With the world in chaos, we may turn to our faith leaders for guidance — to make sense of it all. But when we can no longer rely upon them, to whom do we turn?
That’s a question some Roman Catholics have been asking themselves since the College of Cardinals elected Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pontiff, and he became Pope Francis.
Francis was the first pope from the Americas, the first from the southern hemisphere, and the first either born or raised outside Europe since the 8th century papacy of Syrian Pope Gregory III.
But Francis’ papacy has been steeped in controversy, beginning with the fact that he’s also the first Jesuit pope — a member of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic order with its own set of controversies.
Some of the pope’s controversial ideas include:
- Hell doesn’t exist
- Atheists can go to Heaven
- "Who Am I to Judge" LGBTQ lifestyles, he asked?
- He said the church is open to same sex unions
Francis’ most recent controversy was his decision to fire Bishop Joseph Strickland, a frequent critic of the pontiff.
He said in May, for instance, that "I believe Pope Francis is the Pope but it is time for me to say that I reject his program of undermining the Deposit of Faith."
He urged the pontiff and all Christians to "Follow Jesus."
The pope also fired pro-life activist Father Frank Pavone, best known as the national director of Priests For Life.
Pavone, who is also a Newsmax contributor and columnist, was relieved of his clerical status for "blasphemous communications on social media" and "persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop."
Strickland blasted the Vatican for that also.
"The blasphemy is that this holy priest is canceled while an evil president promotes the denial of truth & the murder of the unborn at every turn, Vatican officials promote immorality & denial of the deposit of faith & priests promote gender confusion devastating lives," he said, adding, "evil."
But there have also been occasions where Strickland supported Francis.
In January President Biden outrageously claimed that the pope and Catholic bishops support state-funding for abortions. Strickland responded that the president was both wrong and a "fake" Catholic.
"Mr. Biden can’t be allowed to twist the words of Pope Francis in this way," he said.
"I implore the Vatican press office to emphatically clarify that Pope Francis rightly calls abortion murder. It is time to denounce Biden’s fake Catholicism."
Gen. Michael Flynn, no stranger to unjust attacks, believed Pope Francis is a part of the "New World Order" cult and that Strickland may have been fired as an impediment to it.
"I want to make sure we don’t lose sight of who is among the top of the pyramid of the globalist elite trying to take over the world by first destroying it then 'building it back better' in their image. One of those at the very top is @Pontifex (Pope Francis)," he said.
"Now, the Pope is going after one of the only US Bishops … standing up for the Catholic faith. Bishop Strickland of Tyler, TX is being punished for promoting & protecting the faith of his flock in Tyler."
Flynn ended with a request, "Please pray for Bishop Joseph Strickland."
Bill Donohue, president and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, found it ironic that the pontiff would punish a Catholic bishop for criticizing him, while welcoming criticism of the church’s most fundamental tenets.
He observed that last month Pope Francis met with Sister Jeannine Gramick, a co-founder of New Ways Ministry (NWM), a radical pro-homosexual group. During their meeting she praised the pontiff for his "openness" to same-sex blessings.
Donohue, who is also a Newsmax columnist, concluded, "The disparate treatment afforded Bishop Strickland and NWM dissidents is as clear as a bell."
This is especially troubling given current events.
Wars are raging in both Eastern Europe and the Holy Land, and jihadists are preparing to spread their terror throughout the West, with the assistance of rogue nations like Iran.
The United States is also mired in chaos: Escalating crime, political division, crippling inflation, illegal immigration costing taxpayers $451 billion annually and subservience to corrupt nations to meet energy needs.
Matthew 16:18 reads, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
A rock is a foundation — inviolate, immovable, incapable of compromise against the political winds.
The Babylon is a satirical, humor-driven "news" site that’s often more accurate than legacy media. A recent Bee headline stated, "Pope Francis Fires Bishop For Being Too Catholic."
We could use more Bishop Stricklands; fewer pontiffs like Francis.
(A related opinion article may be found here.)
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.