Archive for the ‘catholic’ Category

Doing the “Pope is Dead” stuff Wrong

Posted: April 22, 2025 by datechguy in catholic

Let’s cut to the chase.

Anybody who has read this blog for the last 12 years knows I have definite opinions on the pontificate of Francis particularly compared to John Paul II & Benedict who came before him who set an incredibly high bar. If I leave out John XXIII who died when I was 16 days old Francis is the fifth pope of my lifetime and you likely can guess where I would place him on my list of Popes during my life and I will be very happy to write about this subject in about a month’s time when the vote for his successor is either in progress or his successor is in place.

If you expect me to write about that subject now you will be disappointed. Now is the time to pray for him and show him the respect that any newly deceased Pope deserves and to pray that God shows him the mercy that we should be wishing on all souls who seek it (and even some who do not).

I dislike the new trend to hit the dead in the days after they die and any Christian in general and Catholic in particular should know better, you know the whole “blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.
” business.

Again feel free to hit my archive if you looking for a critique of Francis but for now we’re going to pray for him and join in the official period of mourning that the church does.

A list of five bits of Good advice for Christians on Easter Sunday8

  1. Christ’s death and Resurrection paid for the sins of everyone who has ever lived and gave us all a shot at heaven. This includes loony leftists to torch Teslas, Palestinian terrorists who slaughter Jews, Men who think they’re women and the Annoying neighbor whose dog shits on your lawn. He didn’t play favorites, he redeemed everyone, even you.
  2. You have no idea when Christ will choose to touch people and when/if they will respond. There were a fair amount of Pharisees who became Christians and some of them likely were in favor of the Crucifixion before then. You would not have liked Matthew or Mary Magdalene the day before Christ touched them.
  3. In the end you can’t force someone across the finish line. You can warn and advise the foolish bridesmaids as much as you want, you can point them to the oil store and even loan them a few bucks to buy it but it’s their responsibility to be ready.
  4. If you spend all your time focusing on the sins of others you will likely miss your own redemption and be one of those who cried Lord Lord. Don’t be the guy who cries Lord Lord and doesn’t get into heaven.
  5. It’s ok to not understand or to even doubt some things. The disciples who saw Jesus walk on water, raise the dead repeatedly didn’t understand and doubted and they were there. Worry about walking before you run.

None of these are easy to keep in mind or to accept but all of them are Christianity 101

At WQPH 89.3 FM we are getting ready for our 2nd Annual Shrove Tuesday Brunch. You can get your tickets online here:

The tickets include a brunch (ham & eggs, stuffed chicken, pene & meatballs), prayer, our guest speaker and relics for veneration. (We will have relics of St. Faustina, St. Camillus and a relic of the true cross present.)

It’s limited to 100 tickets so if you want a seat I’d move now. Click on the ticket and it will take you to the WQPH donate page, simply put “Brunch” on the paypal note as shown here:

also if you want to by a ticket or tickets for someone who can’t afford one add the word “patron” and we’ll give a ticket to an elderly or religious who wishes to go. If you buy 10 tickets you or your group will be considered a Sponsor of the event and be mentioned at the event.

If at all possible try and get your tickets by the 10th not only do you get better pricing but I’ll know if we need the large room or the small room at the venue.

Click on the ticket above or go to wqphradio.org for tickets. We will keep them at the door for you or mail them to you is you wish.

If you prefer to pay by Check, they can be made payable to ELRN (Eternal Life Radio Network) and mailed to:

WQPH 89.3 FM
P.O. Box 589
Medford, MA 02155

Oh and here is this month’s Indulgence Calendar:

Don’t forget for this jubilee year you can earn 2 plenary indulgences each day.

Squadron Leader Bartlett: Come on, fellas. Move! Move! We can get dozens out in this darkness.

The Great Escape 1963

Well in addition to a New Year it’s a New Month so while the blog is now a part time hobby there is still a new Indulgence Calendar. (Jimmy Carter will have to wait till next month as the calendar was done before he died.)

And yes a Protestant can in fact be on the indulgence calendar, in fact as they don’t believe in purgatory and aren’t praying for their dead one might consider that a Protestant needs the prayers of the indulgence calendar even more to hurry them along through purgatory as they aren’t getting a lot of help in that regard from friends and family nor are masses being said except for general masses for the souls in purgagtory.

And of course this jubilee year there are special indulgences available not only to those who visit Rome and the jubilee churches there but in local dioceses everywhere. Check at your local Diocese web site for details and also at the USCCB site for more details on the Jubilee

The English language Papal Bull containing listing the special plenary indulgences available is here.

A quick summery the special Jubilee year indungences are avaialble if you:

  1. Pilgrimages The faithful, pilgrims of hope, will be able to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence granted by the Holy Father if they undertake a pious pilgrimage to a sacred jubilee site:
    • If you can’t get to Rome, the Holy Land check the local diocese for the site designated.
  2. Pious visits to sacred places , individually or in a group, they devoutly visit any Jubilee site and there, for a suitable period of time, engage in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with
    • the Our Father
    • the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form
    • and invocations to Mary, the Mother of God, so that in this Holy Year everyone “will come to know the closeness of Mary, the most affectionate of mothers, who never abandons her children” (Spes non confundit, 24).
    • In addition to Jubilee sites listed check with the local Bishop’s web site for sites in your area
  3. Works of mercy and penance In addition, the faithful will be able to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if, with a devout spirit, they participate in popular missions, spiritual exercises, or formation activities on the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, held in a church or other suitable place, according to the mind of the Holy Father…the faithful will be able to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if they
    • visit, for an appropriate amount of time, their brothers and sisters who are in need or in difficulty (the sick, prisoners, lonely elderly people, disabled people…), in a sense making a pilgrimage to Christ present in them
    • In particular the penitential nature of Friday can be rediscovered through abstaining, in a spirit of penance, at least for one day of the week from futile distractions (real but also virtual distractions, for example,
      • the use of the media and/or social networks
      • From superfluous consumption (fasting and abstinence)
      • donating a proportionate sum of money to the poor;
      • supporting works of a religious or social nature, especially in support of the defence and protection of life in all its phases,
      • by supporting the quality of life of abandoned children, young people in difficulty,
      • the needy or lonely elderly people
      • migrants from various countries “who leave their homelands behind in search of a better life for themselves and for their families”
      • dedicating a reasonable portion of one’s free time to voluntary activities that are of service to the community or to other similar forms of personal commitment

In other words there are a TON of ways to earn that 2nd daily plenary indulgence available through Jan 6th 2026 although the 2nd indulgence MUST be for the soul of someone deceased not for yourself.

And remember a Plenary indulgence pays for the ENTIRE debt of sin, it’s a get out of purgatory free card and while Martin Luthor rightly complained about those who disgracefully sold indulgences for profit, that disgrace is long gone. These indulgences like all indulgences won’t cost you a penny. All you need is the willingness to act.

And unlike The Great Escape where they could get dozens out due to darkness through this light we can get millions to where to their ultimate destination who can’t help themselves.

And what better day to act than Jan 1st the Feast of Mary, the other reason for the season because of her act of humbly saying “yes” to she became the Mother of God and made possible the salvation of all his children who are willing to say “yes” to him as well.