The 90-year old Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Letter is obviously a tongue
in cheek bordering on sarcasm statement and not a confirmation that
there is no contradiction between the Benedict and the Pope Francis pontificates.
Here's a summary of the Letter that makes the tongue in cheek bordering on sarcasm language obvious:
"I am unable to read the eleven volumes" but the "small volumes show, rightly, that Pope Francis is a man of profound philosophical and theological formation, and they therefore help to see the inner continuity between the two pontificates... I don’t feel like writing a short and dense theological passage on them... Professor Hünermann, who during my pontificate had distinguished himself by leading anti-papal initiatives. He played a major part in the release of the 'Kölner Erklärung', which, in relation to the encyclical 'Veritatis splendor', virulently attacked the magisterial authority of the Pope, especially on questions of moral theology... I am sure you will understand my refusal." As an aside, 'Veritatis splendor' contradicts the moral theology of Amoris Laetitia Have a nice day. [http://m.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/full-text-of-benedict-xvis-letter-to-mons.-vigano#.WrU3eXNlAwh]
Persons who use tongue in cheek or sarcastic language, if it is not solely meant as dark humor, usually do so because they feel they cannot speak plainly or bluntly.
Why would Benedict feel like he can't speak plainly?
Journalist Steve Skojec wrote about situations where people might not speak plainly:
"Dr. Carver describes four situations in which a foundation for Stockholm Syndrome is present. 'These four situations,' he says, 'can be found in hostage, severe abuse, and abusive relationships':
"I have often described Müller to others as 'essentially under house arrest.' The fear of monitored communications on the part of CDF officials has been noted in these pages before... One source of mine described the situation at the Vatican, as I have previously written, as 'like an occupied state.'" [https://onepeterfive.com/stockholm-syndrome-at-the-cdf-has-cardinal-muller-been-compromised/]
Does this describe the situation that Benedict is in?
Is it possible he is essentially under house arrest?
Here's a summary of the Letter that makes the tongue in cheek bordering on sarcasm language obvious:
"I am unable to read the eleven volumes" but the "small volumes show, rightly, that Pope Francis is a man of profound philosophical and theological formation, and they therefore help to see the inner continuity between the two pontificates... I don’t feel like writing a short and dense theological passage on them... Professor Hünermann, who during my pontificate had distinguished himself by leading anti-papal initiatives. He played a major part in the release of the 'Kölner Erklärung', which, in relation to the encyclical 'Veritatis splendor', virulently attacked the magisterial authority of the Pope, especially on questions of moral theology... I am sure you will understand my refusal." As an aside, 'Veritatis splendor' contradicts the moral theology of Amoris Laetitia Have a nice day. [http://m.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/full-text-of-benedict-xvis-letter-to-mons.-vigano#.WrU3eXNlAwh]
Persons who use tongue in cheek or sarcastic language, if it is not solely meant as dark humor, usually do so because they feel they cannot speak plainly or bluntly.
Why would Benedict feel like he can't speak plainly?
Journalist Steve Skojec wrote about situations where people might not speak plainly:
"Dr. Carver describes four situations in which a foundation for Stockholm Syndrome is present. 'These four situations,' he says, 'can be found in hostage, severe abuse, and abusive relationships':
"We have heard for some time about the 'climate of fear' at the Vatican. This isn’t new — in an anonymous letter from a former member of the Curia penned in 2015, this exact term was used. More recently, we have seen this fear publicly discussed by not just journalists at LifeSiteNews and the National Catholic Register who have spent time in Rome, but Bishop Athanasius Schneider, who lived under Soviet communism and has compared the situation in Rome to his experiences..."
- The presence of a perceived threat to one’s physical or psychological survival and the belief that the abuser would carry out the threat.
- The presence of a perceived small kindness from the abuser to the victim
- Isolation from perspectives other than those of the abuser
- The perceived inability to escape the situation..."
"I have often described Müller to others as 'essentially under house arrest.' The fear of monitored communications on the part of CDF officials has been noted in these pages before... One source of mine described the situation at the Vatican, as I have previously written, as 'like an occupied state.'" [https://onepeterfive.com/stockholm-syndrome-at-the-cdf-has-cardinal-muller-been-compromised/]
Does this describe the situation that Benedict is in?
Is it possible he is essentially under house arrest?
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