New Zealand Conservative

Pope Francis and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority at the Vatican There's been a bit of outrage over Pope Francis supposedly calling President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority an "angel of peace", according to some news reports, during a private conversation between the two when Mr Abbas visited the Pope at the Vatican recently. Other media reported the phrase as an exhortation for Abbas to be an angel of peace. The Vatican hasn't clarified matters, beyond reminding everyone that angels are messengers. Anyway, officially Israel is not too concerned, for ... Emmanuel Nahshon, the spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said he heard a recording of the conversation, had consulted with Israel’s ambassador to the Vatican and was satisfied that the pope had said, “May you be an angel of peace.” “He is far from an angel of peace,” Mr. Nahshon said of Mr. Abbas, adding, “If he was, perhaps by now there would be peace.” Yep.  There's also n...

This is fantastic news. I know everyone who is condemned to death in Islamic countries for the ridiculous reason of leaving Islam cannot be saved, but at least this one woman was. Vatican City, Jul 24, 2014 / 06:44 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A Sudanese woman spared of a death sentence for refusing to renounce her Christian faith arrived in Rome with her family Thursday, where they met with Pope Francis a few hours after landing. ... According to Vatican Radio, Ibrahim and her husband Daniel Wani, a U.S. citizen, as well as their two children, 1-year-old Martin and 2-month-old Maya, who was born in prison, met the Roman Pontiff in the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse at 1:00 p.m. local time. ... In May, the 27-year-old woman was charged with abandoning Islam under Sudanese law. Because her father was a Muslim, Ibrahim was legally considered a Muslim even though her mother raised her as a Christian after her father left the family when she was 6 years old. Despite pressure and m...

An important quote by Pope Francis: "Families are the home Church where Jesus grows. He grows in the spouses' love and in the children's lives. For this reason, the enemy attacks the family so much. The devil does not want it. He tries to destroy it, to prevent love from becoming free. Families are the home church. But married people are sinners like everyone else, they do not want to go in faith, in its fertility, in children and the faith of their children. May the Lord bless the family, and make it strong in the face of the crisis by which the devil wants to destroy it." When I think of the laws passed in recent years in New Zealand that don't strengthen the family here, but instead chip away at undermining it, I can see the influence of the devil on our politicians. Recently, it was the redefinition of marriage, which destroyed the understanding of marriage by the state; and then previously, the anti-smacking law which allowed interference in the family by...

Well, Pope Francis continues to surprise. Apparently, the story below came out late last year, but I didn't hear about it until reading the latest NZ Catholic , where it was reported. According to the story (and a new book), Pope Francis – when he was a priest in the 1970s and early 80s – rescued at least 1000 people using a secret network during Argentina’s “Dirty War”. ROME – Perhaps the single public figure on the planet right now least in need of rehabilitation of his image is Pope Francis, who’s got poll numbers in most places of which politicians and celebrities alike can only dream. Nevertheless, rehabilitation is precisely what Italian journalist Nello Scavo delivers in his new book Bergoglio’s List: The Untold Story of the People Saved by Francis during the Dictatorship, which was presented today at the headquarters of the Jesuit journal Civiltà Cattolica in Rome. In reply to persistent charges that the young Fr. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was complicit in Argentina’...

A video message by Pope Francis, recently shown at a Pentecostal conference in the U.S, where he gives voice to his desire for unity between the Catholic and Protestant churches, asking them to pray for him, and saying he will pray for them.

Today's Dominion Post contains a perfect example of a person who has taken in the media interpretation of Pope Francis and considers that to be the correct one.  Here's Des Darroch of Kilbirnie's, "Point to the Editor", published in the Dominion Post today: Monica Devine (Letters, Dec 30) criticises the rector of St Patrick's College, Silverstream, for allowing same-sex partners to attend the school ball.  Pope Francis, Time magazine's person of the year, responding to a recent question about gay rights said: "Who am I to judge".  Pope Francis needs every encouragement in 2014. There are so many things wrong with Des' interpretation of what Pope Francis said and why he said it and what it might mean, that I really need to break everything down in order to be clear. Pope Francis talking to the press on the plane back to Rome from Rio De Janeiro after World Youth Day, 28 July 2013 On 28 July, 2013, Pope Francis held a press conference du...

I continue to be amazed how many news articles there have been published in the New Zealand news media on Pope Francis.  This is probably because he is considered to be less Catholic than other Popes have been.  For this reason, it is important for those that are really interested in what Pope Francis has to say, to read better news than just the local Stuff, because there is important information being missed out in the more secular NZ press. Compare the New Zealand Stuff article from Reuters with the much more comprehensive AsiaNews.it .  Pope Francis was talking about Saint Stephen's martyrdom, celebrated by the Church as a Feast Day on the day after Christmas.  The day we more commonly refer to as Boxing Day, or the day when everyone goes to the shops to get really good sales items. The Stuff article connects Pope Francis' words to what is occurring in Islamic countries with regards to religious freedom.  However, religious freedom is also under attack...

