“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and flieth: and the wolf catcheth, and scattereth the sheep: And the hireling flieth, because he is a hireling: and he hath no care for the sheep.” - John 10:11-16

Commenting on the subject, Fr. Cornelius a Lapide makes the following observation “Neither prophets, nor apostles, nor anyone else could do this. For though they were slain for the sake of the faithful, yet they did not redeem them, sanctify, or beatify them”

Our Blessed Lord told this parable to warn His sheep about men who, having attained the office of custodian of the sheepfold and thus represent the doorway by which the sheep access both good pasture and peaceful repose after the day’s toil, would be their source of scandal and damnation. Jesus in telling this parable extolls the virtues of the good shepherd among which are fidelity to the truths of the faith and fortitude. A true shepherd crushes heresies and drives away wicked persons, while he nourishes his flock with sound doctrines and fortifies their soul with the Sacraments, he is not one to fatten himself with milk from his flock – (Ezek xxxiv. 2)

St John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, was a noble example of this; he refused to exchange his poor bishoprick for a wealthier one, saying that he could render a better account at the day of judgment for his few sheep and small gains than he could for greater ones. In his words, “If men did but know how exact an account would be required, they would not seek to obtain great and wealthy bishoprics.” (Sanders in Schism. Angl.)

Selflessness to the degree of laying down one’s life for another is acquired from the Supernatural gift of infused charity. Man’s natural inclination in adversity is self-preservation, hence a shepherd devoid of the Supernatural life will count his life of more value than that of his sheep. Yet he is bound by sacred duty to expose his bodily life to danger should the occasion demand it for the good of the souls placed in his charge.

When the plague broke out in Milan in August of 1576, St Charles Borromeo straightway considered it a chastisement for sin and sought to give himself more to prayer, he prepared himself for death and on the 9th of September he prepared his will and gave himself entirely to his people. The hospital of St Gregory was where the most severe cases lay, and he visited them regularly to provide both spiritual and material comfort. Wishing to do penance for his people, he walked in procession, bare feet, with a rope round his neck, at one time bearing in his hand the relic of the Holy Nail. The Bull of his Canonization issued by Pope Paul V in 1610, describes him as “…a man who lived crucified to the world… seeking heavenly things while disregarding earthly comforts”. His actions during the plague—organizing relief efforts,

leading penitential processions and personally ministering to the sick—were seen as profound demonstrations of his holiness. He is depicted in sacred art with an angel re-sheathing a bloodied sword, symbolizing the end of the plague. His unwavering faith and dedication to his people during this crisis were considered key aspects of his sanctity.

St. Damien of Molokai, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Joan of Arc, are just a few who, aware of the dire consequences, placed the welfare of their flock before theirs which led to their eventual death. St. Francis of Assisi famously traveled to meet the Sultan of Egypt during the Crusades, risking his life to promote peace, St Anthony of Padua inspired by the heroic virtue of the young Franciscan Martyrs travelled to Morocco to preach the gospel and possibly embrace martyrdom like his brothers. Christian history is awash with heroic acts of self-sacrificial love, following in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd.

In the light of such a rich history of self-sacrifice it is hard to believe that in recent decades there has been a significant turn of events leading to the proximate normalization of wicked deeds by those in whose care the flock are entrusted. We have prelates who feed their flock doctrines that are condemned by holy Popes, Councils and infallible Magisterial documents which has been the constant teaching of the Church, we have Papal documents severely restricting the use of the immemorial liturgical rites of the Church, men of questionable moral character reported for committing crimes against vulnerable people in their care left to continue or transferred elsewhere. These men just naturally go on to perpetrate their evil deeds further causing scandal, disillusionment and despair among the faithful, while some of them have been promoted to the highest ecclesiastical offices and so wield even more power by aggravated scandal!

The horrific deeds of the late Mr. Theodore McCarrick, a laicized Cardinal easily comes to mind. While the likes of Fr Marko Rupnik, excommunicated for absolving a nun for sins contrary to the Sixth Commandment for which he was the other party is another. In a surprise turn of events, Rupnik’s excommunication was rescinded by the Holy See despite the decision of the committee set up to investigate accusations which led to his expulsion from the Jesuit Order, consequently, another investigation is ongoing. He stands accused of other unprintable sexual abuses which were spiritual and psychological in nature committed against nuns in his pastoral care at the Loyola Community which he co-founded. The Loyola Community was closed for these reasons. He is currently a priest in good standing.

During the pandemic of 2020, a virus infection whose survival rate stands at about 98.2% according to the Center for Disease Control, the shepherds closed the churches and prohibited any form of access by their flock, priests were forbidden to administer Sacraments. People died without the comfort of the Sacraments. Months later, when the ban on Liturgical Celebrations was lifted, sacrilegious practices were enforced in order to “stay

safe”. Protocols like having the priest sanitize his hands with chemicals before and after administering the Holy Eucharist, and the faithful receiving Him standing and in the palm without the option of receiving Him reverently by kneeling and on the tongue (which by the way is the norm, the other being an indult), an outright defiance to the provisions of the Code of Canon Law and the latest Magisterial document on the proper celebration of the Holy Eucharist - Redemptionis Sacramentum, 2004, were strictly enforced and Communion in the hand have been normalized in places it never existed since then.

