Steve Skojec is having a spiritual meltdown. I have been where he is at--We should pray for him—another victim of the Church of Vatican II and the divisions within Traditional circles.
https://onepeterfive.com/saying-no-to-crippled-religion/
it gives rise to an autonomous collection of mini-popes, all of them reveling in their “duty” to speak truth to power, analyzing anyone who ostensibly professes the same creed to death, searching for every “gotcha” moment with which they can be browbeaten for being insufficiently pure.
Why was his children denied communion?
There is something in the Pre-V2 Church that warranted the scourging of the Lord. To just run back to what pre-existed the Conciliar Church without trying to get a handle on what that was won’t work - and the Lord won’t let it work, since it warranted, and would warrant, His judgment.
THIS ^^^
There were a lot of bad priests before and leading up to Vatican II.
We need to distinguish between the respect we owe to the priesthood and the unworthiness of a particular priest. Similarly, we have respect for our country, even while acknowledging that it has turned into a total cesspool.
As a counter to the grossly irreverent attitude towards the priesthood in the Conciliar Church, there's this feeling among some Traditional Catholics that to have any negative thought about a priest is a sin against Our Lord, so they are racked with guilt, and try to suppress these thoughts, so they find themselves battling objective truth out of guilt. "Priest says 2+2=5. No, it's not. Yes it is. No it's not. It would be wrong to trust my private judgment and not defer to the priest. So I'll believe 2+2=5. But I can't." This leads to the neurosis expressed by Steve.
Yes, indeed, this was crappy behavior on the part of this priest. Embrace that thought. It's OK. Because it's true. You will not be struck by lightening or causing Our Lord to rain tears from Heaven. Now, once you get past that, instead of resenting the priest, you just feel pity for him and pray for him, since his soul may be in great danger.
I know whereof I speak, because this kind of thing happened to me personally, where at one of the darkest times in my life, I was kicked to the curb by a priest and thrown under the bus. He wouldn't give me the time of day. So I struggled with the cult-like following this priest had promoted for himself, constantly reminding people that he was Christ Himself. So, for a while, rather than simply embrace a righteous indignation that I had been betrayed, I struggled with thinking that I really deserved to be cast aside like a piece of trash. Took me a bit to snap out of that.
Why was his children denied communion?He hasn't been to Mass and is publicly talking about apostatizing.
Thanks for posting this. Poor Steve needs to shut it all off and be alone with God. :pray:Yes. You are right. :pray:
Many priests build these cults around themselves. Many are in fact drawn to the priesthood because they were failures in the world and in this way can feel as if they're bigshots. They revel in the thought of people walking around bowing their heads as they pass.(Sorry. That was thumbs up; not down. )
Those are the ones that fall the hardest.
We need to pray for them. And sometimes charity even requires that people tell them off to snap them out of this self-worship.
He hasn't been to Mass and is publicly talking about apostatizing.
But somehow, livestreaming from home with the bishop’s permission instead of livestreaming from the parish hall makes you a bad Catholic.
So a newborn is denied Baptism because the baby isnt catechized. Or deny sacrament of Holy Communion to a child when they are handing out Holy Communion to pro abortion, pro ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ politicians.So true.
The Pope and his peers are poorly catechized.
Steve's turmoil is caused by a continuation of what brought him here, an excessive guilt-driven need to worship priests.^^^
Let it out, Steve, and just repeat this: "This priest sucks." and/or "This is a crappy priest."
Until you can embrace this as a legitimate judgment, you'll keep torturing yourself with guilt about feeling that way.
But truth is truth.
We've had crappy priests since time immemorial, with Judas himself at the Last Supper.
Once you can get past this passive-aggressive repression and part feeling sorry for yourself (acting victim), and just embrace the truth that "This priest sucks.", you're not going to get over it and have a chance to heal.
Newsflash. Many priests suck, and they sucked long before this Crisis.
Until you get past the feelings of guilt, then you can actually have pity for these crappy priests and pray for them.
Until then you're going to remain wound up like this
So the first step to healing is admit that you've been wronged and that his behavior was unacceptable. There's part of you trying to let this out, but part of you that's still repressing it, causing your turmoil. Let it out and just admit it.
I once witnessed a Trad priest turn down a lady who was desperately asking for him to hear her confession, and seemed in urgent need of it, because ... I kid you not ... he had to go to breakfast. I'm not going to sit here writhing with guilt for thinking that was an extremely crappy thing to do because "oh, he's a priest and we need to respect/worship our priest."
