Posted on 08/28/2018 11:10:26 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
Sometimes Caesar must act.
Sometime tomorrow Ambassador Callista Gingrich should march into the Vatican Secretariat of State in Rome. Then demand the release of all documents related to now-disgraced Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The former Archbishop of Washington, it’s widely known, molested teen boys and sexually preyed on seminarians.
Gingrich should tell Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin that the Vatican has one week to answer. If the answer is no, or if they are reluctant to answer, she should give them one month to reconsider. Then inform them on that day, she and her staff will leave for the United States. They won’t return until the issue is settled. How High Does the Rot Go?
Read the 11-page memo prepared by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò. He’s no crank or amateur gadfly, but the former papal nuncio (ambassador) to the United States. He claims, based on personal knowledge, that it was not just Americans who gave the nod and wink to the criminal sexual assaults of “Uncle Ted” McCarrick. He charges high-ranking members of the Roman Curia knew as well. And they allowed this behavior to continue by giving McCarrick promotions and cover for his behavior.
Viganò lists many high-ranking churchmen as knowing about McCarrick’s crimes:
Pope Benedict XVI (who tried to take action and was apparently thwarted and flouted by his own bishops). Cardinal Angelo Sodano. The aforementioned Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Pope Francis, who apparently revoked Benedict’s measures aimed at McCarrick, and made him a close advisor. (McCarrick had strongly supported him for pope.)
These and other Catholic prelates knew that Cardinal McCarrick was taking seminarians to his bed and molesting them. He did this for years, all the while receiving promotions, open-door access to the highest reaches of the Church. Also traveling high-wide-and-handsome on diplomatic missions for the Pope. What Did Pope Francis Know and When Did He Know It?
Many questions have been raised by Viganò’s critics, some of them are fair. For instance, if Pope Benedict did restrict McCarrick, why was he seen all over the world? Appearing in official Vatican ceremonies and certainly not hidden away? Was there really an interdict imposed on McCarrick by Pope Benedict? Did Fr. Boniface Ramsey’s letter reach influential offices of the Holy See? Did Viganò really tell these tales to his bosses in Rome?
Vatican offices must produce the McCarrick Files for officials from the U.S. Departments of Justice and State.
Viganò is coming under severe criticism from certain so-called progressives. They are driving the narrative that he’s attempting a “putsch” against Pope Francis. Note the veiled accusation that Viganò is a Nazi in league with other Nazis. Some on the dissident left are practically pulling out their hair. The often-comical Michael Sean Winters says his team has 24 hours to save the Church, or something. Even sensible commentators, like Dawn Eden, are focusing their criticism and questions on Viganò instead of trying to learn what really happened. It seems that many are not interested in knowing if there was a cover-up in the Vatican to protect McCarrick. Trump Can Demand the Documents
But no matter what the questions or criticism, they will not be answered. Not unless and until the Vatican produces the files that will tell the tale. Viganò says these files exist, in the Nunciature in Washington DC (and in various dicasteries in Vatican City — don’t hold your breath). These Vatican offices must produce the McCarrick Files for officials from the U.S. Departments of Justice and State. We must know if Vatican Cardinals knew about the sexual predator in our midst and let him proceed with his illegal, nefarious behavior.
We learned one thing in Pennsylvania. It will not be committees of laymen working with bishops who will bring these enormities into the light. No, it will be secular officials. It was an Attorney General who unveiled the crimes in Pennsylvania. It will be Attorneys General who will rip off the scab in Missouri and Illinois. Protect Americans First
This is a legal and diplomatic crisis. We Catholics must convince President Trump of this. And that he should act. The United States must move to protect our young people who have come under assault from a Prince of the Church and who have been protected and moved around by other Princes of the Church in Rome.
Frank Keating, former FBI agent, former Governor of Oklahoma, famously left the US Bishops’ National Review Board because the Bishops were not willing to cooperate with the investigations of priest pederasty. As he was walking out the door, Keating said this was not the Church he knew. The Bishops acted more like La Cosa Nostra (the Mafia) with its code of omertà (silence).
On the plane coming from Ireland this week, Pope Francis said he would not answer any questions about the Viganò document. Talk about omertà. Perhaps losing the US diplomatic presence will loosen his tongue, and more important, the McCarrick Files located somewhere in the Vatican’s embassy in Washington, D.C.
