Are Mark Shea & Msgr. Barr Heretics as well as Complicit in Francis's Sex Abuse Cover-ups?

November 10, 2019

Francis apologist Mark Shea in his October 10 post "Msgr. Eric Barr on the Rad Trad Heresy" endorsed Francis's heretical teaching on "mercy."
[https://www.patheos.com/blogs/markshea/2019/10/msgr-eric-barr-on-the-rad-trad-heresy.html]

Msgr. Barr in his piece "Francis: The Pope We Need" actually said something true:

"Papal Emphasis on Mercy is The Root of Criticism of Pope."
[https://www.patheos.com/blogs/ericbarr/2019/11/francis-pope-we-need/]

Indeed, Francis's teaching on "mercy" is one of his central heresies which has apparently led to the Francis sex abuse cover-ups. But, before we get to that teaching we need to understand why Shea and Barr might think:

"Francis: The Pope We Need."

The following comes from a website which discloses little known information about Barr and the Campobello sex abuse scandal:

-"The teacher said the diocese's team already knew many of the details about the relationship between Girl One and Campobello. The teacher asked if they knew about the second victim at Aurora Central, to which they replied, "that's been dealt with", she said." - the Daily Herald, June 23, 2004 (regarding a meeting at the St. Peter rectory in October 2002 with Rockford Misconduct Officer Msgr. David Kagan, Vicar for Clergy and Religious Msgr. Eric Barr, Diocesan attorney Ellen Lynch and a St. Peter school teacher with whom one of the victims confided. When Campobello was arrested in December 2002, he was working as a parochial minister in Belvidere, Illinois)...

... "Some may conclude that we are hiding things. But we are not. We are protecting the right of the Church to have independence from the state as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution." - Rockford Diocese Vicar for Clergy Msgr. Eric Barr, 2003

"I don't think that the 1st Amendment was written to shelter alleged child molesters." -John Kass, Chicago Tribune column, January 15, 2004.

"Merely because Canon 489 is controlling the internal operation of the affairs of the church does not mean that it permits evidence pertaining to sexual molestation of children by priests to be secreted and shielded from discovery that is otherwise proper." - 2nd District Appellate Court of Illinois in a ruling on the Campobello case, May 2004.
(Interesting Website Regarding the Diocese, the Campobello Scandal and his parish--St. Peter’s in Geneva The following is taken from: http://www.companionsinhope.com/Geneva/good,bad,ugly.htm)
[http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2012/02/interesting-website-regarding-diocese.html?m=1]

As Barr appears, according to the Chicago Tribune, to agree with Francis on covering up sex abuse, it appears that Shea agrees with Francis on homosexual civil unions. Shea said:

"Of course it won't. We're not the Anglican Church. I do think the Church, having fought a long rear guard retreat against civil unions, will probably throw in the towel on that."
[http://m.ncregister.com/blog/mark-shea/a-reader-with-jitters-about-pope-francis-writes]

On September 1, 2017, Crux reported that Francis supported Shea's call for a "retreat" on "legalization of evil" homosexual civil unions saying:

"Let's call unions between the same sex 'civil unions.'"
(Crux, "'I consulted a psychoanalyst,' Pope Francis reveals in new book," September 1, 2017)

The gay/lesbian dissenting New Ways Ministry said:

"Pope Francis has never, as pontiff, stated his endorsement of civil unions so flatly. (He did support civil unions as a compromise to his opposition towards marriage equality... As pontiff, he did make a ambiguous statement about civil unions...)."
(New Way Ministry Bondings 2.0 Blog, "Pope Francis Allows for Civil Unions for Lesbian and Gay Couples," September 2, 2017)

The gay movement New Way Ministry endorsed Francis's apparent endorsement of the civil unions of cohabiting homosexual couples.

On June 3, 2003 the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Congregation for the Faith, said such an endorsement was against Catholic teaching:

"Those who would move from tolerance to the legitimatization of specific rights for cohabiting homosexual persons need to be reminded that the approval or legalization of evil is something far different from the toleration of evil... The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions."
(Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, "Considerations Regarding Proposals to give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons," June 3, 2003)

Homosexualist Shea apparently disagrees with the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger teaching that gay civil unions are "legalization of evil" it appears because of his belief in Francis "mercy."

Do Shea and Barr because of their conviction in Francis "mercy" "think that the 1st Amendment was written to shelter alleged child molesters" according to John Kass in his Chicago Tribune column's perspective on the Barr 1st Amendment statement?

