Francis’ Five Ways of Secularising the Papacy Francis is undertaking a resolute effort to secularise the papacy, Stefano Fontana wrote on La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana. The first signs of this were his …More
Francis’ Five Ways of Secularising the Papacy
Francis is undertaking a resolute effort to secularise the papacy, Stefano Fontana wrote on La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana. The first signs of this were his “good morning” and “enjoy your meal” which replace the invocation “Praised be Jesus Christ;” his worldly encyclicals; the ostentatious carrying of a black bag; calling random people on the phone; talking at the mobile phone during a general audience; going out to buy glasses; confessing that he had undergone psychological treatment.
A second way of banalising the papacy, is Francis' habit to express himself in an approximate, problematic, uncertain, often doctrinally wrong way, Fontana notices. His interpretations of the Bible during his homilies are often forced and unreliable, his responses to journalists rash, his interventions on current affairs – like Covid and vaccination - wrong and inappropriate. Many of his statements concern banal observations. The general level has gone way down. Fontana speaks of a chatty pope who is chatty like everybody else.
A third way of secularising the papacy is that Francis has given up being the last resort in defining faith and morality. Fontana fails to see that he does this to promote heresy. Francis refused to respond to the dubia of the four cardinals after Amoris Laetitia. He kept mum when asked by some German bishops about Protestant communion, or by the president of the American bishops on communion for politicians who defend abortion. The old proverb says that he who is silent, agrees! Francis keeps expressing a strong disdain for Catholic teaching and an equally strong appreciation for off-the-wall anti-Catholic positions. However, when he started his crusade against the Roman Mass, he suddenly started speaking about “clear norms.”
A fourth way of turning the papacy into a worldly cabal is the fact that Francis behaves like a politician displaying the earthly attitude of somebody who is only promoting his own party, his own people, his own ideas. All of Francis’ Synods of Bishops followed a script, and their outcome was decided before they started. He has openly played out manipulation, ruthlessness, internal manoeuvres, even violence as in the case of the John Paul II Institute and the Roman Mass.
The fifth way of secularising the faith was by conforming the Church to the doubtful positions of the world’s social and political actors. Fontana notices that Francis’ encyclicals Laudato Si' and Fratelli Tutti say the same as similar documents published by United Nations agencies. What remains for Francis to accomplish is his resignation, Fontana writes. Through a resignation he will show that the pope is nothing more than a random president of a random association or group.
Francis is undertaking a resolute effort to secularise the papacy, Stefano Fontana wrote on La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana. The first signs of this were his “good morning” and “enjoy your meal” which replace the invocation “Praised be Jesus Christ;” his worldly encyclicals; the ostentatious carrying of a black bag; calling random people on the phone; talking at the mobile phone during a general audience; going out to buy glasses; confessing that he had undergone psychological treatment.
A second way of banalising the papacy, is Francis' habit to express himself in an approximate, problematic, uncertain, often doctrinally wrong way, Fontana notices. His interpretations of the Bible during his homilies are often forced and unreliable, his responses to journalists rash, his interventions on current affairs – like Covid and vaccination - wrong and inappropriate. Many of his statements concern banal observations. The general level has gone way down. Fontana speaks of a chatty pope who is chatty like everybody else.
A third way of secularising the papacy is that Francis has given up being the last resort in defining faith and morality. Fontana fails to see that he does this to promote heresy. Francis refused to respond to the dubia of the four cardinals after Amoris Laetitia. He kept mum when asked by some German bishops about Protestant communion, or by the president of the American bishops on communion for politicians who defend abortion. The old proverb says that he who is silent, agrees! Francis keeps expressing a strong disdain for Catholic teaching and an equally strong appreciation for off-the-wall anti-Catholic positions. However, when he started his crusade against the Roman Mass, he suddenly started speaking about “clear norms.”
A fourth way of turning the papacy into a worldly cabal is the fact that Francis behaves like a politician displaying the earthly attitude of somebody who is only promoting his own party, his own people, his own ideas. All of Francis’ Synods of Bishops followed a script, and their outcome was decided before they started. He has openly played out manipulation, ruthlessness, internal manoeuvres, even violence as in the case of the John Paul II Institute and the Roman Mass.
The fifth way of secularising the faith was by conforming the Church to the doubtful positions of the world’s social and political actors. Fontana notices that Francis’ encyclicals Laudato Si' and Fratelli Tutti say the same as similar documents published by United Nations agencies. What remains for Francis to accomplish is his resignation, Fontana writes. Through a resignation he will show that the pope is nothing more than a random president of a random association or group.