The Dean of the Roman Rota Archbishop Pio Vito Pinto warned that the Four Cardinals could be stripped of their cardinalate!

Devested?

I wonder if they get to keep the clothes?

I saw the story on Badger's blog.  It's from EWTN UK - which seems to be more candid with this type of story than the US EWTN World Over Live entertainment news, with Raymundo Arroyo.  Here's an excerpt of the UK piece.  From the Dean of the Roman Rota:

Archbishop Pio Vito Pinto, Dean of the Roman Rota, told a conference in Spain that Cardinal Burke and the three cardinals who submitted the dubia to Pope Francis "could lose their Cardinalate" for causing "grave scandal" by making the dubia public. The Dean of the Roman Rota went on to accuse Cardinals Raymond Burke, Carlo Caffarra, Walter Brandmüller and Joachim Meisner of questioning the Holy Spirit. Archbishop Pio Vito Pinto made his astounding accusations during a conference to religious in Spain.

Archbishop Pio Vito's indictment against the four cardinals, and other people who question Pope Francis and Amoris Laetitia, was that they not only questioned one synod of bishops on marriage and the family, but two synods, about which, "The action of the Holy Spirit can not be doubted." - Read more here.

Quite honestly, I am scandalized, I just don't know who to blame.

Shirley not the Pope.

Part of my resistance to these stories has to do with the fact I don't want the crackpots online to be right.  They keep writing these stories, laying charges upon charges.  It's one thing to read eccentrics like Ann Barnhardt and her Canadian Kickers polka-band followers, but it's a bit more disturbing as qualified writers express doubts and concerns and even harshly criticize the Pope.

The stories are disturbing and distracting and worst of all, it harms the spirit of devotion and prayer.  I'm serious about that, even though I make fun of the stories as a sort of release, I suppose.  No one really knows how the Pope will respond and what will happen - hence the speculation is indeed vain - and in not a few cases, gravely presumptuous.  That is where the scandal is.

I just do not want the pearl-clutching crackpots to be right.  It's like the Charlie Johnston Steppers - I'm hoping Charlie is wrong about the election just because I do not like all this trust people place in locutions and so-called mystics - it seems contrary to the virtue of faith.  I'm hoping all the fringe is wrong about all their fears and survivalist plans - this too seems contrary to faith in some respects.  Prudence is one thing, but self-sufficiency can lead to presumption.  Most especially, I hope all the anti-Vatican II big 'T' Traditionalists are wrong - because that means the Church is wrong - and that is protestant and contradicts the promises of Christ.

I love the papacy - it is in part why I am Catholic.  I like all the popes since the Council - including Francis.  If people need more clarity, I hope he will provide it.  In the meantime, his enemies are indeed searching for stories to condemn him.  One site has a story that JPII was warned about Bergoglio as being unstable and unreliable.  Others are claiming Francis' election was illegitimate - orchestrated by a group of anti-Benedict cardinals who lobbied for Bergoglio.  That is gossip as well as detraction, if not calumny, it serves no purpose but to discredit and foment mistrust.  It's evil.

In some really strange way, it just maybe all about clothes ... after Francis was elected and he refused the traditional vestments, specifically the ermine-trimmed red velvet mozzetta, allegedly saying, 'Carnival is over.'  The extraordinary dressers were very much disturbed.  And now, Cardinal Burke may be ordered to turn in his 'flair'.  Kidding - kinda.

+ + +

Bonus:  And now, for your edification, a new video from Fr. Pavone ...

What?