16 October 2013 (01:20 UTC-07 Tango)/11 Dhu’l-Hijja 1434/24 Mehr 1391/12 Ren-Xu (9th month) 4711
“If the present pope continues in the way he started, he is going to divide the Church. He’s exploding everything. So people will say: ‘It is impossible that’s he’s the Pope, we refuse him.’ Others will say: ‘Wait, consider him as Pope, but don’t follow him.'”-Bishop Bernard Fellay, Traditionalist Catholic Society of Saint Pius X
“I think his entire focus is outside the church. That’s huge.”-Phil Lawler, Catholic World News
“…..the statements he has been making are intensely problematic. Are they explicitly heretical? No. Are they dangerously close? Absolutely. What kind of a Christian tells an atheist he has no intention to convert him? That alone should disturb Catholics everywhere.”–Steve Skojec, anti-pope Catholic blogger from United States
“Is Pope Francis a wishy-washy spineless pope? Perhaps a pawn, to be used by the liberals inside and outside the Church?…….I have more issues now with him than I did months ago!…..I will continue to pray for him, my Church and myself to come to some sort of peace….”-Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner
Controversial, and supposedly ineffective, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the now former Secretary of State for the Catholic church, retired. Some news reports said this was Francis’s first “shake up” of the corrupt leaders of Vatican. However, other reports pointed out that Bertone had simply reached the age limit for holding the office, and had to retire anyway. Pope Francis is replacing him with controversial, but very effective, Archbishop Pietro Parolin. Parolin is said to have implied to a Venezuelan news source that the order that priests cannot get married is not dogma, and therefore can be debated. Parolin also said the Church had to “return to Primitive Christianity.”
Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, of Germany, is being accused of spending church money on a private mansion. Germans are calling him Bishop DeLux. Reports say his mansion has a bath tub that cost $20-thousand USD! He also insulted poor people by flying first class to India, to inspect programs for the poor. He’s meeting the Pope this week.
The huge comet ISON is on track to make astronomical viewing history (from our point view on Earth). A recent report from the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences confirms the comet is massive. This after there were reports that it might be breaking up.
Turns out this is ISON’s first trip around the Sun, coupled with its large size, it means it has a lot of material to be burned up which could help it survive. Some astronomers have predicted that if it survives its turn around the Sun it will emerge on the other side looking like a second Sun, visible during the daytime here on Earth. This seems to correspond to prophecies about the last pope.
Some amateur astronomers have reported seeing ISON. Check out SkyandTelescope.com and Astronomy.com for advice on viewing ISON.