Pope Benedict lambasts some Francis critics

[I_trust]

A good summery/timeline of the events including the second missing paragraph, along with a translation of the full letter. I hesitate to say “full letter” because the first release blurred two lines, then later a “full letter” was released which had a 2nd paragraph omitted.

I can only wonder if another page or paragraph is still missing.

Vatican Reveals Full Text of Benedict XVI’s Letter to Msgr. Viganò

The Vatican released on Saturday the full text of Benedict XVI's letter to Msgr. Vigano showing that two paragraphs were concealed. The Vatican said it had no intention to censor the letter but chose to leave out parts of it as the letter was confidential. The story as it developed.

www.ncregister.com

 

[grt]

Praying daily for the success of Pope Francis and the silencing of Catholic journalists.

Shameful and horrible to see conservative Catholics gleefully and publicly call out mistakes by the Vatican, for the world to see. #releasetheletter sickened me. At least you’re standing alongside Vox and Huffington Post (!) to keep this thing alive.

 

[KMG]

Not the fault of “conservative Catholics” that the Vatican press office did this.

 

[commenter]

Praying daily for the success of Pope Francis and the silencing of Catholic journalists.

Shameful and horrible to see conservative Catholics gleefully and publicly call out mistakes by the Vatican, for the world to see. #releasetheletter sickened me. At least you’re standing alongside Vox and Huffington Post (!) to keep this thing alive.

There are 2 mistakes here. One is the Vatican’s opening the door to theological dissent, a whole pattern of appointments and promotions of persons opposed to the Catholic Tradition. The second mistake is this sloppy cover up by the press office, really less important than the larger pattern of supporting dissent.

For instance, in the Vatican requested forums to advise the bishops and Church in American about Amoris Laeticia, a theologian was appointed by the Archbishop of Chicago. This person has served on the board of Call to Action, and co edited a book presenting an abortion clinic escort - a deathscort - as a role model for young adult Catholics! The press coverage for this, and other wrong projects urged by the Vatican, has been flawless. The projects themselves are far from flawless.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/...amoris-laetitia-seminars-for-us-bishops-38684

So the problem is not the Press Office, which was trying to make a silk purse out of sow’s ear, and did a bad job. The problem is higher up.

 

[yankeesouth]

Do you think it was a ‘conservative Catholic’ that started this thread?

 

[commenter]

Shameful and horrible to see conservative Catholics gleefully and publicly…

Since Vatican II there has been a permanent fringe of Vatican haters. They denounce all popes, all the time. They will no doubt denounce the next pope, gleefully and publicly, regardless of that pope’s views. These people seek out coverage in the secular media, and the secular media gladly gives them ample coverage.

But there are other people who have supported all the popes, before, during and after the Council, and support Vatican II itself. They are not “gleeful” about patterns in the Vatican in recent years, wherein people get promoted or appointed as spokesmen, who are hostile to Catholic Tradition on Faith and morals, and bonded to the secular media. The second, responsible, group deserves consideration.

 

[DeniseNY]

What on earth is a “conservative Catholic”. I only see that term bandied about on CAF.

 

[Luke6_37]

There are 2 mistakes here. One is the Vatican’s opening the door to theological dissent, a whole pattern of appointments and promotions of persons opposed to the Catholic Tradition. The second mistake is this sloppy cover up by the press office, really less important than the larger pattern of supporting dissent.

I doubt that Pope Benedict would have wanted his comments about Peter Hünermann to be made public. It seems to me that there is a dimension to the disagreement between the two academic theologians, Joseph Ratzinger and Peter Hünermann, that became personal when Hünermann critized Ratzinger for certain decisions he made while acting as Pope Benedict.

Pope's move called 'a grave mistake'

Criticism of Pope Benedict XVI's decision to lift without conditions the excommunications of four Lefebvrite bishops who deny the authority of the Second Vatican Council has been strongest in German-speaking countries. Now comes a bombshell of an article recently published by one of Germany's most

www.ncronline.org

Also, I would say it is premature to conclude that the Pope Francis is influenced by or has elevated people who are opposed to Catholic Tradition, because the real issue is not whether one is for or against anything, but what sort of paradigm should theologians operate under when examining Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Here is a good summary of the two opposing views that lead to the theological polarization that followed Vatican II:

Scholasticism may seem like a safe bet if the primary theological task is figuring out the proper philosophical and metaphysical groundwork needed to ensure that the church’s ancient truths are safeguarded. If, on the other hand, theology’s most pressing need is to understand the radical entrance of God in history (the Incarnation), then it requires the work of historical retrieval and a commitment to reading the signs of our own times.

From Tübingen to the Tiber | Commonweal Magazine

An interview with Peter Hünermann, a leading German theologian who influenced Pope Francis’s thinking about marriage.

www.commonwealmagazine.org

Critics of JPII & Pope Benedict claim that they made unprecedented use of Papal authority to ensure that the primary theological activity of the Church was to ensure that the church’s ancient truths are safeguarded. Among these critics is Peter Hünermann, who favors the second approach that focuses on understanding the significance of the Incarnation for humanity and the world. I would say that neither side opposes Sacred Tradition, but that they apply it for different purposes, and what Pope Francis is trying to do is restore the balance between the two.