Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 3:14pm

PopeWatch: Norberto Cardinal Rivera Carrera

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The primate of Mexico, known for his orthodoxy, is rejecting some criticism of Mexican bishops made by Pope Francis during his recent visit:

 

When Pope Francis visited Mexico last month, he was welcomed by huge, cheering crowds.

But it turns out not everyone was so happy with the pontiff’s visit — namely, his host for the nearly weeklong trip, the Archdiocese of Mexico City, headed by Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera.

In an unusual critique, the archdiocesan weekly on Sunday (March 6) published an editorial that sharply rejects statements Francis made in a blunt speech to the country’s bishops in which the pope told them, “We do not need ‘princes,’ but rather a community of the Lord’s witnesses.”

In off-the-cuff remarks, Francis also told the Mexican prelates not to argue behind each other’s backs but “as men, face to face.” In his prepared text he told them to “overcome the temptation of aloofness … and clericalism, of coldness and indifference, of triumphalism and self-centeredness.”

The archdiocesan editorial rejected those exhortations and said Francis either did not know the Mexican hierarchy or was misinformed.

“The Mexican bishops have been accompanying the suffering, downtrodden people, devoting their lives to others and not living like ‘princes,’” the editorial said, according to The Associated Press.

“Does the pope have some reason to scold the Mexican bishops?” the editorial continued. It went on to boast that the Mexican church is in fact stronger than those in other Latin American countries and is more forceful in resisting the growth of Protestant and Pentecostal churches that are having great successes elsewhere.

Go here to read the rest.  I imagine, behind the scenes, many cardinals and bishops are silently happy that someone in the hierarchy finally had the guts to stand up to ill advised comments by the Pope.  Let us hope it starts a trend.

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Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Wednesday, March 9, AD 2016 8:27am

This Argentinian Marxist Peronist Pope is like all other liberal progressives: he is the only one in authority not acting as a prince. He is the only one who truly cares for the poor and down-trodden.
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This man needs to spend a month or two without any electricity, clean running water, toilet or fresh food. He needs to learn what it means to be poor and down trodden. He needs the truth shoved right into his arrogant face. He needs to personally experience it first hand.

Don L
Don L
Wednesday, March 9, AD 2016 10:46am

“(Mexico)…is more forceful in resisting the growth of Protestant and Pentecostal churches that are having great successes elsewhere.”

He might well have added that the protestant successes came as a result of Marxist Liberation Theology minded Jesuits are much of the reason behind the corruption and decline in Latin American Catholicism–including Argentina.

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Wednesday, March 9, AD 2016 12:27pm

“We do not need ‘Princes’…”
This recalls a rather charming anecdote told me in the 1960s, in the aftermath of VII.
It seems that the German Bishops’ Conference discussed a proposal to abandon titles such as “Your Grace” and “Your Excellency,” in favour of “Father.”
The Archbishop of Cologne was heard to remark, “I’m still trying to stop people calling me Herr Kurfürst!” [Prince Elector]

Penguin Fan
Penguin Fan
Wednesday, March 9, AD 2016 3:16pm

This Roman Pontiff has a habit of being annoying.
I sincerely hope he tries to lecture the Polish government to take in Muslims when he is in Krakow for World Youth Day.
Maybe he will lecture Poland on the virtues of government-planned economies.

.Anzlyne
.Anzlyne
Wednesday, March 9, AD 2016 6:49pm

The primate of Mexico…… known for his orthodoxy….
Orthodoxy is what the pope attacks– if he was lefter like some other “princes” around the world, he and his men would not have been called down.

Penguins Fan
Penguins Fan
Wednesday, March 9, AD 2016 6:52pm

Oh, forgot to mention…..
The Roman Pontiff’s favorite Latin American cardinal, Rodriguez Maradiaga, has lost half of Honduras to Protestantism.

In the business world, that would get you ****-canned and rightfully so – losing half your customer base to a competitor.

Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Thursday, March 10, AD 2016 3:21am

Hopefully this action will encourage other Cardinals and Bishops to stand up for Christ and his teachings and those that support them.

tom s
tom s
Thursday, March 10, AD 2016 6:36pm

Perhaps it’s too “efficient” and “American” and doesn’t leave much room for the Holy Spirit, but I’ve always been a bit befuddled that picking a pope isn’t a bit like how you use the US states as a lab for what works: in other words, if Wisconsin has a great health care system, then you adopt in nationally. In my analogy, you’d pick a pope who had success as a bishop or cardinal in his country, success with our arguaby greatest need: converts to the Faith. And I never got the feeling Argentina was a hotbed of Catholic converts…

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