The pope's eight wondrous achievements

Arriving at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup of Francis Achievements, we are left with eight truly memorable accomplishments. Now, some people who saw this World Cup in action accused me of attacking the pope in some way, but this is very unfair, as I did not say whether the entries were to be regarded positively or negatively. In the end, they are all positive!

Let me come clean, and say that I am a huge fan of "Peter" and am hoping to get a job writing for the blog "Where Peter is Wonderful", which explains that the pope is always right, even when he is wrong. So let's analyse the eight quarter-finalists in detail. (Actually, not all the polls are closed yet, but it is now fairly clear who will win.)

"My new book, Pope Francis the great achiever, will have eight chapters."

Traditiones Custodes. Surely one of the jewels in the crown of Pope Francis's reign. Those nasty divisive traddies, who wanted to use the Extraordinarily Good Form that their grandparents knew, were clearly causing discord, schism, hatred, loathing, traumas, etc. by refusing to learn vernacular and celebrate the Novus Ordo in Tower of Babelese. We know that Pope Francis got it right, as those who object to TC are already saying that it has caused discord, schism, hatred, loathing, traumas, etc. Francis the blessed peacemaker knows that the best way to achieve peace is to get your retaliation in first!

Who am I to judge? Yet again, the Wonderful Father has hit the nail on the head. The full quotation is "If a lot of miserable sinners call themselves Catholic and find that repenting is too much of a bother, who am I to judge?" We Bergoliolators have noticed that Pope Francis never judges. Well, except when he says people are too rigid, or fomenters of coprophagia, or self-absorbed Promethean neo-Pelagians - or when he hates them simply because they supported the wrong side in the Falklands War. So let sin thrive!

Amoris Laetitia. Pope Francis has written the definitive treatise on Catholic morals. Although the ideal family has two parents of either the same or different sexes, together with 2.3 children and a white cat called Tiddles, not all families can achieve this, and some find that an adulterous lifestyle is more convenient. Mr Mercy has understood this, and reassures them that with the aid of discernment, walking together, perhaps some Ignatian yoga, their needs can also be accommodated.

An ideal father.

The Church in China. One of the great successes of the Stupendous Father. No longer are bishops to be appointed for their spirituality, wisdom, orthodox beliefs and "good shepherd" qualities - and look how well that turned out in the west! - but the title of "Bishop" is now a grade in the Chinese Civil Service, just above Head Jailer and Assistant Torturer and just below Lord High Executioner. Some people will say that having all Catholics driven underground on pain of arrest is a bad thing, but Francis knows best. In the west, few bishops have torturing skills (Wilton Gregory, Declan Lang, a few others?) and we need more!

Pachamama worship. This has been criticised by a few fascists who persist in sticking to the old ways. It is now generally agreed that Pachamama is not the Mother Earth Goddess - and who would complain if she were? - but simply another version of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Or she may be a vision of Greta Thunberg, five years from now, expecting a bonny bouncing carbon-free baby. Whoever she is, she is not to be thrown into the Tiber. That commandment on having "no other gods but me" is a bit stale now, isn't it? Obviously different Catholics will prefer different gods!

The Abu Dhabi statement. There was much brilliant material in this declaration: for example an agreement that "We Catholics will not stab Muslims in the street if your lot don't stab us (however, we can't speak for the Quakers, who are notorious oat-fuelled fiends)." But the bit that got people talking was where Pope Francis explained that God doesn't particularly favour the Christian religion, and He prefers a bit of diversity. So there's really not much point being a Catholic after all. This is true HUMILITY from the one man who you would expect to stick up for the Catholic Church.

Not covered by the Abu Dhabi agreement.

