This isn’t very encouraging. Some Vatican officials are telling the official house organ of the US bishops that Pope Benedict is going to go easy on fixing liturgical abuses.
The Vatican’s top liturgy official said he expects Pope Benedict XVI to move against liturgical abuse with firm teaching and a gentle manner, recognizing that such mistakes often reflect ignorance, not ill will.
Yes, ignorance. Because Liturgiam Authenticam and Redemptionis Sacramentum and about a million other liturgical documents have been published. By this point no one can claim ignorance. We’ve been trying the gentle manner and firm voice for about 25 years and haven’t made any headway. Let’s try the firm manner and firm voice for a while.
Cardinal Arinze spoke about the direction of the new papacy in an interview with Catholic News Service in early February. He said he expected important moves—but not a purge—to improve liturgy under Pope Benedict.
What does the reporter mean by “purge”? Was that the word used by Cardinal Arinze? Let’s play a little game: What important moves could the Holy Father make that would not be considered a “purge” by Catholic News Service?
Come to think of it, the whole thing doesn’t much like Cardinal Arinze, at least what I’ve heard from him before. I’m suspicious. Reading on I get the sense that perhaps he’s saying that the Holy Father is not the PanzerVater we’ve been told he is, that while he holds strong convictions he does takes action in a fatherly way. There won’t be public floggings in St. Peter’s Square, but he will take action—even if it’s not seen in public. The iron fist in the velvet glove approach, if you will.
There’s more to this story than meets the eye.
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