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Monday, October 9, 2017

VATICAN PICK THREE LOTTERY!

Or which door do you want? I pick door number 2!  

Conclave Trials, with Parolin in Pole Position


Parolin
There are three candidates as pope who are being whispered about at the Vatican and beyond. One Asian, one African, and one European, and an Italian at that. And the third is the only one with the slightest chance of being elected at a hypothetical future conclave.

The Asian is Manila archbishop Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, a Filipino who has a Chinese mother and studied in the United States. For the supporters of Pope Francis, he is the ideal candidate for carrying on his legacy.
In 2015, Jorge Mario Bergoglio appointed him as president of Caritas Internationalis, after having made him the head of the synod of bishops on the family. And in April of 2016, right after the release of the exhortation “Amoris Laetitiia” in which the pope opened up communion to the divorced and remarried, Tagle was the first of all the bishops in the world to give it the broadest interpretation.
To those who object that the fluid magisterium of Pope Francis is giving rise to more doubts than certainties, his response is that “it is good to be confused every now and then, because if things are always clear that would no longer be real life.”
[On the Church’s course in the present time, however, his ideas are perfectly clear: with Vatican Council II the Church broke with the past and marked a new beginning. This is the historiographical thesis of the “school of Bologna,” founded by Giuseppe Dossetti and today led by Alberto Melloni, to which Tagle belongs. He is the author of one of the key chapters in the most widely read history of the Council in the world, the chapter on the “black week” of the autumn of 1964. At polar opposites from the interpretation of the Council given by Benedict XVI, who, magnanimously, made Tagle a cardinal].
That he could also be elected pope, however, is to be ruled out. Too similar to Begoglio not to end up beaten down by the many reactions to the current pontificate that will inevitably come to the surface in a future conclave. And then there is the obstacle of age. Tagle is 60, and could therefore reign for a long time, too long to bet on him.
*
The African is Cardinal Robert Sarah, 72, from Guinea. An indomitable witness of the faith under the bloody Marxist regime of Sekou Touré, he escaped execution only because of the tyrant’s sudden death in 1984. He grew up on the savanna but pursued advanced studies in France and Jerusalem, was made bishop at the age of only 33 by Paul VI, and was called to Rome by John Paul II and kept there by Benedict XVI, with whom he was and still is in full accord.
Sarah was revealed to the world by two books of his that were translated into various languages: “God or Nothing” in 2015 and “The Power of Silence” this year. There is an abyss between his vision of the Church’s mission and that of the Jesuit pope, both in content and in style. For Sarah, as for Joseph Ratzinger, the absolute priority is to bring God to the heart of civilizations, especially where his presence is obfuscated.
For the opponents of Pope Francis in the name of the grand tradition of the Church, he is therefore the ideal candidate. But in a college of cardinals almost half of whose members were appointed by Bergoglio, it is unthinkable that he would obtain the two thirds of votes necessary for election.
The fact remains that Sarah’s is in the history of the Church the first true candidacy, albeit only symbolic, of a pope from black Africa.
*
Not symbolic but very realistic is instead the third candidacy, that of Pietro Parolin, the cardinal secretary of state.
One must go back to the conclave of 1963 to find elected as pope, with Paul VI, a churchman who came up through the heart of the Vatican curia and was recognized for his managerial skills, after a pontificate like that of John XXIII, who had set into motion a council that was at the height of tumult but had not yet produced a single document. Paul VI succeeded in the enterprise, although he undeservedly ended up in the black book of those accused of betraying the revolutions.
Today the enterprise that a growing number of cardinals would entrust to Parolin is that of piloting the ship of the Church in the storm unleashed by Pope Francis, correcting his lurches without betraying his spirit.
As secretary of state he has demonstrated that he has these qualities, even on the most intricate portfolios like that of China or of Venezuela, where he knows how to hold back the impatient or placatory tendencies of a Bergoglio who loves to do it himself.
Moreover, there is in Parolin a profile as pastor, with a solid theological formation, that is rarely found in a prestigious diplomat. His recent trip to Moscow was a crystal clear example of this, where discussions at the highest political level alternated with religious meetings with the heads of the Russian Orthodox Church, just as is done on a well-structured pontifical journey.
But that this is a glimpse of the future is purely hypothetical, as long as Francis reigns.
(English translation by Matthew Sherry, Ballwin, Missouri, U.S.A.)
mailto:traduttore@hotmail.com
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This commentary was published in "L'Espresso" no. 41 of 2017 on newsstands October 8, on the opinion page entitled "Settimo Cielo" entrusted to Sandro Magister.

26 comments:

Joseph Johnson said...

Ditto, door number 2!

Mark Thomas said...

Cardinal Tagle:

"For the supporters of Pope Francis, he is the ideal candidate for carrying on his legacy.

"On the Church’s course in the present time, however, his ideas are perfectly clear: with Vatican Council II the Church broke with the past and marked a new beginning. At polar opposites from the interpretation of the Council given by Benedict XVI, who, magnanimously, made Tagle a cardinal."
================================================================

His Holiness Pope Francis has rejected the notion that Church had broken with her past via Vatican II. Therefore, how does that establish Cardinal Tagle the ideal candidate for carrying on Pope Francis' legacy?

Pax.

Mark Thomas

Mark Thomas said...

Cardinal Sarah:

"But in a college of cardinals almost half of whose members were appointed by Bergoglio, it is unthinkable that he would obtain the two thirds of votes necessary for election."

The notion that Cardinals who were appointed by His Holiness Pope Francis would not vote for Cardinal Sarah constitutes worldly thinking. Such thinking negates the Holy Ghost's presence and role at a Conclave to elect a Pope.

Pax.

Mark Thomas

ByzRus said...

Without question, Door No. 2.

ByzRus said...

Mark Thomas -

VATICAN PICK THREE LOTTERY!
Or which door do you want? I pick door number 2!

Just once, please just pick one. No quotes, dots, hyperlinks, rambling etc. Just for the 'heck' of it, play the game and just pick one. Just a door. That's all.

Maxine Waterloo said...

Yes. Mark is right. No one thought Ratzinger could get elected, but he was.

Gene said...

Sarah...#2

Anonymous said...

I think they should just elect the Archbishop of Canterbury pope and just get it over with. They are actively trying to turn the Catholic Church into the Anglican Church so why not just get it over with. Nobody would care except for the small minority of faithful Catholics like the SSPX and a handful of religious orders. That is the future of the Church. It’s the Church that the gates of Hell will not overcome.

Anonymous said...

"Nobody would care except for the small minority of faithful Catholics like the SSPX and a handful of religious orders."

And, of course, you consider yourself part of that small minority...

Luke 18:11 "The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.'"

Православный физик said...

Sarah, defimitely not tagle,

Anonymous said...

I strive to be part of the small minority of faithful Catholics. That's not an inherently Pharisaical desire since I hope that everyone else also strives to be in the small minority of faithful Catholics. Our Lord said that the way is narrow and that those who enter eternal life are few.

It's pretty easy to cast aspersions on people, though, isn't it Anonymous at 8:45 a.m. -- as you apparently miss the hypocrisy of thinking yourself unlike that Pharisee Anonymous at 6:42 a.m.?

Mark Thomas said...

Anonymous said..."I think they should just elect the Archbishop of Canterbury pope and just get it over with. They are actively trying to turn the Catholic Church into the Anglican Church so why not just get it over with."

"They" have done a poor job at turning the Holy Catholic Church into the Anglican Church. The Catholic Church preserves and promotes the True Faith.

Pax.

Mark Thomas

Anonymous said...

Why not open up the conclave to more than the 120 or so cardinals? Maybe let archbishops who are not cardinals to vote. Certainly a church of 1.2 billion souls could have a wider field from which to choose?

AS for electing the Archbishop of Canterbury, well I don't get that. He doesn't have much in the way of power anyway (anymore than the patriarch of Constantinople does). He can't discipline wayward Anglican provinces, except to that extent he could deny them admittance to the decennial Lambeth Conference (which meets next year at Canterbury but lacks legal authority to reign in renegade diocese and bishops).

Anonymous said...

I don't know how relevant the fact that Francis has chosen half of the electors is. After all, Muller is a Francis cardinal. Also, since the last conclave some truly radical cardinals have lost the right to vote: Mahoney, Danneels, Kasper, Lehmann, Hummes, and Tettamanzi. I also think that Francis is so all over the map when it comes to his views (one moment very traditional and very radical the next) that he is not really setting up a coherent program that can be carried on beyond his pontificate.

