Bergoglio explains the Communion of Saints.
Faithless Francis: Heretics and Apostates are Part of the Church, “We Are Brothers”(I have omitted the first part of the article, which talks about something else, but that can be read here: Faithless Francis: Heretics and Apostates are Part of the Church, "We Are Brothers")
What, then, is the “communion of saints”? The [1992] Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms: “The communion of saints is the Church” (no. 946). See what a beautiful definition this is! “The communion of saints is the Church.” What does this mean? That the Church is reserved for the perfect? No. It means that it is the community of saved sinners [Italian: peccatori salvati]. The Church is the community of saved sinners. It’s beautiful, this definition. No one can exclude themselves from the Church, we are all saved sinners. Our holiness is the fruit of God’s love manifested in Christ, who sanctifies us by loving us in our misery and saving us from it. Thanks always to him we form one single body, says St Paul, in which Jesus is the head and we are the members (cf. 1 Cor 12:12). This image of the Body of Christ and the image of the body immediately makes us understand what it means to be bound to one another in communion: Let us listen to what Saint Paul says: “If one member suffers”, writes St Paul, “all the members suffer together; and if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with him. Now you are the body of Christ and, each according to his part, his members” (1 Cor 12:26-27). This is what Paul says: we are all one body, all united through faith, through baptism… All in communion: united in communion with Jesus Christ. And this is the communion of saints. (General Audience, Vatican.va, Feb. 2, 2022; italics given; underlining added.)
Related: Search for "miles christi" - "Bergoglio: la comunión de los santos incluye a los blasfemos y los apóstatas" - Audiencia general …
Now this “definition” is an utter disaster, but it is very typical of Francis in particular and the Nouvelle Théologie (New Theology) in general. It is a hodgepodge of truth, error, and half-truth, all wrapped in a biblical veneer and open to interpretation.
For one thing, the Catholic Church is not the “community of saved sinners”. In fact, the term “saved sinners” is decidedly Lutheran — as if the justification of the sinner consisted in him remaining a sinner as before, just forgiven (as Luther taught). The truth is what the Council of Trent taught, namely: “Justification itself … is not merely remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man through the voluntary reception of the grace and gifts, whereby an unjust man becomes a just man, and from being an enemy becomes a friend, that he may be ‘an heir according to hope of life everlasting’ [Tit. 3:7]” (Session VI, Chapter 7; Denz. 799).
But then, Lutheranism is a heresy Bergoglio is affectionately attached to, and furthermore, he has stated in public that when it comes to the doctrine of justification, he agrees with Luther (and therefore not with Trent): “I think that the intentions of Martin Luther were not mistaken. …And today Lutherans and Catholics, Protestants, all of us agree on the doctrine of justification. On this point, which is very important, he did not err” (source). That is explicit formal heresy!
Secondly, if we were to force a Catholic interpretation onto the term “saved sinners” so that it would mean “Catholics in the state of sanctifying grace”, then it would still be false to say that the Church is the community of saved sinners, for the Church Militant (Church on earth) includes not only Catholics in the state of grace but also those in the state of mortal sin, as long as they publicly retain the virtues of Faith and hope:
Nor must one imagine that the Body of the Church, just because it bears the name of Christ, is made up during the days of its earthly pilgrimage only of members conspicuous for their holiness, or that it consists only of those whom God has predestined to eternal happiness. It is owing to the Savior’s infinite mercy that place is allowed in His Mystical Body here below for those whom, of old, He did not exclude from the banquet [cf. Mt 9:11; Mk 2:16; Lk 15:2]. For not every sin, however grave it may be, is such as of its own nature to sever a man from the Body of the Church, as does schism or heresy or apostasy. Men may lose charity and divine grace through sin, thus becoming incapable of supernatural merit, and yet not be deprived of all life if they hold fast to faith and Christian hope, and if, illumined from above, they are spurred on by the interior promptings of the Holy Spirit to salutary fear and are moved to prayer and penance for their sins. (Pope Pius XII, Encyclical Mystici Corporis, n. 23)
To reduce the Church to only those who are in the state of grace and on their way to eternal salvation, would be to make the Church invisible, for it is impossible to know who is in the state of grace and who isn’t, at any given point in time. Thus no one could know who is a Catholic!
Hence the Council of Trent had declared long ago: “If anyone shall say that together with the loss of grace by sin faith also is always lost, or that the faith that remains is not a true faith, though it be not a living one, or that he, who has faith without charity, is not a Christian: let him be anathema” (Session VI, Canon 28; Denz. 838).
Francis has denied this dogma several times in the past, so this is nothing new for him:
Francis’ Subtle Heresy: Who is a True Christian?
Thus we see that what Francis calls a “beautiful definition” of the Communion of Saints is actually quite false and heretical.
But things are about to get a lot worse.
Note that in the above-quoted passage of Francis’ words, he concedes that “we are all one body, all united through faith, through baptism… All in communion: united in communion with Jesus Christ. And this is the communion of saints.” Yet, this he goes on to deny in the very next paragraph:
…Let us consider, dear brothers and sisters, that in Christ no one can ever truly separate us from those we love because the bond is an existential bond, a strong bond that is in our very nature; only the manner of being together with one another them changes, but nothing and no one can break this bond. “Father, let’s think about those who have denied the faith, who are apostates, who are the persecutors of the Church, who have denied their baptism: Are these also at home?” Yes, these too. All of them. The blasphemers, all of them. We are brothers. This is the communion of saints. The communion of saints holds together the community of believers on earth and in heaven, and on earth the saints, the sinners, all. (General Audience, Vatican.va, Feb. 2, 2022; underlining added.)
What infuriatingly outrageous claptrap!
First, we note that Francis has just utterly contradicted himself within two consecutive passages. Whereas at first he heretically narrowed the definition of the Communion of Saints to, basically, just those in the state of grace (or the elect), he now heretically expands the definition to include not just every baptized sinner but even those who have publicly abandoned the Faith! Indeed the only condition at all he seems to place is having received baptism in the past. This is insane!
In the passage quoted above, the false pope is stating explicitly that the spiritual bond of the Communion of Saints “is in our very nature”, such that “nothing and no one can break” it. That is heresy! It is Pelagianism and Naturalism to say that the spiritual bond with Christ inheres in our nature, when it actually rests on grace: “For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man may glory” (Eph 2:8-9); “And if by grace, it is not now by works: otherwise grace is no more grace” (Rom 11:6).
But this grace, having once been received, can be rejected by committing mortal sin. When that happens, we return to our former unregenerate state, the state of being spiritually dead, meriting God’s wrath. Hence St. Paul says we all “were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” (Eph 2:3). Children of God, on the other hand, we can only be through grace, that is, through Faith, hope, and charity: “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever is not just, is not of God, nor he that loveth not his brother” (1 Jn 3:10).
But our Blessed Lord, knowing about human weakness, gave us a mighty remedy should we fall again after having tasted the state of sanctifying grace. For that reason He instituted the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) and made it possible to obtain the state of grace even through an Act of Perfect Contrition under certain circumstances.
All this is basic traditional Catholic doctrine.
Yet Francis has the audacity to become even more explicit in his rejection of the true Catholic Faith, proclaiming that even “those who have denied the faith, who are apostates, who are the persecutors of the Church, who have denied their baptism” are part of the Church, “are brothers”, are joined in the Communion of Saints, members of the Mystical Body of Christ. “This is the communion of saints. The communion of saints holds together the community of believers on earth and in heaven, and on earth the saints, the sinners, all”, the false pope shockingly asserts.
Not only is this non-sensical — the very definition of “apostate” is incompatible with that of “believer” — it is also flatly ruled out by Pope Pius XII:
Actually only those are to be included as members of the Church who have been baptized and profess the true faith, and who have not been so unfortunate as to separate themselves from the unity of the Body, or been excluded by legitimate authority for grave faults committed. “For in one spirit” says the Apostle, “were we all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free” [1 Cor 12:13]. As therefore in the true Christian community there is only one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, and one Baptism, so there can be only one faith [cf. Eph 4:5]. And therefore if a man refuse to hear the Church let him be considered — so the Lord commands — as a heathen and a publican [cf. Mt 18:17]. It follows that those are divided in faith or government cannot be living in the unity of such a Body, nor can they be living the life of its one Divine Spirit. (Pope Pius XII, Encyclical Mystici Corporis, n. 22; underlining added.)
Similarly, Pope Innocent III testifies that the Catholic Church is not a Church of heretics: “By the heart we believe and by the mouth we confess the one Church, not of heretics but the Holy Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic [Church] outside which we believe that no one is saved” (Letter Eius Exemplo; Denz. 423).
Furthermore, Sacred Scripture — which Francis continually says we ought to let ourselves be nourished by (see Aperuit Illis, n. 12) — abounds with passages that speak about losing salvation, the friendship of God, the state of grace. Examples include Romans 11:19-22; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 10:12; Philippians 2:12; Hebrews 6:4-6; Apocalypse 3:11.
Of course some of Francis’ apologists will rush to his defense now and point out that he is “merely” teaching that all the baptized are forever members of the Church, since baptism imprints an indelible character on the soul.
Although it is true that the sacrament of baptism does indeed imprint such a spiritual mark on the soul, by no means does it follow that therefore it is impossible to leave the Church, to abandon the Communion of Saints, to cease to be a Christian.
Fr. Sylvester Berry, a pre-Vatican II seminary professor, answered this very objection with traditional Catholic doctrine, as follows:
The spiritual character imprinted upon the soul in Baptism [alone] does not make one a member of the Church; it is rather a sign or badge showing that he has received the rites of initiation, but it does not prove that he retains membership. This may be illustrated by the case of a person receiving a tattoo mark as a sign of initiation into a society that uses such marking. If the person afterward leave the society, he would cease to be a member, though he still bore the indelible sign of his initiation. (Fr. E. Sylvester Berry, The Church of Christ: An Apologetic and Dogmatic Treatise [St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1927], p. 227)
Thus, any “imperfect communion” argument simply won’t fly. There is no communion between a Catholic and a heretic or between a Catholic and an apostate, any more than there is between a Catholic and an infidel (non-baptized unbeliever).
In 1868, Pope Pius IX underscored this very point when he wrote:
Now, whoever will carefully examine and reflect upon the condition of the various religious societies, divided among themselves, and separated from the Catholic Church, which, from the days of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles has never ceased to exercise, by its lawful pastors, and still continues to exercise, the divine power committed to it by this same Lord; cannot fail to satisfy himself that neither any one of these societies by itself, nor all of them together, can in any manner constitute and be that One Catholic Church which Christ our Lord built, and established, and willed should continue; and that they cannot in any way be said to be branches or parts of that Church, since they are visibly cut off from Catholic unity. (Pope Pius IX, Apostolic Letter Iam Vos Omnes; underlining added.)
Christ constituted His Church such that “all the faithful might be contained by the bond of one faith and charity” (Vatican I, Dogmatic Constitution Pastor Aeternus; Denz. 1821), and thus Pope Leo XIII described “the constitution of the Christian commonwealth” as being “one in faith, in government, and in communion” (Encyclical Satis Cognitum, n. 15).
Instead of listening to the heretical and blasphemous inanities Antipope Francis incessantly hurls at souls, people interested in learning about the Communion of Saints should simply consult a pre-Vatican II approved catechism book, such as The Catechism Explained by Fr. Francis Spirago. It explains the doctrine in the following manner:
The members of the Church may be divided into three classes: those who are still on the earth, “having not here a lasting city, but seeking the one that is to come” (Heb. xiii. 14); those who have reached their goal in heaven, the saints; and those who are expiating their sins in purgatory. All are “fellow citizens with the saints and domestics of God,” working together for the same object of union with God. The members of this great community are called “saints” because all are sanctified by Baptism (1 Cor. vi. 11), and are called to a holy life (1 Thess. iv. 3). Those in heaven have already attained to perfect holiness. Yet St. Paul calls the Christians still on earth “saints” (Eph. i. 1).
1. The communion of saints is the union and intercourse of Catholics on earth, of the souls in purgatory, and of the saints in heaven.
The Church on earth is called the Church Militant, because of its ceaseless struggle with its three enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. The souls in purgatory form the Church Suffering, because they are still expiating their sins in the cleansing fire. The blessed in heaven are called the Church Triumphant, because they have already secured their victory. These three divisions are one Church by the common bond of Baptism.
2. Catholics on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the blessed in heaven are united with Christ, just as are the members of a body with the head (Rom. xii. 4).
The Holy Spirit works in all the members (1 Cor. xii. 13). “The soul,” says St. Augustine, “animates all the organs of the body, and causes the eye to see, the ear to hear, etc;” just so does the Holy Spirit work in the members of Christ’s body; and as the Holy Spirit proceeds from Christ, Christ is the head of the Christian body (Col. i. 18). He is the vine carrying strength and nourishment to the branches (John xv. 5). Each member of the body has its own special functions, so each member of the Church has his own gifts (1 Cor. xii. 6-10, 28). Each member of the body works for the whole body; so every member of the Church works for the common good. All the members of the body share the pain or pleasure felt by one, and the same is true of the mutual sympathy of the communion of saints: “If one member suffer anything, all the members suffer with it; or, if one member glory, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Cor. xii. 26). Thus the saints in heaven are not indifferent to our condition. Catholics who have fallen into mortal sin are still members of this great body, though dead members; but they cease to be members if they are excommunicated.
