Toward the Conclave. The Pressure on the Cardinals [Catholic Caucus]

chiesa ^ | March 1, 2013 | Sandro Magister

[NYer]

Catholic Caucus Thread

[mc5cents]

Veni Sancte Spirtus

[kitkat]

Pray that the cardinals choose the right successor to Pope B16.

[D-fendr]

et emitte caelitus
lucis tuae radium.

[prairiebreeze]

The dossier even asked the new pope to “free himself from fear of the sexual revolution” and to innovate with decisiveness Christian morality in this field, but John Paul II did none of this.

I was concerned prior to Benedict's selection, I didn't realize this sort of progressive pressure went back that far (at least).

I've been praying for the conclave to make a godly choice. Non-Catholic here, BTW.

[Salvation]

Prayer for the Election of a New Pope

[D-fendr]

We can take hope from knowing that so many were picked by Pope Benedict XVI.

Thanks for your post.

[D-fendr]

We can take hope from knowing that so many were picked by Pope Benedict XVI.

Thanks for your post.

[MDLION]

Here are my favorites:

1.)Turkson
2.)Scola
3.)Bertone

I think this conclave might be an extended struggle. Is that one of the reasons Providence is starting it in Lent? I think one large faction will probably want Scola or Bertone, probably Scola, while another large faction gathers around Turkson. I always thought during Benedict’s papacy that Secretary of State Bertone seemed like an obvious successor. But now that he’s 78, the same age as Benedict when he was elected, I think his chances are severly diminshed. The Holy Spirit will guide to the right man in the end, though.

[NYer]

Thank you, prairiebreeze, for the prayers. Though I try to avoid msm coverage, I have watched two interviews with NY Cardinal Dolan. He is a tall, cherubic Irishman with a very jovial personality, often misinterpreted by some catholics. He has to deal with politicians and tries desperately to give them the benefit of the doubt before challenging them in the open. I have met and spoken with him. So it was not surprising that he would be invited to come on the Today show to explain what was happening. Yesterday, I caught another interview with Christiane Ammenpour from CNN. He put on his usual bravado but then turned very serious. He never expected to be in a conclave and the serious nature of what they are about to do weighs heavily on his shoulders. This was evident in both interviews.

You wrote: I was concerned prior to Benedict's selection, I didn't realize this sort of progressive pressure went back that far (at least).

When an army attempts to siege a walled fortress, they attack from without and also from within. Recall the Trojan Horse. The same technique has been used to attack the Catholic Church. Outside, government and the media whip up public sentiment by scrutinizing church teaching. Within her walls are agents of change whose purpose is to help take down the Catholic Church. We have no reason to fear as we trust in the promise made by Christ that "the gates of hell will not prevail against it". Still, it is frightening to watch; all we can do is pray.

Pope JPII was aware of these agents and began the cleansing process. FWIU, over the past year, Pope Benedict has continued it by quietly pulling hundreds of bishops from around the world. I am about to post an interesting article on Pope Benedict and will ping you to the thread. It gives great insight into the tremendous burden carried by a pope. Please continue to pray for these cardinals. We now know that, thanks to the work of JPII and B16, the progressive element has practically been silenced. There are several excellent candidates in the group that can pick up the reins and continue that work. As you know, a backpack is easy to carry when one first sets out on the journey but grows in weight as you begin to climb a mountain. The cardinals will be looking for the one with the strongest back.

[Biggirl]

I am keeping a very careful eye to what is going on at the Vatican. All we can do is pray and keep a close watch.

I looked up that “adopt a cardinal website “ and was given Cardinal Turkson to pray for. One of the other Catholic threads has the site reference to.

I have sense since he first became Pope that B16 would be a “transition” Pope, who would simply be preparing for the next Pope.

[Biggirl]

Here are my 3 possible choices:

1.Turkson
2.Burke
3.Tagle

Age will be a factor because there is a sense that there must not be another “transition” pope.

[prairiebreeze]

Thank you for the post and also the pings, I will read your pinged articles with interest.

[NYer]

Here are my favorites:
1.)Turkson
2.)Scola
3.)Bertone

Turkson!? Running #1 with the bookies. Why Turkson? He has admitted he would like to be pope. In my opinion, the one who wants to be pope is the one who wants to take down the Catholic Church, because it reflects a desire for power. Just my opinion.

