(Rome) At the beginning of Pope Francis’ term of office, numerous pictures of encounters with Benedict XVI. were released. "Thin sheets of paper" fit between the two, it said. That was long ago.
Even then it was clear that this was a form of staging. The pictures of Benedict XVI. served to secure the authority of the new pope. Only pictures were published, never content.
The official reading is still today that Pope Francis regularly visited his predecessor Benedict XVI. to talk to him and get advice. It was like visiting the "grandfather," Francis explained.
But that has not the case for a long time. Supposedly, visits from Francis took place in the monastery Mater Ecclesiae, where Benedict XVI. lives, on the high festivals of Christmas and Easter as well as the birthday of his predecessor. However, pictures of these encounters were not published, although there are other such occasions for everyone.
The only exception recently was on June 28, the visit of Francis with the newly created cardinals.
The need of Francis to seek advice from his predecessor is very limited and kept from the beginning within limits. Cardinal Kasper had revealed in the time of the Sedevacant that now an anti-Ratzinger pontificate was needed.
If one takes only the official Vatican pictures of Benedict XVI. in consideration, the impression arises that the former head of the Church should be made invisible. This is not surprising after the affair over the letter of his predecessor, which was manipulated in honor of Francis, which led to the overthrow of a close confidant of Francis in the spring.
Even before, Benedict XVI, although extremely rare and always discreet, had spoken out to formulate some opposing positions to the present pontificate. These include the defense of Cardinal Robert Sarah, the thorn in the flesh of the current pontificate at the Roman Curia, when Pope Francis' prefect was condemned personally by Pope Francis.
There are now mostly private visitors in the monastery Mater Ecclesiae, who publish photos of Benedict XVI. He does not seem to mind, which is why the image barrier of the Vatican hardly takes his desire in consideration.
On Wednesday, the Vatican Foundation Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI. published pictures of the of the photographer Stefano Spaziani with Benedict XVI. Spaziani gave the former Pope an illustrated book containing the most beautiful recordings of his pontificate.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Facebook
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG
Pope Benedict XVI looks frail, and he lost some muscle mass/weight. But what do you except for someone 91 years old? He doesn't look especially well, but neither do most people, unless they are blessed....at 91( or 81 or many times even 71.) It's unfortunately all part of the aging process. But he is not described as gravely ill, and the neuro-muscular disease some gossiped that he had was denied by both the Vatican and spokesmen for Benedict himself.
ReplyDeleteThe last I read, the only REAL problem he has is walking, and physicial fatigue. Expected in a 91 year old.
But mentally, he's still sharp. He gelebrated his 91st birthday in April with gusto with his brother (who is I think 93), and a Bavarian band, and mugs of beer!
When I see this photo of Benedict XVI, I am saddened by the vicious and contemptuous way the liberal trash (people epitomized by Cardinals Kasper, Schoenborn, Martini(deceased), Re, Sodano, McCarrick,Danneels, Murphy-O'Connor,Mariadiaga, Mahoney, Archbishop Piero Marini, AND Bergoglio and others treated Benedict, and tried to undermine his pontificate and agenda at every opportunity. They wanted him out, and organized a plot to force him to resign so they could put their own man in. They got their way, and the Church has never been in a worse crisis. Pope Francis is a disaster, as are his people. He, and nearly every one of them, are involved in multiple scandals (sexual, financial, etc.)
When I look at this picture of Benedict XVI, a very good man with a magnificent agenda for the Church but who was undermined at every turn by those who should have been supporting him....after all he is the Pope, I feel very sad. He had and probably still has, a great agenda for the Church, but was too meek, mild, and gentle in dealing with the scum in the Vatican.....and they did him in. They all but murdered him....(and probably would have done so somehow if they could have gotten away with it).
Benedict XVI is still too much of a gentleman to stand up and counter the heretic radical Francis or his agenda and initiatives. If he did that, in one last act of papal courage...Francis' reign would be over in a heartbeat. Many say that Francis' reign as Pope is ruined right now, but if Benedict were to speak out, Francis would probably quit in disgrace. Which after the McCarrick, Pineda, Mariadiaga affairs, He should so anyway. He should so so fast. The homo scandal at the seminary in Honduras which was Mariadiaga's charge, is going to explode into a scandal even worse than McCarrick.
Also, there's outrage at the way Francis handled McCarrick. McCarrick resigned from the Cardinalate himself...he wasn't thrown out. And Francis ordered hom out of ministry (which he already had been), and to a life of penance (HAHAHAHA).
People wanted Francis to come down hard and laicize McCarrick. It basically was a wrist slap. And it looks BAD for Francis!!
Damian Malliapalli
Will Christ accept Benedict's taking the easy way out because his personality is "gentle and timid", or will Christ condemn him?...... for not embracing martyrdom, for not protecting Christ's church no matter what the cost, since that is what he was called to, as all popes are, like Peter, the first pope......Personally, I believe Benedict is an incredibly selfish man, who put his own wishes and desires ahead of Christ and the church he was called to defend against all enemies......It seems,all the conciliar popes, and now Bergoglio were/are not prepared to crush the enemy within, especially the weaknesses caused by original sin, that led to the seduction of the Modernism heresy, in their own souls. I'm aware that Benedict did some very positive things to protect the church, but lets face it, his immortal soul has long since been corrupted by this "worst of all heresies", and I despise him for being the mealymouth hypocrite that he is.
Deleteweakness in the face of right action is a reason not an excuse
ReplyDeleteWhat is reprehensible is that while leading good lives themselves and abhorring those of wicked men, some, fearing to offend, shut their eyes to evil deeds instead of condemning them and pointing out their malice.
Saint Augustine “The City of God"
Fear of schism and of bringing dishonor to the church have created a far worse situation. The wolves have consumed the vulnerable and are laying waste to the Church. Lives destroyed, souls lost, countless, and how many Catholics are leaving now every day? The Church has gone entirely off the rails, it is led by worse than mere men, it is led by fallen men with evil intent.
ReplyDeleteThese men hate the Catholic faith. If nothing else, that is so abundantly clear. They are not going to leave it intact. Our choice is what do we do about it.
"O you of little faith, why are you so afraid?" (Matthew 8:26). Christ wants us to stay in the barque & promises those who persevere will be saved. We are all being tried & tested but many are questioning God's purpose because of Satan's suggestion that Christ would not allow His Church to suffer & are leaving rather than trusting in Him to deliver His peace in His time.
ReplyDeleteI think if you read about the "historic action" Francis took regarding McCarrick, you'll find it trumpeted and cheered as "historic" only in liberal Catholic newspapers, and liberal secular press (or the ordinary press which doesn't know too much about things Catholic.) I had to write this comments, because I read on the NCR website (National Catholic Reporter), how heroic Francis was, how historic this is. Then they began a rant/whine about how the conservatives are using this to condemn Francis, and rope in all associated with McCarrick as equally guilty. Uh, well...:
ReplyDelete1). It isn't really historic, because McCarrick was urged to write his own resignation from the Sacred College, and Francis accepted it....so McCarrick wasn't punished in that sense. He already submitted his resignation.
2). The liberal Catholic press in particular, are already trying to defend Cardinal Farrell, Tobin, Cupich etc. as blameless, magnificent men being persecuted by the nasty conservatives. That's B.S. All three knew what McCarrick was about...and Farrell probably saw him do it because he lived in the same apartment with him for six years. Farrell is like another toad, Cardinal Mariadiaga, SDB. They both lie as easily as breathing.
3).The "conservative" Catholic press and people (read that as normal, average, well balanced, faithful Catholics.....not the fanatic radical heretics always ready to trash tradition), are outraged that McCarrick wasn't laicized as well. McCarrick submitted his own resignation....it wasn't imposed on him from the Vatican/Pope Francis.
He probably would not have been sacked had he not resigned. The "conservative" Catholic press and people who are outraged by the light sentence of Francis on McCarrisk are telling the truth. Not the "fake" news of the NCR and other liberal rags which are always ready to bag the drum and cheer loudly for Francis their hero.
Damian Malliapalli
Bullshit. Truck loads of it and Kopronymos - how apt - doesn't know what to do with it.
ReplyDeleteAu contraire Tommy old chap. Benedict freely resigned - he wasn't pushed at all - when he finally realized that he and his puppet John Paul had run counter to the movement of the Holy Spirit in their efforts to subvert and degrade the magisterium of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. God will not be mocked or thwarted. Both Popes will be remembered as men who were hopelessly ill equipped to lead the People of God, who glossed over massive corruption, especially JP II, and who had little or no insight into the damage being done to the Church as a result of clericalism, clerical careerism and restorationist boutique vested- interests.
ReplyDeleteJesus is not going judge Benedict severely. He'll just educate him.
Bbbbbbbbbb
DeleteWriting consecutive posts under different nickname is deceptive and low. Boris C, Clement, C. Jungmann, John Collins, etc. are all nicknames of one tortured and malevolent person.
ReplyDeleteMalevolence is what you breathe in your native atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteIs malevolence what you breathe in your native atmosphere?
ReplyDeleteI believe that John Paul II was very sincere. He was run over by a Nazi truck and then fought the Communist takeover of Poland. He went to Latin America and put Liberation Theology in its place. What he didn't know and appeared naive about is that the "roaches crawled under a rock" and bred incessantly and now they are out in the sunlight and taking over the Church. There is no doubt that they "put their man in the big chair".----The World Cup is over and brought plenty of emotion and national spirit. The University of Notre Dame hired a new women's soccer coach in February (Nate Norman with a wife Rachel and new daughter Kinsley). Jack Swarbrick, the athletic director, stated that he is a role model for the "values of the university".---In April, he hired Lauren Sinacola as one of his assistants. On July 24, she announced "she said yes" and is now engaged to her significant other girl friend according to "Church Militant". You can find the story no where else and the University of Notre Dame batted nary an eye.
ReplyDeleteHi, Holy Father! How’s life? Having a good time? Aww, that’s nice.
ReplyDelete