When I saw and read this image on Facebook, I asked myself; What about the Rosary? Not any of the dozens of other questions that came to my mind afterward, but just this, what about our Mother's Rosary. I am still trying to hang on to all the positive sentiments (for lack of a better word) that as a Catholic man I should have for the Pope. But for me, it is hard. Not to get into the categorizing mode of 'what kind of a catholic are you,' I will say that I am, as they say, (or I say), an old school traditional Catholic. I have been blessed to be able to go to only the Latin Mass, (Ecclesia Dei, SSPX) except on Thursday mornings when I attend a Novus Ordo Mass with my parents. It's nice meeting them there and going to Mass with them, something I've never done until this past spring. In these times we must show ourselves through love and charity, and so I do what I must do. But when I'm there I pray for our Holy Mother Church, that by some Hand of God she comes to Her senses and realizes the error filled road that she is on. I'm sorry, but I can't help but see the situation this way. I will not go on about Vat.II. Enough has been said about that time in church history by men and women 100 times more gifted than me. I am not a good apologist. I don't go off looking for more crosses to bear by way of looking for or being argumentative. But my inner anger was roused when week after week I read or hear of something Pope Francis has said that, to me smacks against the side of what the Church was and still is; a bastion of Truth and Strength in this modern world. A Church that knows the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, justice and injustice. It seems to me that Pope Francis, in his zeal to reach out to all people is leaving behind the flock that is his to tend. Why must he leave behind all that the Church has always been, the Traditions and Dogmas that has helped the Church to be the rock that she is for over 2000 years? We all know that the first task in this life is prayer, to praise God. But not the prayer of words? Then what, contemplative prayer for all mankind? Many people are not made for that kind of prayer, many know only the Rosary, really. Many will read this and say, what does he mean, should I give up my Rosary? I know this line of reasoning sounds absurd but this is the following of the thread Pope Francis gives us.
As everyone knows lack of faith in Christ's teaching is widespread in the world. This constitutes a double danger for men. It is dangerous for the unbelievers themselves because they run the risk of losing God. It is dangerous even for those who have the faith because unbelievers fight against the faith. Believers, especially if they are not too well educated or instructed in the truths of the faith, run the risk of losing their faith in the face of the bad example, false arguments or persecutions with which unbelievers attack the faith. (from) My Way of Life, the Summa Simplified for Everyone, 1952
ST. Thomas saw the errors that could attack the Church even then. Times have not changed much, only now we know we have a true Modernist for a Pope. Modernism, liberalism, naturalism, all dangers that past Popes have warned us of, now perhaps embraced by our Holy Father in his quest for ecumenism. I am left with only my prayers, contemplative and, if I want, chattering like a parrot. The Holy Mass of the Ages and the Rosary of our Blessed Mother was good enough for many Saints and just good Catholics, I know these Gifts from Heaven will be good enough for me.
