Traditional Catholics formally accuse Pope Francis of spreading heresy

Way back in December of 1333, a group of Roman Catholic theologians met in Paris and decided in favour of the doctrine that the souls of the blessed departed see God immediately after death or after their complete purification. This teaching, known as the Beatific Vision, he been called into question by Pope John XXII, who, before his elevation to the Holy See, had written a work in which he stated that the souls of the blessed departed do not see God until after the Last Judgment. The theologians said that the pope was wrong, even heretical, and petitioned him to confirm their decision.

In a consistory held the following month, John XXII explicitly declared that he had never meant to teach anything contrary to Holy Scripture or the rule of Faith. Before his death he withdrew his former opinion, and declared his belief that souls separated from their bodies enjoyed in heaven the Beatific Vision.

Nothing like this happened again for nearly seven centuries... until now! Last month 40 Catholic clergy and lay scholars from around the world issued a "Filial Correction", a 25-page letter to Pope Francis, accusing him of spreading heresy about marriage, the moral life, and the reception of the sacraments in his 2016 document Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) and subsequent "acts, words and omissions".

The initiative follows the formal act by four tradition-minded Cardinals who last year asked the Pope to clarify a series of questions, or "dubia" (= doubts), they had about Amoris Laetitia. Since no answer was received from the Holy Father, either to the Dubia or to the Filial Correction, the latter is being made public today, September 24th, Feast of Our Lady of Ransom and of Our Lady of Walsingham.

The letter, which is open to new signatories, now has the names of 62 clergy and lay scholars from 20 countries, who also represent others lacking the necessary freedom of speech. It is written in Latin, the official language of the Church (in spite of the efforts of modernists to suppress it) and is titled: Correctio filialis de haeresibus propagatis (= A filial correction concerning the propagation of heresies). Click here to read the complete text of the Filial Correction, in English.

It states that the pope has, by his Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia, and by other, related, words, deeds and omissions, effectively upheld 7 heretical positions about marriage, the moral life, and the reception of the sacraments, and has caused these heretical opinions to spread in the Catholic Church. These 7 heresies are expressed by the signatories in Latin, the official language of the Church.

None of the signatories of the new letter is a Cardinal. (Two of the four Cardinals who signed the Dubia have since died.) The highest-ranking churchman listed is Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior of the Society of St. Pius X. Several signatories are well-known admirers of the traditional Latin Mass. Organizers said the initiative was nevertheless significant and a sign of the concern of many academics and pastors over Francis' positions, which they say pose a danger to the faithful.