Antonio Socci
Libero
June 16, 2021
What is
happening in the Catholic Church? Are we on the verge of an earthquake? There
are lots of signs that would induce us to think so, and the article by Alberto
Melloni from the columns of “La
Repubblica” yesterday, is really quite sensational, revealing, as it does, the severe
split on the part of some progressive Catholics from Pope Francis, whom they
used to support enthusiastically.
Melloni,
symbol of the “School of Bologna” and the “progressive wing of the Church –
initiates his indictment by highlighting that the German Cardinal Marx, in his
recent letter of resignation, “was in
effect asking for the Pope’s resignation”.
Marx is the
leader of the powerful and affluent German Episcopate, which, through its
Synod, seems to want a revolution. The German bishops are historically the
supporters of Bergoglio, but their undue haste is not endorsed by him, and now
they are plainly disappointed.
Melloni then
cites other recent episodes, like the Papal Decree limiting to ten years “the
mandate of the leaders and bodies of lay
ecclesial movements”. A norm – according to Melloni – that “constricts the
rights of the faithful” and “establishes
the liquidation of the leaders presently serving, in the name of an
ideologically defined good.”
Moreover,
this is about the leaders of the movements, who are very much aligned to the
Bergoglian Papacy and who, these past years, have practically faded away: you
no longer see their vitality, nor their public appearances (and [therefore] in
my view, the decree has some positive aspects).
Then Melloni
criticizes the banishment of Enzo Bianchi from his community, which he in fact
retains “harmful to the ecumenical
credibility of the Church”.
He then
attacks the inspection of the Congregation of the Clergy, ordered by Bergoglio –an
“action” Melloni says “that is unprecedented and useless…illustrating what roughness
those who have served the Pope loyally are treated with– for example, the retiring
Prefect, Cardinal Stella,
It should be
borne in mind that Cardinal Stella is thought to be one of the strategists in
Bergoglio’s election of 2013, therefore this is another serious rupture in the
Pontiff’s world. Melloni criticizes likewise
“the audit of the Vicariate of Rome” arranged by Bergoglio, who is charged with
giving ‘credence to chatter”.
Melloni is
extremely harsh about the entire Cardinal Becciu affair. In his view it is
likely that “the indictment is still extremely fragile” and we would want to “avoid
a pointed defense which would send world-wide,
a trial of the central government.”
Behind these
and other episodes, Melloni explains: “some see the excessive influx of coarse
advisors; others his authoritarian attitude […..…]. But the increase in such cases, according to
the progressive intellectual, “is preparing for a tempest”.
It is not
the first “missile” raining down on Bergoglio from the clerical left. But now
his increasing isolation appears clear: it’s enough to consider the cases listed
by Melloni (Cardinal Marx and the German Bishops, the lay ecclesial movements,
Enzo Bianchi, Cardinal Becciu, the Vicariate) to realize that they are all figures
and worlds supporting him.
The Argentine
Pope is a complex personality, at times difficult to decipher. Some of his
initial emphases on Jesus touched deep cords like the need for mercy for
modern man, but the Gospel says the Good Shepherd is also the Truth made Flesh
and asks for conversion.
In his
present solitude, the Pope finds himself having to acknowledge bitterly that
his Papacy, for some time now, has been precipitating towards painful failure.
Even the
historical leader of the Community of St. Egidio, Andrea Riccardi, for whom the
Vatican is a second home, published a book entitled: “The Church is burning: the crisis and future of Christianity”,
where he envisions an apocalyptic scenario: “the end of Catholicism” and “a
world without the Church”.
If you
consider how Bergoglio was acclaimed at the very beginning by the ecclesiastical
world (the dream was: a triumphant “Bergoglio effect” ) you can understand how intense
the disillusionment is today.
After these
past eight years – the Church – has not flourished, but appears annihilated. Religious life is in a comatose state. The
Church’s central government, in the Vatican, is in permanent chaos. Confusion, even doctrinal, reigns supreme in
the entire ecclesial community. The balance of Sunday Mass attendance is devastating
and vocations are now in free-fall (among other things, with the collapse of
sacramental marriages). The clergy and the bishops seem to have gone adrift.
Those who
thought that breaking with the great pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict
XVI would have assured a bright future, are today disproved. Those –like Bergoglio - perhaps with the best intentions – who were under the illusion that the Church,
by immerging itself in the world, could be invigorated, today are witnessing a
historical defeat.
On the other
hand, the sociologists of religion – like Rodney Stark – had demonstrated this
for years (after all, the Gospel says that if salt loses its flavor it becomes unusable).
Today the
voice of the Church cannot be distinguished from that of the United Nations. The voice of Peter does not counter the
dominant, secular, leftist ideologies; actually it is often in harmony with them - and - with such politicization – generates bewilderment
in the faithful and enthusiasm for the all-time enemies of the Church.
Apart from
rare interventions from Benedict XVI, you no longer hear a Catholic voice
directing believers and all peoples, in
continuity with the constant Magisterium
of the Church. Never has the Church been so conformist and so irrelevant in the
world on questions of enormous importance for all of mankind.
They have created
a “desert” and called it “revolution”. But every revolution devours its
children and now there has been a rupture between Bergoglio and his supporters.
The current
crisis might induce him into resigning (probably not) or carry on desperately, awaiting
the “tempest” announced by Melloni.
In
conclusion, there is a third possibility: Pope Francis could acknowledge that
the attempt to give a future to the Church by adapting it to a worldly
mentality has failed and the right road is that of John Paul II and Benedict
XVI. It seems impossibile - like
miracles. But they can happen.
Today great
courage is needed of course to recapture the heroic way of Popes Wojtyla and
Ratzinger, because this is a time of persecutions. Benedict XVI, in his last intervention,
affirmed that “the real threat to the Church, and thus for the Petrine Service,
comes from the universal dictatorship of ideologies apparently humanistic; contradicting
them involves exclusion by the basic consensus of society.”
Ratzinger listed
the dogmas of these ideologies, underlining that “today those who oppose them
are socially excommunicated…. Modern
society” he added “ intends formulating an anti-Christian credo: those who
contest it are punished by social excommunication. Being afraid of this spiritual power of the
Anti-Christ is all too natural.”
But Francis
(besides God) would have Benedict XVI at his side and all the remaining
faithful Catholics of the world - and
there are many. In this way the Church could truly help in the freeing and freedoms
of people.
Translation:
Contributor, Francesca Romana
