This just in from NCR: "Pope Francis’ visit to Lund, Sweden, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation will comprise “two parts” beginning with a “common prayer” service in Lund's Lutheran cathedral and continuing with a public event at Malmö Arena that will be open to wider participation, Vatican and Lutheran leaders have announced.

"In a joint statement issued today by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, they reiterated that the Oct. 31 event will be centered on the themes of “thanksgiving, repentance and commitment to common witness".

It also said the overall aim of the ecumenical event “is to express the gifts of the Reformation and ask forgiveness for division perpetuated by Christians from the two traditions.” READ ARTICLE HERE

REMNANT COMMENT: Ah, yes, the 'gifts of the Reformation' -- such as the tearing in half of holy Christendom. The beginning of the end of the Holy Roman Empire. The destruction of the Catholic state. The loss of millions of souls who fell victim to the vile heresies of Martin Luther.

And let's not forget to ask forgiveness for the great saints who gave their lives in defense of Holy Mother Church under vicious assault of Protestant 'reformers.' Thomas More, for example, used the Greek term “anarchos” to describe the Protestant Revolt. He believed that the “whole great change of European consciousness in the sixteenth century was due to the hatred that they [Protestants] bear to all good order and the great hunger they have to make [everything] disordered.”

You see, poor Thomas More didn't think 'making a mess' was a particularly good idea. He regarded Lutherans as “daemonun satellites” (“agents of demons”), in fact, who had to be stopped before they brought civilized society to ruin.

In his book, The Life of Thomas More, Peter Akroyd explains: "This was no longer a time for questioning, or innovation, or uncertainty of any kind. He [More] blamed Luther for the Peasants’ Revolt in Germany, and maintained that all its havoc and destruction were the direct result of Luther’s challenge to the authority of the church; under the pretext of “libertas” Luther preached “licentia,” which had in turn led to rape, sacrilege, bloodshed, fire and ruin."

And why not? Of the Mass of his own priestly ordination, beloved liturgy of his fathers and forefathers, saints and martyrs, for a thousand years, Luther hisses: "I declare that all the brothels…all the manslaughters, murders, thefts and adulteries have wrought less abomination than the popish Mass."

This from one who, by his own admission, was “inspired”—while on his toilet, no less—with the certainty that the Church was the great Whore of Babylon, that four of her seven Sacraments were abominations, as were her priesthood, celibacy, papacy and monastic life. On his toilet, Luther figured it out—all that’s needed is Faith alone…and the laws of Christianity be damned!

“Be a sinner and sin on bravely,” said Luther, “but have stronger faith and rejoice in Christ, who is the victory of sin, death, and the world. Do not for a moment imagine that this life is the abiding place of justice: sin must be committed… sin cannot tear you away from Him, even though you commit adultery a hundred times a day and commit as many murders.”
  
Compare these words to similar ones written by the Satanist Aleister Crowley: "Are we walking in eternal fear lest some 'sin' should cut us off from 'grace'? By no means…Live as the kings and princes, crowned and uncrowned, of this world, have always lived, as masters always live… make your self-indulgence your religion…When you drink and dance and take delight, you are not being 'immoral,' you are not 'risking your immortal soul'; you are fulfilling the precepts of our holy religion [Satanism]…Is not this better than [to] go oppressed by consciousness of 'sin,' wearily seeking or simulating wearisome and tedious 'virtues'?"

Protestantism, Satanism, Freemasonry—these were but brothers-in-arms in the ancient war against the holy Church, a war fomented by agents of disorder. Even some of Luther’s friends readily admitted that the “Reformation” was anarchistic.

For example, the ex-priest Martin Bucer, who’d benefited from Luther’s moral dispensations where an ex-nun and his vows were concerned, nevertheless admits: "The whole Reformation was one grand indulgence for libertinism. The greater part of the people seems only to have embraced the gospel in order to shake off the yoke of discipline and the obligation of fasting and penance, which rested upon them in popery, and that they may live according to their own pleasure, enjoying their lusts and lawless appetites without control. That was the reason they lent a willing ear to the teaching of justification by faith alone and not by good works, for the latter of which they had no relish."

