“Francis, Rebuild My Church”

The pontificate of Pope Francis will likely be modeled after St. Francis of Assisi whose humble way of self denial was the foundation of a spiritual renewal that restored peace to the Church in his day. St. Francis is traditionally portrayed with a dove perched on his shoulder, symbolizing the Holy Spirit of peace that rested upon him, though peace today might have some difficulty in finding herself a suitable nest in Rome.

Just two weeks before announcing his resignation, on the occasion of the annual Caravan of Peace, Pope Benedict XVI released the dove of peace from the Vatican balcony, but it was suddenly attacked by a resident Vatican seagull that normally perches on the Sistine Chapel smokestack. As thousands of pilgrims looked on, the fearsome gull, swooping down, chased and harried the terrified dove as it tried to escape among the ancient pillars and porticos. Pope's dove of peace almost ends in pieces Could this providentially foreshadow how Benedict would give flight to the clerical dove of peace, Francis, who in turn would be attacked by Vatican vultures who mock his dove-like simplicity? Already he is being attacked by media inspectors going through his political "baggage", but ultimately this attack will come from dissatisfied liberals within the Vatican. His Marian devotion sets him apart from the Vatican bureaucracy, as does his contempt for riches and worldly living, his staunch denunciation of gay rights, his love of the poor and rejected, and his regard for the Cross of Christ outside of which, according to him, we become nothing more than worldlings void of all spirit. He truly reflects the spirit of St. Francis in his voluntary poverty and contempt of the world, a cause sneered at by many of today's religious leaders.

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But this humble cause will be the foundation of the coming restoration of the Church. Christ once told St. Francis, "Rebuild my Church", which he did through the Franciscan Order whereby the Church laden with corruptive wealth was reformed. Will Pope Francis also hear the call of Christ to "rebuild my Church" and be another Francis during these days of extravagance and apostasy when the Church has been all but reduced to ruins? Popes know their calling and undertake what they do for reason. For example, Pope Benedict during his reign made two significant visits to the tomb of Pope St. Celestine V who was the first pontiff to decree that a pope could abdicate the throne for good cause, a move that he himself made for the good of the Church. Benedict followed suit and also made this move for the good of the Church. Similarly, Cardinal Bergoglio took on the name Francis for the good of the Church, and then the first thing he did after his election was to make a special visit to kneel before the altar-tomb of Pius V, the mega-reformer of the 16th century who cleaned up the Curia, excommunicated heretical bishops, cleansed out immorality and swept the church clean, paving the way for the Counter Reformation which restored peace and security to the Church. To seal the work of God, he placed a divine lock on the fort by mandating that the Mass of the Council of Trent be the only Mass used in the Roman Rite from that day forth. Is it any accident that Pope Francis laid his cause before the Altar of Pius V before proceeding another step with his pontificate? Even as a cardinal he was instant to implement the Tridentine Mass in his diocese in response to Summorum Pontificum that Pope Benedict issued on July 7, 2007. [REPORT] And whereas his performance as a cardinal may not have been as staunchly conservative as some would like, let us not forget the example of Pope Pius IX, a former liberal, who after his coronation became the hammer of liberal heretics through the grace of state of the Petrine office. Note too, that Pope Francis carried the crosier of Pius IX at his first Mass at the Sistine Chapel, if that says anything. Another interesting point about Pope Francis is the reference made to him by a holy mystic and stigmatist, Antonio Ruffini, whose cause Pope Pius XII had blessed. Father Nicholas Gruner of the Fatima Center knew Ruffini and paid a visit to his home in the early 1990s. During the conversation he asked Ruffini point blank: "Is John Paul II the Pope who is going to do the Consecration of Russia?" He answered: "No, it’s not John Paul. It will not be his immediate successor either, but the one after that. He is the one who will consecrate Russia." (see video upper right [url=http://www.fatima.org]http://www.fatima.org[/url]) Too good to be true? When we consider his rare Marian devotion and dedication to the 15 decade Rosary, it is not far fetched to think that Pope Francis will be the instrument used by God to Consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. According to Fr. Gruner, Francis takes an active interest in Fatima and had even written to him on two occasions (as Cardinal Bergoglio) to tell him that he had two parishes in his diocese that were dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. What makes this even more impressive is that Fr. Gruner is exclusively a Tridentine Mass priest who many priests won't even associate with because of his traditionalist profile, let alone bishops, yet Cardinal Bergoglio had no qualms about corresponding with Fr. Gruner on personal and down to earth terms. Down to earth is a term that describes Francis well. He is certainly loved by the common people and outcasts of society, and his humble beginnings coupled with his rich devotion to the Blessed Virgin no doubt will make him a suitable instrument in the hand of God to lift the people out of their miseries and attract them toward God. As Christ told Peter, Feed My sheep, and we pray Francis will be a courageous shepherd who will stand against the wolves and guard his sheep, unifying them with the sublime remedies of old wherewith God has inspired and edified His flock through the centuries.