Edward Feser is an admirable thinker and superb digital pugilist. He makes the Thomist case with considerable energy, and is a welcome read.
That said, Catholicism has a papacy problem, and this article unwittingly proves it in spades.
As I said to a thoughtful Catholic recently, far from being a guaranteed custodian of Tradition, the unlimited powers vested in the papal office just as readily make it an engine of innovation and novelty. And that's what we are seeing. Plus, if you are being honest, you have to admit that the current guy has bad examples from his predecessors to draw upon in his management decisions.
This ride has no brakes, save those which the Almighty may deign to apply. And as with Israel demanding a King, God via Vatican I may be giving Catholicism the same "fine, you can have it--good and hard" that His chosen endured for centuries.
"Our Patriarch is not just the First of his ancient brethren and presider over ecumenical councils, but he has unlimited immediate control over the church, is infallible and answers to no-buh-dee! W00t!"
How's that working out for you, 125 years on?
So now the Faithful, seeing there is no fine print or "void where prohibited" in Denzinger, are left to noodle hypotheses about invalid resignations, unanswered dubia, the pope as a leader of schismatic faction, or here, the escape hatch of a "suspended magisterium."
Hey, if it helps you get through the week, go for it. I'm not interested in doing it any more.
Meant to post this earlier.
ReplyDeleteThis link should be timestamped to the 1:45:00 mark where the Orthodox priests talk about a problem within Catholicism right now.