Old Liberal Midwife to Francis Pontificate Cardinal Angelo Sodano Deceased

Angelo Cardinal Sodano with Pope Francis, to whom the former chief diplomat of the Vatican had opened the door to the pontificate.

(Rome) Last Saturday the death of Angelo Cardinal Sodano was announced. The former Cardinal Secretary of State of Pope John Paul II died in Rome on Friday, May 27 at the age of 94. He made a particularly controversial statement about the Third Secret of Fatima. Above all, he was the door opener to the pontificate of Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio.

From farmer's son to chief diplomat

The Vatican diplomat from Piedmont was the son of a farmer and a Christian Democrat member of parliament. He was ordained a priest for his native diocese of Asti in 1950 and then sent to Rome. There he earned a doctorate in theology and then a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University. In parallel, he graduated from the Pontifical Diplomatic Academy and entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See.

In 1977 Paul VI appointed him titular archbishop and apostolic nuncio. In 1988, John Paul II appointed him Vatican Foreign Minister at the Roman Curia, and in 1991 appointed him Cardinal Secretary of State.

Benedict XVI, who was the same age, removed him from this influential position when the German Pope pushed back the influence of the Vatican diplomats on Church leadership. From 2005 to 2019, Sodano served as Cardinal Dean, the highest-ranking representative of the College of Cardinals. As such, he played an important role after the surprising resignation of Benedict XVI.  and during the Sedevacante and the preparation of the conclave at which Pope Francis was elected.

On February 11, 2013, on that historic day when Benedict XVI. announced his resignation, Sodano answered him as cardinal dean in the assembled consistory that this announcement came "like a bolt from the blue". This did not seem credible to many observers. However, the image of lightning became a reality in a different way that same day, when actual lightning struck St. Peter's Dome a few hours after the announcement. A unique and shockingly symbolic phenomenon that, contrary to claims at the time, has not taken place before or since.

It was then-Cardinal Sodano who, as Cardinal Dean, convoked and led the General Congregations before the conclave, although he himself, being over 80, could not take part in the conclave.

Is the Third Secret of Fatima Really Past?

As Cardinal Secretary of State, Sodano helped publish the so-called Third Secret of Fatima. Shortly before the announcement, he read a statement on May 13, 2000, at the end of the Mass celebrated by John Paul II in Fatima. It contains the controversial sentence:

"(...) the events to which the third part of the Mystery of Fatima refers now seem to belong to the past".

Cardinal Secretary of State Sodano with Condoleezza Rice

After the former Apostolic Nuncio in the USA, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, had commented on this, Wolfram Schrems wrote in May 2020:

“Finally, Viganò names the policy of concealment and lies of Cardinal Angelo Sodano, then Cardinal Secretary of State (1991-2006), and Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Sodano’s successor in this office (2006-2013). He accuses them of having persuaded the people of God that the words of the Virgin Mary had nothing to do with the crisis in the Church and with 'the collusion of modernists and Freemasonry behind the scenes of Vatican II'. (As is well known, the Vatican stated in the publication mentioned that the vision of the Third Secret referred to the assassination attempt on John Paul II on May 13, 1981, was thus fulfilled and lay in the past, further questions are superfluous: Please go on, here there is nothing to see.)” 

Relentless opposition to Benedict XVI.

Sodano couldn't get over his disempowerment by Benedict XVI. The German Pope was never forgiven for appointing Cardinal Bertone, a non-diplomat, as Cardinal Secretary of State. Sodano became his bitter opponent. The circle of Vatican diplomats close to him did not belong to the secret circle of Sankt Gallen, but they made life difficult for the Pope from Marktl am Inn and sought revenge.

In the 2013 conclave, the progressive Fronde around Team Bergoglio managed to form an alliance with the Sodano group, expanded to include Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and those Italians wearing the purple, most notably Cardinal Scola, who wanted to prevent the Archbishop of Milan, and Benedict XVI's desired successor. This formed a heterogeneous majority that elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope. As the Corriere della Sera reported two days after the conclave, the newly elected Pope Francis addressed the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel and acknowledged his election with the words:

"May God forgive you."

Flows of money for looking the other way?

It was Archbishop Viganò who, in connection with the Vatican's McCarrick Report, asked why the former Cardinal Secretary of State Sodano was not heard. The report was intended to clarify the serious allegations made by the former Apostolic Nuncio in the USA, but in fact, it clarified nothing and covered up even more. Monsignor Viganò asked what Cardinal Sodano knew about McCarrick and why he still didn't prevent his rise.

In this context, revelations by WikiLeaks of Julian Assange already pointed in a certain direction. It is about opaque cash flows in the tens of millions. It is well known that money is power. This was evident in the case of the unspeakable founder of the Order of the Legionnaires of Christ, Marcial Maciel Degollado, and also in the no less unspeakable case of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Both appear to have secured themselves by lavishly donating money to influential figures in the Vatican, thereby avoiding investigations and sanctions. 

