The global Catholic leadership crisis deepened on Monday, when Crux cited anonymous sources in Argentina in a report claiming two young men have lodged criminal complaints with civil authorities, alleging Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta abused them.
The Crux report also cites anonymous sources as saying there is “no proof, no evidence” the Bishop emeritus of Orán, Argentina, Gustavo Zanchetta ever abused minors, but confirming “high-octane pornographic material” depicting young men — not minors — was found on Zanchetta’s phone.
The Crux report also quotes a source as saying Bishop Zanchetta engaged in “suspicious” behavior. “I saw him hugging 16-year old boys,” the report quotes a source in Argentina as saying, “[I] saw that the bishop was giving some of the students a beer, but nothing beyond that.”
“Several people from Salta spoke with Crux in the past week,” the report explains, “but all requested their identities be kept private out of fear of retaliation, because they don’t want to interfere with the ongoing civil investigation, or because they’re ashamed of what was done to them.” Basically, rank-and-file Churchmen in Orán are terrified of the blowback from this scandal.
Their concern is understandable. Argentina’s El Tribuno newspaper reported late last year that Bishop Zanchetta had been making threatening phone calls from Rome. “I fall now,” Zanchetta reportedly told a priest of Orán when press reports carrying the real reason for his resignation began to circulate, “but you all are going to fall.”
Both in Rome and in Argentina, the attitude of clerics seems to be of terrified shoulder-shrugging. The general consensus seems to be that, in the absence of actionable evidence of criminal wrongdoing against minors, the only thing to do with a bishop who also happens to be a pervert is to give him a cushy Vatican post.
“The pope acted as he should have acted at the time,” Crux quotes one source as saying. “He saw that there was a man who was not suitable for ministry but who wasn’t a criminal, and took him to Rome.”
A priest from Bishop Zanchetta’s former diocese of Orán told Crux, “[Zanchetta’s] removal from the diocese was as it should have been.” The source is further quoted as saying, “What needs to be investigated is what happened after, when the accusations escalated. Someone began covering up for Zanchetta, and they’re the ones who are deceiving the pope.” Another source suggested Pope Francis did well “[to] lock [Zanchetta] up in the Vatican, where he had no access to seminarians.”
The attitude does fit the pattern that has emerged over the course of the past couple of years, not only with bishops, but with wayward clerics generally. Sometimes, these hard cases had allegations to their names, and even formal criminal charges. Sometimes, they received a Vatican posting. Other times, they already had one.
In February of last year, Msgr. Pietro Amenta received a 14-month suspended sentence as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time on charges of child pornography possession and sexual molestation of a young adult male. Amenta was a sitting judge of the Roman Rota at the time of his arrest, and kept his seat on the bench until he’d worked out his plea deal, at which time he resigned the post.
There has been no word on Amenta’s case — no announcement of canonical proceedings against him — and canon law currently lacks a specific provision making it a crime to possess pornographic material depicting minors above the age of fourteen. Pope Francis recently said he thinks it is time to change that.
The Amenta story did not get as much traction as it might have, owing in large part to the burgeoning scandal out of Chile at the time. Pope Francis repeatedly accused three men of calumny, saying he had “no evidence, no proof” from them that Bishop Juan Barros — then of Osorno, Chile — ever covered up the abuse they suffered at the hands of Fernando Karadima, then the country’s most notorious abuser priest (Francis expelled Karadima from the clerical state in September of 2018).
Juan Carlos Cruz, James Hamilton, and José Andres Murillo — the three men Pope Francis was so certain were guilty of calumniating Bishop Barros — were among those, on the strength of whose testimony the Church’s own canonical court found then-Fr. Karadima guilty of abuse in 2011.
Also, it simply wasn’t true that Pope Francis had no evidence of Bishop Barros’ wrongdoing. In 2014, Francis received a lengthy letter from Mr. Cruz, detailing the awful ordeal Cruz and others suffered, and explaining the role of Barros in it. Pope Francis has never publicly acknowledged receipt of Cruz’s letter.
Nor is the use of the Vatican as a dumping ground for troubled clerics new to the Francis era.
A priest of the Diocese of Trenton quietly resigned his position as Defender of the Bond at the Roman Rota last November, a few months before his name appeared on the list of clergy credibly accused of abuse in his home diocese. The priest, Msgr. Joseph Punderson, had been in Rome since 1993. The Holy See learned of the allegation against Punderson no later than 2004, but allowed him to continue in service for nearly 15 years, albeit under secret restrictions.
When it comes to Bishop Zanchetta, we know Pope Francis had evidence of his misbehavior in 2015, and heard more serious complaints in 2016 and 2017, before accepting Zanchetta’s resignation and creating a post for him inside the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See — APSA — which oversees the Vatican’s real-estate and financial holdings.
The place Pope Francis carved out for Bishop Zanchetta — whom he knew from their days together in the bishops’ conference of Argentina, where Zanchetta served as executive undersecretary and Pope Francis was president from 2005-2011 — may have been a sinecure. Still, the decision to put Zanchetta in the APSA is still a real head-scratcher, quite apart from the more lurid allegations against him. Zanchetta was also reportedly suspected of failure to report income from the sale of diocesan property.
If all this is surprising, it shouldn’t be. The Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, has essentially admitted there is a so-called “lavender mafia” within the Curia. The surmise, to which the record points, is that their presence is nobody’s business unless and until a member gets himself convicted of a real-life, you’re-going-away crime.
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Christopher R. Altieri is a journalist, editor and author of three books, including Reading the News Without Losing Your Faith (Catholic Truth Society, 2021). He is contributing editor to Catholic World Report.
A defining theme of Pope Francis’ papacy has been his urging of humanity to better care for the natural environment, which he has done most prominently in his landmark 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ and numerous subsequent writings and speeches.
The pope’s emphasis on this topic — especially his foray into climate science via his recent encyclical Laudate Deum — has variously drawn both praise and consternation from Catholics in the United States, about half of whom do not share Pope Francis’ views on climate change, according to surveys.
In Laudate Deum, which was released in October as a continuation to Laudato Si’, Francis wrote that the effects of climate change “are here and increasingly evident,” warning of “immensely grave consequences for everyone” if drastic efforts are not made to reduce emissions. In the face of this, the Holy Father criticized those who “have chosen to deride [the] facts” about climate science, stating bluntly that it is “no longer possible to doubt the human — ‘anthropic’ — origin of climate change.”
The pope in the encyclical laid out his belief that there must be a “necessary transition towards clean energy sources, such as wind and solar energy, and the abandonment of fossil fuels.” This follows a call from Pope Francis in 2021 to the global community calling for the world to “achieve net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible.”
He further lamented what he called “certain dismissive and scarcely reasonable opinions [on climate change] that I encounter, even within the Catholic Church.”
In light of the new encyclical — which extensively cites the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — Pope Francis was invited to speak at this week’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP28. Though the 86-year-old pope was forced to cancel his trip due to health issues, the Vatican has indicated that he aims to participate in COP28 this weekend in some fashion. It announced today that Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin will represent the pope at the conference.
While various Catholic groups have welcomed the pope’s latest encyclical, some Catholics have reacted with persistent doubts, questioning whether the pope’s policy prescriptions would actually produce the desired effects.
How do Americans feel about climate change?
According to a major survey conducted by Yale University, 72% of Americans believed in 2021 — the latest available data year — that “global warming is happening,” and 57% believe that global warming is caused by human activity.
More recent polling from the Pew Research Center, conducted in June, similarly suggests that two-thirds of U.S. adults overall say the country should prioritize developing renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, over the expansion of the production of oil, coal, and natural gas. That same survey found that just 3 in 10 adults (31%) say the U.S. should completely phase out oil, coal, and natural gas. The Yale study found that 77% of U.S. adults support at least the funding of research into renewable energy sources.
Broken down by party affiliation, Pew found that a large majority of Democratic and Democratic-leaning independents — 90% — favor alternative energy sources, while just under half, 42%, of Republicans and Republican-leaning adults think the same. Within the Republican cohort, however, 67% of Republicans under age 30 prioritize the development of alternative energy sources, compared with the 75% of Republicans ages 65 and older who prioritize the expansion of oil, coal, and natural gas.
In terms of the expansion of alternative energy sources, two-thirds of Americans think the federal government should encourage domestic production of wind and solar power, Pew reported. Just 7% say the government should discourage this, while 26% think it should neither encourage nor discourage it.
How do America’s Catholics feel about climate change?
Surveys suggest that Catholics in the United States are slightly more likely than the U.S. population as a whole to be skeptical of climate change, despite the pope’s emphatic words in 2015 and since.
A separate Pew study suggests that 44% of U.S. Catholics say the Earth is warming mostly due to human activity, a view in line with Pope Francis’ stance. About 3 in 10 (29%) said the Earth is warming mostly due to natural patterns, while 13% said they believe there is no solid evidence the planet is getting warmer.
According to the same study, 71% of Hispanic Catholics see climate change as an extremely or very serious problem, compared with 49% of white, non-Hispanic Catholics. (There were not enough Black or Asian Catholics in the 2022 survey to analyze separately, Pew said.)
One 2015 study from Yale did suggest that soon after Laudato Si’ was released, U.S. Catholics were overall more likely to believe in climate change than before. That same study found no change, however, in the number of Americans overall who believe human activity is causing global warming.
Pope Francis’ climate priorities
Beyond his groundbreaking writings, Pope Francis has taken many actions during his pontificate to make his own — admittedly small — country, Vatican City, more sustainable, including the recent announcement of a large order of electric vehicles, construction of its own network of charging stations, a reforestation program, and the continued importation of energy coming exclusively from renewable sources.
Francis has often lamented what he sees as a tepid response from developed countries in implementing measures to curb climate change. In Laudate Deum, he urged that new multinational agreements on climate change — speaking in this case specifically about the COP28 conference — be “drastic, intense, and count on the commitment of all,” stating that “a broad change in the irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model would have a significant long-term impact.”
The pope lamented what he sees as the fact that when new projects related to green energy are proposed, the potential for economic growth, employment, and human promotion are thought of first rather than moral considerations such as the effects on the world’s poorest.
“It is often heard also that efforts to mitigate climate change by reducing the use of fossil fuels and developing cleaner energy sources will lead to a reduction in the number of jobs,” the pope noted.
“What is happening is that millions of people are losing their jobs due to different effects of climate change: rising sea levels, droughts, and other phenomena affecting the planet have left many people adrift. Conversely, the transition to renewable forms of energy, properly managed, as well as efforts to adapt to the damage caused by climate change, are capable of generating countless jobs in different sectors.”
‘Leave God’s creation better than we found it’
Dr. Kevin Roberts, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Heritage Foundation think tank, told CNA that he has noticed a theme of frustration and confusion among many Catholics regarding the Holy Father’s emphasis on climate change.
A self-described outdoorsman and former president of Wyoming Catholic College, Roberts spoke highly to CNA of certain aspects of Laudato Si’, particularly the pope’s insights into what he called “human ecology,” which refers to the acceptance of each person’s human body as a vital part of “accepting the entire world as a gift from the Father and our common home.”
Dr. Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation. Courtesy of Heritage Foundation.
“I like to think [Pope Francis] personally wrote that, because I could see him saying that,” Roberts said of the passage, which appears in paragraph 155 of the encyclical. Roberts said he even makes a point to meditate on that “beautiful and moving” passage during a retreat that he does annually.
That portion of Laudato Si’ notwithstanding, Roberts said he strongly believes that it detracts from other important issues, such as direct ministry to the poor, when Pope Francis elevates care for God’s natural creation as “seemingly more important than other issues to us as Catholics.” He also said he disagrees with Pope Francis’ policy prescriptions, such as a complete phasing out of fossil fuels, contained in Laudate Deum.
“We of course want to pray for him. We’re open to the teaching that he is providing. But we also have to remember as Catholics that sometimes popes are wrong. And on this issue, it is a prudential matter. It is not a matter of morality, particularly when he’s getting into the scientific policy recommendations,” Roberts said.
Roberts said the Heritage Foundation’s research and advocacy has focused not on high-level, multinational agreements and conferences to tackle the issues posed by climate change but rather on smaller-scale, more community-based efforts. He said this policy position is, in part, due to the historical deference such multinational conglomerates of nations have given to China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases overall.
He said agreements within the U.S. itself, with businesses and all levels of government working together, have produced the best results so far when it comes to improving the environment. He also pointed to examples of constructive action that don’t involve billions of dollars, such as families making the choice to spend more time outdoors or engaging in local activities that contribute to environmental conservation and community life, such as anti-litter campaigns and community gardening. The overarching goal, he said, should be to “leave God’s creation better than we found it.”
Roberts — who said he personally believes humans likely have “very little effect” on the climate — said he was discouraged to read other portions of Laudato Si’, as well as Laudate Deum, that to him read as though they had come “straight out of the U.N.” Despite his criticisms, Roberts urged his fellow Catholics to continue to pray for the Holy Father and to listen to the pope’s moral insights.
“I just think that the proposed solutions are actually more anti-human and worse than the purported effects of climate change,” he added.
‘A far more complex issue’
Greg Sindelar, a Catholic who serves as CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a conservative think tank that studies the energy industry, similarly expressed concerns to CNA about the potential impact of certain climate change mitigation policies on human flourishing.
Like Roberts, Sindelar spoke highly of certain aspects of the pope’s message while expressing reservations about some of the U.N.-esque solutions proposed in Laudate Deum.
“I think the pope is right about our duty as Catholics to be stewards and to care for the environment. But I think what we have to understand — what we have to balance this with — is that it cannot come at the expense of depriving people of affordable and reliable energy,” Sindelar said in an interview with CNA.
“There’s ways to be environmentally friendly without sacrificing the access that we all need to reliable and affordable energy.”
Greg Sindelar is CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a think tank in America’s leading energy-producing state. Courtesy of Texas Public Policy Foundation
Sindelar said TPPF primarily promotes cheap, reliable access to energy as a means of promoting human flourishing. The free-market-focused group is skeptical of top-down governmental intervention, both in the form of regulation and incentives or disincentives in certain areas of the energy sector.
When asked what he thinks his fellow Catholics largely think about the issue, Sindelar said many of the Catholics he hears from express the view that government policies and interventions rarely produce effective solutions and could potentially hinder access to energy for those in need.
“I think it’s a far more complex issue than just saying we need to cut emissions, and we need to transfer away from fossil fuels, and all these other things. What we need to do is figure out and ensure ways that we are providing affordable and reliable electricity to all citizens of the world,” he reiterated.
“When the pope speaks, when the Vatican speaks, it carries a lot of weight with Catholics around the world, [and] not just with Catholics … and I totally agree with him that we need to be thinking about the most marginalized and the poorest amongst us,” Sindelar continued.
“[But] by going down these policy prescription paths that he’s recommending, we’re actually going to reduce their ability to have access to that,” he asserted.
Sindelar, while disagreeing with Pope Francis’ call for an “abandonment of fossil fuels,” said he appreciates the fact that Pope Francis has spoken out about the issue of care for creation and has initiated so much public discussion.
“I think there is room for differing views and opinions on the right ways to do that,” he said.
Effective mitigation efforts
Susan Varlamoff, a retired biologist and parishioner at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in the Atlanta area, is among those Catholics who are committed to Pope Francis’ call to care for creation and to mitigate the effects of climate change. To that end, Varlamoff in 2016 created a peer-reviewed action plan for the Archdiocese of Atlanta to help Catholics put the principles contained in Laudato Si’ into action, mainly through smaller, more personal actions that people can take to reduce their energy usage.
Retired biologist Susan Varlamoff. Photo courtesy of Susan Varlamoff
The Atlanta Archdiocese’s efforts have since garnered recognition and praise, Varlamoff said, with at least 35 archdioceses now involved in an inter-diocesan network formed to exchange sustainability ideas based on the latest version of the plan from Atlanta.
“It’s fascinating to see what everybody is doing, and it’s basically based on their talents and imaginations,” Varlamoff said, noting that a large number of young people have gotten involved with their efforts.
As a scientist, Varlamoff told CNA it is clear to her that Pope Francis knows what he’s talking about when he lays out the dangers posed by inaction in the face of climate change.
“He understands the science, and he’s deeply concerned … he’s got remarkable influence as a moral leader,” she said.
“Part of what our religion asks us to do is to care for one another. We have to care for creation if we’re going to care for one another, because the earth is our natural resource system, our life support, and we cannot care for one another if we don’t have that life support.”
Responding to criticisms about the financial costs associated with certain green initiatives, Varlamoff noted that small-scale sustainable actions can actually save money. She offered the example of parishes in the Atlanta area that have drastically reduced their electric bills by installing solar panels.
“[But,] it’s not just about saving money. It’s also about reducing fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, and protecting the natural resources for future generations,” she said.
Moreover, Varlamoff said, the moral imperative to improve the natural environment for future generations is worth the investment. “When [Catholics] give money, for example, for a social justice issue like Walking with Moms in Need or special needs, the payback is improving lives. We’re improving the environment here,” she emphasized.
Pope Francis greets an elderly couple at a general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media
ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 22, 2024 / 17:00 pm (CNA).
“A Caress and a Smile” is the name of the event that will take place Saturday, April 27, in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall where elderly people, grandparents, and grandchildren from Italy will meet Pope Francis.
A total of 6,000 grandparents and their grandchildren will arrive this week at the Vatican for a special gathering with the Holy Father, an initiative presented by the Holy See’s Press Office today.
Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, noted that Italy has the second-highest number of elderly people in the world and that for the first time in history, four generations are living together, which “had never happened before.”
He also lamented that currently “we are afraid to use” the word “old” and that old age “is not only a very beautiful time, but can mean a change of direction, within the culture, society, economy, and also of religion.”
The prelate noted the special affection that Pope Francis has for older people and recalled the catechetical series that he dedicated to them, teaching “how to live the last 30 years” of life in a Christian way.
“This event will be held to give a new vision of old age. Old age is a great age, not to be wasted or a burden. Old age is not disconnected from other ages of life,” Paglia continued.
The prelate also noted the demographic winter that Italy is going through and highlighted the “particular harmony” and special ties that exist between grandparents and their grandchildren, two generations “that cannot live without each other.”
The event, organized by the Italian Old Age Foundation, will begin at 8:30 a.m. Rome time with a reflection on old age.
About 40 minutes later, Pope Francis will arrive at the Paul VI Hall to hear the testimony of two grandparents (among them a 91-year-old woman) and three grandchildren.
Also participating in this morning’s press conference was Lino Banfi, a well-known Italian actor who maintains a friendship with Pope Francis, whom he referred to as “the grandfather of the world.”
In addition, Pope Francis has also established the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which this year will be celebrated on July 28.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
From the article; “… a man who was not suitable for ministry but who wasn’t a criminal, and took him to Rome.”
Actually, he was a criminal. No, not yet charged, but having committed a crime he was/is a criminal.
A worldwide problem — decades and centuries in existence — systemic and systematic. A theology not adhered to by the clergy who teach it nor by those who supervise the clergy. Making it a theology one should, at the very least, question and, at the most, leave in the rear view mirror.
Your last sentence is a non-sequitur. The fact that a large minority fail to live up to a standard is not sufficient reason to abandon the standard. If it were, we should all embrace anarchy, because every government eventually abuses its power (especially its police power) somewhat, and a great many governments abuse their power monstrously; yet we need governments and police to be able to maintain civilization. For that matter, it is not unheard of for firefighters to be fascinated with fire to the extent they actually become arsonists, yet this is no reason to conclude that we need to rethink whether we should allow fires to burn unchecked.
“I fall now, but you all are going to fall.” A striking exclamation in an otherwise non extraordinary account we’re familiar with. Reading between Altieri’s lines is the more impressionable. Is the Vatican a merciful refuge for the fallen. Or a presentiment, A haunt of devils and a cage for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird (Rev 18, 2). Alec Guinness stared in the oldie The Lavender Hill Mob analogous to Lavender Mafia buffoonery. What the cast of the former lack in talent they redeem with mobster like exclamation. At once comical though in reality fearsome considering Archbishop Vigano and Msgr Lantheaume remain in hiding. So do we chuckle along and as do many clergy sit and wait believing it will all go away in time. The stakes are too high.
It looks like the Lavender Mafia buffoonery, who have infected the whole Church — including the highest levels of the Vatican — are behind the Church’s ever-increasing accommodation of the world’s rejection of traditional sexual morality.
Father, that very toxic phrase “I fall now, but you all are going to fall” is an explanation as to how and why McCarrick got away with his crimes for so long.
Fr. Morello, I’ve been praying for a complete purification of our Church. Some of the traditional teaching of the Church has fallen by the wayside. We need to have all clergy teaching authentic Catholic Doctrine; the confusion among the Faithful is overwhelming! We need to get back to basics, so that everyone will know where the Church stands.
June clergy are suffering loss of memory due to too many Florida vacations or selective memory due to the comfort of a peaceful bland innocuous ministry that offends no one and strengthens no one. If I cast the first stone I do it with no exemption from what Christ wrote on the sand. It must be said and we as priests must call out to each other truthfully. Leadership on hierarchal level is what’s required and what’s lacking. The laity seem more intuned with our dilemma and perhaps the miracle of intervention will result there.
yes you are right- how many are hiding the truth – they know the truth – but live in fear of revealing it or doing anything about it! In this way the Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops or priests ‘who hide any of these men who have firstly betrayed Our Lord Himself, then His Bride the Church – and then we the laity — these men will indeed be before (are already) God’s own judgment.
Do they not know that? Have they fallen so far, that they have forgotten what The Lord Himself told them? But many priests //seminarians also must know the truth – they too must come forward – at any cost! We are talking about our Holy Mother Church here…-
Those who hide the truth will answer to God Himself – as ‘those ones’ are destroying the Church (and they know it) and the faithful…
‘better for that man that…’
The sickening sexual aspect of all of this is actually a plus for these narcissists. It distracts the faithful (the “dummies” ) from the money network/hiring scheme, the room and board plus travels expenses and luxuries core of it all and let’s not forget the proverbial power trip disguised as “joy” and “humility.”
With no regard for Christ’s teachings or the “degradation of their bodies” their club, mafia, cult provides a sense of Mutually Assured Destruction. In some ways, among these thugs (Zanchetta, McCarrick and yes, Bergoglio included) their ultimate mediocrity and counterfeit is best realized in the plagiarist, Rosica. He is emblematic of the hiring scheme component where hype is all…not virtue…and “flattery” will indeed get you everywhere.
With little to no mention of efficacious grace these days in sermons nor practical understanding of it among the laity and clergy, there is a counterfeit sense of “mercy” where one’s being able to repent itself is presumed and this is the most pernicious aspect of their legacy. Indeed there is ultimately no need to “repent” really.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us.
what gives me some consolation in this Dark Night of Our Beloved Mother Church – is that thankfully we still have some Cardinals – Burke, Brandmuller, Sarah, Zen (wow!! and just look at the suffering of our Catholic Chinese brothers and sisters – now being more persecuted than ever, our churches are being destroyed…) Mueller, and our great Archbishop Vigano – !! and Bishop A.Schneider – all speaking out constantly to support us the faithful – and many many holy priests who are fighting the Good Fight .. .. These give us encouragement to continue to carry this heavy Cross with Our Lord .. in this dark Night – which we will come out of.. Our Lady, our Mother is with us… Let us never lose heart…
and may the evil ones be removed – and may their network be completely destroyed..
..and it will be..
From the article; “… a man who was not suitable for ministry but who wasn’t a criminal, and took him to Rome.”
Actually, he was a criminal. No, not yet charged, but having committed a crime he was/is a criminal.
A worldwide problem — decades and centuries in existence — systemic and systematic. A theology not adhered to by the clergy who teach it nor by those who supervise the clergy. Making it a theology one should, at the very least, question and, at the most, leave in the rear view mirror.
Your last sentence is a non-sequitur. The fact that a large minority fail to live up to a standard is not sufficient reason to abandon the standard. If it were, we should all embrace anarchy, because every government eventually abuses its power (especially its police power) somewhat, and a great many governments abuse their power monstrously; yet we need governments and police to be able to maintain civilization. For that matter, it is not unheard of for firefighters to be fascinated with fire to the extent they actually become arsonists, yet this is no reason to conclude that we need to rethink whether we should allow fires to burn unchecked.
“I fall now, but you all are going to fall.” A striking exclamation in an otherwise non extraordinary account we’re familiar with. Reading between Altieri’s lines is the more impressionable. Is the Vatican a merciful refuge for the fallen. Or a presentiment, A haunt of devils and a cage for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird (Rev 18, 2). Alec Guinness stared in the oldie The Lavender Hill Mob analogous to Lavender Mafia buffoonery. What the cast of the former lack in talent they redeem with mobster like exclamation. At once comical though in reality fearsome considering Archbishop Vigano and Msgr Lantheaume remain in hiding. So do we chuckle along and as do many clergy sit and wait believing it will all go away in time. The stakes are too high.
It looks like the Lavender Mafia buffoonery, who have infected the whole Church — including the highest levels of the Vatican — are behind the Church’s ever-increasing accommodation of the world’s rejection of traditional sexual morality.
Father, that very toxic phrase “I fall now, but you all are going to fall” is an explanation as to how and why McCarrick got away with his crimes for so long.
Correction should read: What the cast of the latter lack in talent. Also Alec Guinness ‘starred’ in the oldie. Please note I’m making progress.
Fr. Morello, I’ve been praying for a complete purification of our Church. Some of the traditional teaching of the Church has fallen by the wayside. We need to have all clergy teaching authentic Catholic Doctrine; the confusion among the Faithful is overwhelming! We need to get back to basics, so that everyone will know where the Church stands.
June clergy are suffering loss of memory due to too many Florida vacations or selective memory due to the comfort of a peaceful bland innocuous ministry that offends no one and strengthens no one. If I cast the first stone I do it with no exemption from what Christ wrote on the sand. It must be said and we as priests must call out to each other truthfully. Leadership on hierarchal level is what’s required and what’s lacking. The laity seem more intuned with our dilemma and perhaps the miracle of intervention will result there.
Thank you Father Peter…
yes you are right- how many are hiding the truth – they know the truth – but live in fear of revealing it or doing anything about it! In this way the Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops or priests ‘who hide any of these men who have firstly betrayed Our Lord Himself, then His Bride the Church – and then we the laity — these men will indeed be before (are already) God’s own judgment.
Do they not know that? Have they fallen so far, that they have forgotten what The Lord Himself told them? But many priests //seminarians also must know the truth – they too must come forward – at any cost! We are talking about our Holy Mother Church here…-
Those who hide the truth will answer to God Himself – as ‘those ones’ are destroying the Church (and they know it) and the faithful…
‘better for that man that…’
The sickening sexual aspect of all of this is actually a plus for these narcissists. It distracts the faithful (the “dummies” ) from the money network/hiring scheme, the room and board plus travels expenses and luxuries core of it all and let’s not forget the proverbial power trip disguised as “joy” and “humility.”
With no regard for Christ’s teachings or the “degradation of their bodies” their club, mafia, cult provides a sense of Mutually Assured Destruction. In some ways, among these thugs (Zanchetta, McCarrick and yes, Bergoglio included) their ultimate mediocrity and counterfeit is best realized in the plagiarist, Rosica. He is emblematic of the hiring scheme component where hype is all…not virtue…and “flattery” will indeed get you everywhere.
With little to no mention of efficacious grace these days in sermons nor practical understanding of it among the laity and clergy, there is a counterfeit sense of “mercy” where one’s being able to repent itself is presumed and this is the most pernicious aspect of their legacy. Indeed there is ultimately no need to “repent” really.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us.
what gives me some consolation in this Dark Night of Our Beloved Mother Church – is that thankfully we still have some Cardinals – Burke, Brandmuller, Sarah, Zen (wow!! and just look at the suffering of our Catholic Chinese brothers and sisters – now being more persecuted than ever, our churches are being destroyed…) Mueller, and our great Archbishop Vigano – !! and Bishop A.Schneider – all speaking out constantly to support us the faithful – and many many holy priests who are fighting the Good Fight .. .. These give us encouragement to continue to carry this heavy Cross with Our Lord .. in this dark Night – which we will come out of.. Our Lady, our Mother is with us… Let us never lose heart…
and may the evil ones be removed – and may their network be completely destroyed..
..and it will be..
I am sick of this! He needs to be defrocked as he is not fit for ministry.
Sometimes a good purge is good for the body.