Why Is the Lord Allowing
the Bishops to be Exposed?
It is not the Boston or New York papers that exposed the bishops and the priests involved in the pedophile scandal. It was the victims themselves.
And now the bishops meet and congratulate each other over the “progress” they have made in resolving this issue.
An issue that should have never ever reared its ugly head if they were truly the moral authority they should have been from the beginning.
Isn’t this why former cardinal Bernard Law resigned despite the fact that he was considered an “orthodox” bishop?
So why is Jesus allowing this to happen to the “princes” of His Church?
What is it that made the Lord so angry with them that He is allowing the world to have a field day as it publicly records and shouts from the rooftops their human weaknesses?
We can all, as William Bennett so eagerly insists as a member of the review board on the pedophile scandal (and one who was also recently caught up in the immoral issue of personally losing $1 million at gambling tables), dismiss the remarks of his former boss, Frank Keating as “uncalled for” — or whatever other nonsense one might want to relegate his statements to.
But the Truth is, the bishops appointed Keating to the task and this is his experience in dealing with them. A man of his stature — a former politician and prosecutor who chooses words carefully — does not make up such remarks for the fun of it or just because he has an axe to grind.
What Keating discovered was a system of power that answers only to itself. A system that we, as the faithful, are guilty of allowing because we have never really challenged it. Please remember, in the beginning of the Church’s history, bishops were NOT appointed by the pope. They were elected by the people because they, unlike someone 9,000 miles away, were able to observe their holiness or unholiness on a day-by-day basis!
This system of masonic power that has bureaucratically entrenched itself since Vatican II is now publicly answering to the Lord! (And God help them when they privately answer to Him on Judgment Day!) And the Lord is calling them to be accountable now! Why? This is a chance for them to atone and redeem themselves or prove, once again and completely before the Heavenly Court, that they are unworthy of their positions.
We believe they are failing in the atonement department.
Since Jesus is going to call them to account — as He will all of us — for every jot and tittle, why is He forcing them to account for some of these crimes now in public?
What did we learn from our lesson of the king of France?
The Lord wants, as Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque explained, “to enter with pomp and splendor into the palaces of princes and kings. He wants to be honored there as much as He was outraged, contemned, and humiliated in His Passion; and to receive as much pleasure at seeing the great ones of the Earth abased and humiliated before Him as He felt bitterness at seeing Himself spurned at their feet.”
What, since Vatican II, has the Lord received from the “princes” of the Church?
Let us take Cardinal Roger Mahony as our quintessential example.
Recently, Mahony, at a cost of almost $185 million (and that’s just the “public” figures) built a cathedral in Los Angeles to replace the former cathedral, St. Vibiana’s. In examining what one Catholic reporter for the Los Angeles Times described as the “Rog Mahal,” one finds these anomalies:
* there are NO kneelers in the major part of the cathedral. We guess it is unimportant to kneel down before our Lord during Mass.
* the image of Jesus’ Mother which greets visitors to the cathedral depicts Mary in an unflattering and cold way.
* “liturgical dancers” were used to help “consecrate” the new cathedral.
One of the reasons why we began this web site was to “bolster the faith of the faithful” who are constantly taking a battering by the alien “teachings” of today’s corrupt hierarchy — whether from their bishop or local priest.
We have been privileged to give many presentations on the Shroud of Turin to various groups in the Los Angeles area. It has never failed that we are always engaged at the end of our presentation in a conversation with those who pleadingly ask what to do about “what Mahony is doing now!”
In these conversations, the faithful have complained that:
* an instruction was read at local parish Masses from the archdiocese informing the parishioners that they were no longer to kneel during the Consecration of the Host.
