The Debate: Did Pope Francis Say, “Jesus Failed at the Cross” ?

For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely- Jeremiah 6:13 (KJV).

One of the most shocking statements uttered from the lips of Pope Francis yet:

And if at times our efforts and works seem to fail and produce no fruit, we need to remember that we are followers of Jesus… and his life, humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross.” (FULL TRANSCRIPT BELOW)

There are people suggesting that what the Pope said might have been taken out of context, or perhaps he meant something different. After I heard it and read his statement, I too, was SHOCKED. But, one must know, the translation was approved and released by the Vatican. Meaning, the news agency did not hire their own interpreter to translate the speech. So, did the pope say it?  YES. Did he mean JESUS failed at the cross?  Let’s examine all the facts.

Since the Vatican confirms the translation, that argument is null and void. All we have left is an ambiguous game of semantics, leaving many framing constructs of context. Is that how conversations go now a days, we just “GUESS” what someone means? Let’s look at the statement again: “And if at times our efforts and works seem to fail and produce no fruit, we need to remember that we are followers of Jesus… and his life, humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross.”  

Does that mean that we can be comforted by knowing we all fail, including JESUS?  OR does it mean,from a human (GODLESS ONES) perspective, that Jesus was viewed as a failure? What MASS CONFUSION!

I stand firm on the fact that the POPE suggested that Jesus failed at the cross. Even his cane (staff, whatever you want to call that stick he carries around) during his ceremonies is defeating! Everything always shows the DEATH OF JESUS’  rather than the GLORY of our RISEN SAVIOR and KING, who by the way, did not FAIL AT THE CROSS.  This to me, bears much witness to his statement that JESUS was defeated at the cross.

God wanted us to FOCUS ON THE RESURRECTION, the meaning of LIFE through JESUS. So the carrying around of JESUS dead on a cross, is defeating that message! Another failure of the Catholic “CHURCH”!

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. – Romans 8:34 (KJV).

Pay close attention to the ending of this verse- “who also maketh intercession for us,” and compare to the words of the pope:

“Now, with gratitude for all we have received, and with confident assurance in all our needs, let us turn to Mary, our Blessed Mother. With a mother’s love, may she intercede for the growth of the Church in America in prophetic witness to the power of her Son’s Cross to bring joy, hope and strength into our world. I pray for each of you, and I ask you, please, to pray for me.” (See the full Text: Homily of Pope Francis in Philadelphia)

Mary is a sinner. Mary is not JESUS. Marry cannot intercede for us, nor are we to PRAY TO MARY!  YET THE POPE ENCOURAGES IT, as does the teachings of the Catholic Church!  FALSE.

Regardless of what Mr. Francis MEANT, did not mean, Pope Francis said, “JESUS FAILED AT THE CROSS.” A disturbing sentence, no matter what context you frame it in, imagine it in, or come up with. Whether from a human perspective, or a divine perspective, JESUS DID NOT FAIL AT THE CROSS! 

Some have argued that he meant it within the context of 1 Corinthians 2:8: “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”  So, if that is what the POPE meant, then one would be looking for him to QUOTE this verse, and the POPE did not mention this verse, at all! So offering this as an excuse is stretching the facts.  The fact also that the POPE takes away the deity of Christ, by referring to him as a MAN is another key point we cannot ignore. JESUS IS GOD. He came as man to overcome satan. JESUS WAS A MAN is different than saying JESUS IS A MAN! JESUS is not a “MAN” now, he is our savior, our KING!  That was another subtle deception.

But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:2 (KJV).

Let us be clear: there was no failure on JESUS’ part, but on MAN’s part. Jesus even explained the unbelief of the Jews before he was crucified:

²² And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. ²³ And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.²⁴ Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.²⁵ Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.²⁶ But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.²⁹ My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.³⁰ I and my Father are one. –John 10:22-30 (KJV). 

Scripture further tells us that the unbelievers hearts were hardened and they were ignorant to the voice of God (Ephesians 4:18).  None of these verses say, JESUS failed, or JESUS did not know how to reach them!  It was man who failed to recognize JESUS, it was MAN who hardened their hearts, and it was MAN who was ignorant. And we are told what God thinks of that ignorance:

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: -Acts 17:30 (KJV). 