Anonymous said...

Bee here:

I wanted Cardinal Sarah last time. Wonder what God wants...


God bless.
Bee

Mark Thomas said...

Cardinal Tagle..."For the supporters of Pope Francis, he is the ideal candidate for carrying on his legacy."

That means that "Pope" Tagle would...

Work overtime to lead the SSPX into full-communion with Holy Mother Church...exhort his subjects repeatedly to go to Confession...warn his subjects that Satan desires to devour their souls.

Exhort his subjects to...

...restore Sunday as a day centered upon the Eucharist...develop strong devotions to the Saints and Angels...

...promote endlessly the Culture of Life...promote Humanae vitae...condemn abortion repeatedly...

...condemn the genocide that the world has inflicted upon Christians...

...condemn Islamic terrorism directed against Christians...

...promote Indulgences...

...denounce the homosexual and masonic lobbies...

...declare, time and again, that marriage is between a man and woman...

...offer public support to Catholics who work to pass laws to outlaw homosexual unions as well as the adoption of children by homosexuals...

...offer Apostolic Blessings to pro-life marchers...

"Pope Francis Blesses Pro-Life March, Defends Unborn"

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/05/20/pope-francis-blesses-pro-life-march-defends-unborn-human-life-divine-gift/

"Pope Francis Sends Apostolic Blessing to March for Lifers"

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-francis-sends-apostolic-blessing-to-march-for-lifers

On and on goes the list of Pope Francis' defense and promotion of the Faith.

Therefore, "Pope" Tagle will do well should he carry on Pope Francis' legacy.

Pax.

Mark Thomas

Anonymous said...

Mark,

Will Tagle continue to promote sacrilegious communions like Francis has, though?

Will he continue the Francis-programme of denouncing faithful Catholics as Pharisees for opposing the new Francis-doctrines?

Will he continue to celebrate the Protestant revolt as has Francis and continue praising Martin Luther and his heretical teachings on justification?

Will he continue to promote environmental causes in cooperation with UN leaders who promote a population control agenda as Francis has?

Will he continue to provide support for the supposition that "most marriages are invalid" while also holding that many who are cohabitating without being married are somehow actually married?

Will he continue to suggest that all men are saved and those few who might not be saved are subject to annihilation?

John Nolan said...

Mark Thomas

It is now far enough into this pontificate to identify the distinguishing feature of Francis's papacy - saying one thing and doing another. He says he is opposed to same-sex marriage but welcomes a 'gay' couple to the Vatican and blesses them with the world's media watching. He has condemned 'gender theory', but went out of his way to receive a woman (transgendered into a man) married to another woman. In his famous off-the-cuff manner he quipped that the former 'she' was now 'he'. Again the world was watching.

Are you blissfully unaware of this? Another aspect of your naivety is your notion that an elected pope is somehow chosen by the Holy Ghost. Pope Benedict disposed of this myth by simply looking at the actions of past conclaves, and the dubious choices they made.

Mark Thomas said...

John Nolan said..."Another aspect of your naivety is your notion that an elected pope is somehow chosen by the Holy Ghost. Pope Benedict disposed of this myth by simply looking at the actions of past conclaves, and the dubious choices they made."

I believe that the reference to Pope Benedict XVI as having "disposed of this myth" is linked to comments about Papal conclaves uttered by then-Cardinal Ratzinger. Cardinal Ratzinger was blessed with the authority to have spoken definitively as to the Holy Ghost's role at a Papal conclave?

Suppose that Cardinal "X" (or an additional Catholic) disagreed with Cardinal Ratzinger's opinion in question. Does Cardinal Ratzinger's opinion trump Cardinal "X's" opinion?

Sorry, but I am unaware of the following phrase: "Cardinal Ratzinger has spoken, the case is closed."

Pax.

Mark Thomas

Mark Thomas said...

Anonymous said...Mark, will Tagle continue to promote sacrilegious communions like Francis has, though?"

I don't accept that claim.
=======================================

Anonymous said..."Will he continue to celebrate the Protestant revolt as has Francis and continue praising Martin Luther and his heretical teachings on justification?"

Yes. "Pope" Tagle would continue the ecumenical-related process, to which Popes Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI adhered, designed to "revise" the manner in which Catholics had viewed the Protestant Revolt.

