Pray For Poor, Tragic, Weak Benedict

It was only yesterday when I compared Benedict to a Danton of Francis’ Robespierre: both very bad, but one recognisably worse than the other.

Today, another bomb: Benedict* substantially denies paternity of the book he has co-authored*.

This is vintage Benedict: “I want to do the right thing. But when it attracts criticism or there is a big fight brewing, you’ll see me running away like a Bavarian hare”.

This is the guy who commissioned a brutal study to investigate homosexuality in the Church and, when he had the truth dished to him, preferred to quit rather than fight the fight obviously in front of him. This is the guy who first issued Summorum Pontificum and then watched as the measure was boycotted the world over. This is the guy who gave off a whiff of Catholicism, whilst continuing to appoint atrocious bishops. This is the guy who tried to distance himself from JP II’s ecumenism, but then had to make another scandalous Assisi gathering. This is, finally, the Emeritus who is never short of some vaguely sounding conservative noise, until the game gets tough.  Then he does what he always did in life: abandon the fight, for fear of the wolves.

I add another trait of Benedict that some of you might not be aware of: he is as gregarious as even a German can be. He never rocks the boat. He never does the controversial thing. He may try, at times; but when his actions cause controversy, he just surrenders. He goes with the flow. He is the very antithesis of a shepherd. This one was born sheep.

Benedict* has gravely insulted Cardinal Sarah and the intelligence of every sound Catholic. The very idea that a book (with all the legal implication of the matter) might be ready for publishing, with date announced, without him controlling every detail, from the text to the authorship to the title to the book cover, is just stupid. The publisher and the Cardinal have already exposed him as, I must say, a coward and a liar*.

It really is sad to behold.

At the age of 94, Benedict keeps doing it wrong, and he keeps being misled into appeasing everything and everyone, but Christ.

Sinner as I am, I seriously would not want to be him when he dies.

He will be remembered as a tragic, weak figure. A Paul VI on steroids, but with more erudition.

Pray for the poor guy.

He might not understand the situation he is in, but we do.

 

*as always: it does not matter that Gaenswein said it. If Benedict does not correct him, he owns what Gaenswein said.