Maybe Pope Francis said something about the people who actually did kill these Christians, and why they did it, in some other part of his homily that isn’t reported here, but I couldn’t find any such reference in any news account. The jihad murderers who murdered these Christians declared: “And we will conquer Rome by Allah’s permission, the promise of our prophet, peace be upon him.”
In response, the Pope decries the evil in the heart of man, which is unarguably the root cause of all this, and apparently says nothing about Islamic jihadists or the doctrines of jihad that gave rise to these murders, but instead excoriates…arms traffickers. So apparently if we just had more restrictions on the sale of weaponry, there would be no jihad — since after all, as the Pope has explained, “authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence.” A little gun control, and all will be well.
The idolatry of the papacy that afflicts the contemporary Roman Catholic Church has made these fatuous delusions into semi-official church policy. Then liberal bishops who don’t care about the Pope go along with the liberal zeitgeist, because that’s their true religion. Bishops in the United States routinely obfuscate and deny the root causes of Muslim persecution of Christians, and work to prevent any honest discussion of these issues in their churches and church organizations. They are abdicating their responsibility to tell the truth, make their people aware of what is happening, and prepare them for what is coming. Catholic publications (such as the hopeless Aleteia) tag along, spreading the fog of falsehood and deception and secure that in doing so, they’re obeying the Holy Father.
Another problem here is the prevailing tendency within the Church to confuse charity with niceness. Far too many people think they’re being charitable when they’re ignoring or glossing over unpleasant truths. But in reality it is never charitable, or worthwhile in any way, to deny the truth. Looking around at all the strictly enforced head-in-the-sand action, one could reasonably get the impression that “Islam is a Religion of Peace” is a new dogma of the Catholic Church, to be believed upon pain of excommunication. (As for me, as their old friend Martin L. once said, “Here I stand. I can do no other.”) This cult of flaccid niceness and denial is leading to a persecution of the Church on a scale never seen before, as Christians who were kept in ignorance and complacency by their leaders are led to the slaughter.
What if Islamic State jihadis do enter Rome and the Vatican? Is that so far-fetched, given that they’re in Libya now? And if they enter the Pope’s apartments, will he explain to them how they are misunderstanding Islam as they are leading him away to be beheaded?
“Pope celebrates Mass for the 21 Copts killed in Libya, ‘for sole reason of being Christian,'” Asia News, February 17, 2015 (thanks to C. Cantoni):
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – “We offer this Mass for our 21 Coptic brothers, whose throats were slit for the sole reason of being Christian”. This is how Pope Francis began his homily at Mass this morning at Casa Santa Marta.
“Let us pray – he continued – for them; that the Lord welcome them as martyrs, for their families, for my brother Tawadros, who is suffering greatly.” A thought, the latter, which already yesterday afternoon had pushed Francis to call the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Tawadros II, to express its deep sympathy for the pain of the Coptic Church for this barbaric murder.
Continuing his reflection, the Pope returned to condemn the arms trade, “of death”. Francis was inspired by the biblical passage on the Great Flood to say that “man is capable of destroying all that God has done.” The Pope noted with regret that man, “seems to be more powerful than God”, because he is capable of destroying the good things that God has made.
Pope Francis pointed out that in the first chapters of the Bible we find many examples – Sodom and Gomorrah, the Tower of Babel – in which man reveals his wickedness. “An evil that lurks in the depths of the heart”.
The Pope noted some people would urge him not to be so negative, but – he continued – “this is the truth. We are also capable of destroying fraternity: Cain and Abel in the first pages of the Bible. They destroy fraternity. This is where wars begin. Jealousy, envy, so much greed for power, to have more power. Yes, this sounds negative, but it is realistic. You only have to pick up a newspaper, any newspaper – left-wing, center, right-ring … whatever. And you will see that more than 90% of the news is news of destruction. More than 90%. We see this every day”.
