This is me, Eccles

This is me, Eccles
This is me, Eccles

Sunday 15 April 2018

The "Pope Francis is wonderful" conference

After a rather grim week caused by news of Ealing, Alfie Evans, Syria, etc. it was a great pleasure to be invited to the "Pope Francis is wonderful, humble, merciful, loving, handsome, brilliant and holy" conference at Villanova.

With Registration priced at $225, the same amount that Jesus charged people to listen to the Sermon on the Mount, and the Conference Banquet at $75, the figure He charged the 5,000 for their sushi con ciabatta banquet, it was a bargain within reach of the poorest in our society.

Mr Bean

Massimo "Beans" Faggioli welcomes you to a feast of spiritual nourishment.

Some of the highlights were:

* Cardinal Tobin wishing everyone "Nighty-night baby!"
* Fr Antonio Spadaro doing tricks of arithmetic to prove that 2+2=5.
* Cardinal Maradiaga explaining that the money was just resting in his account.
* Faggioli himself telling us that the promoters of the Old Mass have theological views that are not Catholic any more.

Spadaro on holiness

Spadaro explains that when we say "His Holiness" we don't mean that he is holy.

The highlight of the conference was surely the speech of Fr Spadaro, for a blizzard of soundbites from it was tweeted by Ivereigh and Faggioli, to the delight of everyone with a sense of humour. Before drowning the reader in spiritual nourishment, let's have another photo.

The two Ronnies as clowns

After-dinner Cabaret. Austen Ivereigh and Joe Tobin entertain us.

Fr Spadaro is known worldwide as a brilliant mathematician, and this has helped him to master physics as well. So we were treated to the following words of wisdom.

Spadaro on science

Who says that Catholics don't have a grasp of science?

Personally, I was surprised not to see a few rigid Catholics there. Where were Sarah and Burke? No Zuhlsdorf? Fra' Matthew Festing? How about Marcantonio Colonna? Surely he is now rich enough to afford the $225? But no, they all stayed away. It's almost as if they didn't want to celebrate the fact that Pope Francis is wonderful, humble, merciful, loving, handsome, brilliant and holy.

Plenary speakers at Villanova

Non-rigid modernist Catholics (could that be Joe Tobin's much-loved sister?)

Anyway, this blog is for spiritual nourishment, not for photos of celebrities, so let us have one final piece of wisdom from Spadaro, who - it must be remembered - is not only an expert on science, but also a deeply spiritual figure.

Spadaro on spirits

Translation: "Why does everyone think my Gaudete et Exsultate is a turkey?"

8 comments:

  1. Another question: Why has Eye of the Tiber apparently given up the ghost? Guess they just can't compete with reality.

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  2. How can there be evil spirits? Wouldn't they all have been annihilated?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, this is true...If Francis does embrace the heresy of annihilation of the soul, there would be no evil spirits to combat. There would be no reason to mention anything about them since they would not exist. Our only fear would be not to live eternally with God, but to be...where?

      Since nothing can come from nothing (St Thomas Aquinas), can something then turn into nothing at all, going to no place anywhere at all?

      Of course it's useless to waste time and energy thinking about annihilation of the soul since a soul never dies - that is, it can never be annihilated. It has to be somewhere for all eternity.

      Francis needs to think about this. Maybe he's frightened to think deep in his soul that he might be doing damage to God's Church and would rather be nowhere at all than in hell?

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  3. I only have 4 points to make on this article:

    1. With those comedic titans, Jim Bowen and Ken Dodd both having plunged into eternity in recent months, Austen and Signor Beans have to take their laughs wherever they can find them.

    2. Attending this conference would have been soul-destroying...and I'm not certain that I only mean that figuratively.

    3. Fr. Spadaro declares "The Pope is electric." Well, that will explain how he makes every thinking catholic blow a fuse whenever he opens his mouth.

    (And yes, 2+1=4)

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    Replies
    1. The Pope's electric? That explains the lightning striking St. Peters' when Benedict resigned.

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  4. Did people actually attend this? Any pictures? Cardinal Burke is going to be speaking at the Philadelphia Cathedral soon, it would be interesting to compare the crowds.

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  5. Perhaps the Catecism needs to be done away with in the light of the newer and more relevant teachings.
    The mission statement could be changed to:
    "Welcome to you,
    But don't change a hair for me
    Not if you care for me
    Stay little valentine stay
    Each day is valentines day"

    ReplyDelete