Thursday, February 28, 2013

Why don't you tell us what you really think, George?

I've been reading some interesting things today about Pope Benedict XVI. It appears that far from burying himself in prayer at an out of the way monastery he will remain in the Vatican with the extraordinary arrangement that his "trusted secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, will be serving both pontiffs — living with Benedict at the monastery inside the Vatican and keeping his day job as prefect of the new pope's household." Benedict will also continue to wear the white cassock of a pope rather than returning to the black of a cardinal. (Full Guardian report here, also see here). "Is the pope catholic?" is going to become "Is the pope the pope?"

Anyway, the thing about Down Under Christianity is that we call a spade a spade. Diplomats not required. Who better then to comment on Benedict's resignation than Cardinal George Pell of Sydney:

"Not all cardinals have welcomed Benedict's decision to resign.

Cardinal George Pell, the 71-year old top cleric from Australia, described Benedict's resignation as destabilising to the church, and questioned his governance skills.

Pell, Australia's lone representative at the secret conclave to elect the 266th pope, said Benedict was a "brilliant teacher" but "government wasn't his strong point".

"I think I prefer somebody who can lead the Church and pull it together a bit," Pell told commercial television.

He also said the decision to resign set a worrying precedent for the church.

"People who, for example, might disagree with a future pope, will mount a campaign to get him to resign," Pell said.
In a later radio interview he pointed to the so-called "Vatileaks" scandal, in which Benedict's butler leaked secret papal memos revealing intrigues between rival groups of cardinals, when questioned about his governance views.

"I think the governance is done by most of the people around the pope and that wasn't always done brilliantly," Pell said."

I know that the Government of the Vatican City does not have an official Opposition Party, but if it did, George is the natural Leader of the Opposition!

We live in extraordinary times for Christianity. I wonder where it will all end ...

7 comments:

Peter Carrell said...

To a commenter: do not use the word 'hatred' in the way you used it. It is a judgement, it is unwarranted, and it generates no light in this particular context.

Father Ron Smith said...

"Cardinal George Pell, the 71-year old top cleric from Australia, described Benedict's resignation as destabilising to the church, and questioned his governance skills."

I don't really thin George Pell has much to crow about in his own 'governance' of the R.C. Church in Australia. His too-ready alliance with the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney - on gender and sexuality issues - when they both preside over one of largest LGBT- inhabited cities in the world, is indicative of a less than welcoming ambience to the marginalsed of society.

Andrei said...

when they both preside over one of largest LGBT- inhabited cities in the world, is indicative of a less than welcoming ambience to the marginalsed of society.

Dear Fr Ron the "LGBT community" is anything but marginalized in the 21st century.

Indeed there are more "openly gay" mps in our parliament than there are practising Catholics who have to keep their faith more or less separate from their work because we are apparently "a secular country".

And you cannot turn on your TV without being confronted by "openly gay" celebrities and dramas with gay themes.

Indeed this business of gays being the "marginalized of society" is one of the great lies of the age and a tool used to maniupulate the well meaning into being wagged by the gay tail who relish the grotesque manipulations of society they are inflicting upon us and worse our children

Father Ron Smith said...

Dear Andre. Love the horse and the cowboy motif, by the way!

The 'gay tail' you speak of has had to learn, in Sydney, to ignore the conservative rule of Churches in order to survive. But what does that say about the real influence of the Church in Sydney? It has very little - despite the vociferous attacks from both R.C. and Anglican clergy.

Have you ever thought that, if the Church were more understanding, Gays might be a little less - in your face? (The majority of Gays, by the way, aren't exhibitionists. They are just quietly getting on with holding up the structure of society).

Suem said...

It didn't surprise me too much to hear the Pope was going to live with his personal secretary- "gorgeous George" as he is dubbed. they are pretty inseparable by all accounts.

Father Ron Smith said...

And it could be too, Suem, that Gorgeous George will be a go-between in the ongoing life of two Popes. That could be a bit of a worry for the conservative Curia.

MichaelA said...

Okay, Father Ron doesn't like the fact that neither the Anglican church nor the Roman Catholic church in Sydney agree with his endorsements of LGBT lifestyle.

But how does that reflect adversely on George Pell's "governance" skills?

Enquiring minds would like to know!