* at St. Charles Borromeo in Hollywood, the congregation was legally fighting the cardinal against changing the architecture of their Church. The Church — modeled after the Cathedral in Milan where St. Charles presided — was to be destroyed and a “new” church built in its place that would be shaped as a “theater in the round.” This “instruction” came from a priest who addressed the congregation and was later implicated in the scandal. Oh, and it is also interesting to note that this priest had a little nest egg of
$1 million that helped him to fund his remodeling “work.” (By the way, this included the exclusion in the remodeling of one of the most beautiful Tabernacles we have ever seen in our journeys, including those of antiquity in Italy!)
* at another Church — which has to remain nameless — the priests had to outwit the cardinal who demanded that the Tabernacle was not to be in the Center of the Altar. The priests were instructed that the Tabernacle was to be placed in a separate room. These God-fearing and loving orthodox priests — who did not want to be “disobedient” to Mahony — asked if the Tabernacle could be placed behind the Altar in a separate room. When they received permission to do so, they then constructed the room with glass walls so that the Tabernacle can be seen directly behind the Center of the Altar!
These are just a few of the examples we have firsthand knowledge of. When Mahony sold off the former L.A. Cathedral, the relics of St. Vibiana from the Catacombs of Rome were taken from the Altar and NOT placed in the new cathedral’s main Altar; but to a side chapel where Mass IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE CELEBRATED. The old cathedral has been sold to a conservation group that wished to keep it intact but are refurbishing it for use as a dance theatre!
Does any of this sound like the Lord has been permitted to “enter with pomp and splendor into the palaces of princes” of the Church?
Has He, along with His Mother and Saints, been “honored” in these situations?
Or was Jesus, especially in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, “outraged, contemned, and humiliated”?
We don’t know about others, but we feel the answer is clear and obvious.
And, therefore, the answer is also clear and obvious as to why the Lord, rather than deal with them in private, has allowed the U.S. bishops — many of whom are committing these same types of acts on a national scale — to be exposed publicly.
There is no doubt that the Vatican is to blame in this regard as well.
A few weeks ago, the now-former bishop of Phoenix had provided his resignation when it came to light that he had been publicly lying to his diocese in regard to his handling of the pedophile scandal. He, too, was shuffling offending priests.
The Vatican declined his initial resignation offer.
The Lord did not let that refusal stand.
While we pray for former bishop Thomas O’Brien, the hit-and-run accident he was involved in could not allow the Vatican to — this time — decline his resignation.
We read with sadness that O’Brien felt the call to the priesthood from the age of 10. We are sure he was sincere in that belief. But as he rose through the ranks, something happened to him that is indicative of many of today’s “princes.” He lost his moral compass.
Even after hitting the victim and being told that very night of the accident by another priest that the police wished to speak with him, O’Brien avoided the issue. The following day, before the police arrived, the then-bishop of Phoenix, already caught publicly lying about his involvement in the pedophile scandal, asked his secretary to get his car window, which had blood on it, repaired. These are not the actions of someone who belongs in the seat of authority in our Church.
Are we any better than former bishop O’Brien? No. But we do not sit in positions of authority! We are only slaves of the Immaculata!
And so the bishops in St. Louis are busy patting themselves on the back on how much “progress” they have made in the last year toward “resolving” the pedophile scandal.
THERE WOULD BE NO PEDOPHILE SCANDAL IF THEY HAD DONE THE RIGHT THING IN THE FIRST PLACE!
The best resolve would be for any of them involved in any way to step aside and let innocent clergy take their place!
How dare Roger Mahony remain in his robes when his e-mails clearly show he knew about priests involved in the scandal and his only concern is not the victims, but keeping his own hide safe! Even when he dedicated a chapel to the victims, he avoided talking to those who were outside! Perhaps he was afraid of saying the wrong thing “legally.”
How dare the Vatican tolerate it!
How dare the faithful not rise up against it!
The bishops have used, as a defense in this scandal, that those who “disagree” with Church teachings are using the occasion to attack them.
In reality, many of the bishops have caused this attack by not following authentic traditional Church teachings!
Some suggest this is an attack of satan — and surely it is; but it is those who are guilty in covering up this crime and moving offending priests from parish to parish who allowed the evil one in. And satan was allowed in because — the bottom line is — the bishops have offended the Lord and His Mother!