3. All the members of the communion of saints have a share in the spiritual goods of the Catholic Church, and can help one another by their prayers and other good works. The saints alone in heaven have no need of help.
In a similar manner all the people of a country have a share in the institutions supported by the country, such as hospitals, asylums, law courts, etc. So also, in the family circle, all the members have a claim to share in the common goods, such as riches or honors. Thus all the Masses, the means of grace, the prayers of the Church, and all the good works done by individuals, are for the benefit of all its members. In the Our Father we pray for others as well as for ourselves; holy Mass is offercd for the dead as well as the living, and the same is true of the Office recited by the priest. Hence it is that one may have more hope of converting the greatest sinner who still belongs to the Church than a Freemason who outwardly leads a good life, yet who is cut off from it…. St. Francis Xavier constantly cheered himself with the thought that the Church was praying for him, and supporting him with her good works. Moreover, all the members of the Church can give mutual help. There is the same sympathy as in the human body, where a sound member comes to the help of one that is weaker, and the possession of good lungs, a sound heart, or healthy stomach, may help the body to recover from what might otherwise have been a fatal illness. The eye does not act for itself alone; it guides the hands and feet. Sodom would have been saved had ten just men been found within its walls. (Rev. Francis Spirago, The Catechism Explained [New York, NY: Benziger Brothers, 1927], ed. by Rev. Richard F. Clarke, pp. 250-251; bold print given.)
Other catechism books that explain this doctrine include The Catholic Catechism by Cardinal Pietro Gasparri (pp. 110-112) and, of course, The Roman Catechism of the 16th century, aka The Catechism of the Council of Trent (see The Creed, Article IX).
The authentic doctrine of the Communion of Saints, then, is fairly simple to understand. Nor is it too difficult to grasp that heretics and apostates are excluded from this communion, as are the excommunicated and, to a large extent, those in mortal sin: “Those in mortal sin are not wholly excluded from this Communion of Saints, for both by the public prayers of the Church and the petitions and good works of those in a state of grace, they can be helped to recover the grace of God”, writes Cardinal Gasparri (The Catholic Catechism, p. 111). The question of whether heretics and apostates are included in the Communion of Saints is something His Eminence must have considered too stupid to even address. Thus, Bergoglio’s “catechesis” for Feb. 2, 2022, falls apart.
The idea that heretics and apostates are part of the Church because they enjoy an allegedly “unbreakable bond” with Christ and all those who are in union with Him, in virtue of their very nature, is as heretical as it gets, but for Antipope Francis, it is business as usual. In fact, if we review the bilge he has put out in the past two years or so, we can see a clear pattern:
Francis: Lutherans are “Members of one and the same Mystical Body of Christ” as Catholics
Francis: Catholics and Lutherans are “the Faithful People of God”
Ecumenical Journey to Nowhere: Francis and the Lutherans
Francis drops another Heresy Bomb: “Friendship with Jesus cannot be broken”
Hot Air, Half-Truths, and Heresy: Bergoglio spews Bilge on Justification
Heretical Francis: “The Lord is Good and Will Save Everyone”
Francis expands the “People of God”: Now it includes All Religions!
Instead of listening to Antipope Francis, we recommend people harken to the divinely-inspired words of Pope St. Peter:
There were false prophets, too, among God’s people. So, among you, there will be false teachers, covertly introducing pernicious ways of thought, and denying the Master who redeemed them, to their own speedy undoing. Many will embrace their wanton creeds, and bring the way of truth into disrepute, trading on your credulity with lying stories for their own ends. Long since, the warrant for their doom is in full vigour; destruction is on the watch for them. So bold are they, so obstinate, that they are not afraid to bring in new and blasphemous ways of thought, whereas angels, with a strength and a capacity far above theirs, do not bring on themselves any charge so abominable. (2 Peter 2:1-3,10b-11; Mgr. Ronald Knox translation)
Few people have fulfilled this prophecy better than Jorge Bergoglio!
Source: Faithless Francis: Heretics and Apostates are Part of the Church, "We Are Brothers"
Miles Christi's publications in Novus Ordo Watch:
Four Years with Francis: A Review by Miles Christi
The Bergoglian Deceit: New Articles by Miles Christi
Anathema Sit Bergoglio: New Article by Miles Christi
Blasphemoglio: Francis' Chronicle of Impiety
Francis, Rabbi of Reference
The False Bergoglian Magisterium -- New Articles by Miles Christi
Francis' Cosmic Apostasy - New Articles by Miles Christi
Francis, "Fratelli Tutti", and Freemasonry: New Article by Miles Christi
The Strange "Papacy" of Jorge Bergoglio