. . . or offending bishops.

In a statement Nov. 23, Papal spokesman Greg Burke called the February meeting “unprecedented,” and said that it “shows Pope Francis has made the protection of minors a fundamental priority for the Church.”

The gathering is about “keeping children safe from harm worldwide,” he said, adding that the pope wants the Church’s leaders to “to have a full understanding of the devastating impact that clerical sexual abuse has on victims.”

As for bishops, a two-edged sword.

Burke said that the meeting is for bishops, who, he said, have the most responsibility for the “grave problem” of abuse; but lay men and women who are experts in the area of abuse will also be providing input and will be able to help address what should be done “to ensure transparency and accountability.”

Beautiful, much used phrase at the end.

As for responsibility, if that is so, why was initiative by Americans squelched and its leadership blind-sided at the recent fiasco-ized bishops’ meeting in Baltimore?

Holy b.s., I say.

The uber-interesting, one might say puckish, Fr. Hunwicke digs up some very interesting commentary about this mysterious process in the light of the current papal incumbency:

Today, I would like simply to point out that, more than a year before Cardinal Mueller’s disturbing recent words about the sort of questionable individuals, theological illiterates signed up to Bergoglianism, who are being appointed to senior positions in the hierarchy; and before His Excellency Archbishop Vigano’s revelations about the same subject, Fr Aidan had spoken with great clarity. His antennae must be very sensitive!

“[The pope’s] programme would not have got as far as it has were it not the case that theological liberals, generally of the closet variety, have in the fairly recent past been appointed to high positions both in the world episcopate and in the ranks of the Roman Curia.”

“Of the closet variety” is an entertainingly old-fashioned phrase!

It was a few months before Dr Nichols’ lecture that, on 19 November 2016, Cupich and Tobin were made cardinals.

The testimony this year of Archbishop Vigano asserted that the appointments of Cupich to Chicago (November 18 2014) and of Tobin to Newark (November 7 2016) “were orchestrated by McCarrick, Maradiaga, and Wuerl … their names were not among those presented by the Nunciature for Chicago and Newark”.

It would be a good thing if, henceforth, the terna of names submitted by Nuncios to the Holy See for a vacant bishopric were to be published. 

God’s people should not have to wait for a Vigano (God bless him) to come along before they can know what is being proposed for their own Particular Church. They should not be deprived of the liberty to form their own minds both about the proposed three names, and … if this occurs … why all three have been set aside so that the job can be given to another.

They should be treated as Grown Ups. 

This is what, in the Anglo-Saxon cultural world, is often known as ACCOUNTABILITY.

Posted by Fr John Hunwicke at 15:40 1 comment: 

Labels: cupich, mccarrick, tobin, Vigano

Tried and true organizing ploy.

Forty-two caravan migrants broke into the United and were arrested on Sunday, while organizers pushed women and children to the front of the melee, a top border patrol agent told CNN.

I heard about this in the Roosevelt Road riots in the summer of ’66, told by eyewitness friends in the black community. The smart boys heaved rocks over the heads of teen-agers and younger children in rows facing the police.

Cardinal C of Chi is one you would ordinarily pick for this uber-important job?

ROME, November 23, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis has named Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago to a four-member organizing committee for next February’s Vatican summit on clerical sexual abuse.

The appointment is raising concerns because Cardinal Cupich has notably dismissed Archbishop Viganò’s testimony on the McCarrick abuse cover-up as a mere “rabbit hole” distracting the Church, believes that homosexuality is not a significant contributing factor in the abuse of minors (despite statistics showing otherwise), and has defended the Vatican postponing U.S. bishops from voting on measures to prevent abuse cover-up.

Well, as for the last, wouldn’t he prefer leaving it to the big show, where he’s to be a big shot, as opposed to doing something in Baltimore, for the group that voted him down as prexy last time around?

He got their vote of no-confidence months ago. Why should he build them up now?

As for the chickencoop part, he’s been a wild man in Chi about certain conservative leaders but has no history of particular expertise or leadership in the dreadful clergy-abuse situation.

To keep in mind as you read about the news today.

A group of about 100 people trying to illegally cross the border Sunday near the San Ysidro port of entry threw rocks and bottles at U.S. Border Patrol agents, who responded by using pepper spray and other means to force the crowd back into Mexico, federal officials said.

The incident has raised concerns among advocates on both sides of the immigration debate, as well as Border Patrol representatives.

2013, when Obama was president.

Over the sidewalk and through the doors . . . to McDonald’s on Clark, a few blocks from the house, 11:30 or so yesterday. Place hopping, full of families, 50-ish cronies and others, chatting, laughing.

Beggar by the door, inside where it’s warm, quiet,  reaching into bin as people dump trays on way out. Inspects items, in case something worth while.

I’d refused him a buck a day or so ago, we both then seated at counter near the door. Irish-looking guy, red-faced and roughly dressed but warmly enough and not tattered. 50-ish, bloodshot eyes. Not here, I’d said. On the street another matter.

Happy thanksgiving.

Overhead Silent Night . . . ’round young virgin . . . sleep in heavenly peace.

Beggar man looks over at counter, where Mexican women, mamas the lot of them, work. As if called over. Returns shortly, holding something in hand, heads for door onto sidewalk, disappears beyond the Dunkin’ Donuts sign next door.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas , , ,

Then from across the room, mother-fucker and what the fuck and raucous laughter, loud enough to fill the air. I turn and see two black teens and a Mexican teen their in a booth, one of the blacks finding something on his phone, Mexican kid finding him hilarious.

Sharp reminder of the vulgar world outside, a rare disturbance of  a quiet scene.

I turn back, wondering. Then silence. Look again, booth empty. Vulgar boys gone! Did one of the Mexican mamas tell them to leave?

Overhead: Most holy night . . . fall on your knees . . . night divine, oh night when Christ was born.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Watching, watching, watching. Remembering, remembering, remembering.

The film [A new documentary, The Creepy Line,] claims that Google is part of a deliberate manipulation of millions of users through its multiple platforms including YouTube to suppress conservative views.

Please, tell me no right-wing lies.

Specifically, the film suggests that during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign Google tweaked its search algorithm in an attempt to swing the election towards Hillary Clinton.

Oh no, The crooked candidate?

The filmmakers explain that, thereafter, searches for Clinton on Google almost invariably returned positive stories. In contrast, searches on other search engines had a more equitable and realistic split between positive and not so positive views on Clinton and her polices.

No fair!

Perhaps Google’s alleged position should not surprise us too much given that [former Google executive
Eric] Schmidt worked with the Clinton campaign in 2016.

No!

The filmmakers also point to the now well-known 2016 report revealing an anti-conservative bias in Facebook’s human-run “trending” topics.

That’s it. No more Google. No more anything? No!

. . . as neat avoidance of something he, she, they, or it can do something about.

In the case of Pope Francis’ statement-making office, also known as a dicastery.