News Item: : Veritas!
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Saturday 01 September 2018 - 12:44:34

It is startling to compare the response of the mainstream media in the UK, and other places, to Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano's claims relating to Pope Francis, with the manner in which the media used to deal with Pope Benedict XVI.

For instance, whilst Pope Benedict actually made solid moves to drastically improve and toughen the Church's stance against sexual predators who had infiltrated the sacred priesthood, the mainstream media went to town on him whenever the problem of priestly sex abuse arose. Yet when it comes to Francis, who rehabilitated figures like the disgraced Mauro Inzoli - nicknamed ''Don Mercedes'' - and, allegedly, even Theodore McCarrick, the media gives him an easy pass. 

It is certainly remarkable that the mainstream media has even turned a blind eye this week to the more recent claims at LifeSiteNews, which suggested that Francis dismissed Cardinal Muller from the CDF, for actually following the toughened rules on abuse cases.

In short, if the kind of accusations being made by Vigano against Francis had been levelled at Benedict, he would have faced a massive media firestorm calling for his abdication.

However, what has instead been seen this week, in relation to Francis, is the construction of a media narrative which - whilst encouraging the rest of the world to go back to sleep over the issue, as though sexual predators in the Catholic priesthood no longer mattered one jot - tries to make it appear as though the whole Vigano affair is nothing more serious than a bunch of outdated - they say ''homophobic''- conservatives, who want to throw a spanner in the works of Francis' programme of ''liberalisation'' of the Catholic Church.

That this narrative has gained a certain hegemony, can be seen in the fact that most people in this media-saturated age have already forgotten the core issue: that of the predatory sex abuse carried out by Theodore McCarrick and what, and importantly, when Francis knew of all this; and whether and why Francis rehabilitated McCarrick from sanctions imposed by Benedict.

Toward the end of a BBC report, which itself has been sliding steadily down the main news items every day this week, one reads:

Francis did not reply to the cardinals' letter. Nor has he replied to Carlo Maria Vigano's accusations... The Pope has clearly decided that there is nothing to be gained by engaging in open battle with conservative critics.

Given the usual treatment by the mainstream media of all things Catholic, especially reigning pontiffs, and their historical use of crises in the Church to go on the offensive, it is truly remarkable to witness this kind of approach.

The more so, when one remembers Francis' massive airplane interview fail this week, when he refused to answer clear questions to the media. Had he handled this in a more honest-looking manner, instead of weirdly palming off his interlocutor, he could have cleared his name right there and then.

Were the media ever so generous to someone in that kind of compromised position?

It is also remarkable that the general mainstream media narrative dovetails so neatly with the messages of support being put out by various Bishops' Conferences, as well as such notable space cadets as Cupich with his unentered rabbit hole, which have been bleating unfailing support for Francis against those they suggest are trying to ''split the Church''...

None of this nonsense must be permitted to obscure the basic facts that have to be investigated in light of Vigano's claims; facts, indeed, which Vigano himself is consistently asking to be investigated and brought out into the light of truth.

The key facts include:-

1. Did Pope Benedict impose sanctions on Theodore McCarrick?

2. Did McCarrick and his fellow-travellers ignore those sanctions?

3. Did Francis lift those sanctions and rehabilitate McCarrick? 

4. Why?

5. Did Francis know, from at the very least 23rd June, 2013, that McCarrick was a serial sexual predator?

6. Was McCarrick a kingmaker to - in addition to Francis himself! - the likes of the Modernists Cupich and Tobin?

7. Will Francis honour his own demand for ''zero tolerance'' to be shown to sexual abusers and their enablers, by being transparent; and also by stepping down if found to be guilty of the accusations made by Vigano?

As this week has progressed, and the news has lurched from one dramatic bombshell to the next, the appearance of honesty and integrity in Vigano only looks to have increased.

Just witness the basic fact that, like some hero in an apocalyptic Michael O'Brien novel, Vigano has had to go into hiding to protect his own safety; whereas Wuerl has given every impression of fleeing to escape the arm of justice and the law!

Neither of those actions could be said to improve the impression of Francis' transparency in this issue.

All of this can be easily settled.

Let Vigano's claims thus be investigated.

In the end, the Truth will prevail.

CCC 2468: Truth as uprightness in human action and speech is called truthfulness, sincerity, or candour. Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and in guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy. 

Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom - Pray for us!

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This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.1769 )