Friday, April 12, 2019

More Valuable Commentary on Benedict's Poisonous Letter: Part of a Bigger Initiative of Catholic Right, with Bannon at the Very Center




But these peculiarities aside, what Benedict's letter achieves is something he likely did not intend: he demonstrates precisely how the institutional church got into its current psychosexual mess. ... 
What he doesn't see is that the rigid, shame-based sexual morality that he enforced for decades only exacerbated the problem. 
What he also does not see is that the abuse crisis came about not because humanity lost sight of God, but because men decided to act like gods.



What to make of this development of a pope emeritus who emerges from the shadows unannounced from time to time to offer his comments on current affairs, or even on issues being handled by his reigning successor? 
A number of noted theologians and church historians are expressing serious concern that Benedict's choice to engage in such public action undermines Francis and plays into narratives splitting Catholics between two popes, one officially in power, and the other wielding influence as he writes from a small monastery in the Vatican Gardens.



Make no mistake. The purpose of the former pope's newly published letter was not to offer new insights on dealing with sex abuse in the Church. As already noted, there is nothing new. 
Whoever encouraged him to publish this 6,000-word essay surely had, perhaps unbeknownst to Ratzinger (though is that really possible?), the intention of giving encouragement to those working to destabilize the pontificate of Pope Francis.


Benedict's poisonous letter; Cardinal Sarah's toxic bile: these are part and parcel of a bigger initiative, coordinated and heavily funded by right-wing Catholic money, especially in the U.S., to Trumpize the Catholic church. Bannon is at the very center of this. 

No comments: