What the...
The story Moynihan wrote, covering the breaking news claiming high-placed corruption and blackmail, was essentially based on hearsay.
In other words, this article contains no sourced evidence whatsoever, except for the (alleged) statement of “a man close to the man who drafted the Report” that “everything centers on the non-observance of the 6th and 7th commandments.”
That sentence is the only “semi-sourced” sentence in the entire article.
Everything else is assertion.
Like this:
A potentially explosive report has linked the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI to the discovery of a network of gay prelates in the Vatican, some of whom – the report said – were being blackmailed by outsiders. - Hearsay
So anyway. Yesterday, I was reading - just for recreation - I know! How nuts is that? I was reading, searching a few sites for messages from private revelations concerning popes and the 'end of the era' prophecies. Seems to me the private revelation circuit and the rumor mill pretty much run along the same lines.
Anyway, I must say how surprised I was to discover so many similarities between Medjugorje and Garanbandal - and discovered that Garabandal actually got picked up by Veronica Leukin of Bayside. I did not know that before. The tie in between Veronica and Garabandal? Poor Joey Lomangino, now in his mid 80's I think. He is supposed to get his sight back after the miracle takes place in Spain, which will only happen after the warning and the chastisement - I think.
I get the sequence of events screwed up when it comes to foretold events. It is hard to keep track - even for the seers. Especially since so much other stuff is usually included or involved with these 'cults'. Which is why I have a hard time believing claims made by these people; like the seer from Medjugorje who says Our Lady's messages are written on invisible parchment. Likewise, all of those secrets which hold simple souls in suspense, year after year after year, waiting for the secrets to unfold. Garabandal has an intricate timetable for events and dates to announce them - so people can get there to see the miracle as it happens. It. Is. So. Odd.
I'll stick with John Allen and Rocco Palmo for my Vati-news leaks from now on - and of course the Vatican press office. As for private revelations - I'll stick with those which are approved.
As for the faith - I am Roman Catholic.
H/T PML
If it's hearsay why would you even write it or publish it? I don't have a horse in this race, but if I did that writer just lost any shred of credibility. Ever.
ReplyDeleteI am with you. After reading his letter #19 last night, I was thinking, WTF? You pass along all of this gossipy news and then retract it 24hours later? And you make your letters all suspenseful with late night phone calls, shadowy meetings, etc? I will never take him seriously again.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling rather sheepish myself after falling for the thing without an objective reading, but it's a little hard to do without knowing Italian fluently. Regardless, I wish I hadn't deviated from my initial instinct to just keep my head down in prayer. Oh, how much easier it is to act on human fallen nature than on God's grace!
ReplyDeleteMea culpa!
Robert Moynihan has a new e-letter up this morning (not yet online) with a communique from the Vatican Secretariat of State. It seems they are up to their eyeballs with unverifiable reports. It is now available in English at Vatican Radio:
(Vatican Radio) Please find below a Vatican Radio translation of a Secretary of State communiqué on conclave, issued Saturday:
“The freedom of the College of Cardinals, which alone, under the law, is responsible for the election of the Roman Pontiff, has always been strongly defended by the Holy See, as a guarantee of a choice based on evaluations solely for the good of the Church.
Over the centuries, the Cardinals have faced multiple forms of pressure exerted on the individual voters and the same College, with the aim of conditioning decisions, to bend them to a political or worldly logic.
If in the past the it was the so-called superpowers, namely States, who sought to condition the election of the Pope in their favour, today there is an attempt to apply the weight of public opinion, often on the basis of assessments that fail to capture the spiritual aspect of this moment in the life of the Church.
It is regrettable that, as we draw near to the beginning of the Conclave when Cardinal electors shall be bound in conscience and before God, to freely express their choice, news reports abound which are often unverified or not verifiable, or even false, even subsequent damage to people and institutions.
It is in moments such as these, that Catholics are called to focus on what is essential: to pray for Pope Benedict, to pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten the College of Cardinals, to pray for the future Pope, trusting that the fate of the barque of St. Peter is in the hands of God".
I can see why so many fell for it, though-- it said exactly what they wanted to hear.. what they want to believe is true.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it is a retraction but a fulfilling a promise to 'clarify' his observations and statements. I believe at the end of his column he does express his personal jrnlistic observation and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteWhat I saw in Moynihan was the interior conflict that perhaps many of us felt and I think he is still conflicted based on the latest e-letter, which is not yet on the website (and Terry, I meant to point out it is Robert, not Daniel as you had in the one post).
ReplyDeleteHe seems to be advocating for making the contents of the dossier public while at the same time pointing out how questionable the Italian report was and how it did not seem likely anyone had seen the report (with what was provided, you can't even come close to claiming it was verifiable since it had second or third hand info at best).
excellent comments - all! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDiane I'll correct that typo and change it to Robert.
Thom - I'm afraid you are right.
Fr. Lombardi with some very strong words offered through La Stampa's english language, Vatican Insider:
ReplyDelete“There is no lack, in fact, of those who seek to profit from the moment of surprise and disorientation of the spiritually naive to sow confusion and to discredit the Church and its governance, making recourse to old tools, such as gossip, misinformation and sometimes slander, or exercising unacceptable pressures to condition the exercise of the voting duty on the part of one or another member of the College of Cardinals, who they consider to be objectionable for one reason or another.”
I just updated my post.
I'm glad they are coming out swinging on this. I just wish I had not contributed to the spread of this stuff.
Lesson learned... until I fall again.
I'm sticking with vatican news for accurate updates.
ReplyDeleteWe live and learn - I hope.
Poor Moynihan must be embarrassed.
“Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into the pit? (Luke 6 : 39)
ReplyDeletebg - no. Excellent point I might say.
ReplyDelete