According to the British historian Henry Sire, who published the explosive book The Dictator Pope under the pseudonym Marcantonio Colonna and was expelled from the Order of Malta for it, Maciel provided the then Cardinal Secretary of State, Sodano, with hefty sums of money. McCarrick's cash flows have never been investigated. The McCarrick Report prevented that, too.

The Corona Narrative

Cardinal Sodano's health had deteriorated in recent days. The Corona narrative should not be missing either, as the Italian press agency ANSA claimed a connection with a “recent Covid 19 infection”. In fact, the cardinal had routinely been tested positive by a PCR test in the course of examinations, which, as is well known, means nothing. 

In fact, ANSA immediately weakened their suggested connection by stating: "The disease joined other diseases from which the famous cardinal had been suffering for some time." The pseudo-pandemic is primarily a product of the mainstream media, to which they remain true to against all evidence. The cardinal was “vaccinated” three times with the experimental spike preparation and belonged to the silent crowd of churchmen who found not a word of criticism of the arbitrary and disproportionate harshness of Pope Francis’ Corona measures.

On May 27, Angelo Cardinal Sodano died at the age of 95 in the Roman Columbus Clinic, which belonged to the Foundation of the University Hospital.

Requiescat in pace.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image : Wikicommons/MiL

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

ADMG

Trump Thanks Archbishop Viganò for His Open Letter -- Revelation of the Dark Church -- Francis Promotes Cover-up Artists

Edit: Catholic Snooze Agency doesn't know what to make of Archbishop Carlo Viganò or Trump's praise of him.

[CNA] President Trump on Wednesday tweeted that he was honored by a letter written to him by former apostolic nuncio Archbishop Carlo Viganò, which warned the president against secular and ecclesiastical agents of an atheistic globalist new world order.  

The president's tweet is the latest in a series of events that have kept the archbishop in the headlines for much of the last two years, a period in which he has become a polarizing figure in the Catholic Church, and morphed in the public eye from a whistleblowing diplomat to a prognosticator of impending doom amid a spiritual and political battle for world domination.  

“So honored by Archbishop Viganò’s incredible letter to me. I hope everyone, religious or not, reads it,” Trump tweeted June 10, linking to Vigano’s recent open letter addressed to the president.

Edit: here we have more evidence that Francis is promoting evil Cardinals loyal to him, stacking the deck for further leftist destruction of the Church's structure in future, and the promotion to a key post, of a man who was part of the suite of Secretary of State Cardinal Sodano. What will Spiritual AIDS and his Budghie say?  Who cares.

by Archbishop Viganò 

WE HAVE JUST been through one of the most disgraceful episodes in which we have seen the prince of lies at work to discredit the book of Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Robert Sarah by covering them with vile insults and vulgar insinuations, and the Pope’s jailer, as a judas, now also acting as a hitman. 

And once again we find ourselves dealing with another masterpiece of deception: the confirmation by the Pope of the elections of the new Dean and Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals by the Cardinal-Bishops. This has gone almost unnoticed and yet conceals a devious strategy. It should be borne in mind, in fact, that in June 2018 Pope Francis increased the number of Cardinal-Bishops, which had remained unchanged for centuries, promoting four new ones in one fell swoop. In this way he secured a majority in favor of him, as he has always done with the creation of new members of the College of Cardinals. 

To Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, appointed Dean of the College at the age of 86 and therefore excluded from the next conclave, I wish an even longer life than that of his father. But his appointment is a cover for that other more effective appointment — of Cardinal Sandri — which has been prepared ad hoc to pilot the next conclavesecundum Franciscum, that is, according to an updated and augmented edition of the St. Gallen Mafia.

AMGD

Church and SSPX: Friend of the Pope Threatens Faithful Catholics With Excommunication

(Rome) There is a campaign in progress in Italy against the Society of St. Pius X.  The reason is there is a bishop's threat  that believers who receive the sacraments at the SSPX may be excommunicated. The initiative is in direct contradiction to the recent opening of Rome toward the SSPX led by Archbishop Guido Pozzo, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.  Rorate Caeli speaks of "double standards" and  "selective compassion."

The media campaign was triggered by a letter from the Bishop of Alban  from last October 14th to all pastors of his diocese. Bishop Marcello Semeraro informs his diocese about the SSPX and issued instructions. Albano is one of the suburbicarian bishoprics of Rome, whose nominal owners are the cardinal bishops of the Catholic Church, that is the highest ranking members of the Sacred College. The Cardinal Bishop of Albano is the former Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Cardinal Sodano.

Bishop Semeraro justified the "notification" because of queries  about the validity of sacraments by the SSPX, which were addressed to the Diocesan Curia. The seat of the Italian District of the Society is located in Albano.

