Reading Francis Against Benedict.

EDIT: Lifesitenews.com asked me to clarify their legal status and independence from the Catholic hierarchy.

They wrote to me with the following words:  “We are not a Catholic news service, but cover topics related to “life, family and culture,” meaning abortion, artificial contraception, population control, the various attacks on the natural family, feminism, globalism and the growth of the homosexualist movement. Since we cover issues that are closely related to Catholic moral doctrine, and which are extremely contentious in the secular world, we very frequently cover Catholic news as well, but LifeSite itself is a secular organisation, meaning we are not directly beholden to nor answerable to any member of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and we are not funded by the Catholic Church or any diocese.”

They close with : “We would appreciate a clarification on this in your blog post. Thanks”

I publish the clarification with pleasure. The complete message is published in the comment section below.

I also profit of the occasion to congratulate Lifesitenews.com for their work.

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No one, truly no one could accuse “Gloria TV” of being one of those liberal and secular media outlets spinning Francis. 

Well, even they could not avoid giving witness of what is happening, pointing out in a very respectful but very clear way that there is no way to avoid the fact that Francis’ entire attitude is at variance with proper Catholic behaviour on the issues of our times.

Instead of analysing the 12,000 words, they have picked a “life site news” comments: 

“In comments rocking the Catholic world today, Pope Francis’ has recommended that the Church pull back from her perceived emphasis on “abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods.”

Note here the words used by Lifesitenews: “rocking the Catholic world”, “pull back from a perceived emphasis” (this is apparently contradictory, but still clear: if you pull back from something merely “perceived”, you still pull back; and you pull back because of the perception).

Gloria TV answers with two quotations one from JP II and one from Benedict XVI.

JP II:

“To be truly a people at the service of life we must propose these truths constantly and courageously from the very first proclamation of the Gospel, and thereafter in catechesis, in the various forms of preaching, in personal dialogue and in all educational activity,”

The emphasis is theirs, and it speaks volumes. 

Benedict XVI:

“As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, the principal focus of her interventions in the public arena is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the person, and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to principles which are not negotiable,”

This is a less strong counterpoint to Francis’ mentality, but it’s still useful. It is, though, mostly useful because it opposes Benedict’s entire papacy – always attacked by the liberal press, and they did know why – with Francis’ untiring desire to please the wrong crowd.

There is no denying whilst some Catholic outlets are still either silent or outright in denial, more and more (EDIT: Here “Gloria TV” is meant) start to point out to what sound Catholicism is supposed to be.

Enough with the marketing. Enough with the personality cult. It’s time to go back to the Papacy.  

Mundabor