13 Cardinals write Pope to denounce manipulation of Synod

From Rome we hear shocking reports of strong pushback by conservative Roman Catholic bishops against the plot of Cardinals Baldisseri and Kasper and other "progressives" to change traditional teachings of the Church on matters of divorce and homosexuality.

Vatican insider Sandro Magister, an eminently reliable source, reported Monday in Chiesa that 13 leading Cardinals wrote to Pope Francis on October 5th to express the "serious concerns" of themselves and other bishops over the procedures of the Synod on the Family. In their judgment, the rules and documents of the conclave are "designed to facilitate predetermined results on important disputed questions". They also view "Instrumentum laboris" (working document) as inadequate as a "guiding text or the foundation of a final document."

In layman's language, as Walt revealed on October 2nd, the fix is in!

Sig. Magister named 10 of the 13 Cardinals who signed the letter as:
- Carlo Caffarra, Archbishop of Bologna, Italy, theologian, formerly the first president of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family;
- Thomas C. Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, Canada;
- Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York, United States;
- Willem J. Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht, Holland;
- Gerhard L. Müller, former bishop of Regensburg, Germany, since 2012 Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith;
- Wilfrid Fox Napier, Archbishop of Durban, South Africa, President Delegate of the Synod (a position he also held at last year's session);
- George Pell, Archbishop Emeritus of Sydney, Australia, since 2014 Prefect in the Vatican of the Secretariat for the Economy;
- Robert Sarah, former Archbishop of Conakry, Guinea, since 2014 Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline;
- Jorge L. Urosa Savino, Archbishop of Caracas, Venezuela;
- Angelo Scola, Archbishop of Milan, Italy.

Click here to read the complete text of the Cardinals' letter to the Pope, in English, as revealed by Sig Magister in Chiesa, 12/10/15. See also "Archbishop Chaput feels 'sense of hopelessness' about Synod on Family" (WWW 9/10/15)

Yesterday, Father Federico Lombardi, the sock puppet in charge of the Vatican press office, called the leaking of the Cardinals' letter a "disruption". Because the authors of the letter intended it to remain confidential, he said, "It would be inappropriate to allow it to have any influence."

In layman's language, "Don't listen to those guys with the red hats. Just listen to the Pope, who speaks through me!"

Father Lombardi then muddied the water more than somewhat, by claiming that Cardinal Pell, who has acknowledged writing to the Pope, has said that neither the text published in Chiesa nor the list of signatories was accurate. He also said that Cardinals Erdo and Scola, named by Sig. Magister, and Cardinals Piacenza and Vingt-Trois, not identified by Sig. Magister, had denied having signed.

Meanwhile, the Jesuit periodical America reported in "Thirteen Cardinals, Including Di Nardo and Dolan, Challenged Pope’s Decisions on Synod" that the correct list of 13 cardinals includes Cardinals Caffarra, Collins, Dolan, Eijk, Müller, Napier, Pell, Sarah, and Savino -- named by Sig. Magister -- and four not on his list: Daniel Di Nardo (Archbishop of Galveston-Houston), John Njue (Archbishop of Nairobi, Kenya), Elio Sgreccia (President Emeritus of the Pontifical Academy for Life), and Norberto Rivera Carrera (Archbishop of Mexico City).

Another Vatican spokesthingy, Father Thomas Rosica, posted a link to the America article on his Twitter account, thus lending credence to the new report.

And now... this very morning, Rome time... Sig. Magister has published a follow-up to his original account, headed "The Letter of the Thirteen Cardinals to the Pope. Episode Two". He confirms the names of the signatories, and stakes his reputation on the authenticity of the text, apart perhaps from a few marginal inaccuracies and questions of form. Above all, he says, the letter is important for underlining what is at stake: control of the procedures of the Synod, and thus its outcome.

"The substance," he writes, "remains that which the statement of Cardinal Pell and even more so the interview with Cardinal Napier have confirmed: a widespread and growing unease among many synod fathers over the insistence in imposing upon them as the basis of discussion a document, the 'Instrumentum laboris', which every day shows itself more and more to be inadequate, and the fear that this with its ambiguities will contaminate the 'Relatio finalis', the writing of which is in the hands of a commission entirely appointed from on high, with an overwhelming presence of innovators."

Conservative bishops strike first at Synod on the Family

Agent 10 has gone straight! Straight from Washington to Rome, that is, to be there in person while the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church deliberate on the family, marriage and sexuality in the 2015 edition of their synod. He shares Walt's opinion that the Pope's fix is in, but takes some hope in signs that the "conservative" bishops intend to go down fighting.

