The title of the book alone is enough to sum up the discomfort caused by its release. The anthology From the peace of Benedict to the war of Francis, published Tuesday, November 2 in the United States, compiles analyzes, interviews and forums of lay and religious, including five cardinals, from the conservative wing of the Catholic Church. The book is openly hostile to the motu proprio Keepers of tradition published by Pope Francis on July 16, which restricts the celebration of the Tridentine Mass according to the missals prior to Vatican Council II.
Five cardinals
The anthology is edited by the American Peter A. Kwasniewski, former professor of theology, composer of music and close to traditionalist circles. Among the contributors are the cardinals Robert Sarah, Walter Brandmülluer, Joseph Zen, Raymond Burke, Gerhard Ludwig Müller, the French writer Michel Onfray but also highly controversial personalities and frontally opposed to Pope Francis, like Bishop Carlo Maria Viganò .
Several authors have expressed their embarrassment at the presence of the former secretary general of the Vatican governorate who in 2018 accused Pope Francis of covering up the sexual abuse committed by the former Archbishop of Washington Theodore McCarrick. He had, in a letter, called on the Pope to resign. “I was surprised, if I had known that he was signing a text in the book, I would not have authorized the publisher to publish mine”, regrets Christophe Geffroy, director of the review The nave, close to traditionalist circles and author of two contributions.
“Deceived and betrayed”
“I would also not have authorized this title, he continues. Although he is a very salesman, he will do no good for the unity of the Church. The nave is not opposed to François. It is good to be able to publish analyzes and hear everyone’s opinions. But there is a limit in the Church: that of the authority of the magisterium. “
A source close to Cardinal Sarah quoted by the I.Media agency assures that the former prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship had given his consent but was the victim of an instrumentalisation by “A politicized group” with which the Guinean cardinal is in “Total disagreement”. According to this same source, the prelate would have been “Very sorry” discovering the signature of Bishop Viganò in the anthology and esteem “Deceived and betrayed”.
→ READ. Pope Francis drastically limits the celebration according to the extraordinary form
Although equally uncomfortable, Christophe Geffroy does not believe in the thesis of instrumentalization. “It’s a book that was made in a rush, he says. I don’t think it was done with bad intentions. “
In July, the motu proprio Tradition Keepers angered traditionalist Catholics. This papal decree aims to put an end to the creation of personal parishes dedicated to the Tridentine Mass and to reduce the number of celebrations according to the old missals. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI, in his motu proprio of the Sovereign Pontiff had widened the framework of the liturgical celebration according to the rites prior to 1962.
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