Rome’s rediscovered (newfound?) enthusiasm for controlling the actions of local bishops does not bode well for the vitality of parish and diocesan life.
I think you guys are making a way bigger deal of the rescript about public associations of the faithful than it actually is. It's directly in conformity with Lumen gentium, which said of the power of bishops that "its exercise is ultimately regulated by the supreme authority of the Church, and can be circumscribed by certain limits, for the advantage of the Church or of the faithful". No doubt behind the scenes, the Holy See has had some kind of problem with public associations being set up too hastily without sufficient oversight. So it wants to take a more involved role in their creation, to ensure that whatever the problems are, they don't happen again. Seems like a pretty big stretch to say that the change somehow makes bishops vicars of the Roman pontiff, or furthers the separation between sacred orders and governance, when it looks like the Holy See is simply stepping in on a matter for the good of the Church.
It is fascinating to me that people are looking for logical consistency from a canon law perspective in Pope Francis' actions (e.g., synodal way vs. removing ability of bishops to sponsor nascent religious orders and crushing religious movements in the name of Vatican II while ignoring central tenets of Vatican II that go against his objectives). Just look at what he did in France this month, removing the ability of a bishop to ordain priests and deacons! How can we be surprised by these actions if he is willing to suspend the ability of a bishop to ordain his own priests and deacons? This is a pope who is obsessed with power and cares little for doctrinal consistency. Consider Pope Francis' four postulates from Evangelii Gaudium:
* time is greater than space
* unity prevails over conflict
* realities are more important than ideas
* the whole is greater than the part
His goal seems to me to cruelly destroy communities with traditional leanings (e.g., the TLM crowd) and to centralize power in order to achieve this, all the while empowering those he agrees with to act outside of Rome's direct purview (e.g., communion for divorced and remarried, gay marriages/blessings in Germany, etc.). Is it logically consistent to act like a cruel strongman with some groups and to claim powerlessness when dealing with other groups? It depends on one's objective. Pope Francis is a Peronist caudillo at heart. That's why his four postulates from a church encyclical are found in a letter by Juan Manuel de Rosas. He has adopted the governance style of S. American dictators and eschews the example of Christ.
Rome’s rediscovered (newfound?) enthusiasm for controlling the actions of local bishops does not bode well for the vitality of parish and diocesan life.
O wow, Brendan, I didn’t connect until now that you were the Wendy’s pricing guy on the Advisory Opinions podcast last year. Love it.
I think you guys are making a way bigger deal of the rescript about public associations of the faithful than it actually is. It's directly in conformity with Lumen gentium, which said of the power of bishops that "its exercise is ultimately regulated by the supreme authority of the Church, and can be circumscribed by certain limits, for the advantage of the Church or of the faithful". No doubt behind the scenes, the Holy See has had some kind of problem with public associations being set up too hastily without sufficient oversight. So it wants to take a more involved role in their creation, to ensure that whatever the problems are, they don't happen again. Seems like a pretty big stretch to say that the change somehow makes bishops vicars of the Roman pontiff, or furthers the separation between sacred orders and governance, when it looks like the Holy See is simply stepping in on a matter for the good of the Church.
It is fascinating to me that people are looking for logical consistency from a canon law perspective in Pope Francis' actions (e.g., synodal way vs. removing ability of bishops to sponsor nascent religious orders and crushing religious movements in the name of Vatican II while ignoring central tenets of Vatican II that go against his objectives). Just look at what he did in France this month, removing the ability of a bishop to ordain priests and deacons! How can we be surprised by these actions if he is willing to suspend the ability of a bishop to ordain his own priests and deacons? This is a pope who is obsessed with power and cares little for doctrinal consistency. Consider Pope Francis' four postulates from Evangelii Gaudium:
* time is greater than space
* unity prevails over conflict
* realities are more important than ideas
* the whole is greater than the part
His goal seems to me to cruelly destroy communities with traditional leanings (e.g., the TLM crowd) and to centralize power in order to achieve this, all the while empowering those he agrees with to act outside of Rome's direct purview (e.g., communion for divorced and remarried, gay marriages/blessings in Germany, etc.). Is it logically consistent to act like a cruel strongman with some groups and to claim powerlessness when dealing with other groups? It depends on one's objective. Pope Francis is a Peronist caudillo at heart. That's why his four postulates from a church encyclical are found in a letter by Juan Manuel de Rosas. He has adopted the governance style of S. American dictators and eschews the example of Christ.