OK, I think I may have just reached some kind of threshold.

For some reason known only to God, I’ve been able to keep joking my way through all this, and I know other people who have blinked long before now. I know people who freaked out all the way back at the first Angelus address and Francers praising Kasper’s “sublime” theology (or whatever gibberish was spilling out of his slack jaw that day). I know people who have cracked up at 20,000 feet and I’ve just kept on sailing.

But this.

I felt an actual wave of nausea. I could just be tired or something, but …

…this is…

…it’s…

I feel a little like I remember feeling the day after 9-11, after watching thousands of people die.

On February 11th Pope Francis addressed members of the Roman clergy. Only Zenit reported about it. Speaking about confession, Francis claimed that somebody may receive absolution in confession although he remains mute. Quote: “He spoke with the gesture by coming into the confessional.” This openly contradicts Church teaching as stated last time in Reconciliatio et paenitentia by John Paul II in 1984.

“What do you want me to do, Lord? I can’t fix this.”

This is worse. Can you imagine it? It’s actually worse. This means that people are no longer being granted valid absolution in Confession. It’s basic catechism stuff. Your sins are the matter of the sacrament, and you have to say them, out loud using your voice, if you’ve got one. Every kid who’s ever been prepared in the Church for sacramental Confession knows this.

If priests actually do what Francis tells them – and you can believe there are plenty of crap-priests who hate hearing confessions so much they’re going to pounce on this – those penitents will think they have been validly absolved. But their confessions are invalid.

They are remaining in their sins because of what this pope has told his priests to do. And people are going to believe it’s OK because, “the pope says…” is all we’ve got left of the Faith.

Any bets on how long it will be before the anecdotal stories start of people going to their priests and being told, “You don’t have to say anything. Just come into the box and kneel down and I’ll say the magic words and you’re done and dusted.” How many priests are going to rejoice about this, and announce from the pulpit that from now on the rite of confession in this parish will be different…”

Hell, what’s to stop them from just expanding it to its logical conclusion and having the priest just extend his magic hands at the end of Mass, say the formula of absolution before the dismissal? Get em all done at once and never have to sit in the box again for that awkward 15 minutes every Saturday.

God help us!

I feel sick.

_The Council of Trent:

CANON IV.–If any one denieth, that, for the entire and perfect remission of sins, there are required three acts in the penitent, which are as it were the matter of the sacrament of Penance, to wit, contrition, confession, and satisfaction, which are called the three parts of penance; or saith that there are two parts only of penance, to wit, the terrors with which the conscience is smitten upon being convinced of sin, and the faith, generated (a) by the gospel, or by the absolution, whereby one believes that his sins are forgiven him through Christ; let him be anathema._

More and more I’m starting to believe that the only hope we have is an open declaration of schism, that Francis and those who follow him into his abyss, having themselves repudiated the tenets of the Holy Catholic Faith, are no longer in the Church. For the sake of their immortal souls.

Let them be anathema, for the sake of their immortal souls.

~