Agnus Dei Presents!

Today, many so-called Catholic bloggers and members of the hierarchy use fear to enforce their "we-must-be-obedient" statements.  For these bloggers, they would rather offend God by leading the faithful astray by supporting actions by a hierarchy that has given us the worst scandal in the history of the Church.  Yes, if the bishop says to stand during the Consecration, why we will stand, of course.  And don't you just love the "Eucharistic minister" in the miniskirt?

Is it not obvious, then, that when it comes to "obedience" we are truly indeed living in a time of great deception?

Padre Pio, knowing full well the importance for him to please God over pleasing man or any superior, immediately asked not to be forced to take part in the Novus Ordo liturgy!

Why?

Because it was a deviation [a “departure from normality” or “deviant behavior”] that was baneful [“causing death, destruction or ruin”] to the Church.

Has the Holy Spirit not proven to us the wisdom of Padre Pio’s actions regarding the Mass?

Who has presided over the “deviant behavior” of the pedophile scandal but the very bishops who have presided over the outrageous liturgical abuse.

Who is causing the “death, destruction and ruin” of the dogmas and traditions of the Catholic Church?  As an individual, one must answer this question within the conscience of one's heart and soul.  For us, it doesn't take much to figure it out.

But Padre Pio did not stop there when he sought NOT to obey any local or hierarchal request to perform the Novus Ordo!

Padre Pio also had another condemnation for religious authorities in the Church, despite those who wish to only invoke the memory of his incredible “obedience” to his own religious vows [“a promise that commits one to behave in a particular way, especially according to the principles of a religious body” or “a solemn promise to God”; a vow which, as the laity, we are NOT asked to give, nor have we given it, but is reserved for religious such as St. Pio].

Again, we will quote Father Jean:

“In 1966, the Father General (of the Franciscans) came … prior to the special Chapter on the Constitutions in order to ask Padre Pio for his prayers and benedictions.

"He met Padre Pio in the cloister.  ‘Padre, I came to recommend to your prayers the special chapter for the new Constitutions … ’

"He had scarcely gotten the words ‘special Chapter’ … ‘new Constitutions’ out of his mouth when Padre Pio made a violent gesture and cried out:

" ‘THAT IS ALL NOTHING BUT DESTRUCTIVE NONSENSE!’

" ‘But Padre, after all, there is the younger generation to take into account ... the youth evolve after their own fashion ... there are new demands … .’

" ‘The only thing missing is mind and heart, that’s all, understanding and love.’

"Then he proceeded to his cell, did a half-turn, and pointed his finger, saying:  ‘We must not denature ourselves, we must not denature ourselves!  AT THE LORD’S JUDGMENT, ST. FRANCIS WILL NOT RECOGNIZE US AS HIS SONS!’ ”

So much for the term “aggiornamento”!

When Padre Pio was “reproached” by his spiritual director for his “harsh conduct” toward people in the Confessional, the great Saint had this to say about “obedience”:

“I could obey you, but each time it is Jesus who tells me how I am to deal with people.”

There is one line out of all this that is the most striking and an obvious thought of the great stigmatist.  It is his overriding concern about the Lord’s Judgment.

And notice, as the Saints have taught over and over again and which is proven by the Scripture  — “And Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, I say to you, that you, who have followed Me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the seat of His majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel’ ” Matthew 19:28,

and again, “Know you not that the Saints shall judge this world?” I Corinthians 6:2.

Therefore, especially in the case of the Franciscans, it is St. Francis himself who will judge and then turn over to the Just Judge for reward or sentencing!

Dare we say, Padre Pio, as a Saint, will judge many bishops and those in religious orders who turned their backs on the Tridentine Mass when they should have known better!

And there will be the judgment of those who have wrongfully used Padre Pio’s religious “obedience” to the Holy See (which had nothing to do with the local ordinary!) to put fear in the hearts of the faithful that they should remain silent in the face of scandal and jealousy.

The question for all of us to ask — and one which we can only answer as individuals — is:  who, today, is truly being obedient to the Lord?

Those who get on their knees for Communion or those who give the order to stand?

Whenever someone in the Church wants to talk about "obedience," the first person they usually refer to is Padre Pio, a great role mode as such.

But was St. Pio always the "obedient" monk they use to make today's faithful feel that they may offend God by not being "obedient" to religious authorities in our time, even if the authorities themselves are offending God?

Let us quote directly from an article on the life of the great Saint by Rev. Father Jean, OFM, Cap: 

Padre Pio, Father Jean begins,
“was a model of respect and submission towards his religious and ecclesiastical superiors, especially during the time when he was persecuted.

"NONETHELESS, HE COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT OVER A DEVIATION THAT WAS BANEFUL TO THE CHURCH.

"Even before the end of the Council, in February 1965, someone announced to him that soon he would have to celebrate the Mass according to a new rite, ad experimentum, in the vernacular, which had been devised by a conciliar liturgical commission in order to respond to the ‘aspirations’ of modern man.

"Immediately, even before seeing the text, he wrote to Paul VI to ask him to be dispensed from the liturgical experiment, and to be able to continue to celebrate the Mass of St. Pius V."

So, as Father Jean relates, St. Pio was not about to be "obedient" to something he knew would be "baneful to the Church."

Continuing the story on St. Pio's request, Father Jean states that "then Cardinal Bacci came to see him in order to bring the authorization; Padre Pio let a complaint escape in the presence of the Pope’s messenger:  ‘For pity sake, end the Council quickly!’ ”

As for the changes brought about by the so-called “spirit of Vatican II,” Padre Pio had this to say:

“In this time of darkness, let us pray.  Let us do penance for the elect.”

Is this not a direct reference to the “end times” our Lord spoke of?

Jesus Himself said,

“And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved:  but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened. …  For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect” Matthew 24:22.