Yep, in “traditionalist” circles I’m already seeing whispers of “coordinated effort” (from “the Left”) and “doesn’t sound like Pope Benedict’s style of speaking / writing”.
Some commentators on a certain popular blog often cited here on CAF are already opining that the Pope Emeritus is effectively a prisoner being manipulated by the Holy Father’s Leftist minions.
Sad.
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Raymond Arroyo
@RaymondArroyo
BREAKING: Pope Benedict in his letter complained that the Vatican had chosen a “virulent,” ''anti-papist" theologian who attacked his teaching to celebrate the thought of Pope Francis. #lettergate." end tweet
No matter what happens, people on both fringes will take a strong, uncharitable stand. So what? The fact that someone who is paranoid may criticize legal abortion, for instance, does not therefore prove abortion is a minor problem, or that all people in the prolife movement are thus paranoid. Focus on the issue.
The reality is that there are many signs that people appointed high in Vatican, either full time or consultants, usually implicitly have promoted positions very much contrary to the Catholic Faith. Forces in the secular media hostile to the Catholic Faith have exploited this, with or without consent of those persons. This message, amplified by the media, undermines the Church’s witness to Catholic faithful and non Catholics alike.
Even if the Vatican states that a given person does not speak for the pope, or even if the person himself states this does not speak for the pope, that disclaimer is not getting communicated to the mass of people who get this message.
Don’t get distracted by the response of the fringes.
