Tuesday 15 November 2016

In the headlights...



Let a parish priest ignore a letter asking him to clarify something from just one bishop, let alone four cardinals.

Let a bishop or cardinal ignore a letter asking him to clarify something from the Pope or even a brother bishop or Cardinal.

Why then, or rather by what justification, can a Pope ignore a letter from FOUR cardinals?

Because 'I'm the Pope' so 'stuff you, I can do what I please'?

Ah yes, now we see the ambition. Not sure about the humility though!

The Pope has been lecturing traditional Catholics on true love and excessive rigidity. 

I'm not sure what justification Pope Francis is using to ignore his Cardinals' letter, but I'm not sure it has much to do with love, more perhaps with rigidity, much like how rabbits appear in the headlights.

Of course, the rabbit might just get out of the way in time before he is squashed, and evade the oncoming car, but nobody can say that the rabbit wasn't there.

The Church will record this letter.

History will record this letter.

And at some point, this letter, answered or unanswered, will judge and give a verdict on either the authenticity or magisterial content of this papacy. Perhaps both.

In future, it could well even serve as evidence in deciding whether this pontificate had 
any validity at all.

PRAY.

6 comments:

Nicolas Bellord said...

In my experience it is a standard practice for clergy, whom one suspects of liberal leanings, just to ignore letters; so there is nothing new here. Except of course we now know where we are.

amfortas said...

Have we seen the text of the acknowledgement? Has the Pope actually declined to respond to the points raised or is this media spin?

Joseph Golightly said...

It is not that uncommon for letters from laity not to be answered. I think there is a fair bit of hypocrisy around and it does not help when clergymen join in

Highland Cathedral said...

This from Crux:
ROME- Pope Francis on Sunday called for the faithful not to be driven by end-times curiosities or apocalyptic preachers, urging them to focus on what is truly important: “The Lord and our neighbour.”
“Those who follow Jesus pay no heed to prophets of doom, the nonsense of horoscopes, or frightening sermons that distract from the truly important things,” Francis said.
That’s terrible. Where is the brotherly offer of dialogue with these preachers? Where is the acknowledgement of the tremendous contribution such preachers have made? Where is the mercy? When is Pope Francis going to join in an ecumenical service with these preachers instead of being rigid about them?

Nicolas Bellord said...

Highland Cathedral: Oh dear! And there I was, on the same Sunday, listening to a brilliant sermon by Father Hurley on the subject of death; even worse it was a TLM Mass. Mea Culpa.

Liam Ronan said...

"And again going out of the coasts of Tyre, he came by Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
And they bring to him one deaf and dumb; and they besought him that he would lay his hand upon him.
And taking him from the multitude apart, he put his fingers into his ears, and spitting, he touched his tongue: And looking up to heaven, he groaned, and said to him: Ephpheta, which is, Be thou opened.
And immediately his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke right." Mark 7: 31-35

May Jesus heal His deaf and dumb servants for the Glory of the Father.

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