This post’s title says it all.
Go to First Things – HERE
For those of you who dawdle, a couple tastes:
Bernard of Clairvaux, the great 12th-century saint and Doctor of the Church who renewed the Western monastic tradition, once warned that “The most grievous danger for any pope lies in the fact that, encompassed as he is by flatterers, he never hears the truth about his own person and ends by not wishing to hear it.”
Every pontificate has its courtiers. The current one is no exception; quite the opposite. Thus, St. Bernard’s words came easily to mind as I read a recent Austen Ivereigh article for America magazine.
He calls them “courtiers” which is polite.
[…]
Conflict, a lot of it, both within and beyond the Church, comes with the job of every bishop. The bishop of Rome is not excused from that unhappy burden. And EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo, whom Ivereigh seems to regard as a special tool of the diabolos, does not pose quite the same fearsome threat to the Church as, say, China’s Xi Jinping. Or significant figures in America’s current leadership.
[…]
Massimo Faggioli’s sunny assessment of Joe Biden and Biden’s seeming common ground with Pope Francis—his recent book is Joe Biden and Catholicism in the United States—certainly qualifies him for courtier status, despite his text being rudely dismembered by veteran religion journalist Ken Woodward in a Religion News Service critique. Prof. Faggioli’s relentless commentary on the United States, American Catholics, and so much more—he arrived in our country in 2008, apparently knows everything about us, and currently teaches at Villanova University—makes up in astonishing breadth for what it lacks in depth. In December of last year, Faggioli suggested that “the parallel between [Biden] and the late Italian pope [John XXIII] certainly offers hope from a historical point of view.” Or maybe not so much. Any parallel between the two men might be news to the saintly dead pope, since the Democratic party has effectively sacramentalized abortion, exterminated pro-life Catholic witness in its ranks—ask former Congressman Dan Lipinski—and our “Catholic” president has signed on fully to the party’s slash and burn campaign.
Neither Ivereigh nor Faggioli measures up, though, to that zenith of melodrama and ill will achieved in 2017 by Antonio Spadaro and Marcelo Figueroa.
[…]
Are you ready to go there yet?
Note the “Donate” button at the bottom of that page. I did.
Loading ...
Just read this before coming over to your site Father- you beat me to the punch. The good Archbishop knows how to deliver a knock out in a velvet glove-pigs and all. Thanks for the donate reminder- will do.
Momentary lapse in sanity where I confused “Chaput” with “Cupich” and couldn’t understand how Cupich, he of abuse-covering-up and “pride” flag fame could possibly write such a cogent and reasonable article.
The Archbishop makes me feel as if there IS hope in our hierarchy of having a backbone and not kowtow to every utterance of a pope. Popes are human and make errors but ignoring those errors by bishops to keep peace and unity within the Church is inviting conflict and divisiveness instead. Well done Archbishop. Your delivery could not have been more instructive, gracious and true.
Wow. Excoriation doesn’t begin to describe it. Won’t somebody think of the Synod??!!!
Meanwhile Beans returns serve, well tries to…
https://twitter.com/massimofaggioli/status/1451152568965599234?s=21
The courtiers seem to focus a lot on wanting unity and obedience and that discord in the Church is somehow sinful and divisive.
Hmm…I seem to remember something St. Paul wrote in 1 Cor 11:18-19 –
18 For, in the first place, when you assemble as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it,
19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
When the courtiers tell you to shut up and be obedient, that seems to be the point where you must get louder and more bold.
All I can say is this: if only sitting diocesan bishops had the courage that the retired ones have– though to be fair, Archbishop Chaput was sensible and reliable when he was serving as well.
I haven’t read much by Faggioli and have only seen a few videos of him.
1. He doesn’t seem to know the difference between the Holy Spirit and the Zeitgeist.
2 He seems to think that theology today is a choice between accepting the Council of Trent or starting from scratch (see #1)
“The most grievous danger for any pope lies in the fact that, encompassed as he is by flatterers, he never hears the truth about his own person and ends by not wishing to hear it.”
Similar occurs with many politicians, “celebrities,” monarchs, academics, intellectuals, CEOs, generals or admirals, and tyrants. The human condition.
“…the network founded by that arch-troublemaker and woman religious, Mother Angelica, and funded largely by tens of thousands of small donations from ordinary, faithful Catholic individuals and families.”
Pachamama Church is for the “Peoples,” not for individuals or families.
“And EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo, whom Ivereigh seems to regard as a special tool of the diabolos, does not pose quite the same fearsome threat to the Church as, say, China’s Xi Jinping.”
Well played, Abp. Chaput, well played.
“…true religion has nothing to do with a posture of servility.”
When “princes” of the Church parade an idol and the Caudillo insults St. Paul but insists rioters, arsonists and murderers are “Good Samaritans” it’s time for the peanut gallery to hose down the stage and actors with Holy Water.
“The role of courtier doesn’t suit him. But then he’s hardly alone in that line of work during the current pontificate.”
The reception room is getting crowded with politicians, journalists and “entertainers” who otherwise spend their time Spirit Cooking. Most of the Caudillo’s courtiers, secular or religious, should not be left alone with your children.
The 2017 Spadaro manifesto mentioned by Abp. Chaput:
https://wdtprs.com/2017/07/jesuit-antoniospadaro-jesuit-run-civilta-cattolica-attacks-americans/