I took this photo in 2013. I have always been fascinated by the letters he is holding:
An excerpt from the National Catholic Register’s longer article:
Archbishop Gänswein Tells Inside Story of Benedict XVI’s Response to the Munich Abuse Report
The ‘Abuse of Abuse’
Archbishop Gänswein noted that the Munich report’s publication, and the wave of anger it generated, coincided with a crucial meeting of the “Synodal Way,” the controversial multi-year process bringing together Germany’s bishops and laypeople to discuss the way power is exercised in the Church, sexual morality, the priesthood, and the role of women.
At the gathering on Feb. 3-5, participants voted in favor of draft texts calling for the abolition of priestly celibacy, the ordination of women priests, same-sex blessings, and changes to Catholic teaching on homosexuality.
The Synodal Way’s supporters present it as a necessary response to the abuse crisis that has engulfed the German Church, leading to a mass exodus of Catholics. But critics argue that it will lead to schism.
“We can speculate about the extent to which this is connected temporally or causally with what you have mentioned, that is — to name it clearly — the Synodal Way in Germany and other movements,” Archbishop Gänswein told his interviewer.
“But one thing is clear: Certain goals that the Synodal Way is aiming at are something for which the person and the work of Benedict stand in the way.”
“And there is this great, great danger that everything that has to do with pedophilia and abuse is now taken monocausally, so to speak, in order to open this Way first and then go down that road. Last week we saw what texts were passed, and where this is supposed to lead.”
The archbishop referred to an argument advanced by opponentsof the Synodal Way that the process is using the abuse crisis as a pretext to radically reshape the Church. The argument, summed up by the phrase “abuse of abuse,” is rejected by the initiative’s champions.
“It’s always said that the victims of abuse are the focus. And that is absolutely right. There is, though, also the concept of the ‘abuse of abuse.’ And that is precisely the danger that lies herein,” Archbishop Gänswein reflected.
“We must not forget that whenever one tries to manipulate something or someone, they do nothing else than trying to reach a goal by hiding it behind another reality, so to speak, until one thinks to have reached the goal.”
2 comments:
There is no doubt in my mind that the German Bishops see the abuse crisis as an opportunity and "if at first you don't succeed, try try again". In other words, this gang in Germany will not stop. They will "burn it all down" as the expression goes, to achieve what they really want. I've commented in the blog before to this point and it is playing out in an alarming way. Archbishop Ganswein is on to their subterfuge. I just wish he were in a more powerful position to stop it. I predict that shortly after Pope Benedict dies, Ganswein will be exiled to some backwater posting where he will be completely sidelined by the progressives. I'll take this theory one step further and say that The Holy Father may well be in cahoots. Why do I say this? Precisely because he has not yet yanked back on the very long rope he has let out. If and until that happens, I will continue to be rightly suspicious. TC is the manifestation of a frustrated Pope acting out because Benedict has the temerity to still be alive.
I have said this before - the only reason the German Church has survived is governmental financial support. On Sundays in formerly Catholic Munich you have a handful of worshippers in large churches. The German Church can only tell us what not to do!
Post a Comment