Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, about whom I wrote Monday, is not the only one. There is also Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald (no relation). The disquieting story is here:
Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, former head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, has been made a cardinal by Pope Francis.
The Walsall-born White Father, who is now based at the church of St Vincent de Paul in Liverpool, told The Tablet he was surprised by the appointment, which came “without any warning.”
The move has been taken as an affirmation by the Vatican of Archbishop Fitzgerald’s tireless work to build relations with people of other faiths, particularly Muslims.
His “tireless work to build relations” is not “with people of other faiths,” but, as Internet searches about him make clear, only with Muslims. He has studied theology in Tunisia, taken a degree in Arabic and Islamic studies in London, taught Islam to Muslims in Kampala, and written three books on interfaith dialogue, including Signs of Dialogue. Christian Encounter with Muslims.
The Archbishop, who was appointed to the Council under John Paul II, was effectively exiled from the Vatican under Pope Benedict XVI, who moved him from his senior post in Rome to Egypt, where he served as the Vatican’s nuncio until 2012. The decision that coincided with a hardening of the Vatican’s position on Islam and the aftermath of Benedict XVI’s controversial 2006 Regensburg lecture on Islam.
When he was Papal Nuncio in Egypt from 2006 to 2012, did Archbishop Fitzgerald not notice any of the attacks on Copts, and their churches, by Muslims? He apparently got along swimmingly with Muhammad Tantawi and his successor as Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb. Was he aware of the deep antisemitism of both Tantawi and El-Tayeb? In 2010, when Fitzgerald was still in Egypt, the leading newspaper Al-Masri Al-Yawm published articles about Tantawi’s doctoral dissertation — “The Abominations of the Jews Can Be Seen Everywhere and Throughout History.” Did Fitzgerald, the Arabic-speaking expert on religious dialogue, not see those articles? And El-Tayeb made similarly bloodcurdling remarks about Jews, but this did not prevent Pope Francis from issuing a joint declaration with him. Is it possible that the Pope was relying on Archbishop Fitzgerald for his knowledge of El-Tayeb?
Pope Francis recently wished a “Happy Ramadan” to “all Muslim brothers and sisters.” Has anyone in the Vatican noticed that no senior Muslim clerics have ever offered similar wishes to Christians at Christmas? He has issued a call for reform in “the way theology is taught in Catholic schools, saying students must learn about dialogue with Judaism and Islam” and wants to establish “the relationship between Catholics and Muslims as brothers, with a common mission to promote peace.”
Does Archbishop Fitzgerald agree with the Pope’s belief in a “common mission [of Catholics and Muslims] to promote peace”? In his long study of Islam, in his years of teaching Islam, he surely read the Qur’an and the most authoritative Hadith collections very closely. What did he learn about the Muslim notion of peace with non-Muslims? What did he learn about the doctrine of Jihad and the pax islamica that will descend only when Islam everywhere dominates, and Muslims rule, everywhere?
We Muslims and Christians are called to open ourselves to others, knowing and recognizing them as brothers and sisters…. this way, we can tear down walls raised out of fear and ignorance and seek together to build bridges of friendship […]
Does Archbishop Fitzgerald think the “walls” between Muslims and Christians merely reflect “fear” and “ignorance”? He’s studied Islam for decades, and even taught Islamic theology to Muslims. He surely knows the Qur’an backwards and forwards. As Christians learn more about, and become less “ignorant” of, the Qur’an, does he think that they will be ready to “tear down walls…and seek together to build bridges of friendship,” or will they, rather, be even more alarmed by what they learn? What does Fitzgerald make of such Qur’anic verses – he knows them all — as 2:191-193, 3:110, 3:151, 4:89, 5:51, 8:12, 8:60, 9:5, 9:29, 47:4, 98:6? There are over one hundred verses in the Qur’an that command Muslims to fight, and to kill, and to smite at the necks of, and to strike terror in the hearts of, non-Muslims. What should reasonable people make of those verses? What should Christians make of the Qur’anic command that Muslims must not take Christians and Jews as friends, “for they are friends only with each other”? What should they make – what does Archbishop Fitzgerald make? – of the verse (3:110) that tells Muslims they “are the best of peoples” and describes non-Muslims as “the most vile of created beings” (98:6)? What should non-Muslims make of the hadiths in which Muhammad claims that “war is deceit” and that “I have been made victorious through terror”? Anything? Nothing?
