Saturday, December 06, 2014

The Franciscan conundrum

A reader recently described Pope Francis as a "conundrum." He went on to add: "And it shows just how confused the modern theological landscape is that evangelicals can think he's great while the crew over at the National Catholic Reporter can also claim him as their own at the same time." Even as a moderate conservative like William Oddie at Crisis, as he pointed out, can also pen these telling lines:
Those questions of Cardinal George’s, “why … doesn’t he clarify these ambiguous statements?” and “why is it necessary that apologists have to bear the burden of trying to put the best possible face on it?” really do need answering. I feel this dilemma very personally, having tried for what seems like years (but it can’t be, he’s not been Pope anything like as long as it seems) precisely to “put the best face on” some of the things he has said and done. But it seems a long time now since it was always possible to “read Francis through Benedict.”

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

QUOTE"After that the issue of the Order of Malta cropped up and we needed a smart American who would know how to get around and I thought of him for that position. I suggested this to him long before the synod. I said to him, “This will take place after the synod because I want you to participate in the synod as dicastery head.” As the chaplain of Malta he wouldn’t have been able to be present. – Pope Francis on Cardinal Burke"

Read more: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markshea/2014/12/francis-on-the-burke-kerfuffle.html#ixzz3LKRS1f7m


http://www.johnthavis.com/pope-francis-on-cardinal-burke-the-synod-curia-reform-and-more#.VIXhYTHF98E



Quote"On the Catholic Right however, there are also misinterpretations. Some conservatives in the Church assail or ignore Francis’s essential teachings on social justice; while other traditionalists regard Francis as a dangerous liberal, quietly purging all traces of conservatism from the Church (never mind the orthodox prelates he closely works with—that’s just a deception, they say). Nothing will assuage their anger about the recent “demotion” of Cardinal Burke to Malta. Yet, in a twist even they cannot explain, many of the same hotheads who imagine a feud between Francis and Burke are now saying, even in fury, that the reassignment has actually enhanced Cardinal Burke’s influence, and given him more freedom to voice his concerns—which he continues to do, free of papal interference. And no sooner did the Burke controversy erupt than did Francis appoint Cardinal Wilfrid Napier—a sharp critic of “progressive” theology— to help lead next year’s synod; and Cardinal Robert Sarah—a “staunch conservative”—to head the Congregation for Divine Worship."

http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2014/12/the-popes-true-agenda

Amazing!

Dark Horse said...

Pope Frances is just trying to please everyone, mebe suffrs Bordrline Personalty Disorder - no 'self'.

Anonymous said...

Having Read R.R. Reno's puff pieve in the current issue of Christianity Today, I think it pretty fair to say First Things' credibility on the subject of the Pope no longer has much weight. It is a simple parroting of The Pope is Great, whether his name by Paul, John, or... well, anything but Pius.