Cardinals turn on Pope Invisible

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The pontiff is facing dissent over his distant, regal style

IN the hushed Apostolic Palace off St Peter’s Square, Pope Benedict XVI starts the day with a 7am mass in his private chapel, followed by a lone breakfast. No press summary is brought to him. He meets a few visitors in the morning and then, after a lunch served on gold-rimmed plates bearing his seal, retires to his study to write speeches and read theological works throughout the afternoon and evening.

The Pope’s daily routine, as described by Vatican insiders, is being blamed for a series of blunders that have prompted a rare show of dissent from exasperated cardinals. Critics claim he is leading the church and its 1.2 billion faithful like a monarch cut off from the world outside his palace windows, helped only by loyal but inept advisers.

“People feel disoriented,” a senior Vatican official confided last week. “It’s a feeling common to both traditionalists and reformers. Our impression is that there isn’t anyone at the wheel.” . . .

Maybe it’s just me but this reminds me of what some said of the Bush Presidency. IIRC, President Bush acknowledged he didn’t read papers for the most part and that he relied on briefings. There are more details of the pope’s life in the article which are interesting whether you agree or not with the critics.
 
I don’t think the Holy Father’s actions have been a series of blunders.
 
vs_trumpet said:
The pontiff is facing dissent over his distant, regal style

IN the hushed Apostolic Palace off St Peter’s Square, Pope Benedict XVI starts the day with a 7am mass in his private chapel, followed by a lone breakfast. No press summary is brought to him. He meets a few visitors in the morning and then, after a lunch served on gold-rimmed plates bearing his seal, retires to his study to write speeches and read theological works throughout the afternoon and evening.

The Pope’s daily routine, as described by Vatican insiders, is being blamed for a series of blunders that have prompted a rare show of dissent from exasperated cardinals. Critics claim he is leading the church and its 1.2 billion faithful like a monarch cut off from the world outside his palace windows, helped only by loyal but inept advisers.

“People feel disoriented,” a senior Vatican official confided last week. “It’s a feeling common to both traditionalists and reformers. Our impression is that there isn’t anyone at the wheel.” . . .

Maybe it’s just me but this reminds me of what some said of the Bush Presidency. IIRC, President Bush acknowledged he didn’t read papers for the most part and that he relied on briefings. There are more details of the pope’s life in the article which are interesting whether you agree or not with the critics.
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The Truth is ALWAYS unpopular.Trust Time magazine to mischaracterise this.
 
"A senior Vatican official says…"Journalism 101-want to promote a slant on the news?Quote an untraceable,anonymous,source and put words in his mouth.The National Inquirer does this frequently for its credulous readers.
 
Among the Cardinals, probably the last thing the Pope is facing right now is dissent. Who even writes these articles?
 
vs_trumpet said:
The pontiff is facing dissent over his distant, regal style

IN the hushed Apostolic Palace off St Peter’s Square, Pope Benedict XVI starts the day with a 7am mass in his private chapel, followed by a lone breakfast. No press summary is brought to him. He meets a few visitors in the morning and then, after a lunch served on gold-rimmed plates bearing his seal, retires to his study to write speeches and read theological works throughout the afternoon and evening.

The Pope’s daily routine, as described by Vatican insiders, is being blamed for a series of blunders that have prompted a rare show of dissent from exasperated cardinals. Critics claim he is leading the church and its 1.2 billion faithful like a monarch cut off from the world outside his palace windows, helped only by loyal but inept advisers.

“People feel disoriented,” a senior Vatican official confided last week. “It’s a feeling common to both traditionalists and reformers. Our impression is that there isn’t anyone at the wheel.” . . .

Maybe it’s just me but this reminds me of what some said of the Bush Presidency. IIRC, President Bush acknowledged he didn’t read papers for the most part and that he relied on briefings. There are more details of the pope’s life in the article which are interesting whether you agree or not with the critics.
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Boy, if there’s anything that would reassure me that the Pope is doing his job it would be a negative review from the aforementioned rag. I am reassured, warm, and sneezey.
 
vs_trumpet said:
Maybe it’s just me but this reminds me of what some said of the Bush Presidency. IIRC, President Bush acknowledged he didn’t read papers for the most part and that he relied on briefings.
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Which was one of the most hilarious criticisms ever levelled against him. Whatever mistakes he may have made, favoring intelligence staff over the NY Times editorial board for information crucial to decisions was not one of them.
 
