Ok, just ignore anything that comes out of Rome. I can do that.
It seems to me that it's non-Catholics who are claiming to be the victims here. On the one hand, you're outraged that the Pope claims to stand for the truth. How dictatorial, how arrogant. Yet you're also outraged that he doesn't enforce a unified line of academic thought. The institution the Pope heads, like any college of intellectuals, contains some mild (by European or Obama Administration standards) Lefty nuttiness. Christ Himself did His work happily surrounded by men who had a lot of mistaken opinions to start with, most of whom turned out all right. The Church has never been eager to yank up the tares and damage the wheat in the process.
You've had more than 2,000 years to get used to this idea, keep trying: The Pope is the Vicar of Christ. When he speaks on what really matters, which is faith and morals, he is authoritative and—Catholics believe—infallible. For the other stuff, you're on your own. I remind you that Christ Himself stayed out of policy questions ("Render unto Caesar . . .") I'm sure you can handle that.
I recognize the potentialfor becoming victims. Our Catholic FRfriends assure us the people behind this are a tiny group of radical nuts. Ok, I am reassured. But a nasty, virulent idea IS moving around the halls of the Vatican. If, God forbid, it was embraced and the great influence of the Vatican thrown placed behind it, it would be very very bad.
I recognize the potential for becoming victims. Our Catholic FRfriends assure us the people behind this are a tiny group of radical nuts. Ok, I am reassured.
But a nasty, virulent idea IS moving around the halls of the Vatican. If, God forbid, it was embraced and the great influence of the Vatican thrown placed behind it, it would be very very bad.