One of my favorites is Philippine Cardinal Tagle. He's on the young side but he lives a life of humility and has the strength to deal with the first issue to be handed to the new pontiff: the document on the homosexual cabal within the church.

[NYer]

Check out Survivor Vatican. He is now up to Day 18 and, through a careful process of elimination, is left with 35 cardinals. Today, he eliminated 4 more.

Vatican Survivor

[steve86]

Tend to agree with your sentiment on Turkson (though we could be wrong); have to look into Cardinal Tagle. Our new religion Director is from the Phillippines and she cooks good rice so I am a little bit primed for a candidate from that region. Hopefully, the conclave will be using a more formalized set of criteria than I.

[Malacoda]

Today almost nothing of this progressive current remains within the sacred college

Deo gratias!

I pray the Rosary every day, that the Cardinals allow themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit and give us a Pope with the heart of St. Michael the Archangel, to lead us in these dark times.

[NYer]

have to look into Cardinal Tagle.

I normally shun the NC Reporter but stumbled upon John Allen's series on the "papabili". The one that grabbed my heart was that of Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila. You may recall that Tagle was elevated in the "surprise" November consistory.

As he bent over to receive the biretta, despite seeing only his back, one could detect see his emotions as he choked back tears. Pope Benedict XVI grabbed his shoulders in reassurance. You can see him wiping away tears in this photo.

In his article, Allen delves into how Tagle has served his diocese of Imus, as bishop. He writes:

In the Imus diocese, Tagle was famous for not owning a car and taking the bus to work every day, describing it as a way to combat the isolation that sometimes comes with high office. He was also known for inviting beggars outside the cathedral to come in and eat with him. One woman was quoted describing a time she went looking for her blind, out-of-work, alcoholic husband, suspecting she might track him down in a local bar, only to find that he was lunching with the bishop.

This reminded me of a similar event in the life of Pope JPII. A priest friend of Scott Hahn returned from Rome and told him this story. The priest was on his way to a private audience with the Pope but was running early. He thus decided to stop in a church to pray before his meeting. On the steps of the church were a number of beggars, something fairly common in Rome. As he approached the church, the priest thought that he recognized one of the beggars. After entering the sanctuary he knelt down to pray, whereupon he remembered how he knew the man. The priest immediately rushed out and approached the familiar beggar exclaiming, “I know you. Didn’t we go to seminary together?” After admitting that he had lost his faculties and become a beggar, the priest asked JPII to pray for his friend and related the meeting. The pope invited the priest and his friend to dinner with him that night. After the dinner was over, the pope signaled to the priest to leave him alone with the beggar.

After fifteen minutes, the man emerged from the room in tears. “What happened in there?” asked the priest.
The most remarkable and unexpected reply came.
“He asked me to hear his confession,” choked the beggar.
After regaining composure, the man continued, “I told him, ‘Your Holiness, look at me. I am a beggar. I am not a priest.’
“The Pope looked at me and said, ‘My son, once a priest always a priest, and who among us is not a beggar. I too come before the Lord as a beggar asking for forgiveness of my sins.’ I told him I was not in good standing with the Church, and he assured me that as the Bishop of Rome he could reinstate me then and there.”
Full Text

Getting back to John Allen's article on Tagle, he continues:

Not long after Tagle arrived in Imus, a small chapel located in a run-down neighborhood was waiting for a priest to say Mass at around 4 a.m. for a group mostly made up of day laborers. Eventually, a youngish cleric showed up on a cheap bicycle, wearing simple clothes and ready to start the Mass. An astonished member of the congregation realized it was the new bishop and apologized that they hadn't prepared a better welcome. Tagle said it was no problem; he got word late the night before that the priest was sick and decided to say the Mass himself.

You can read the entire Allen article here.

There is much discussion of Cardinal Turkson and, while he may be an excellent candidate with sterling credentials, he has admitted that he would like to be pope. In my opinion, the one who wants to be pope is the "one who wants to destroy the Catholic Church". The risk of wanting to be pope places one in the position of desiring power, making him a pawn of the Evil One. (Recall our Lord's temptations in the desert). Meekness can mistakenly be interpreted as weakness; however, as we have witnessed through Popes JPII and Benedict XVI, the meek individual places himself at the foot of the cross and entrusts his ministry totally to Christ for guidance and direction.

[Biggirl]

I am really, really starting to like Cardinal Tagle, a truly humble man and cardinal.