to declare that he has lost the papal office for heresy.” This is a daring claim, for the fact remains that it is a debated point in Catholic theology how a pope can be deposed, or even if it is possible. Theologians have debated this in the past with no definitive resolution (despite what that anonymous Catholic account on Twitter might insist). [https://crisismagazine.com/editors-desk/why-i-didnt-sign-the-call-for-the-resignation-of-pope-francis]
Is it really a "daring claim" and only on anonymous Twitter accounts?
Below is what One Peter Five reported on Cardinal Raymond Burke and Canon law saying on the subject:
CWR: Back to this question about the Pope committing heresy. What happens then, if the Pope commits heresy and is no longer Pope? Is there a new conclave? Who’s in charge of the Church? Or do we just not even want to go there to start figuring that stuff out?
Cardinal Burke: There is already in place the discipline to be followed when the Pope ceases from his office, even as happened when Pope Benedict XVI abdicated his office. The Church continued to be governed in the interim between the effective date of his abdication and the inauguration of the papal ministry of Pope Francis.
CWR: Who is competent to declare him to be in heresy?
Cardinal Burke: It would have to be members of the College of Cardinals.
CWR: Just to clarify again, are you saying that Pope Francis is in heresy or is close to it?
Cardinal Burke: No, I am not saying that Pope Francis is in heresy. I have never said that. Neither have I stated that he is close to being in heresy.
CWR: Doesn’t the Holy Spirit protect us from such a danger?
Cardinal Burke: The Holy Spirit inhabits the Church. The Holy Spirit is always watching over, inspiring and strengthening the Church. But the members of the Church and, in a pre-eminent way, the hierarchy must cooperate with the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It is one thing for the Holy Spirit to be present with us, but it is another thing for us to be obedient to the Holy Spirit.
The import of this interview is…staggering. It’s clear, serene, forceful, and completely unflinching. His Eminence does not say more than he should about the matter at its current stage, nor does he say less. There is a process, and he is following it to the letter, as should be unsurprising from a man with his understanding of ecclesiastical law.
Canon law, of course, does not make provisions for such cases. On that matter, Pete Balkinski of LifeSiteNews references American canonist Dr. Edward Peters on the legal questions before Burke, et. al.:
According to Peters, who holds the Edmund Cdl. Szoka Chair at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, canonical tradition has dealt with the possibility of a pope falling into personal heresy and promoting such heresy publicly and what should be done if this happens.
Peters notes that while it is true that, as Canon 1404 states, “The First See is judged by no one,” thus making it impossible for anyone to remove an erring pope from his office, this does not mean that a pope in error retains his office.
Peters quotes an interpretation of Canon 1404 by famous American canon lawyer Lawrence Wrenn to make the point.
“Canon 1404 is not a statement of personal impeccability or inerrancy of the Holy Father. Should, indeed, the pope fall into heresy, it is understood that he would lose his office. To fall from Peter’s faith is to fall from his chair,” writes Wrenn in the 2001 New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law.
Peters writes that the “crucial question” from a canonist’s perspective is “who would determine whether a given pope has fallen into heresy,” a question he says that canon law is silent about, but not canonical tradition.
Peters finds the canonical tradition expressed by Franz Wernz — a famed canonist who was elected as the Superior General of the Jesuit order in 1906 — who considered the impact of personal heresy on the part of a pope in his work Ius Canonicum.
After laying out various positions dealing with a heretical pope and showing their deficiencies, Wernz speculates that while no one on earth can remove power from a pope since there is no higher office than “Roman Pontiff” that is capable of passing such judgment, nevertheless, a general council could determine that a pope had committed heresy, and in doing so, had effectually cut himself off from the true vine, thereby forfeiting his office.
Writes Wernz in his work published posthumously in 1928: “In sum, it needs to be said clearly that a [publicly] heretical Roman Pontiff loses his power upon the very fact. Meanwhile a declaratory criminal sentence, although it is merely declaratory, should not be disregarded, for it brings it about, not that a pope is ‘judged’ to be a heretic, but rather, that he is shown to have been found heretical, that is, a general council declares the fact of the crime by which a pope has separated himself from the Church and has lost his rank.”
After quoting Wernz, Peters comments: “I know of no author coming after Wernz who disputes this analysis.”
[https://onepeterfive.com/cardinal-burke-a-pope-who-professes-formal-heresy-would-cease-to-be-pope/]
"Athanasius, however, proposed more temperate measures... A decree was passed, that such [Semi-Arian] bishops as had communicated with the Arians through weakness or surprise, should be recognized in their respective sees, on signing the Nicene formulary; but that those, who publicly defended the heresy, should only be admitted to lay-communion."