When he retired to Jerusalem in 2012, where he lived for seven years, did he ever engage in interreligious dialogue with Jews? Or did he confine his interfaith outreach to Muslims?
Archbishop Fitzgerald, who is 82 and therefore not eligible to vote in a papal conclave, said that he hoped to continue his work among people of other religions in Liverpool, and said that if being a cardinal helped this, “so much the better.”
His interest has been almost exclusively in Christian-Muslim relations, where he is a tireless promoter of endless dialogue – dialogue that has gone on for two decades between Muslims and non-Muslims, without any discernible signs of improvement in relations. Christians are at present the most persecuted believers in the world, and their persecutors (and murderers) are almost exclusively Muslims. As for the endless interfaith meetings and conferences and assemblies, these appear to consist of Christian mea culpas (the Crusades! Colonialism! The State of Israel!) being graciously accepted by Muslim clergy, without them feeling any corresponding need to offer their own. Fitzgerald has said that “Christians esteem Muslims for the way they worship the one God and practice prayer, fasting and almsgiving. There are things we can learn from Muslims, but if we think we have everything and others don’t have anything at all to offer us, we won’t get anywhere, so “willingness to learn from the other” is the precondition for dialogue….”
But where is the “willingness” of Muslims to learn from Christians? Archbishop Fitzgerald has no examples of that to report. How could Muslims have anything to learn from those who have distorted their original scriptures, and are the very people whom Allah describes as “the most vile of created beings”? There is nothing Muslims can learn from Unbelievers; that would make no sense, since Islam is perfect, and the Qur’an is immutable. The “willingness to learn from the other” (i.e,. from the Unbeliever) does not exist in Islam.
When he refers to Christians who “esteem Muslims for the way they worship the one God,” does he not ask himself if the Muslim Allah, a violent and aggressive deity, has anything to offer that is similar to the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity? He says they esteem “the way…they [Muslims] practice prayer.” He fails to mention what those five daily prayers contain. Robert Spencer notes that “In the course of praying the requisite five prayers a day, an observant Muslim will recite the Fatihah, the first surah of the Qur’an and the most common prayer in Islam, seventeen times. The final two verses of the Fatihah ask Allah: ‘Show us the straight path, the path of those whom Thou hast favoured; not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.’ The traditional Islamic understanding of this is that the “straight path” is Islam — cf. Islamic apologist John Esposito’s book Islam: The Straight Path. The path of those who have earned Allah’s anger are the Jews, and those who have gone astray are the Christians.” So 17 times a day, an observant Muslim will curse the Kuffar, and Archbishop Fitzgerald knows that perfectly well, but is not about to divulge that disturbing fact.
As for Christians holding Muslims in esteem for their “almsgiving,” Fitzgerald no doubt means Zakat, the charitable giving required of Muslims. He surely knows, but does not say, that Zakat is to be given only to fellow Muslims, unlike Christian charitable giving, which is made available to all. Like Pope Francis, Archbishop Fitzgerald has made himself a Defender of the Faith – that faith, alas, is Islam.