The German synodal path. Synods are wonderful things, which is why we shall soon be holding a Grand Ten-year Synod about the synodality of synods about synodal synods. So the German Synodal Path (or as they so elegantly call it Der Synodalerkardinalmarxderdickemannhatzuvielewürstegegessenweg) really puts the "syn" in Synod! Everything is up for grabs - new ideas on sexual morality, women priests and bishops, and a total rewriting of Catholicism from scratch to get rid of the embarrassing bits! This is of course a precursor of other synodal paths - new rules depending on where you live (see also under "China", "Pachamama" and "Abu Dhabi"). Now this is not schismatic, oh no, far from it. Because nobody will be using Latin.

Rehabilitating Uncle Ted McCarrick. Look, Ted's just this guy you know? He may have got himself into a spot of trouble, according to a brief 449-page report, but Pope Francis took a very firm line on this, rushing to laicise him only five years after he found out about it. Francis had obviously made him a trusted adviser because Ted knew more about sexual abuse than anyone else - when you need information, go to the experts! Uncle Ted is now living quietly in retirement, hoping to be sent to a prison that has its own built-in beach house. A happy ending for everyone!

"Pope Francis says 'You've all done very well!'"

The results of the knock-out rounds will be posted here as we get them.

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Quarter-final 1: Traditionis Custodes 73.4 v Who am I to judge? 26.6

Quarter-final 2: Amoris Laetitia 44.6 v Treatment of the church in China 55.4

Quarter-final 3: Pachamama worship 90.0 v The Abu Dhabi statement 10.0

Quarter-final 4: Supporting the German synodal path 40.8 v Rehabilitating Uncle Ted McCarrick 59.2

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Semi-final 1: Traditionis Custodes 72.3 v Rehabilitating Uncle Ted McCarrick 27.7

Semi-final 2: Treatment of the church in China 37.5 v Pachamama worship 62.5

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THIRD PLACE PLAY-OFF: Rehabilitating Uncle Ted McCarrick 20.9 v Treatment of the church in China 79.1

China gets the Bronze medal!

FINAL: Traditionis Custodes 41.2 v Pachamama worship 58.8

Gold medal for Pachamama, Silver for Traditionis Custodes!

"The tiger who came to Rome" condemned by activists

Critics have accused the classic novel "The tiger who came to Rome" by Austen Ivereigh, of sexism, encouraging violence against women, and reinforcement of liturgical inequality.

A shocking scene from the book.

The book tells the story of an exotic creature from South America which invites itself into an ordinary Catholic Church and promptly proceeds to devour everything in sight: the traditional Magisterium, the faith, and even some of the most-treasured liturgy.

Sexism is apparent in the book, since most of the tiger's friends are men (although over half are Jesuits, as a token gesture to LGBT equality). However, there are unpleasant scenes of liturgical bullying, as the Rome family discovers that all the liturgy has been chewed up by the creature.

Should our children be exposed to violent scenes like this?

The author, Austin Ivereigh, has denied that there is a darker meaning to the story, although many Catholics have found themselves unable to sleep at nights thinking of everything the tiger might do. "It's just a dumb animal," he says, "and it does what dumb animals have to do."

The Traddy-Ban captures Rome

Catholics worldwide have been stunned by the news that the Tradi-ban is now occupying Rome, led by the triumvirate of Bar-Golio, Pah-Rolin, and Ahfah-Roche. Last night Rome was full of Tradi-Ban troops singing the victory anthem "Trads Cussed".

Sadly, nobody suspected that when President Bidenict XVI withdrew his forces in 2013, the brutal forces of Tradi-ban would soon be able to take over and occupy the eternal city and from there rule the entire land of Catholistan.

"Someone's singing Salve Regina! Send in the elite Swiss Guard commandos."

With the Tradi-ban in power, there will be many new restrictions on the rights of Catholics - and in particular, they will be deprived of freedom of worship. Women will be told how to dress: mantillas and long dresses are out, and they will be forced to wear the soulless uniform dictated by Bar-Goglio, namely, bergos (crop tops and yoga pants).

President Bidenict has so far not commented on the Tradi-ban coup, and at his advanced age he now spends most of his time sleeping and eating ice-cream. However, there has been criticism worldwide of his hasty withdrawal, which left many Catholics in danger of persecution.