Semi-Arians were those who attempted the practically almost impossible task of being loyal to the traditional teachings of the Church while holding on to Semi-Arian ambiguous teachings because they were afraid of being in schism with the total Arian heretics.
So today, it appears that most conservative Catholics like the Semi-Arians have tried to do the practically almost impossible task of being loyal to the infallible teachings of the Church while holding on to Semi-Modernist ambiguous teachings as well as the ambiguities of Vatican II because they are afraid of being in schism with the Modernist heretics.
Newman said that during the Arian Heresy Crisis 80% of the bishops were heretics which is probably similar to the number of bishops who today have fallen into Modernism or Semi-Modernism.
Columnist Chris Jackson writes that the Semi-Modernist whom he says have the Neo-Modernist faith by simple statistics show that their Modernism has led to the collapse of the Catholic faith in America and the world:
"It is a shame that the [Semi-Modernist] Neo-Catholics interviewed simply cannot make the obvious connection so many Traditionalists have made before them. That far from protecting the faith of Catholics against modern errors and temptations and helping to spread the Faith, Vatican II and its reforms opened the Church up to the modern errors and temptations and fed Her sheep to the wolves."
"... In order to be meaningful to anyone, the Faith being offered must have meaning to begin with. And Neo-Modernist faith does not. In fact, it is not faith at all. The Neo-Modernist faith ascribes to a mythical god who is not just, who punishes no sin, no matter how egregious, who works no real supernatural miracles, who is merely a representation or allegory of vague concepts, and who is to be used as a mascot to help attach religious significance to merely naturalist and humanistic concerns. Those who were poisoned by this 'faith' were right to leave it. Their only mistake was not replacing it with the true Faith it is obscuring. The answer to this exodus is not some desperate attempt to be even 'more relevant' by infusing more of the same poison, but to make these people aware of the true Catholic Faith that most of them have never even experienced despite growing up as Catholics in the modern era."
"... Sadly, the answer is no. What do they blame the mass exodus from the Church since Vatican II on [is not Vatican II] ? You guessed it. [They blame]Traditional Catholicism (aka Catholicism itself)."
[https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/4465-the-victims-of-vatican-ii-american-catholics-leave-the-church-in-record-numbers]
The attacks on the Open Letter appear to show that most conservative [Semi-Modernist] Catholics, not all, are Modernists and appear to slowly be losing their faith in the same way they say a frog will boil to death if the heat in the stove under the pot is heated up slowly.
Open Letter signer Peter Kwasniewski said it best:
"Just a few short years ago, everyone who considered himself a conservative was up in arms about Amoris Laetitia and skeptical of the elaborate rabbinical apparatus that attempted to square it with the Church’s perennial teaching. Now it’s as if they’ve given up; they shrug their shoulders and say, “I’m sure it’ll all be fine someday. It’ll come out in the wash. Put credentialed theologians and canonists on the case, and everything Francis says and does can be justified.” We strain the canonical gnats and swallow the doctrinal camel."
"It seems that many simply do not wish to confront the weighty and ever mounting evidence of the pope’s errors and reprehensible actions, of which the letter provided only a sample sufficient to make the case. This is not to say that Francis altogether lacks true words and admirable actions. It would be nearly impossible for someone to say false things or do bad things all the time. That is beside the point. It is enough for a pope to assert a doctrinal error only once or twice in a pontifical document, or to perform really bad acts (or omissions) of governance a few times, in order to merit rebuke from the College of Cardinals or the body of bishops, sharers in the same apostolic ministry. With Francis, however, there is a lengthy catalogue, with no sign of coming to an end. If this does not galvanize the conservatives into concerted action, one has to wonder — what would? Do they have a line in the sand? Or has papal loyalism dethroned faith and neutered reason?"
"Things that made everyone anxious just a few years ago are now taken in stride: now we all just live in a post-Bergoglian Catholic Church, where you can make exceptions about formerly exceptionless moral norms, give Communion to those living in adultery, and say God wills many religions as He wills two sexes, or — a point not addressed in the Open Letter — dismiss the witness of Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterium (trifecta!) on the death penalty. The frogs have grown accustomed to floating in ever hotter water and have decided to call it a spa."
[https://onepeterfive.com/normalcy-bias-chaotic-pope/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Onepeterfive+%28OnePeterFive%29]
Sadly, it appears that most conservative Catholics like Sammons appear to be Semi-Modernists who may possibly slowly be moving in the direction of total Modernism?
