“But it remains entirely possible — perhaps even more likely — that an invitation to attend this week’s events in Rome could be nothing more than another personal consideration by the pope for an old friend in difficult times.”
I know we’re supposed to interpret the Pope’s actions in the most charitable light, but this is hard to believe. Assuming it was simply “another personal consideration,” one has to wonder whether the Pope is smart enough to govern the Church. The extreme inappropriateness of inviting Becciu to the consistory in the middle of his trial is something that even a child could grasp. Particularly a consistory where the discussion will center on reform!!!
TBH it's hard to find a "charitable" interpretation if by that one means an interpretation that doesn't look extremely poor for the parties involved. If Becciu is somehow playing fast and loose with the facts, that speaks extremely poorly of him for putting Francis in this situation. If Francis has invited him to the consistory, Francis is putting the judges in an awful no win situation that will taint the outcome of the trial no matter what it is. Francis is not dumb - he has no excuse for not knowing that for justice to be done in a public matter, it must be seen as just
It would be a disgrace if Becciu is reinstated, but then the Zanchetta affair shows that Francis is not shy about mixing with and / or protecting toxic figures.
The Papal Court in this Pontificate is one of crooks and abusers.
Its undoubtedly true the Church has seen some rogues in its time, but I don't remember another Pope so completely surrounded by such, ahem, 'colourful' figures.
Even the courtiers who are not associated with overt criminality tend to be of dubious orthodoxy at best. We are undoubtedly living through a low point in the history of the Church.
I think the better comp is Oscar Maradiaga, the popes right hand man for many years. He was under a lot of suspicion of corruption and scandal, to the point where Francis had to order an investigation of the man he rehabilitated (after previous popes and leaders found him corrupt)..... and then he went and gave a public speech defending Maradiaga and saying he was innocent, before the investigation had concluded.
The investigation irrevocably tainted, nobody ever learned the results, but Maradiaga has had some "health problems" ever since, when before that point the man never missed a chance to speak in front of a camera or for an interview.
"Recall that he sued the Italian media for ruining his chance of becoming pope. "
There is not much to laugh about in these days but the goings-on in the Vatican is surely the best comic show at the moment. The above really made me laugh and cheered me up.
Joseph Hallman in a response to a First Things article on Vincent Lerins suggested people read Newman's book on Arianism to see the appropriate lay response to serious shenanigans by the hierarchy. I haven't finished it yet but am finding it very helpful.
“But it remains entirely possible — perhaps even more likely — that an invitation to attend this week’s events in Rome could be nothing more than another personal consideration by the pope for an old friend in difficult times.”
I know we’re supposed to interpret the Pope’s actions in the most charitable light, but this is hard to believe. Assuming it was simply “another personal consideration,” one has to wonder whether the Pope is smart enough to govern the Church. The extreme inappropriateness of inviting Becciu to the consistory in the middle of his trial is something that even a child could grasp. Particularly a consistory where the discussion will center on reform!!!
pope dumb I smart
TBH it's hard to find a "charitable" interpretation if by that one means an interpretation that doesn't look extremely poor for the parties involved. If Becciu is somehow playing fast and loose with the facts, that speaks extremely poorly of him for putting Francis in this situation. If Francis has invited him to the consistory, Francis is putting the judges in an awful no win situation that will taint the outcome of the trial no matter what it is. Francis is not dumb - he has no excuse for not knowing that for justice to be done in a public matter, it must be seen as just
It would be a disgrace if Becciu is reinstated, but then the Zanchetta affair shows that Francis is not shy about mixing with and / or protecting toxic figures.
The Papal Court in this Pontificate is one of crooks and abusers.
As opposed to the papal courts of previous pontificates?
Its undoubtedly true the Church has seen some rogues in its time, but I don't remember another Pope so completely surrounded by such, ahem, 'colourful' figures.
Even the courtiers who are not associated with overt criminality tend to be of dubious orthodoxy at best. We are undoubtedly living through a low point in the history of the Church.
I think the better comp is Oscar Maradiaga, the popes right hand man for many years. He was under a lot of suspicion of corruption and scandal, to the point where Francis had to order an investigation of the man he rehabilitated (after previous popes and leaders found him corrupt)..... and then he went and gave a public speech defending Maradiaga and saying he was innocent, before the investigation had concluded.
The investigation irrevocably tainted, nobody ever learned the results, but Maradiaga has had some "health problems" ever since, when before that point the man never missed a chance to speak in front of a camera or for an interview.
Sigh. Who can dispute that, no matter what one thinks of it, the apparent rehabilitation of Becciu is on brand for this pontificate?
“On brand” is the perfect description.
"Recall that he sued the Italian media for ruining his chance of becoming pope. "
There is not much to laugh about in these days but the goings-on in the Vatican is surely the best comic show at the moment. The above really made me laugh and cheered me up.
Woof, if true.
Like someone has said (I can't remember who), it's the Borgia papacy without the art.
Joseph Hallman in a response to a First Things article on Vincent Lerins suggested people read Newman's book on Arianism to see the appropriate lay response to serious shenanigans by the hierarchy. I haven't finished it yet but am finding it very helpful.