All this, while Francis dismantles his legacy --- the legacy Benedict created shoulder to shoulder with JP the Great! Veritatis Splendor, Familiaris Consortio and the Catechism, dipped in solvent and dissolving before our eyes.
And Fr. Ganswein's hypothesis about Francis and Benedict having a "shared Petrine ministry" --- with two men being called Holy Father, two men wearing the papal vestments, two men making the Vatican their home --- how do you parse that, canonically, let alone theologically?
And now Francis is poised to canonize Paul 6, while gearing up the equivocation machine to blenderize Humanae Vitae!
What you say is true, but the mistake people make is putting all these facts together, adding generalized ideas like “NWO” and stringing them into a big conspiracy theory. It always seems like an evil plot in retrospect.
one assumption that’s false is Bergoglio replacing Benedict like some well-manuevered secret machine. First, it was not a Jesuit scheme. Bergoglio was considered sort of a bumbling goof in the Order until JP made him Cardinal, and the Jesuits did not dream of one of their own becoming pope. The small group that came up with idea to elect Bergoglio were non-religious, older, liberal Cardinals.
When we are 90 it may seem completely reasonable and even advisable to retire! Benedict has a great theological mind (many say the greatest in a century) and the “work” he does besides prayer is almost always connected to papers, scholars, students, Schulkreis, Balthasar Institute, etc.
That is perfectly normal and fitting for him, probably seemed very wise way to help the Church in his old age. This idea people have of him chained in a dungeon against his will is absurd!
The best way to have peace of mind about Benedict’s decision is accept his explanation at face value. He was not “forced out” by internal people. If he did feel any pressure, other than age, to give up the active papacy, it was for the good of the Church due to international situations. Since none of us can possibly confirm all those details, isn’t wise to trust Benedict?
Hard to believe though it may be, we may be better off due to Benedict’s agonizing choice. He did not anticipate Bergoglio, it was not decided until the Conclave (although obviously plans to get his “type” on the Throne were gaining ground for years).
Benedict did not retire to give us Bergoglio, that was outcome of hundreds of factors (many not even on a blog)! Maybe after a century of brilliant popes, we got a regular guy, due to God’s plan, and suddenly we are stunned by some precarious directions of the hierarchy. I knew a priest who said, “Only the laity can save the Church.” We must not let Bergoglio get us down, he is not nearly as big as he seems.