Cantalamessa: Benedict XVI’s Resignation "Democratized" Papal Office

Benedict XVI’s resignation constituted a significant step on the path to "humanizing" and "democratizing" the papal office according to liberal Father Raniero Cantalamessa, 84, the longtime preacher of the papal household.

During a retreat for the US bishops last week Cantalamessa went on calling the present deadly Church crisis a “golden age" compared to past centuries when many bishops were more concerned about governing their territory than caring for the flock.”

[At least then, the bishops were not actively engaged in leading the flock into the abyss and, after all, still had a flock left.]

Picture: © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk, CC BY-SA, #newsDnsefakoog

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Tesa

Jan 16, 2019

Cantalamessa insisted at least three times that “mandatory celibacy can be abolished” since it is not a divine law, even though he said he encouraged priests to live out this charism.

JTLiuzza

Jan 12, 2019

Which only serves to confirm the Barnhardt hypothesis. It's not possible to "democratize the papal office." To attempt to do so by semi-resignation renders said resignation null and void.

Jungerheld

Jan 12, 2019

"Golden age"? The one phrase I most often hear repeated these days is, "The gates of hell will not prevail..." which is a greater indication of crisis because it is used to console the one speaking to complacency rather than proclaimed as a marching order.

Tesa

Jan 12, 2019

Cantalamessa on homosexuality: that priests were attracted "to the other sex" as well as "to someone of the same sex," a "delicate matter" he said he would "completely avoid" because it "requires a pastoral discernment far beyond my competence and the scope of a retreat."

laurelmarycecilia

Jan 12, 2019

oh great /sarc/ Cantalamessa applauds the Church for moving in the direction of secular humanism and mob rule.