Archbishop Fitzgerald is greatly admired by Msgr. Labib Kobti, a Palestinian Christian who is virulently anti-Israel. They no doubt saw much of each other, as Catholic clerics, during Fitzgerald’s seven years in Jerusalem. Kobti runs the Palestinian Christian website “Al Bushra”; that website may be judged by its most recent stories:
MSF: Over 1,000 patients in Gaza suffering from ‘severe infections’ from gunshot wounds sustained in Great March of Return
After setting fire to olive fields in West Bank village, Israeli settlers return to chop down trees
Palestinian Christians: Israelis torturing non-Jewish children
‘We are not defeated’: Palestinian family defiant after Israel demolishes restaurant
Fitzgerald on his elevation to Cardinal:
Judging from the messages of congratulations that I am receiving from different people, and not only Christians, it seems that people who are engaged in interfaith relations are greatly encouraged. They see this appointment as a sign of hope at a time when work in interfaith relations is often called into question, but when in fact it is more necessary than ever,” he added. “There are many indications that Pope Francis considers interfaith relations as something important. For instance, when he prayed at the Western Wall during his visit to Jerusalem he was accompanied in this prayer by a rabbi and an imam. Also, more recently, we have seen the very cordial relations that have developed between the Pope and the Imam of al-Azhar giving rise to the joint document on human fraternity that they signed in Abu Dhabi. There is, too, the fact that he has included in his list of new cardinals the present President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue as well as the Archbishop of Rabat in Morocco.”
Both are great believers in interfaith dialogue with Muslims.
Archbishop Fitzgerald is also known for his work in ecumenical relations….
Canon Pailing, who runs the Faith Leaders’ Group in Liverpool City region, said that Archbishop Fitzgerald’s experience in Christian-Muslim relations had been a blessing for the city.
Has Cardinal Fitzgerald’s “experience” this year in Liverpool included the cases of Muslim grooming gangs in the Liverpool City region? He has never spoken about those gangs, which have ruined the lives of tens of thousands of English girls. Perhaps he thinks it wouldn’t be politic; it might offend the very people with whom he most wants to engage in a “dialogue.” Better not to raise the issue at all. Wasn’t that what Mohamed Atta assured his plane passengers: keep quiet, and nothing bad will happen?
Canon Pailing:
It can’t be understated [sic] how important this appointment is for Liverpool, and I think particularly in the context of the work the Archbishop does. It is an honour for our city having him here. Having someone who’s been given this as a recognition of the pioneering work he’s done with Christian-Muslim relations shows that, actually, this is the future of the world, this is about globalisation, and about understanding that one [sic] of us exists on our own. In Liverpool itself, which is a community that’s changing very quickly, to have that validation of the importance of this work is going to be really important in the years ahead. It will bring a greater spotlight to communities working together.
There is a kind of grim fatalism in Canon Pailing’s praise. Fitzgerald’s “pioneering work” is all about “Christian-Muslim relations,” which is “the future of the world.” What can this possibly mean except that Muslims are now in Europe, in ever-increasing numbers, in what is no longer Western Christendom, in communities that “are changing very quickly” – that is, becoming ever more islamised; the work of Christian clergy is to accept this demographic change, convincing themselves of its inevitability, and work on those interfaith relations with Muslims. There is no attempt to suggest that this “future of the world” could be successfully resisted, and that Christians, who are being persecuted by Muslims in many parts of the world, need to work on making common cause with others – Jews, Hindus, Buddhists — who are similarly threatened by Islam, rather than engage in what have proven to be fruitless efforts at “dialogue” with aggressive Muslims.
His “pioneering work” in Christian-Muslim relations consist in interfaith outreach, where Fitzgerald repeatedly misrepresents Islam as a religion of “peace” and “tolerance” and its clerics in useful “dialogue” with Christians. These remarks are no different from many coming from Pope Francis, whose views on Islam have long been noted at this site, such as his bizarre insistence in Evangelii Gaudium, in which he asserts that “authentic Islam and a proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence.”
But Fitzgerald’s statements on Islam are even less excusable than those of the Pope. Pope Francis, after all, remains largely ignorant of Islam, while Archbishop Fitzgerald has spent much of his life studying and teaching Islam, even to Muslim students, and has lived for long periods in Muslim countries and in Muslim milieus. He’s not ignorant. He’s a prevaricator.
As a newly-elevated cardinal, Fitzgerald will be even more powerful, in perfect sync with Pope Francis on Islam, and will remain wedded to “interfaith dialogue” with Muslims, despite the total failure of that “dialogue” to produce any visible results. Meanwhile, European countries continue to allow millions of Muslims to enter and settle behind what Muslims are taught to regard as enemy borders, the lines of Dar al-Islam; there are now 44 million Muslims in Europe (including European Russia). Hundreds of churches that have fallen into desuetude, with ever-decreasing numbers of parishioners, have been repurposed as mosques.
