Monday 6 January 2014

A Disturbing Image of Pope Francis and the Church

An earlier post on Francis brought in some comments which might charitably be termed “less than charitable”, though the post simply re-iterated what Pope Francis had criticised in himself. In this post I am sharing a comment on Francis by an Italian journalist. If commentators cannot make charitable and helpful comments but can only remain at the level of personal attack, perhaps they might take time to pray and ask God to grant them the virtues they see in Francis, that they might demonstrate the so-called ‘Francis-effect’ to be a positive one. At present the “Francis effect” appears to be a destructive force; clerical supporters of Francis [appearing so far] to be oppressive of Catholics (the FI) who are simply faithful to the Tradition we have received; and lay supporters producing venomous blog comments in Francis’ defence. Neither his clerical or lay supporters are exemplifying the virtues they praise in him; nor are they demonstrating a positive “Francis-effect”. In this, they are seriously failing the Pope. And so to the post...


Earlier today I posted about Pastoral sensitivity. Having returned from visiting the housebound and posted comments, I have read an article on Rorate Caeli which has greatly disturbed me, bringing me to have concerns for the Church and for Pope Francis.  The article brings me to consider that Francis is losing the respect of serious journalists who have so far been very positive about him. Socci’s words should make us –and Francis- shudder, since the Roman Curia under Francis seems to be paving the way for Francis and the Church to be seen as anything but pastoral. Speaking of the current situation with the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FI), Socci says,

“...the founder, Father Stefano Manelli, has been forced into isolation (his friars cannot write to him, nor telephone him, nor go and visit him, not speak with him in any way); all of the friars who had roles of responsibility were exiled to remote places, sometimes abroad; the lay movements linked to the Congregation have been put into hibernation; the seminary has been closed and ordinations for deacons and priests suspended.

“The commissioner was unable to take hold of the magazines published by the Order because they belong to lay people, so he forbade the religious of the Congregation to collaborate with them. In substance, an iron fist was used.

“No-one can believe that the Pontiff of tenderness wanted or authorized such a thing. The contradiction between his teaching (“love and kindness, not beatings) and the concrete practice, which brings to mind the ghosts of the Inquisition, would be too great.

....

“There are those who sustain that this is a sort of oblique vendetta against Benedict XVI for the “Motu Proprio” which liberalized the Traditional Mass. It provoked strong reactions and opposition in the Curia and among bishops.

“Whereas the “Franciscans of the Immaculate” faithfully carried out the “Motu proprio” because they wanted to be in communion with the Pope. Is this then their wrongdoing?

“I believe that their destruction will damage the present Pope greatly. As it annihilates a precious charisma for the Church and it will bring grist to the mill of the “Lefebvrians” who have attacked Bergoglio publically. Now the “Lefebvrians” can say: “See, in Francis’ Church there is room for everyone, except for Catholics.”

“Having always defended the Pontiff from these attacks, I hope that by being informed of the facts, he will bring an end to this incredible persecution as soon as possible and re-establish truth and justice.”


Reading what Socci says I hope and pray that pastoral sensitivity (and redress?) will surface in regard to the FI, whose treatment by Roman authorities is beginning to give off a very unpleasant odour in the press. Of course we do not yet know what infractions of the FI necessitated the “iron fist” response, and we may yet find the measures taken have been fair (though reports suggest this is highly unlikely), but the infractions would have to be very major indeed to warrant what many see as an extreme and harsh response by Rome that falls little short of attack. Not only does any disorder in the FI or in Fr Volpi’s handling of the situation have to be cleared away, but the air must be cleaned too -by full disclosure of what went wrong in the FI, and why Fr Volpi was allowed to take the heavy actions he took. Wherever justice is found to lie, penance will have to be done by one side or the other eventually. Either way, if Francis’ personal reputation is to be saved from the damage Socci fears, such full disclosure is all-but a must, and not only to ensure the good name of the Pope but the well-being of the Church.

Rorate's original source here.

18 comments:

  1. Thank you for this post.......all we can do is run to Our Great Lady and pray.
    Sandy

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    1. Thank you for your comment.
      Yes, sandy, Our Lady is the one to whom we must make many petitions for the glory of her Son and the well-being of souls.
      God bless you and yours.

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  2. I hope it's not uncharitable for me to say this, Father; I feel impelled to do so:

    Why is anyone still surprised by the tyranny of the "liberals"?

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    1. Thank you for the comment.
      Nothing wrong with this at all; there is not a person-directed insult anywhere -and no one is surprised by the way liberals operate. In seminary we used to say there is nothing so illiberal as a liberal".
      God Bless

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  3. I say the Memorare every night for Our Lady's protection of the FFI and all loyal and orthodox priests. I say a Hail Mary for all innocent priests unjustly deprived of their ministries. And I make a special appeal to the Holy Ghost to guide the Pope in strength, wisdom and unequivocal teaching of Christ's mission. Praying is about as much as we can do, I guess.

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    1. Thank you for the comment, Genty.
      Yes, we must pray for the Pope to be protected from misuse by the liberal elite; for courage and wisdom from on high for all involved, and the protection of the FFI and Holy Mother Church.
      God bless you and yours.