BTW, if you're not familiar with him, Austin is an ace global conservative activist who punches way above his weight, operates on a shoestring and gets more political bang per buck than anybody I've ever heard of. He's the President of the Center for Family and Human Rights (C-FAM) and spends his days fighting the pro-abort and pro-pervert forces at the U.N. Very smart and beaucoup courage. (Some people have smarts. Some people have courage. He has both.)
So what kind of accelerants can we throw into the mix to speed this along?
Your thoughts? Should DJT do this? Who can we lean on to make it happen?
There are certainly conservative Catholics but many churches and Catholics are flaming libs.
Easier solution: Cough it all up or lose your tax exempt status.
The flaming libs need to go join the mainline protestant sects like the ELCA and Episcopalians, starting with Pope Frank.
He can’t even drain our swamp.
bkmk
Trump should also open an investigation into whether or not the US Gov participated in pressuring Pope Benedict XVI to step down.
It doesn’t matter if many of the churches are flaming libs. The Pope’s only job really is to protect the deposit of faith. This is not a democracy. Group vote won’t cut it and won’t matter. I like the idea of Calista Gingrich doing this. Wow.
RICO.
Yes, definitely.
It is one of the most sinful things a human adult can do, in my opinion, backed up by faith and scripture:
Matthew 18 1-6: AT that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Who thinkest thou is the greater in the kingdom of heaven? 2And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them, 3And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven. 5And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. 6But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Then the pope needs to publicly repent and do public penance along with all the cardinals and bishops.
I like the thought of Francis resigning but if we can just fire the pope we might as well be protestant because the precedent will be set.
Misprision of felony
“Your thoughts? Should DJT do this? “
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No,he should stay out of it-——he has enough on his plate.
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I’m for it. It’s a good idea from the perspective of the Church.
However, there needs to be a specific upside for the USA for 45 to get involved. It may be as easy as crashing the worldwide network of pederasts/pedovores.
It would be better if there were other more ‘national interest’ reasons.
The idea might be tempting, but could simultaneously open several cans of worms. One, there would be First Amendment concerns. That is despite the status of the Vatican as a sovereign state with whom the US maintains diplomatic relations.
Two, the "rot" isn't just within the Roman Catholic church. It's at every level of society and western civilization in general. The real decay started after World War I and continued to grow through the last century. The scandal of abuse in the Roman Church goes back decades and, as usual, it's the cover up that gets people most upset.
But Protestants, Jews, non-believers, no segment of society is immune from this. It's just that the Catholic Church has been so monolithic and so far in denial, and that the abuse has been overwhelmingly homosexual in nature and so deeply implanted in generations of seminarians to priests to bishops to cardinals, and now up to the Pope himself.
But for a US President to take action? That would be a tough and very complicated call. I think it's up to Catholics to take their church by the scruff of the neck and fix it. I'm not sure how the rest of us can help other than with encouragement and prayer.
One of the most well reasoned posts written by a FR Protestant in a while. 1) You understand the Constitutional questions this could raise for all churches, 2) US Law does not have jurisdiction over the Vatican. While this Pope is a left wing idiot, it was Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Church in Poland that worked with Reagan and Thatcher to start the movement that was the end of the beginning of Communist-Stalinist leaders in Eastern Europe.
Traditional Catholics need to pressure Francis on these questions about McCarrick, etc.. In terms of what Francis nothing he says short of calling a 3 Vatican Council is relevant. The next thing I will pay attention to is when he resigns or pasts from this earth. Then while I did not care for him as Pope, I will pray for God’s Mercy on his Soul.
Then he gets "retired" soon thereafter.
I think that the Catholic Church is going to have to come clean, right now.
They seem to be imploding over this.
I've been disappointed in Francis for a while, but this really puts the icing on the cake.
I'll take a guess that his fingerprints are all over the knife in Benedict's back.
As to Trump getting involved?
Agree with Mears.
No way.
No real upside, and plenty of downside.
The MSM would portray it as "attacking Catholics".
“The MSM would portray it as “attacking Catholics”.
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And they would also portray it as an attack on a very liberal,pro gay,pro immigrant, pope-———who needs this?
If Archbishop Vigano didn’t bring copies of these documents with him, or give them to others for safe-keeping, they’ve already been shredded.
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