Example: Pope Benedict XVI's positive comments in regard to Martin Luther.

The Pope, Martin Luther, and Our Time

September 25, 2011 A.D.,

by Mark Brumley, The Catholic World Report

“Martin Luther” is not a popular figure in most Catholic circles. But now here comes Pope Benedict XVI, a fellow German, visiting his homeland and speaking to German Evangelical Christians, i.e. Lutherans, as we call them here.

"The Holy Father seems comfortable talking about Luther with Lutherans, even talking with obvious regard and sympathy for Luther. Shocking?

"Not to those who have followed the nuances of Catholic teaching on non-Catholic Christians as it has developed, especially as expressed in the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and in papal teaching since then.

"Pope Benedict shows how a Catholic can have a certain sympathetic reading of Luther, notwithstanding the same Catholic’s rejection of Luther’s repudiation of the Catholic Church.

"In this way, a Catholic can see what is most important when it comes to assessing Luther—not denying the problems with him but also not overlooking what Luther got right or demonizing him.

"In his address Benedict makes a number of key points regarding Luther. First, there is Luther’s “burning question”, as Benedict puts it: “what is God’s position towards me, where do I stand before God?” This remains the central question of life today, even though many people don’t realize it.

"Second, there is Luther’s Christ-centered spirituality. Benedict clearly thinks on both of these points Luther is right and that calling attention to this fact is important for all Christians today.

"When it comes to ecumenism, the most important point for Benedict is that we keep in view our common ground as Christians: “It was the error of the Reformation period that for the most part we could only see what divided us and we failed to grasp existentially what we have in common in terms of the great deposit of sacred Scripture and the early Christian creeds. For me, the great ecumenical step forward of recent decades is that we have become aware of all this common ground, that we acknowledge it as we pray and sing together, as we make our joint commitment to the Christian ethos in our dealings with the world, as we bear common witness to the God of Jesus Christ in this world as our inalienable, shared foundation.”

Pax.

Mark Thomas

TJM said...

John Nolan,

See my point? I would not feed the troll

Anonymous said...

To suggest that the Holy Ghost would actively select Francis to be pope is blasphemous.

The permissive will of God is what has led to the chastisement of faithful Catholics otherwise known as the Francis pontificate.

John Nolan said...

TJM

You're right, of course. It's interesting that Mark Thomas did not attempt to refute my point about the Francis pontificate, despite being invited to do so.

Mark Thomas said...

John Nolan said..."He has condemned 'gender theory', but went out of his way to receive a woman (transgendered into a man) married to another woman. In his famous off-the-cuff manner he quipped that the former 'she' was "now 'he'. Again the world was watching."

Is the following the incident in question that the world watched?

Pope Francis press conference:

"Last year I received a letter from a Spanish man who told me his story from the time when he was a child. He was born a female, a girl, and he suffered greatly because he felt that he was a boy but physically was a girl.

"Then he got married. He changed his civil identity, he got married and he wrote me a letter saying that it would bring comfort to him to come see and me with his bride: he, who had been she, but is he. I received them. They were pleased.

"And in the neighborhood where he lived... a new [parish priest] came. When the new priest would see him, he would yell at him from the sidewalk: “You’ll go to hell!”

"Do you see what I am saying? Life is life, and things have to be taken as they come. Sin is sin. Tendencies or hormonal imbalances create many problems and we have to take care not to say: “It doesn’t make any difference, let’s live it up.” No, not at all. But for every case welcome it, accompany it, look into it, discern and integrate it. This is what Jesus would do today.

"Please, do not say: “The Pope blesses transsexuals!” Please! Because I can already see the newspaper headlines… No, no."

Pax.

Mark Thomas

TJM said...

John Nolan,

Well that would require a modicum of intellectual honesty and foregoing idol worship for reasoned discourse

John Nolan said...

'He, who had been she, but is he'. The Pope is in effect saying that a woman, if pumped full of testosterone and fitted with a prosthetic penis, can marry another woman. Everything else is the usual waffle we have come to expect from this pope.

Of course he can see the newspaper headlines, complete with the carefully posed photograph. That's why he called the press conference.

How dare he say that 'this is what Jesus would do today'? This is adding blasphemy to hypocrisy.