Honeymoon Coming To An End?

It seems the cracks are beginning to appear in the liberals's relationship with the Holy Father. I think it's actually starting to dawn on them that he is not going to give in to their demands and jettison Christ's teaching and Catholic doctrine and replace it with their permissive agenda. The bulb which has shed light on this is the Holy Father's continuing call to the dissenting organisation the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (USA) to come into line with Catholic teaching. As you know Cardinal Muller responded to their accusations that they were being unfairly treated by CDF. Speaking in the name of the Holy Father, the Cardinal pointed out that these ladies in the LCWR are doing what they were reported to be doing, and what they are doing and saying directly contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Anyway, in an article in The Irish Times, Maureen Dowd takes umbrage with Francis and accuses him of condoning the bullying of nuns, indeed he is acting with malice towards them, she maintains. The article is the usual mix of liberal ideology, misunderstandings and rant, but it is worth reading to see that the tide may well be turning for Francis and the libs are getting the hammers and nails out for yet another pope. Fr Z offers an interesting commentary on Dowd's piece, so you might like to read that too.

To be fair to the Holy Father, when it comes to religious life he has quite traditional views in terms of the vows: poverty chastity and obedience. He expects religious to live simple, humble and even penitential lives. This was the life he lived as a religious and as Archbishop, and as we know he has been urging a similar lifestyle on cardinals, bishops, priests and religious ever since his election. I think he sees religious life as being prophetic through its poverty, simplicity and obedience to Christ and his Church, rather than in embracing and pushing liberal causes.