Both appears to think that their support of such "thinking" is rooted in the Francis teachings on "mercy." Remember Barr said:

"Papal Emphasis on Mercy is The Root of Criticism of Pope."

Is the Shea/Barr support of Francis "mercy" really connected to the sex abuse scandal and "legalization of evil"?

In 2017, the Associated Press revealed that Francis reversed the decision of Pope Benedict XVI to kick pedophiles out of the priesthood.

Francis is now reinstating sex abusers back into priesthood. The AP wrote that Francis "recently" said:

"[H]e believed sex abusers suffer from a 'disease' - a medical term used by defense la wyers to seek mitigating factors in canonical sentences."[https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/02/25/pope-quietly-trims-sanctions-sex-abusers-seeking-mercy/]

Abuse victim Marie Collins, a founding member of Francis’ sex-abuse advisory commission, apparently responding to the Pope's claim that sex abusing priests are "diseased" psychologically and not responsible for their crimes or sins, said:

"All who abuse have made a conscious decision to do so. Even those who are paedophiles, experts will tell you, are still responsible for their actions. They can resist their inclinations...

"While mercy is important, justice for all parties is equally important. If there is seen to be any weakness about proper penalties, then it might well send the wrong message to those who would abuse."[http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/26/pope-francis-reversed-decisions-to-kick-paedophiles-out-of-the-priesthood-6473481/#ixzz4ZpmwUPVe]

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke told AP that "Francis’s emphasis on mercy applied to 'even those who are guilty of heinous crimes."

Is the "merciful" Francis denying sin when he says child molesters who he reinstated into priesthood are "diseased" psychologically?

Francis appears to be denying mortal sin by redefining it out of existence using terms like "disease" and "irregular relationships."  

This redefinition of Catholic conscience tells the sex abuser, the person in adultery and fornication or anyone in objective mortal sin that they are not in mortal sin if they are at "peace" with it, if the sinful behavior is "humanly impossible" to change, "if they can't change their sinful behavior" or don't know it is wrong. 

Under these conditions, they say those in objective mortal sin without forming their conscience and changing their sinful behavior can do the following:

-Adulterers may under Francis legally receive Holy Communion. 

-Sex abusers may be reinstated into the priesthood.

-Sex abusers and adulterer it appears may continue in sin without forming their conscience and changing their sinful behavior.[http://catholicmonitor.blogspot.com/2017/01/is-pope-francis-trying-to-empty-cross.html?m=1]

Finally, we get the Shea/Barr beloved Francis teaching on "mercy" which is one of his central heresies which has apparently led to the Vatican sex abuse cover-ups. Francis's redefinition of "mercy" to mean the conscience is the supreme tribunal means all who believe it such as Shea and Barr may cease to be Catholics and in fact are heretics.

Pope John Paul II in Veritatis Splendor wrote:

"Certain currents of modern thought have gone so far as to exalt freedom to such an extent that it becomes an absolute... This is the direction taken by doctrines which have lost the sense of the transcendent or which are explicitly atheist. The individual conscience is accorded the status of a supreme tribunal of moral judgment which hands down categorical and infallible decisions about good and evil... But in this way the inescapable claims of truth disappear."[http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/5346/a_malta_laetitia.aspx]

Carl Olson wrote that Amoris Laetitia moves Nietzsche-like beyond even invincible ignorance or a erroreous conscience to the depravity of making the individual conscience a "supreme tribunal of moral judgement... in this way the inescapable claims of truth disappear":

"Amoris Laetitia, especially chapter 8... As Dr. E. Christian Brugger argued in these pages back in April 2016, remarking on AL 305: 'In this passage, the German bishops get all they want':"

"But the passage does not presume that the sinner is in invincible ignorance or that the pastor supposes that. The passage supposes that people who are objectively committing adultery can know they are 'in God’s grace', and that their pastor can know it too... The pastor must help them find peace in their situation, and assist them to receive “the Church’s help”, which (note 351 makes clear) includes 'the help of the sacraments... '"

"Pastors should help them discern if their situation is acceptable, even if it is 'objectively' sinful, so they can return to the sacraments."
[http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/5346/a_malta_laetitia.aspx]

Every pope and saint in the history of the Catholic Church would have rejected the above passage of Amoris Laetitia.

Every pope and saint in history would say every Catholic is obliged to have a well formed conscience and have a firm amendment not to commit mortal sin in order to receive Holy Communion. 

The infallible Church doctrine of Trent teaches that God gives everyone the grace to repent and overcome sinful behavior. 