From the Catholic Church, there has been no evident sense of alarm. Instead, the Church of Cardinal Fitzgerald and Pope Francis is celebrating what should cause it to despair. Too many of the clerics exhibit that “buonismo” (goody-goodiness) that so enraged Oriana Fallaci, the baseless belief that everyone, of every faith, wants peace and tolerance, and only ignorance and fear prevent some people from recognizing this. It’s an updated variant of the bomfoggery – “brotherhood of man, fatherhood of God” – that used to be soothingly preached by the humblest parish priest.
Perhaps after the next attack on Copts in Egypt, or after the next appeal to the Vatican from persecuted Christians in Nigeria, or Pakistan, or Iraq, begging for support, Cardinal Fitzgerald will have a conversion on the road not to, but leading away from, Damascus and the Muslim East. In that Middle East, strange things are happening every day. Saudi journalists praise Israel for its military actions against Iran and Hezbollah. The Egyptian ruler, General El-Sisi, tells an American television audience that he collaborates militarily with the Jewish state. Hamas is attacked as “too moderate” by Islamic Jihad. The U.A.E. pulls out of Yemen.
In such a topsy-turvy world, why should Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald not surprise us all, by ceasing to put his faith in the fruitless “dialogue” with Muslims that has brought Christians nothing but heartache, and only delayed the day of recognizing the violent essence of Islam? If Cardinal Fitzgerald were to raise his voice on behalf of those persecuted Christians – something he has never done before – one can imagine what that would do to lift Christian spirits, and dampen those of triumphalist Muslims who have been counting on people like Michael Fitzgerald to keep the “dialogue” farce forever afloat. It’s not likely, but hope is a Christian virtue, and one never knows, do one?
FYI says
So, the archbishop “taught islam to muslims in kampala”
{Shouldn’t the christian be preaching the Gospel to the muslims?}
He is a White Father:muhammed we know was the whitest man that ever lived.
muhammed would probably love him.
A White Father preaching islam to the muslims whilst claiming to be a christian.
Mr Bergoglio’s love affair with islam continues{a religion that k9:30 CURSES Christians for believing in Jesus Christ}with such appointments
Goofy says
Bergoglio’s apparent recent denial of the nature of Jesus being God in the flesh is a major step to placate the Muslims and to deny everything Christian, the Nicene creed included.
FYI says
Too true.
Isn’t the Denial of Christ a sin against the Holy Spirit?
{And this statement of his “It is a mistake for the church to hold on to old traditions or to have clear answers for everything”:thus we see the mentality of vatican 2.
A mistake?To keep traditions which were an important part of keeping catholicism intact?The result of abandoning traditions is empty churches.
A mistake to have “clear answers to everything”?Isn’t that what the catechism was for?}
And I seem to remember that there were 6 Sins against the Holy Spirit{in that old catechism that had “clear answers for anything” related to Catholic teaching}called “Denial of the Truth” recognized by the magesterium which is HERESY.
This means{PROVES} Mr Bergoglio is false and,by the teachings of his own church,a heretic and a sinner against the Holy Spirit!
Perhaps some catholic theologian could enlighten us.
CogitoErgoSum says
Perhaps Christ can enlighten us. He told us the greatest commandment is this:
“Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
The second greatest is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Let us follow both but also let us not put the second before the first. In my mind the Church is the body of Christ and Christ is also the heart — as the Holy Spirit is the soul, and as the Father is the strength of the Church. The Church cannot live without its heart and yet this Pope seems intent on ripping it out and transplanting it with something artificial. This cannot be allowed — and first things must come first.
Fred Dawes says
I would call him a pig butt of Islam ass
mortimer says
Response to FYI … perhaps Fitzgerald taught at the college level ‘something’ about Islam that was in all probability non-controversial and even complimentary. Sharia law forbids non-Muslims from teaching Islamic doctrine to Muslims or even the Arabic language.