How did they allow satan in? They allowed him in by not following Church teachings, 2,000 years of Sacred Traditions and modernizing that which should be the same yesterday, today and for ever! They allowed him in by not obeying the commands of Mary, the Queen of the Church, at Fatima, and as Our Lady of America.
We plead guilty that we are attacking those who are guilty in the pedophile scandal because we do not agree with their Church teachings.
Teachings such as Communion “in the hand.” (Anyone who is a Catholic reading this and disagrees, GET REAL! What do you think Padre Pio would say about “Communion in the hand”? How about St. Faustina? St. Francis? Ad infinitum! Is there one incorruptible Saint who would have dared received the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior in their unworthy hands?!)
Teachings such as removing the Blessed Sacrament from the Center of the Altar.
Teachings such as glorifying cold, lifeless and mocking images of the Blessed Virgin.
Teachings such as allowing “liturgical dancers” on the Altar of Sacrifice.
Teachings such as tearing down beautiful Churches to be replaced by an ecumenical stage that any protest-ant televangelist would feel comfortable on.
Yes, we know that these are not “crimes” to be compared to the pedophile scandal.
But that is from our human perspective.
To the Lord Jesus they are high crimes and misdemeanors.
And He will not tolerate them.
As we see the scandal widen with the almost drowning of a victim in a river by a park named after John Paul II, the continued tragedy of those who are central to the exposing of those bishops and cardinals who are deeply involved, compels us to cry out to all to hold on to our faith and our hats. (Remember, none of this is a reflection on the Truths and dogmas of the Church!)
For the Lord is going to blow the roof off those who have abused their authority in His Name. Why? Because the Church was designed by Him to save souls, not destroy them!
The only way out of this scandal is for the Church to start cleaning house on its own — something the Vatican seems, for some strange reason, reluctant to do.
The Lord, however, is not waiting for John Paul or anyone else to act. He, under His own authority (oh, you mean He doesn’t need permission?) is cleaning house.
We can help Him clean His House.
Or we can sit idly by just chatting about those who attack bishops because they really don’t agree with Church “teachings.” We can use all sorts of excuses. They will, however, not hold before the Just Judge.
And we cannot help Him clean house by allowing certain individuals to remain in a position of authority.
Cardinal Mahony, if he continues in his office, will be among those who will elect a new pope upon the death of John Paul. Do we really want a man like Mahony to be among the “kingmakers” when this event comes to pass? Has his actions in the pedophile scandal shown him to be one who can choose another for the most holiest position in the world? Will Mahony’s vote go to another “prince” who agrees we should no longer kneel at the Consecration of the Host?
The bishops are lauding their meeting in St. Louis as one that shows “progress” in addressing the issues of the scandal. In reality, they are breathing a sigh of relief that the California bishops — under the leadership of Roger Mahony — have agreed to provide information they failed to do under Keating’s chairmanship. When will they understand that any information that could possibly be damaging or incriminating to Mahony will always be withheld on some flimsy “legal” grounds as the “teflon cardinal” will never do anything that may harm himself.
We can pat the bishops on their backs as they go through their reports and “statistical data” making claims that they are making “progress.” Or we can throw the data back in their faces and demand, as one victims’ group rightfully said, to “hold their feet to the fire.”
If we really want our Church back and its True Teachings, it’s time to demand that officials like Mahony step down and aside — yes, Virginia, that means to have him, like Bernard Law, resign — and end their legal manipulations to keep themselves in power.
A power — as the news gets worse and Jesus permits that which is hidden to be exposed — the Lord Himself no longer seems to be pleased with.
© 2003 Agnus Dei Presents!
the L.A. cathedral?
Atop one door, a cold, lifeless statue of Mary greets visitors to the L.A. cathedral. The left-hand door contains pre-Christian symbols such as those of the I Ching, the griffin and a raven eating a man's liver.
