Mac, I do worry about the things you mentioned in your post regarding Pope Francis and the Synod. There are legitimate causes for concern, there, although we cannot draw definite conclusions. I think we should just pray for the Pope, Bishops and Cardinals.
Maybe the schism is starting to be rammed down the pope's throat and he is trying to keep it all together,
People should read or reread "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis. It shows how one, chained to a "master" to such a degree that when true caring love invites his freedom he instead allows the master who has controlled him for so long to begin actually speaking for him until he eventually disappears into the master himself rather than break the long time chain of fear and doubt. she is surrounded by gleaming attendants while he shrinks down to invisibility as he uses a collared tragedian--representative of his self-punishing emotional blackmail of others--to speak for him. Almost all of the ghosts choose to return instead to the grey town, giving various reasons and excuses. Much of the interest of the book lies in the recognition it awakens of the plausibility and familiarity, along with the thinness and self-deception, of the excuses that the ghosts refuse to abandon, even though to do so would bring them to "reality" and "joy forevermore".
Mark Mallett writes "love in truth" and "charity in truth", I am sorry, but I don't see where the "truth" part is. Is it "hiding the light inder a bushel basket" that makes Elton John love this pope's teachings? Or how about the following biblical verse Msgr Charles Pope writes about today, For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work … in those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess 2:10-12). Isn't "love in truth" and "charity in truth" telling people what the truth is? I'm sorry, I believe I have heard this all before during our battles with the church during the pedophile crisis.
Meanwhile, will those who so blithely write off Burke do likewise if Pell gets sacked too? Emphasis added: The knives that were out for Card. Burke, are now being sharpened for… Posted on 12 November 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf Marco Tosatti, more and more a guy to follow in the Italian press for analysis of churchy things, has a piece at La Stampa about Card. Pell and how things are going in the Curia. I don’t have time to translate the whole thing for you right now, but here is a sample: How annoying Pell is … There are those in the Curia who are seeking to de-legitimize the straightforward Australian Cardinal, head of the Secretariat of Finance, underscoring his brusque and direct character. Also, because of his speeches and the Synod on the family. But perhaps there are other motives… Now that the departure of Cardinal Burke from the Signatura has been formalized, taking power away from one of the most straightforward and independent voices, in the Roman Church, in the Curia they are talking about a slithery maneuver to de-legitimize the Australian Cardinal George Pell, head of the new financial and economic Secretariat. He, like Burke, is someone who does not mince his words. They became aware of this at the Synod, when the Australian Cardinal forcefully burst out against the secretary [Card. Baldisseri], who was suggesting the hypothesis of voting by raised hands, instead of in secret, on the texts. And he continued to speak even with his microphone turned off [how Reaganesque!] before they turned it back on for him, exclaiming “There has to be transparency! Everyone ought to be able to express himself as he wants!” It was certainly an exchange of opinions that wasn’t very muffled, which reached its apex when, at the suggestion to treat the whole situation with a communiqué through the press office, Pell let fly, “We don’t trust their communication!”, or something similar. At this point, applause erupted, with many of the Synod fathers all speaking together. [...] I must dash. Perhaps one of you can finish it, or I can get to it later. In any event, it doesn’t sound as if this day of the Synod, at least, was replete with boring consensus, except insofar as the Synod Fathers were in angry consensus about how they were being manipulated. My spies from the Synod tell me that it was pretty tense and that there was more than a few voices raised. So, the knives that were out for Burke are now being sharpened for Card. Pell. Bet on it. Card. Pell has a tough job. He has to reign in curial financial incompetence and corruption. Not easy. Not one bit.
I recently read this comment about the Cardinal Burke situation, and thought it was quite a perceptive alternate take on the situation: http://www.stpeterslist.com/12616/1...-about-the-sovereign-military-order-of-malta/ Reading this, it seems like the Knights of Malta are all about what Francis thinks is most important. Outreach. Serving the Poor. Medical Missionaries in War Zones. Taking the love of Christ to the Margins. I find it unbelievable that the Pope would ‘punish’ or ‘demote’ someone by moving him from a job that he finds less important (internal church matters) to one that he keeps saying needs to be put back at the center of our mission (missionary work. outreach. charity to the marginalized.) Maybe the reason that the Pope is breaking with the trend and putting someone energetic in charge of Malta is because he wants the Knights to be the face of the Church as we try to claim the world for Christ.
Isn't it true that the standard term for heading the Apostolic Signatura is five years, and guess what: Cdl, Burke has served six years. In fact, no one has served more than six years since the 1960s. Burke served 6+ years. His predecessor, Cdl. Vallini (4 years), was moved to “Great Chancellor of the Pontifical Lateran University”. Vallini’s predecessor, Cdl. Pompedda (4.5 years), turned 75 and had his resignation accepted by St. JP II. No shift to another curial position. Pompedda’s predecessor, Cdl. Grocholewski (1 year), was “shifted” to the all-important post of “Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education”. He’s been there since 1999. Grocholewski’s predecessor, Cdl. Agustoni (just under 4 years), became Prefect Emeritus of the Signatura. So Burke has served longer than any of his immediate four predecessors, only one of whom was “shifted to another curial position,” and that one not of earth-shaking significance.
