Apparently the other three cardinals aren't either. Although the other thirty cardinals claimed to be with them might be, since they remain anonymous. I'm just guessing of course.
Since the Four Cardinals with the Five Dubia want answers, and feel they haven't received them, and contradict Cardinal Mueller who says the Faith is not in danger, why don't they say something directly and in person to the Holy Father himself? They were face to face with him at Christmas, which everyone seems to think was another mean-spirited Christmas address to the curia. It wouldn't be like casting a pall over the reception afterward, if they would have broken protocol and spoke directly to the Pope, since they felt insulted already.
Nevertheless, they continue to give interviews and talk around the Pope without ever confronting him face to face.
The Pope lives in a hotel - he's not living in the Apostolic Palace, tucked safe away by miles of corridors and endless doors. Even if he was, these guys have the opportunity to break protocol and speak to the Pope man to man.
Remember Henry IV? How he stood penitent in the snow outside the Papal residence, for three days at Canossa? You'll say the Cardinals have nothing to repent for. Fine. But they need to get off their high horse, take off the cappas magna and maybe even put on penitent's garb - a Franciscan of the Immaculate habit would be awesome, and stand outside in the piazza and wait for the Pope to come out - or better yet - stand outside the dining room of Santa Marta and force the issue face to face. Dispense with protocol and the niceties of office they are so attached to, get offline, stop the phone calls and interviews, and talk to the Pope. I just read the outcries about the Bishops of Malta, and a post about an interview Cardinal Caffarra gave, again 'reportedly' contradicting Mueller, and discussing how confused and therefore unhappy, many priests are, and so on. Do something about it.
Speaking of unhappy priests, unfortunately it was Fr. Z who may have misinterpreted the interview - or at least the circumstance. (Here.) It may be that Caffarra was not contradicting Mueller's recent statements at all. Nevertheless, Fr. Z jumped on the story, which I found disturbing combined with the reports concerning the Maltese Bishops Conference letter. How often does this happen? How often are interviews taken out of context? How often is a sound bite enough to cause great confusion and argument? How often does a Catholic online scandalize readers?
Double talk, whispers in the loggia, gossip, back-stabbing complaints to save your soul without action to stop the spread of more gossip and attacks upon the Papacy, does nothing to quell the confusion and strengthen the faith or ordinary Catholics. Burke giving interviews to The Remnant doesn't help matters. He has plenty of opportunities to speak directly to the Pope. Since he's not worried about his title - drop the princely protocol and go to him disguised as a beggar. Perhaps he forgot his own admonition to Mary Therese Helmueller when she called him out?
I'm not scandalized by the Pope, but I am deeply scandalized by the controversies generated from interviews given by the Four Cardinals. Interviews given to news sources which are anti-Francis, anti-Vatican II, and anti-Novus Ordo.
In the meantime, I have my own repenting to do for stuff I've written and said. But I'm not selling out the Holy Father.
People who want a vision or
private revelation to apply
to our times maybe should
ponder this one.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't they talk to the Pope personally? How do you know they haven't? I know for myself, that knowing the way the Holy Father throws temper tantrums - even in the dining hall of his highly guarded with layers of security hotel - I wouldn't bring it up in person either. Who knows what he'd do? He's even known to call up priests who disagree with him and yell at them over the phone. My take is that they probably have already talked to him in person, we just don't know about it.
ReplyDeleteMr. Beckett - When has Pope Francis thrown a temper tantrum, and where did you get your information? Please be specific. If he had, I am sure it would have been reported - the media would be all over themselves, as they are any time there is any unseemly behavior by Catholics.
DeleteI have never heard of such a thing happening, nor of him yelling at priests who disagree with him. But if he has yelled at priests who are obstinate and in error, perhaps he is justified if they will not listen.
And if the Cardinals are afraid of Pope Francis having a hissy, they should approach him publicly, as Terry mentioned. If they do not respect the Pope enough to deal with him charitably, they should at least be prepared to approach him as a penitent.
The Cardinals are responsible for thousands of Catholic souls, and they should be willing to humble themselves for the sake of their people.
Susan, It has all been reported by reputable reporters. Do some research and you will find it. There are numerous reports of him having angry hissy fits in the cafeteria of his hotel, and in a recent report it is shown that he personally called a priest who worked in the congregation for the doctrine of the faith who, in a private conversation (which means someone tattled on him), criticized Amoris Laetitia. The priest reported that the pope yelled at him over the phone for having an opinion critical of the Popes opinion. The priest was later personally fired by the Pope. Only those who have their head in the sand cannot see the kind of man this Pope is.
