Nut case McBrien is at it again

The nutty professor is jumping for joy at the media attacks against the pope and here is his "scholarly" work on the effects of the scandal to the reforms of Benedict XVI.  This was published in Newstweak er...Newsweak er...Newsweek.

WARNING:  Prepare to lose your breakfast, lunch and dinner!  A barf bag is advised.  Advil for those with chronic tension headaches or migraine.

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The child sex-abuse scandal in the Catholic priesthood [is it only in the Catholic priesthood?  some scholar this guy is!] —and the worldwide cover-up that seems, at least indirectly, to have involved Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger [slick play of words.] before he was elevated to the papacy—has embarrassed the Catholic Church and angered parishioners. It's a good bet Pope Benedict XVI won't resign under pressure; [hell yeah!] it's not his style [since when did you know his style?] and, more importantly, nobody can compel him. But that doesn't mean the scandal will simply go away. Benedict brought a clearly conservative moral agenda to the Vatican, [which you do not like!] and he has gone about implementing it slowly. Yet until he comes clean on what he knew—and fires bishops who mishandled abuse cases—his changes are likely to stall or fail altogether. [Doomsday prophet!]


The pope's ideas about the church [It is not his alone but a sound teaching that is faithful to Tradition and not the swivel chair theology the likes of you and Hans Kung love to spread!  Filth!] include his belief that interpreters of Vatican II overly weakened the church's teachings on salvation outside the church (that is, they relaxed the message that only Catholic dogma can lead to salvation), [NO!  It was those who interpreted Vatican II!] ecumenical relations with other Christian communities, abortion, homosexuality, and contraception, for example. [and you expect the Church and the Pope to go lenient on these teachings? Duh!] There is already an air of widespread indifference, if not outright opposition, [which you and your lot alone whine!] to some of Benedict's objections, such as those related to human sexuality and reproduction. [barf!]

But the pope's minority agenda [MINORITY?!  HA!] is avidly supported by various high-ranking officials in the Curia Romana (the papal "cabinet"), many cardinals and bishops around the world, and a number of conservative organizations like Opus Dei and the Legionaries of Christ. [So being right is a numbers game, eh?  It is soooo Obama.] With Benedict at the helm, this group—many of whom implicitly regard the Second Vatican Council's reforms of the liturgy and the way authority is exercised in the church, from the bottom up rather than the top down, as a serious mistake and hope to repeal them—obviously has much greater clout than it otherwise would have.  Through the pope's forceful personality [forceful?!  This guy is really a classic!  My spiritual director was close to Cardinal Ratzinger back when he was still actively involved in the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and he said that Cardinal Ratzinger is one of the gentlest beings you'll ever meet in the planet!]  and the adroit control of the Vatican's administrative machinery, [because he is more of a hands-on administrator unlike Pope John Paul II who travels a lot and thus less time in the Vatican.] Benedict has made headway in his rollback, especially in the appointment and promotion of like-minded bishops and curial officials, in his efforts to reverse some of the changes made at the 1965 council. [Sooo.  McBrien is feeling the crunch.  No wonder he is very afraid.  His lot is dying.  He has the same feelings as the nutty liturgist of the Philippines!  HAH!]

Now, though, the pope's moral authority is very much in doubt. [You alone doubt it.  Not me and not most of the Catholics around the world!] Especially if additional cases surface, his teaching on moral matters will hold much less sway among ordinary Catholics. [*barf*] The indifference to his agenda would probably expand into outright rejection. [You do not need the sex abuse scandal McBrien to feel this way.] And Benedict would likely be less able to draft undecided Catholics to his side, except perhaps the most conservative. [Most of the undecided Catholics already made their decision.  So stop insinuating.]

Damage to Pope Benedict XVI's moral authority would also probably affect his capacity to impose his conservative liturgical initiatives on the worldwide Church. [Bingo!  There is the heart of it all!  He hates the liturgical reforms.  So here is McBrien's equation.  Pope Benedict loses credibility because of the sex abuse scandal...Conservative teachings on morality, theology and liturgy also follow.  Wow!  That is something for NASA!] Vatican II and the late Pope Paul VI were adamantly opposed to having two liturgical rites, [NO! NO! NO!  I challenge you Richard McBrien to show me proof that that is so!  There is no such thing!  Paul VI nor even Vatican 2 abrogated the ancient liturgical rites!  Never!] functioning side-by-side in the Roman Catholic Church—one in the vernacular for the majority of Catholics, and one still in Latin for a deeply conservative minority. [minority...see the numbers game?  He likes to paint the picture of us who are attached to the ancient rite as somewhat "abnormal"]  The Vatican II's reforms also led to the turning around of the altar in order to enhance what the council and Paul VI called "the active participation" of the laity in the church's main act of worship. [So you see the priest smiling back at you at the other side of the table (that's what they call them!) and the laity has participated actively?!  I do not have a degree in theology but this guy really makes you wonder if he is a theologian or even a Catholic!] But to Bendict, [sic.  He cannot even spell the name of the pope!] these are anathema, [he did not say so but I think the pope would love the term.] and he had hoped to turn the alter [sic..again] back away from the congregation, encourage the celebration of mass in Latin, promote eucharistic adoration (a devotion outside of mass that focuses one's attention and prayer on the consecrated Host), [McBrien stupidly wrote against Eucharistic Adoration and the great Fr. Z wrote a great defense of this devotion showing how an idiot this old guy is.] and support new and controversial translations of the texts for the mass and the other sacraments that many find overly literal and stilted. [which liberals and nutcases like McBrien hate.]

Each of these changes—they are often referred to as a "reform of the reform" by church insiders—requires political capital and widespread respect, even if it comes grudgingly. [well respect will never come from your lot especially since it threatens your life's work!] Yet with every day and every revelation, the pope has suffered a little more injury, and the collateral damage is a proportionate injury to his agenda. [really?] And with that would follow the sinking fortunes of the conservative Catholic minority, [you are the one who is already down there!] in the curia and beyond, who would like nothing better than the effective repeal of Vatican II. [unlikely but oh yeah!  you got that right!]

In the Catholic Church, conservatives have been riding high since 1978, when Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope John Paul II. [Now why would conservatives are riding high?  Because the Holy Spirit guides the Church and protects Her from harm and that is the reason why Benedict is pope and you are slowly losing your job!] Five years ago, with the election of Benedict XVI, [which is a grace from God!] their power was reaffirmed, and conservatives have benefited, [so you see the Church as a mere political institution and not something that Christ Himself protects and you call yourself a theologian.] as noted above, from appointments to crucial posts and bishoprics. Now, with sexual-abuse scandals reaching the very highest office, [oh McBrien is jumping up in the air!] their control is suddenly in jeopardy. [really?  I doubt it.] If Benedict does not find a way to put down the controversy, their power will finally begin to ebb. [May the Lord find a way to...]

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In ancient Sparta, the one that makes the most noise wins his case.  Not because he talks sense, but that he makes a lot of noise.

This poor guy has been making a lot of noise, spreading filth for a number of years, the word amnesty would not be fair game for him.  He is obstinate and I only pray and hope that he retires silently, stops talking against the Church and stops writing.  I hope he just spends his retirement in prayer and penance.

Yeah, he has been making a lot of noise along with his friends at the New York Slime, Newstweak...but it does not mean that they won the case.

We are not in ancient Sparta.