It is no wonder that Erasmus (who also advocated reform) would write: “Lutheranism has but two objects at heart—money and women.”

And now Pope Francis is heading off to Sweden to commemorate what Martin Bucer called 'one grand indulgence for libertinism" and St. Thomas More condemned as the demonic project of the Antichrist himself -- the Protestant Revolt.

God help us, what is the matter with this man!

This just in from our friends at the Knights of Columbus Woodlawn Council 2161 Traditional Latin Mass Guild

When? Saturday, 4 June 2016, 11 AM Divine Liturgy followed by

What? Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Where? St. George Byzantine Catholic Church 1001 Clinton Street, Aliquippa PA 15001 FULL RELEASE HERE

REMNANT COMMENT: The reason more good things don't happen, and evil is allowed to triumph nearly everywhere today--is that too many good men do nothing. Hats off to our friends in Aliquippa for not doing nothing.

Imagine what would happen if we all arranged ceremonies and TLMs to consecrate our hometowns to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Imagine that!  Well, what are we waiting for?

This just in from LifeSiteNews -- The cardinal tasked by Saint Pope John Paul II 36 years ago with founding an institute to study marriage and the family has criticized Pope Francis’ recent Apostolic Exhortation on the family for lacking clarity and causing confusion among bishops regarding perennial magisterial teaching on marriage, divorce, and reception of Holy Communion. 

“Chapter 8 is, objectively, unclear,” said Cardinal Carlo Caffarra when speaking about Amoris Laetitia, since it causes "'conflict of interpretations' ignited even among bishops." The comments were made last week in an interview the cardinal gave in Italian to the website La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana. READ ARTICLE HERE

REMNANT COMMENT: So yet another member of the hierarchy severs the chains of collegiality in order to break the silence and speak the truth. According to LSN, the cardinal said that despite the conflicting interpretations surrounding the exhortation, it remains the case that it is impossible for civilly divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion.

Amen to that!

The 77-year-old Cardinal Caffara, by the way, is perhaps best known for his fierce opposition to contraception over the years.  In 1988, the NY Times quoted Caffara as asserting in regards to the use of condoms that acting in accord with morality outweighed any potential "physical harm": "Even the smallest moral wrong is so much greater than any physical wrong. I know this is hard for some to accept when the dangers are great, but the church is here to combat moral wrongs."

It would seem at this point that the defenders of Amoris Laetitia are more or less willfully blinding themselves to the myriad dangers of this revolutionary document. Hats off to Cardinal Caffara. Let us pray that this is not too little too late.

This just in from CatholicHerald.co.uk: "Cardinal Robert Sarah made the comments in an exclusive interview with Famille Chrétienne The Vatican’s liturgy chief has called on priests to celebrate Mass facing east.

"In an interview with the French Catholic magazine Famille Chrétienne, Cardinal Robert Sarah said that the Second Vatican Council did not require priests to celebrate Mass facing the people.

This way of celebrating Mass, he said, was 'a possibility, but not an obligation." READ HERE

REMNANT COMMENT: Comparatively speaking, it's little thing, given that we're still talking about the insufferable Novus Ordo.  But it's a step in the right direction. And, obviously, Robert Cardinal Sarah for pope! This goes without saying.

A letter to the editor of The Remnant: "I am a composer of traditional sacred choral music based in England and was wondering if you might publicise my Latin sacred choral music in “The Remnant.” On my web site there is an attractive video presentation which might be of interest to your readership. The music, performances and recording are of a fine quality – not just in my opinion.

"Sir James Galway wrote to me and said 'This is one of my favourite CDs; masterfully written, beautifully sung. It brings me nearer to God. I have given it as a gift to many of my friends.'