"No canonical status", "no lawful exercise" of the priestly office

Bishop Marcello Semeraro

The bishop refers to the "benevolent lifting of the excommunication" of the bishops of the Fraternity by Pope Benedict XVI. on January 21, 2009. And to the letter to all the bishops of the Church from Benedict on 10 March 2009. Msgr. Semeraro places emphasis on the statement that the bishops of the Fraternity exerts no "legitimate" ministry in the Church (AAS CI, 2009, No. 4, p. 272) and the Society "has no canonical status" in the Church, which is why their priests can not exercise any office "lawfully" (AAS CI, 2009, No. 4, p. 710f).

Furthermore, the bishop refers to a pastoral letter by his predecessor, Monsignor Dante Bernini (1982-1999), which states:. "The Catholic faithful may not participate in the Masses or receive the sacraments provided by the Society.  Otherwise, this action would mean to break communion with the Catholic Church."

Faithful of the SSPX Are Not in Communion with the Church?

Bishop Semeraro draws the conclusion: "Therefore, each Catholic,  who solicits or receives the sacraments from the Society of St. Pius X, is  not in communion with the Catholic Church. A re-admission into the Catholic Church must be preceded by   an adequate personal  path of  reconciliation according to the competent episcopal ordinary".

Finally, the bishop regrets that some "options", presumably  relating particularly to children and young people, are "contrary to the pastoral orientation of the Italian Church and the Diocese of Albano."

The pastor should inform the faithful about this episcopal statement.

L'Espresso : "Pope forbids Lefebvrians to celebrate Mass"

The media, especially the weekly magazine L'Espresso, attacked the bishop writing with large headlines: "Pope Francis prohibits Lefebvrians from celebrating Mass". The subtitle: "The followers of an excommunicated, ultra-traditionalist  French bishop are now in the sights of Pope Bergoglio: one of his most faithful friends has forbidden the celebratiion of Mass and administeration of the sacraments. Whoever follows them, risks excommunication." The article whirls the truth, canon law and fictional conclusions into chaos.

The Career of the Bishop

Espresso credits a report that Bishop Semeraro is one of the closest confidants of Pope Francis. The bishop was appointed by Pope John Paul II. In 2004, He underwent a major upgrade under Pope Francis. In April of 2013 he was appointed secretary of the new Cardinal Council, to advise the Pope on the reform of the curia and the Church leadership (see Bishop Semeraro, C8-secretary . This C8-Council has been expanded by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to a C9 Council.  Bishop Semeraro handles the coordination of the Council. In the Italian Bishops Conference , Msgr. Semeraro performs the function of the media bishop and thus has the oversight of the bishops' conference part of daily Avvenire , the published first the "notification" to the priest.

The relationship between Bishop Semeraro the the SSPX has never relaxed. Last year the SSPX elicited an opinion against the Pope's travel to Lampedusa (see  Lampedusa was "Inclined to Progressive Simplification" of a Complex Question ). Similarly, the willingness of the SSPX to hold a funeral Mass for Erich Priebke, because Priebke was for reasons of political correctness, and annoyance for the Diocese of Rome that brought them great embarrassment (see Diocese of Rome Refused Erich Priebke Public Funeral - Political Correctness About Death? out and Priebke Coffin Spat Upon - The Hatred Must Know Boundaries, but  Catholic Subservience Also  ).

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Wikicommons / NBQ

Cardinal Bertone Describes "Vipers" and "Crows" in the Curia

Edit: While Neoconservative commentators and hired guns are shooting the messenger, one of the most powerful men in the Catholic Church is confirming those of us who have been warning. We'd put up an article in the past from Katholisches, which was the most accurate thing we'd seen before or since, about the civil war within the Curia between the evil creatures of ++Sodano, and the earnest newcomers of ++Bertone. Some might recall the frank and public scolding delivered to the Liberal incoming CDF, who attempted to intervene like a loose canon on behalf of a dissident university in South America.

Now it seems that the reforming being slowly attempted by Pope Benedict during his pontificate is going to be toned down in favore of what Pope Francis describes as "dialogue, dialogue, dialogue", with a discouraging appointment of one of ++Sodano's creatures, Archbishop Parolin.

It's not often that a Curial official will speak so frankly about his enemies in the Church, people that those of us who pay attention are familiar. We are certain that there will be little attention devoted to this by the usual suspects, who will pretend that all is well. As anti-Church Guardian writes:

The Italian prelate who was Pope Benedict's righthand man in the Vatican during his scandal-dogged papacy has defended his much-criticized record, insisting he "gave everything" to the job despite the activities of "vipers" in the Roman curia.

Speaking a day after Pope Francis named a Vatican diplomat as his new secretary of state, Tarcisio Bertone appeared defiant as he was asked about his time in office.