One such was an address Monday morning by Peter Cardinal Erdo, of Budapest, who, in summarizing the main themes of the "Instrumentum Laboris" (Working Document", came out strongly in support of the traditional teachings of the Church on marriage and sexuality. The prelate stated that Catholics who are divorced and remarried cannot be admitted to Communion as long as they remain in a second conjugal union. He also rejected the idea that homosexual relationships can be treated as similar to marriages.

Cardinal Erdo’s speech placed him squarely in opposition to the "Kasper proposal" -- generally thought to have the backing of (if it wasn't written by) Pope Francis and the Synod Secretary, Cardinal Baldisseri -- which puts forward a rationalization for admitting divorced and remarried Catholics to Communion, and advocates a "positive attitude" toward homosexual unions.

Noting that the Synod is taking place at a time when society is experiencing a "flight from institutions", Cardinal Erdo insisted on the duty of the Church to uphold the indissolubility of sacramental marriage. He said that while the Church must show mercy to people whose marriages have failed, the acceptance of Christ's mercy demands conversion.

In the case of Catholics who have entered into a second marriage, the prelate went on, the rule barring reception of the Eucharist is not an arbitrary prohibition but a recognition of the objective truth that their living arrangement is contrary to the Gospel. While divorced and remarried Catholics should be encouraged to take an active role in the life of the Church, he added, "that is different from admission to the Eucharist."

Regarding homosexual relationships, Cardinal Erdo said that it is wrong to suggest that same-sex unions are comparable to marriages. "There is no basis for comparing or making analogies, even remotely, between homosexual unions and God’s plan for matrimony and the family."

Cardinal Erdo also cautioned against acceptance of the calls from the "progressives" for "gradualism" in pastoral practice -- the suggestion that Catholic pastors could accept couples living in irregular unions, while hoping to guide them into a fuller acceptance of Church teaching. "Between truth and falsehood, between good and bad, there is no law of gradualism."

For that reason, the Cardinal told reporters in a press conference after his speech, the Synod should not consider any dramatic change in teaching. Catholic doctrine can and should be developed, he said. However, "development is not unlimited. We have to look at tradition."

Further reading:
"On Day One of Synod 2015, conservatives strike first" Crux, 5/10/15
"Synod Opening: Beautiful words, but then..." Christopher Ferrara in Catholic Family News, 5/10/15

Synod on the Family: the Pope's fix is in

The 2015 installment of the Roman Catholic Bishops' Synod on the Family will unfold in Rome later this month. Walt predicts (lifetime pct .981) that Pope Francis and the Gay Mafia in the Vatican, having failed to get their agenda -- welcome homosexuals, let divorced Catholics remarry, "be inclusive -- approved by the required two-thirds majority last year, will succeed this year.

Why do I say that? To begin with, at least one major issue -- the status of Catholics who have divorced and remarried -- has been defused by the Pope's relaxation of the rules and process for annulment -- the so-called "Catholic divorce".

A petition for a decree of nullity can now be approved by the local bishop, and the grounds can be just about anything from infidelity to separation to lack of proper intent right down to "etc". I'm not kidding about "etc". That little abbreviation has actually been added to the list! So a divorced Catholic wishing to get back into communion with the Church need only get the OK from the local bishop, et voilà!

When it comes to more contentious issues -- the acceptance of gay "marriage", for example -- the pro-queer modernists in the Vatican are nailing the puck to their sticks [croziers? Ed.] by changing the rules! New rules for the Synod will include elimination of both an interim report and a final message from the bishops, according to an article by Edward Pentin in the National Catholic Register.

In "Critics Sound Alarm Over Possible Changes to Synod Process", Mr. Pentin reports that the new rules -- which are being unveiled by the Vatican even as I write -- will leave Pope Francis to deliver the final message on the Synod’s discussions. Citing "informed sources", he writes that the Pontiff Francis wants "nothing in writing" from the Synod fathers, leaving it to His Holiness to take from the deliberations exactly what he and his modernist cronies want.

Another rumored change is that the rule on propositions having to pass by a two-thirds majority might be eliminated and a simple majority take its place. This would favour controversial proposals, such as those put forward by Cardinal Walter "the Friendly Ghost" Kasper, because his thesis only received a simple majority at the last synod. It should have therefore been rejected under the rules in place, but the Holy Father insisted that it, and the paragraph on a new approach to same-sex relationships that also failed to achieve a two-thirds majority, remain in the lineamenta (guidelines), for this October’s synod.

As the Synod on the Family nears, Catholics need to be aware of what is at stake. If the indissolubility of marriage can be rejected, along with the Church’s teaching that homosexual acts are intrinsically evil, then no doctrine is safe, no moral teaching beyond questioning. This is a moment of unprecedented crisis. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit, Who Our Lord told us would protect His Church from error, will move the bishops to stand up to the pressure being exerted by the modernists, and hold fast to the Traditional Catholic Faith.