A lot of what Michael Fitzgerald claims slips past people who haven’t any knowledge of Sharia.
Note: in my opinion, Bergoglio’s chief fault is to promote ideas about Islam that he has not personally verified. He is (to be charitable) spouting spontaneous humbug. Bergoglio is a king-sized Pollyanna.
Goofy says
It would be helpful to hear more precisely what makes Islam a religion and what makes the Muslims “brothers and sisters” of Christians. So far I have not been able to identify any religious message in Islam and certainly not any “completion of God’s self revelation” in the Koran. Christ being God in human flesh revealed the nature of our God Elohim whilst Allah is unknowable and unapproachable. There are legion commands in the Koran to kill or subdue the “infidels” and the only explanation I can offer why the majority of the Muslims are not violent appears to be that they have no clue about their “religion”.
Ben Kennedy says
Your rhetorical question “…hear more precisely what makes Islam a religion and what makes the Muslims “brothers and sisters” of Christians” can not be assigned a warm and fuzzy answer. Please consider these factors and the relevance they may have to the question above.
(1) In the Book of Daniel (Old Testament) most Christians I know Identify Imperial Rome as the “Legs of Iron”. Imperial Rome tried to destroy Christianity in the first century AD. They included the Nation of Israel probably because the Original Christians were Jewish. The regional history is well documented in various places. At the end of the Roman Empire (it really did not end, but just faded away) the “Feet of mixed clay and iron” introduced various empires and like Bible Prophecy, these Empires did not stick together.
(2) Imperial Roam had failed to eradicate Christianity, which was what Satan had intended they do. Now dissolved into mixed lesser kingdoms (some still rooted in the Roman Empire Ancestry) Satan need a new tool not blunted by failure’s of the Romans. It was quite apparent Roam was no longer a threat to either Christians or Jews so what should happen next?
(3) In the middle of the Dark Ages, Satan fought one idea with another. Christians worshiped God, and also God’s only Begotten Son, Jesus. Allah appears with Mohammad as his version of the Pope on earth (some sort of god-man similar to Christ Jesus whom Satan (as I see it) was trying to imitate. This would be a new name for Satan if the Koran is correct. God says Satan is the deceiver in the Holy Bible. The Koran say’s Allah is the “greatest deceiver of them all” (translation?).
(4) Mohammedanism began a Crusade to expand beyond Mecca launching Satan’s historical desire to rule as if he was the god on earth. The Crusade arrived in the Holy Land which was home to much of the Christian heritage from the time of Christ. Western Europe sent Armies to Jerusalem to defend the Holy Land (which had never had any religious value to the Mohammedans). I see this as just a continuation of the Satanic Attack against Christians. The Mohammedans have been slaughtering Christians ever since.
(5) Christians have salvation based on Faith and Mohammedans have a salvation plan based on works. Christians have an eternity devoid of sex and where they live as the Angels do (no male or female). Mohammedans expect an eternity filled with lustful and sexual pleasures (much like the Epicurean followers in the first century AD). Christians are passive witnesses for Christ leaving people free to choose what to think under Free Will Choice as installed in Humanity by God. Mohammedans are again contrary. They respect no free will choice and rather kill to destroy everyone who will not convert and accept their dictates.
(6) Satan is predicted to set on the throne in Jerusalem and claim he is god. What I see happening these days is the Catholic Pope maneuvering to clear the way for Anti-Christ to ascend to the throne during the Tribulation period as foretold in the Bible (Revelation). There is another subtle observation about the homosexual ascendancy in our time. In Genesis, God said a woman’s desire would be to her husband. In the Book of Daniel, it is said that the Anti-Christ will not heed the desires of women. The Mohammedans certainly have no regard for any females in Gods Creation. Despite lust for a woman’s flesh being a passion in moslem men, I also see the stage being set for Satan to be homosexual as the anti-Christ. Some moslems have declared bestiality to be acceptable as prohibitions against adultery in that system do not apply to any but the Human Females. Please forgive the lack of reference on this, as I have been unable to find where I last put it. Perhaps another reader can direct everyone to it. It was in the news during the Obama Administration (I call it our Obamanation).
