10 things Michael Cook gets wrong in his criticism of papal critics
Yes, Francis is often misquoted. Yes, Francis sometimes trips over his own rhetorical toes. But there are deeper problems. And saying so isn't a sin.
Pope Francis checks his watch as he leaves a jubilee audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican June 30. The pope was to begin a reduced summer schedule. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
Carl E. Olson | The Catholic World Report | June 30, 2016 I've read Mercatornet.com for many years and read it every week to great benefit. The folks over there do wonderful work. But Michael Cook, editor of Mercatornet.com has done himself and readers no favors with his recently posted piece "7 reasons why the Pope’s gaffes are OK". While I'm surely not going to defend all criticisms of Pope Francis—quite the contrary!—I think there are some serious problems with Cook's approach and his 7 points. Here are ten points in response: 1. Cook, like many of those taking umbrage with criticisms of Pope Francis, does not offer distinctions about the various forms of criticism out there. He mentions "malcontents" who are, in some cases, calling for the Holy Father's resignation. As far as I know, critics such as myself, Edward Peters, Phil Lawler, Jeff Mirus, Monsignor Charles Pope, Amy Welborn, Janet Smith, and Rachel Lu—just to mention some American writers who have criticized certain statements or actions of Francis—have never called for his resignation. It's easy to highlight the most extreme or even outrageous criticisms made of Francis. Unfortunately, the conversation (if it is such a thing) over Francis within Catholic circles seems to often consist of little more than a shouting match between those who think He's the Greatest Pope Ever (and I'm not exaggerating) and those who think He's the Antichrist and a Communist Antichrist at That (again, not exaggerating).
But there has been a steady, if not always recognized, flow of measured, thoughtful, and insightful criticism, some of it going back to the latter part of 2013, as when one perplexed pundit wrote: "To state what should be obvious, a pope in 2013 simply needs to be as precise and clear as possible. Fuzzy language, half-formed concepts, and failure to make important distinctions will eventually result in confusion and frustration." Yes, I am that pundit, and I do think my concerns, alas, have been borne out. The fact is, critics such as myself and those mentioned above have been focused on three main things: the scolding and abrasive tone sometimes used by Francis, oftentimes in reference to Christians; the ambiguity and imprecision which often appears in not only the now legendary off-the-cuff utterances, but also in homilies and even more formal papal documents such as Amoris Laetitia; and statements about various matters—especially relating to marriage and family life—that are either bewildering or, arguably, simply wrong. Cook never addresses or acknowledges those criticisms, which seriously undermines his arguments. 2. Cook states: "Well, I’m a fan of Pope Francis and I don’t think that there is anything to worry about. Perhaps he should get a new press secretary, but his Catholic critics shouldn’t get their knickers in a knot." If there is nothing to worry about, why get a new press secretary? And, again, why tell Catholic critics to unknot their knickers when you won't present some of the many (and there are many) legitimate, sober concerns raised by serious, thoughtful Catholics? 3. Cook's first point is Francis "is often badly misreported." That is true. Does Cook not think that, say, someone like Phil Lawler, who is a veteran Catholic journalist and editor (he edited CWR for many years) who wrote a most serious book about the sex abuse scandals in Boston, is not able to recognize misreporting? For my part, I always seek out the official translation/transcription of papal interviews, and I always give the Holy Father the benefit of the doubt, as is both fair and fitting. So, for example, this past February I defended some of Francis' remarks about conscience and "same-sex unions", even though it would have relatively easy to spin them in a negative direction, or to let the secular media push my buttons. 4. "Cut him some slack, people!", says Cook... Continue reading.