We have to understand that DECEPTIONS are subtle, some so subtle that many miss the deception. We must have the spirit of discernment!

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: -Ephesians 1:17 (KJV).

False prophets are not always easily recognized, but looking at all the evidence mounting, there is plenty of other things that cast POPE FRANCIS into the heretic pile, and he could very well be the FALSE PROPHET spoken of in Revelation 13:11-15, 16:13, 19:20, and 20:10.

Even more troublesome is the deceptive message that Pope Francis delivered before congress. His ambiguous speech, laden with veneers of peace, was nothing more than a message of socialism, Marxism, and dictatorship (more on that in a future article).

Aside from that, let us consider the following also:

1. The fact that POPE FRANCIS DID NOT EVEN OPEN WITH PRAYER at the congressional address should wave a HUGE RED FLAG TO all!  Even the Wiccan Witch invited to the Iowa House of Representatives invoked a prayer before the meeting began! and remember the AMAN of the Islamic Society that caused such a stir? WHY? because he was allowed to open the meeting at the House of Representatives with a prayer to allah!  ALARMS ARE GOING OFF!!!!
2. Pope Francis’ CLIMATE CHANGE stance, blaming man for the woes of earth, is not only ignorant, but HERESY! God told us the earth is dying and wearing old like a garment. Yet the Pope, much like the darwin followers of the cult of evolution, and the fraud Al Gore, insists that man is to blame. He even called for punishment of men who destroy the earth. This would be acceptable for oil and nuclear spills, but he was talking about much more control, and never made mention of the biblical fact the earth is wearing old like a garment.
3. Another troubling aspect of  Pope Francis’ speech was his refusal to take a stand, much less mention the sin of homosexual marriages and abortion (I urge you to click on this link and READ the comments below the article, there is mass confusion in the gay community). They felt the Pope was including them in protection of rights, and recognizing their importance to family. Here are the excerpts from his speech:
   1. On abortion: “The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.” (This was his only direct reference to abortion in the speech.)
   2. On same-sex marriage: The closest he came to addressing same-sex marriage was in a passage about the importance of family. And does this mean GAY MARRAIGE?  Your guess is good as mine.  “I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. “Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.” (This did not appear to be an explicit denouncement of marriage equality).

Ask yourself this question after reading those statements:

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. -Galatians 1:10 (KJV).

IS THAT THE MESSAGE GOD WOULD SPREAD? Did the prophets and disciples not make it perfectly clear, as told to us in the bible, that murder aka abortion and homosexuality are wrong?  Didn’t God state a marriage was between a man and a woman? YES!  GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION! God also clearly says, THOU SHALL NOT KILL and that he hates hands that SHED INNOCENT BLOOD (Proverbs 16:17). He clearly tells us (See picture below) that homosexuality is a sin, punishable by death. There is no confusion in God’s word. He is very clear.

The Pope’s reluctance to admit these facts, reminded me of two pastors who recently stated:  “I don’t want to be defined by my stance on homosexual marriage.”  And who can forget when the pope first took “office.”  In response to a gay man’s question of “Is homosexuality wrong?” Francis stated: “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?”

No matter what context you put it in, the POPE clearly said JESUS “failed at the cross”, there is no excuse, or explanation that can be offered to counter this statement.  The failure is that the Catholic Church continues to usurp the authority of Christ and replace it with the vain teachings of man. The pope is an agent of SATAN.

Let us set the record straight by turning to scripture. The defeat of satan, was prophesied in Genesis BY GOD HIMSELF and the bible explains it very clearly. After satan enticed Eve to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree, we are shown that this is where MAN FAILED.  EVE was beguiled by SATAN! As a result, man and earth were cursed (hence the reason for our dying earth, too!) AND, let us not forget, that Satan was cursed into a snake,and that was way before the GLORIOUS sacrifice of our RISEN SAVIOR:

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: – Genesis 3:14 (KJV).