As hard as it is to believe, these are very exciting time to live in as a Christian. Satan is not far from his eternal fall. The Rapture must be close now, but even if 100 years away, that is still very close and a short leash for Satan (or Allah, what ever name he is using today).
mortimer says
‘Propaganda’ is described in dictionaries as :
– the spreading of ONE-SIDED information in support of a cause.
– information or ideas methodically spread to promote or injure a cause, movement, nation, etc., and the deliberate spread of such information or ideas”. Whether a reader of a propaganda message agrees or disagrees with the content, the purpose of the message is to convey ONLY ONE WAY to look at a particular situation or idea.
Michael Fitzgerald has apparently been given the mission of spreading one-sided messages of a white-washed Islam, messages that are patently contrived and selective and overwhelmingly one-sided.
Michael Fitzgerald could not successfully debate Robert Spencer on the theological basis of jihad warfare.
Pope Francis is surrounding himself with yes-men who are willing to ignore factual information about Islam’s jihad doctrine.
Pope Francis believes he can help Muslims ‘OVERCOME’ the jihad doctrine … but that cannot be done. The jihad doctrine is the SIXTH PILLAR of Islam and the one which supports the other five. Jihad comes from Allah … does Frank even know that?
mortimer says
Message to Michael Fitzgerald : Do you think you can convince Muslims to TEAR DOWN THIS WALL ???
The Koran’s 164 Jihad Verses: K 002:178-179, 190-191, 193-194, 216-218, 244; 003:121-126, 140-143, 146, 152-158, 165-167,169, 172-173, 195; 004:071-072, 074-077, 084, 089-091, 094-095,100-104; 005:033, 035, 082; 008:001, 005, 007, 009-010, 012, 015-017, 039-048,057-060, 065-075; 009:005, 012-014, 016, 019-020, 024-026, 029,036, 038-039, 041, 044, 052, 073, 081, 083,086, 088, 092, 111, 120, 122-123; 016:110; 022:039, 058, 078; 024:053, 055; 025:052; 029:006, 069; 033:015, 018, 020, 023, 025-027, 050; 042:039; 047:004, 020, 035; 048:015-024; 049:015; 059:002, 005-008, 014; 060:009; 061:004, 011, 013; 063:004; 064:014; 066:009; 073:020; 076:008
Fred Dawes says
Muslims will someday if not stopped by people; “will tear down your counties”, rape your children murder you and kill what and who you love, Islam is of hell and loves the butt of hell.
Fred Dawes says
The Muslims cares nothing about Interfaith people, “Muslims see Islam as the only faith”, on earth and will work to behead others as Godless evil people.
Trick_or_Treat says
This pope fellow is a real piece of work, and this is not all he has been upto (I think I could expand for another several A4 pages on it). As far as Christianity and the founding Gospel of our Lord and Saviour and his apostles goes, he’s a heretic and an apostate. I can almost hear the Lord shouting, ‘Come out of her, come out of her my people, do not be a willing partaker in her sins.”
I’m not sure if my late mother (who was brought up in a staunchly Roman Catholic family) is getting to observe what is going on here (along with all other Catholics who have passed on), I’m just wondering what she and all the rest of them would think about what is going on right now?
mortimer says
MICHAEL FITZGERALD CLAIMS that Christians can learn something from Muslims about charity? What is the statistical reality of his claim?
As one of the five pillars of Islam, zakat is mandatory giving; all Muslims eligible to pay it must donate at least 2.5% of their accumulated wealth. I do not know, but suspects that the average Muslim gives less than that.
However, Christians in the US already give an average of 2.5% to their churches. That is as much as and more than Muslims are giving.
Christian tithers make up about 10-25 percent of normal US congregations. 80% of Americans only give 2% to 2.5% of their income; during the Great Depression it was 3.3%. About 10 million tithers in the US donate $50 billion yearly to church & non-profits. 77% of those who tithe give 11%–20% or more of their income, far more than the baseline of 10%.
