Tuesday, October 5, 2021

FRANCIS’ SWISS GUARD QUIT IN MEDICAL MUTINY NEWS: WORLD NEWS...by Jules Gomes • ChurchMilitant.com • October 4, 2021 32 Comments Vatican quashes rebellion of conscientious objectors to forced injections

FRANCIS’ SWISS GUARD QUIT IN MEDICAL MUTINY

by Jules Gomes • ChurchMilitant.com • October 4, 2021 32 Comments

Vatican quashes rebellion of conscientious objectors to forced injections

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VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - Three soldiers have quit and three have been suspended after the Vatican quashed a rebellion of conscientious objectors to coerced abortion-tainted jabs in the ranks of its prestigious Pontifical Swiss Guard.

Swiss Guard spokesman Lt. Urs Breitenmoser told Tribune de Geneve Saturday the resignations had been "voluntary," as Pope Francis faced an embarrassing setback to his vaccine crusade from soldiers who commit to sacrificing their lives to protect the pope.

Breitenmoser confirmed the Vatican had provisionally suspended three other guardsmen from service until they completed their vaccination cycle.

But Vaticanist Edward Pentin revealed at least 30 guardsmen had refused to take the China virus vaccine as recently as July but eventually capitulated after a concerted campaign by the Vatican trying to "indoctrinate and convince" the elite corps to take it.

Dr. Tiziana Sansolini, a physician from the Vatican's health and hygiene directorate led special "seminars" in the Swiss Guard barracks, browbeating the young guardsmen into taking the jab.

Swiss Guard commander Col. Christoph Graf reluctantly received the vaccine only a few days ago after being "threatened," several sources within the corps told Pentin.

A source close to the guardsmen told Church Militant "Graf was threatened earlier in the year at the general audience, saying he would not be allowed to attend it without the vaccine."

Church Militant contacted the Holy See Press Office and Swiss Guard media spokesman Breitenmoser asking for a response to the allegations but received no response as of press time.

Latest Move in Vatican's Vax Crusade

In February, the Vatican City State became the first country in the world to issue a decree threatening legally mandatory vaccinations and suggesting that employees could lose their job if they refuse to take the jab.

After a tsunami of negative publicity in the international media, the Vatican issued a damage control document toning down its earlier "no jab, no job" decree, explaining that its legislation should not be viewed as an instrument of "a sanctioning or punitive nature."

However, on Sept. 18, Holy See Secretary of State Cdl. Pietro Parolin signed a decree ordering unvaccinated Vatican employees to be prohibited from entering their workplace.

For the entire duration of the absence, no pay is due except for social security and welfare withholdings, as well as family allowance.Gab Tweet

"For the entire duration of the absence, no pay is due except for social security and welfare withholdings, as well as family allowance," the decree stated.

Each department would "establish operating procedures for organizing checks and identifying the persons responsible for ascertaining and challenging violations of obligations," Parolin noted.

On Oct.1, the Vatican enforced its so-called Green Pass, prohibiting unvaccinated persons from entering its sovereign territory in Vatican City as well as its extra-territorial properties located in Rome.

Protecting the Pope: Life in the Swiss Guard

Individuals who are not double vaccinated need to show proof of a PCR or rapid antigen test with negative results in the last 48 hours or possess a medical certificate proving recovery from SARS-CoV-2 in the last six months.

The provisions of the ordinance apply to citizens, residents and personnel employed by the world's smallest country, to members of the Roman Curia and institutions connected to it, as well as to all visitors and users of Vatican services.

Vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and ... therefore, it must be voluntary.Gab Tweet

The draconian policy on vaccination contravenes the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) 2020 stating "vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary."

The Vatican's coercive decree also violates the Nuremberg Code, Italian Constitution, and a recent Council of Europe resolution.

Swiss Guard commander Col. Christoph Graf

Resolution 2361 (2021) orders governments to ensure "that citizens are informed that the vaccination is NOT mandatory and that no one is politically, socially or otherwise pressured to get themselves vaccinated if they do not wish to do so themselves."

Swiss Guard May Soon Admit Women

Last month, a fresh controversy erupted over the admission of women into the ranks of the Swiss Guard.

