Category Archives: Church Crisis

Nope! God Does Not Pick the Pope

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As the Church gears up for another papal conclave (for at least the 267th time in the past 2000 years), just a quick public service announcement: the Holy Ghost does NOT pick the pope.

In my years teaching, countless students have been under the wrong impression that the cardinals in conclave are filled with the Holy Ghost, and that they cannot but help elect a God-ordained pope. I have no idea where this false belief originates, but it is untrue. We know this is a lie at worst, and a misunderstanding at best, because Jesus Himself warns that false shepherds and teachers will arise (Mt 7:15), and not because of His will, but the wayward wills of imperfect leaders.

Cardinals, all Christians, all humans for that matter, have free will to follow God’s guidance, or their own sinful whims. The conclave is no different: the cardinals have all the graces to choose accordingly with God’s will, or not. The storied record of erroneous and evil popes in the Church clearly shows the Holy Ghost is not always obeyed by the cardinal electors, and not always obeyed by the pope (to their great danger and our great harm).

Now with that said, let’s pray for Francis’ soul, and for the cardinals headed into conclave (on May 7, 2025) to elect Francis’ successor. The Church and the world needs the future pope to be virtuous, powerful, and faithful to Christ. Some helpful prayers to use:

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke’s (click link for different language versions, including Latin)

I kneel before you, O Virgin Mother of God, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the compassionate mother of all who love you, cry to you, seek you, and trust in you. I plead for the Church at a time of great trial and danger for her. As you came to the rescue of the Church at Tepeyac in 1531, please intercede for the Sacred College of Cardinals gathered in Rome to elect the Successor of Saint Peter, Vicar of Christ, Shepherd of the Universal Church.

At this tumultuous time for the Church and for the world, plead with your Divine Son that the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, His Mystical Body, will humbly obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Through your intercession, may they choose the most worthy man to be Christ’s Vicar on earth. With you, I place all my trust in Him Who alone is our help and salvation. Amen.

Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in Thee, have mercy upon us!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Virgin Mother of God and Mother of Divine Grace, pray for us!

Bishop Athanasius Schneider’s:

Prayer for Imploring Holy Popes 

Kyrie Eleison! Christe Eleison! Kyrie Eleison! Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Good Shepherd! With your almighty hand you guide Your pilgrim Church through the storms of each age.

Adorn the Holy See with holy popes who neither fear the powerful of this world nor compromise with the spirit of the age, but preserve, strengthen, and defend the Catholic Faith unto the shedding of their blood, and observe, protect, and hand on the venerable liturgy of the Roman Church.

O Lord, return to us through holy popes who, inflamed with the zeal of the Apostles, proclaim to the whole world: “Salvation is found in no other than in Jesus Christ. For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which they should be saved” (see Acts 4:10-12).

Through an era of holy popes, may the Holy See — which is home to all who promote the Catholic and Apostolic Faith —  always shine as the cathedra of truth for the whole world. Hear us, O Lord, and through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of the Church, grant us holy popes, grant us many holy popes! Have mercy on us and hear us! Amen.

Pagan Motion Pictures

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Familiarity breeds contempt, so they [accurately] say.

To avoid such contempt, we all must re-view what we’ve taken for granted (at least from time to time), and the greater the thing we take for granted–the greater we should “realize that it might be lost.”

While reading G.K. Chesterton’s Everlasting Man, I was reminded of certain films that are helpful in granting a glimpse of a world without the Catholic Church. Taking a cue from Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, this trilogy of movies imagines cultures, societies, and worldviews void of Christianity, and the powerful consequence of such an absence. We all truly take the Church for granted, believer and unbeliever alike, and if someone needs that more clearly demonstrated, then have a movie marathon* with these titles (listed in order of world historical basis):