And God further told satan that he would be defeated:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. -GENESIS 3:15 (KJV).

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. – ROMANS 16:20 (KJV) 

The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 was fulfilled when JESUS died on the cross, JESUS did INDEED defeat satan, and overcame DEATH when he rose again THREE DAYS LATER!

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; – Hebrews 2:14 (KJV).

The undisputable blow was delivered to satan when JESUS died on the cross. This is one of the reasons why JESUS had to become a man—so that he could be tempted and overcome sin (Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 4:1, Romans 8:3). Further proving that SIN IS OVERCOME by the power of JESUS CHRIST!

Colossians 2:14-15 describes what JESUS’ death on the CROSS represented: a VICTORY over law, sin, SATAN, and death:

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. -Colossians 2:13-15 (KJV).

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. -Galatians 3:13 (KJV).

When Christ died for our sins, Satan was not only defeated, but through the blood of JESUS, man was able to disarm and defeat satan and the second death, which is eternity in hell.  The eternal punishment of death, the very weapon of satan, was stripped from him! Satan was defeated!  Those guilty of sin could now be renewed and saved by the blood of JESUS.

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.- Acts 2:24(KJV).

You see, the accusation of sin was nullified when Christ died! All those who faithfully believe and give their lives to Christ will never perish. Satan cannot separate them from the love of God in Christ! AMEN!!!

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.-Romans 8:37-39 (KJV).

When Jesus said, “IT IS FINISHED,” it was FINISHED. The defeat of satan was finished.  Jesus paid the ultimate price, purchased us with his blood, and offered salvation to all mankind.(1 John 3:16).  That was not a failure, that resulted in every human who professes JESUS as savior, the ability to have eternal life, the ability to be cleansed by the blood of JESUS!

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.- John 19:30 (KJV).

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. – John 17:4 (KJV).

All of this just screams, “My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.” (Jeremiah 51:45) and “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).

In the Faithful Service of Jesus Christ, 

Lisa Muhar

Jesus Christ was born, lived, died, and rose again for the sole purpose of saving us from our sins.  Are you saved?  The bible declares that “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13 (KJV). Salvation is turning your life over to Jesus Christ, believing that Jesus is the son of God, and renewing your mind with his spirit, that is done through repentance of sin, and following JESUS with all your heart, mind and soul. JESUS transforms lives, if you are ready for this life saving step, call upon your savior TODAY! Learn more here.

Join us at:  He Is Coming -Are You Ready?

Prophecy:

The bible warns us of FOLLOWING false teachers and chasing after traditions of Man

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils – 1 Timothy 4:1 (KJV).

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ- Colossians 2:8 (KJV).

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect -Matthew 24:24 (KJV).

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry – 2 Timothy 4:3-5 (KJV).

These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence- Colossians 2:23 (KJV).

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.- 1 John 2:18 (KJV).

To the Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters who FOLLOW JESUS, and not the false teachings of MAN:

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped – Isaiah 35: 4-5 (KJV).

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;- Isaiah 61:1-2 (KJV).

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POPE FRANCIS’ SPEECH:

Following is the English translation of Pope Francis’ homily during vespers at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Wednesday evening. His speech, delivered in Spanish, was prepared for delivery and released by the Vatican:

“There is a cause for rejoicing here”, although “you may for a time have to suffer the distress of many trials” (1 Pet 1:6). These words of the Apostle remind us of something essential. Our vocation is to be lived in joy.

This beautiful Cathedral of Saint Patrick, built up over many years through the sacrifices of many men and women, can serve as a symbol of the work of generations of American priests and religious, and lay faithful who helped build up the Church in the United States. In the field of education alone, how many priests and religious in this country played a central role, assisting parents in handing on to their children the food that nourishes them for life! Many did so at the cost of extraordinary sacrifice and with heroic charity. I think for example of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, who founded the first free Catholic school for girls in America, or Saint John Neumann, the founder of the first system of Catholic education in the United States.