Pope Francis then asked the question: “What is happening in man’s heart?”. He said Jesus reminds us that “from within, out of the heart of man, comes evil.” Our “weak heart is wounded”. He observed that man always “desires autonomy”: “I do what I want and if I want to do something, I will! So, if I want to make war, I will!
“Why are we like this? Because we are capable of destruction, that’s the problem. There are wars, arms trafficking … ‘But, we are businessmen!’ Yes, but of what? Of death? And there are countries that sell weapons, are at war with one side but also selling weapons to them, so that the war continues. A capacity for destruction. It’s not coming from our neighbors: it’s coming from us! ‘Every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually’. Everyone has this seed within, this possibility, but we also have the Holy Spirit who saves us! We must choose, in the little things”.
Pope Francis went on to warn against using gossip or slander against our neighbor: “Even in parishes and associations”, “jealousy” and “envy” can push people to go to their pastor to speak ill of others. He warned: “This is evil and we all have this ability to destroy”. As Lent begins, the Church “invites us to reflect on this”. Pointing to today’s Gospel where Jesus rebukes the disciples who are arguing among themselves about having forgotten to bring bread. The Lord tells them to “watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod”. He gives the example of two people: Herod who “is bad, a murderer, and the Pharisees who are hypocrites.” In doing so, Jesus reminds them of when he broke the five loaves and urges them to think of the Salvation, of what God has done for all of us. Pope Francis went on to note that “they did not understand, because their hearts were hardened by this passion, by this evil need to argue among each other and see who was guilty of having forgotten the bread”.
Pope Francis said we have to take the Lord’s message “seriously”. “There is nothing strange in this, these are not the words of a Martian”, “man is able to do so much good”, he continued citing the example of Mother Teresa, “a woman of our time”. All of us, he said, “are capable of doing good, but we are also all capable of destruction; destruction great and small and even within our own family. [We are capable of destroying] our children”, not allowing them to grow “in freedom, not helping them to mature; cancelling out our children”. We are capable of this and this means that we need to constantly “meditate, pray, discuss things with each other, so as not to fall into this evil that destroys everything”:
“And we have the strength, Jesus reminds us. Remember. He says to us today: ‘Remember. Remember Me, I shed my blood for you; remember Me, I have saved you, I have saved you all; Remember Me, I have the strength to accompany you on the journey of life, not on the path of evil, but on the path of goodness, of doing good to others; not the path of destruction, but the path that builds: builds a family, builds a city, builds a culture, builds a home and much, much more”.
The Pope concluded: “We ask the Lord, today, before the beginning of Lent for this grace: to always choose the right path with his help and not be misled by temptations down the wrong path.”


John C. Barile says
I feel precisely as you do, Robert, with respect to this Pontiff and his (merely personal) prudential pronouncements.
Daniel says
This Pope is an embarrassment……….burning people to death with fire and cutting off their heads with large hunting knives do not require arms traffickers.
umbra says
No arms traffickers needed, just islam.
Peggy says
This Pope doesn’t deserve our respect. He is abandinging Christianity in favour of Islam.
I didn’t know that we had knives trafficking now. They don’t need to traffic petrol because they have plenty of that too.
cs says
He is a San Lorenzo supporter, never liked them anyways, he is turning up to be a MAJOR MASTER DHIMMI.
mortimer says
“THE DHIMMI POPE”
umbra says
Well, he is a modern jesuit – social justice, coexists, kumbaya type. His ship was lost before it left port.
John C. Barile says
The greatest injury to humanity is brought about by those who buy these weapons and employ them in an existential religious war against all others; all for the advancement of wretched Islam.
Papa Whiskey says
Be it noted that one of the strictures imposed upon conquered Christians in the infamous Pact of Umar was:
We shall not mount on saddles, nor shall we gird swords nor bear any kind of arms nor carry them on our persons.
http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/source/pact-umar.asp
Francis had best bind his midsection with a zunar, another of Umar’s stipulations. Oh, and stop manifesting his religion publicly as well.
mortimer says
Pope Francis ‘had best’ take seriously the statement: “WE WILL CONQUER ROME”.
jihad3tracker says
1. I would be a few Swiss francs that he actually DOES have a small compartment in his brain labeled “Islam Evil” — but he believes staying silent is a rational way to prevent its growth.
