January 26, 2014 David Timbs (Melbourne)
(Comments welcome here) David's previous articles
A new
Trad growth industry: IOPFKWIK
Some
very interesting things have been happening within the dynamics of various
Traditionalist-Conservative Catholic groups especially in the ways they are
responding to Pope Francis, his words, writings and gestures. Some have angrily
dismissed him as though his election as Pope was invalid. Others have simply
gone to ground in a kind of sulky silence, licking their wounds and dreaming of
the Golden Years from 1978-2013. Still some have attempted, of a fashion, to
remain engaged. A mechanism for doing this is to attempt to overlook what for
them are the obvious failures and shortcomings of the Pope. These are the people
who apologise on behalf of the Pope.
The
most interesting of all these groups, however, are those who have invented a
whole new branch of literary and social critical thinking. These are the people
who would describe themselves as professional translators for and interpreters
of Pope Francis’ behaviour and teachings. Their group profile has been
identified by NCR’s Michael Sean Winters as IOPFKWIK (If only Pope Francis
knew what I know). This is at the same time a symptom and active articulation of
a psycho-pathology that Winters describes as Francis Derangement
Syndrome. One of the most prominent representatives of this condition is
the American clerical blogger, merchandiser, peddler of trinkets, incantations,
entrepreneur and part-time Latinist, (Fr) John Zuhlsdorf. His version of FDS
bears the mast-head caption, Reading
Francis through Benedict. We
shall be taking a very close look at Zuhlsdorf in a couple of weeks and before
him, other lesser papal interpreters from around the globe.
As
already mentioned, Traditionalists and their Conservative acolytes are terrified
at the thought that Jorge Bergoglio, the Argentinian Pope might be shattering
the line of continuity with the preceding Popes, especially Benedict XVI.
Therefore, in
the interests of unity and continuity, Francis must be exegeted and, as
Zuhlsdorf insists, seen through the lens of Benedict!
Cardinal
George Pell of Sydney hasn’t been so blunt in this regard but some of his
American cousins have been. Card Francis George of Chicago, Big Tim Card Dolan
of NY, ++Charles Chaput of Philadelphia have all found it necessary to decipher
and explain Francis to their constituents. Lest he be forgotten, the head of
Canon Law, Card Raymond ‘Cappa magna’ Burke has been doing the very same
thing, not in mainland USA but within the Vatican itself. Tom Fox of NCR has
written a short piece on Burke’s latest fit of pique and sulks at being
side-line from the Congregation of Bishops and for being exposed as an ornate
lacy boy of liturgical exotica. The article is linked here.
Fox has embedded in his item a link to photos of His Magnificence. There is a
string of comments on “The Ten Top Photos...” The following is one such
comment,
fr.
patrick mcmahon, ph.d. says:
yes,
actually the cappa magna was designed in the Middle Ages for a prelate on
horseback to present a dignified appearance. the train was to cover the
horse’s ass. While the prelatial horse is a thing of the past, the cappa magna
is one of the few relics of the past that still serves its original purpose.
this is particularly true in the case of Cardinal Burke.
25/01/14