UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism
Jerry Slevin
The curtain has been lifted this week on key aspects of the Vatican operation that supports the Papal Wizard of Oz and it is a very ugly picture. Sausage making is pretty by comparison. After a Pope quit in despair, we are beginning to understand better why he despaired. The Vatican is literally out of control. Almost a month after the Pope resigned, Cardinals are still arguing over a schedule. They have failed to agree on a public relations policy: the Italians prefer their standard “leak to a friendly reporter” approach, while the Americans prefer a press conference where they say nothing of substance, ideal for someone like Cardinal Dolan who can often say less with more words than any other public figure.
A choice by the Cardinals to finish by Easter will indicate the Conclave will have been a complete failure. Electing a Pope is not enough. A Papal Superman does not exist, no matter what country he hails from. The preliminary Conclave meetings, even with Fr. Lombardi’s spin, demonstrate that deep distrust exists among Cardinals, even within country groups, not just between Cardinals from different countries.
One Cardinal reportedly said this Conclave is like going to the dentist; one wants to get it over with as soon as possible and get home. The problem is that it is already quite clear that there are many rotten teeth and failing to acknowledge that now will likely be disasterous. The time, likely the only time, to address them is now. Government regulators and prosecutors, not dentists, can be expected to invade Rome soon. When that happens, Cardinals will lose control of the situation. Now is the time to fix the Church.
The Cardinals must just admit and accept that the Shadow Pope, Joseph Ratizinger, has left them with a real mess, which understandably he wants to be nearby with Georgeous Georg to limit their own exposure.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.