2. Let’s see what he says when the first jihadist violent rampage happens in Rome or even Vatican City itself — and all those fat, comfy, ancient Cardinals get their knickers in a twist.
Oliver says
I would prefer the itself- some innocent people in Rome; in my view- jerks in the Vatican.
With the pope the head jerk
doomsdae says
This Pope is the “feel good pope” from the church of nice. Do not tell the “TRUTH” in the pulpits, do NOT talk about sin, hell or what the religion (cult) of Islam is all about. After all, he did state that Islam believes in the same God we do. Really?? Just who is this pope representing, the Catholic church or the Muslim religion..!!!!!!!!!!!
Prinz Eugen says
Yes, those arms dealers are to blame. And don’t forget the petroleum manufacturers, and those utterly evil makes of matches and lighters!
Surely, can an adult male with supposedly vast education be so blind as to cover for the very barbarians who want to behead him and turn the Vatican into a mosque? This faux pope invites the enemy to pray with him in Rome — he is making Neville Chamberlain look like a bully in comparison!
The US, much of Europe and the Church lack a leader — the bulk of the world is determined to adopt islam and all its intolerance and totalitarianism.
mariam rove says
He is a Dhimmi at best. m
Been There Got the Tee Shirt says
Where is the more studious Pope Benedict when we need him? In 2006 Benedict was blasted for quoting the views expressed in 1391 by Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos:
“Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”
Seems Pope Francis is not the student of history that Benedict was; all he can do is blame arms dealers, who of course have ready buyers among the Jihadis.
The Benedict quote is from Wikipedia. There was some discussion regarding minor differences in translations, but in my opinion, the meaning is quite well understood.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Yeah, Pope Benedict spoke the truth, and did it just by quoting another. But he learned his lesson and went silent on the Moslem thing. Ouch.
Stipe says
What a hat trick, first Obama with his remarks on the evils of Chritianity, second Germany with cancelling the parade and now the Pontiff blaming the arms trade.
pumbar says
Could’ve turned that into a rap if you’d swapped Christianity for Crusade.
Jay Boo says
“Everyone has this seed within” — (capacity for destruction)
While that generalization of human nature may certainly be true, only a few sentences earlier we see:
“A capacity for destruction. It’s not coming from our neighbors: it’s coming from us!”
Why shift the focus and say “FROM US ?” as if to excuse Muslims from any equal accountability for their actions. That is a bit patronizing and some might even say racist paternalism is at work here.
Are Muzzies not allowed to at least be included in everyone????
To not criticize Muslims for their barbarism is to imply that Muslims are so animalistic and subhuman as to not even be capable of exerting civilized human behavior.
How horribly ironic for him to exclude the very ideology that is at the root of the problem.
Kevin says
Sad day to see a Pope kowtow to political correctness and avoid the truth. What would Jesus think, ahh.. that’s ok I’ll let the moneychangers off today? Maybe tomorrow.
umbra says
Perhaps he is trying to top judas iscariot.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Guns don’t kill people, bullets do; religiosos don’t kill people, Moslems do.
Maybe it’s time that Pope Francis should just shut the hell up. He could go back to his socialist homeland of Buenos Aires and help work off all the bad debt laying about down there.
JamesonRocks says
“The Pope concluded: ‘We ask the Lord, today, before the beginning of Lent for this grace: to always choose the right path with his help and not be misled by temptations down the wrong path.'”
Perhaps Frankie should take his own advice…
umbra says
Vanity and perhaps pride would prevent that.