In a sense, I really don’t have a problem with the Pope’s style. Taking in account the fact that he’s almost 84 and was not even planning on taking this job, I can see this as the Professorial side of him. He knows that he can’t satisfy the media’s and a lot of cultural Catholics desire for “Another JPII”. But he doesn’t need to. Pope Benedict XVI is his own person and doesn’t want the show to be about him. He wants it to be about Christ, and so he’s content to be in the background.
 
NReily said:
In a sense, I really don’t have a problem with the Pope’s style. Taking in account the fact that he’s almost 84 and was not even planning on taking this job, I can see this as the Professorial side of him. He knows that he can’t satisfy the media’s and a lot of cultural Catholics desire for “Another JPII”. But he doesn’t need to. Pope Benedict XVI is his own person and doesn’t want the show to be about him. He wants it to be about Christ, and so he’s content to be in the background.
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I agree. After JPII’s long dynamic reign it seemed obvious the cardinals wanted an interim placeholder whose term could reasonably be expected to be shorter. Whether they have got what they bargained for is a question only they can answer. Benedict XVI has created several furors, (e.g. Bishop Williamson) whether for good or ill only time will tell. The Pope is certainlly his own person. He was a German soldier in WWII and reflects an iron-willed discipline in the best German tradition. It is to be expected that many won’t like it.
 
OriginalJS said:
I agree. After JPII’s long dynamic reign it seemed obvious the cardinals wanted an interim placeholder whose term could reasonably be expected to be shorter. Whether they have got what they bargained for is a question only they can answer. Benedict XVI has created several furors, (e.g. Bishop Williamson) whether for good or ill only time will tell. The Pope is certainlly his own person. He was a German soldier in WWII and reflects an iron-willed discipline in the best German tradition. It is to be expected that many won’t like it./QUOTE]

Then again, there are many who have longed for a return to being guided, in unequivocal terms, by our prelate in Rome…yea team Benedict! Long life and good health to our dear leader.
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maggiemay2u said:
OriginalJS;4862702:
I agree. After JPII’s long dynamic reign it seemed obvious the cardinals wanted an interim placeholder whose term could reasonably be expected to be shorter. Whether they have got what they bargained for is a question only they can answer. Benedict XVI has created several furors, (e.g. Bishop Williamson) whether for good or ill only time will tell. The Pope is certainlly his own person. He was a German soldier in WWII and reflects an iron-willed discipline in the best German tradition. It is to be expected that many won’t like it.
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/QUOTE]

Then again, there are many who have longed for a return to being guided, in unequivocal terms, by our prelate in Rome…yea team Benedict! Long life and good health to our dear leader.

👍 👍
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I’d do just the same as him If I were Pope. You could be working 24 hours a day if you wanted. Make a few decisions, then head for the golf course.
 
NReily said:
In a sense, I really don’t have a problem with the Pope’s style. Taking in account the fact that he’s almost 84 and was not even planning on taking this job, I can see this as the Professorial side of him. He knows that he can’t satisfy the media’s and a lot of cultural Catholics desire for “Another JPII”. But he doesn’t need to. Pope Benedict XVI is his own person and doesn’t want the show to be about him. He wants it to be about Christ, and so he’s content to be in the background.
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I agree. He is an old man and a scholar. But as for “show” the reaction to his Regensburg speech tells us that his enemies in and outside the Church are numerous, because he represents a repudication of the progressivism of the post-concilar period. They will seize on every perceived shortcoming and they will not hesitate to lie.
 
I thought the Pope was an introvert, I read once he is quite shy. Maybe he’s depressed? Hey, sometimes, when I eat breakfast in the morning, I shoosh people away from me…(I’m like a cat- I hate noise when I’m trying to eat).

…He can do away with the gold plates though 😦
 
The plates are gold rimmed. I have some too. That’s a nasty little dig by the original author.

If anyone asks “Why doesn’t the Church sell all it has and give the proceeds to the poor?” you reply:

It wouldn’t make much of a dent in the World’s material poverty*, but it would greatly increase its spiritual poverty. The poor are always with us and the evil in the world is the work of men, not God.

e.g. * A modern example; If trillion dollar bailouts can’t jump-start a First World economy, they certainly won’t end Third-World poverty.
 
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