Former Jesuit student and California Governor Jerry Brown endorses Pope Francis

Jerry Brown

California Governor Jerry Brown was interviewed about Pope Francis and basically endorsed him:

July 23, 2015

ZENIT: If you could speak a little bit about your view of Pope Francis up until this point, your overall impression, particularly of his leadership?

Governor Brown: I would say he is very much is expressing the Jesuit spirit, which has counseled its members to live as ordinary men and not extravagant and also to recognize the principle which in Latin is expressed by Tantum Quantum (Tantum: so much, so much that you need to do … How much you need to do.) [Tantum Quantum is the Latin proverb meaning ‘So much as.’ The term is in St. Ignatius’ Principle and Foundation of the Spiritual Exercises referring to the right use of creatures: ‘We are to use them in so far as [tantum quantum] they lead us to our last end, and be rid of them in so far as [tantum quantum] they hinder us in the pursuit of the end for which we were created.’] So that’s a statement of balance and also of restraint and also of doing everything you need to do, but not doing more than you need to do. And I think the simplicity and example of Pope Francis expresses that Jesuit training that he had, which expresses the Catholic ideal as well. In addition, he’s taking on the world’s big issue which is climate change and the suffering of vulnerable people all over the world. I mean over a billion people don’t have access to clean water. Billions of others aren’t living that great of a life, although it’s hard to tell since so many people live in so many different circumstances. But the Pope is speaking to the world as it is.

He is calling upon leaders to take action. As he said yesterday, he has strong hope that decisive action will be taken in Paris and that a consensus for the common good and for dealing with climate and dealing with the most vulnerable will seriously be addressed. So that’s very impressive.

It’s really a breakthrough where Francis is talking about ecology. I don’t know that ecology has ever been in an encyclical before. And he’s talking about human beings being connected to everything else, and being a part of nature and therefore obligated to respect nature not only as theological imperative but as part of an intelligent way of being in the world. He spoke yesterday of a rebound. The way I interpret that is somewhat like how St. Paul said in Galatians, ‘God is mocked, whatever a man sews, that also should he reap.’ So if we sew an excessive amount of fossil fuels, the fish will die and the fisheries will go extinct, and the weather will become unpredictable, extreme, and many cases unlivable.

So the Pope is calling us to the awareness that whatever our thoughts are, we are physically a part of the natural world and we have to treat it with respect and take care of it or it will not take care of us.

ZENIT: Governor, you are Catholic, correct.

Governor Brown: Yes, I am a baptized Catholic… I studied to be a Jesuit priest. You can’t get in unless you’re a Catholic. [smiling, chuckling]. … I went to grammar school with Dominican nuns from their mother house in Michigan. I went to a Jesuit high school in San Francisco, a Jesuit University, University of Santa Clara, and then I entered the Society of Jesus … spent about three and a half years there. …

ZENIT: Will you be able to go to the East Coast during the Pope’s visit?

Governor Brown: Well, I’ll be on the East Coast. I believe … at the UN meeting. Seems likely. http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/interview-california-governor-says-francis-is-a-breakthrough

Pope Francis has struck a cord amongst many who consider themselves to be politically liberal. They like Pope Francis’ positions on ‘climate change’ as well as his ‘new world order’ in his Laudato Si encyclical (information on the encyclical itself is in the video Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God?).

One thing that surprised me is the Governor Brown seems to hope to hear the pontiff at the United Nations. Being on the West Coast, that would have seemed unlikely, but Governor Brown apparently wants to see Pope Francis.

Various ones have expressed concerns that presuming Pope Francis speaks before the US Congress in September and then the United Nations, that he will establish the start of the Beast power’s rise (watch also The ‘Harbinger’ and September 2015). Irrespective of what Pope Francis may say, the Beast power is starting to rise up, and Pope Francis has already taken steps to encourage this. Presuming he survives, he will also take more steps.

Here is something else related to Governor Brown’s visit to the Vatican:

July 22, 2015

VATICAN CITY…

For two days at a climate summit in this center of Christendom, Brown repeatedly called for the “moral dimension” to help coalesce support for policies to reduce carbon emissions ahead of global talks in Paris in December. In speeches and interviews, he affixed his agenda to that of Pope Francis, whose recent encyclical on climate change focused public attention on the issue.