Priests. Newsflash. You were not chosen to be priests FOR YOUR GLORY but for the good of the faithful. No one deserves the priesthood and you have no right to glory in it. If you do, you will be damned. Yours is a life of servitude. Just as a parents has to stay up with a sick child, you are under obligation to serve the needs of the faithful without demanding constant obsequy and adulation.
Steve, you respect the Alter Christus who is in the priest, but you needn't worship and idolize that sinner in whom Our Lord has deigned to operate for some reason.
^^^
The good that came out of the VatII explosion was that it had the same effect as a depth charge that hit its target and all the flotsam an jetsam of hidden weak/false/destructive priests rose to the surface exposing them. Catholics well instructed in pre-VatII doctrine/catechism/liturgy were/are grateful for the good outcome of this 'evil' event. God has allowed it for good reasons - to challenge those who are weak in their faith; to strengthen the strong fat sheep; to test us all knowing that the Church has taught us all we need to know to rise up and meet the challenge which latter can only be met with a good solid prayer-life. Our Lord sent the Holy Ghost completing His revelation of being Trinity. Next Sunday is the Queenship of Mary. It is impossible to say that we have not been well-provided for during this providential drought.
God has a reputation of reducing mankind to a weak remnant so that no-one can doubt for a moment that the inevitable victory was His Doing and His Doing alone!
These gentlemen address it towards the end of their podcast:Given his ongoing public questioning of the Catholic Faith, perhaps the priest thought better than to go through the motions with his children. Perhaps he was concerned that Skojec wouldn't actually continue to bring them up Catholic (and highly doubt Skojec would mention that). Although firmly still within the Novus Ordo walls, perhaps this FSSP priest isn't a typical NO priest who just offers sacraments willy nilly.
https://anchor.fm/restoring-the-faith-media/episodes/Trad-Patrick-On-US-Government-on-pre-crimes--FDA-madness--the-end-of-Summorum-Pontificuм--and-Steve-Skojecs-OnePeterFive-Apostasy-e11lum2
Skojec hasn't been going to Mass regularly, even before the plandemic. And because of this, his children haven't been properly catechized. That's the side of the story he isn't telling you.
Pray for this man.
Given his ongoing public questioning of the Catholic Faith, perhaps the priest thought better than to go through the motions with his children. Perhaps he was concerned that Skojec wouldn't actually continue to bring them up Catholic (and highly doubt Skojec would mention that). Although firmly still within the Novus Ordo walls, perhaps this FSSP priest isn't a typical NO priest who just offers sacraments willy nilly.
I smell a rat.Yes, all he's doing now is leading others to apostasy or confirming others in their apostasy.
Skojec's true colors have been revealed more and more in the last year.
Skojec is a CÖVÌDian who pushed masks and the "abortion is so remote" excuse for the experimental shot.
He doesn't see the difference between staying home and attending Mass in an overflow room? Um....receiving the Holy Eucharist?! And Deo Gratias for overflowing TLM's. Hasn't he been complaining that he is looking for a community?
Why is it like some great surprise that we are in the great apostasy, the Church is in eclipse etc. etc. Our Lady told us about this over and over. It only confirms her prophecy. It's real. It's true. It's happening. This should strengthen our faith!
I pray for him and his family but I can't help but get the feeling that perhaps his purpose all along was to disillusion Catholics seeking Tradition and lead them astray.
As for the problems with priests etc. Well I personally applaud this priest for having the guts to stand up to this guy.
Skojec would do well to learn from Saints like John of the Cross and St Francis of Assisi and others who rejoiced when persecuted by their own Church rather than lose their faith and lead others to do the same.
Why? Because they knew they were imitating Christ. They fought to make it better but they didn't quit or encourage others to do so. See the video below for more on that.
Does Skojec have the humility to seek a second opinion from another priest regarding the state of his soul? That is what he should do in private rather than his narcissistic public tirade.
