Memes and Anti-Catholics

Last night, as I was finally drifting off to sleep, the DING of an arriving text message sounded loud and clear.  

Because of the lifestyle I lead, I answer my phone whenever it goes off - ringing or dinging, day or night.  It is only when I am in Mass that the phone goes unanswered.  God always comes first for me, no matter what.  The only time that did not happen was when my nephew was deployed to combat and even then I did not answer during the Consecration.  I have to practice what I preach in order to maintain my sobriety and what I preach is simple:  God, Family, Forty-Niner Football.  Because my family is pretty much gone now, my family includes my sober brothers and sisters.  

That's why I answered the text.

It was an alkie in trouble - but the worst kind.  It was an alkie who thinks they are an exemplary Catholic, the Pope is an Apostate (although she stopped using that word when I asked her to define it) and who is not educated enough to think things through on their own.  She gets easily distracted by shiny objects, especially ones that come in the form of Memes.  If the meme indicates that Pope Francis has done something dastardly, she gets sucked right in.  

The latest was a meme that declared that Pope Francis had excommunicated Harrison Butner for being too Catholic.

The funniest thing about this was her attempt at being measured and thoughtful.  "Have you seen this?  I cannot find anything about it on the internet.  I thought I would give it 48 hours before I said anything".

Really?  How about looking at the source which declares itself to be the finest source of Fake News anywhere?  YES...that is WHAT IT SAID ON THE ACTUAL MEME!  In other words, it is a JOKE. 

Now look, I would not be upset if Pope Francis excommunicated the guy - not for the speech he gave (I was not as impressed with it as many people because I think he misrepresented his opinions as Catholic Doctrine) but because he plays for a team that doesn't get called for Offensive Holding during the Superbowl.  Neither am I upset about jokes.  I have a sense of humor.  I can laugh at myself.

What upsets me is this person, along with many of her far right and far left co-horts, are the first to grab onto this stuff and declare that it has some credence.  They give it a second glance rather than automatically laughing at it and moving on.  And while I commend her for asking someone, I happen to know that if this was about a far right politician she adores as the unofficial fourth person of the Trinity (making it a Quartet? I guess) she would have not only rejected it but been outraged over what 'those people' are doing to her beloved.  

She doesn't even see the underlying anti-Catholic message, the smear of the Vicar of Christ and the way it makes mockery of our Church.

Excommunication is a real thing - most of us do it to ourselves and there is never a public declaration - and it is not something to fling about lightly.  Much like the charge of apostacy, to separate myself from God in Mortal Sin is horrible.  This meme, because people like this woman take it seriously for at least a minute, is dangerous.  

My heart breaks for those who believe this garbage.  I will offer my prayers for their salvation and I continue to pray for our Church.  This ugly divide is growing.  We need something....something spectacular....

Maybe if the Niners won the next Superbowl......