Traditionis Custodes: Benedictines Don't Play Along

That's right. If only Benedict XVI had waited 18 months, or even if he could have hung on as Pope despite his weaknesses, and lasted until Bergoglio was 79-80, then Bergoglio would never have been elected, and the Church would be in a much better condition than the wreckage it is now.
My family and I come from Japan. We are in USA since 2010, when I was 16. In Japan, Catholics are very small in number, less than 1%. St. Francis Xavier and Jesuits (as well as Franciscan and Dominican missionaries), came to Japan in the mid 16th century an had enormous success converting our people to Catholicism. Jesuits and Franciscans and Dominicans were respected, and some because influential in the courts of the local daimyo (govenors or areas/provinces) in Japan. A few became Catholics themselves, and it was tradition in Japan of the time, that it your lord became a CAtholic, you did too. So there were mass conversions. Were it not for the arrival of a few English and Dutch Protestant ships which were intercepted in Japanese waters in the very early 17th century seeking trade with Japan, it is possible Japan would be a large Catholic percentage today, although probably never the majority. But the Protestants, gaining footholds in Japan, turned the daimyo and the Shogun against the Catholics, and we began to be actively persecuted and executed. There are many Japanese Catholics who have been declared "Blessed" because of martyrdom. But the Protestants tactics backfired on them, and the Shogun and his council turned against all Christians and foreigners and closed the country off from the outside world until the 1850's. After the last shogun was overthrown, Tokugawa Yoshinobu in 1868 and the emperor restored, CAtholics slowly were allowed again, and before Vatican II, there were over a million Japanese CAtholics.
But with VAtican II, there were big declines even in Japan, and now there are only nearly 550-600,000 Catholics who practice in Japan.
When we came to USA, I saw dozens of churches in my area , Catholic churches which had convents and priest houses and schools. Our seminary had 250 seminarians still even after all that came from VAtican II. That was 2010. Now after nearly 10 years of Bergoglio/Francis, the seminary is closing 2024 and already sold to an organization called "Main Line Health". Huge building which once 1950's had 500+ seminarians now will be medical centers. There are no sisters in any of the schools near me, and parishes are cutting down number of MAsses because no one goes to the Novus Ordo....but the two Latin Mass parishes are filled.
Sorry for the long post, but my point is, CAtholcism in Japan will never be huge. Japan is of Buddhist and Shinto outlook, which alittle bit is in conflict with Christian outlooks. Also it is very secular. But in the USA, Catholicism, even in my area was flourishing and huge. It still functioned well until Pope Francis....then came a bigger collapse than even with VAtican II. That is truely the mark of evil. Let us hope the Church restores with a good Pope when Francis is dead soon.

Thank you @Chat Chartreux ! Appologies for such a long post, but you are right. I knew that Benedict XVI is still a modernist and large supporter of Vatican II , but even as Doctrine Prefect, I read many statements he made which were not complementing for Vatican II at all. Being only 27, I never had seen a serving pope wear the papal vestments and extra pieces that Benedict XVI restored, and was very impressed. My parents and grandparents knew of the great Pope Pius XII and how he presented himself, so they were fortunate to have seen these things. I suppose I was too impressed of the things Benedict XVI restored to realize that he still believes in Vatican II and much of Francis opinions. But I am very certain he doesn't approve of the support for homosexuality, accomodation of it in the VAtican, the Pachamamma scandals, and the insane persecution of the LAtin Mass by Francis and his squad. Other than that, I agree with you that he shares much of Francis' outlook. He is nearly 95 and probably too old to say anything, but I wish he would strongly oppose Francis regarding the LAtin Mass. Also not likely, but I wish Benedict XVI would by some miracle, outlive Francis.

@Chat Chartreux As Rodney Dangerfield famously quipped, "if you want to look thin, you hang out with fat people!" Benedict was, as you note, a modernist and an architect of Vatican Council II. Compared to the militant-Marxist Francis, he appear positively saintly by comparison. Benedict was the kind of "soft" modernist The Church has seen for nearly half a century prior to the strident and agenda-focused Francis.

Francis has unleashed a hurricane of revolt and anger among good faithful Catholics who are rallying to defend our Catholic tradition and the Tridentine LAtin Mass. He and his thugs like Archbishop Roche are too stupid to realize what they have unleashed. The tide for tradition is growing, not disappearing. This stupid and vicious act of Francis, lacking all charity and a violation of valid judgement in the exteme will, in short order sweep what legitimacy his pontificate had away, as well as any defense for the "reforms" of Vatican II regarding the Mass, and all aspects of CAtholic life. Today was the Feast of the Epiphany. Francis celebrated Mass for a surprisingly small congregation in St. Peter's. As suuall, no one applauded him, or cheered "Viva il Papa". I've seen news photos taken of him as he sat slumpted in his chair. He looked awful....same angry face, but sunken like someone who is hiding very serious illness. I don't think he has much longer.