(LifeSiteNews) — Canceled priest Father James Altman shared a brief message to the faithful ahead of the upcoming conclave. He urged the faithful not to worry about the abuses and scandals of the cardinals set to elect the next Roman Pontiff, but instead to fervently pray for a holy pope and live out the Catholic faith.
Altman opened his message by reminding the faithful of all the pain the Church has endured since Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation, especially the sex abuse cover-up. He emphasized that while these events have led many to leave the Church, we must remain at peace.
We were meant to live in these difficult times
“But let us, we faithful remnant, be at peace. Our Father, who loves us, has chosen us for this time,” the priest said. “He calls us to be witnesses of the true faith, just as He called saints and martyrs for the past 2,000 years, and what a privilege, what a blessing He has bestowed on us, what a gift.”
“It has been said that there never has been a better time for martyrdom than now, so as Pope St. John Paul II said, quoting Jesus, quoting Sacred Scripture, ‘Do not be afraid,’” he added.
Restoring the Church is ultimately in God’s hands
Turning to the conclave, Altman underscored that while numerous sinful cardinals will soon be charged with electing the next Roman Pontiff, the laity should remain faithful and trust that restoring the Church to holiness is ultimately in God’s hands.
READ: Father Altman urges faithful to speak out against corrupt bishops: ‘The tsunami is coming!’
“There is hope, there always is hope, but you must remember what you [should] hope for is not some paradise on earth nor in the Catholic Church, for if that is what you hope for, you’re going to be disappointed,” he said. “You’ll be just as disappointed and confused as the apostles were around 3 p.m. on Good Friday. So, if today the Catholic hierarchy seems sinful and in grave error, if the Church itself appears to be rent asunder, if today it seems wrought with division and vicious factions, always remember we have been there before, from the beginning.”
“The real Catholic Church, remember, will never go down, though it may have to go underground, so to speak. We’ve heard this, but so what?” he pondered. “It’s still God’s problem to fix, not ours. Our job is to remain faithful to the deposit of faith, not some person prancing around in any color of cassock.”
Pray for a holy pope
Toward the end of his message, Altman stressed that instead of worrying about the conclave, the faithful should be getting on their knees and praying as Our Lord did in the Garden of Gethsemane.
READ: Cardinal Müller: Pray for Francis’ soul and for new pope to be ‘a good shepherd’
“Pray as Jesus taught us to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, like He did, on our knees at a minimum, even face down on the ground,” he said. “When all is at its worst, when Jesus said, ‘Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’”
“But your family, we are Catholic, because Jesus created the Catholic Church, so hold fast to the truth handed down to us through His Church, and then as Saint Padre Pio said, ‘Pray, hope, and don’t worry.’”
To hear Fr. Altman’s full message, tune in to this LSNTV video.
