PopeWatch has long believed that the key to understanding Pope Francis is his life in Argentina, and, above all, this event:
A titanic struggle for the soul of Catholicism ensued. Bergoglio had strong support within the Jesuits when he became provincial superior in 1973. But by the time he ended his leadership role as rector of Buenos Aires’s Jesuit seminary in 1986, those who loathed him had begun to outnumber those who loved him. By 1990, his support within the order had been eroded by his authoritarian style and his incorrigible inability, in the words of the Jesuit, Father Frank Brennan, “to let go the reins of office once a [Jesuit] provincial of a different hue was in the saddle.” Another senior Jesuit told me: “He drove people really crazy with his insistence that only he knew the right way to do things. Finally the other Jesuits said: ‘Enough.’”
Go here to read the rest. Now the usual view of this is that Pope Francis learned from this experience and became humble. Utter rubbish! What Pope Francis learned from this is that the left is stronger than the right in internal Church struggles, and from then on he was going to ally himself with the left. His view that it is his way or the highway as a young man remains the exact mode of operation of his Papacy,
“He drove people really crazy with his insistence that only he knew the right way to do things. Finally the other Jesuits said: ‘Enough.’”
If my own experience is any guide, the propensity of management to push that line is inversely proportional to the actual skills possessed.
“His view that it is his way or the highway as a young man remains the exact mode of operation of his Papacy.”
Wait till the Lord Jesus Christ deposes him and one day He shall. This dictatorial Latin American Peronist will have much to answer for.
“What Pope Francis learned from this is that the left is stronger than the right in internal Church struggles, and from then on he was going to ally himself with the left.”
Looks like practically every bishop learned that same lesson and took it to heart. As I have said before, Pope Francis is not as much the cause of the leftward lurch in the Church’s power base, but the product of it.
Practically every bishop in the west that is.
John Paul II did not learn this lesson and neither did Pope Benedict. Pope Francis is most definitely the cause of the leftward lurch in the Church as we will see after his successor takes office.
Well, Donald, JPIi and Benedict XVI did unwittingly set the table for much of what we are seeing now. In the case of JPII, in the latter part of his pontificate took positions on issues like capital punishment in a manner that an honest critique would demand to regarded as irresponsible. As for B16, although he didn’t enshrine his views on the “climate change” hoax in an encyclical, he was clearly in the Al Gore like camp on that issue. And the bishops they picked are clearly leftist, even the orthodox ones. Unless Church teaching explicitly forbids it, these bishops are not only leftist, but hard left. And judging from the tone of their statements, they are more concerned about “social justice” than they are anything else.
Against this backdrop, it was only a matter of time that someone like Bergoglio got elected.
Pope John Paul II also helped to bring down Communism in Eastern Europe, chastised the Sandinistas to their face and was a champion of orthodoxy. Likewise Pope Benedict was a champion of orthodoxy, was alarmed by the threats to religious freedom in the US from the Obama administration and fought the normalization of homosexuality. Compared to Francis, either one was Reagan in a cassock.
Of course, I am not denying the good these popes did. In fact, I think especially JPII was a great pope. But in some areas, he did things that were harmful.
Unfortunately, I think JPII would handled the Muslim refugee issue in a similar manner as Francis is. And given the fact JPII was a Pole, that would have put both the Polish government and the Polish bishops in a bad position because they take a very politically incorrect, but correct, position on that issue. That’s why Poland doesn’t have a problem with Islamic terrorism.
And yes, compared to Pope Francis, they were Reagan in a cassock. But considered who Pope Francis is, that in itself isn’t really saying much, is it?
Unfortunately, I think JPII would handled the Muslim refugee issue in a similar manner as Francis is.
Not so sure about that:
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/messages/migration/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_25071995_undocumented_migrants.html
“When no solution is foreseen, these same institutions should direct those they are helping, perhaps also providing them with material assistance, either to seek acceptance in other countries, or to return to their own country.”
“He drove people really crazy with his insistence that only he knew the right way to do things. Finally the other Jesuits said: ‘Enough.’”
Let us hope the Cardinals will soon say that they too have had “Enough”.