The issuing of his 11 page letter by former nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano raises many questions; as many about his own motives as about what he alleges.
Two articles, one in the National Catholic Reporter and the other in The Washington Post attempt to fill in the background to the issuing of the letter and the influence that conservative catholic media organisations played.
The Washington Post article says “news this week that Catholic journalists were involved in editing and distributing a Vatican diplomat’s explosive and largely unverified letter calling for the pope’s resignation reveals an influential and tightly knit conservative Catholic digital media network that’s been particularly active during the tenure of its nemesis, Pope Francis.”
The article offers two ways to view these journalists;
quoting a ‘conservative lay leader’ who says ““This whole episode seems like total Fake News … The allegations of sexual abuse coverup “have to be investigated, wherever they lead. But the way this came out, it really struck me: ‘They’re really out to get Francis.’ ”
and from ‘one commentator in the conservative Catholic media sphere’;
“They’re not trying to be objective,” the person said. “They are trying to evangelize; they’re trying to spread the good news, spread the message as they understand it. They are activists.”
Cui bono? Who benefits?
Phyllis Zagano is absolutely correct. What if we practice the Gospel of reversals from last Sunday -‘the last will be first and the first last’?! What if the new encyclical from Francis was addressed to ‘a Sororibi’ (which includes all men as the Vatican puts out!) and if God is addressed throughout as a ‘She’? How would men feel about this? Language is critical as we have put forward in our letter to the Bishops of Ireland concerning the possible exclusive language of the new Lectionary.
There are many people who still believe that the earth is flat and you can’t persuade them otherwise. In a similar way, there are many within the Catholic Church at the highest levels who believe that human beings who are women can’t represent Christ at the Eucharist.
Brothers All?
https://voicesoffaith.org/conversations-1/2020/9/24/an-open-letter-to-pope-francis-regarding-the-title-of-the-forthcoming-encyclical-fratelli-tutti