I would have more sympathy with Cardinal Oullet's view if formal channels such as letters, petitions and even Cardinals' dubia were responded to in a friendly manner, or even responded to at all. Whatever His Eminence thinks of the posters, there are some pertinent facts that should at the highest level of the Vatican be appreciated.
These are, namely that...
Pope Francis has emasculated Congregations.
Pope Francis has decapitated the Order of Malta.
Pope Francis has decapitated the Franciscans of the Immaculate.
Pope Francis has not, as far as I know, personally suspended priests, but one could argue that the attack on the FFI was so catastrophic that priests may just as well have been 'suspended'.
Pope Francis has ignored Cardinals questions.
Pope Francis has done these things which lead people to question where is the mercy of which he speaks.
What the posters did not say, but could have said, was that Pope Francis was sowing 'division' and 'confusion' within the Church and that division and confusion come from the Devil. Ironically, the posters stuck to objectively discernible facts, albeit in a rhetorical manner, leaving it to a high-level Prefect within the Vatican to point fingers at people calling them 'diabolic'. Really, these posters were fairly charitable and, indeed, quite a bit more charitable than was the response of Cardinal Oullet.
Of course, division does come from the Devil. Truth, however, does not, and the reason that this papacy seems to be so very divisive is because it would appear more and more that truth is this pontificate's main enemy. After four years in which truth has been under grave and serious attack from the highest levels of the Church, it is perhaps understandable that when it is spoken in the streets it is seen as a great threat that comes 'from the enemy'. As others have surmised, the knee-jerk reaction of Cardinal Oullet rather feels like we're moving back to the abuse-crisis days in which calls for fair treatment and a fair hearing of complaints are simply an attack on the institution of the Church, rather than an appeal for transparency and justice where justice has been seen to be denied. The days in which the Pope is seen as an absolute monarch accountable to absolutely nobody were, I thought, meant to be over.
This concept is something that was put to bed by Pope Benedict XVI but has been resurrected by Pope Francis. Sad to see Cardinal Oullet fall into line so quickly. One quote really summarises justifiable reasons for simmering anger in Rome and Cardinal Oullet would do well to read it over one more time. It gives ample evidence of just why Benedict XVI was loved by Romans, Pope St John Paul II was loved by and deeply popular with Romans and why Francis has gone down so badly with Romans.
“And I am the pope, I do not need to give reasons for any of my decisions. I have decided that they have to leave and they have to leave.”
~ Pope Francis on his decision to sack three CDF priests
It just sounds so much nicer when it is said thus:
"And I am the servant of the servants of God, I do not need to give reasons for any of my decisions. I have decided that they have to leave and they have to leave."
In the world such an exercise of naked power without a sense of accountability sometimes impresses some people, but really not that many at all, and still fewer if you are on the receiving end of it. In the Church, it just looks rather terrible and frankly, rather terrifying, but hey, I suppose that with a 'boss' like that, Cardinals might well want to say some things that will pacify and soothe someone known to simply 'lose it' when bad decisions make him look bad. In this light, Cardinal Oullet's reaction is somewhat understandable. As things stand, however, my immediate sympathy goes not to the authoritarian individual regularly abusing the papal office to assert his personal will but to those who pay the price for that, and with all possible avenues for appeal exhausted and found ineffective, these posters I can only see as shocking and understandable in equal measure.
If only these things mentioned on the posters were untrue!
If only these things could be dismissed as absurd and 'diabolic' accusations!
If only!
5 comments:
"The pope said he has found it “amazing” to see complaints about “lack of orthodoxy” flowing into the Vatican offices in Rome from conservative Catholics around the world. They ask the Vatican to investigate or discipline their priests, bishops or nuns. Such complaints, he said, “are better dealt with locally,” or else the Vatican offices risk becoming “institutions of censorship"
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/world/europe/pope-bluntly-faults-churchs-focus-on-gays-and-abortion.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
But, of course, when local churches (or sovereign states) deal w/it in a way HEIL Francis doesn't like, then he fires them. And, of course, the Shoah-obsessed NYTimes NEVER reports the contradiction: no, they shout, HEIL Francis!
If only Pope Francis was not the Pope...
Have patience, Mr.Bones, very soon we'll have another poster, you don't know how much ironic the Romans can be towards the popes......
These events all combine to raise a fundamental question. How should Matthew 16:18 be interpreted?
If only! Where in the world are those who should be standing up at this moment to defend those of us whose word is unimportant.
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