Wow! BrianK wants you to follow a "progressive" Vatican expert. Hmmmm. Except that C. Pell was personally chosen by the Pope as one of his 8 advisors. Burke wasn't, obviously. And Pope Francis isn't effected, as the hopeful schism/apostasy cheerleaders here appear to be, by the Curia which Francis sees as "too Vatican-centric", thus needing reform beyond its temporal interests!! More untold speculation and gossip.....condemned by our and your Pope. Given the avalanche of colorful reactions since the assembly's close – a paranoid right on the warpath... a delusional left scaring the bejesus out of everybody else... and little of either boasting much basis in reality (or, for that matter, any discernible sense of actual faith) – it's eerily fitting that this doc-drop takes place in the context of Halloween. (Whether it's in ecstasy or exasperation, if all this hyperventilating keeps up, Lord help us – the world's gonna run out of paper bags within weeks.) In any case, one key delegate's recent advice can't be emphasized enough: "it is more important that we read what the Synod actually said rather than reports about what people say it said." http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com
Thsnk you, hope, for this useful information. Not that it will change the critics views.... Cardinal Burke has become a weapon to hammer Pope Francis and facts aren't likely to change that.
No question about that....however, I wonder why it is (and I'm NOT blaming this on the Pope, but some unknown person or people are to blame) that the mid-term report was released at all (a report which was not voted upon but rather consisted of the hopes of the author of the report), why it was released so quickly, and spread like wildfire around the world, and then the actual synod final report did not appear in English at all for over two weeks after the synod finished. So we had a pretty hard time reading what the Synod actually said, but we did hear of some anger by Cardinal Pell at some other Synod participants who were trying to manipulate the process.
Well, C. Pell's argument was for transparency. And since the next portion of this Synod will be using this full report then that too should be transparent for all in its full....and all will know where their shepherds stand. As the Pope stated at the beginning he wished for each to speak his mind while he would remain quiet and listen to all sides. Each would speak to their intentions openly, no longer being able to "manipulate" without challenge, due to position or whatever.....no more hidden factualism....have it out in the open. Thus, a type of cleansing of the Church within its own hierarchy too.
No one wants schism and also no one wants apostasy. Apostasy means different things to different people, even among priests. That is why we need to pray, pray, pray for the Holy Spirit to illuminate us so that we are all on the same page and stay faithful to our baptismal and confirmation promises of defending the Church.
This Pope has said things that can be interpreted as Liberation Theology, progressive, centrist, as well as, occasionally, orthodox. I don't pay so much attention to what he says as to what he does. Mac summarized what he does quite well. What he does speaks far more loudly than what he says, as the latter is often tailored to his audience du jour.
Demotion, or freedom? Friends of Cardinal Burke hopeful transfer will amplify his voice Excerpt: Thomas McKenna, president of Catholic Action for Faith and Family, said he hated to use the term “demotion” to describe what had happened to Cardinal Burke, but said he believes that those who are spinning it as “normal after five years in a senior Vatican post” were wrong. Typically, he said, if a member of the curia does well, their assignments are extended. “Cardinal Burke has carried out his duties throughout his career in an outstanding fashion,” added McKenna, with his Vatican posting being no exception. It was because of his moral authority that “people around the world looked to him during the Extraordinary Synod for guidance,” he added. As of this writing, over 23,000 people have signed a petition thanking Cardinal Burke, and pledging to pray for him and to follow his example. You can find it here.
Maybe FS, maybe. Heres one of his fans... He thinks Pope Francis and the Church are on the right track.[/quote] Either he is mistaken about the church's teachings or there is something seriously wrong. True charity demands the truth. Mark Mallett can spin it any way he wants, but that is the truth,no?
Of course you are right about the demotion, BrianK, especially since the first move from Pope Francis was to remove him from the Congregation for Bishops back on Dec. 16. In the past, in fact, the title of “cardinalis patronus” of the knights of Malta, in existence since 1961, like the previous one of Grand Prior of Rome, has always been assigned to the highest ranking cardinals as an extra position in addition to the main one. But if C. Burke feels comfortable and "free" in this new position he can probably remain for a very long time.... since the age limit of 80 does not apply to positions outside of the curia! But then again if he should continue to insinuate division or attempt, as in the past, to publicly order the Pope what to say or reinterpret for him what he "meant" to say, etc., for the MSM to play with who knows where the next home might be for him. Then again, there probably won't be much organization via Rome or ability to even communicate such order beyond, say, 2017!