This evening, my brothers and sisters, I have come to join you in prayer that our vocations will continue to build up the great edifice of God’s Kingdom in this country. I know that, as a presbyterate in the midst of God’s people, you suffered greatly in the not distant past by having to bear the shame of some of your brothers who harmed and scandalized the Church in the most vulnerable of her members… In the words of the Book of Revelation, I know well that you “have come forth from the great tribulation” (Rev 7:14). I accompany you at this time of pain and difficulty, and I thank God for your faithful service to his people. In the hope of helping you to persevere on the path of fidelity to Jesus Christ, I would like to offer two brief reflections.

The first concerns the spirit of gratitude. The joy of men and women who love God attracts others to him; priests and religious are called to find and radiate lasting satisfaction in their vocation. Joy springs from a grateful heart. Truly, we have received much, so many graces, so many blessings, and we rejoice in this. It will do us good to think back on our lives with the grace of remembrance. Remembrance of when we were first called, remembrance of the road travelled, remembrance of graces received… and, above all, remembrance of our encounter with Jesus Christ so often along the way. Remembrance of the amazement which our encounter with Jesus Christ awakens in our hearts. To seek the grace of remembrance so as to grow in the spirit of gratitude. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves: are we good at counting our blessings?

A second area is the spirit of hard work. A grateful heart is spontaneously impelled to serve the Lord and to find expression in a life of commitment to our work. Once we come to realize how much God has given us, a life of self-sacrifice, of working for him and for others, becomes a privileged way of responding to his great love.

Yet, if we are honest, we know how easily this spirit of generous self-sacrifice can be dampened. There are a couple of ways that this can happen; both are examples of that “spiritual worldliness” which weakens our commitment to serve and diminishes the wonder of our first encounter with Christ.

“We can get caught up measuring the value of our apostolic works by the standards of efficiency, good management and outward success which govern the business world. Not that these things are unimportant! We have been entrusted with a great responsibility, and God’s people rightly expect accountability from us. But the true worth of our apostolate is measured by the value it has in God’s eyes. To see and evaluate things from God’s perspective calls for constant conversion in the first days and years of our vocation and, need I say, great humility. The cross shows us a different way of measuring success. Ours is to plant the seeds: God sees to the fruits of our labors. And if at times our efforts and works seem to fail and produce no fruit, we need to remember that we are followers of Jesus… and his life, humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross.”

Another danger comes when we become jealous of our free time, when we think that surrounding ourselves with worldly comforts will help us serve better. The problem with this reasoning is that it can blunt the power of God’s daily call to conversion, to encounter with him. Slowly but surely, it diminishes our spirit of sacrifice, renunciation and hard work. It also alienates people who suffer material poverty and are forced to make greater sacrifices than ourselves. Rest is needed, as are moments of leisure and self-enrichment, but we need to learn how to rest in a way that deepens our desire to serve with generosity. Closeness to the poor, the refugee, the immigrant, the sick, the exploited, the elderly living alone, prisoners and all God’s other poor, will teach us a different way of resting, one which is more Christian and generous.

Gratitude and hard work: these are two pillars of the spiritual life which I have wanted to share with you this evening. I thank you for prayers and work, and the daily sacrifices you make in the various areas of your apostolate. Many of these are known only to God, but they bear rich fruit for the life of the Church. In a special way I would like to express my esteem and gratitude to the religious women of the United States. What would the Church be without you? Women of strength, fighters, with that spirit of courage which puts you in the front lines in the proclamation of the Gospel. To you, religious women, sisters and mothers of this people, I wish to say “thank you”, a big thank you… and to tell you that I love you very much.

I know that many of you are in the front lines in meeting the challenges of adapting to an evolving pastoral landscape. Whatever difficulties and trials you face, I ask you, like Saint Peter, to be at peace and to respond to them as Christ did: he thanked the Father, took up his cross and looked forward!

Dear brothers and sisters, in a few moments we will sing the Magnificat. Let us commend to Our Lady the work we have been entrusted to do; let us join her in thanking God for the great things he has done, and for the great things he will continue to do in us and in those whom we have the privilege to serve.

Source: New York Times