UPDATED: Holy See repression of a certain kind of bishop with a certain kind of message

UPDATE 8 Nov:

But wait.  There’s more.

Over a Church Militant, Michael is reporting that an Italian author, Aldo Maria Valli, has published a book about whistleblower Abp. Carlo Maria Viganò. However, the publishing company has been pressured to restrict future editions.

Recently Church Militant learned that Fede & Cultura, the publishing house for Valli’s Il Caso Viganò, was compelled to restrict further editions of the book. It was the first time Valli had worked with Fede & Cultura, whom he called “courageous” for their publishing choices. Fede & Cultura confirmed with Church Militant that they were put under “irresistible pressure from within the Church not to publish anything else that would depict the Pope in a bad light.” Perhaps Pope Francis’ next surprise motu proprio will announce the reform of the Index librorum prohibitorum (the “List of Prohibited Books”).

What’s amusing about this is how this will backfire for anyone in the magic circle around Francis who wants this book stomped out.  They have not a single clue.  They create a market for the book.  Next, they seem not to realize that, in an age of e-readers and the internet books don’t have to be printed.

You can order the Italian KINDLE edition NOW and have it either on  your e-reader or on your computer’s screen in mere seconds.

Heck, you might get it anyway, even if you don’t read Italian just to let them (Curia and Publisher) know what’s what.

Il caso Viganò: Il dossier che ha svelato il più grande scandalo all’interno della Chiesa (Italian Edition)

US HERE – UK HERE

____

Originally Published on: Nov 7, 2018

Everyone knows that the plural of anecdote is “data”.

Something seems to be up.

First, Italian Vaticanista Marco Tosatti says that Francis, through the US Nuncio, is telling bishops not to invite Card. Burke to their dioceses, and if they can’t prevent his presence, not to attend the event.   HERE

Another story was circulating that the Holy See had forbidden the great Bp. Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary in Astana, to travel.   It seems, however, that they have only told him not to be outside of his diocese – except for necessary meetings of conferences, etc. – for more than the designated 30 days (can. 395 §2). HERE

The last thing they want is the circulation of certain ideas.

George Orwell wrote that some pigs are more equal than others.

It would be interesting to start a Bishop Watch effort. I wonder how many days bishops such as Card. Maradiaga or Cupich are outside their dioceses.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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40 Comments

  1. richiedel says:

    They are only adding more street cred to these bishops and their causes by doing this.

  2. I wonder how many days bishops such as Card. Maradiaga or Cupich are outside their dioceses.

    Probably not enough.

  3. Benedictus says:

    I am getting more infuriated by the minute with these tactics and shenanigans. It will soon be sinful (if it isn’t already).

    ‘Uncle Ted’ was the ultimate airport bishop, but he was rewarded. Wuerl and Cupich are airport bishops.

    ‘Good – bad, bad – good.’

  4. Johann says:

    When Cupich headed Spokane Diocese he was called the airport bishop because he spent more time traveling to conferences than administering his diocese.

  5. Kathleen10 says:

    This is less a papacy than it is a Peronist regime. Under a regime, this is what you get.

  6. acardnal says:

    Bp. Schneider is the Auxiliary NOT the ordinary. Although I am not a canon lawyer, I’m not sure Canon 395.2 applies to him.

  7. LarryW2LJ says:

    I get it – so ……. if you’re a “hip” and “with it” priest who spouts a questionable catechism – that’s quite all right! Go wherever you please, whenever you please and propagate your error all over Creation. HOWEVER, if you’re a faithful, and orthodox (read “RIGID”) Cardinal – go into your hole and disappear.

    PF and the Vatican …….. we’re not stupid. We see what’s going on and what you’re trying to do. Just remember that Mother Mary promised that in the end, her Immaculate Heart will triumph. And if her Immaculate Heart triumphs, then every single blessed “paradigm” her Son instituted and stands by will also triumph.

  8. NBW says:

    They can’t stop the truth. It will come regardless of how much they try to suppress it.

  9. mepoindexter says:

    In all fairness to Bp. Athanasius Schneider, he DOES belong in his Diocese as it’s Auxiliary and NOT constantly globetrotting. Not that that’s what he’s doing. Even if, I don’t think the nuncios request is entirely unreasonable.

    [How is that you know where he belongs and what he ought to be doing? Insider information from Astana? Psychic powers? It seems to me that this should be between the auxiliary and the ordinary, residential bishop of the diocese. If the Archbishop of Astana and Auxiliary Schneider are content with the arrangement, why interfere? This should be a case of “subsidiarity” rather than of long-distance, centralized micromanagement.]

