Posted on 01/15/2023 2:49:40 PM PST by ebb tide
A secret memo that called Pope Francis's papacy a "disaster" and a "catastrophe" was confirmed to have been written by the late Cardinal George Pell, who died on Tuesday.
Pell, 81, who served as Francis's first finance minister from 2014 to 2017, wrote a memo that was published under the pseudonym "Demos” in the Vatican journalism blog Settimo Cielo that accused Francis of being silent on controversial topics in Catholicism, including communion for the divorced, female priests, and the German Catholic Church's approach toward the LGBT community.
“Commentators of every school, if for different reasons … agree that this pontificate is a disaster in many or most respects; a catastrophe,” the cardinal wrote last spring, according to Reuters. "Decisions and policies are often 'politically correct,' but there have been grave failures to support human rights in Venezuela, Hong Kong, mainland China, and now in the Russian invasion. These issues should be revisited by the next Pope."
The publisher of the blog confirmed that Pell was the author, a surprise given his former relationship with Francis.
The memo added that "Christ was being moved from the center" under Francis and that the Christ-centric legacy of Pope St. John Paul II was under attack. It also condemns Francis for his "weakened" preaching and a supposed lack of respect for the law.
"The political influence of Pope Francis and the Vatican is negligible. Intellectually, Papal writings demonstrate a decline from the standard of St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict," Pell said.
Pell also allegedly wrote an opinion piece for the Spectator, a conservative-leaning British magazine, in his final days, which also condemned Francis for his silence on issues such as the church's teaching on sexuality and the role of women in the church, according to the Associated Press.
The late cardinal died in Rome on Tuesday from heart complications following hip surgery. Pell was in Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on New Year's Eve, nearly 10 years after he became the first pope to abdicate in centuries.
Pell was convicted of molesting two boys in 2017 while he was the archbishop of Melbourne, Australia, but his conviction was overturned in 2020 after he served 404 days in jail.
A funeral Mass for Pell will take place at St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday. Pope Francis will deliver the final send-off, but the service itself will be overseen by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who is the dean of the college of cardinals, the Vatican said.
Ping
shoulda been Pope...
Do you wonder why Pell is “late”?
Indeed, absolutely correct. That is why our Lord Jesus Christ cared not for this world, and political correctness and cultural relativism are so damaging to our salvation as Christians.
Already posted a few days ago.
“Intellectually, Papal writings demonstrate a decline from the standard of St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict,” Pell said. “
Basically, what they have now is a smiling clown that submits to pop culture.
He definitely wins the popularity contest.
No it wasn’t. Not this particular article.
Yes. A Catholic friend is convinced that JP2 wouldn’t tackle the hydra of Vatican corruption as he did not want to follow in JP1’s footsteps.
The current Pope is a disaster.
They are all going to the same place in the end. Bishops, fathers, cardinals, popes.
Only God is omniscient. Stop playing like you're Him. You'll regret it otherwise.
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