Posted on 12/03/2004 5:30:17 PM PST by Land of the Irish
A Comment on Campos from David Allen White Ph.D.
Author of The Mouth of the Lion
In the late 1980s, Bishop Antonio de Castro Mayer of the diocese of Campos, Brazil, realized that his days with his flock were drawing to a close. Pope John Paul II had forced him into retirement when the Bishop had reached the age of 75, but he had remained a strong and guiding presence as Rome's newly appointed Bishop, Carlos Navarro, sought to stamp out the Tridentine Mass, and thus the Catholic Faith, in the diocese. Bishop de Castro Mayer made arrangements with Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre to ensure the continuation of the Traditional Catholic faith in Campos. A Traditional Bishop would be consecrated for the diocese; the good shepherd would go to his grave knowing his flock, whom he loved, would be protected from the wolves in today's Rome.
Everyone in the diocese assumed the new Bishop would be Father Fernando Rifan, the most visible and the most popular priest in the diocese. When Bishop de Castro Mayer made his choice known, he designated that the honor and the burden of the episcopacy should fall on Msgr. Licinio Rangel, the director of the seminary in Campos. Surprised but submissive, the diocesan priests and the faithful accepted the judgment of their saintly shepherd. Now the reason for this surprising decision comes clear.
This choice came from the Holy Ghost working through the graces received by Bishop de Castro Mayer in his episcopal consecration. Fernando Rifan could not be trusted to maintain the Traditional Catholic faith whole and undefiled. When Rome sent Bishop Joao Corso to Campos to replace Bishop Navarro, the new Bishop suggested that talks begin between the "two churches" in Campos. When asked by then Father Rifan if he believed in the doctrinal ideas set forward in Pascendi, Quanta Cura and the Syllabus of Errors, Bishop Corso announced that he held as valid everything expressed in those documents, but that he also believed in the ideas put forward in the documents of Vatican II. Such anti-Aristotelian chop logic caused Father Rifan to respond that no serious discussions seemed possible at that time. He has now apparently "evolved" to a higher vision where such contradictions no longer trouble him. Such are the gifts not of the Holy Ghost, but of High Ambition.
Beware of the Konciliar Kool-Aid.
Ping
"The floor of hell is lined with the skulls of bishops."
With so many, so actively jockeying for a choice location, for so, so, long, Rifan seems to be making up for lost time.
Firstly, he says that Bishop de Castro Mayer choose Msgr. Licinio Rangel to succeed him over (then) Father Rifan, although the latter was more known and expected. However, the priests of Campos came to agreement with Rome under Bishop Rangel reign (although Rifan did much of the leg work) - an agreement that Dr. White condemned at the time. Does this argument really stand up?
Secondly, at the end, he said that Rifan could not accept the logic of the newly installed Ordinary of the diocese, but later has seemingly accepted these contradictions. However, if he was so uncompromising then, why did Bishop de Castro Mayer think he was so unsuitable?
Anyone able to enlighen me?
"Fernando Rifan could not be trusted to maintain the Traditional Catholic faith whole and undefiled."
Sad, but true.
Who knows what utterly novel nonsense he'll be concelebrating next?
Good questions. I can't quite follow Dr. White's logic either.
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