Further reading:
"'Unacceptable.' The Base Document of the Synod 'Compromises the Truth'" On the verge of the Synod, three theologians critique and reject the "Instrumentum Laboris". Complete text of their charges, reported by Sandro Magister, in Chiesa, 29/9/15.
"2014 Vatican Synod's 'Welcome gays!' moment was rigged!" (WWW 2/9/15)
"'Church must include, not exclude' says chief Synod rigger" (WWW 18/9/15)

Under Pope Francis, Christianity matters less - key points from interview with Sandro Magister

From time to time Walt has referred to -- and sometimes quoted at length -- the noted Vaticanista, Sandro Magister. I am a follower of his Settimo Cielo blog in l'Espresso. His first article appeared in the Italian daily l'Espresso in 1974.

On the occasion of his 40th anniversary, Maestro Magister was interviewed at length by Goffredo Pistelli, who writes for Italia Oggi. The interview was published, in translation, on the Rorate Caeli website. Here are the key points. Quotes from Signore Magister are shown in purple. The emphasis is mine.

Pope Francis, Sig. Magister conceded, has been basking in worldwide success. But, he said, there are contradictions inherent in the Pope's character, which can be seen  by analyzing  his statements and actions since his elevation. "Throughout his life, he has been a person who has acted on different fronts at the same time. He does the same thing now as Pontiff; he leaves passages open, and on first reading, there are many contradictions."

For example, Francis "is a very talkative Pope. He has telephoned and approached all different kinds of people both near and far. But he has been silent about [the plight of] Asia Bibi", the Pakistani Christian woman who has been imprisoned for years, condemned to death for apostasy. See "Martyr in waiting needs your prayers", posted on WWW in March 2011.

So also, the Pope has said not a word about the kidnapped Nigerian girls and "that unbelievable act of a few days ago in Pakistan when a Christian married couple were burnt to death in a furnace."

Indeed, the Pontiff has been silent about Islam and the Muslim world in general. And his hand-picked Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin was very prudent when speaking at the United Nations recently. They seem determined not to upset the Muslims, in contrast with Benedict XVI’s lecture at Regensburg, which incited strong reactions and even deaths.

Sig. Magister calls the Vatican's political correctness "caution pushed to extremes.... I don’t see any advantage to it. It seems to me that it hasn’t resulted in any help, even minimal or partial, for the Christians in those regions. Caution is understandable, if it’s measured in proportion to the effect. It’s valid if it produces lesser damage."

The point, the analyst says, is that "We have a power like ISIS and we are too fast in saying that Islam has nothing to do with it; that they are instead nurtured by radical Islam, which doesn’t resolve the question of rationality and the relationship between faith and violence. That is exactly what Pope Ratzinger had addressed in Regensburg. In fact the only true dialogue between Christianity and Islam came about after that lecture...."

Pope Francis has said repeatedly that he doesn't want to make compromises with doctrine, that he respects the Tradition of the Church. But then he opened discussions on "modernizing" or "reforming" the Tradition, like the ones at the recent Bishops Synod on the Family, about Communion for the divorced and remarried, which effectively touch the very foundations of the Church.

Why, the interviewer asked, does he do so? Sig. Magister responded, "It was all inevitable considering the Pope’s decision to assign the opening of the discussions to Cardinal Walter Kasper. This basically was the start of the hostilities...."

What Cardinal Kasper is proposing are the same theses defeated in 1993 by Pope John Paul II and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, the Prefect of the Holy Office who later became Benedict XVI. Sig. Magister's opinion is that "it is inevitable that Communion for the divorced and remarried will result in the acceptance of second marriages, and so to the dissolution of the sacramental bond of matrimony."

Is that what Francis wants? As Cardinals Burke and George have remarked recently, it's hard to know. The Pope works both sides of the street! According to Sig. Magister, "It’s another recurring practice of this Pontificate -- reprimands to one side and the other. However...the scoldings aimed at the traditionalists, the legalists and the rigid defenders of doctrine appear to be much more numerous. On the other hand, whenever he has something to say to the progressives you never understand who he is really referring to."

That confusion to the point of bewilderment is growing is undeniable, Sig. Magister says. "We have leaders in prominent positions...who are making this clear, even if they don’t express it in drastic and antagonistic terms.... There isn’t a prejudicially hostile tendency against the Pontiff [but] certainly there are evident manifestations of uneasiness.

"Take for example the Episcopate in the United States, that is, the bishops of one of the most numerous Catholic populations in the world. In recent years, that Episcopal Conference expressed a coherent and combative line in the public arena, even regarding certain decisions by Barack Obama on ethical issues. A line shared by many prominent prelates."

