Various Catholic Feeds

UPDATED:

Since I posted this, Cardinal Burke has published a clarification of his interview with Buzzfeed which reads as follows.


As a priest, bishop and finally a cardinal, I have only ever sought to serve Our Lord’s Church in humble obedience to the Magisterium and to the Holy Father. Needless confusion regarding my motives does not help me in this service, especially when substantial questions of principle are at stake. I very strongly believe that one also serves loyally by expressing a contrary judgment, in accord with the pursuit of the truth, and that one only serves faithfully when one has dutifully and clearly spoken, in obedience to one’s conscience.

I did not state that Pope Francis has harmed the Church. Rather, as the now published verbatim interview reveals, I was perfectly clear that it was a lack of clarity about where the Holy Father stands on issues related to marriage and Holy Communion that had caused the harm. It is precisely for this reason that I subsequently said that only a statement from the Holy Father himself could now remove this lack of clarity.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Is it me or is a 'lack of clarity' an abstraction which simply makes the accusation less pointed?

*****************

Original post below

Most readers will be now well aware of the story that broke last night about Cardinal Burke. He has given an interview to Buzz News essentially confirming that he is being moved from the Apostolic Signatura, but more importantly, delivering his judgment on the business of the Synod. Here is one of the juicier sections:

If Pope Francis had selected certain cardinals to steer the meeting to advance his personal views on matters like divorce and the treatment of LGBT people, Burke said, he would not be observing his mandate as the leader of the Catholic Church.

“According to my understanding of the church’s teaching and discipline, no, it wouldn’t be correct,” Burke said, saying the pope had “done a lot of harm” by not stating “openly what his position is.”

"Cardinal Burke Buzz News" is a pretty unique search collocation so I just googled it. Buzz News is running the story of course. So is something called The Puffington. The BBC is also running a story focusing on Cardinal Burke's 'demotion'. Ah, yes, and the Fiji Broadcasting Company too. They are reporting that the Cardinal has been 'demoted'.

But nobody else! The Catholic Herald? Nada. The Tablet? Nada. National Catholic Register? Nothing. But, wait, but wait! The National Catholic Reporter has a story … and look how they start it:

U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, a former archbishop of St. Louis known for his rigorist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, has reportedly confirmed ... (my emphasis)

*********************

I'm afraid things are not going to get much better. At best, it will be reported that Cardinal Burke has been 'demoted', but then he will be given a label like a "rigourist" and everyone will understand why. His removal was unconfirmed before the Synod so surely some people will try to make his attack on the pope look like sour grapes.

What I am curious to see is how the commentariat comes out on this. John Allen speculated yesterday about conservatives deserting Pope Francis. That makes him prescient perhaps - unless he knew this was coming - but what line will he take now? And what about all those other big Catholic voices? Will they be feeding Burke to the vultures or will they just try to stifle what he has said with news of the end of the Synod and the beatification tomorrow?

Cardinal Burke has called them all out in a way. But if they ignore it, he will simply be isolated. That said, for this morning at least they are all wrong footed and their silence is eloquent. What do we say, what do we say? When someone of Burke's authority and character makes this kind of a stand, it forces us all to reveal who we really are inside. It does that, or else it must be subject to deconstruction (Burke is a hysteric or just silly) or to refutation (Burke has massively over exaggerated) or it will be said that in doing this he has made it impossible for more moderate voices to join him (Pell and Mueller perhaps?).

I suppose Cardinal Burke believed he had to say something in conscience, but why Buzz News? Why now when it was likely that his protest will be overshadowed by other news? Has he tried and failed to get other cardinals to back him?

I love Cardinal Burke for standing up and saying that the Emperor has no clothes. It remains to be seen whether, from a strategic and tactical point of view, he has fired his gun at the right moment and in the right way.