  10. Fr. Kelly says:

    Acardnal points out: Bp. Schneider is the Auxiliary NOT the ordinary. Although I am not a canon lawyer, I’m not sure Canon 395.2 applies to him.

    This is correct. Canons 403 – 411 would apply. 410 give a residential requirement.

    But, (putting tongue firmly in cheek) Bishop Schneider is Titular bishop of Celerina in Numidia, North Africa. If his ordinary doesn’t need him in Kazakhstan, maybe he could travel there. Algeria is much closer to Rome. hagan lio!

  11. FrAnt says:

    Pope Francis and his allies think they are fooling everyone, but they are only exposing their true selves as opponents of the Church. The laity are not the dumb sheep they are made out to be, they hear the true Shepherd and they follow only his voice.

  12. QuietContemplative says:

    Mr. Tosatti in his article says:
    “But – another singular element in this story – is that Msgr. Schneider had read the provision, given directly by the Secretary of State, card. Pietro Parolin, only verbally. The nuncio did not give him anything written, no document on the basis of which the bishop could take some legal initiative, possibly from the Congregation for Bishops, or from the Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, which until the advent of pope [Francis] , was the request by which lay priests and bishops could appeal to decisions of the authority that they considered unjust.” (translated by google :P)

    Isn’t it funny how suddenly all these things are being done without paperwork? Didn’t Abp, Vigano demand the incriminating paperwork be shown? What better way to avoid showing questionable records than never making them in the first place…

  13. chantgirl says:

    In a very real way, Cd. Burke and Bp. Schneider are administering to sheep who have been abandoned by their own bishops. Sheep whose own bishops have despised and rejected are being rescued and tended to by these two notable men.

    Schneider and Burke go to the peripheries to tend to the truly fatherless, and this is their reward?

    Clearly, I do not have the sanctity to deal with this pontificate in a charitable manner. So many confessions of anger toward the pope, rosaries said in protest of Francis’ dealings, communions offered to thwart the plans of the wicked, and I have to wonder if I am on the path of St. Joan of Arc, or the path to perdition. It is just so unnatural for a Catholic to feel so opposed to the pope.

  14. Grateful to be Catholic says:

    Bishop Schneider travels only by invitation. He preaches only the Catholic Faith. He does not engage in polemics or public criticism of the Pope. He celebrates the usus antiquior at the request of his hosts. Perhaps if the Bishops of the world were doing their job there would be no demand for Bishop Schneider.

  15. s i says:

    @chantgirl
    “Clearly, I do not have the sanctity to deal with this pontificate in a charitable manner.”
    Unfortunately, you are not alone…

  16. NBW says:

    @chantgirl, you are definitely not alone. All together we keep praying; God will hear our prayers!

  17. JARay says:

    AND I too am with chantgirl, s i, and N B W.

  18. hwriggles4 says:

    Interesting enough, Raymond Cardinal Burke was in my diocese last weekend for a conference. His presence was welcome, and our newer bishop was in attendance for the closing banquet. Cardinal Burke even said Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

    I made sure I attended (and paid for) the conference to support Cardinal Burke (and I thank our newer bishop too). Many of the attendees were from our diocese and from two neighboring dioceses. The priest at the parish I regularly attend (not an FSSP staffed parish) promoted flyers in the narthex. Our Church needs more men who strive to keep the Church from becoming “wishy washy”. The good Cardinal even mentioned during a Q&A session that Protestant ministers are beginning to ask, “what is happening with the Catholic Church? “

  19. Dismas says:

    Canon law is not immutable, nor are any protections provided the clergy or the lay faithful. At this rate, in ten years, will any of us (clerical and lay) remain in full communion with Rome? Oh, and I’m not suggesting schism either, I’m talking punitive excommunications for the sin of being “rigid”. Or for the sin of having a carbon footprint as high as 1/100th of Cardinal Cupich’s…

  20. Maximilian75 says:

    “Resistance is now evident,” And that is a good sign for me, getting the resistance out into the open, no stealthy mumbling when there is disagreement. It’s healthy to get things out into the open, it’s very healthy.”

    “Resistance means different points of view, not something dirty, It is connected to some decisions I may occasionally take, I will concede that. … I am not worried. It all seems normal to me. If there were no difference of opinions, that wouldn’t be normal.”
    ~Pope Francis Dec. 2014~

    Need I say anything more?

  21. Kevin says:

    And the jesuit martin continues to trot about the world doing spewing evil teachings!

  22. yatzer says:

    “The good Cardinal even mentioned during a Q&A session that Protestant ministers are beginning to ask, ‘what is happening with the Catholic Church? ‘”
    I’ve had a Protestant layman ask me that. It’s a difficult question to answer. Actually, I don’t have a satisfactory answer for her.