"I see the record of the past seven years as positive. Of course, there were a lot of problems, especially in the last two years," he said, according to the Ansa news agency, hitting out at "a combination of crows and vipers".

H/t: Pewsitter.
Photo: @Catholic Romanticism
Crow Photo: Flickr

Pope Francis Names Nuncio Pietro Parolin to Secretary of State -- A Few Days After ++Dolan's Criticism

(Vatican) Pope Francis has appointed Italian Archbishop Pietro Parolin, Vatican diplomat as the new Secretary of State. The decision has been made even if it has not yet officially been announced by the Vatican. Monsignor Parolin, currently Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela, will be the successor of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, whom Pope Benedict XVI. had appointed to the Secretary of State. At age 58, the diplomat from Veneto will soon belong to the youngest cardinals of the Catholic Church.

From 2002 to 2009, Monsignor Parolin was Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs at the State Secretariat of the Roman Curia. The career development shows that the Vatican diplomat comes from the school of former Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano and is close to him. His name was mentioned immediately after the election of Pope Francis among the possible candidates for the highest office in the Roman Curia behind the Pope.

The press agency of the U.S. Bishops Conference Catholic News Agency (CNA) had already reported in late June that Nuncio Parolin would succeed Cardinal Bertone in office and his appointment was predicted for those days ( see separate report ). It came to naught. For the time being. At the end of July the influential Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan unexpectedly issued a harsh criticism of Pope Francis ( see separate report). The main point of criticism was that he had not yet gotten to the appointment of a new Secretary of State. Cardinal Dolan criticized the new Pope in an abrupt tone a lack of "management" and "leadership". The cardinal said in an interview with the National Catholic Reporter, is expected to have a change at the head of the Secretariat of State more concretely before the summer break. "I expect that after the summer break one or the other signal more in the direction of change in the administration." Shortly after the criticism of Cardinal found a wider audience, then the appointment of the Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela is to be number two in the Vatican, as it had already announced CNA one and a half months ago.

As Under Secretary, Monsignor Parolin was responsible for diplomatic negotiations between Israel and the Holy See, inter alia, by 2009. In 2011 the diplomate seemed to be the fifth proposed replacement for the Archdiocese of Milan, but did not reach the three proposed candidates. Benedict XVI. appointed Archbishop, the then Patriarch of Venice, Cardinal Angelo Scola.

He was born on 17 January 1955 in Schiavon, Pietro Parolin was ordained a priest on 26 April 1980 of the Diocese of Vicenza. In 2009 he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela, and thus in the active service in the Vatican diplomatic corps in this activity. At the same time, Pope Benedict XVI. appointed him Titular Archbishop of Aquipendium. His episcopal consecration was on 12 September 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI. The diocese itself was established in 1649 in the Papal States Acquapendente (Lazio) and was thus abolished in 1986 by John Paul II, and was incorporated into the diocese of Viterbo. In 1991, was the first appointment of a titular bishop.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
 Image: Settimo Cielo
Trans:  Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMGD

Holy Father recalls Dietrich von Hildebrand's Warning About False Irenicism.

Karaganda Cathedral: Marred by Cramner Table

Edit: things are ok as long as people in upper management stay away.  Whose idea was it to send Cardinal Sodano, anyway?

The Reform of the Reform Didn't Happen

Cardinal Sodano Consecrates Wrong Altar

The joy was of short duration.  Photos show that the Old Liberal Ex-Secretary of State Angelo Cardinal Sodano consecrated a liturgical ironing board at the blessing of the Cathedral of Karaganda.

(kreuz.net)  Photographs which were published at the website of the Archdiocese of Moscow have brought this to light.

In the new Cathedral of Karaganda there is a high altar and a moveable super table, which has been placed on a carpet.

The summit of irony:  On the 9th of September at the blessing of the Cathedral it wasn't the high altar, but the dinner table that was consecrated.

The high altar served as a credence table during the ceremony.

The original project of the Auxiliary Bishop was sidelined

The 500,000 population city ofo Karaganda lays in the heart of Kazakhstan.

The new Cathedral was constructed from 2004 to 2012.  The well known Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider as the former Auxiliary of Karaganda took a leading  part in the construction.

The Auxiliary Bishop was in any case reassigned to the 749,000 population city of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan in February 2011.

He is a lone crusader for reform of the secularized Catholic liturgy.

For that reason he had foreseen only the high altar in the original planning of the Church.  The removal of the Auxiliary Bishop probably altered the plans in the short term.

Great Astonishment

On the website 'newliturgicalmovment.org' the reader 'Peter' rang his hands with an explanatioon why in the new construction of the choir there were two altars one after the other.

Reader 'Marko Ivančičević sees "liturgical ignorance" at work.

One is simply oriented to a Church mutilated by the Pastoral Council, where the high altar has become enclosed by a liturgy block.

Link to original.. with more photos.