Marco says
I hope some of the priceless pieces of history housed in the Vatican are being hidden away somewhere safe because all indications are Christianity and all of the west are about to be overtaken by the satanic horde of islam. Blood will flow like water and the seas will turn red not because of arms dealers but because of muslims. Chaos will ensue and the world will descend into perpetual warfare. This is satan at work why cannot the Pope see this? I’m protestant so apparently I know less about the Pope than I thought I did. Is he hoping to save the Vatican by bowing before satan?
The Christians who were killed were not Roman Catholic so to some extent the Pope considers them heretics.
Oliver says
Paragraph #3–2nd Word.
Typo.Says “idolatry. Should be “idiocy”
Almost gave up my coffee after reading first 2 paragraphs, could not go further.
Oliver says
Britain has strict gun control, and had this also in its colonies.
When in 1947-48, during the partition of India into India and Pakistan, OVER 1,000,000 (OVER ONE MILLION) PEOPLE WERE KILLED,WITHOUT BENEFIT OF VERY MANY GUNS.
ROCKS; TREE LIMBS; ETC WERE USED INSTEAD. (And, most likely, knives and tools).
Would this %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% want to ban those also?
And, going back-as he did to Cain & Abel– wasn’t that done with a rock?
Angemon says
Huh, I never heard of a war fought because of the availability of weapons.
Muslims have islam, the manure in which the seed blossoms to maturity. The “it comes from us” narrative fails to explain why is it that often converts to islam become bellicose and violent after converting.
Angemon says
Ups, accidentally tapped the “post comment” button. To add to what I said, muhammad, the first muslim, was considered a good man before converting to islam, after which he started insulting the ancestors and gods of the meccans, running away and crying “persecution”, and eventually attacking their caravans.
Michael Copeland says
“A proper reading of the Koran” can presumably only be done by a true Scotsman.
ecosse1314 says
Very very true and as such I can infallibly inform you that the korant is a bucket load of excrement.
jay says
The Pope a member of the elite corrupt? Wait, wasn’t this a major reason why there was a massive revolt splitting the church even more so roughly 500 years ago? This mad does not represent Christians, just Roman Catholics. Who, oh, what a coincidence, aren’t the ones being beheaded.
Medina says
There are Catholics like Asia Bibi in Pakistan whose lives are at great risk. Dope Francis selectively assists Catholics who are persecuted and gives lip service. I am Catholic and pray every day that Francis be our shepherd, or be replaced.
umbra says
Option 2 … for by default, he is currently a terrible option 1.
Jerry says
Unfortunately, the holiest idiot in the Vatican pretends to have in depth knowledge of the Qur’an and Hadith which he clearly does not possess.
Jihad is one of the pillars of Islam and every Muslim is exhorted to participate.
Muslims are divided into the Jihadi “Activists” or “Militants” who actively participate in pursuing a genocida agenda against all non_Muslims, the majority of Muslims who provides them with material, financial, political and “moral” support, and some, who are practically secular but are intimidated and constrained from acknowledging that for fear of of being killed as “Apostates”.
As far as Egyptian Christian Copts are concerned they were subjected to and still are victims of a slow. creeping genocide ever since the originally Christian Copt Egypt was invaded by the marauding Islamic Jihadi Arabs more than a millenium ago and were thus reduced from an overwhelming majority to an ever smaller minority.
bobm says
Apparently then; Rome could count on its progeny islam ….. its bastard tool….to slaughter the first Christian family. and still now the cloaking continues…
Kenny says
Perhaps I’m just being silly, but I seem to remember the Copts being murdered by jihadists using knives. I’ve never heard of a roaring weapons trade in hunting knives.
Perhaps it’s the Jews behind it. Yes, that must be it. After all, let’s make up any story, the more ridiculous the better, rather than simply face the facts. Or, perhaps the Copts insulted the Popes mother and they were just getting what deserved.
bobm says
It is postulated this is the last “Pope”…. don’t even hallucinate looking to this guy…. look ONLY to the Lord Jesus.
Wellington says
I would make this argument and observation: The present Pope’s foolishness, and he is indeed a clueless man on sundry matters, can be, in part, directly traced to the tragedy which is Vatican II. He fully acts like someone indebted to and influenced by this sorry-ass excuse of a Church Councl.
