In the latest of a relentless, ever-more-extreme series of unhinged, reality-denying slanders of the Holy Father, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, in an interview on 29 March 2020 with the rabidly reactionary Remnant (it should have been three days later on April Fools’ Day), stated:
We must realize that when the new regime helps the poor, it does so with absolutely no reference whatever to the supernatural. All we are seeing is works of corporal mercy, whereas works of spiritual mercy have been utterly wiped out. Nor is this all: the current Papacy has completely eliminated any form of apostolate, and says the Church must not perform any missionary activity, which it calls proselytism. We can only provide food, hospitality, and health care, but nobody provides food, hospitality, or care for the souls of those who so desperately need it. . . .
I think the decision to turn churches into refectories or dormitories for the needy is proof of this basic hypocrisy which, as we have seen with ecumenism, takes an apparently good thing (such as feeding the hungry or sheltering the homeless) – and exploits it to help the grand masonic plan for one world religion with no dogmas, no ceremonies, no God. . . . Let me go back to what I was saying and repeat that all this sacrilege is the underlying cause of the current pandemic. . . .
The religious relativism which was brought in with Vatican II led many people to believe that the Catholic Faith was no longer the only means to salvation, or that the Blessed Trinity was the Only True God.
This has been decisively refuted so many times (I’ve done it five times myself: not including this article), that it is is an insult to my intelligence, and that of virtually all who will read this, to have to repeat the documentation of the refutations. But here we go again (maybe a few poor, confused, misguided souls will benefit):
Dialogue: Pope Francis Doesn’t Evangelize? [4-29-16]
Pope Francis Condemns Evangelism? Absolutely Not! [10-17-16]
Is Pope Francis Against Apologetics & Defending the Faith? [11-26-19]
Debate: Pope Francis on Doctrine, Truth, & Evangelizing (vs. Dr. Eduardo Echeverria) [12-16-19]
Dialogue: Pope Francis vs. Gospel Preaching & Converts? No! (vs. Eric Giunta) [1-3-20]
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Did Pope Francis just say that evangelization is “nonsense”? 8 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 10-1-13)
Pope Francis on “Proselytism” (Jimmy Akin, Catholic Answers blog, 10-21-13)
Did Pope Francis just diss apologists? 9 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 3-9-14)
When Pope Francis rips ‘proselytism,’ who’s he talking about? He really may not be talking about, or to, Catholics at all (John L. Allen, Jr., Crux, 1-27-15)
Francis: Evangelize by Example, not Pushing Your Faith on Others (Fr. Matthew P. Schneider, Through Catholic Lenses, 12-23-19)
Salvation is in the name of Jesus. We must testify to this: He is the only Saviour.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 3, 2020
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Photo credit: Dave Armstrong with Steve Dawson: founder of St. Paul Street Evangelization (July 2013). I edited many of the tracts that they pass out.
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