  1. Robert Egger’s The Northman (2022): This film depicts the lives of Vikings in a Europe before the Church. Perhaps in no other part of the world do so many yawn at the wonders the Church has done for their continent. Yet, before Europe’s conversion, it was a land of brutal paganism, superstition, violence, and darkness. Those who whine about the Church’s influence upon Europe can have a peek at what paganism was like in the land of the Vikings, and perhaps wake from their naive and idealized dream about pre-Christian society.
  1. Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto (2006): This film explores the Americas before Columbus, specifically regions of the Amazon. Countless cultural Christians, and atheists who enjoy the fruits of a Christian culture, have idyllic notions of a peaceful and free pre-Columbian America. False anthropologists and historians presume that the New World was a paradise, and that Catholic missionaries and the Church destroyed these perfect peoples. However, as archaeological research reveals, pre-Christian America hosted some indigenous nations, kingdoms, and empires that ran on unrestricted war, cannibalism, and ritual human sacrifice (all things Christianity has fought to end).
  1. Ari Aster’s Hereditary (2018): Lastly, all those naysayers about the Church can see how a post-Christian America looks. How would 2020s USA be without Christ? What would family life and childhood be like if every sign and symptom of Christianity was eliminated from the culture? Well, this film shows a family that finds an alternate religion, an ancient pagan cult that the Church had once suppressed, because even if one is rid of Christianity, people will still want to idolize something: pleasure, power, prestige, pesos. So give Hereditary your time if you think Christianity is no big deal anymore, and then remember that we are quickly approaching a nation without the Church.

*Notice: all these films have intensely disturbing content and are only for mature audiences. What should we expect, since they depict paganism at its logical conclusion?

Lovers of Liturgy

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Late have I loved Thee, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved Thee… 

So said Saint Augustine, referring to our Lord. Yet, similar may be said of the things which reveal Him to us: the endless ability of His dawns and dusks to awe, the overwhelming stars of night compelling our staring, the expansive sea drowning us in wonder, and the simply pure laughs of babies filling our ears with bliss.

So too with a Mass that inspires awe, stares, wonder, and joy. Can anyone imagine being star struck over the Novus Ordo Mass (NOM, est. 1969)? Do any faithful Catholics ever relish its shortened prayers, its suspicious origins, its banal fabrication by committee (as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said before his rise to the papacy), its mess of options, its bracketed readings of Scripture (for shortened form, omit the text in brackets), and even its deliberate redaction of key Catholic beliefs from the “new and improved” Lectionary?

But then here’s a trilogy of films, labored over by independent and artisan film makers, aided by dozens of well-known faithful Catholics, funded through crowd-sourced donors, all head-over-heels in love with the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM, est. too far back to know for sure). These faithful can’t stop telling others about this beauty they’ve found, like a young man who aches to tell the world how he found his beloved bride. To us, the TLM is worth the commitment, the money, the hundreds of miles on foot (see episode 3 for the reference), the pleas to popes, and the skirmishes with schismatic-ish Catholics who have forsaken their inheritance for cheap, modern, synthetic, mass-produced substitutes. What is merely trendy and timely will always whither for lack of roots. What is timeless, rooted deep in hearts and souls, will endure beyond the end. Timelessness > timeliness.

But enough from me. Watch for yourself what true lovers of liturgy have to say, and then find a TLM for yourself (before they’re canceled by fakeful preests, bishups, cardinulls, and poaps).

Injection Rejection

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The purpose of this post is not to discuss any vaccine in particular, but to provide information to those who intend to reject a vaccination, and how the Catholic Church actually reaffirms such noncompliance. Being that a certain vaccine is very popular these days, and with many Catholic clergy encouraging and even attempting to impose vaccination, it’s a matter of clarity and charity to emphasize that “practical reason makes evident that vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary”, despite what priests and pope may say.

