That’s what this report from Rorate sounds like. A new group with a more than slightly Orwellian name (and redolent of the personalism/cult of personality that has been distorting Catholicism for over a century) – the Observatory for the Implementation of the Church Reform of Pope Francis (OARCPF) – has sent out letters to Catholic professors at pontifically-recognized colleges around the world, telling them they will be judged as to whether or not they “teach” Amoris Laetitia according to Francis’ intent, which means, allowing adulterers and fornicators to receive the Blessed Sacrament without contrition or confession. This sounds disturbingly me like an inquisition being stood up along progressive lines, forcing the promulgation of opinions – which many view as heresies – contrary to the direct will of Jesus Christ and as revealed throughout Sacred Scripture by both Our Lord and St. Paul.
A bit of explanatory text from Rorate, and then a copy of the letter which has been sent to Roman institutions with threatening tone:
You will not believe the ridiculousness of it all, but Bergoglioland has finally reached full Banana Republic status. Pope Francis, the Anastasio Somoza of Adultery, the Papa Doc of Sinful Cohabitation, has under him now a Secret “Police”, the Osservatorio per l’Attuazione della Riforma della Chiesa di Papa Francesco (OARCPF – Observatory for the Implementation of the Church Reform of Pope Francis) sending out e-mail letters of official tone to professors in Roman institutions demanding them to teach Amoris Laetitia according to the mind of the Pope (that is, Holy Communion to public adulterers and fornicators) — or (the threat is obviously implied) to face expulsion………
……….Magister transcribes the letter received by faculty in the Pontifical Institute John Paul II for Studies on Marriage and the Family (linked to the Lateran University). The threats contained in it are not hollow, because Francis himself intervened earlier this year to completely subject the board of the Institute to HIS new view of marriage (as opposed to Jesus Christ’s and John Paul II’s), putting strong henchmen in their place. Men who would not mind following orders, even if absurd.
The text of the communique, with my emphasis and comments:
Subject: Monitoring of studies and teaching in the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family
Dear Mr/Ms Professor
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family
Pontifical Lateran University
Vatican City
As has already happened and is happening for other pastoral, academic, and cultural Catholic institutions, our Observatory for the Implementation of the Church Reform of Pope Francis (OARCPF) – an initiative of a group of Catholuc lay people in support of the pontificate of Pope Francis – has begun in the current academic year the monitoring of the contents of publications of faculty and the teachings imparted [in class] in the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in order to make clear the adaptations or eventual disagreements regarding the address made by Pope Francis on the occasion of the opening of the new academic year of your Institute (Sala Clementina, October 28, 2016), in which you were called “to support the necessary opening of the intelligence of the faith in the service of the pastoral solicitude of the Successor of Peter.” [We are truly living through unprecedented times. There may have been disastrous popes, even popes that held personal errors, but never has a pontiff not only held personal errors but tried to inflict them on the entire Church as a substitute for the Truth, as some kind of benign and holy reform! Never in modern history have multiple cardinals submitted dubia to the reigning pontiff demanding he clarify his doctrinal errors in light of Tradition/Catholic belief. Incredibly, and contrary to all precedent, Francis has ignored this request for clarification/correction. It’s been 40 years since large numbers of Catholic intellectuals have risen up in opposition – some privately, others publicly – against the destructive “reforms” being foisted upon the Church by the Bishop of Rome. I would wager that never in history has a pope more publicly challenged, undermined, and even directly attacked the Sacred Deposit of faith. Unbelievable.]
In particular, the contents of published works and the imparted classes will be taken into consideration in reference to what is expressed in the apostolic Exhortation “Amoris laetitia”, according to the image “of the Church that is, not of a Church thought in one’s own image and likeness,” orienting research and teaching not anymore towards “a too abstract theological ideal of matrimony, almost artificially built, far from the concrete situation and from the effective possibilities of families as they are” (Pope Francis, mentioned address, October 28, 2016). [TFrancis has declared repeatedly, both directly and by inference, that Grace is not all-powerful, that “concrete situations” and “effective possibilities” overwhelm individuals and make them powerless to act – “powerless” to stop sinning. This is a heresy in and of itself, that God does not provide souls with all the tools they need to avoid sin, especially mortal sins like fornication and adultery. This is a totally toxic and endlessly destructive notion, revealing the schizophrenia that results from trying to marry Catholicism with leftism. The destruction this ideology will wreak is unimaginable, and yet this man may remain in office for years more, for reasons known only to God]
To this end, we will make use of the analytical and critical reading of the studies published by the faculty, of the theses of graduation and doctorate approved by the Institute, of the syllabus of classes of of their bibliographies, as well as interviews of students made after classes, in the square in front of the Lateran University. [Incredible. Doctrine turned on its head. Doctrinal conformity will be enforced, but along lines hostile to the constant belief and practice of the Faith. We see yet again that liberality of thought and “freedom of inquiry” are nothing but tools used by modernist-progressives to gain power – once they seize it, they squash dissent]
Certain that we are doing a useful task to improve the service that you perform with dedication to the Church and to the Holy Father, we keep you up to date on the results of our observational study.
Observatory for the Implementation of the Church Reform of Pope Francis (OARCPF) – Section for Rome
Rorate opines at the end this intervention may only be directed at the Pontifical JPII Institute or Roman institutes. Perhaps. We shall see if this effort broadens. I would tend to imagine it will.
Either that, or this JPII institute for marriage and the family has been singled out as a likely locus of resistance towards Francis’ dubious doctrinal assertions and thus merits special intervention, a la the Franciscans of the Immaculate. One must conclude Francis considered them a unique threat to his modernist agenda, one to be taken out early, in spite of the bad PR such draconian action generated.