It is important to know that Islamic charity is also provided to jihadists to purchase weapons in order to fight the dirty Kafirs and subdue them under discriminatory Sharia law. Islamic charity is not given to kafirs. Christian charity is given to everyone.
So … What does Fitzgerald learn from Islamic charity exactly? Which thought from Islam expressed above does Cardinal Fitzgerald think will improve the giving habits of Christians? Reducing the 10% tithe to the 2.5% zakat? Or giving charitable monies only to Roman Catholics? The statistical reality is that Christians are already giving more than Muslims.
Muslim charity (zakat) only goes to Muslims, Cardinal Fitzgerald. What do we learn from zakat?
Angemon says
Francis, making sure he’s succeeded by a like-minded individual?…
mortimer says
Michael Fitzgerald’s job is to go around drawing happy faces on Islam and sweeping controversy under the carpet. Everyone is smiling when he leaves the room … whew (!!!) … controversy has been narrowly avoided AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN.
But why is the avoidance of Islamic controversy a ‘good thing’?? Why ignore the reality of POLITICAL ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY? Many Roman Catholics today are becoming rather well-informed about jihad … so, what purpose is served by telling these well-informed people white-washed versions of Islam? Many of the laity have read Islam’s primary source texts and know the jihad teachings in them.
Well-informed Roman Catholics are not going to allow themselves to be silenced, no matter how many Cardinals there are drawing happy faces on Islam. I believe this disinformation campaign about Islam will ultimately fail, with the result that people will despise those false teachers in the church (like Fitzgerald) who whitewashed the militant jihad teaching and drew a happy face on it.
The Muslims will not believe Fitzgerald’s cunning overtures to them, because the Koran tells Muslims not to trust kafirs or give them true friendship. Muslims will smile at him patronizingly.
Surely, you are just making the well-informed Roman Catholic laity annoyed with you, dear Cardinal. Why don’t you retire from this disinformation campaign?
somehistory says
Almighty God is the One Who chooses whether or not a person is going to heaven to reside. Jesus made that clear.
A couple of days ago, a news report said that the pope will “create” several “saints,”…presumably those who will go to heaven…if the pope was actually given the authority to decide these things.
One of those is a guy who was in the U.K. and was Anglican…before he became Catholic…and lived with another guy for about 30 years and his last request was to be buried next to the guy in a little village someplace. The news article said that it was not known whether the relationship was sexual.
It is abundantly clear…from this information about making a ‘cardinal’ out of a guy who does more “teaching” of islam to moslims….(A Christian would not be teaching falsehoods and evil to anyone. This fool taught it to those already learning it from their fathers, imams, etc. thus, reinforcing the evil teachings.) than he did teaching anyone about Christ.
Guess he could only teach what he knows. Evidently, he is ignorant about the very One he pretends to serve. He should fit right in with the pope, a fool who also knows nothing about Jesus Christ…only pretending to serve Him.
CogitoErgoSum says
I think the news report was in error (what a surprise) about the Pope creating some new saints. No one can make of you a saint — except yourself. The Pope may be recognizing some people who appear to us to have led saintly lives but whether any person is now in Heaven is indeed decided only by God. I certainly agree with you about that.
Now, whether John Henry Newman was gay, I do not know and I can not say without knowing the truth. I suppose it is possible that he could have loved a male friend of his above all the rest of his friends and shared a house or apartment with that friend without having had sexual relations with him — and even if he did sin through doing that he could have repented of the sin and been forgiven for it. I have no doubt that many saints may have also been sinners who were forgiven and also that there are many saints now living among us who will never be recognized.
So, I suppose I agree with you for the most part. My hope is that this Pope is still able to make of himself a saint in the time he has left. I’m sad to say I’m not seeing it but maybe God does. I will also humbly say I have the same hope for myself (God help me) to be a saint — though that is hard for me to see also. It really is something to which we all should aspire by the way in which we live our lives. I should probably end this by saying If I don’t make it may you be among those who do (said with a smile). ✨
somehistory says
I do appreciate your comment and esp the last line. God looks at the heart. He knows those who love Him and wish to do good. I pray that I can someday say, as Jesus could, “I do all things pleasing to the Father.”