Francis, Brown said, “will influence tens of millions – and maybe hundreds of millions of people – so that’s important.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article28348432.html#storylink=cpy

While I do NOT consider that Vatican City is the ‘center of Christendom’ (see also Where is the True Christian Church Today? ), it is the center of the Church of Rome. A group that often tends to have a political agenda. As far as the Pope’s popularity goes, it would likely go up after his next visit to the USA.

Now, since both Pope Francis and Governor Brown studied as Jesuits, the following about them might be of interest to some:

The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu, S.J., SJ or SI) is a male religious congregation of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits. The society is engaged in evangelization and apostolic ministry in 112 nations on six continents. Jesuits work in education (founding schools, colleges, universities and seminaries), intellectual research, and cultural pursuits. Jesuits also give retreats, minister in hospitals and parishes, and promote social justice and ecumenical dialogue.

Ignatius of Loyola founded the society after being wounded in battle and experiencing a religious conversion. He composed the Spiritual Exercises to help others follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. In 1534, Ignatius and six other young men, including Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, gathered and professed vows of poverty, chastity, and later obedience, including a special vow of obedience to the Pope in matters of mission direction and assignment. Ignatius’s plan of the order’s organization was approved by Pope Paul III in 1540 by a bull containing the “Formula of the Institute”.

Ignatius was a nobleman who had a military background, and the members of the society were supposed to accept orders anywhere in the world, where they might be required to live in extreme conditions. Accordingly, the opening lines of the founding document declared that the Society was founded for “whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God (Spanish: “todo el que quiera militar para Dios”), to strive especially for the defense and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine.” Jesuits are thus sometimes referred to colloquially as “God’s Soldiers”, “God’s Marines”, or “the Company”, references to Ignatius’ history as a soldier and the society’s commitment to accepting orders anywhere and to endure any conditions. The Society participated in the Counter-Reformation and, later, in the implementation of the Second Vatican Council in the Catholic Church.

The Society of Jesus is consecrated under the patronage of Madonna Della Strada, a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it is led by a Superior General, currently Adolfo Nicolás.

The headquarters of the society, its General Curia, is in Rome. The historic curia of St. Ignatius is now part of the Collegio del Gesù attached to the Church of the Gesù, the Jesuit Mother Church.

In 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the first Jesuit Pope, as Pope Francis. …

The Jesuits were temporarily banished from France in 1594 after a man named Jean Châtel tried to assassinate the king of France, Henri IV. Under questioning, Châtel revealed that he had been educated by the Jesuits of the Collège de Clermont. The Jesuits were accused of inspiring Châtel’s attack. Two of his former teachers were exiled and a third was hanged.The Collège de Clermont was closed, and the building was confiscated. The Jesuit Order was banned from France, although this ban was quickly lifted.

In England, Henry Garnet, one of the leading English Jesuits, was hanged for misprision of treason because of his knowledge of the Gunpowder Plot (1605). The Plot was the attempted assassination of King James I of England and VI of Scotland, his family, and most of the Protestant aristocracy in a single attack, by exploding the Houses of Parliament. Another Jesuit, Oswald Tesimond, managed to escape arrest for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot. …

Anti-Semitism

Although in the first 30 years of the existence of the Society of Jesus there were many Jesuit conversos (Catholic-convert Jews) including the second Father General Diego Lainez, an anti-converso faction led to the Decree de genere (1593), which proclaimed that either Jewish or Muslim ancestry, no matter how distant, was an insurmountable impediment for admission to the Society of Jesus.The 16th-century Decree de genere remained in exclusive force until the 20th century, when it was repealed in 1946.