DeleteAl - I doubt Cardinal Burke and the others would be afraid of making the Pope angry, at least I hope they wouldn't be so easily intimidated. The red they wear is supposed to be a sign of their willingness to face martyrdom, right? - so why be afraid of the Pope?
DeleteSadly, the reputable journalists are responsible for the stories of mean ol' Francis, reporting from 'sources close to the sources' as it were. Circumstantial and unverified evidence from anonymous sources - or disgruntled clerics and employees who didn't get the praise or promotion they might have been hoping for.
Terry - well said. You express my feelings exactly. With no disrespect to the Cardinals, they need to get past the cumbersome barriers of politics and speak plainly, clearly, and directly to His Holiness and get this straightened out. I do not think Pope Francis would have a problem with this. After all, he speaks to lowly reporters on airplanes. I think he would welcome a discussion.
ReplyDeleteBut you are right. It is time to take the emotion and outrage out of the issue and get down to brass tacks. Second-guessing the Pope, and making accusations and insinuations is unworthy and weakens and confuses the faithful.
And it is time to remember Pope Francis is our pope. We do not have to love him (although I do), but we do have to give him our respect and prayerful support as the Vicar of Christ and our Catholic brother.
Pax et bonum.
Amen!
DeleteAs far as these rumored temper tantrums go, hogwash. I read Vatican news daily and have not read anything that even comes close.
"He said, she said" commentary loses all credibility as it comes off as sheer gossip and speculation.
Terry,
I deleted previous comments since I was not charitable towards Burke but I'm with you, I stand with our Holy Father too and continue to pray for all concerned.
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Thanks Susan and Yaya.
DeleteThanks for this, Terry. I think it is very obvious that the four Cardinals and all who support them are not interested in any answers from the Holy Father. They are interested in accusing him, just as the Pharisees were never interested in any answers from Christ. Their only goal was to trip him up.
ReplyDeleteThe very fact that Cardinal Burke talks to far right militant traditionalists like the Remnant should tell you everything you need to know. As far as Father Z is concerned, he is also a supporter of Michael Matt and his work. Having once been a part of all of that, I can tell you that these people reporesent a very dangerous movement, who are openly at war with the Church.
I don't object to the fact he talks to them, I just think the interviews have to stop and more urgently, he needs to put a stop to the campaign against Pope Francis - His interview with the Remnant should have been about that. He did give some good advice for the ordinary Catholic on how to live through critical periods such as we are in now, but he does so in a tone which almost comes off as if he sincerely thinks we're in an interregnum or sede vacante period. He has to know how scandalous that is.
DeleteDear Terry and CIB
DeleteI too am with you in standing for Pope Francis (I follow both your postings from across the pond). Within my own range of knowledge, I am also joining you in "calling out" some of the adverse commentary against Pope Francis and Amoris Laetitia.
Cardinal Muller's recent interview, cited and criticised in the usual places for its remarks about Amoris Laetitia, included the observation that we should accept both the missions of Pope Emeritus Benedict and Pope Francis as "gifts to the Church", though the two may be different in their personalities and approaches.
I am finding it difficult to understand exactly where the four Cardinals are coming from, so have not commented on that explicitly. However, the appearance of alliance with a traditionalist trend, and with blogs/websites that reflect that trend, only seems to me to undermine the credibility of what they may have originally intended with the dubia. The status and reliability of these blogs/websites aren't always what they are cracked up to be ... I always feel a need to go and find the original sources of any of their stories and, as you say, many of them end up at "sources close to ..."
Nicely said.
ReplyDeleteThe Pope said this today in his homily at a parish near Tivoli:
ReplyDelete“I would say only this: do you want a perfect parish? Then no gossiping, no! If you have something to say to someone say it to their face, or to the pastor, but not among you,” he said, explaining thats what destroys a community, “like a worm, is gossip, from behind.”
The diablo is probably dancing around gleefully with a sneer that is truly maniacal while the world burns, people are crushed, churches burned.
DeleteThe sons and daughters of the Church are too distracted to pray since scandal, gossip, discord is their daily bread.
When Terry mentions the websites that are feeding the fire, one can only imagine the burn.
St. Joseph you are the Patron of the Catholic Church, pray for us!