Rush Limbaugh - Shock Jock Rush Limbaugh, a shock jock (so guess what's coming next) accuses the Pope of preaching Marxism. That was attack number one. The liberal/progressive media carrying this story likes to represent that Rush Limbaugh speaks for all Conservatives. That was attack number two. Here, the media want to promote the idea that Christian Conservatives are for sticking it to the poor. It's a win-win. Paint the Pope as a Marxist, paint the conservatives as heartless. Rush's comments are dealt with quite easily. His polemic view is simplistic to the point of stupidity. Anyone criticizing excessive greed is not automatically a Marxist. I like the Vatican response: "It does not seem worth the trouble of answering seriously," said a Vatican spokesman. . A quick Google search finds plenty of other places quite willing to take the trouble to answer, although after all is said and done, it really isn't worth taking the time to answer se...

Abortion inspires Diabolical behaviour: Buenos Aires, December 2nd, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Extremely disturbing video footage from Argentina shows a mob of feminists at a recent protest attacking and sexually molesting a group of Rosary-praying Catholic men who were peacefully protecting the cathedral in the city of San Juan from threats of vandalism. The women, many of them topless, spray-painted the men’s crotches and faces and swastikas on their chests and foreheads, using markers to paint their faces with Hitler-like moustaches. They also performed obscene sexual acts in front of them and pushed their breasts onto their faces, all the while shouting “get your rosaries out of our ovaries.” (Note: Some of the most graphic content has been removed from the video. Uncensored footage is available here. Viewer discretion strongly advised.) According to InfoCatolica, some of the women chanted a song, with the lyrics: “To the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church, who wants to get bet...

Exactly. Our Lord was Jewish. So was his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. So were the Apostles and the first Christians. Christianity is rooted in Judaism. (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday met with members of Rome’s Jewish community to mark the 70th anniversary of the deportation of the city’s Jewish population during the Nazi occupation. Among those present was the Chief Rabbi of Rome, Dr. Riccardo Di Segni, the President of the Jewish Community of Rome , Dr. Riccardo Pacifici, and the President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities , Dr. Renzo Gattegna. Pope Francis began by expressing his closeness to Rome’s Jewish community, which is the oldest in Western Europe, having a continued presence in the city of over two thousand years. “For many centuries…the Jewish community and the Church of Rome have lived in our city, with a history - as we well know - which was often transversed by misunderstandings and even true grievances,” Pope Francis said. “However, it is a...

Will the mainstream media give Pope Francis the same sort of coverage that they did to his interview? Somehow I doubt it, but I hope I'm wrong. ROME, September 20, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In a meeting with Catholic gynaecologists this morning Pope Francis strongly condemned abortion as a manifestation of a “throwaway culture.” " Every unborn child, though unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of the Lord, who even before his birth, and then as soon as he was born, experienced the rejection of the world ," the pope said. The comments come one day after the release of an in-depth interview in which the Pope had explained that despite criticism he has avoided speaking about moral issues like abortion and gay “marriage” in his papacy, instead focusing on preaching about the love of Christ. Well, that might upset a few people who think that Francis was relaxing the rules. Speaking to the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, Pope Fran...

A 35 year old woman wrote to Pope Francis because she got pregnant and the father told her he was married already and to go get an abortion. The Pope gave her a quick ring and told her not to let anyone “rob her of hope” and said that if she couldn’t find a priest to baptize the child, that he would come and do it himself.

During an 80 minute interview with journalists, when Pope Francis was apparently asked about gay people, he answered “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Pope Francis' answer to the question has been reported all over the place - but not the actual question itself.  This has lead to excitement in some quarter that Pope Francis is somehow changing the direction of the Catholic Church on her attitude towards homosexuals. Misinformation is being spread, mainly through is this AP article , regurgitated by news sources such as Stuff, with quotes such as the following: Gay leaders were buoyed by Francis' non-judgmental approach, saying changing the tone was progress in itself, although for some, the encouragement was tempered by Francis’ talk of gay clergy's ''sins". ''Basically, I'm overjoyed at the news," said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of the US-based New Ways Ministry, a grou...

This will upset the liberals who imagined that Francis might support same-sex unions. The message loud and clear is that he doesn't - marriage can only ever be between one man and one woman. ROME, July 5, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In his first encyclical letter, released this morning, Pope Francis has reiterated that marriage is a union of one man and one woman for the procreation and nurturing of children. This lifelong pledge is possible only in the light of a greater plan for marriage, he said: “Promising love for ever is possible when we perceive a plan bigger than our own ideas and undertakings, a plan which sustains us and enables us to surrender our future entirely to the one we love.” Titled Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith), the encyclical is known to have been authored mainly by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who was still working on it at the time of his abdication and it strongly reflects the theological style of Francis’ predecessor. In his introduction, Pope Fr...

