UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism
Jerry Slevin
Poor Fr. Lombardi, the Vatican’s Jesuit “spin doctor”. After loyally spinning for years for the sly academic ex-Pope, Benedict, who rarely even talked to him directly, he now must spin for a politically clever Jesuit Pope, Francis. Benedict had disdain for most journalists, as was evident in his televised “Wehrmacht style” slap of an ABC-TV journalist who dared to ask him about the decades’ old Maciel case. Francis is much smoother. Time will tell if he ”shoots any straighter”, though.
Increasingly, Francis is employing classic political tactics well described as ”bait and switch” and “hurry up and wait”. This is vividly shown with the Council of Cardinals.
For six months the Council was touted by papal propagandists and wishful thinking Catholics — the “bait”– as almost the upcoming equivalent of the Council of Trent. It gave Francis cover on reform questions. Now that the Council is here, Fr. Lombardi indicates to us that it will be purely advisory, likely undecisive and mostly secret–the “switch”. Yes indeed! Hurry up and wait!
Meanwhile, Francis still makes his decisions like an absolute monarch. For example, almost no input from the laity, and of course, no women’s input, on appointing new bishops, a key matter.
On dealing with the sexual abuse scandal, there has been no real change from Benedict either. Convicted Bishop Finn remains in office and no other bad bishop has been publicly chastised for protecting sexual predators
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