Unfortunately RorateCaeli came up looking like a bunch of kooks and cranks yesterday. They are usually very good but they failed miserably in the prudence, charity and sound judgment departments yesterday. The orthodox Catholic world is going to be very pleasantly surprised by this Pope, even if he causes occasional consternation among the rad trads.
Even CFN's John Vennari is walking back his position from yesterday a bit (see area I bolded):
More on Pope Francis
14/03/13 12:07
2013 CFN Conclave Blog
By John Vennari
Today, March 14, is the first day under the reign of the new Pope. It is also a day when we continue to learn more about him.
Unlike Cardinal Ratzinger who was well known prior to his papal election, and who had a long paper-trail of speeches, documents, books and public activities, most people in the English-speaking world are not as familiar with Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis I.
Earlier I posted materials that spotlighted some of his disturbing practices in Argentina: participating in pan-Christian Pentecostal assemblies; celebrating Hanukkah with Jews; riotous stadium Masses more like a pop-rally circus than anything sacred.
Other aspects now surface that show another side of the man.
He appears to be devoted to Our Lady of Fatima, and according to a 30 Days interview, he prays 15 decades of the Rosary daily. I have it on good authority (not a rumor, but a letter he once sent to an acquaintance), that he personally practices the Five First Saturdays devotion.
This morning Pope Francis, quietly went to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the oldest church in the world dedicated to the Madonna, where he prayed before a famous icon of the Madonna called the Salus Populi Romani, or Protectress of the Roman People. He also visited the tomb of Pope St. Pius V.
In an earlier report I had said he would celebrate Mass at Saint Mary’s this morning. It appears I was operating on inaccurate information. He did not celebrate Mass, but only went to pray.
In the post-conciliar world, where the definition and practice of Catholicism encompasses a bizarre elasticity – a combination of both traditional practices and foreign elements always condemned by the Church – modern prelates tend to be mixed bags.
As time goes on, we will learn exactly what combination of elements make the man who is now Pope Francis.
He appears to be devoted to Our Lady of Fatima, and according to a 30 Days interview, he prays 15 decades of the Rosary daily. I have it on good authority (not a rumor, but a letter he once sent to an acquaintance), that he personally practices the Five First Saturdays devotion.
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And he was chosen to be Pope on the 13th day of the month.
;-)
Thank you, Brian, for posting the updated information. You wrote,
They are usually very good but they failed miserably in the prudence, charity and sound judgment departments yesterday. The beauty of the Catholic Church, as I see it, is its ability to accommodate the desire of Catholics to worship our Lord in a particular manner. This is a tremendous gift! It's a big church in which there are many chapels. We saw this evidenced over the past few days in the procession of cardinals into the conclave and at today's mass.
Bechara Boutros Cardinal Rai, (my) Patriarch of Antioch, for the Maronite Church
Baselios Cardinal Cleemis of the Syro-Malankar Church
Antonios Cardinal Naguib. While he was at the conclave, Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak was enthroned as patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church on March 12
George Cardinal Alencherry of the Syro-Malabar Church
There was another cardinal from the Greek Catholic Church but I can't recall his name. Each one was shown dignity and respect for their respective office.
While no one has so stated, I expect that these "traditionalist catholics" would prefer to see the entire Latin Church restored to the Traditional Latin Mass. I expect they would also like to see the pope don the papal tiara and be carried on a papal throne. I get the impression from their comments that they hold the Novus Ordo liturgy in contempt and feel the new pope should adopt the TLM as the form of liturgy he will celebrate.
Had an Eastern Cardinal been elected, I wonder how they would have reacted. In reading through some of the comments posted on that site, what upset me most were those directed at Cardinal Bergoglio's attendance at various non-Catholic worship services. Those comments stand in contrast to UNITATIS REDINTEGRATIO.
Would appreciate your comments. Thank you, Brian.