These Catholic Church doctrines can't be redefined, even by the pope, because they are part of Revelation.

Catholics who are open to the redefinition of "mercy" to mean the conscience is the supreme tribunal may cease to be Christians because they deny that the Incarnate God-man Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins.

Pope John Paul II's Veritatis Splendor warns against this passage of Amoris Laetitia in the third part called "Lest the Cross of Christ Be Emptied of its Power."

The conscience as supreme tribunal denies mercy because if there is no objective sin to be forgiven and one doesn't have by grace the power to overcome sin then the cross of Christ is emptied of its power.

This may be a valid question to ask Francis and his apologists who promote this redefinition of "mercy":

Do you even believe in the Incarnation and salvation as every pope and saint in history has believed since you appear to deny the very words of Jesus Christ and his Church that He died to save us from our sins?

John Paul II condemned anyone who thinks as you do on the individual conscience being a supreme tribunal as being a "explicit atheist."

Lastly, why are Shea and Barr complicit in Francis's sex abuse cover-ups?

In 2002, Shea wrote about the problem:

"[R]ankest clericalism... not protecting innocent children from sexual predators... Bishops [that includes the Bishop of Rome presently Francis] who repeatedly and knowingly lied to victims and exposed still more victims to the depredation of these men [sex abusing priests] should face the consequences of their actions."
("Shaken by Scandals: Catholics speak out about priests' sexual abuse," Page  102-103)

If Shea and Barr aren't hypocrites and complicit then they needs to call for Francis to "face the consequences" of "expos[ing] more victims to" McCarrick, Murphy-O'Connor, Zanchetta, Inzoli, Grassi, Pardo and the "sexual abuse" predator priest list goes on.

The latest being on Jun 10, when Crux reported a "personal friend" of Francis was charged with "aggravated continuous sexual abuse":

"Argentine Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta... was charged with 'aggravated continuous sexual abuse committed by a minister of a religious organization'..."

"[He was charged] by the prosecutor’s office in the Argentine northern province of Salta. The bishop was charged with “aggravated continuous sexual abuse committed by a minister of a religious organization. Zanchetta, the former bishop of Oran, was accused of “strange behavior” in 2015 when a diocesan secretary found pornographic pictures on the prelate’s phone. The images included gay porn featuring young men, but not minors, as well as images of Zanchetta touching himself. They were allegedly sent to unknown third parties."
[https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2019/06/10/argentine-bishop-at-heart-of-phone-porn-scandal-charged-with-abusing-seminarians/]

LifeSiteNews reported that "Zanchetta was a personal friend of the Holy Father":

"[T]he words of the priest who signed the second document [testimony], "Zanchetta was a personal friend of the Holy Father."
(LifeSiteNews, "Pope Francis knew of Bishop's abuse years before Vatican posting, new document indicate," February 27, 2019)

Or when on September 24, 2018, LifeSiteNews reported that another "friend" of Francis was protected by him from a credible allegation when he blocked an investigation of a abused woman who credibly accused a group of priests including Francis's friend Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor.

The woman, also, accused, among the group of priests, the pedophile priest Fr. Michael "Hill [of] abus[ing] her in the late 1960s, there were several other priests present and involved. She claims that Murphy-O'Connor was among them":

"Pope Francis told Cardinal Gerhard Müller in 2013 to stop investigating abuse allegations against British Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, according to a highly-placed Vatican source who spoke to Marco Tossati. Murphy-O'Connor, as a member of the “Sankt [St.] Gallen mafia,” played a pivotal role in getting Jorge Bergoglio elected Pope in 2013."

"...The lady who accused Murphy-O'Connor himself of abuse, claims that when Hill abused her in the late 1960s, there were several other priests present and involved. She claims that Murphy-O'Connor was among them. She, who then lived in what is now the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, had entered in the early 2000s into an agreement with the Diocese and received £40,000 payment for the abuse of Father Hill."
[https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.lifesitenews.com/mobile/blogs/source-pope-blocked-investigation-of-abuse-allegations-against-cardinal-who#ampshare=https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/source-pope-blocked-investigation-of-abuse-allegations-against-cardinal-who]

And yet more, the Deus Ex Machina blog in a post titled "This Might Sound Crazy, But this Question Needs to be Asked" said that Francis's inner circle is a "WHO’S WHO of the homo-mafia":

"It appears as if it’s a WHO’S WHO of the homo-mafia in the upper echelons of the post-conciliar church."

