September 27, 2018
Brian Gagan
San Francisco
In (Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s) “Letter to the Faithful” (Sept. 13) he cites an exchange with a priest who expresses an unforgettable rejoinder: “But it is a good time to be a great bishop.” This prophetic utterance deserves a second look, for it has meaning for us that goes beyond the instant context when the archbishop received his appointment.
The (Archbishop Carlo Maria) Vigano “bombshell” is aimed at the bishop of Rome, the pope. Some think Francis is great and some do not. Archbishop Vigano is among the latter. The vision and guiding theme that Francis has of seeing Jesus in the face of the poor is unpopular among some hierarchy, even to the point that they put roadblocks in front of the pope’s path or even want to get a new bishop of Rome.
Francis vision is not one his adversaries can comfortably attack directly, so they hang the sex scandal albatross around his neck. First, the victims of sex abuse are exploited by predators then by Francis adversaries. Have they no decency?
The greatness of our present bishop of Rome will be tested much by those whose guile knows no bounds.
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