Pope Francis had a small crowd gathered around him today at the midday Angelus on this Ash Wednesday 2015, with a reported “more than 9,000” there to hear his words to the Faithful. Two years ago, at least 50,000 were present for Pope Benedict XVI’s final Angelus on Ash Wednesday. I was unable to find a printed number of attendees for last year’s Angelus on March 5, 2014. However, I did find this video of the event. At 1:46 into the video, there are clearly many more than 9,000 attending and it looks like at least 30,000 and probably much more than that. Compare what you see further at 21:46 to this look at today’s gathering at 28:03.
So where are the Faithful this year? The weather looked to be pleasant so it can’t be that. Recall that one year ago, we read and heard how vastly popular he was. What has happened in the intervening year? Was it something he said?
It’s unfortunate that so many did not hear what he had to say about keeping the bonds between brothers and sisters unbroken. It’s an important thing for families and the Church. In fact, I thought that this was his way of trying to speak to those of the Faithful who have been wounded by what he has said and done over the past two years, and more so by what some cardinals and bishops have said and done. Perhaps, he understands that the program they have been pursuing is damaging the fraternal bonds in our own house, inflicting wounds on his own brothers and sisters in the Church. I hope the likes of Kasper and Marx and Baldisseri reflect on these words as we move forward. I can hope things will change.
When the bond between brothers is broken, it leads to something that is truly ugly, that is bad for humanity. Even in families how many brothers and sisters have fought even over little things…over an inheritance… then they stop speaking to each other, they no longer greet each other…this is an awful thing. Brotherhood is such a great thing. Just think, brothers and sisters, they all dwelt in the womb of the same mother for nine months, they come from their mother’s flesh. We cannot break the bonds of brotherhood. We all know families where brothers and sisters are divided; where they have fallen out, maybe in our own families we have cases like these. Let’s ask the Lord to help us to reunite these families, to rebuild these families. The bonds of brotherhood should not be broken, because when they are broken, things happen like with Cain and Abel, when the Lord asks Cain, he responds I am not my brother’s keeper, this is awful, really terrible to hear.
steveesq
EX MAGNA SILENTIUM or EX MAGNO SILENTIO 
[…] received this news within minutes of my most recent post where I discussed Pope Francis’ words abouts having brothers and sisters f… I guess Father Rosica was not among the 9,000 at today’s […]
LikeLike
I miss Pope Benedict.
LikeLike
Me too. I watched the video of today’s Angelus as he drove through the crowd and thought of how much I enjoyed that in the past when the pope acted and believed as the pope has been expected to do so, like when I watched Pope Benedict not too long ago. I also was a little sad and embarrassed for him, like watching an old superstar who filled stadiums now entertaining a crowd of hundreds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too. 😥
LikeLike
There is no doubt at this point: people are voting with their feet. Probably like you I have had the honor of being to Piazza S Pietro many times before at various occasions: under JP2 and BXVI the whole world would have commented if it was less than 20,000 on any occasion, let alone a major event like Ash Wednesday (or as Antonio Socci reported on Feb 11th, of course, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes: pilgrims from all over the world used to throng the plaza for a major Marian feast like this).
I think most people have the same attitude we are experiencing: why go to see a pope that really isn’t “into” this Catholic [ traditional] thing.
Do we have the exact numbers for this last year’s Peters Pence collection yet? I expect a big flop on monetary contributions.
Oremus pro invicem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you are still tithing (ugh) to the Novus Ordo Church you shouldn’t be surprised if it all ends up in Tel Aviv at some point in the future. Nostra Aetate and holocaustianity and the sodomites have eaten out the substance of the Roman church and left barely a shell.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on The Deus Ex Machina Blog and commented:
FOR THE RECORD: The Real Francis Effect
A staggering 9,000 faithful show up for Ash Wednesday this year.
A measly 50,000 Faithful showed up for B XVI last Ash Wednesday.
But hey, the 9,000 were the right kind of faithful.
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing.
LikeLike
The thrill is gone.
LikeLike
[…] Magno Silentio has the bomb, and the Catholic News Service has the evidence: less than 10,000 people wanted to know what […]
LikeLike
I miss Pope Pius XII.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Pauliebronx's Blog.
LikeLiked by 1 person