Now, he continues, the American cardinals and archbishops "like Timothy Dolan from New York, Patrick O'Malley from Boston, José Gomez from Los Angeles or Charles Chaput from Philadelphia, are all uneasy. This is the episcopate that [Cardinal] Burke himself comes from and is certainly not restricted to the marginal traditional circuits, but continues to be part of one of the most solid national Churches."

The interviewer next refers to a new book by Antonio Socci, Non è Francesco, ("It's Not Francis", Mondadori, 2014.) Sig. Socci's thesis (as Walt understands it) is that since the Pope cannot lead the Church into error, if Francis is leading the Church into error, he must not be truly the Pope. QED.

Sig. Socci adduces evidence -- a missing ballot -- to suggest that Pope Francis was not validly elected. But even if he's wrong on that, could his reconstruction of the Pope's contradictions be taken to prove his thesis? Sig. Magister was asked if he'd read the book. Here's what he said.

"Yes, I read it all in one evening. It’s a real page-turner.... And not for the theory of the invalid election: the result of the cancellation of a ballot in the conclave because there was an extra blank ballot-card. In my view it’s an inconsistent theory.

"[I found it interesting] because of what’s creating the book’s success, so much so that it has reached the top of the best-sellers list, exceeding the books of and about Bergoglio. That’s because it reconstructs, in incontestable facts and words, the contradictions we have been talking about."

One of the contradictions of this papacy, the interviewer pointed out, is that despite Francis' enormous personal popularity,  religious practice has not increased. On the contrary, the aversion to Catholicism is increasing. Sig. Magister contrasted the popularity of Pope Francis with that of his two predecessors.

"The popularity of his predecessors was very strong. John Paul II experienced world-wide success and not only during the years of his illness. Also Benedict XVI between 2007 and 2008, reached the highest levels in the polls, even if this has been forgotten. His trip to the United States was the peak, where he received a great welcome even from secular public opinion.

"[The difference is] that the predecessors were mostly popular inside the Church, even if they were harshly criticized from strongholds of non-Catholic public opinion. Whereas Francis' popularity is more conspicuous outside the Church, even if it isn’t eliciting waves of conversions. Actually, with him there seems to be a certain pleasure in outside culture...in seeing the Head of the Church shifting towards their positions, which he seems to understand and even accept.

"The Christianity from the mouth of Bergoglio is no longer provocative, does not create problems as in the past, it can be treated with courtesy, superiority and detachment. Christianity matters less." 

Further reading from Sandro Magister's blog Chiesa (24/11/14): The Lenses of the Cardinal, the Sociologist, the Journalists - "All focused on Francis. To understand who he is and where he wants to go. In the Church, at all levels, criticisms of the pope are no longer being silenced. They are voiced openly. Among the cardinals, the most explicit is Francis George."

Further reading on WWW:
"The 'liquid' message of Pope Francis; will he be the last supreme pontiff?"
"Is the Catholic Church about to disintegrate?"

The odor of sanctity?

According to Joe Carter, writing in the First Things blog the Pope’s summer home will soon be heated by "horse flatulence".

Mr. Carter is passing on a story in Inhabitat, a blog "devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future."

The Vatican, says Inhabitat, is doing its utmost to make itself "the greenest state in the world", which shouldn't be hard (Mr. Carter says) since the Vatican is the smallest state in the world. [Not San Marino? Ed.]

There are rumors that Vatican officials are researching a more environmentally friendly equivalent to the the Popemobile. They hope that an electric vehicle can be found to substitute for the iconic motor vehicle used by the Pope when visiting foreign states or making outdoor public appearances.

Perhaps, though, they should be thinking about a horse-drawn carriage. It seems the Vatican does have horses, although the point of keeping them is something of a mystery.

Being horses and eating oats or whatever, the Papal ponies produce a certain amount of equine flatulence. So, Inhabitat tells us, the Pope’s summer residence is being outfitted to harness the methane generated by the horse stables!

Now if they could only find a way to heat the buildings with some of the hot air generated by Cardinals Bertone, Kasper and others, they'd really be showing a commitment to reducing the Vatican's greenhouse gas emissions.

Politically incorrect Cardinal doesn't get to visit UK

Walter Cardinal Kasper, a.k.a. "The Friendly Ghost of the Vatican" announced yesterday that he would not, after all, be accompanying Pope Benedict XVI on his state visit to the United Kingdom.

He's been left off the tour, it seems, because of a truthful but remarkably un-PC comment about the UK’s growing ethnic diversity.

The prelate, formerly president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, was reported as saying, “When you arrive at Heathrow you think at times that you’ve landed in a Third World country.”

Shortly after the story broke in the Daily Telegraph, Cardinal Kasper announced that he would stay in Rome because he had been ill “for several days.” Besides, he added, he doesn't really care for Britain's national dish, chicken tikka massala.

Said Her Brittanic Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, "We are not amused."