I'm disappointed in Fr. Z again.
He's dedicated an entire post on 'The question of two popes..." shamelessly questioning the validity of Pope Benedict and subsequently the election of Pope Francis. He deals with it as a response to his followers who have posed challenges and doubts - as well as fears. He presents his theories as a sort of mind exercise to help an already confused group of faithful, sort things out. It's a clericalist parlor game, one might expect to be engaged in while attending some stuffy-old monsignor's dinner party, seated around the the dining table, engaging in after-dinner conversation, as they sip their drinks and chew on their cigars.
Fr. Z is undoubtedly an admirer of Ann Barnhardt, referencing her posts on several occasions. The woman thinks Francis is an anti-pope and says horrible things about the bishops and clergy - she makes Voris and Niles look like legitimate journalists. If he reads her, he knows all that. He also must be well acquainted with Taylor Marshall, since he mentions Ed Mazza in conjunction with Barnhardt. Mazza is author of the theory that Pope Benedict XVI may still be Pope with Francis just Bishop of Rome. More or less.
Ironically, those who reject Francis as Pope strike me as the real ultramontanists - a term some use for those who support Pope Francis.
Among these people, who no doubt hold the Archbishop Vigano crackpottery in high esteem, we can now locate Fr. Z. What a crazy assortment of misfit characters that group has become. Trads are not just traditionalists, I think they are fast becoming Tridentinists - if they are not already. Reject Vatican II and the Franciscan papacy and Magisterium, what are they? Perhaps Fr. Z hasn't sold his soul to all of that just yet - but it could happen if he keeps playing games like this.
Let’s play the mind exercise out a little more and hack through some of the issues which I have heard raised by, for example, Ann Barnhardt, who is without question of the mind that Benedict is still Pope and Francis is a usurper antipope. Along with Ann is a smart fellow with well-articulated arguments, Edward Mazza.
I’ll try to spin out what they have been discussing. I hope I don’t put my foot wrong and mischaracterize their positions. I’m happy to be corrected. - Fr. Z
Corrected by whom?
They live in an alternative universe. I have known people like this. They are fearful & want everyone to be afraid too. No correction is possible since they like their world this way.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The more I learn about them, the more sense Pope Francis makes.
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ReplyDeleteI just popped over there before I came here. I didn't even bother reading anything as his usual stuff only seems to exist to whip people into a lather. I have bigger fish to fry. In the last week 6 Canadian Catholic churches have been burned down, presumably as a protest due to the residential schools and discovery of even more unmarked graves. I can't even feel anything anymore.
ReplyDeleteYeah - I'm very concerned as well. Cathy is suggesting it may be opportunistic actors taking advantage of the scandal to eliminate churches. Whatever the case, this is very sad for the Catholic who worship in these churches. Today is the feast of St. Junipero Serra, may he intercede for peace and justice.
DeleteI agree with your assessment of Fr. Z's article, Terry.
ReplyDeleteI think perhaps Father forgets that the Catholic Church has only rarely had fully ideal popes (and I say that respectfully). For instance, yes, Pope St. JPII kissed a Koran and made other moves that some might see as shocking or anti-Catholic (he certainly had his full share of detractors during his time as Pope!).
But in a very short time after he died, Pope JPII was proclaimed a saint. So even popes who are seen as unsatisfactory in the time they led the Church are sometimes recognized as saints in hindsight.
Every time Pope Francis says or does something that makes me cringe, not long after he seems to do something that makes me believe he is a good and worthy pope. So I find it better just to remain respectfully quiet and wait.
My dear Angela M - I have been following the details of the dreadful things going on in Canada. It is very distressing. I worry that the Canadian Catholics in the West will throw away their Faith, history, and inheritance over this as the Quebec Catholics seem to have done, tragically. I think we Americans and Canadians need to realize that we cannot rewrite history and punish the dead - but we can learn from it going forward. God bless you, Angela, and all our Canadian brothers and sisters in Christ. - Susan, TOF
Susan - you are correct - every Pope has a bit of baggage, when isolated and magnified can cause detractors and critics to condemn the whole package. I have to say, that whenever Francis says or does something confusing, when I go to prayer, often the readings of the day's Mass or the LOH - a single verse sheds light on what he said or did. I honestly have no problem with anything, but I'm always edified and humbled. I often feel convicted when he seems to rebuke those who are rigid and inflexible or judgmental. So - like you, I try to remain respectfully quiet. Although I run into trouble when I run across posts and comments which perpetuate distrust and confusion among those who condemn the Pope.
DeletePope Francis is Pope, legitimately elected, no matter how some of us find him wanting. He's still the Servant of the Servants of Christ (despite his not liking/using that title, despite his support of Fr. James Martin, SJ, which is *my* particular bugaboo with him). Oh well. Jesus needs to come back and clean up this mess (preferably after I've been to confession ;)
ReplyDeleteBtw..."Celebrity Fundraiser" is hanging in my bathroom. That's not an insult.
Amen! Hear hear!
ReplyDeleteAnother great post of sanity and clarity. May God have mercy on those who sow division within the Household of God, left or right.