Climate of fear in Vatican is very real

December 16, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Our Nov. 16-23 visit to Rome was the most dramatic of many such twice-per-year work trips we have taken there during the past 10 years. After meeting with cardinals, bishops and other Vatican agency and dicastery staff, John-Henry Westen, our new Rome reporter, Jan Bentz, and myself saw a consistent pattern of widespread anxiety and very real fear among faithful Church servants. We have never encountered this before.
 Many were afraid of being removed from their positions, fired from their jobs in Vatican agencies or of encountering severe public or private reprimands and personal accusations from those around the pope or even from Francis himself.

My brothers, reverend Fathers, Excellencies, Eminences;

It is time for you in the Vatican and elsewhere who are living under a "climate of fear" to find your testicular fortitude and rise up. We ask the Lord in the psalms, "be not angry with us forever." I ask you, "be not silent forever!' You were given a great gift, a gift of the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Men of an uncountable number came before you and sacrificed all for the "pearl of great price." Women were tortured and disgraced rather than betray Him.

We have had this past week, St. Lucy and St. Eusebius to serve as prime examples. Why do you not have one-tenth of their courage? Do you think you can work quietly inside and try to influence and to help?

You must find your courage to rise up and wake up the Catholic faith. More than anything, you fear disobedience, you fear schism. Well, the schism is already here and obedience to evil, is evil.