Those who want to provide explanation for why they voluntarily reject the injection can find these items and documents helpful:

  1. The Roman Catholic Church’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reiterates the voluntary nature that vaccination must entail, among other reasons why a vaccine may be rejected in good faith (see here for a letter used successfully to exempt oneself at a Catholic university from vaccination, citing this Church document).
  2. The National Catholic Bioethics Center provides here a template for any Catholic’s pastor to sign on a parishioner’s behalf, explaining why their parishioner is exempting him or herself from vaccination. Different from the letter above, this letter also argues therapeutic proportionality, which is an assessment of whether the benefits of a medical intervention outweigh the undesirable side-effects and burdens in light of the integral good of the person, including spiritual, psychological, and bodily goods. The judgment of therapeutic proportionality must be made by the person who is the potential recipient of the intervention, not by public health authorities or by other individuals who might judge differently in their own situations.
  3. The Christ Medicus Foundation here explains further why vaccination mandates (and by extension, any imposed, compelled, or coerced invasive medical interventions) are immoral and violate human rights: Coercing or pressuring people to receive a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition to maintain employment, as a condition of travel, as a condition for obtaining an education, or for any reason whatsoever is a grave violation of the fundamental human, civil, and religious right to act according to one’s conscience in receiving or refusing medical interventions.
  4. The Colorado Catholic Bishops Conference provides this letter template also for wide use, echoing the points made above, but also reminding that the free-exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment requires state accommodation of individuals who object to vaccinations on religious grounds.
  5. The Thomas More Society offers some excellent advice from a legal standpoint, to help defend your religious rights and beliefs, and also help take your fight to the courts if violations continue.
  6. The good Bishop Athanasius Schneider here offers a letter (signed by him, and affirmed by legal counsel) for use as an exemption declaration to whomever it may concern, or the letter serves as an ideal template for one to use in writing his/her own letter.
  7. If the above was too much for you to read (stop being lazy!), then a video interview:
  8. And a very well though-out and explanatory presentation:
  9. My former moral theology professor weighs in (see her article here):
  10. As more resources are proven useful, this post will be updated.

May Jesus, the Divine Doctor, heal us from the true diseases of sin, evil, and eternal death.

Mark 5: 21-43

Liturgy, Love, and the Lord

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Gold chalices and patens. Marble altars and floors. Gold tabernacles and vestments. Marble columns and steps. Gold candle and lamp stands. Marble rails, linen cloths, beeswax candles, rare incenses, professional choirs, elaborate stained windows, Sunday-best outfits, heirloom Missals, crystal holy water fonts, intricate murals and icons… oh my! All the money spent on these superficial things could have been sold, and the money given to the poor.

The Catholic Church is so hypocritical.

According to Judas.

How do we know this is what Judas would say to the Church today? Because it’s in the Gospel of John (12:3-8):

And now Mary brought in a pound of pure spikenard ointment, which was very precious, and poured it over Jesus’ feet, wiping his feet with her hair; the whole house was scented with the ointment. One of his disciples, the same Judas Iscariot who was to betray him, said when he saw it, “Why should not this ointment have been sold? It would have fetched three hundred silver pieces, and alms might have been given to the poor.” He said this, not from any concern for the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse, and took what was put into it. And Jesus said, “Let her alone; enough that she should keep it for the day when my body is prepared for burial. You have the poor among you always; I am not always among you.”

If it’s not obvious, here’s the breakdown:

  1. The Gospels teaches here that reverencing and honoring our Lord is first before all else. He is our top priority because His sacrifice shows how precious we are to Him. In return, we show how precious He is to us.
  2. If we neglect Jesus, if we neglect Love incarnate, then love will always be distorted in our pathetic mortal lives. God is love; He’s the origin of love and created us out of love. If we dismiss Love, then whatever we have left ain’t love.
  3. If we really want to care for the poor, then we must bring Jesus to them. Who are the true poor? Those who don’t know the true King. Everything we have: health, smarts, wealth, arts: all belong to Him. He is the Creator of all. The least we can do is consecrate our best to Him, so He can make more miracles out of them.
  4. Remember: only God can multiply food, multiply the years of our lives, multiply the hours in our days, and the resources we have. If we really care for the poor, then Jesus is our greatest resource. And guess what: He loves the poor more than we do. Loves them so much that He died for them (which means we’re also part of the “poor”).
  5. And what about those who give God only leftovers, mediocre efforts, lazy and lackluster work? Well, I think Jesus’ words apply also: “I am not always among you.” So let’s get back to Him before it’s too late! Give Jesus the gold, the marble, the linens and beeswax and incense, and crystals!

