PICTURE OF THE WEEK
Liberals, living in Nephelokokkygia, think that Pope Francis is “teachable“. When he confounds their expectations and does something Catholic, they say, “He’ll come around.” When he makes sharp negative remarks about radical feminists, they respond, “We’ll guide him him.”
And then it came to pass that Pope Francis excommunicated a now former priest, Greg Reynolds, for his heretical view on the ordination of women, and his promotion of same-sex acts and for his desecration of the Eucharist.
I wrote about this HERE.
I wanted to give the story a few days to disseminate and for the impact of it to settle in.
It has.
We now have to ask…
Where’s the liberal outrage? Where is the criticism of Francis?
When Pope Benedict exercised his proper role to remove a malfeasant bishop or impose medicinal censures, apoplectic liberals threw a spittle-flecked nutty.
“MEDIEVAL!”, they screamed. “OLD WHITE MALE OPPRESSOR!”, they howled. “VATICAN II!”, the sputtered. “MEANIE!” they whined.
But that was Benedict.
Days after the world learned of the excommunication by Francis – the fluffiest and most wonderfullest Pope ehvur and the first who ever kissed a baby – of a liberal model priest because of things dear to the liberal Left, there still no reaction from the liberal catholic Left.
What gives? When Francis does exactly what Benedict did and would have done, is not Francis also a medieval Vatican II hating patriarchal white oppressive mean old meanie?
Where are the nuns? Why aren’t they outraged by Francis’ reaffirmation of what John Paul II and Benedict affirmed? Where are the pro-abortion feminazis? Where is the homosexual lobby? Where are the theology professors?
And where-oh-where is Sr. Joan?
Nothing? Not a peep? No outrage?
Do they all still believe – together with their darling, the disgraced Sr. Margaret Farley, RSM, – that Pope Francis is “teachable”?
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I think our new Holy Father will provide opportunities for some interesting studies of cognitive dissonance. Bookmark the Dissenter’s web site, pop some corn, and have fun.
In this an all too familiar story? That folks on the left (whether in politics or in religion) generally will accept with a wink and nod almost anything from one whom they feel is really with them at heart, whatever he may say or do in particular instances. And attack ad hominem anyone they feel is not.
Maybe the message hit home and they’ve finally decided to shut up?
Henry Edwards has got it right. And this, I think, is the point of Francis’ style and will prove to be the point of his papacy. He can do what needs doing and “get away with it” politically because he’s Francis and not some beady-eyed, bitter-hearted conservative meanie. So I don’t miss the outrage from the Left. It means the strategy is working.
I think it shows quite a bit of group-think, and that these overreactions and protests are part of something larger. When the marching orders don’t come from the “leaders”, for whatever reason (they are giving Pope Francis a pass for example) the rabble don’t rabble. Not a peep. But once it’s on the radar, the call is out, and Hell is unleashed. Note the recent Barilla nonsense, outrage over an opinion that was held by virtually everyone in every age since forever, that children are best raised by a mother and father. Ten years ago, this opinion would be no problem, now the uninformed in the culture have decided it is outrageous hatred. Cause to ruin an established business and put good people out of work. They must be punished. That’s real hatred.
So first wave, the leaders, the real haters, the angry, fomenting and fermenting hard-liners.
Second wave, the followers, the easily led, the gullible, the politically correct, the low-information types, the moronic.
I haven’t seen outrage by the main left-leaning bloggers, but there certainly has been some from the commenters on their blogs. Some on the left recall well Francis’ words about women’s ordination, gay marriage, and his supposed abandonment of liberation theology Jesuits during the dirty war, and don’t trust him at all. But you are quite right that the liberal Catholic “talking points” today are very much pro-Francis… based largely on what they assume he will do in the future.
While, to the consternation of the Left, the Pope is Catholic, I think it is a mistake to interpret Pope Francis’ style as just that, as just a style and “strategy” to be Catholic and “get away with it” from the Left. Pope Francis, I believe, lives the Gospels. His “style” is not a calculated approach, but a sincere manifestation of the Holy Spirit. He may not speak in the scholarly measured and precise language of Pope Benedict, but nevertheless his message is still the same, the truth of Jesus Christ, even if the secular left interprets it to fit their own agenda. Living the Gospel in manifested love and mercy, and measured justice as in the case of this excommunication, covers a multitude of ” sins”. So, Pope Francis can “get away” with “it” because speaks and lives the truth of Jesus Christ and His Church. If there is any frustration on the far left outside the Church its only because they know nothing of the Spirit and see good in evil and evil in good. But the rest of us had better settle down, trust the Holy Spirit and stop worrying about what the liberals in or out of the Church think or write about the pope. Instead, we can all take a lesson from the pope’s “playbook” and live with a little more humility, mercy and charity toward those on the left and the far right. We are the Body of Christ. None of us have a lock on heaven, yet! Instead of name calling, a little more prayer and reflection on how we can bring the light to our wayward brothers in more Christ like manner is what is called for at this point.
Notice also how the press has suddenly become completely silent about the sex abuse scandal. At the end of Benedict’s pontificate, the scandal was reportedly engulfing and “rocking” the Church. Then, suddenly, poof, it’s gone (from the newspapers anyway).
Perhaps because in this particular case, nobody – liberal, conservative or middle of the road – has got a lot of sympathy for the particular man involved if the report of the case is correct. Forget his views on women priests….did he honestly give the Eucharist to a dog? Or was that a bad bit of reporting somewhere?
Great points Father Z. Surely Pelosi and friends can’t ALWAYS talk of abortion and how great it supposedly is for women everywhere and how it should be free and plentiful and even (barf) a SACRAMENT?? For if she and others continue down this path, their moral schema will surely collapse as a house of cards…She can simply oppose it, encourage others to oppose it, and carry out works of mercy where she is, including feeding and clothing and housing the mothers and their babies, just as many Christians are already doing everywhere these days…
I read that this priest was also accused of allowing people to take consecrated hosts out of the church during mass. If this is true, it is serious enough to allow liberals to avoid focusing on the other issues so they won’t have to attack Pope Francis. I think they will consciously avoid attacking him, if they do indeed think he is “teachable” they will need to refrain from demonizing him so if he “evolves” as they hope he will, his credibility will still be in tact.
“– the fluffiest and most wonderfullest Pope ehvur and the first who ever kissed a baby – ”
Funny stuff right there!
To the point, the media control the perception of the ignorant by what they report and what they leave unreported. If someone important, like the pope for ex, says something that can be interpreted to further leftist causes, which the media supports, everyone hears about it. If there is something said or done that can not be misinterpreted, no need to report it. The average Joe will not know these things and therefore not know better. I was an average Joe @ 7 yrs ago, had I not taken my faith seriously, I would think the pope could change established dogmatic theology as well.
I agree with av8er. They don’t react because they know if they do, they will attract attention to that which breaks the narrative. Even righteous outrage must bow to the all, mighty (ha!) narrative. THAT is the true mystery, to be changed without notice for convenience of the invisible apparatchiks in charge.
The dinosaur media was doing this with Pope John Paul II, too. I had no idea the latter was a conservative until I joined the Church and did my own research.