Beware of Lollipops

The Lantern Vol. 29

This past week I have had two interesting conversations that though different, ended on the same topic. I was speaking to an evangelical church leader about the Catholic faith. In a very Christian manner, he asked if he could ask a question that might offend me. I was more than happy to hear his question about our church. He said he has a real problem with our pope.

I laughed and said so do I.

I went on to explain how our faith was unchanging and the Popes only possess a negative gift, that is the ability to preserve doctrine, not a positive gift, or the ability to create new teachings. I went on to explain two things. Catholic doctrine can only be developed in its understanding but that understanding does not run counter to previous understandings. An apple seed may become an apple tree and produce new apples, but it does not become a tree and then produce oranges.

So the second point was that doctrine does not, and can not, develop into something it never was.

I went on to explain church history and how a pope is not impeccable. In fact, there have been many terrible immoral popes.

Shortly afterward, I was speaking to a practicing Catholic who was in politics and when we talked about the Pope he also shared that he felt the Pope was a source of scandal.

But isn’t the pope a nice man? This concept of a nice person reminds me of how many people have been led astray by gentle evil. We always fear the person who outwardly gives a bad impression and yields an ax in a harsh manner.

Today, I submit the greatest evil men lie in the person who yields the lollipop. Those who portray that they are nice to loving people yet they poison the faithful in their actions and inaction.

We are now in the political season, a time where so many bishops and priests abandon their calling to teach the people. This goes on with politicians every year who witness against all that is holy, yet remain uncorrected. This scandal gives others the belief that they can hold positions counter to their faith yet remain Catholics in good standing. Saint Paul warns us that there are some who wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ. He cautions that if even he or an angel should preach a different gospel, let that one be accursed. Gal, 1:6-12

I read an article by a bishop who said they would not use the Eucharist as a weapon. This showed his lack of faith and understanding.

A Catholic who rejects their faith and adopts positions counter to it, for example supporting abortion, is excommunicated by their own actions. In simplest terms, we call this condition a state of mortal sin. Catholics in this state should not and in effect, cannot receive communion.

In scripture, we are taught our bodies are tabernacles of God. This image for the Catholic should take on a special meaning. In every Catholic Church there resides a tabernacle. Tabernacle means tent and represents the tents that the word of God first resided in.

These tabernacles are often laden with gold or other precious metals to provide a fitting place for the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior to reside.

In the Catholic faith, we understand our bodies are tabernacles where we take the body of Christ into our being.

The Catholic has a responsibility to make sure their tabernacle is a fitting place for our Lord to reside, their tabernacle should not be desecrated by mortal sin.

Many wrongly believe they can receive our Lord in this state of rebellion and sin. The scriptures warn us that those who participate in this action, eat and drink condemnation on themselves. 1st Corinthians 11:27

This is a simple concept to understand. If the tabernacle is not fit for the Lord we commit a sacrilege by trying to place him in it. When we close our hearts by sin we close the tabernacle doors and the Blessed Sacrament falls to the ground.

So when Bishops talk about making the Eucharist a political weapon it is they who do so. They lead people into grave sin and encourage the Eucharist to be profaned. They fail to address scandals and condemn the souls of many to the possibility of eternal damnation.

It is when our souls are closed by sin that we eat and drink condemnation.

Imagine this concept that a bishop or priest is actually helping someone defame the Eucharist

Too many times we think it is proper to follow our feelings. A Catholic is to follow God’s will using their will. I am saddened when I think of people going to meet God and they must explain they knew His teaching but they felt differently.

The devil is the deceiver. He is smart and subtle and that means he does not attack in the open but quietly. He does not come as the enemy but as your friend. In my battles against the child molesters in our church, they were always the nicest most personable men. When I warned my friends our bishops were allowing predators access to our children they would tell me they met the bishop and he seemed nice. Many people could not believe their nice priestly friend was a predator. In reality, the proper context is, they are disarming.

Many times in politics I hear people say I don’t like that person, they are mean, or lie, or have a terrible past. So they tell me they are voting for the person who supports killing our children.

If you want your family to enter heaven, find a bishop and priest who agree with the Church's teachings on everything.

In the Mass, we start by asking forgiveness for those sins we did and the sin of the things we failed to do. This echoes loudly today and every election cycle as Bishops seem to muzzle their priests into silence. We must ask why? The ideology they project is we must allow the children to die or lose our tax exemption, a greater good for the church. Our faith is then subservient to our money. This strategy now rings true after we see the horrors of the child molestation cover-up. A second reason is also likely. The bishops agree with the parties who stand for sexual immorality and perversion. This allows them to feel good about themselves and more accepting that their priests are bedding just about anything.

It is the reason sexual perversity is allowed to thrive in today's priestly ranks.

The pope, the bishops, and the priests who set aside the teachings of God to appease themselves or society are the nice people who offer you a lollipop. It looks sweet. They look kind, yet the lollipop is poisoned and our feelings will do nothing to change that reality.

Are we laity going to put up with this charade year after year? They want our money but don’t support our faith. It has never been so clear as when the faith and faithful were abandoned during the coronavirus.

The laity needs to oust these bishops and call for their resignation. Look at the last 50 years of the progression of perversion in our society. Our leadership has not just failed us, they opposed us. The poor state of our Nation exists because we have a generation of nonpracticing clergy, nonbelieving perverts who fill the ranks of Cardinals Bishops, and priests.

Only when the laity starts to act will these problems go away. Why must every election be a reminder that many of our bishops are in bed with the devil? They are polite, nice, friendly, leaders who offer us poison and perversion every time we need truth and strength.

Much like a pedophile, they offer the lollipop to God's children. It is time to protest at each chancellery office and lobby for these bishops to resign.

Our signs should say “babies' lives are not worth a tax exemption”. “Perversion is a wrong, not a right”, and “Bishops, silence means consent”. We should lobby outside our chancelleries. We do not need to be involved in politics, yet we do need to be involved in holiness.

If our Bishops can’t be Catholic, it is time for us to be.