Go here to read the interview.
The story is told that Perón, in his days of glory, once proposed to induct a nephew in the mysteries of politics. He first brought the young man with him when he received a deputation of communists; after hearing their views, he told them, “You’re quite right.” The next day he received a deputation of fascists and replied again to their arguments, “You’re quite right.” Then he asked his nephew what he thought and the young man said, “You’ve spoken with two groups with diametrically opposite opinions and you told them both that you agreed with them. This is completely unacceptable.” Perón replied, “You’re quite right too.” An anecdote like this is an illustration of why no-one can be expected to assess Pope Francis unless he understands the tradition of Argentinian politics, a phenomenon outside the rest of the world’s experience; the Church has been taken by surprise by Francis because it has not had the key to him: he is Juan Perón in ecclesiastical translation. Those who seek to interpret him otherwise are missing the only relevant criterion.
Henry Sire, The Dictator Pope
Bergoglio is like Peron in his janus-faced qualities, economic illiteracy, and self-aggrandizing behavior. However, Peron and his wife were able to generate such ruin because they had a charismatic quality and organizational skills. Peron’s been dead for nearly 50 years and his wife for over 70, but 117 of the 257 seats in Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies are currently held by members of political parties which claim descent from or inspiration from Peron. Francis doesn’t have that sort of rapport with pewsitting Catholics. The only people who profess to admire the man are all on the payroll somewhere.
Art- Thankfully, he lacks the charisma of a Peron. It hopefully means that “Bergolistas” will not persist far into the Church’s future. Yes, you have many bad eggs that he has raised up, but there is no groundswell of imitators. Thank God.
i wish I could agree, but it’s not correct. The pontiff has the instinctive loyalty of hundreds of millions of Catholics. They do not watch the papal office as closely as his critics and fanbois do. The habit of rallying around the office–pope knows best–is truly his greatest asset.
The pontiff has the instinctive loyalty of hundreds of millions of Catholics.
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That may be true abroad. In the parishes I’m familiar with, after about one year he was the object of silence on the part of clergy and pewsitters alike. The last time I encountered someone in meatspace uttering a complimentary word about the man was around about 2014. The priests just pretend he isn’t there.
Art- count yourself blessed for the omission of the Argentine Adventurer.
We get a quote about once a month or so…
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The modern Church looks like the Parable of the Dishonest Manager. The dishonest manager fixed the debtors tickets. Pretty much bribery to ingratiate himself with the debtors. The Bible has passages that take a dim view of bribes. In the modern Church fixing sinners tickets appears to be easier and more popular than fixing sinners. The sex act can be a very potent source of self-bribery.