The founder of U.S. Catholic publishing house Ignatius Press has called for Pope Francis to answer Archbishop Viganò’s allegations that he knowingly promoted an American cardinal accused of abusing seminarians and priests.
Father Joseph Fessio, SJ, told CNN that he finds the pontiff’s refusal to give an answer “deplorable”. In recent weeks, commentators have interpreted Pope Francis’ homilies about “the Great Accuser” and Christ’s “silence” as coded commentary on the Vatican whistleblower’s testimony and the pontiff’s own reluctance to answer it.
“He’s attacking Viganò and everyone who is asking for answers,” Fessio told CNN. “I just find that deplorable.”
“Be a man. Stand up and answer the questions,” he added.
The publisher-priest told LifeSiteNews that he meant no disrespect for the Pope by saying this. Fessio observed that words said in conversation look “worse” in print but defended his opinions.
The Jesuit priest was careful to underscore the importance of respect for the papal office. “As Catholics we have to respect the office of the papacy and, to the extent that we can, respect the person who is holding that office,” Fessio said. “And as a priest, [I should] even more so. And as a Jesuit, even more so than that!”
The priest said that if he could speak directly to the Holy Father about Archbishop Viganò’s testimony today, he would preface his remarks by saying that everyone admires the pontiff’s desire to serve the poor, to send the Church to the peripheries, and to accompany people and help them discern.
“At the same time, in order for that moral authority to be received by people, there has to be transparency,” Fessio said he would tell Pope Francis. “You’re giving the appearance of criticizing anyone who asks you a … difficult question. And that appearance is not good.”
Fessio does not think the answer is “clericalism” when it comes the roots of the clerical sex abuse crisis and its cover-up. This is the answer to the crisis that has been provided by Pope Francis and others such as Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago.
“There’s … the misleading interpretation by high church officials [that this is] a question of clericalism, it’s not homosexuality,” he said. “Well, no, wait a second. Anyone with eyes to see will recognize that 80% of the cases are priest on male.”
Full story at LifeSiteNews.
The reason the pope won’t answer the questions is because answering them honestly would reveal that the church has become a bureaucratic homosexual sex club for priests and bishops. Moral authority? Hogwash. The church doesn’t have any anymore. Attendance is dropping rapidly, in ten years there will be nearly a complete demographic collapse of the church in America. Who wants to be part of a hypocritical homosexual club? No real man would. Nobody in their right mind would.
I accept the moral authority of the Church because it is from God.
It does not change. It has not changed.
Angry Bob, I agree with you!
“Angry Bob” is correct: The institutional Catholic Church has indeed become “a bureaucratic homosexual club for priests and bishops.” OK, what then is there to do? It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that homo-clerics will refuse to voluntarily leave a place where they are welcomed, fed and clothed at a luxury level, taken care of if ill, and given access to a wide variety of “entertainments.”
The answer is to bureaucratically eliminate them. Removal all such clerics and their enablers from the institutional Church (even if and when they become teary-eyed and wail about “love).
Where were you and Angry Bob in the 70s and 80s when it WAS arguably a sex club? It hasn’t just now all of a sudden become one. The empty pews are because people covered up what was going on then, not what is going on now. You are twenty or thirty maybe forty years behind the times. Twenty or thirty years too late. We told you it was coming. The Boston Globe told you it was coming. You sat and did nothing. John Paul and Benedict sat and did nothing. Benedict is trying to clean things up, but instead of supporting his efforts, you take it all out on him instead of the Popes of the time. Why is that?
I meant to say that it is Francis (not Benedict) is trying to clean things up, and that people are taking decades of pent up frustration out on Francis, unfairly in my judgement.
The empty pews are because the liberalism infused hierarchy has so watered things down since Vatican 2 that the faith presentation is hardly differentiated from protestantism. What do you mean where was Christopher? Cal-catholic.com and its message board was not around back then. Apparently it was you personally who failed to reverse the tide of V2.
The American Church has been accelerating its decline in the last 20 years, since around the time John Paul started ailing and Benedict’s donctrinal crackdowns happened. You can’t blame the decline on liberalism. Well you can, but the facts don’t support your idea that V2 is to blame.
Actually they do, “Anonymous.” In fact, every fact shows the destructive effect of both VII and its implementation on the institutional Church (the True Faith Church is perfect). Virtually the entirety of its statistical profile has catastrophically declined, and may soon be entirely eliminated. Moreover, we now have a globally ignorant Church population, where few, almost none, recognize or accept basic tenets of the Faith (e.g., such as the Real Presence, the immortality of the Soul, and the reality of Hell). The Pope may well be among these people that see the Church as a social tool, not one of salvation. Catholic Tradition is the only way.
NONE of that has anything to do with Vatican II. And the scandals befalling the Church began decades before the Council.
Yes, and the men and their progeny involved in them engineered V2 to legitimize themselves and their liberalism throughout the Catholic world. It was a hostile takeover. As Marx said, “there is nothing but the revolution.” You are blocked from understanding what is going on right before your eyes (or you agree with it).
Father Fessio is a REAL DEAL Jesuit……as is Father Mitch Pacwa, Father Spitzer and the wonderful new Rector of St. Patrick;s Seminar here in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Father George Schultze!!!
Right on!
Great! But the Jesuit order should still be dissolved.
Elizabeth is so correct in what she says. We are blessed to have these outstanding priests that she mentions in her comment. We need to pray for more priests like these dedicated men/priests. Please keep them in your prayers.
While he was Pope, Benedict XVI cautioned that the Church in the future may well be smaller but more faithful.
I find Father Fessio’s statements a slight bit over the line of arrogance. It’s fine to say that the Pope should answer Vigano, but to say things like “be a man” is just not the way a priest should refer to a Pontiff, IMO. The Pope IS a man. He doesn’t need Fessio’s affirmation for that to be true, and he certainly doesn’t deserve to have his masculinity attacked because of a disagreement about how to handle a particular situation.
I can see the scribes and Pharisees saying that to Jesus.
I’m sure you can see that.
Anonymous,
Fr. Fessio did say that his words sounded a lot worse in print than they did when he spoke them. I suspect his voice intonations cause this phrase to appear non-dramatic.
I’d welcome his retraction, Steve. Where can I find it?
Anonymous,
Right after the quote in question, the article states, “The publisher-priest told LifeSiteNews that he meant no disrespect for the Pope by saying this. Fessio observed that words said in conversation look “worse” in print but defended his opinions.”
So where is his retraction? His apology? His request that Lifesite News and CCD not emblazon his words (in writing) in 36 point type headlines? Who is he to decide whether casting aspersions upon the Pope’s masculinity is worse in print than in speech? He should “be a man” and own up to the damage his words have caused by giving a full throttle apology and request that they be taken down by good Catholic websites.
Anonymous,
If I understand Fr. Fessio correctly, he gave a clarification, so an apology isn’t necessary. Also, he doesn’t have control over what editors and publishers do with his words unless it’s Ignatius Press or Catholic World Report. Am I missing something?
I still think an apology is quite necessary. And if he knows his words are being taken out of context, I’m sure a few calls to CCD and Life Site News would get the article pulled.
Father Fessio is a natural promoter; very good at making remarks to make waves.
Ephebophilia—-put this word into your vocabulary. It is what psychologists call the attraction and older homosexual man has for a very young, often teenage, boy. Those involved often collect a porn library to help satisfy and increase their perversions.
It is the disorder that Liberace had. He died from AIDs.
More than 85% of the accused priests/bishops have epheophilia. Has Uncle Ted Cardinal McCarrick been defrocked yet? Don’t hold your breath—it will never happen, just as with Bishop Rembrandt Weakland.
Is it not far-fetched to think that Pope Francis might be outed?
Outed as what? Outed as a deeply spiritual Jesuit Christian? Outed as the Roman Pontiff? Outed as a person deserving of respect and obedience? Yes, it’s probably far fetched to think that the Roman Right will ever out Pope Francis as any of those things.
Actually, it was not 85%. That actual data is not available. Many priests who were accused of abuse were accused by both male and female victims and some were accused by both children and teens. And since many priests had multiple victims, that further complicates it. It is also complicated by the fact that there is no record for victims over 18.
As diocese open their files, we may be able to get a more accurate statistic. But until diocese start taking seriously unwanted sexual advances with adults and even those were consensual, we will not have a truly accurate assessment.
The Gay Mafia—https://spectator.org/monsignor-rossi-wuerls-gay-mafioso-at-the-basilica/
In order for so many homosexual predators to be elevated to bishop, Archbishop or Cardinal, it appears that they had to be known homosexuals.
bingo! That’s why the church is now for all intents and purposes a bureaucratic homosexual club. You think this all happened by accident? No way, it happened by design because they wanted the upper echelons of the hierarchy to be thoroughly gay for themselves. They knew, they chose, they promoted, they protected, they covered up all because of gay.
Could you name one?
Donald Trump
Bret Kavanaugh
Oh Lordy. The man wept with victimhood. A woman was nearly raped. Others might have been as well. And all he can do is cry like a baby for himself.
Anonymous– many of our American forefathers (and foremothers, too) — and Catholic forefathers (and foremothers), who lived before us, in the Church– both laymen and clerics!– were real mature men– (and women!) Many worked very hard, and stood up for and defended our great country, and great Church! And many shed their very blood– for all that we are blessed to have, today! Men like Ven. Abp. Fulton J. Sheen, were very great Churchmen– and great American patriots, too! And his devout Catholic parents, and grandparents, before him– with little education, yet possessing good Christian character, maturity— and Manhood!– in which Sheen was formed, from boyhood!
The whole problem is the misleading, overly-sensationalized title, to this article! A few words of Fr.
Fessio were taken from this interview– and used for a catchy title, to attract readers! Fr. Fessio was not challenging the manhood of the Pope! He was simply using a common expression, “be a man, answer the questions!” “Let’s hear your reply to Vigano’s accusations!” Nothing wrong with that!
It was a line at the end of a CNN article where there was a lot of speculation about Pope Francis and Pope Benedict. LIfesitenews picked up on it. Father Fessio expressed regret for it.
I think it is wrong. I think we have so brainwashed by the confessional culture (arguably started by Oprah Winfrey, that people think they have a right to whatever information they want. People want the “allegations are always true” attitude because they are impatient and judgemental. We have lost our sense of decency and fairness and our belief that people are to be considered innocent until proven guilty.
This “assume, attack, judge and convict then stone them to death if they dare try to defend themselves” culture has mainly been brought on by feminist, secularist and other factions that want more power than they have. And like any entity that wants power they don’t care who they hurt to get it. Get out of their way or they will destroy you.