Theological debates

Within the Roman Catholic Church, there has existed a sometimes tense relationship between Jesuits and the Holy See due to questioning of official Church teaching and papal directives, such as those on abortion, birth control, women deacons,homosexuality, and liberation theology. Usually, this theological free thinking is academically oriented, being prevalent at the university level. From this standpoint, the function of this debate is less to challenge the magisterium than to illustrate the church’s ability to compromise in a pluralist society based on shared values that do not always align with religious teachings. The previous two Popes have appointed Jesuits to powerful positions in the Church; John Paul II appointed Roberto Tucci, S.J., to the College of Cardinals, after serving as the chief organizer of papal trips and public events. Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have appointed ten Jesuit Cardinals to notable jobs. Benedict XVI appointed Jesuits to notable positions in his curia, such as Archbishop Luis Ladaria Ferrer, S.J., as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Rev. Federico Lombardi, S.J., Vatican Press Secretary. Pope Francis, elected in 2013, has become the first Jesuit Pope and is initiating discussions on social matters. (Society of Jesus. Wikipedia, accessed 07/23/15)

So, the Jesuits have been involved in attempted political assassinations, antisemitism, promoting abortion, ‘Mary,’ and homosexuality, and pursuing some type of international social agenda. An agenda focus on ‘ecumenical dialogue’–an agenda that wants a modified ‘one-world religion.’

Since the current Pope is one a Jesuit, this explains why he does a lot of what he does. As well as why Jerry Brown endorses him. Of course, not all Catholics are fans of Pope Francis. Notice also the following about a poll that came out yesterday:

July 22, 2015

The “Francis effect,” a phrase used to signify the new energy that Pope Francis’ election injected into the global Catholic church, appears to be simmering down among American conservatives, according to a Gallup poll released on Wednesday.

The pontiff’s favorability rating among conservatives has plunged to about 45 percent, compared with a lofty 72 percent in 2014, the poll finds.

Art Swift, a writer at Gallup, chalks the change up to the pope’s stance on social and economic issues.

“This decline may be attributable to the pope’s denouncing of ‘the idolatry of money’ and linking climate change partially to human activity, along with his passionate focus on income inequality — all issues that are at odds with many conservatives’ beliefs,” Swift writes.

During his papacy, Pope Francis has tried to shift focus away from the culture wars, saying that the church has become “obsessed” with hot-button issues like abortion, contraception and homosexuality. Indeed, U.S. Catholic bishops and dioceses have taken strong stances on these issues for decades, getting involved with lobbying groups to make sure their views were heard.

Conservative Catholic politicians have found the pope’s criticisms of capitalism and activism on climate change hard to swallow. After hearing about a draft of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, presidential candidate Jeb Bush went so far as to suggest the pontiff shouldn’t get involved in world affairs.

“I don’t get economic policy from my bishops or my cardinal or my pope,” Bush said on the campaign trail earlier this year. “I think religion ought to be about making us better as people and less about things that end up getting in the political realm.”

Carl Olson, editor of the conservative Catholic World Report, has said that he and many others he knows in the Catholic community are tired of the pope’s “haranguing, harping, exhorting, lecturing” about social justice issues. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope-francis-favorability-gallup-poll_55afdec8e4b08f57d5d354ca

Despite misgivings, Pope Francis remains popular amongst Catholics and even non-Catholics.

Pope Francis wants unity among the world’s religions and nations while pushing his economic views.

Jerry Brown hopes to hear him at the United Nations. Pope Francis will likely push aspects of the Jesuit agenda there. An agenda that pushes an anti-biblical ecumenical message. The Bible warns against what Pope Francis is trying to put together (Revelation 18; Daniel 11:31-39). An agenda that will lead to the end of the USA (Daniel 11:39).

Some items of related interest may include:

United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Sunday and Christianity Was Sunday observed by the apostolic and true post-apostolic Christians? Who clearly endorsed Sunday? What relevance is the first or the “eighth” day?
Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation discusses the largest church since the second/third century, which in a real sense is the eighth church mentioned in the Book of Revelation (it also endorses “eighth day” worship). What church would support the Beast? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video of related interest could be Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Feast of the Immaculate Conception? Did early Christians teach Mary had an immaculate conception and led a sinless life?
Origin of the Marian Dogmas: Where Do Catholic Scholars Say The Four Dogmas of Mary Came From?
Assumption of Mary Did Mary die? Was she taken to heaven on August 15th? What is known? What does the Bible show?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. [Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja do deus?]
The Last Pope Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Why might Pope Francis be the last pope? What happens if he is? Biblical and other prophecies help explain what to expect.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Amazon Book What does the Bible say about a pope near this time? Is the final pope to be an antipope and antichrist? Does Catholic prophecy point to Pope Francis as being the dreaded “Peter the Roman”? This 186 page book provides information and answers.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle This electronic version of the printed book which is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle.