Cardinal Brandmüller Questions Francis’ Claim Not to Have Received the Dubia Before Publication

OnePeter5 ^ | 6/20/18 | Maike Hickson

[marshmallow]

Today, on 20 June, Reuters published a new interview with Pope Francis. Although the interview is making headlines because of the Pope’s criticism of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, it also contains another controversial assertion: the pope surprisingly now claims that he only heard about the Dubia (concerning his document Amoris Laetitia) “from the newspapers” — a claim that Dubia cardinal Walter Brandmüller has now questioned in comments to OnePeterFive. From the text of the interview:

The pope also commented on internal criticism of his papacy by conservatives, led by American Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke.

In 2016, Burke and three other cardinals issued a rare public challenge to Francis over some of his teachings in a major document on the family, accusing him of sowing disorientation and confusion on important moral issues.

Francis said he had heard about the cardinals’ letter criticizing him “from the newspapers … a way of doing things that is, let’s say, not ecclesial, but we all make mistakes”.

He borrowed the analogy of a late Italian cardinal who likened the Church to a flowing river, with room for different views. “We have to be respectful and tolerant, and if someone is in the river, let’s move forward,” he said. [emphasis added]

He thus implies that the Dubia cardinals did not follow the correct ecclesial procedures and violated the law of courtesy toward the pope by making their text public without first sending it to him privately.

We also contacted Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, one of the four Dubia cardinals, asking him for comment. The cardinal responded in writing and said the following:

[DoodleBob]

Hmmmm....where have I heard this excuse before....oh yea, I remember...

It's a Good Thing That Obama Reads the Paper Because Otherwise He'd Have No Idea What His Administration is Doing

[BlessedBeGod]

...the pope surprisingly now claims that he only heard about the Dubia (concerning his document Amoris Laetitia) “from the newspapers”...

So, he's taking a cue from Obama -- he only finds out about things from the press.

I believe that about as much as I believed Obama.

[Mrs. Don-o]

The dog ate my dubia.

[Campion]

We have to be respectful and tolerant

If we call them names, like "promethean neo-Pelagians" or accuse them of made-up sins like "rigidity," we should do so in a respectful and tolerant manner. /s

[I want the USA back]

bammy used the same lie. But I expect bammy to lie - he’s a marxist with muzzy sympathies masquerading as a normal person. The pope occupies the Chair of Peter. He should not lie.

[piusv]

Where’s that picture of him in a clown nose? LOL