Fiducia Supplicans December 18, 2023 - a document put out by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith permits priests to “bless” people living in adultery and sodomy. The document claims that the blessing is not on the union but the persons, it goes on to express hope that “God’s grace will enrich, heal, and elevate what is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives”. The document further states that the prayers must not take the form of a liturgical rite, but “…invoking the presence of the Holy Spirit to help individuals grow in fidelity to the Gospel and in their personal journey of faith.” - It is worthy of note that there is no mention of a rebuke of the evil lifestyle, hence nothing of penance and a firm purpose of amendment.

In an official message to Buddhists on the Pagan feast of Vesak a few days ago, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue sent them a message in a document titled Buddhists and Christians in Liberating Dialogue for our time – May 12, 2025. The document quotes the Vatican II document, Nostra Aetate, “Buddhism in its various forms testifies to the essential inadequacy of this changing world. It proposes a way of life by which people can, with confidence and trust, attain a state of perfect liberation and reach supreme illumination either through their own efforts or with divine help” (Nostra Aetate, 2). For you, the Buddhist path to liberation involves transcending ignorance, craving, and suffering through insight, ethical conduct, and mental discipline. The journey towards Nibbana – the ultimate freedom from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth – highlights the transformative power of wisdom and compassion…This yearning for true liberation finds deep resonance in our shared pursuit of truth and fullness of life, and it aligns with the teachings of our respective traditions. The Buddha taught that, “he who is free from craving and attachment, is perfect in uncovering the true meaning of the Teaching, and knows the arrangement of the sacred texts in correct sequence – he indeed is the bearer of his final body. He is truly called the profoundly wise one, the great man” (Dhammapada, Ch. 24, V. 352). For Jesus, knowledge of Truth is liberating: “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). – Without a shred of doubt, this is the reason Our Blessed Lord told that parable!

There was the worship of the Paca Mama idol by the Pope and bishops in the Vatican Gardens in Oct 2019, and of course the participation of the Pope and bishops at a pagan ritual in Canada in July 2022. Papal utterances such as “…I like to think that hell is empty”, “…all

religions lead to God”, the Papal proposition of civil protection for sodomite couples, the institution of the Abrahamic Center in Jerusalem. Synod on synodality – a systematic deconstruction of the hierarchical structure of the Church aimed at decentralizing Her government and turning Her administration into a democracy. These regrettable evils have consistently scandalized the little ones and caused priests and faithful out of prudence and modesty to try to square the circle by struggling to explain obvious contradictions to the deposit of faith.

All these barely scratch the surface and have caused a significant degree of confusion, despair and indifference in the faithful towards the practice of the faith, while many never returned to the sheepfold after the closure of churches in 2020, belief in the truths of the faith have significantly waned, as over 70% of Catholics in the US according to the recent Pew Research, do not believe in the Real Presence. The way the faith is taught, has shifted dramatically from adhering to the dogmas and Divine Revelation, to “lived experiences” and “feelings”, consequently the morality of deeds now focuses more on the persons’ conscience and circumstances rather than objective truth as handed down by the Apostles.

Poor catechesis produces badly formed consciences and with moral relativism deeply entrenched, the outcome is total indifference and tepidity at best. How can the judgement of such consciences be trusted? Thus the sheep are outrightly led astray by priests and bishops (in good standing) who promote “alternative lifestyles” and new age ideologies.

When the Second Vatican Council was announced, the Italian word, Aggiornamento was used which means bringing up to date or update, to describe its vision. The Pope in a 1961 speech, described the Council’s principal task as the "modernization (aggiornamento) of the Church after 20 centuries of life." Well, 60 years on we have “modernized” shepherds using words like dialogue and inclusivity without a mention of repentance and amendment of life. Dialogue but not to teach what was commanded, while inclusivity directly implies, considering Catholic, persons who reject the dogmas of the faith and so live lives contrary to Christian virtues. Sins that cry out to God for vengeance are today called fancy worldly names to avoid the jarring effect its proper name has on Catholic sensibilities or probably to remain politically correct. These names and terms are now used in what should be official Ecclesiastical documents and normalized in Catholic parlance.

Following the recent death of Pope Francis, the College of Cardinals have elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Shepherd of God’s flock. We pray that he co-operates with the abundant grace of God by virtue of his grace of state, to face head-on, the glaring contradictions to the faith, and with his Papal authority undo these grave evils plaguing the

Spotless Bride of Christ. May his pontificate be characterized by an absolute adherence to the doctrines of Eternal Rome, Her transmission, the defense of Catholic Tradition and ultimately the restoration of Social Kingship of Christ in the world.

Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat.