Message Sent. Message Received.
Recently Fr. Z noted there were no Italians taking part in the Secret Shadow European Synod. Today, the Eponymous Flower translates a message of frustration with the Pope’s ‘anti-Italian’ prejudices.
It’s not like that’s the only chip on the Pope’s shoulder.
(Rome) Pope Francis (almost) place for all merciful words, but when he talks about the bishops of the Catholic Church, “he seems to pick up the stick,” the Corriere della Sera. Italy’s bishops had to be told some of the pontiff at the opening of its spring conference on May 18. They had strives startled in the days before, to take cover and Francis to appease (see “Cicero’s” Stab in the Hornet’s Nest – Italy’s Bishops to Take Cover and Rehabilitate even the Ghostwriter of the Pope ).
For months the bishops registered pain not only in Italy, and to their surprise, a rigor of Argentine Pope, with whom she had not expected. A rigor that is directed against them.
Behind expressions of loyalty and fidelity to the Holy Father, there is palpable discomfort in the episcopate. As much as the Italian bishops also endeavor to recognize the Pope’s cultural coordinates, to understand and to follow these, they seem increasingly convinced that the Argentine Church leader – despite Italian roots – cherishes an anti-Italian prejudice whose edges are difficult to dull.
The discomfort affects not only the Italian Episcopal Conference and the Vatican. Staff at the Roman Curia have been left pretty hang dog since being papally diagnosed with 15 diseases diagnostics before Christmas 2014. The mood disorder has been detected also in other countries and their church hierarchies. Francis, the Pope of the “epochal turning point” (Corriere della Sera), seems to be, thanks to media support, easy to do, acting as a popular triumph. Much more difficult, i is for the head of the church to find a convinced followers in the church hierarchy. Moreover, the consensus of Francis seems to sink among the bishops.
According to the Corriere della Sera from last May 20th the numbers 20, 70, 10 apparently reflect the mood of the Roman Curia. Among all the employees of the pope there are only 20 percent who would support him with conviction in his government. 70 percent said they would form a “silent majority”, which would remain “neutral” to fulfill their cause and wait for the next pope. Ten percent are strongly, however, among the group (though not always stated) who are opponents of Argentina’s pontificate.
These figures would tossed around in the papal residence of Santa Marta, in the Argentine community in Rome and in Argentina. The Corriere della Sera talks about a “potential geographic and strategic break”.
Pope Francis is not in Rome in order to make friends. He already has friends outside the Church. He’s a friend to the kinds of cardinals who think they have dotted lines to the Pope and direct lines other places. He has friends at the UN, in Washington, in Boston, and in Cuba.
Pope Francis is a radical. He’d consider it a failure to be popular with the hierarchy. He wants to make the old Church angry and sidelined, while he ushers in this new wordly vision. He creates cardinals in lowly outposts like Lampedusa Isle that mean little to the Church – unless it’s not so much a Catholic Church but one of endless boat people support.
The Pope tried fractures and fissures that open up because his actions -despite his best efforts- are not understood by a part of the Church, to engage his charisma. How long this will be possible is also indicated by the Corriere della Sera on the outstanding issues. Above all there has been no match in language between the Pope and many bishops.
Who agile, as the Archbishop of Agrigento, Francesco Montenegro, whose diocese is in the headline-grabbing Lampedusa, has experienced a meteoric rise from unknown provincial bishop to be made a cardinal and this overnight possibly the future Pope, theoretically he may even be a contender for the successor of Peter.
Francis is so unorthodox there are few bishops and offices he can use to assist him. He has to work with a hodgepodge team but that’s alright. He has the financial markets, the White House, the UN, the entire press, and the best PR consultants on the planet at his disposal.
Pope Francis always makes for new construction, but the resulting internal church problems and fractures do not seem to concern him in any way. It seems as if the constant unrest, unease and a latent discontent is a means of government for him. Above all the last , two years, two months and two weeks after taking office have been uncomfortable, especially for the critics of Argentine Pope. Francis himself still seems to literally enjoy his pontificate.