"Please put up the video on “The Remnant” web site for your readers to enjoy if you’d like to support me in my sacred choral music. http://www.catholicmusic.co.uk/

"It is difficult for me to sell my music so I would be grateful to you for some publicity. I can provide high quality scores for all my sacred pieces and give bulk discounts. As it is, the music is not expensive. My music is designed to be sung by a Catholic SATB choir of average ability.

"Sacred choral music is an important part of the fight in which we are all engaged but the difficulty is that Catholics are slow to support new endeavour. Any help you might give me would be much appreciated.

Your sincerely,
Nicholas Wilton"

REMNANT COMMENT: Happy to help, Mr. Wilton. It is all just so beautiful, but your Panis Angelicus  brought tears to my eyes. May God bless your efforts to glorify Him with your music. The Remnant endorses this noble effort, of course.

This just in from Charismanews.com: "When Pope Francis met with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb on Monday, he told him that 'our meeting is the message.' So precisely what kind of 'message' was Pope Francis attempting to convey?

"Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb is the Grand Imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque, and some have described him as 'the highest figure in Sunni Islam.' The Daily Mail said that the meeting between these two men was a "historic bid to reopen dialogue between the two churches," and as you will see below, this is yet another in a long series of attempts by Pope Francis to build bridges between Catholicism and various other faiths. In the end, what are we to make of all of this? Could it be possible that Pope Francis is laying the groundwork for the 'super world church' and the coming one world religion that David Wilkerson and so many others have warned about? READ ARTICLE HERE


REMNANT COMMENT: As this concern comes from one of the top Protestant/Charismatic news sites in the world, it is clear that the unbridled (and doctrine-lite) ecumenical outreach of Pope Francis is becoming a bit over the top even for our 'separated brethren.'  

As an aside, one can speculate as to whether or not the Pope's bizarre no-strings-attached offer to regularize the Society of St. Pius X isn't also connected to the same old utopian dream of a 'one world religion', in that everyone and anyone--even 'rad trad' traditionalists--must be brought into the circle if this religious component of the New World Order is ever to become a reality.

I don't know about Denmark, but something certainly seems rotten in Rome right now -- even Protestants can see it.

This just in from the American Family Association: "On a media call last, week Target CEO Brian Cornell was asked if the boycott had an effect on their sales or stock price. He responded by saying "To date we have not seen a material or measurable impact on our business. Just a handful of stores across the country have seen some activity and have been impacted."

"Did you hear that? When asked about over 1.25 million people who are boycotting his store he shrugs it off and uses the word "handful." Don't let Target's arrogance fool you. We are having an impact and the boycott is making a difference.

"Since we launched the Boycott Target Pledge April 21, over 1.25 million people have signed on. Another interesting fact, Target has remained silent on Facebook and Twitter. The most recent post on Target’s Facebook page came April 23, and their Twitter has been silent since April 19.

According to Breitbart News "Target's stock has fallen 20 percent - from $84 per share to $67 per share - since it imposed the pro-transgender policy on its customer base of families. That loss has chopped roughly $10 billion from the overall shareholder value of the company, according to a chart produced by Yahoo.com."

REMNANT COMMENT: I have five daughters, and if Target doesn’t care about my little girls why should I care about Target! In other words, it will be a cold day in hell before I walk back into a Target Store. 

If you haven't signed the AFA Boycott Target Pledge yet, please do so here.

Today from the National Catholic Register: "SSPX’s Bishop Fellay: Little By Little Rome Is Giving Us All We Need for Reconciliation

"In a wide-ranging interview with the Register, the leader of the traditionalist priestly society details how Pope Francis has opened the door to the SSPX’s full integration with the Church.

"MENZINGEN, Switzerland — Reconciliation between the Society of St. Pius X and Rome looks to be imminent, as a key obstacle — opposition to certain aspects of the Second Vatican Council — may no longer be a cause for continued separation from the Church.