Current rules restrict applicants to Swiss male citizens who served in the Swiss Army and are Catholic, under 30 years of age and athletic, are least 5 feet 8 inches tall and possess an "unblemished reputation."

Nearly all the 135 guardsmen are single men who live in barracks just inside the Vatican gates. Commanders and married members live in separate apartments.

The Vatican is spending an estimated $60 million to build new barracks that would have 123 single rooms distributed over four different floors. The new barracks would facilitate the recruitment of women if the pontiff gave his permission.

The inauguration of the new barracks is scheduled for May 6, 2027 — the 500th anniversary of the Sack of Rome, when 147 guardsmen lost their lives defending Pope Clement VII.

Pope Julius II created the Swiss Guard in 1506 when 150 Swiss soldiers led by Capt. Kaspar of Silenen in the canton of Uri entered the Vatican for the first time and were blessed by the pontiff.

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A SAINT FOR OUR TIMES NEWS: COMMENTARY...by Fr. P.J. Kalchik • ChurchMilitant.com • October 4, 2021 4 Comments St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

A SAINT FOR OUR TIMES

NEWS: COMMENTARY

by Fr. P.J. Kalchik • ChurchMilitant.com • October 4, 2021 4 Comments

St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

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Saint Francis of Assisi was born on Sept. 26, 1181, on the feast of the twin martyrs of the early Church, SS. Cosmas and Damian. Saint Francis, born 840 years ago this year, has always been one of my favorite saints — in large part because we share the same birthdate.

When he was baptized, St. Francis was given the name "John" after St. John the Baptist. But, in time, he would receive the nickname "Francesco" (Francis) by his dad — then an homage to the French. It was a shout-out by Francis' dad to his mother, who was French. After Francis' death, the name Francis came to be a staple for boys throughout the Catholic world (and, even now, most large Catholic families have at least one Francis in their lot).

Saint Francis is, perhaps, the world's most beloved saint. He's known for the canticle he wrote praising God for creation, for founding the Church's largest religious community of men and for being a stigmatic, bearing on his person the wounds of our Lord's Passion.

In modern secular times, St. Francis is perhaps best known for talking to animals and for being an advocate of pets. Many Churches, on St. Francis' feast day, Oct. 4, offer pet blessings as sort of a tribute to the well-loved saint. And many Catholics, if they have any statuary in their garden, will at a minimum have one of the Blessed Mother and one of St. Francis. Saint Francis garden statuary characteristically depicts him holding a dove or two. Many even incorporate birdbaths or even bird feeders.

Sadly, these secular garden depictions of St. Francis fall so short of the mark, failing to portray the strong "man's man" that St. Francis was — as if St. Francis, in the course of his day-to-day life, spent his time talking to birds instead of rebuilding the Church, which he had found in ruins when he was a young man!

Saint Francis, early in his adult life, while in prayer in an abandoned ruin of a chapel outside of Assisi, heard the voice of Our Lord telling him, "Rebuild My Church."

Initially, Francis thought the Lord wanted him literally to rebuild the Chapel of San Damiano. He accomplished this by begging for bricks (and with the help of friends). But after completing this little project, Francis came to realize that the Lord wanted him to rebuild not just the Chapel of San Damiano, but the entire Church — no small order!

Undaunted by the seemingly herculean task, Francis began rebuilding a number of chapels in his area, one stone at a time, one day at a time, unfazed by naysayers and by the conventional wisdom of his day.

During the first days of his life as a religious in vows, Francis learned that what God desired of him most on a given day was that he be obedient to the most holy will of the Divine. Other concerns were secondary. What was most important on a given day was to fulfill the task at hand, to do what God wanted of him and not sweat other worries! God would provide for Francis' needs and for the needs of his companions, as God provided fully for the "lilies of the field" (Matthew 6:28).

Saint of the Day: St. Francis of Assisi

In those first years after Francis responded to God's call to rebuild His Church, a couple of companions joined him in this project. Francis came to understand that Our Lord wanted him and his companions to walk in His footsteps. Jesus said, "Don't take any money for the journey" (Luke 9:3). Francis understood that this meant he and his companions were to take no money for their travels either but to subsist on what people shared with them. Jesus said, "Don't take along for the road a second tunic." Francis and his companions took this literally and would soon be known for having only one rough, simple woolen robe to wear!

