News Item: : Ninety and Not Out?
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Tuesday 02 May 2017 - 13:20:40

Benedict partakes of some Bavarian refreshment, whilst the ever-present Georg Ganswein looks closely on. Prost mein Kapitan! 

Having already asked some rather controversial questions about Archbishop Georg Ganswein's interventions on all things Benedict, I decided to leave the subject well alone during the self-declared Emeritus' recent 90th birthday celebrations in the Vatican gardens.

I was interested to read, however, that Archbishop Ganswein had given a further interview, this time to La Repubblica; during which he had, for the umpteenth time, made the well-worn assertion that Benedict was both ''serene'' and ''peaceful'' in his retirement.

In the days that followed, I was also intrigued to read the critiques of this latest Ganswein intervention that had been so carefully articulated by those meticulous thinkers, Christopher Ferrara and Louie Verrecchio.

Both of these deep thinkers noted the absurdity of Ganswein's claim that Benedict felt himself to be ''far away'' from the controversies surrounding Amoris Laetitia.

Mr. Verrecchio astutely observed that the only people that could feel distant from such havoc would have to be those outside the Church, the invincibly ignorant, or those who were so self-absorbed as to be utterly ambivalent. To these options, Verrecchio added, and made the argument for, Benedict being beyond any of these categories as one who, instead, feels himself afraid to speak out.

Whatever the validity of this argument might ultimately prove to be, it is easy enough to find sympathy with Verrecchio's concluding refusal to buy into Ganswein's claims that Pope Benedict is now typically characterised by a ''touching peace'' in relation to all the turmoil in the Church.

Again, Christopher Ferrara provides an insightful analysis of the whole situation of Benedict's abdication and Ganswein's latest claims of papal serenity in that La Repubblica interview.

Mr. Ferrara concludes: ''I'm not buying it. Something very fishy is going on with these repeated declarations of what Benedict thinks and feels while Benedict himself never speaks directly to the public. I detect the same fishy smell surrounding the whole event of Benedict's abdication. Or rather, the smell of sulfur.''

Given that some folks likely think I have recently descended into the tin-foil-hat-wearing behaviour of the conspiracy theorist with my earlier Ganswein articles, I had originally decided to silently reflect on all of these matters without further comment. Still, it was nice to know that such famous figures as Ferrara and Verrecchio were now making similar sounds in public.

However, a few things occurred which led me to move beyond this ''silently contemplative Vatican Garden'' approach.

The first was Sunday's celebration of what has come to be termed by many as ''Good Shepherd Sunday'' in the Traditional Calendar. Reflecting on that day's Missal readings, which contrasted the Good Shepherd with the Hireling, brought all of these matters and their associated questions back to the forefront once more.

The second influence was related to my reflecting on the matters raised in my critique, which was posted up here yesterday, of L'Osservatore Romano's strange celebration of the Communist intellectual, Antonio Gramsci.

The third thing I did was to more deeply study the videos that had been released by Radio Vaticana, in celebration of Pope Benedict's 90th birthday. At such times, it can be helpful to watch the clips a few times on full-screen, in slow-motion and with the sound turned off. Oh, and to always attend more to what is happening in the background than in the foreground...

Now, when this footage was first released, together with some uplifting video clips in the mainstream media, I was happy to hear Pope Benedict talking about the things of God in such a gentle, yet clear and articulate way, to ordinary-looking folks wearing traditional costumes from his home region in Bavaria.

I happily agreed with the good Frank Walker of Canon 212, when he made his on-line comment that, when we finally did get to hear something from Pope Benedict, he at least sounded like a Catholic Pope. How refreshing that was after four years...

Anyway, I played that film-clip over again in a more studied manner recently. And I have to say that what I observed raised some more questions for me.

Let's consider these now, by way of a short pictographic essay.

In this clip, Archbishop Ganswein demonstrates how slick he is as an administrator/choreographer at public events.

Whilst chatting amicably with Benedict and his guests, the Archbishop slickly and unobstrusively manages to insert his hand to remove the written communication that is being handed to Benedict.

There is nothing immediately unusual in this scene.

Even after 15 years, I seem to recall the ushers at our wedding operating in such a quietly efficient way to receive cards and gifts from our guests; in a way which allowed us to keep our hands free and unencumbered, until we had time to peruse these in a more relaxed manner later on.

The next image seems to dispel any fears that Benedict is under any kind of pressure. There is even a pleasant moment where he seems to mischievously crack a witty joke, to the animated amusement of Ganswein and his guest.

This jolly moment permits Ganswein to exit unnoticed into the background with the envelope in his hand. As I say, there is nothing really unusual there for anyone who has observed wedding couples, politicians, or even supreme pontiffs, receiving guests and their letters or gifts.

Where things get a little more intriguing, and perhaps a little less slick for Archbishop Ganswein, is during the outdoor footage wherein Benedict shares some German beer, receives a line of guests and listens to a little folk music, before imparting his final blessing.

And so, while Benedict's elderly priest brother relaxes nearby, we see close up images of Benedict chatting happily to a nice old chap, who is at the head of a line of blokes all similarly attired in traditional Germanic costumes...

... And then the Bavarian chap offers Benedict a written communication.

Whilst the man explains something about it, Benedict receives it calmly and looks down at it with both attention and interest.

At this point, even as Benedict and the other man chat happily, a determined looking Archbishop Ganswein suddenly appears at the right, from behind the Bavarian chap.

... And in a rather less slick manner than that which was pictured above, he firmly thrusts in his right hand to intercept the written communication.

...Moving in closer for the grab...

If we zoom in here, we can see just how intrusive this manoeuvre really is!

If you or I were giving a card or letter over to an elderly gentleman, perhaps a beloved relative, at a birthday party, what would we think of a relative, family member, or even an MC/usher who acted in this overtly pushy, and even rather controlling, manner?

Seems a trifle odd, doesn't it?

... And the hand opens for the take...

... I'll take that for you, sir!

I thought it worth taking a moment at that point, to zoom in on Ganswein himself to see whether his expression demonstrated that this was just another bit of smoothly executed administration, to avoid Benedict being cluttered up with paperwork.

I know Ganswein is a busy man, and that he must have had a thousand and one things to attend to that day, but is it just me, or does his face display a look that seems just a little too determined there?

Anyway, whatever we make of that, his brisk intervention brings to a conclusion the brief exchange between Benedict and this Bavarian chap...

We don't actually get to see Ganswein grip the letter, because this gent seems to take the hint and be soon on his way...

In this next image, Ganswein's now customary ''diamond'' hand gesture can be seen at left, whilst his shadow falls on the guest next to the shaded Benedict.

Anyone who watches the full 4:14 of this film on-line will see from this sequence just how much of an in-control choreographer Archbishop Ganswein really is, when it comes to the smooth running of these events surrounding Benedict. His gestures and interactions in the final sequences are particularly instructive.

Anyway, allowing that this could all be the wildest of notions, yet also aware that Ferrara and Verrecchio's considerations cannot be so easily dismissed without burying one's head in the sand, I will conclude with the following picture and some associated questions.

1). As I asked above, what would any of us think, and how would we feel, if we were to observe this kind of brusque intervention at a relative or good friend's party?

2). Mightn't we think it a little heavy-handed?

3). Would we perhaps think the card/letter could have been gathered a little later, in a far less intrusive manner?

4). Wouldn't we wonder why the person was so keen to get their hands on the letter?

5). And, is it just me, or does Archbishop Ganswein seem a little too resolved in that last picture?

I must say that, though his eyes do appear benevolent, he sure looks like one determined puppy to me!

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This news item is from Torch of The Faith
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