Last month, Sandro Magister reported (see here) the personal plea to Pope Francis of a couple, six of whose nine children are members of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI). In response to the couple begging the pope to help, he answered "soon, soon" according to Magister.
Now, multiple sources are telling Rorate that a large number of FI friars -- possibly 100-150 -- are petitioning Rome to be released from their pontifical vows and to be placed under diocesan bishops.
As we have reported from the beginning, the order assigning a commissioner, which has led to the rapid destruction of a growing order that was increasingly attached to Traditional Catholicism, and has led numerous Faithful to lose access to the Traditional Latin Mass, was approved directly by Pope Francis.
We do not know what Pope Francis meant when he told the distressed parents "soon, soon." In Roman time, soon rarely means quickly. Let us pray that soon the Holy Father will end this drastic intervention that he approved and save a beautiful order currently in critical condition.
