As the text messages from across the pond started to come in this morning, I did as I more and more often now do. With a groan I put on my cheaters and grump, “What fresh hell is this?”
Today I received an article from Avvenire (daily organ of the Italian Bishops Conference) saying that there is a new guy, Andrea Monda, running L’Osservatore Romano and that Andrea Tornielli is nominated to the editorial section of the Dicastery for Communication. One of the presenters of Monda’s recent book was the Jesuit, Antonio “2=2=5” Spadaro. Monda also worked for Avvenire.
Bolletino HERE.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with these entities, here are some parallels. Just as Isvestia was the paper of record of the Supreme Soviet, L’Osservatore Romano is the paper of the Holy See. That would make Avvenire like to Pravda, the official paper of the Party. The Dicastery for Communication might be something like the General Directorate for the Protection of State Secrets in the Press, with various departments under it, such as Goskomizdat (censored printed matter: fiction, poetry, etc.), Goskino (films) and Gosteleradio (radio and TV). These parallels limp a bit, and I don’t necessary intend to give Isvestia and Pravda a bad name.
Now we have the likes of Tornielli in Rome and Jesuit Martin appointed as a consultor to the Dicastery.
And it goes on. I cannot see a soft landing to this free fall short of Divine intervention Father. And yet, The Perennial teachings still hold.
Personnel is policy. These people are being promoted and given access because
they are exactly what Certain People want, and others are sacked or sidelined
because their views (and their lack of moral… flexibility…) do not please.
…Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done…
… sanctificetur Nomen Tuum…
O Gracious Lord, Master and Power of all nature, when all perfidy is gathered at the same stone table, show us I beg, how good a shot you are from outer space…..
I’ve corresponded with Andrea Tornielli over the years. We belong to the same informal group of writers and researchers who defend Pope Pius XII. Tornielli wrote and co-wrote a couple of books on the wartime pope, citing my own published stuff in the footnotes.
Of course, while anti-Catholics and a number of dissidents repeat the charges to attack the Church today, any historical discussion should focus on facts and should transcend the right/left divide. So it’s possible one can defend Pius XII (even when the debate was considered “settled” a couple of decades ago) and be a liberal dissident on some issues.
And as in the former Soviet Union they used to say; there’s no truth in Isvestia (news) and no news in Pravda (truth).
And so in L’Osservatore Romano nothing occurs: and in Avvenire nothing is observed.
Another data point indicating that good satire is no longer possible. Father Guido Sarducci at L’Osservatore Romano would now be an improvement.
Chris P. Many, many thanks for that. A thing of beauty.
In the final analysis this pontificate critiques itself with its cast of characters. To that extent only it is entirely unambiguous and without artifice.
Well, well – our relationships are what define us, after all.
And as for the accuracy of the Heavenly Fire Direction Center, recently some archaeologists had this to say:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/evidence-of-sodom-meteor-blast-cause-of-biblical-destruction-say-scientists/
I’m not sure what to think of this. In another pontificate, I would think Tornielli a brilliant appointment. So many of the prelates are already regularly telling him secrets, you might as well bring him in. Under this pope, however, it just seems more naive belief that the press is on his side, and they aren’t.