What the Pope really said in The Letter.
As everyone knows now, the part about Benedict not having the time to read Pope Francis' books was withheld and the publicity photo was shopped, blurring out the rest of what the Pope Emeritus had to say...
The full text of Benedict XVI’s letter praising Pope Francis has been revealed, in which the Pope Emeritus says he has not read a series of books on Pope Francis’s theology. - CHYou can read the entire story at CH.
I think we know what this means however. It's quite obvious. This cry for help from the imprisoned Pope Emeritus will (hopefully) open the investigation into Fatima and the missing part of the Third Secret which tells us what has been going on:
In the Third Secret it is foretold, among other things, that the great apostasy in the Church will begin at the top. - Cardinal CiappiThere is a huge conspiracy to discredit Fatima and the papacy... and Benedict was obviously trying to tell us something in his coded letter.
What?
[I'm just being facetious of course, but I noticed today that many seers and mystics are still at it with scheduled events popping up this year. For example, Our Lady is scheduled to appear in Germany tomorrow, looks like the Garabandal miracle is schedule for May 10th this year, I can't recall when the Warning occurs though - it may have been photo-shopped out. Anyway, this is my satirical commentary on 'The Letter'.]
Song for this post here.
Thank you so much for the clarification kind Terry! I can resume sleeping better at night and during my nap times. ;)
ReplyDeleteHaha! Sorry I haven't been online as much and haven't answered comments and emails - just did a quick search of the usual suspects to see if they are busy analyzing 'The Letter' and they are. LOL! They are spending a huge amount of time with this.
DeleteI posted this over on Facebook, but I'll cross-post it here:
ReplyDelete"As moderns who like to live in safe spaces and trigger-free zones, we cannot tolerate even the semblance of conflict or unpleasantness in said spaces. Look at "no-fault divorce", for example.
Our forebears were realists. They realized that even if there was conflict or unpleasantness, the "safe zones" (chiefly the family and Church) still had to be treated with reverence, and that most conflicts could be resolved with good will. They did not abandon their spouses over trivial arguments, nor did they abandon the Church even during the dark days, say, the Cadaver Synod (look it up.)
The fact is that Popes are humans, and disagreements between them mean about as much for the truth of the Faith, or our need to adhere to it, as a Dan Brown novel.
Let us assume the "worst case scenario" that the radical reactionaries probably are dreaming of: that Benedict had actually written "I don't like Francis, I find his teachings dubious and quasi-heretical, and I think he is leading the Church into the toilet" (or more polite words, because Benedict is a better man than I.) So what?
Benedict XV, on assuming the Papacy, found that he was about to be denounced to St Pius X as a bad egg. (Source: Eamon Duffy, Saints and Sinners.)
St. Pius V once told Pius IV to shove it when Pius IV wanted to indulge in a spot of nepotism. (Source: Catholic Encyclopedia)
Pope Leo II stopped just short of criticizing Pope Honorius for heresy (or material cooperation with it) (Source: Catholic Encyclopedia)
Pope Gregory XVI did an Amoris Laetitia with Pope Benedict XIV's (and his predecessors') teachings on usury.
And these are just three examples.
Heck, even the Apostles were no angels of purity. Sts James and John jockeyed for the "prime places" (and even got their mom to do the asking for them!) Philip was asking silly questions right up to the Last Supper. Peter received an epic scolding from Paul for some Judaizing conduct on his part. If we stopped to get "triggered" and say "oh no they're not getting on well, so Christianity is false", then there would be no Church. We have these treasures in vessels of clay, as St. Paul said.
Of course, I'm sure there's a far more innocuous explanation for the entire muddle, and that Dave Armstrong will provide it. But even if there isn't, so what? Christ did not say "take up your security blanket and follow me", He said "take up your CROSS and follow me." Remember the parable of the weeds and the wheat? Those who want Christianity reduced to their One Peter Five and Rorate Caeli "safe spaces" are no better than the liberals (at least as far as lack of fortitude is concerned), and they are woefully ignorant of Church history, theology, and even the very words of Christ."
Excellent! Thanks for this compilation.
Delete@ Professor Q,
DeleteAfter having watched a wonderful and very inspiring interview with both Bishop Robert Barron and John Allen last night, I came here to Terry's blog and read your commentary.
I found it to be very edifying and encouraging.
Thank you!
Everyone has some cherished special interest to protect. Christ's teaching were really very simple and direct. It is us humans that make everything so gosh darn complicated. As the younger generation once liked to say, "chill out."
ReplyDeleteAgree again. :)
DeleteAnd now for a final (anti-) climax:
ReplyDeleteThe "missing second page" of the letter was Benedict politely expressing reservations about one of the contributors to the set of books, a German theologian named Hunermann with some heterodox views on Papal authority.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/letter-reveals-benedicts-praise-for-francis-booklets-came-with-previously-unmentioned-caveats-20852
The really funny part of this story is that Hunermann is also the editor of Denzinger (which is always on my bookshelf) and I nicked his name for the villain of a story I was writing a few years ago, not knowing that he would turn up again here.
Life is funny sometimes. =)
I am wondering why folks are not reporting on this wonderful piece? It fits Papa Francis and Papa Benny so perfectly ...
Delete"A Pope’s profile according to Ratzinger: neither a great scholar nor a great diplomat, but a man of God"
http://www.lastampa.it/2018/03/15/vaticaninsider/eng/the-vatican/a-popes-profile-according-to-ratzinger-neither-a-great-scholar-nor-a-great-diplomat-but-a-man-of-god-rxEe9DmvJVCybLCxILaqQM/pagina.html