This last ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church, which lasted from 1962-1965, did immense damage to traditional Catholicism (not the least of which damage was effectively ending the beauty of the Latin Mass and a knowledge of Latin by Catholics in general and even by its priests and nuns). Now, one can certainly have disagreements with traditional Catholicism. I do and I was raised Roman Catholic, but compared to traditional Catholicism, what Vatican II ushered in makes traditional Catholicism look positively sapient by comparison.
In any attempt to understand why Pope Francis I is the fool he is, I would defintiely recommend to all not to overlook Vatican II. Explore the many nonsenses put forth by this Church council (e.g., that all religions have valid revelatory experiences, including Islam), and you will thereby better understand the foolishness of the present Pope. I might add that both John Paul II and Benedict XVI revealed on occasion their own reservations about Vatican II but now the world has in Francis I someone who has bought the Vatican II nonsense hook, line and sinker. Damn shame.
Tommo says
Vatican II was the end of my faith in the Catholic church and the start of my search for a belief system that inspires and remains unchanged. No religion that claims to be the ‘one true church’ could have made such an error by changing the very essence in the way it worshipped by re-writing the liturgy and removing ceremony from their central act of belief – the Holy Mass.
Edgar says
This pope has been very clear about islamists and about the state of our world today. He will not serve the political factions of our day, he will serve the Church. In the past the other popes were often criticized for not being on one side or another, the same is happening now. The Church will not serve states or ideologies. That makes a lot of people very angry. The Church will serve God and protect humans (even muslims) and at the end she will triumph as has been the case in the last 2,000 years. I have being coming to this site often for information, looking for things hard to fid in the other media but in the last times it getting a turn that I don’t really like. It looks like from being worried about islamism they are worried about fighting people that dont think like them. We can’t do that, for that I would go to live in Iraq or North Korea. I do share a lot of your ideas but not all of them. If you will treat catholics like that i will not be coming back. I hope you will think a bit about what I said. Thanks.
oliver says
Edgar, I think ( with all due respect) that you are smoking or ingesting what (in most places) is still a controlled substance.
i quote: he will not serve the political factions of our day
What the hell do you think he is doing?
He is serving the PC / MC factions, and beliefs, not the ideals that would BENEFIT HUMANITY AND CIVILIZATION.
Just answer the following question:
OTHER THEN HOMICIDE VESTS; ROADSIDE BOMBINGS; BEHEADING; AND MURDERING OF THROE OF OTHER FAITHS; CHILD MARRIAGES; AND WOMEN HATRED, WHAT THE HELL HAS ISLAM CONTRIBUTED TO SOCIETY IN THE PAST 70 OR SO YEARS?
or, the last 100 years; or the last 700 or more years?
doomsdae says
The Muslims have been killing, raping and conquering by the sword since prophet MO came on the scene. That’s their contribution to humanity, nothing else……
Barbie says
ARE YOU KIDDING ME THE POPE IS LEADING ALL OF THIS NEW WORLD ORDER..
NOTHING IS DONE WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE!
doomsdae says
I had a “gut awful” feeling when this Pope stepped on to the Vatican balcony on election day and that feeling hasn’t left me despite me praying all the time that this feeling leave me. The more I read about this pope the more my feeling’s are confirmed
EYESOPEN says
You and me both!
M S case says
SOMETHING IN WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT ARMS TRAFFICKING………….AND ANOTHER THING STOP THE MONEY FLOW.
STOP THOSE TWO THINGS AND YOU HAVE STOPPED ISIS////////////////////////////////////////////
Lioness says
This Pope is an idiot.
Rob Porter says
Lioness – And a raving twit! It’s almost laughable the pure tripe he digs up.
doomsdae says
I don’t know why you sent this to me?? I am NOT “lioness.” I am doomsdae. Please send your comments to the right person!
