Dressed in gold robes and shielded from a cool drizzle by a canopy, Benedict looked weary as he listened to Sodano's speech at the start of Mass in the cobblestone square bedecked with daffodils, tulips and azaleas.
''With this spirit today we rally close around you, successor to (St.) Peter, bishop of Rome, the unfailing rock of the holy church,'' Sodano said. ''Holy Father, on your side are the people of God, who do not allow themselves to be influenced by the petty gossip of the moment, by the trials which sometimes buffet the community of believers.''The thought has begun to cross my mind that Cardinal Sodano and all the others who most ardently sing the praises of B16 know full well what they are doing: making a dirge from the sidelines of his cart ride to the gallows. This could be the most genteel throwing of anyone under a bus that has ever been performed. Perhaps the hierarchy has decided that Pope Difficult the Last needs to go, and that the only way to do it is to magnify the absurdity of the situation. As tone deaf as these men can be, surely they know the meaning of the deaf ear.
Does this pope, like Miss Diana Ross, still believe he can pack an arena and sell out a world tour? Granted, he's got Sodano and another 170 cardinals singing back-up.
According to the report there were only tens of thousands in attendance. In my day, whenever we did one of those outdoor papal masses - we called them papal picnics - the faithful numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?
4 comments:
I think this is going to be the end of the Roman Catholic Church as we know it. Either there will be major reform (which I am doubting) or the church will turn in on itself and become a third world cult more and more like Society of St. Pius X, bitter and hate filled toward anyone that that doesn't toe the papal line. Like you, I often wonder what will be the response of the average American Joe and Jane in the pew. I've tried to feel out my very devout converts sister and brother-in-law, but they just won't talk about it. I don't know if it is because they are confused in what to think or they are trying to be sensitive to my experience with abuse. It could prove to be interesting times for the Roman Catholic Church in America and the world!
The crimes that led to this were tragic but the current outcry is not. In Massachusetts the power of the Catholic Church was such that it could effortlessly lead a successful effort to rescind Boston and Cambridge domestic partners ordinances in 1991. Ten years later after all the scandals the Church could not make any headway in putting a marriage constitutional amendment on the ballot at all. We would not have imagined this change to be possible until we had seen it. t
Somebody needs to fire the Vatican speechwriter. B16 referred to "not allowing oneself to be intimidated by the petty gossip of dominant opinion" on Palm Sunday. Did they not learn from the reaction to that poor choice of words? Perhaps you're right. To echo the refrain that inspired shock and anger might be the way to showing B16 the wisdom of saving his "health" in retirement.
This is like watching a slow-motion train wreck; only this time it's two trains colliding and we have no idea who will emerge alive, if injured.
Joltin' Joe has left and gone away.
Just after you compliment Timothy Dolan, he falls into lockstep with the PR machine from Rome. B-16, the maniacal bombastic kamikaze Pope.
Is is too warm for the ermine stole today???
Post a Comment