This is why we must make our churches beautiful again. Banish the tacky carpets, felt banners, cartoonish pictures, goofy crucifixes, lame altars, cheap chalices, dollar-store vestments, last-minute linens (crooked, wrinkled, and SMH), cringeworthy music, eyerolling projectors, inappropriate clothes, mad-lib prayers, disposable Missals, and the puppets….

After all, even Pope Francis’ latest document: Traditionis Custodes, was accompanied by his letter that states: be vigilant in ensuring that every liturgy be celebrated with decorum and fidelity to the liturgical books promulgated after Vatican Council II, without the eccentricities that can easily degenerate into abuses.

So let’s make EVERY Mass as reverent and traditional as possible. Please banish the cringe and the clowns.

Conjuring and Consequence

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Demons have limits. All created things are limited, and the demon in Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It is no different. Let’s look at those limitations, and those also of the humans involved.

—SPOILER ALERT—

Sin always has consequences. Sin is a cancer for the soul, and it weakens us because sin is whenever we reject God and choose someone/thing that is not God. Basic Christianity: God is love, power, goodness, wisdom, justice, joy, life, and existence. If we reject Him, then we reject the source of love, power, goodness, etc. So rejecting God necessarily leads to the absence of those things, which means we are weakened, and will end up in eternal death if we don’t return to Him. It’s just logic.

In cases of demonic possession, sin makes us vulnerable against it. Here are the main examples straight from the movie:

  1. Ed’s possession at the very end: we’ve seen in the Conjuring series instances of Ed’s pride (pride is not only a sin, but the worst of sins, contrary to what many think today). Every time he thinks he can handle a demon, or performs an exorcism himself, or breaks a promise with Lorraine because he needs to be the hero, these instances are prideful. No man can ever handle a demon without the Church and her Lord backing him up, which means he needs to be ordained (or at least commissioned explicitly by a Catholic bishop), and to break good promises that should be kept, well we can all see that is wrong.
  2. Arne’s possession at the very start: another example of pride, and very much like Ed’s prideful attitude, thinking he can take on the demon without the Church, ultimately without God’s backup. It may be heroic, perhaps even selfless to tell the demon to possess him instead of David, but good intentions don’t make evil actions okay. Demons can even play us into thinking we’re being sooooo sacrificial and generous, only to destroy us by making us play by their demonic rules instead of the rules of the Church that God made (tangent: the priest in the film wants to have the exorcism on David done at the Church–a sacred space–but Ed insists over the priest (perhaps in his pride) that it be done immediately at the boy’s home instead. Because of this, the protection of the Church over the family is lessened, and leads to a worse situation for everyone). Additionally, the film suggests that Arne and his girlfriend (Debbie) have been sleeping together without the blessings of marriage, which is the mortal sin fornication and lust.
  3. David’s possession before the very start: since David is only a child, he (and all children) are especially vulnerable to spiritual attack. Just as the faith of the parents is required for a child to be baptized, the parents are also responsible for spiritually safeguarding their child. Largely missing from the film is the presence of David’s parents, which implies their negligence. In fact, the real-life interview with Ed and Lorraine regarding David’s case reveals that David’s own mother and sister dabbled in witchcraft, which in doing so gives hell an open invitation. Here’s the interview itself, and the moment of this fact comes up at 25 minutes in:

So the big lesson: if you want demons to stay away, then you must stay away from sin! Otherwise your very sins invite them in. Other notable insights I took from the film:

  1. The hospital chaplain: this sounds controversial, but it’s been demonstrated by the experience of many Catholics, that in the past few decades, the Church has an extreme shortage of brave and bold priests. Many priests have been instead weak, limp, emasculated, and cowardly. The priest ministering in the hospital exemplified cowardice by not even knowing when to pray during demonic manifestation, and demonstrated stupidity by giving Arne a glass bottle of holy water when Arne was on suicide-watch. The overall impression we get of him is a man who is unsure, fumbling, and a pushover.
  2. Furthermore, we see a fallen priest who delved too deep into demonology without the wisdom of Church Tradition. The ex-priest shared that he scoffed at the Church’s warnings, dismissing them as fear based on not understanding demons and the occult. Rather, the reality is the Church’s millennia-old experience with spiritual warfare has taught her how to fight smartly against the fallen angels! She is not afraid, but informed and has grown wise from battle. Outside of the Church’s protection, this ex-priest went on to have an affair, fathered and raised a child presumably without having her baptized, which left his daughter further defenseless against the demonic.
  3. Which leads the ex-priest’s daughter becoming a witch, and occultist who makes deals with the devil, thinking foolishly that demons can be toys and that they honor bargains with humans. There’s a reason why Jesus Christ calls Satan the father of lies: he cannot be trusted and is always out to abuse and rape the children of our Father in Heaven. The witch learns this too late, and could’ve been spared the lesson had her earthly father trusted and served the Church a bit more.
  4. When Lorraine locates and attempts to overturn the Satanic altar, notice that it is solid and immoveable. When I saw this, it shamed me to know of so many modernistic Catholic “altars” that are weak and limp, unable to even compete with the witch’s altar! Since discovering the Traditional Latin Mass, I’ve learned through the ancient worship that Catholic altars should be worthy of the Holy Sacrifice: bombproof, fireproof, tornado-proof, tsunami-proof, and glorious:

Lastly, if you’re interested in more insights for the first two Conjuring films, click this: The Conjuring is Conquering; and click here for more on exorcism.

Shoutout to a former student who encouraged me to share my thoughts!

BLM and Beelzebub

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Years of discussing tough topics with others has taught me to try and wait before publicly jumping to conclusions. Back in the summer of 2020, many people immediately leapt to fund and support the organization Black Lives Matter (BLM). Without adequately knowing BLM’s origins, foundations, agenda, and founders, many leapt to its defense.

With enough information now, I can say today that BLM belongs with Beelzebub, and definitely does not deserve any support. Instead, BLM needs major prayers, fasting, and an exorcism. Let me explain:

  1. Our Lord says some demons can only be exorcised by prayer and fasting. Without a doubt, racism is morally evil, and demons sustain evil things, keeping them from resolving and dissolving. Because of this reality, Christians especially must pray and fast this evil away. Without prayer and fasting (give up food and fun), no amount of fundraising, protesting, rioting–whatever you call it–will ever be enough against a diabolic depravity. Jesus says it Himself in Mt 17:21.
  2. As for exorcism, BLM’s leaders are flirting with the occult, and that is one of the quickest ways demons can snare a soul. Satan promises to help like a poacher promises an easy snack atop a bear trap. In the end, it’s all a hustle. If you cannot believe this claim, about BLM in bed with Beelzebub, then read and reread this article by Dan Burke (someone who knows about spiritual warfare against the satanic): The Occult Spirituality of Black Lives Matter, and don’t skip the video embedded there (I’m posting it here, too, so you can’t miss it).
  3. Finally, any Catholic of goodwill should heed Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers’ warning about BLM. The fact that black lives always matter does not mean that BLM (the organization) treats black lives like they actually mattered. In fact, Burke-Sivers critiques that BLM is doing nothing to help stop the genocide of black babies, the destruction of black families, black businesses, and school-choice for black students. His full critique is posted here for your convenience (so you can’t miss it either):
  4. Lastly, because of all the pushback against BLM’s beliefs, the organization has removed their controversial page. The original page can be found archived here (because nothing on the internet really disappears). Moreover, the removal of this content seems to mean a few things: a) that BLM is unwilling to stand up for their original beliefs, and so anyone who supports their original beliefs should disavow them, or b) that BLM is unwilling to show their original beliefs and is trying to deceive those wary of their original beliefs into supporting them. I do not think BLM has learned the error of their ways, because if they did, they would publicly rebuke their past beliefs and explain why they were wrong.

So now that you have enough information, too, you can also say today that BLM belongs with Beelzebub.

Intro to Viganò

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Our current time may prove to be one of the most interesting periods in history, secular and Church history alike. Though never completely separate, these two realms of history have recently visibly converged because of the letter of an archbishop-in-hiding and the tweet of a tough-as-nails president:

20200611t0903-2664-cns-trump-vigano-letter20c

Rather than share my own take on this Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, I’ll refrain for now and defer to highly respected theologians: Dr. Janet Smith and Dr. Tom Curran, both of whom have educated countless seminarians and priests (full disclosure: I am a grateful former student of Dr. Smith). Please hear their thoughts on Viganò’s timeline, his work, and what led him to be the whistleblower of massive tumors of financial and sexual corruption in the Church’s hierarchy (implicating even Pope Francis):

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Now, after that brief background on Viganò, allow Dr. Taylor Marshall to guide you through the content of Viganò’s letter to Trump (again, you may find the original letter here). While listening, please hear out the arguments and keep an open mind. Some of the content may sound outlandish if you haven’t been following and studying modern Church history and all its controversies and intricacies:

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But don’t stop there! Trump’s latest tweet (as of June 10) has confirmed that he indeed has received and read Viganò’s letter. This may have major ramifications, and I found Dr. Marshall’s insights to be very helpful:

For those who have not been following these past few years of Church drama, be prepared to hear much more about Viganò, the evils and filth boiling to the surface, and the persecution of the Church by her own traitorous sons who betray the Son of God–and who betray us.

Things are hitting the fan.

And I’m hitting the rosary beads.

May our Lord rain down His justice from Heaven.

Liturgy and Lethargy

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Lethargy is the wrong word: it means weakness and lack of enthusiasm.
Lethargy is the right word: it means weakness and lack of enthusiasm.

Lethargy perfectly represents what I want to describe.

Many Masses in my life always left me confused, especially as I grew in love for the Lord and His Church. If Holy Mass is the most important prayer of Christians, if the Eucharist is truly Christ’s Body and Blood: true Food and true Drink, if this is true, then why have so many Masses been lame? Lethargy.

Ever since learning that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is actually Jesus nailed on the Cross because of your sins, my sins, our sins—that Jesus teleports us to the original moment of His sacrifice—I cannot ignore the jarring clash between crucifixion and birthday-bash trying to show through at the same time. The energy and enthusiasm put into a party-style-Mass means “lethargy” is the wrong word. So much effort wasted on the wrong details.

But don’t take my word for it. Have a look yourself:

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Step One: watch this excerpt of Jesus rescuing you and me from Satan and our sins, watch how He is lifted up for us to see what He does for us:

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Step Two: watch how this Mass (from 2008) totally matches the theme of Christ’s crucifixion:

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Step Three: this 2018 Mass (with German cardinals and bishops) also gets the point across:

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And the point is (in case you didn’t catch my sarcasm): how did we get to this mess, instead of Mass? How do we have such a mess in theme? How did such liturgical abuse become a thing?

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Mass never was about fun, entertainment, relevance, and needing to be cool or interesting. Sacrifice is never about those things.

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Instead, sacrifice is a labor of love. Mass used to be (and can still be) solemn, reverent, powerful, deep, and intense:

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Because Jesus is not partying it up on His Cross—He is dying because of my selfish and terrible choices to go to Hell. And I should not act nor expect this moment to be a birthday bash (or a tango dance-off).

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And I’m not about to let this end with that tango video *shudder*. Instead, here’s an uplifting and helpful tip how we can start to reclaim our Lord’s Mass, with song and singing:

UPDATE 4/18/2020:

This CCP-virus (Covid-19) survivor is former EWTN President, Catholic-convert, and current spiritual director: Dan Burke. After beating the disease from the point of death, he has choice words about liturgical abuse and enemies of reverence. Hear what he has to say about why/how Jesus is desecrated today in our Church. His witness cuts me to the heart.

Chinese Church Chaos

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Blessings this Feast of Candlemas,

To commemorate this feast, let me hold out a candle and shed light on another crime that has been wounding our Mother Church. As our Lord had warned: there is nothing done in secret that will not be revealed.

CHNUnderground1WARNING: Before reading this article, please first read this post on Wolves in Wool for context and a good footing in the faith.