  23. TonyO says:

    Ahhh, so now we see the gloves start to come off. First, in the early days it was merely odd and confusing comments on airplanes, along with kindly uncle behavior. Then it was strange and off-beat exhortations on everything but the real critical stuff (the ecology? when – if things keep going the way they are, there won’t be a Church in 50 years, forget there being a place for man to survive in 200!) Then it was a Synod (in two parts) where the obfucators tried to control the media but didn’t succeed. Then it was an AL that was just this side of heretical, but ONLY if you read it in the most charitable fashion – if you read it in more natural and “harmonious” ways it WAS heretical. And the silence on the Dubia. And the firings from high Vatican posts – the highest, including Prefect for CDF – without a shred of explanation or apology for its abruptness, just a don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Then the silence on boy-predator McCarrick, with a kindly letter to him. And now, finally, the pope tells bishops to dis a devout, brilliant cardinal archbishop, and without one shred of a reason why, (so they cannot ascertain whether snubbing the cardinal is suited to the complaint). And last week the “firing” (i.e. dismissal) of an ordinary of a diocese, again without a single shred of explanation. And it’s going to get worse still if this papacy continues.

    This is not governance. This is not what papal powers are for. This is not anything like a just and conscientious authority carrying out its duties.

    We can no longer lie to ourselves. PF is not “just a little muddled” on theology. He is not “careless” (his own word) when he says things like “who am I to judge” and worse. He is not merely forgetful or whatever when he denies the permanence of hell. We can no longer pretend that in spite of his theological “faux-pas”, he is just focused on what he considers the more important side of ruling a Church for the sake of God, the Kingdom, and charity: charity does not act so. Charity does not break down pillars of the Kingdom. Charity does not cut holy men off at the knees because of not liking them.

    If this were a political office, it would be time to be fighting back tooth and nail, with investigations into impropriety / illegal actions, with campaigns for redress, with impeachment and trial, with a recall vote, etc. We don’t have quite those options here. But we do have others. We should be writing to our bishops (when they are not part of the Francis clique), and to other bishops as well, asking for them to take the part of leaders. The bishops should be leading the way on how to refuse to give assent and obey everything the pope asks that is not absolutely obligatory for a bishop, or a priest, or a lay person to follow along with.

    For example: The pope says “don’t invite Burke”, does he? This is not a written command, it has no binding authority, so INVITE CARDINAL BURKE! Publicize it. Show up in full panoply and greet Card. Burke like a long lost cousin. Mention something about “the nuncio saying something mumble mumble mumble ‘invite Cardinal Burke’, and hey, my hearing isn’t what it used to be, and, well, I do the best I can…”

    The Vatican and the national conference has its annual Peter’s Pence, does it? Well, here’s how to handle it: Don’t feed the maw of the hyenas. Put the notice for the second collection in the bulletin, in tiny print. Then put a teeny tiny plate in the vestibule, and when the announcements are read, have them say something like “if you really have nothing better to do with your pennies than throw them away, there is a plate in the vestibule for the second collection mentioned.” Then send the actual pennies to the diocesan office that handles such collections with a specific request to forward those pennies to “Peter”.

    And pray for an end to this papacy. A quick and meaningful one, something that will make an impression on the voting cardinals not to collude (contrary to law) with each other in electing one like this again.

  24. MaHrad says:

    I was also wondering about this point. If there is nothing in writing, then can it be used “against” the other side? I obviously wouldn’t condone lying or any sinful behavior, but it seems like there would have to be a work around when nothing is in writing. It seems that if you ignored the request, and invited card. Burke, you would be pushing them to either allow it or in order to stop it they would have to give formal written notice prohibiting it. In which case, light might be shed on their true motives and the games they play. Just a thought to ponder…

  25. Rob83 says:

    Talk about working to rupture communion within the Church. If these instructions are only given verbally, a bishop is in the position of either refusing welcome to a cardinal archbishop in good standing or risking the mercurial wrath of the powers that be in Rome. Either way, the bishop has nothing to stand on should he choose one way and he gets punished for not choosing the other way (I would not put it past schemers to punish bishops they dislike for having done the very thing it was strongly suggested in a Godfather like manner they do).

  26. HvonBlumenthal says:

    It seems that the Nuncio only gave the instructions verbally.

    He should address a letter to the Nuncio along the following lines:

    Your excellency

    I refer to our conversation on xxx.

    I understand that your suggestion about limiting my travel was a suggestion only, not a command. If I do not hear from you in writing to the contrary, I shall feel free to take advantage of your advice or not, according to circumstances.

    In Domino

  27. Grant M says:

    @chantgirl: I think Dante feels your pain.

  28. rcg says:

    What to watch for next: in response to the global sex abuse crisis an investigation of the role certain bishops may have played will be conducted.

    Starting these gentlemen.

  29. CradleRevert says:

    Talk about tone-deaf. Do they even realize that this sort of action only emboldens that which they hope to suppress?

  30. Bthompson says:

    TonyO: Peter’s Pence, if I recall what a priest friend once told me, doesn’t actually take in a whole lot compared to the overall Curial budget; the bigger source of money is that dioceses pay an assessment/tribute to Rome (Plus there’s the business income from tourism, investments, the Bank, etc.)

    Though sending actual pennies would be rather symbolic as a gesture.

  31. majuscule says:

    I just got my Kindle copy of Valli’s book. I don’t speak Italian but I think my knowledge of other Romance languages might help me get something out of it. At the very least the purchase is support for Aldo Maria Valli (and Fr. Z using his link). Plus a neener neener neener to those who want to repress the book.

  32. roma247 says:

    With regard to the book, even e-books need publishers to manage them. And if they sell out of the physical copies they have and are bullied into not printing more, that’s that.

    That being said, I assume there is some sort of contract between author and publisher, and these usually stipulate that if the publisher allows the book to go out of print, the rights may revert to the author and he can take it elsewhere.

    If the publisher would further be generous enough to provide the author with the files used to prepare the book and e-book so that he can use these, he can simply use one of the many companies nowadays that provide platforms for self-publishing and direct access to selling on Amazon. Especially now that he has some good publicity, this should be a cinch.

  33. PetersBarque says:

    TonyO…you nailed it.

  34. St. Epaphras says:

    If you purchase the print copy of the book, you can get the Kindle version for $2.99. I bought both, as more may not be available later. On a Kindle you can use the dictionary on your device to quickly look up a word. It’s okay to use a dictionary and/or a verb book…just read!

  35. Dad of Six says:

    Father Hunwicke has another great post on this issue:

    http://liturgicalnotes.blogspot.com/2018/11/fear-threats-and-intimidation.html

  36. Q7 says:

    “Perhaps Pope Francis’ next surprise motu proprio will announce the reform of the
    Index librorum prohibitorum (the ‘List of Prohibited Books’).”

    And let us not forget the “List of Prohibited Blogs”!

  37. SemperServusDei says:

    I bought the book for my Kindle. Let’s make this a best seller!

  38. Karl Keating says:

    It’s a pity, but this ebook won’t sell remotely as well as it should–not because at the moment it’s only in Italian but because the selling price is way off. I hope the price is corrected at least by the time the English translation is available. [I really don’t see the point in dumping on this e-book. I posted this for the sake of giving support to needed voices being raised in the Church in difficult times.]

    This ebook is only 61 pages long in print equivalent, yet the price is $9.99! That’s the top of the 70% royalty range at Amazon. (Ebooks priced from $2.99 to $9.99 earn the author or publisher 70% of the selling price. Outside that range, the rate is 35%.)

    Most full-length ebooks, whether fiction or non-fiction, are priced at Amazon between $4.99 and $7.99. Short ebooks, naturally, are priced lower. This ebook should have been priced at $2.99, given how slim it is. At that price, the author or publisher would earn $2.05 (70% less a small delivery charge) as compared to $6.95 if the ebook is priced at $9.99, but he will sell multiple times as many copies.

    There are two considerations: Does he want to maximize his income? Then the lower retail price actually is better because he’ll sell more copies. Does he want to have the ebook read more widely? Same answer, and this is the more important question, because this ought to be more a matter of apostolic outreach than profit maximization.

    There’s another consideration: reviews. At some point someone will laud what the author says but castigate what’s perceived as price gouging, and the ebook will be given a one-star review. If there are enough such reviews, the ebook will be dropped from Amazon’s promotional engine because the average review will be too low. Amazon’s algorithms aren’t applied to ebooks that have less than four stars on average.

    I keep seeing this kind of mispricing. The Big 5 publishers price their ebooks high precisely to discourage sales of them: they want people to purchase the hardback copies. But when an ebook is all you have, setting the price at $9.99 is a killer. The fact that, at the moment, this ebook is #1 in the category of canon law doesn’t mean much. A book can be #1 in an obscure category yet sell only two or three copies a day.

  39. OldProfK says:

    I think Grateful to Be Catholic put one’s finger directly on it, a couple of days ago, with the phrase “Bishops of the (W)orld” (emendation mine).

    Viewed in that light, one could argue that they are in fact doing their jobs. Unfortunately.

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