"Bishop Bernard Fellay, the superior general of the SSPX, told the Register May 13 that he is “persuaded, at least in part, by a different approach,” in which, he believes, Pope Francis is placing less weight on the Council and more emphasis on “saving souls and finding a way to do it.” READ ARTICLE HERE

Remnant Comment:

Today from Vatican Insider: In the Gospel, “Jesus reminds us that one does not live in the house of the Lord because they expect a reward but because they have the dignity of co-responsible children. It is not about “bartering” with God but following Jesus who gave his life unconditionally on the cross.” At today’s Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis continued a series of catecheses dedicated to the Jubilee theme of mercy, explaining the parable of the “merciful father”, better known as the parable of the prodigal son...

 “Let us begin from the end, from the joy in the heart of the Father, who says: “Let us rejoice, because my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found”. These were the words with which the father interrupted his youngest son when the latter was confessing his guilt: “I am no longer worthy to be called your son…” But the father’s heart found this remark unbearable and hastened to give the symbols of his son’s dignity back to him: beautiful clothes, a ring, sandals. The father Jesus describes is not an offended or resentful father who says: ‘you’ll pay!’. No, on the contrary, the father embraces him; all the father cares about is that his son is there in front of him, alive and well. The scene of the son’s return is moving: “While he was still far away, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” What does this mean? It means the father would constantly go up onto the terrace and look out onto the road to see if his son was coming home. He waited for him. Despite everything his son had done, he waited for him. How beautiful a father’s tenderness is…” READ ARTICLE HERE

REMNANT COMMENT: Words fail. Surely His Holiness realizes the difference here is that the prodigal son came home. He ceased being 'prodigal' and admits to his sins. The Year of Mercy seems to be sort of glossing over that part. The prodigal son doesn't really need to change all that much, it seems.  He doesn't even need to come home. He can still live with his mistress. He can be a public adulterer. It doesn't matter. He gets the fatted calf anyway.

Holy Mother Church as always been a faithful dispenser of God's mercy, long before Francis arrived on the scene. We've all been forgiven in Confession. We've all wept with gratitude over God's great mercy. All that was ever required of us His wayward children was to make some effort to stop sinning and to repent. Demanding Mercy without repentance is a blasphemy against God.

The parable is called 'The Prodigal Son', Your Holiness, not the 'The Liberal Father.'

ROME, May 9, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) -- Over 100 pro-life and pro-family leaders from all over the world leapt to their feet in applause at a meeting in Rome on Saturday after hearing a call for Pope Francis to withdraw his controversial exhortation Amoris Laetitia.

John Smeaton, co-founder of Voice of the Family and the CEO of the UK Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, issued the request to the Pope in his keynote address at the annual Rome Life Forum.

Smeaton spoke following Bishop Athanasius Schneider, who in his speech decried growing confusion in the Church, and who has previously expressed grave concerns about the exhortation. FULL ARTICLE HERE

REMANNT COMMENT: Pope Francis is either intentionally attempting to undermine the Church's infallible teachings on faith or morals, or he is inadvertently doing so. We see no other option. He's either a very bad man, or an utterly incompetent pope. Take your pick.

This from the YouTube channel of our friend and ally, Michael Sestak: "On our recent return from a family vacation in Gatlinburg, I began listening in the car to Michael Matt's latest video,   I was moved by his words and immediately told my wife that I wanted to make a condensed version of it in order to help the message reach a wider audience. 

"As I was uploading the finished video after midnight, my wife called my attention to the calendar hanging in the kitchen.  "It's May 2nd.  Look at the feast day," she said. 

"I could not believe it.  'It's the feast of St. Athanasius!'  Coincidence?  Maybe.  Regardless, I hope you enjoy the video.  And please share with your friends and family!"



REMNANT COMMENT: Many thanks, Mr. Sestak. Long live the memory of the great man-- Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. May we never forget...