Great talk on rejoicing when the Church itself persecutes you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk1wYxUvjro&t=2s
Many priests build these cults around themselves. Many are in fact drawn to the priesthood because they were failures in the world and in this way can feel as if they're bigshots.:laugh1:
QuoteI started going to Mater Misericordiae due to Taylor Marshall's push for people to go during the Advent of 2019, right before the pandemic. We went a few times, but mostly stuck to our Novis Ordo parish.QuoteThen, the pandemic hit. I remember being at Mater and Fr. Passo stood up telling everyone, "If the Diocese forbids Communion on the tongue, we will not be able to offer Communion at all, as we do not permit our Blessed Lord to be given in the hand." And that stuck with me.QuoteThe pandemic raged for a while and our Novus Ordo church closed down without any real hope of it reopening. My wife gave birth to my second son and I knew getting him baptized would be a problem.QuoteI made the executive decision to baptize him at home and then sent an email to Fr. Passo about having the rest of the rite done in the church when the pandemic was over.QuoteHe emailed me back and asked for my phone number, then called me to ask how I'd performed the baptism, told me it was a valid baptism and said that he would have done the baptism in the church had I called ahead of time.QuoteThis was March of 2020 when most churches wouldn't let people onto their property and Fr. Passo was still performing baptisms.QuoteOn April 3rd, 2020 (I just checked), we received an email. Fr. Passo was opening up his parish. He had brokered some kind of deal with the Diocese and he was offering Mass, 10 people at a time, for his parishioners.You had to sign up and it was only a few people, but they allowed for a rotation and everyone was able to come to Mass at some point. I know people who were able to celebrate Easter 2020 at Mater because of Fr. Passo. In May, maybe June, they opened it up to 100 people at a time. Father offered 5 Masses every Sunday and opened up daily Mass entirely (because fewer than 100 people went to daily Mass). At this point, because Mater is so small, effectively the entire parish could come to Sunday Mass.QuoteWhen my wife and I were thinking about using NFP for a year so that she could get back into a healthy lifestyle, Fr. Passo listened and gave us sage advice. He was kind, empathetic, but also firm and fatherlike. I've sought his counsel several times over the last year. When I was wrong, he would kindly, but firmly tell me so.QuoteFast forward to August and Fr. Passo decided to start up CCD classes for children so that everyone who was ready could get the sacraments. In August, he made it VERY clear that if you wanted your children to get the sacraments, they would need to come to the CCD class.QuoteMy wife and I approached him, told him that we had a lot of teaching material at home and that we wanted our daughter to not have to go to the class because of how difficult it would be to bring our whole family an hour early and entertain toddlers, then sit through Mass.QuoteFather let us know, again kindly but firmly, that community is an important part of the Church. He wasn't going to allow us to teach her at home, without the community, because we needed to regain that community we lost during COVID.QuoteHe knew that, in order to become a community again, we needed to be together, in person. We needed to talk to each other and laugh with each other and cry with each other, instead of at our homes watching on TV. Community was and IS very important to Fr. Passo.QuoteI remember going to confession with Fr. Passo and I confessed that I had missed Christmas Mass, not because of illness or of fear of the virus, but because I couldn't be bothered. He told me that it was very important to come to Mass every Sunday that we could, even with the dispensation and how he was worried about the lack of attendance that he'd seen over Christmas.QuoteEven though it was hard on our family, we obeyed him. My wife and I discussed whether or not it'd be a sin for her to stay home with the kids and watch Mass on TV. We researched and we talked to some Catholic talking heads and we were still unsure. We were struggling. Not sure why it didn't dawn on me before, but I asked Fr. Passo whether it would be wrong or sinful for my wife or myself to stay home with the lesser behaved kids while the other would take the kids who COULD handle it to Mass.QuoteHe told us that St. Therese didn't go to Mass until she was 11 and that there was nothing sinful about my wife staying home to take care of the younger children while I brought the older ones. (Bonus: Now that it's something that they have to earn instead of something we force them to do, my kids are excited at the chance to go to Mass.)QuoteMy wife's mother just recently got remarried to her 4th husband. None of them had died, but none of the marriages were in the Church. My wife sent an email asking for advice, but I knew that Fr. Passo's inbox is difficult to manage, so I was able to ask him between Masses on a Sunday. He told me, "You can't go because it's a mockery of Holy Matrimony, but it sounds like your mother-in-law's other marriages were probably invalid and the annulment process should be fairly painless. Tell her to give me a call and we'll work it out."QuoteThe first part was what I expected, but not the second part. My mother-in-law doesn't go to his parish and he's never met her, but he was willing to make time in his