In time, Francis and his group of stalwart companions would be known for tying their robes together at the waist with a simple rope with three knots. One knot was for their promise of poverty, walking in the footsteps of Christ as men who owned nothing. One knot was for obedience to God, as Christ was obedient to God the Father and suffered His passion and death to redeem humanity. And one knot was for their promise of chastity, putting aside all sexual intimacy and marriage as Our Lord did during His time on earth.

Francis came to understand that Our Lord wanted him and his companions to walk in His footsteps. Gab Tweet

These three promises or vows that Francis and his companions kept are referred to in the Church as the evangelical counsels. They are called evangelical because they are based on Our Lord and His teachings found in the Gospels. And they are referred to as counsels as Our Lord, in the course of His teaching, counseled His disciples to keep these promises. "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matthew 19:21).

Francis — no namby-pamby sort of a guy — became renowned during his lifetime for following God's directive in all things. He even attempted to convert a Muslim sultan in Egypt: not the actions of a weak man or cowardly man by any stretch of the imagination!

In 1219, St. Francis and a companion went to Egypt, hoping to appear before the sultan and convert him to the Christian faith.

Thomas of Celano, an early companion of St. Francis, describes the encounter with the sultan as follows:

Taking a companion with him, he was not afraid to present himself to the sight of the sultan of the Saracens.
Who is equal to the task of telling this story?
What great firmness he showed standing in front of him!
With great strength of soul he spoke to him,
With eloquence and confidence
He answered those who insulted the Christian law.
Before he reached the sultan, he was captured by soldiers, insulted and beaten, but was not afraid. He did not flinch at threats of torture nor was he shaken by death threats. Although he was ill-treated by many with a hostile spirit and a harsh attitude, he was received very graciously by the sultan. The sultan honored him as much as he could, offering him many gifts, trying to turn his mind to worldly riches. But when he saw that he resolutely scorned all these things like dung, the sultan was overflowing with admiration and recognized him as a man unlike any other. He was moved by his words and listened to him very willingly.
In all this, however,
The Lord did not fulfill his desire
Reserving for him the prerogative of a unique grace. [An allusion to St. Francis later receiving the stigmata.]

Lamentably, despite Francis' best efforts, the sultan would not then convert, and a sad Francis returned to Assisi.

Saint Francis was known to have the stigmata or the wounds of Christ. This grace Francis bore on his person for over two years, from Sept. 13, 1224 until his death on Oct. 3, 1226. He passed to eternal life at the age of 45.

The stigmata are a visible, physical manifestation of Christ's wounds. The recipient of the stigmata — in this case, St. Francis — feels in some measure the pain of the wounds of Our Lord's Passion. Saint Francis' companions attest that he felt those pains when he had the stigmata.

The stigmata are a visible, physical manifestation of Christ's wounds.Gab Tweet

Catholic Online states:

One morning, near the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, a six-winged angel allegedly appeared to Francis while he prayed. As the angel approached, Francis could see that the angel was crucified. He was humbled by the sight, and his heart was filled with elation joined by pain and suffering.

And again we look to Thomas of Celano for more:

His hands and feet seemed to be pierced by nails, with the heads of the nails appearing in the palms of his hands and on the upper sides of his feet, the points appearing on the other side. The marks were round on the palm of each hand but elongated on the other side, and small pieces of flesh jutting out from the rest took on the appearance of the nail-ends, bent and driven back. In the same way the marks of nails were impressed on his feet and projected beyond the rest of the flesh. Moreover, his right side had a large wound as if it had been pierced with a spear, and it often bled so that his tunic and trousers were soaked with his sacred blood.

Saint Francis of Assisi was no weak, cowardly man by any stretch of the imagination. He was a man commissioned by Our Lord Himself to rebuild the Church. Put aside those images in your mind of garden statues of Francis speaking to the birds and holding up birdbaths! Francis was a man's man, one who dared to venture to convert a sultan and who was graced the last two years of his life with the very painful wounds of Our Savior. Francis was far from the garden variety of a Catholic saint; banish that from your mind.