The Tradi-ban's forces fail to destroy a strategic target.

All is not lost, however. Political commentators such as Max Beans, Lamb Chop, and Tom Risible have welcomed the Tradi-ban as finally bringing Catholistan kicking and screaming into the 1970s. And we know how seriously people take their views.

How to be a good pope: gaslighting the faithful

This piece, like all the "good pope" articles, is designed for those who may one day find a Mafia boss in dark glasses come up to them and say "Congratulations! You're now infallible! Go out there and make them a doctrine they can't refuse!"

One very necessary skill for a pope is gaslighting, which Wiipedia defines as follow:

Gaslighting is a colloquialism for a specific type of manipulation where the manipulator is successful in having the target (a person or a group of people) question their own reality, memory or perceptions. There is often a power dynamic in gaslighting where the target is vulnerable because they are fearful of losses associated with challenging the manipulator.

Light the gaslight! We have a new pope!

We can give some useful advice here from Pope Francis, seven times voted "Best Pope since Benedict XVI" and one who knows all the tricks.

Suppose that you want to keep the faithful on their toes by causing a schism. That way they can be so busy squabbling amongst themselves that they won't have time to notice anything dodgy that's going on in the Vatican. At present you have various forms of Mass, mostly "vernacular", which means that, apart from the usual stuff, you are blessed in that once in a week Fr Radovan Karadžić comes in to offer a mass for the Bosnian Serb community. Also once a month Bishop Lang-Toal permits a traditional Latin Mass at 6 a.m. in a totally inaccessible church.

"Our TLM worshippers are definitely falling off."

So you send out a questionnaire to bishops: Complete the following in less than ten words: "I think the TLM is evil because..." First prize, a cardinal's hat.

Whatever answers you get, you feel justified in saying "Right, chaps, no more TLM unless you get a permit signed in your bishop's blood*."

*Clever, eh? The more reptilian bishops don't have much blood, so they will refuse!

Many people will be angry and blame you for attacking the traditional form of worship (but LGBT Masses and Clown Masses are still permitted, of course). This is where you turn things round and apply your Holy GasMaster skills. "The traditionalists are schismatic. They are criticising me. ME!!! Am I not Peter? Where Peter is, the Church is. If I say (as Peter did) 'I do not know this Man,' should not the faithful agree with me?" So the blame goes onto the trads and you can get your own way, feeling that you were in the right after all.

The same considerations apply to the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, the Sovereign Order of Malta, and many other nasty groups. You took control of them, they were angry, so you HAD to take control of them!

You noticed that Albie Boeselager had disgraced himself, so I'm sacking you.

Some gaslighting is more subtle. You accidentally put some heretical statements in your Amorous Letitia Exhortation, and four cardinals questioned them. Classical gaslighting would involve calling them heretics, blame them for causing a schism, etc. But a true Holy GasMaster will simply ignore their Dubia, and leave it to his faithful attack poodles to throw the mud. Cardinal Biretta occasionally wears impressive robes - so he is not as humble as you are! You can make life difficult for him.

A final example: you hold a disastrous Inca Synod, in which you allow the pagan idol PatchyMomma to be celebrated. Your chief attack-poodle, Austen Ivory-Tower, author of Pope Fred, the New Messiah, immediately decides that this is a representation of the Virgin Mary, and the sub-poodles spread this theory far and wide.

Winner of the "Looks nothing like the Virgin Mary" competition.

However, most people agreed that this was a pagan idol, not welcome anywhere near a Christian service, and a small group even polluted the Tiber by throwing in several PatchyMommas. Again, as Holy GasMaster you can blame them, getting your historically less-informed poodles to describe the assailants as "fascists", just as Moses was described when he destroyed the golden calf. You yourself are above such bickering, although you take great care not to be seen with any other pagan idols. So you win yet again.