As the Apostle Paul said, we cannot know until the time arrives whether we are “saved,” but we can have the assurance that God knows that we wish to please Him and if we are doing our best, then that is pleasing to Him. “Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for.”
I pray and hope that as many as wish to be, are saved and gain the “everlasting life” Jesus promised. And that certainly includes you. ?
CogitoErgoSum says
Amen. BTW, I should have said EVEN if I don’t make it ….. but you know what I mean. ?
somehistory says
Yes, I do.✔
Wellington says
By the year, the Roman Catholic Church is aligning itself more and more with religious iniquity, i.e., Islam. This is beyond sad. It is tragic, destructive and stupid.
And this is not just about much of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church engaging in this indefensible rubbish. No, not at all; it is much broader than this. For instance, there are those lay Catholics who dismally, stupidly and destructively run Catholic Charities, which has been all for bringing in large numbers of Muslims to America, which Muslims function as the enemy within, a fifth column.
The Roman Catholic Church is now headed by a fool (and with many subordinate fools mouthing the same inanities about Islam as Francis does) and is doing great harm to the civilization, i.e., Western Civilization, that pioneered all kinds of freedoms and rights that the Islamic world to this day has nothing but contempt for.
I expect Islam to be wretched. This is a given. But for the Roman Catholic Church to become, in effect, the butt boy for Islam, is something which is disturbing beyond all measure.
To all Roman Catholics: Your church is failing you. Big time. Hugely so. And by now you either know this or should know it.
Lydia Church says
The antichrist setting up his pawns in his antichrist hierarchy pyramid which is part of the set up of the one world religion, as the Bible prophesies is part of the end times.
Their downfall is their compromise. In order to obtain what they think is unity and peace and their favorite idol ‘dialogue,’ they deny Jesus Christ and think that He will wink at this compromise. They are sadly mistaken as they will be met with the same welcoming from God as did those under Aaron who worshiped the golden calf and rose up to ‘play’ as they gave up on the return of Moses. Sound familiar?
What fate were they met with? God ordered every last one of the betrayers slaughtered for abandoning Him, which is exactly what these fools are doing! Of course they are hard pressed into denying that with endless and twisted justifications that justify nothing. It is also like Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. He forfeited his spiritual inheritance for the flesh. (And I think Jacob made off with the wife that was supposed to be for him too, if you think about it, he ended up with a Canaanite that Rebekah and Isaac detested, and Jacob…. well… he ended up with two beautiful and doting wives… who bore him 13 children, 12 sons and 1 daughter, at least!) But hey, Esau got the stew…. I’m a bomb of a cook myself, but there’s no comparison with spiritual things.
So many parallels in the Bible!
So many lessons to learn but oy…. do they ever learn?
And as I said the other day, Christians worship the ONE God! I’m so tired of folks distorting the Trinity into more than one God. And it’s the same in the OT and NT, God did not change, there is no true Judaism without the Son of God, I posted a LOT of Bible verses referencing the Son of God in the OT in one of those last comments.
: D
AP says
Francis and this other clown are not Christians. They will burn in hell for this.
jca reid says
Its simply a question of religious dingbats sticking together selling their business wares, which they do not have to prove. They, the Christian/Catholic lot, can’t come out & say the Truth about this Fascist Desert Nazi Ideology. The higher ups are really hoping to get a “cut” of the monies generated. After all, The Catholic Church, bar a few individuals actively supported Hitler & Co.
dfhdnjdn says
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
MATTHEW 15:14
Capitalist-Dad says
If any of the leaders of the Catholic Church were true to the belief they’re supposed to have, they would be teaching the Gospel and trying to turn the Muslim pagans away from their idolatrous and bloodthirsty beliefs. Unfortunately, it looks as if any “leadership” has sold out to some fuzzy kumbayya quakery. It’s no wonder they are losing parishioners.