Going on appearance there is not long left and I can't believe that he is capable of work or of taking decisions.
No, it doesn't look as if he's capable of much. I've had the sinking feeling during this whole thing that "they" do not have everything in place yet and they needed to keep him around for a while.
Despite all the damage this pontificate has caused to the unity of the Church, it is always good to hear the word "miracle" being promoted in the secular world without any plausible evidence against it. Most of us read reports that the Pope had only 72 hours to live in the last days of February. It is wonderful to see that millions of people, who have distanced themselves from the Church after losing their faith, might consider God's direct and supernatural intervention in the world in response to the power of prayer. I believe that wishing for someone to have a little more faith is always the best request we can make on their behalf—it is like the oxygen of the soul, and those who lose it completely are already dead. I still struggle to love my enemies as Our Lord commanded, but when I consider that faith is a natural right of every human being—not only for their psychological and spiritual well-being but also for the greater good of their own salvation—I find it easier to show compassion for my enemies by wishing that they may have faith and, consequently, be converted. It must be incredibly sad to walk entirely in darkness, and I am not referring to the Dark Night of the Soul, but rather to the void of complete darkness—the belief that everything is mere chance, that we have no higher power to turn to, and that everything ends with our last breath.
According to his doctor, the Pope chose to not let go. That can be interpreted two ways; either he is a total atheist with a fear of oblivion (but how much suffering can any man be willing to undergo to hopelessly avoid this end?), or he feared something else. Let's pray that a fear of damnation on his part is what led him to not let go and that it will induce the necessary repentance. We are being told that he is incapable of making decisions. Perhaps he is no longer prepared to make the kinds of decisions desired by some of those surrounding him. Let us pray that this is the case, which would be an even greater miracle than his survival.
More prayers. God numbers the days of our stay on Earth. None of us will stay a second earlier or leave a second later. I find this very consoling. Prayers for the poor man. I just started rereading Fulton Sheen's bio last night, Treasure in Clay for the umpteenth time. Fulton was 80 when he wrote this and there are 80 chapters for each day of his life. When he finished it he was basically dying and in a terrible Dark Night really. He was going towards his last agony and his active apostolate was at an end. In terrible ill health his life in some respects might have looked like a failure. Not only that but he had many, many implacable and terrible, ruthless enemies. It must have looked like to him he had fallen down some terrible dark hole from which there was no way out. But he draws such strength from his deep, deep understanding of the Cross. He said before things started to turn dark how vain and a lover of comfort he had been. Hanging on the Cross purified him of this. Fulton was getting his pot scrubbed as at the end of our lives we will , I suppose , get our own pots well scrubbed. I was lying in bad this morning praying and thinking about poor old Fulton and his sufferings when it came to me how like the Irish weather the Spiritual Life can seem. One minute warm and sunny , the next all dark and rainy. But even if we cannot see the sun, she is always there. Even in the darkest night the moon is present. Even in the hardest winter, spring is just a round the corner. "Suffering is bearable if there is someone we love. Our choice is only to decide how we will react to them. Live in Christ, suffer with Christ, and through Him we unite to the Father, to His Sacred Heart and over come all the sufferings of this world" Fulton Sheen
No that's not what you were saying..you said "either" he's an atheist (outrageous), or he fears hell. Thats very unfair to assume those are the two interpretations and I doubt either is true.. he's not an atheist and I doubt he is fearful of going to hell. I have no idea the state of the man's soul is, that's between him and God. To me he was a pope that caused a lot of confusion, no doubt. But I don't doubt his sincerity, or faith.
I think that it is much much spiritually healthy to be an atheist than to be a Catholic and yet not to follow Christ. Jesus said it all when He said this>
Decir que el Papa tiene miedo a la condenación me parece excesivo. No entiendo por qué se opina tan mal de él. Al final, ha sido quién ha consagrado a Rusia al inmaculado corazón de María. Otros papas, salvo JuanPablo II, no lo hicieron. Éste Papa sí lo ha hecho.
To say that the Pope is afraid of condemnation seems excessive to me. I don't understand why he is so negatively regarded. After all, he was the one who consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Other popes, except John Paul II, didn't do this. This Pope did.
He didn't consecrate Russia alone in union with all of the Bishops of the world as requested by our Lady of Fatima. That there have been so many poor attempts by recent Pope's to carry out our Lady's wishes reveals the shocking lack of faith of the Church 'militant'.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/...ps-to-join-him-in-consecration-of-russia.html I found this information
Father Gabrielle Amorth and Padre Pio knew what the heart of the third secret of Fatima was...corruption in the Church, events which are currently unfolding and discussed it together. Both men were saints and worth listening to.
He absolutely did. He fulfilled every requirement. Those that try to get legalistic over tiny things like " he didn't ONLY say Russia" are nitpicking and seriously think quite lowly of God. Imagine telling your kid you'll take him on a special vacation next yr if he specifically prays "lord bless our family" every day for a yr. After a yr you ask him if he did this and he says, "yes dad, in fact prayed lord bless our family and ALL families". You're going to say, WHAT! Sorry kid, that's not what I wanted. No trip for you! Thats literally how some are viewing God. As for union with bishops he absolutely called for this and many if not most participated. I know my bishop did. You're never going to get 100% participation, he did his part as out Lady requested. Even Kennedy hall at the time agreed the pope fulfilled all the requirements. Those that are denying it simply dont want francis to be the pope that fulfilled this.
