IF POPE FRANCIS HAD BEEN AN AUTHORITARIAN ORTHODOX TRADITIONALIST WITH ALL THE TRAPPINGS, AND FOLLOWING POPE BENEDICT XVI, WHO WASN’T AUTHORITARIAN, WHERE WOULD WE BE TODAY????

The problem with the post-Vatican II Church is that what was believed, prior to Vatican II, that the Church could not and would not change, was blown apart by Vatican II, almost like a nuclear bomb. 

While many Catholics were shell-shocked by that in 1964 and 1965, others, especially the academic elites of the Church, were thrilled and used these changes to remodel the Church into something else altogether different, constantly in flux, like a reed swaying in the wind rather than a rock, immovable, unchangeable. 

While many were saying that all the changes were simply cosmetic and changes to discipline which could change, others were asking for doctrinal and moral changes. Those seeking that kind of change were hit over the head by St. Pope Paul VI and Humanae Vitae.

Yet, that didn’t stop them. And after the long papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, they found their hero-advocate, an authoritarian, some would call a “Peronist” from Argentina. He was schooled in and loved the Church of the 1970’s and of the confusion and stirrings for change that Vatican II’s spirit demanded, that Pope Paul embraced, but to a point, and that of liberation theology of South America and the like.

And the only way Pope Francis could return the Church to the chaos, confusion and hunger for doctrinal and moral changes was to be the authoritarian pope he was and using his form of synodality to do it, plus autocratic, authoritarian Motu Proprios, like Traditionis Custodis and the Cardinal Fernandez Fiducia Supplicans.

Of course the orthodox traditionalists were mortified. Not with an authoritarian pope, but one who was authoritarian in the progressive ilk of those of the 1970’s. 

If Pope Francis had been authoritarian with traditionalist orthodox hopes and desires, he would have been worshipped like a god by them. But alas…

Pope Leo XIV has the difficult task of uprighting the barque of Peter but without tipping it over on the other side. God bless His Holiness with the grace he needs for this superhuman task!

Prior to Vatican II, Catholic laity prayed, paid and obeyed. They had no voice in the leadership of the Church or a vote on anything that went on in the universal, diocesan and parish levels of the Church. 

Today’s form of synodality and all that has organically occurred in the Church since 1965, and now, especially with social media, everyone, everyone, everyone, has an opinion and voice in terms of what they want in the Church and this has become a giant, unmanageable political/religious lobby. 

Even Pope Leo’s penchant for using “I think”, “for now” and “later on” are of this new Catholic mentality that all opinions and hopes are equal and even the pope’s ideas on that are on par with, let’s say, Southern Orders. Fasten your seatbelts, activate the airbags and put on your helmet, none of this Orwellian chaos will change anytime soon until we get an authoritarian, orthodox traditionalist pope. Don’t hold your breath that that will happen soon, if ever.