Few symbols can summarize the banality of the current papacy better than this "Complaining is Forbidden" sign on Pope Francis's apartment door. The sign was a gift from Italian self-help writer Salvo Noé, a man with the least sincere smile that side of the Atlantic. News outlets around the world are praising the sign as a sign (ahem) that conservatives are getting too whiny about the disregard The Francis extends to their half-baked heroes like Müller and Burke. It is certainly a sign that Papa Piagnone doesn't mind the paradox of hypocrisy.
And yet...
Last week I had the pleasure of witnessing the marriage of two very close long-time friends. The wedding was beautifully done, the reception was full of decent food and fun dancing, and the send-off was cheerfully memorable. The world may be crumbling, but that is no excuse to forgo feasting and family, to ignore the good things God still gives us. Our pope is at least correct that joy is a necessary part of the Christian life, even in the midst of turmoil. The City of Man can never overcome the City of God.
While it is necessary to point out the nudity of the Emperor, it is unseemly to stare at it for any great length of time. Noe's prudent sons covered his nakedness in his drunken stupor, but if he had belligerently refused to be clothed, what could they have done but walk away? Francis doesn't want complainers near his door because he does not want any harsh truths being spoken in his hearing. No true prophets are desired in his presence.
"For the Lord hath mingled for you the spirit of a deep sleep. He will shut up your eyes, he will cover your prophets and princes that see visions. Wisdom shall perish from their wise men, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."
Papa Bergoglio no longer wishes to hear what his critics have to say. He wishes to have his ears tickled and his feet massaged. The only reason to criticize his words and actions is to remove the stumbling block that is Francis from the path of one's fellow Catholics and inquirers of good will. Let not the Bishop of Rome be a scandal against the practice of the Faith.
Hope that sign and the rest of be-happy theory works out for those who seek it.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason to criticize his words and actions is to remove the stumbling block that is Francis from the path of one's fellow Catholics and inquirers of good will. Let not the Bishop of Rome be a scandal against the practice of the Faith.
ReplyDeleteThe difficulty is that it is very hard to avoid encounter with Francis's face and words unless one makes a deliberate effort to isolate oneself from not only most of the ecclesiastical structure of the Church, but even private enterprises which operate in its orbit. You go to diocesan websites and get bombarded with Francis's face and words; he shows up in parish bulletins (well, outside tradville); Catholic bloggers at places like Aleteia and Patheos seem congenitally incapable of generating content without almost daily glowing references to Il Papa; Catholic publishers and book stores feel the need to put him front and center in their marketing (go to the Basilica of the National Shrine in DC book store - which is actually not bad in terms of holdings - and you immediately face a full table display of books and nicknacks of Francis, a prelate with essentially no publishing footprint before 2013).
Vatican I and Leo XIII's marshaling of mass media (however well intended and executed) helped start this papalotry factory; but it operates at such a high tempo now, thanks especially to modern media, that both clerical and lay organs of Catholicism seem incapable of relating to the Church in any other way. A hard corrective is way overdue; and when it comes, it will no doubt come with its own difficulties...
Steve Skojec screams about beta masculinity at anyone who contradicts him on American politics.
Honestly I think this could be better directed at Rorate, whose Twitter feed has become 80% politics, mostly very pro-Trump politics.
My point was not that we shouldn't criticize The Francis, but that we should not think that we are doing it for the pope's own good. He is insensible to correction, as are many of his sycophants. We are doing it for those who would otherwise be alienated from the true Faith.
DeleteAs to Rorate, I simply don't follow them these days, so I didn't realize they had gotten so political. More's the pity!
"He is insensible to correction, as are many of his sycophants."
DeleteI can't argue with that.