"What?"
I don't care where the tardy Cardinal is from, he's had over two weeks to make travel arrangements. They should have started without him. He's from Vietnam anyway. What?
I don't really care - just get the show on the road, huh?
Seriously, if poor Pope Benedict XVI was supposed to be an interim pope in the first place, wouldn't you think these guys might have had the foresight to have at least speculated on who could be the next Pope?
I'm just kidding - or am I?
Anyway.
Yesterday when I first viewed the photos of the Cardinals praying the rosary and adoring the Blessed Sacrament before the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's, my first, raw, nonspiritual reaction was, "Do they even believe in that stuff any longer?" Even in the combox of Fr. Z's post, commenters reacted suggesting some Cardinals didn't appear to be especially engaged or devout. (They were duly reprimanded, I might add.) Nevertheless, widespread cynicism has replaced trust and confidence, respect and esteem for the hierarchy. With all the scandals and rumors, it is a great temptation to give into skepticism. Serious damage has been done to the Church and the credibility of her ministers. Not just by the hypocrites in the Church, but as we all know, from dissenting progressives as well as dissenting traditionalists, complicated by anti-clerical propaganda from special interest groups, as well as from visionaries and locutionists. It is the latter category which seems to have the greatest influence over the simple and devout.
The other day I received an email from a friend saying, 'please don't tell me Ganswein is gay' - I won't. He is not - or at least I've never picked up on it. But since Cardinal O'Brien came out - everyone thinks everyone is gay. That in itself is 'gay' since gay people pretty much originated the idea that any man can be had. My friend mentioned something her son said while viewing a painting, depicting St. Philip Neri with the seminarians of Rome; her son whispered, 'Paedophile.' That's what has happened to the Church because of the scandals and the gay propaganda against Catholic teaching - bolstered by the double standard of decadent clergy.
The Cardinals better get their rears in gear. Lock 'em up!
what a sad commentary.
ReplyDelete"I don't care where the tardy Cardinal is from, he's had over two weeks to make travel arrangements. They should have started without him. He's from Vietnam anyway. What?"
ReplyDeleteNews travels slowly to Vietnam. I'm sure he made arrangements the moment he heard that Pope Paul had died.
I few days ago, in a Guardian UK article, I came across this quote from a "former cleric" who accused O 'Brien: "This is not about gay or straight culture. It's about open culture. I would be happy to see an openly gay bishop, cardinal, or pope. but the church acts as if sexual identity has to be kept secret."
ReplyDeleteMy jaw dropped. What can be said?
also, re: cardinals taking their time... It's a good thing.
Of COURSE the Cardinals should be taking their time. But they needed to HURRY UP and take their time.
ReplyDeleteYou can maybe understand the Cardinal from Vietnam arriving so late, but what about the ones from Germany and Poland. Did they sail a clipper ship across dry land to get there or what? It's like the distance from Chicago to New York for crying out loud.
Indeed. Perhaps some of them have to actually do the work of a bishop. Out of the question, I know.
ReplyDeleteThey made a pilgrimage out of it and walked.
ReplyDeleteThom, I thought the same thing, but was overcome my cynicism, especially about the German Cardinals. Mea culpa, because you may actually be right.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing Thom.
ReplyDeleteI'm finding it increasingly more difficult to regard our priests and bishops with trust. I have to constantly tell myself that I'm being unfair and even hypocritical. I just hope our new pope will push for greater transparency. These scandals don't have nearly as grave an impact if they're revealed very early and not covered up.
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