Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

I was out of town for a few days but had been covering Benedict's debacle as closely as I could. In my weaker moments, I feel something akin to pity for the man, and then I snap back to reality. The truth is, Ratzinger's betrayal of the revolutionaries--co-conspirators during the heady days of the 1950s and 1960s--at the Council has finally caught up to him. During the last 10 days, he has been condemned publicly by self-appointed Jewish watchdog groups and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel over the Bishop Williamson issue, and by the spokesman of a priests organization in northern Bavaria over Benedict's appointment of a conservative bishop there.

The Vatican could have used these incidents as a major teaching opportunity. Instead, the world sees a weak pope and Curia. And indeed yesterday it was announced that Bishop Williamson must recant his beliefs in order to be accepted back into the Church. For good measure, Vatican II as a non-negotiable repository of "truth" has been rubbed in the face of the SSPX.

Welcome to Rome.

I have been suspicious of this rapprochement and it appears more and more clear that this is a major mistake.

What the Jews accomplished in bullying Benedict into changing an ancient, beautiful prayer in the Good Friday service, is now flying head-long to its logical, lethal solution: Namely, changing anything in the Church that they do not like. Just to be clear here, "they" refers to anyone whose antipathy towards the Church is so great that it becomes their life's work to rid the Church of anything that makes them uncomfortable, squeamish, or otherwise account for their behavior and beliefs. Pagans, pseudo-Christians and Jews all play a part in this. Thus a bishop is judged by Rome (after consultation with "concerned" Jewish groups) to be disobedient, a rogue priest essentially. Meanwhile the millions of priests and educators who knowingly teach error under the auspices of Catholic diocese, schools and hospitals are left to poison the well.

And all the while, I keep asking myself: What is the penalty for denying Christ?

R. Catesby