My pal Fr. Gerald Murray has a combination of cri de coeur and parrhesia at The Catholic Thing. Deftly, he closes the jaws of reason, using Francis own words, around his inaction in the matter of addressing burning issues.
Father is earnest, respectful, direct and entirely within his role and rights to raise this flag.
Here is a sample.
You [Holy Father] tell reporters that you want to hear criticisms, and then ignore those criticisms from your closest collaborators? You tell bishops not to close their ears and doors to priests who want to discuss matters with them, when you have turned away for three years cardinals who exercised the Gospel frankness (parrhesia) you so often call for.
Fr. Murray points out that Francis has not called extraordinary consistories of the College of Cardinals. That’s not good at all. I have opined on this blog that one result of Francis’ selection of Cardinals is not just international diversity but atomization of the College. One Cardinal told me that the Cardinals don’t know each other. Many of them have little or no Roman experience. That doesn’t bode well for a future conclave, because it will be easier for famous Cardinals in key posts to control voting blocks, as those who are not in the loop seek information. Extraordinary consistories were chances for the members of the College to get to know each other.
Fr. Murray writes:
Herein may lie the reason you refuse to answer the Dubia cardinals, and have decided not to call a meeting of the College of Cardinals at which the two remaining Dubia cardinals would have the opportunity to ask questions in an open discussion.
You display no intention of dialoguing with those you find to be the ideological proponents of a “rigid,” “sterile,” “Pelagian morality” that leads to pseudo-schismatic developments that are the fruit of personal problems, not Gospel holiness. You will “accompany” them gently, but you will not discuss their points. You have already judged their arguments as springing from psychological deficiencies.
Tough stuff.
Cri de coeur and parrhesia.
Charity and a priestly sense of order and obedience requires that we take Francis at his word and that he means what he says in public, when you can figure it out. But actions and in-actions also speak volumes. Fr. Murray points to the inconsistencies.
He wants consistency. We all want consistency.
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Germany vs US, Germany vs Poland. Germany gives more money to the Vatican than any other country, but the US is a close second and gives freely as it is not supported by the government. And Poland has the seminarians Germany doesn’t have, spread across Europe and the West. The Holy Father seems to have chosen to ignore Germany until recently, and he seems to have been advised to jump on the US (Card. Burke, the Catholic Foundation, the K of C uniform wreckovation, etc).
Perhaps if Germany leaves he will have more time to love the US.
I just received “The Day Is Now Far Spent”, Card. Sarah’s 3rd book. We have to pray for someone like Sarah to be our next pope and assign Pope Francis to the “bad pope” category of history. The barque is rocking wildly but, as Christ promised, it will never sink. (I am getting a little sea sick, though…).
May more holy clergy speak up and speak out! Where is our front line against satan, if not our Shepherds?
“Germany vs US, Germany vs Poland. Germany gives more money to the Vatican than any other country, but the US is a close second and gives freely as it is not supported by the government.”
Quite impressive for Germany considering they are nowhere near the USA’s size. The USA has a much higher population (at least 300 million), so it is no wonder that it is at or near the top when it comes to giving to the Vatican (and other categories).