I mean, it’s like Francis has a LIST of names of the worst HOMOHERETICS in the post-conciliar church and is promoting them, with their entire entourages to the highest levels of the government of the Vatican."

Moreover, the blog had a video to illustrate the point:

"[T]his here caught the ever gazeful eye of this humble blogger, not to mention his news feed filters:"

[https://sarmaticusblog.wordpress.com/]

The Catholic Argentinian website the Wanderer on October 23, 2014 posted "Unmasking Bergoglio" where it said "Bergoglio [Francis] always had the 'gay agenda'" and bestowed "constant protection that he lavished on many homosexual priests":

"Bergoglio always had the "gay agenda" among his plans... It is a question of asking the Buenoairean clergy about the constant protection that he lavished on many homosexual priests."

"... Cardinal Bergoglio as Primate... of the Argentine Episcopal Conference... "[had a] "star"... of the Argentine Episcopate. The great theologian... of the poor [Archbishop Juan Carlos Maccarone]."

"Until... in March 2005 a video appeared in which the archbishop appeared having sexual games with a young man... Pope Benedict XVI... immediately removed [him from his]... position [as bishop]."

"The reaction of Bergoglio"

"By a letter that Maccarone himself directed in [to] his bother bishops, it can be easily deduced that the entire Argentine episcopal gang knew of his weakness... And, in spite of that, they promoted him to the episcopal office."

"... Bergoglio... issued a statement in which he expressed his 'gratitude' to the former bishop [Maccarone]."

"... The spokesman of the arzobipado porteno went out to say... the [sex] video corresponded to "the private life of Bishop Maccarone."

Jimmy Burns in his book "Francis, Pope of Good Promise" after referencing that "Maccarone resigned" because of the "videotape showing the bishop having 'intimate relations'" wrote:

"Bergoglio's own spokesman, rather than focus on Maccarone's political links with Kirchner, jumped to the bishop's defense claiming he had been set up."

"... Fortunato Millimaci, a Buenos Aires sociologist [said]... 'This means that the idea of the Catholic Church as a moral reference of a Catholic nation is very strongly in doubt... It shows that a double standard exists within the Church [of Bergoglio] itself.'" (Pages 231-232)

Francis's inner circle since leaving Argentina is largely composed of the gay lobby and those who covered-up for them:

Business Standard, September 19, 2017:

Francis's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith perfect Archbishop Ferrer will go to trail for "complicity in alleged cover-up" of paedophile priest.

The Telegraph, July 19, 2013:

"Pope's [Francis's] 'eyes and ears' in Vatican bank [allegedly] 'had string of homosexual affairs'... [Battista] Ricca is a trusted confidante of the Pope"

LifeSiteNews, March 7,2018:

Francis's closest advisor in the C9 papal inner circle Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga left in charge of his Honduras archdiocese his close confidant Bishop Juan Pineda "accused of 'abusing seminarians, having a string of male lovers.'"

National Catholic Reporter, April 29, 2014:

Francis's close advisor in C9 papal inner circle Cardinal "Errazuriz [and his]... successor... [Cardinal] Ezzati" "Chilean cardinals close to pope stained by abuse cover-ups" of priest sex abuser of Juan Carlos Cruz.
Remember

The Remnant, September 12, 2017:

Francis's confidant Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio's Secretary has homosexual orgy in Vatican:

"Secretary to the powerful Cardinal Francesco 'Positive Realities of Homosexuals'... [Coccopalmerio's Secretary] Capozzi was arrested for hosting a raucous drug fueled homosexual orgy."

BBC, August 29, 2010 & LifeSiteNews, September 16, 2017:

Francis collaborator invited by Pope to be number two representative in family synod "Belgian Cardinal Danneels condoned sex-abuse silence."

The Week, January 3, 2017:

"Pope Francis and his cardinal allies... known to interfere...  on abuse cases... Consider case of [serial sex-abuser] Fr. Mauro Inzoli... Francis returned him to the priestly state."

Vebuumdei.blogspot, June 23, 2014 & Catholic Monitor, April 18, 2017:

Francis strolled hand in hand down the street with gay activist Fr. Luigi Ciotti at a anti-gangster event.

Chiesa, December 16, 2016:

Vatican expert Sandro Magister said Francis has a "number of homosexual priests in the inner circle of his closest collaborators and confidants."

There are still more Francis sex abuse cover-ups not listed in this post which you can find if you do a "Francis sex abuse cover-ups" search of this website.

Pray an Our Father now for the restoration of the Church.