Yes, the devil is real.  That's probably why this video has caused so much excitement as we in the West (including New Zealand especially) really don't want him to exist.  However, it's best not to be too interested in him, and go to regular Confession as your major protection from him.  He's not called The Accuser for nothing, and if a person has major unforgiven sins on their soul, they can be in real danger. Hattip: LongKnives on KiwiBlog Related link: Rumours swirl of papal exorcism ~ Stuff

The Pope will be launching a new mobile app called Missio on Friday. It is available to be downloaded now, and Pope Francis will unlock it from his iPad at the launch. On Friday Pope Francis will break new ground by becoming the first Pope to launch a mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android.  The Pontifical Mission Societies’ MISSIO app is a free app that features the latest news and video from around the world about the Catholic Church. This launch event marks a unique, historic moment for the Church and her use of digital technology to connect with the faithful. This event will fall on the heels of World Communications Day when the Catholic Church reflects on the former pontiff, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s invitation to Catholics to make better use of social media in sharing the Gospel. The Pope Emeritus, who opened the first papal Twitter account, challenged the Church to think about social networking sites as “new spaces for evangelization.” Pope Francis offe...

The story that Pope Francis was somehow responsible for two Jesuit priests being captured and tortured by the Argentinian dictatorship just will not die.  Today, a person called Yoza who posted a comment in KiwiBlog accusing the pope of just that, and a few other things.  When challenged, he seemed to be aware of a statement one of the surviving priests had made recently in the media, but not aware of the following story, whereby the priest made further clarifying statements clearing the pope, as what he had previously said had been misinterpreted by the media: CNA STAFF, Mar 21, 2013 / 04:08 pm (CNA).- Clarifying previous comments, a priest who was kidnapped during Argentina’s dictatorship in the 1970s is emphasizing that Pope Francis was not responsible for his detainment . In a statement published on the official website of the Jesuit order in Germany, Father Francisco Jalics said that while he once believed his 1976 kidnapping was due to a denunciation by then-Fat...

It's moments like these where faith pays off ... Folks, Pope Francis has done it. He has taken his stand. He did it this morning, about three hours ago. And his stand is with… Pope Benedict, his predecessor, with whom he will meet tomorrow. The importance of Francis’s words today cannot be overestimated. Francis today took his stand with the essential spiritual vision of Pope Benedict. (And note: in this talk, unlike in several previous talks, Pope Francis adhered strictly to his prepared text; he made no “off the cuff” remarks. So, this was thought-out in advance and intentional.) If one were to summarize in a phrase, one might say that Francis today said: “I stand with Pope Benedict.” But on what, precisely? Francis today said he stands with Pope Benedict on the Christian conception of truth: that the truth of the Christian faith, the truth of the Christian vision of man, leads mankind toward life, more abundant life, toward justice, toward true joy. What Fran...

A story has been making the rounds that Pope Francis put forward an idea to promote civil unions in Argentina as an alternative to redefining marriage, and that he was voted down by his more conservative bishop's conference. The New York Times had a quite prominent article promoting this view and it was quoted to us here on this blog by one of our readers . At the time, I said that it would be better to wait and see what clarifications are forthcoming as I found it difficult to believe that Francis would be so out of step with the Church's official position on civil unions . Turns out he most likely did not: BUENOS AIRES, March 21, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Miguel Woites, a confidant of Pope Francis while he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, is denying a widely publicized claim that the then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio suggested the endorsement of gay civil unions as an alternative to "homosexual marriage" during a private meeting with fellow bishops in 2010. In an...

Another wonderful blog post letter from Dr. Robert B. Moynihan in Rome: Today a new pontificate officially began. [Tuesday night, NZ time] The essential message in the homily given by Pope Francis to open his pontificate draws on the work and image of St. Joseph , spouse of Mary, head of the Holy Family. And that message is to “protect.” This message is important at a time when the figure of the person who “protects,” be he a father, a mother, a priest, a scholar, a leader, is under attack — in a time when the “protection” is entrusted to others, or to none, when the “protectors” are anonymous, or hidden, or when they simply don’t exist. To “protect” means to make sure what one protects is not harmed, not hurt. And so this emphasis on “protecting” seems to recall a passage in the Book of Revelation which focuses on “not hurting,” that is, protecting. In Chapter 7 of Revelation, an angel ascends from the east, bearing “the seal of the living God.” This angel cries ou...