I wonder if Pablo's exorcisms were effective.

I know he is not a priest, but if he was in the state of grace, maybe God would answer his prayers.

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that he doesn't know better.

I'm assuming he isn't doing it out of pride, vainglory, cynicism, malice, etc.

Sounds like I'm being *quite* nice to the man.

Because it's objective Catholic teaching that what he was doing -- as described in an article that Pablo himself approved of -- was wrong.

But it's not the kind of innocent mistake that good Catholics make. Most Catholics know that the devil isn't to be toyed with, and they aren't obsessed with him. Pablo's past behavior (and if his recent posts are to believed, his present behavior) borders on superstition.

Quote from: Tiffany

The man is helping people get the sacraments and solid teaching and you are wrong to say these things about him.

I disagree, on both counts.

It's Fr. Pfeiffer and Fr. Hewko that are travelling around the country offering Mass, sacraments, and truth. Except for in Phoenix, Pablo isn't doing a whole lot. Pablo isn't driving the priests across the country. (The various Airlines are taking care of that!) He also isn't recording sermons anywhere (except in Phoenix, where he lives). He posts sermons (that someone else recorded) to Youtube. "Big whoop". Anyone can do that.

I had Fr. Pfeiffer here for a day. He bought his own airfare online. He made his own phone calls and called the "next place" he was going, made arrangements, etc.

Oh, and before he showed up Pablo wasn't involved at all, either. I e-mailed/called Fr. Pfeiffer back & forth, I arranged to pick him up at the airport, etc.

From beginning to end, I didn't see a whole lot of Pablo's "work".

To use a metaphor:

Fr. Pfeiffer is Dumbo and Pablo is the feather he held in his trunk.

"Fly, Dumbo, fly!"

In other words, Fr. would be quite pleasantly surprised if he tried to do it without Pablo. He'd barely notice the difference.

Lastly, I disagree that because a man does a good work he has carte blanche (blank check) to do whatever he wants, and is beyond all criticism. That's not how it works.

I don't know the story of Dumbo other than to recognize the character.

I agree nobody gets a blank check.

 It's one thing to criticize someone, it's another to delete comments in support of him  AND to add more insults to  him when banning him.

Posters (one who apologized later) came on, ganged up on him complaining because they couldn't control Father. It's how immature women behave when they don't get their way.

It's not right Matthew. Like I said before he does not deserve this.

Why did people in the resistance now, stay in the SSPX for the past five or ten  years? Supposedly it's been liberal and they have been trying to make a deal with Rome for a while now? Why didn't they have an independent priest come until now?
Secondly why is there so much focus on what the SSPX does? If it's liberal, trying to make a deal with Rome, why spend so much time on them?

Let me adjust this to my situation here, and maybe you can see how ironic this is.  :cry:

"Why did people at Father Bolduc's church, allow the SSPX to come in after what's been going on for the past five or ten years after all this time, they had an independent priest? People at Saint Michael's should have known how liberal it's been and that they've been trying to make a deal with Rome for a while now? Why were they so absolutely stupid to allow the SSPX to take over ESPECIALLY NOW?
Secondly, why is there so little focus on what the SSPX does? If it's liberal, and trying to make a deal with Rome, Fr. Themann just lulls the congregation right back to sleep with a song about prudence, and if anyone raises the alarms, they use the perfect working communist tactic of "just let their peers attack them. No need to get the priest (read: propagandist) into the foray."


 

Posters (one who apologized later) came on, ganged up on him complaining because they couldn't control Father. It's how immature women behave when they don't get their way.

Bingo.

I think sometimes there's plenty of talent and willing volunteers, but the job is ALREADY TAKEN or PERCEIVED AS TAKEN and so the leader goes on with his dry martyrdom, not knowing that firing his incapable employee might be the best thing for his organization.

In other words, hanging on to a non-desirable employee can sometimes result in a self-fulfilling prophecy that "I can't find any better workers".

I hear what you're saying but here's something else to consider.  And I'm not directing this at Matthew or any one individual person.

Yeah, there might be plenty of talent and willingness, but when it comes down to the proverbial crunch, how much talent and willingness is actually applied?  

Is anyone prepared to take six months or a year off  to travel, often to places where they don't speak your language?  What about something as minor as two or three months?  What would your wife think of that?   What about your kids?  What would your boss think of that idea?  

Kinda curious.

Is anyone's network of contacts so widespread that you can find lodgings, food, accomodations at a moment's notice?  Is your influence alone sufficient to get little old ladies to do Novenas for success?  Are your union contacts up to date and friendly enough as to your being welcomed in a town you've never been to just through a simple phone call?

Hmmm?

How adept are people at cutting through Catholic red tape?  It's there, you know. Likewise, how thick-skinned are you to take the criticism from SSPX priests or blue-haired biddies (or us here on CI) who will throw up roadblocks in front of the most simple of things, like finding a residence who will let you take a shower or offer a couch to sleep on?

Running a website is great and all, but is cranking out HTML or moderating a sufficient skill in dealing with the logistics of scheduling, traveling, and  coordinating?  Keep in mind, Fr Pfeiffer isn't just spending time in the US.  How good are you at dealing with customs, etcetera when the extent of traveling one has experienced is strictly within the lower 48?

How apt is anyone to step away from the monitor screen and act as a human shield, not just when frivolous lawsuits on cheap paper arrive, snorting with indignation because Pablo and Fr Pfeiffer couldn't perform in your town or that Fr Pfeiffer hasn't coughed up the cash for a slick looking website that is being held hostage by a 'concerned loyal Catholic' looking for a buck and name recognition, but a REAL human shield as when some miscreant threatens Fr Pfeiffer with physical violence at an airport?  Curling up in a fetal position and rocking back and forth muttering "This isn't happening this isn't happening this isn't happening" isn't very Catholic,  Or manly.

Again, just Mr. Curious.

Just how incapable or rumored mentally incompetent (and off of whose criteria is that established?) can an employee be when most, if not all, of these endeavors are being funded/handled by the same incapable employee?  If Fr Pfeiffer has been doing this going on fifteen years, somebody must be doing something right, wouldn't you think?

I understand that people want to get in the mix with Fr Pfeiffer but there seems to be some kind of  disconnect here that I can't articulate.  All I do know is one can't 'get involved' (especially when the lifting gets heavy) and still maintain this "but but but..." attitude that always translates into inaction.