Disclaimer: this is not an accusation, merely an observation: I might be drawing a long bow, but hear me out and tell me what you think.

Take as the starting point the fact that 99% of Australia’s bishops didn’t say boo when it was discovered that the ACBC decided to officially allow Catholics to be Masons. And that 100% of them haven’t done a thing about it.

Then, think about the way secret society members like to communicate with each other: through gestures, symbols or by the use of loaded language – the “dog-whistle” effect.

Next, consider the Vatican News website: lately it’s been looking more a platform where ambitious prelates can audition for the future conclave: the “words of wisdom” and charitable works from papabiles around the world are being featured with predictable repetition. So too, it would seem, are those lesser prelates who might consider themselves in the running for a red hat at the next consistory.

So when Archbishop Comensoli popped up at Vatican News with the Christmas message he had prepared for his Archdiocese and he was not one of that 1% who objected to the Catholico-Masonic pact and it was full of ambiguous language, the red flags started a-flying. The desires of the Archbishop of Melbourne for such an office are well-known inside the tearooms of Australia’s chanceries: he takes every available opportunity of showing himself to be one of the Pope’s men – albeit, probably not one of his “wise” ones (another name for an occult practitioner.)

Now, obviously the Archbishop’s words are, to most Christians, completely innocent. Some of them are even beautiful. But it doesn’t take much for a part-time researcher like myself to suspect that they just might be designed to send a message to the Pope: I’m one of you and I’m ready.

Call me sensitive, but don’t you agree that there’s just a little too much of the light/darkness imagery in this short text? The kind of imagery so dear to the hearts of the Masons and all those other Gnostics who believe themselves to be the “Enlightened” ones?

Another red flag flies when comments in the “as above/so below” vein are observed. For the trifecta, there’s a reference to “building bridges”: in these days of Jimmy Martin mania, the word “bridge” can be used by prelates to refer to one’s willingness to tolerate sodomites and other members of the alphabetati.

Have a look at the text and see what you think of use of the money-words: my count is:

• “Light” – 16
• “Shadows/darkness” – 4
• “Sin” – 0. (Refresh my memory: exactly what was the the purpose of the Redemption?)

The one thing that Christmas trees and Christmas cribs have in common is a star or an Angel on top whose light shines down upon all that is beneath. Whether Christmas star or Angel, its light illumines what otherwise would remain in shadow. It reveals delights and gifts, warmth and hope; but most especially it reveals a child who would be the light of the world.

Whether it was by the light from heaven glorifying the shepherds, or the light in the heavens guiding the Magi, both the lowly and the mighty were led to ‘the Light’, under which all people could find illumination. In the manger, among the animals, the baby Jesus would open the eyes of shepherd and magi alike, for they hoped for the gift of this light, who would shine for all.

Christmas is the living memory of the greatest gift we have ever been given: that of the Christ-child, Emmanuel, who is “God-with-us”. He is the great gift of hope at Christmas: the gift of a God who is with us, who loves us and binds us together in all that is worth living for – and who remains with us, through thick and thin.

The old and wizened men of Jesus’ nativity – Zechariah, husband of Elizabeth, and Simeon, the prophet in the temple – both learned to see by His light. For Zechariah, Jesus was God’s dawning light for those caught up in the shadows of death, and a guide for our feet on the way to peace. For Simeon, Jesus was the revealing light of salvation to all the nations and the hope of glory for God’s people.

May Jesus, child of God and of Mary, and light to the nations, illumine the darkened regions of the world, and the shadowy places of the human heart. May we look to His light and find hope for our families, and for ourselves. May the light of Christmas – the light of Jesus – spread out its rays to bring reconciliation between enemies, to light up bridges over troubled waters; to reveal new ways towards renewed friendships.

A child; a light; a hope. May these be yours this Christmas.

Archbishop Peter Comensoli’s Christmas message, 2021

So, look – it could all be entirely innocent. Many a bishop uses dumbed-down doctrine without being guilty of dog-whistling. But it certainly did set one’s mind back to Coleridge’s memorable Christmas chat of 2019. (I’ve just written that one up in a separate article.)

So this site will be keeping an even closer eye on the Archbishop of Melbourne. This wouldn’t be the first time that a very serious line had been crossed by an ambitious cleric on the path to curia-stardom.