2025-4-24
The Vatican under Pope Francis really hurt victims. (Indeed this is true of other popes too.) It is too systematic to think it is all just oversight. Indeed, it is impossible to believe the Vatican was unaware of so many misdeeds of the men they elevated, promoted, and praised.
Pope Francis is certainly in my prayers. He is not holy, though. Just this year he appointed McElroy and Weisenburger as archbishops. McElroy covered up ritual rape during the liturgy. ( See here.) Weisenburger was the pastor at my grandparents’ church for 6 years. He helped a predator priest sue a victim for defamation when he personally knew that the victim was telling the truth. (See here.)These misdeeds were public before the Vatican made the decision to promote these men. It feels very much like their promotions were a reward for loyalty.
There are other even more significant examples. The pope praised Cardinal Pell as an example of Gospel values. (See here.) Pell constructed a system called the Melbourne Response that brutally bullied victims. It is so devastating to read about this, I will just let you Google it yourself if you are interested. At the time of his death, Pell’s diocese was paying two of his victims, something they did not let the public know but which the Vatican itself must have been aware of. (See here.)
This is beyond just scandalous. This is intentional evil.
There is too much cognitive dissonance for me to call Pope Francis “holy”. Indeed, I do not want to lie to my own children or to others by doing so.
Also see “Kyrie Eleison: Marko Rupnik and the Open Tolerance of Abuse“.
6-30-2025 Update
Weisenburger and McElroy receive palliums from Pope Leo as a sign of unity. (See here and here.)
8-23-2025 Indeed, I have come to believe the papacy is the anti-Christ. Calling themselves representative of God while committing intentional evil makes me think they are doing the work of the devil.
The worldwide abuse crisis, the way that victims all over the world are treated in brutal ways by the institutional church is not just based on “administrative errors”. The men in the Vatican KNEW about the misdeeds of the men they were elevating. Over and over we see men are elevated after they publicly prove their loyalty to the pope rather than to righteousness and to God.