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  4. Dear Father, I am seriously thinking about joining the SSPX and taking my family there with me. The current Pontiff is insulting my Catholic intelligence.

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    1. Thank you for the comment, Damask Rose.
      I can understand you feeling the need to go to a place where orthodoxy of doctrine and liturgy is beyond question. I attended an SSPX chapel on occasion before I entered the 'Novus Ordo' seminary, and my reasons for entering that seminary are the same reasons I have for for staying with Rome: if all orthodox Catholics abandon the ship there will be no ballast to keep her upright -added to which the Church will ultimately win out. Indeed, the victory has already been won by Our Blessed Lord. I cannot counsel anyone to deprive themselves of communion with Rome, even if we must learn to tell her "I obey, but I do not agree, and I ask that you think again".
      I do, however, continue to thank God for the presence of the SSPX in the world, since the Society provides a thorn in the flesh of those who manipulated the Church after Vatican II and set so many of our clergy on paths that stray from the right course. So many have heard and lived by rubbish over the last fifty years that they believe the rubbish to be the treasures of the Church.

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    2. What's worse are the priests, bishops, lay people with public platforms who, since Pope Francis was elected preach a different Catholicism than that which they did prior to it, and attack those who maintain the position held before that election, in upholding the Deposit of Faith. It is almost impossible to believe what is happening. The turning of so many, without any hint of shame, is appalling and one can clearly see how orthodox Catholics are being persecuted to the echoing of silence. "I was not a Jew, so I said nothing ..."

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    3. Thank you Lynda.
      Perhaps we can only understand what is happening if we can see the hand of the evil one covering the eyes and the minds of those who seek to preach and live a different faith.
      And indeed, silence is not always golden -it can also be silent approval to what we see happening in so many places.
      God bless

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  5. Thank you for not losing your Faith - or your reason. Thank you for defending the Faith and the truth, and giving spiritual and moral leadership, which is so scandalously lacking. All priests ought to be as fearless as you are in upholdIng the unchanging and unchangeable Faith, that so many have sorrowed and died for.

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    1. Thank you Lynda.
      I believe all priests and people are sincerely doing what they believe to be right, but are actually wrong, and some fail to apply critical thinking to their 'pastoral' attitudes. Personally, I only wish it was as easy to live the live as it is to preach it. In all honesty, I cannot understand why some clergy (who know there sins) cannot at least be obedient to Doctrine and discipline; I do my best with these so that I will at least come to judgement able to say I did not knowingly teach an untruth or set myself up as Lord of the Liturgy -I cannot say I have always been kind, humble, hard working, honest etc etc etc... which of us can?
      God bless.

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  6. "A community [the One, True, Faith] is calling its very being into question when it suddenly declares that what until now was its holiest and highest posession, is strictly forbidden and when it makes the longing for it seem downright indecent." Cardinal Ratzinger, Salt of the Earth interview.

    also from the Socci article:

     'why is there such harshness against religious who represent a great example of life and are a true spiritual reference for the faithful?'

    there's not really too many answers to this question. but the father of lies would probably feature in all of them.

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    1. Thank you, viterbo,
      Cardinal Ratzingers remark always encouraged me in my love of the Usus Antiquior, while Socci's question hits a nail on the head. Certainly the father of lies has a hand in all that makes what is good and holy an object of scorn, oppression or even persecution, since the Church has been given the power to build up what is holy, and none to destroy it. If no major infraction is found and disclosed in the FFI then we know whose influence is holding sway in the Church.
      God Bless

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  7. Father said: [satan] has a hand in all that makes what is good and holy an object of scorn, oppression or even persecution, since the Church has been given the power to build up what is holy, and none to destroy it.


    What an important point. That's it - 'given the power to build up what is holy, and none to destroy.'

    Surely, one cannot dither about what is holy, so that makes it very easy to get a handle on what's happening in and outside the Church.

    God Bless

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    1. Thank you for the comment, viterbo.
      The important point is from 2 Corinthians 10:8, but it seems somewhat overlooked today...
      God bless.

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  8. May God preserve you and your faith. This is a time of persecution within the church just as it was in St Athanasius times and soon those who are faithful will be outside the church.

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    1. Thank you, Aquinian.
      Yes, the faith is being persecuted, and it appears too many of our pastors do not realise it is being persecuted because it is so subtle. Sociological changes are the essence of this persecution, but they are presented as reducing prejudice and persecution, hoodwinking our pastors into seeking ways to accommodate the changes into our pastoral practice rather than pastorally challenge and correct those changes. This attitude began with Humanae Vitae, and continues to this day.
      Personally, I think we have recently had a new an Athanasius in Archbishop Lefebvre who fought to simply develop rather than distort what the Church had always taught. The SSPX may now be painting the Church too black after so many years of persecution and argument for the Faith, but it is hard to reject them in the end, since they are doing only what was done before Vatican II, and if they are wrong now we must have been wrong before the Council, which means we can simply never know when the Church is right. The hermeneutic of continuity is absolutely essential to the life of the Church and the preservation of the Deposit of Faith.
      God bless you and yours

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