Pope Francis announced changes in the influential Vatican office that evaluates and nominates candidates for bishop around the world.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington was appointed Monday to the Congregation for Bishops. The pope also reconfirmed Cardinal William Levada, the former archbishop of San Francisco and former head of the Vatican's orthodoxy watchdog office.
Some members of the congregation were very conspicuously not retained. Cardinal Raymond Burke, former Archbishop of St. Louis, will no longer serve in the office.
Burke is considered an outspoken critic of abortion and same-sex marriage and a favorite of conservative Catholics. He has also been publicly critical of Francis's changes in the direction of the church.
Burke retains his position as the head of the Vatican high court, the Apostolic Signatura. Burke drew attention in the U.S. in 2004 when he said he would deny Communion to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, a Roman Catholic who supports abortion rights.
Okay now this does not prove that the Pope has any new ideas on which direction the church should take on the issue of abortion and gay marriage, but it IS interesting.
And don't forget he is also still the Pope who said this:
"Every child that isn't born, but is unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of Jesus Christ, has the face of the Lord," he said.
It looks to me that he is still supporting the church's discriminatory policies toward women, and shares their archaic views on sex, but he just does not want it advertised so blatantly anymore.
Let's just say that the jury is still out until he does something to really shake the old cathedrals up. Then we will decide if he is the real deal, or simply a wolf in lambs clothing.
It is clear that he is still a Catholic priest. I would be terribly, but pleasantly surprised if he moved forward with women's issues and even more so if he tried to update the teachings on sex. But it has to start somewhere and the idiotic teachings on birth control and abortion is a great place to start. I think his life is already in danger with his focus on those issues and to take on more all at once could result in a lightening quick thumping down on the part of the power structure in the Vatican. Baby steps are needed. There are way too many fascist minded Catholics that are ready to revolt against the few modest moves he has made.
ReplyDeletePope Francis has not been taking baby steps, he is charging forward like a bull compared to any other Pope in history.
DeleteWith his emphasis on social justice and non-judgementalism, He's more of an old style Catholic priest like those of my (far-off) youth in the 60s and 70s than some of these rightwing priests today. He's a breath of fresh air. And I agree that is some ways he's charging forward like a bull. I actually worry that his life is in danger because of it. In other areas, he's taking baby steps...because although he's fairly liberal in his thinking, he still has the basic Catholic belief that human life is sacred gift, and life and death are up to God, not man.
DeleteI didn't mean to say that the Pope was taking baby steps. I mean that baby steps are the way the church will change. You can already see the torches being made ready to light just by him suggesting that trickle down is not working.
DeleteI don’t think he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but change will come slowly. I think he’s addressing what he sees as the biggest threat to church attendance. That has to be his first concern. He needs money in the collection plates. I’m not being critical, it’s the simple truth.
ReplyDeleteGod and Mother Nature designed it so that on average, we (women) lose 30% of our pregnancies. Sometimes we didn't even know we conceived, sometimes it's wanted. So if that "child" isn't born, but unjustly condemned by God to be spontaneously or otherwise aborted, it has the face of Jesus Christ, has the face of the Lord?
ReplyDeleteHow fucking fair is that? Who is the real sinner - our maker?
That really doesn't make sense, anon 7:39. You know he's talking about planned abortions, not miscarriages when he said that.
DeleteAnonymous 9:08 AM, "miscarriage" is just a euphemism for "aborted by God." Not saying that God doesn't have good reason, for example trisomy of most any chromosome other than 21.
DeleteWhen you hear of a couple trying for several months to start a pregnancy, just remember that most of those months there was a fertilized egg that didn't make the grade.
"Every child that isn't born, but is unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of Jesus Christ, has the face of the Lord," he said.
DeleteSeems to me the biggest difference between the Pope's statement and the rigid stance of the anti-abortionists is that word "unjust".
Has anyone ever seen a picture of Jesus Christ as an anencephalic, or without legs or arms, or anything except robust and healthy?
Seems to me even "planned abortions" could be excluded by that phrase "unjust", if they're for a fetus that's been found to be damaged by nature (including disease or addiction) in utero.
Aborting a normal fetus -- that's abhorrent, of course. But can a fetus that's threatening the host/mother's very life be "normal"? But that's not what the anti-abortions claim. They want EVERY abortion eliminated.
Don't we all want all abortion s eliminated? The disagreement is over whether this goal can better be achieved by tackling supply or demand. the pope seems to think it would be smarter to eliminate demand, by eradicating poverty and removing barriers to family planning. What a novel idea!
DeleteYes, Ted Powell, you are right insofar as the technical meaning of the word "abortion" is concerned I think the term "abortion by nature" is more precise. Recently lost a potential grandchild by one of these.
DeleteJust another reason to be a rational atheist, 7:39.
ReplyDeleteWomen simply don't win in Catholicism and most organized religion.
DeletePope Francis has already stated that his focus is on helping VS condemning people. Feeding, housing, and giving healthcare to people are his focus and not abortion. BTW the Catholic church has long held the opinion that healthcare is a basic human right.
ReplyDeleteHe has also stated that there IS more room for women in the church, just not as priests.
But the RCC is an archaic organization and as far as popes go he is a rebel.
Is he a phoney? No, I do not think so. If you look at the way he has spent his life you can see he is not putting on an act.
As for those Catholics that may disagree with him, well they better remember their religion that they cling to says the Pope is infallible and is their God's representative on Earth.
BTW I have heard that popcorn sales have tripled in homes of former( or as I call them , recovering Catholics) Catholics worldwide.
Please, please Gryph, please write about the Duck Dynasty horrific interview with GQ. I'm gobsmacked and this needs you to address it and link it to his pal Scarah Paylin. Please.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.celebitchy.com/340160/duck_dynastys_phil_robertson_gave_one_of_the_most_offensive_interviews_ever_to_gq/
It's no surprise this ignorant, bigotted, pseudo christian would cozy up to the likes of Sarah 'Bald POS' Palin. He has his head so far up his ass it's amazing he can even see the ducks he gleefully murders.
Deletehttp://www.gq.com/entertainment/television/201401/duck-dynasty-phil-robertson
Yeah, yeah yeah. Same ole same ole. As a former catholic, I know nothing changes quickly in the church, this is all symbolic but until real change happens, the jury's still out.
ReplyDeleteHe did this as well
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/Cardinal_Justin_Rigali_removed_from_prominent_Vatican_position_by_Pope_Francis.html
Again, symbolism. Regali replaced Bevilaqua as Archbishop of Philly when the first round of lawsuits against pedophile priests happened. Regali said he's changed things, it won't happen again......... then we got round two and he was replaced by Chaput as Archbishop, who promised things have changed............ you know the song and dance.