schedule to meet with her and guide her so that her marriage would be valid in the eyes of the Church.QuoteI could write for another several hours about all the amazing things that Fr. Passo has done. What it comes down to is that he's a caring father. Most men will have a few children, maybe 15 or so at most, but Fr. Passo has hundreds of children and he knows their names. He gives no quarter to sin. He is tough, but he is fair. I'm a nobody, but he knows my name. He asks about my wife when she's not there and about my kids. He congratulates me when good things happen and he is there when there is sorrow.QuoteWe don't see eye to eye on everything. There are things that he's strict about that I'm not keen on, but he's my father. I treat him like I treat a good father. I believe he knows more about how to save my soul than I know. He probably has blind spots, but I KNOW I have blindspots that he's seen in me.QuoteHe's corrected me kindly and he's made me a better husband and father.QuoteTo anyone who doubts his kindness and love, come to Mater Misericordiae. Meet the people. Say hello and see how happy they are. See how loved he is.QuoteHe's not a dictator, he's a father and he sees us all as his children. If he sees you going astray, he'll correct you, guide you back. If you've been missing a lot of Mass and you want something from him, he'll tell you to come back to Mass first, then talk to him about the thing you want, because he wants you to be at Mass. And if you genuinely can't come to Mass, talk to him ahead of time. Let him know as soon as you can as to why you won't be there. I guarantee you that he'll be sympathetic.QuoteLike any good father, some of his children won't like how he treats them, but he treats them all the same. It doesn't matter if you're an internet celebrity or a nobody, like me.QuoteThank you for listening to my rant.
Many [priests] are in fact drawn to the priesthood because they were failures in the world and in this way can feel as if they're bigshots.In today's age, priests are viewed as pariahs. Not sure why somebody would want to be a priest, if their aim is to be venerated.
So a newborn is denied Baptism because the baby isnt catechized. Or deny sacrament of Holy Communion to a child when they are handing out Holy Communion to pro abortion, pro ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ politicians.But he doesn't go to Mass and he has publicly talked about going Orthodox. He has spoken against Vatican I. He constantly talks about his doubts about the papacy. He's been flirting with apostasy for some time. This will turn into another fundraiser.
The Pope and his peers are poorly catechized.
He wasn't going to allow us to teach her at home, without the community
Steve, as well as Hillary White, have responded to the criticisms.I respect Hillary White.
But he doesn't go to Mass and he has publicly talked about going Orthodox. He has spoken against Vatican I. He constantly talks about his doubts about the papacy. He's been flirting with apostasy for some time. This will turn into another fundraiser.^
Skojec is now questioning Catholism altogether. Well played Vatican II well played.
https://skojecfile.steveskojec.com/p/an-epidemic-of-brokenness
The kind of Catholic who is immersed in the view I’ve described finds the following statement completely unpalatable:Quote“Question with boldness even the existence of a God; for, if there be a God, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.”I think it’s one of the most beautiful compliments God could ever be given: the idea that He trusts and respects the intellect and free will He gave his creatures so much that he’d rather they use them to examine the thorny question of His existence than to merely cower before an imposed belief.
— Thomas Jefferson
So a newborn is denied Baptism because the baby isnt catechized. Or deny sacrament of Holy Communion to a child when they are handing out Holy Communion to pro abortion, pro ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ politicians.
The Pope and his peers are poorly catechized.
Exerpt from Rorate Caeli post paints a different picture:
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-wonderful-fssp-community-in-phoenix.html
From a reader who would prefer to remain αnσnymσus online:
He's already created a new blog that requires a fee to comment. I suspect his time at 1P5 will end once he gets enough subscribers.
I don't think that Skojec is telling the whole story. He seems to be looking for validation from the 'comments' section under his article "Crippled Religion" on the 1P5 blog. If he wants to leave the Catholic Faith and go E.O., then fine. He should just do it, and quit whining. But then he would still have to find a way to make a living from the laity, and may have to start another blog.I dont think that the Orthodox will be as lucrative a market.
From the quotes by Miser Peccator:Diocese of Phoenix's policies require for First Holy Communion that even home-schooled children are expected to attend at least some catechesis lessons at the parish. Unless you want the poor priest to defy the bishop that' s how it's got to be in Phoenix.
Really?
Diocese of Phoenix's policies require for First Holy Communion that even home-schooled children are expected to attend at least some catechesis lessons at the parish. Unless you want the poor priest to defy the bishop that' s how it's got to be in Phoenix.Actually, I would prefer the bishop and the priests involved to be Catholic. But I realize that's probably a bridge too far.