Pray an Our Father now for reparation for the sins committed because of Francis’s Amoris Laetitia.
Pray an Our Father now for the restoration of the Church as well as the Triumph of the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Stop for a moment of silence, ask Jesus Christ what He wants you to do now and next. In this silence remember God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost – Three Divine Persons yet One God, has an ordered universe where you can know truth and falsehood as well as never forget that He wants you to have eternal happiness with Him as his son or daughter by grace. Make this a practice. By doing this you are doing more good than reading anything here or anywhere else on the Internet.
Francis Notes:
– Doctor of the Church St. Francis de Sales totally confirmed beyond any doubt the possibility of a heretical pope and what must be done by the Church in such a situation:
“[T]he Pope… WHEN he is EXPLICITLY a heretic, he falls ipso facto from his dignity and out of the Church, and the Church MUST either deprive him, or, as some say, declare him deprived, of his Apostolic See.”
(The Catholic Controversy, by St. Francis de Sales, Pages 305-306)
Saint Robert Bellarmine, also, said “the Pope heretic is not deposed ipso facto, but must be declared deposed by the Church.”
[https://archive.org/stream/SilveiraImplicationsOfNewMissaeAndHereticPopes/Silveira%20Implications%20of%20New%20Missae%20and%20Heretic%20Popes_djvu.txt]
– “If Francis is a Heretic, What should Canonically happen to him?”: http://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2020/12/if-francis-is-heretic-what-should.html
– “Could Francis be a Antipope even though the Majority of Cardinals claim he is Pope?”: http://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2019/03/could-francis-be-antipope-even-though.html
– If Francis betrays Benedict XVI & the”Roman Rite Communities” like he betrayed the Chinese Catholics we must respond like St. Athanasius, the Saintly English Bishop Robert Grosseteste & “Eminent Canonists and Theologians” by “Resist[ing]” him: https://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2021/12/if-francis-betrays-benedict-xvi.html
– LifeSiteNews, “Confusion explodes as Pope Francis throws magisterial weight behind communion for adulterers,” December 4, 2017:
The AAS guidelines explicitly allows “sexually active adulterous couples facing ‘complex circumstances’ to ‘access the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.'”
– On February 2018, in Rorate Caeli, Catholic theologian Dr. John Lamont:
“The AAS statement… establishes that Pope Francis in Amoris Laetitia has affirmed propositions that are heretical in the strict sense.”
– On December 2, 2017, Bishop Rene Gracida:
“Francis’ heterodoxy is now official. He has published his letter to the Argentina bishops in Acta Apostlica Series making those letters magisterial documents.”
Pray an Our Father now for the restoration of the Church by the bishops by the grace of God.
Election Notes:
– Intel Cryptanalyst-Mathematician on Biden Steal: “212Million Registered Voters & 66.2% Voting,140.344 M Voted…Trump got 74 M, that leaves only 66.344 M for Biden” [http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2020/12/intel-cryptanalyst-mathematician-on.html?m=1]
– Will US be Venezuela?: Ex-CIA Official told Epoch Times “Chávez started to Focus on [Smartmatic] Voting Machines to Ensure Victory as early as 2003”: http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2020/12/will-us-be-venezuela-ex-cia-official.html
– Tucker Carlson’s Conservatism Inc. Biden Steal Betrayal is explained by “One of the Greatest Columns ever Written” according to Rush: http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2021/01/tucker-carlsons-conservatism-inc-biden.html?m=1
– A Hour which will Live in Infamy: 10:01pm November 3, 2020:
http://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2021/01/a-hour-which-will-live-in-infamy-1001pm.html?m=1
What is needed right now to save America from those who would destroy our God given rights is to pray at home or in church and if called to even go to outdoor prayer rallies in every town and city across the United States for God to pour out His grace on our country to save us from those who would use a Reichstag Fire-like incident to destroy our civil liberties. [Is the DC Capitol Incident Comparable to the Nazi Reichstag Fire Incident where the German People Lost their Civil Liberties?: http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2021/01/is-dc-capital-incident-comparable-to.html?m=1 and Epoch Times Show Crossroads on Capitol Incident: “Anitfa ‘Agent Provocateurs‘”:
http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2021/01/epoch-times-show-crossroads-on-capital.html?m=1]
Pray an Our Father now for the grace to know God’s Will and to do it.
Pray an Our Father now for America.
Pray an Our Father now for the restoration of the Church as well as the Triumph of the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
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