Uncle Vladdi says
The current Poope is not only an Idolatrous cretin, but also a muslim-enabling criminal himself.
Islam can be easily studied and known in its entirety, by anyone. It will never change!
So, when Western people won’t educate them *selves* about islam because our culture defers all thinking to those “authorities” we PAY to do our thinking and research for us, while they secretly know full-well that the salesmen in charge will always sell us all out, they ARE CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT INFANTILE DELINQUENT TRAITORS TO RATIONALITY AND CIVILIZATION!
It should never be allowed by backwards people to be considered “illegal” to accuse these criminals (muslims) of their crimes, allegedly because the painful truth might offend them or hurt their feelings, and so “make” them commit even more crimes!
No problem was ever solved by ignoring it, and nobody is doing even these muslims any favours, by indulging their historic lies that islam is a “religion” (at all, much less one “of peace”) or a “race” (much less one of poor oppressed “People Of Colour”)!
Pretending there is NOT a Muslim problem but only a white racist problem accepting diversity, is criminally negligent TREASON.
Re:
“What if Islamic State jihadis do enter Rome and the Vatican? Is that so far-fetched, given that they’re in Libya now? And if they enter the Pope’s apartments, will he explain to them how they are misunderstanding Islam as they are leading him away to be beheaded?”
ONE CAN ONLY HOPE (“pray”) FOR THAT VERY RESULT TO OCCUR – SOON!
Rick says
Dear Robert:
I say this with great respect and gratitude for what you have taught me in your writings. A Dogma is a revelation that must be believed by Roman Catholics. Dogmas are different from doctrine (Christian teachings) which is different from all other comments made by the Church. This is not a Dogma nor a doctrine. This line of reasoning, diplomacy, or thoughts is not Dogma and the Pope can be in error. I think he is incorrect and I do not believe he would misrepresent his beliefs, There is room to disagree without disparaging statements like the “Idolatry of the Papacy” I personally believe JPII was freaking great with Reagan and Thatcher and they are responsible for the downfall of the USSR and Eastern European Communism. Idolatry? Or just the facts.
The first book on Islam I looked at was from Ascension Press, “Inside Islam A Guide for Catholics” by Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer. I have heard Pat Coffin speak well of you on EWTN as well. You are not shut out and despised. There is also a big difference between Bishops whether you live on the left coasts or the heartland. Thank God I am in the heartland. There are very few people on the left coasts that are worth listening to but you have been one of the select who is gaining popularity here in the heartland.
Time is important The Malaysia I toured in 1972 is far different from the Islamic State of Malaysia today. The Pope is 20 years older than me so he will remember Arab States under Colonial Rule. The change is dramatic and I did not realize it til the Iranian Crisis in the late 70’s. The Church is simply a slow moving Institution and parochial.
I would like to believe there is room for Pope Urban II and Pope Francis in the Church. , I read a book recommended by Pope Francis called “Lord of the World”. As a result,I honestly believe this Pope wants to be a martyr of Islamic Jihad by going to Cameroon. Not my desire but not my call.
Fight the good fight and pray for patience with us slow learners this Lent. Remember, every generation we have another batch of slow learners too. I will pray for a successful and permanent Crusade led by a Pope Urban III in return. God Bless.
Robert Spencer says
I know what a dogma is and what a doctrine is. I was speaking of the fact that these false ideas are being treated as if they were dogmas. I know they are not actually dogmas. That’s the problem. Your hopes are, I’m afraid, fanciful.
doomsdae says
Get me off your list…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop sending me your e-mails, I am NOT Robert nor Rick..!!
Angemon says
Did you tick the “Notify me of follow-up comments by email” and/or the “Notify me of new posts by email” check-boxes?
doomsdae says
No, I do not recall posting these comments to my e-mail address so I find this odd that I have been getting them. Okay so I will delete them when I get them
Rick says
Dear Robert:
“Be not afraid” JPII . I will not deny the fanciful part. ha ha
doomsdae says
Get me off your list! I am NOT Robert..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!