'There’s been a lot of media attention to Pope Francis’ now-famous phone call to an Argentine woman who is civilly married to a divorced man, reportedly telling her she could receive Communion.
While in Rome this week, I’ve made some soundings inside the Roman Curia, and found concern among Vatican officials in two areas. First, they’re worried about the doctrinal and pastoral implications of the pope’s supposed remarks, and the risk of raising expectations for a change in church policy that may never occur.
Second, and more broadly, they’re concerned that the Vatican is losing control over papal communication. In that sense, the phone call was a tipping point: an institution that has spoken for centuries in a formal, calibrated hierarchy of expression is now headed by a man who chats on the phone, delivers soundbites to reporters and improvises daily sermons.'
You can read the full article here.
Fr Dwight Longnecker has written a post on the subject matter of that article which can be read here and Fr Z has a really excellent synopsis - otherwise known as a 'rant' - here, his take on the Synod.
Also, let's pray that 'Fr Bergoglio' in his role as Supreme Pontiff does not make any phone calls to the LCWR!
I wish it were true but after fifty years of unprecedented ongoing "change” in the Catholic Church I´ve come to the conclusion that this is again only Hegelian dialectic to keep the “conservatives” calm while the “new genre of papal speech that’s deliberately informal and not concerned with precision” as we´ve been told in October by F. Lombardi will continue.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.harvestingthefruit.com/a-new-genre-of-papal-speech/
Only problem with this hypothetical is that it requires the central character to be emotively 'off the cuff' care-free childlike-thoughtless with little concern for the consequences - caught up in the thrall of the now...
ReplyDeleteBut Archbishop Bergoglio's closest colleague - his secretary for decades has gone on the record saying the man plans everything - & he has never done a spontaneous thing in his life!!
I must admit to a frisson of excitement when I read your headline only to be brought down to earth when I realised it wasn't "Conversions in Rome."
ReplyDeleteFr. Bergoglio did not get where he is today by being spontaneous. Remember he had a Vatican informant active during Benedict's papacy. Whatever his words, look at his actions. They speak louder.
Genty, regarding your frisson of excitement---conversions don't excite me anymore. Under Francis I'm afraid people might be converting for the wrong reasons or with a misunderstanding of the true teachings of the Faith. This has been a problem for years in many Novus Ordo parish rcia's (the one I endured was a moral and theological disaster but I kept my pie-hole shut and read the catechism for myself). Now I see converts in my own parish who adore the pope and were attracted to the Church because of him. Even if they have been taught well, how easy it will be for them to follow Francis into apostasy!! I don't know what to think anymore.:-/
DeleteSeattle kimmy
http://theweek.com/article/index/261033/catholics-must-learn-to-resist-their-popes-mdash-even-pope-francis
ReplyDeleteScary to think all these 'off the cuff' actions are planned. So the phone call was a sort of litmus test to see how we would all react---the Orthodox faithful vs. the 'not so faithful.' Following the phone call are a few statements from the pope about the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman, but one wonders if his fingers are crossed behind his back while he utters.
ReplyDeleteIt''s all one long tango dance to see if the man can tease, titillate and finally seduce the woman who offers a few feeble protests before she succumbs.
And we know Francis loves to tango.
Seattle kimmy