Posted on 10/25/2013 9:58:11 AM PDT by ebb tide
The election of Pope Francis in March heralded a season of surprises for the Catholic Church, but perhaps none so unexpected – and unsettling for conservatives – as the re-emergence of the late Chicago Cardinal Joseph Bernardin as a model for the American Catholic future.
(Excerpt) Read more at religionnews.com ...
Basically, no quotations from Pope Francis regarding the Cardinal.
Just speculation that the “pastoral style of Pope Francis,” gives new legitimacy to Cardinal Bernardin...somehow.
In other words, lets just mix words like Francis, love for the poor, and Bernardin together and create an opinionated suffle.
Did you not read these quotes from churchmen:
“The point that (Bernardin’s) consistent ethic makes is exactly the same point that Pope Francis is making – let’s look at the whole picture and not just focus almost exclusively on three or so issues,” said Archbishop Michael Sheehan of Santa Fe, N.M., who had been close friends with Bernardin since the 1970s.
“I certainly think that if Cardinal Bernardin were alive he would be very pleased with what Pope Francis is saying and doing,” echoed Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza, retired archbishop of Galveston-Houston, whose 1998-2001 term as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was seen as one of the last in the mold of Bernardin.
Churchmen say a lot of things...I’m one myself, doesn’t add to charity or wisdom to speculate a 1 to 1 convergeance. You could say that Francis and Bernardine are the same because both have offered Mass in the person of Christ...ect.
Be careful in gossip assumptions. False narratives to project your opinions about someone, and casting them in a darker light are actually gravely sinful in this case.
Including a Pope who says atheists can go the Heaven without converting or who says youth unemployment and loneliness of the elderly are the two most serious evils in the world today.
Go tell it to your fellow churchmen, Bishops Sheehan and Fiorenza. They're the ones making the comparison between Pope Francis and Cardinal Bernadin.
Are the churchmen quoted in the article guilty of "gossip assumptions"? And are you implying that anyone who takes their words at face value is guilty of a mortal sin (which the term "gravely sinful" commonly denotes)? If so, seems extreme, particularly in light of the fact that these are public figures, and the only way to form any kind of opinion is via media reports.
You do know that most of that article is a slurry of the authors own opinion and conjecture. There are a few quotations of Church officials comparing some aspect of this or that of Bernardine’s work with that of Francis.
That does not place their teaching on equal ground or with equal opinions. Further, the Author sinfully drives a wedge between “Conservative” and “Liberal” camps, suggesting Francis is in one of these. That Francis Theology is one of liberal mindset and not conservative.
That is schismatic in tone, and seriously wrong. The devil is in the flimsy representation and treatment of the subject matters: The reputation of the Pope, the reputation of its Church, and that of a Cardinal.
Bermardin and Bernardin’s boys gave us all the sex abusers. This is not a good thing and I hope Pope Francis gets the message.
Pun of the day:
“Atheists have no prophet.”
Seems as though the author is simply acknowledging the conservative/liberal conflict that clearly exists and engaging in wishful thinking re Pope Francis. Whether or not he will find the Pope's approach gratifying, only time will tell.
The reputation of the Pope, the reputation of its Church, and that of a Cardinal.
The reputation of the Pope ultimately rests on his own leadership. Ditto the reputation of the cardinal in question (collaboration with pro-abort pols, Gay Mens Choir at his funeral, etc.).
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