The truth will set you free, and truth is: arguably one of the most terrible ongoing failures of Pope Francis has been his dealings with Communist China. Yet, Pope Francis is in the unique and powerful position to solve this disaster, if he would only choose to. It has become apparent he lacks the will, and his mishandling here has harmed many in the Church. Perhaps my family background (Catholic-Chinese-Vietnamese) makes this hit closest to home, and perhaps I know not all the facts, but here are indeed troubling implications that must be known so that we can fast and pray all the more for our Pope:

      1. Pope Benedict XVI attempted to restrict the predatory McCarrick in 2008. McCarrick ignored the sanctions. If you need to know why McCarrick deserved to be restricted (and tried and imprisoned), see commentary here and one of his victims’ testimony here.
      2. After Francis’ 2013 election, McCarrick continued his agenda, despite the restrictions. In fact, during the Francis papacy, “McCarrick’s travels on behalf of the Church increased” even. That’s right: the corrupt cardinal got a promotion.
      3. One of McCarrick’s deeds was his frequent travels to China and meetings with Communist authorities and party-approved clergyman (fakeful bishups). His work went so far as to state in 2016 that Pope Francis and the Chinese dictator have “similarities that could be a special gift for the world.“
      4. In 2018, Archbishop Vigano’s testimony against McCarrick and Francis fueled the ex-cardinal’s laicization and apparent quiet retirement (though he should have been–I repeat–tried and imprisoned).
      5. Then from 2018-2019, Cardinal Joseph Zen of embattled Hong Kong came forward with the nightmarish results of the China Deal, presumably designed by McCarrick, Parolin, and Francis (“presumably” since the details of the deal remain secret to all except its architects and the Communists).
      6. Moreover, it is concerning that the entire China Deal was drafted and signed without any input from legitimate Chinese Catholic bishops and cardinals (where’s subsidiarity in that?). That McCarrick was involved should have rendered the deal suspect and worthy of a second look, but instead the Pope has moved forward with it, despite protests from his persecuted Chinese cardinal and his persecuted Chinese sheep under an emboldened Communist president (people are dying). Though “provisional” in status, the deal’s done nothing good for the Church in China, and yet it remains, and remains a useful tool to the Communists who continue using it to draw out confused Catholics from the underground Church.
      7. The China Deal has zero merit, and it is increasingly obvious. Because it is now even obvious to a simpleton like me, it is only a matter of time until other communist countries (i.e., Vietnam, North Korea) catch on that they too can get away with culling the Church’s children without the shepherd of Rome even lifting his staff:
      8. And if one needs a reminder that Communist China is evil (despite the claim of this Vatican official saying China is the “best implementing the social doctrine of the Church“), please view this and see how China persecutes political and religious dissent (Christian, Muslim, and otherwise):
      9. Finally, see here for a decent and recent summary of all the terrors involved and lives at stake.
      10. I love the pope and pray for him everyday, but because of what I now know, I sadly cannot trust him. May Mother Mary severely discipline (Hebrews 12:6, Apocalypse 3:19) all disciples who have become lazy servants, “beating the menservants and the maidservants, eating and drinking and getting drunk” because of our Master’s delay (Luke 12:41-48). With our Blessed Mother’s help, may we all become good and faithful servants, doing whatever He tells us.CHNUnderground7

UPDATE 2/14/2020: Cardinal Zen gives this thorough interview with EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo:

UPDATE 3/10/2020: Sociologist Steven Mosher, who has studied and monitored Communist China for decades, has this to share:

UPDATE 11/22/2020: The Vatican has since renewed its accord with Communist China, and the CCP has used this leniency to rewrite the Bible. Also, this from Cardinal Zen:

UPDATE 12/08/2020 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Hong Kong’s most well-known lay Catholic has been imprisoned. Jimmy Lai is founder of Apple Daily, the city’s most critical newspaper against the Communist Party. He wonders why the Pope has remained silent during Beijing’s persecution against China’s Christians and other citizens. More details here from the Wall Street Journal (surprisingly), and his full final interview here before his imprisonment: