Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 12:03pm

Ed Feser Explains Why This Time is Different

Philosopher Ed Feser nails it:

The pattern is by now familiar.  Serious criticisms are leveled by serious people against the pope; the pope ignores them; and his associates and defenders disregard the substance of the criticisms while flinging ad hominem attacks at the critics.  This happened during the doctrinal controversies over Amoris Laetitia and capital punishment, and it is happening again in the wake of Archbishop Vigano’s astonishing testimony.  The pope refuses to answer the charges against him.  The Usual Sycophants try to smear the archbishop and his defenders as disgruntled reactionaries.  Among Uncle Ted’s boys, Cardinal Cupich leapt almost immediately for the bottom of the rhetorical barrel: “Quite frankly, they also don’t like [the pope] because he’s a Latino.”

 

This “ignore the message and pillory the messenger” strategy would be contemptible coming from a grubby ward politician.  It is, needless to say, utterly unworthy of the Vicar of Christ and his cardinals.  But from the point of view of cynical political calculation, it has its advantages.  It has, after all, seemed to work so far.

However, I don’t think it will work this time.  The conditions that facilitated it before don’t obtain in this case.  Large numbers of Catholics hold heterodox views on matters of divorce and marriage and capital punishment, not to mention many other topics.  They are quite happy with Amoris, the change to the catechism, and all the other doctrinally problematic statements the pope has made over the last five years.  Meanwhile, many orthodox Catholics, well-meaning but naïve, have been willing to put up and shut up as long as they can cobble together some far-fetched interpretation of the problematic statements that seems to preserve continuity with past teaching.  Then there are all the Catholics who aren’t even paying attention to these doctrinal controversies in the first place.  Under these circumstances, writing off the critics as a minority of cranks can be effective.

The current scandal is very different.  Even in the current low state of the Church and society, no one wants to defend predatory perverts and those who cover for them, much less take them on board as close advisors.  Nor are there theological nuances here that might seem to provide the guilty a means of finessing the gravity of their offenses.  The situation is easily understood, and, given its salaciousness, bound to draw the attention and disapproval even of people who ordinarily take no interest in Church affairs.  This isn’t some abstract doctrinal controversy.  It’s a question of what the pope and the cardinals closest to him knew about “Uncle Ted” and when they knew it.  Under these circumstances, refusing to comment except to smear your accusers only lends plausibility to the accusations. 

Go here to read the rest.  This pontificate has reached a crisis point completely of its own making.  Time for one of my favorite poems:

 

 

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DonL
DonL
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 6:05am

At one point Judas (a hand-picked by Christ bishop) was, along with Satan, a winner. He had his money, the apostles scattered, perhaps in shock, despair, and confusion, that this man who could raise the dead, and claimed to be the son of God, had indeed died–after committing a perfect hoax.
Yes, for three days evil had succeeded….and then came the resurrection.

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 7:29am

The root of all Church evil: The subversion and subordination (to humanistic hokum) of its mission/raison d’etre: THE SALVATION OF SOULS.

God’s only begotten Son by His life, death, and Resurrection purchased for His own the rewards of eternal life. Jesus and His Good News (Gospels) does not promise His people a temporal “rose garden.”

c matt
c matt
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 7:46am

Bergoglio, being Argentine and given his surname, is of no doubt Italian heritage (in fact, if there were any two old/new world countries that shared more ancestral heritage than Argentina and Italy I would be hard pressed to find such a pair – maybe the US and England?). To say Vigano, who no doubt shares the same ancestral heritage as Bergoglio hates him because he is “Latino” is like saying English Mr. Jones hates English Mr. Smith because he was born in America, and is therefore “Native American.”

No, the truth is if Bp. Vigano hates Bergoglio, it is because Bergoglio has made a complete hash of the Church he was supposed to lead.

c matt
c matt
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 7:53am

Not only because he is a billionaire, now I am more envious of Bruce Wayne because he gets to slap Cupich upside the head!

ken
ken
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 7:58am

Cupich’s response was a grand example of clericalism.

PM
PM
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 8:35am

C Matt: Your last sentence, I disagree. The letter was about acts.
I think Archbishop Vigano loves the Church (his motivation stated) and hates the sin of its current leaders, not them. The letter is an act of love for God and His people, sort of fraternal correction which is unacceptable to them. The Archbishop is a learned gentleman with a kind heart and great faith. It must have been a trial for him to protect what he saw being profaned.

Bob Kurland, Ph.D.
Admin
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 10:46am

I saw this coming with Pope Francis’s encyclical “Laudato Si,” in which he makes judgments about unsettled science (the “truth” of Anthropic Global Warming) and invokes world control of economics (and of whatever else is required) to “solve” problems.

Art Deco
Art Deco
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 10:50am

That reminds me..

You ever wonder how many of our bishops in their mundane life resemble ‘Mayor Adam West’ from Family Guy?

Mary De Voe
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 11:21am

Father Mitch Pacwa speaks on the sexual abuse of children and forgiveness. 8 28 2018
http://www.ewtn.com/multimedia/video.asp#STP

Paul Zummo
Admin
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 11:48am

Had a good laugh at Art’s comment. Then I cried, for the answer is all too many.

c matt
c matt
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 12:17pm

PM, I said “IF” – I have no idea whether or not Vigano personally dislikes Bergoglio. But I am more than extremely confident that, IF he dislikes him, it is not because Bergo is Latin.

PM
PM
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 3:12pm
Mary De Voe
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 6:08pm

The state ought to strip Theodore McCarrick, Cupich, and all of their citizenship as persona non grata. The victims may demand this action. The citizens may demand this action.

ken
ken
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 8:49pm

How about Ave Maria U carrying water for the pope and in the process putting the smackdown on Cdl. Burke:
https://www.avemaria.edu/riftstatement/

Mary De Voe
Wednesday, August 29, AD 2018 10:48pm

“How about Ave Maria U carrying water for the pope and in the process putting the smackdown on Cdl. Burke:”
Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are.

Mary De Voe
Thursday, August 30, AD 2018 4:43am

“How about Ave Maria U carrying water for the pope and in the process putting the smackdown on Cdl. Burke:”
Ave Maria U’s bucket has a hole in it. (big enough to turn Death Valley into a pasture)

c matt
c matt
Thursday, August 30, AD 2018 10:18am

Why strip them of citizenship? Just prosecute them.

Mary De Voe
Thursday, August 30, AD 2018 10:34am

“Why strip them of citizenship? Just prosecute them.”
Without citizenship, they cannot be here. Jail will not prevent them.

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