Retired Archbishop Charles Chaput, the former archbishop of Philadelphia and Denver, lamented that within the Catholic Church currently no one can fill the places of the late Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal George Pell.
“Their absence is a very heavy loss because both men embodied articulate, faithful Christian intelligence in a remarkable way,” Chaput said. “No one in current Church leadership has the capacity to replace them. That will happen in time, but the talent bench at the moment seems pretty thin.”
The comments came in an interview with The Pillar, in which the archbishop touched upon the void in the Church’s hierarchy created by the deaths of the two prelates, as well as the dangers facing the Church with the “manipulation” involved in the Synod on Synodality, and some of the problems with the current pontificate.
Asked about the outcome of the three-year Synod on Synodality, Chaput warned against imprudence, manipulation, and dishonesty, saying, “About the outcome, I have no idea. About the process, I think it’s imprudent and prone to manipulation, and manipulation always involves dishonesty. The claim that Vatican II somehow implied the need for synodality as a permanent feature of Church life is simply false. The council never came close to suggesting that.”
The archbishop also called out the forced imposition of the topic of synodality during the 2018 synod in Rome as “manipulative and offensive.”
“I was a delegate to the 2018 synod, and the way ‘synodality’ was smuggled onto the agenda was manipulative and offensive. It had nothing at all to do with the synod’s theme of young people and the faith,” Chaput declared.
Asked about “re-emerging debate” in the Church regarding fundamental questions of morality, such as Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia and the Pontifical Academy for Life’s challenging of the principles laid out in Humanae Vitae, Veritatis Splendor, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Chaput lamented the destruction of the Academy for Life as an “insult” to the magisterium and legacy of John Paul II.
“Some of the changes over the past few years at the Pontifical Academy for Life and the John Paul II Institute have been imprudent and destructive,” the archbishop said. “In fact, the whole purpose of the institute that St. John Paul established has been turned upside down; a clear insult to his magisterium and legacy.”
Denouncing claims of the Academy that contradicting previous magisterial teachings can be a “development of doctrine,” Chaput declared, “There’s no fidelity in watering down or breaking with the substance of the documents you mention.”
The archbishop was asked about Pope Francis and his pontificate. Commenting on his Jesuit background, Chaput said, “It’s clear that Francis governs like a Jesuit superior general, top-down with little collaborative input.”
The archbishop did not shy away from pointing out that the Pope’s reliance on “his personal discernment” is made in preference to the time-tested wisdom of prior popes and the Church throughout the centuries.
“He seems to put much more emphasis on his personal discernment than on the discernment of past popes and the general discernment of the Church through the centuries,” Chaput remarked.
Regarding the doctrinal problems and questions that have surrounded the Francis pontificate, the archbishop warned that “turning serious doctrinal concerns into a personality debate is just a convenient way of evading the substantive issues that need to be addressed. It also shows a complete ignorance of Church history.”
“Popes come and go, even the great ones, just like bishops and everyday Christians,” Chaput insisted. “What matters, whatever the cost, is fidelity to Catholic teaching — and no excuses need to be offered in pursuing that….”
Full story on LifeSiteNews.
Thumbs up, Your Excellency!
God bless Abp. Chaput! He deserved the traditional Red Hat of a Cardinal, too, as Abp. of Philadelphia– but the pope didn’t give it, either to Chaput or L.A. Abp. Gomez. Instead, the heterodox/heretical, pro-LGBT McElroy was elevated to Bishop of San Diego– with a Red Hat, the first for the Diocese of San Diego. Most Cardinals, who help the Pope guide the Church, are Archbishops of major Archdioceses. Obviously, orthodoxy is unwanted by the current Pope. Worse– the heretical, pro-LGBT “McElroys” of the College of Cardinals– such as Cardinals Cupich, Hollerich, etc.– are wrecking the Church… and have the sole power to elect the next Pope, from one among them. Very sad.
The coward’s excuse. Nothing prevented him from speaking his mind previously, when he had more of an obligation to do so because of the office he held.
“The coward’s excuse,” Forgive my objection, but there has been a lot of coward-calling here at the forum by bloggers who have no intimate understanding of the person they call cowardly nor do they know, or so it seems, all the comments such prelates have made when in office. Had Abp. Chaput really been silent as you suppose, he may have received the Red Hat. But he did speak his mind while archbishop. Here is a sampling:
1. “Evil preaches tolerance until it is dominant, then it tries to silence good.”
2. “Tolerance is not a Christian value. Charity, justice, mercy, prudence, honesty–these are Christian values.” 3. “People who hold a classic understanding of sexuality, marriage, and family have gone in just twenty years from pillars of mainstream conviction to the media equivalent of racists and bigots,” and on Obama, 4. “The White House elected to power in November 2008 campaigned on compelling promises of hope, change, and bringing the nation together. The reality it delivered for eight years was rather different: a brand of leadership that was narcissistic, aggressively secular, ideologically divisive, resistant to compromise, unwilling to accept responsibility for its failures, and generous in spreading blame.”
These are not the words of a coward.
Just curious friend. Why aren’t you using your real name here?
Archbishop Chaput has spoken out all along for the truth, God bless him.
So grateful to have been confirmed by this wonderful ABP. when I entered the church as an adult. He retirement has left quite a large spot to fill as well.
That “free to speak his mind” ain’t in the article.
Are you referring to Archbishop Chaput as coward??? If so….you need to do your homework on the immensity of rich and articulate teaching that has come from this faithful Bishop. Then go to confession.
I think we do have some good bishops and cardinals that would make a great pipe. I’m thinking of Sarah, Strickland, himself and a few others
Bishop strickland posted this on his twitter.
This is why you always check the original content.
What he actually said: The Church will continue her work and her witness because she depends on no individual except Jesus Christ. But their absence is a very heavy loss because both men embodied articulate, faithful Christian intelligence in a remarkable way. No one in current Church leadership has the capacity to replace them. That will happen in time, but the talent bench at the moment seems pretty thin.
When I read that quote as it was presented in this article I wondered “Has he no faith?” Now you can see that he does.
As for the rest of us, Catholics serious about their faith instinctively respect and support the pope — any pope. But they expect a basic continuity in leadership, and they’re confused when there’s ambiguity at the top.
They left that quote out.
Click the link then click their link to The Pillar
Glad I checked the original source for this one.
Respect for the Holy Father is a demand both of Christian charity and filial loyalty. But it never requires servility or adulation. And I can’t imagine the Holy Father, as an experienced pastor, would want either. The American bishops have always been loyal — and candidly, very generous — to Rome, and that remains the case. Turning serious doctrinal concerns into a personality debate is just a convenient way of evading the substantive issues that need to be addressed. It also shows a complete ignorance of Church history. Popes come and go, even the great ones, just like bishops and everyday Christians. What matters, whatever the cost, is fidelity to Catholic teaching — and no excuses need to be offered in pursuing that.
I think we are seeing an uptick in criticism of Francis because there is a sense that his Pontificate is coming to an end. There has been a lot of damage done by this Pope whether purposely, accidentally or designed by others behind the scenes. There is a belief that this cannot go on. Francis has done much to ensure that his legacy will continue on and another like minded Pope will be elected but don’t discount the power of the Holy Spirit. In the end, God is the victor without a doubt.
I concur with all that Archbishop Chaput says. I thank God for his faithful priests. We are in dark times with a shadow over the magisterium that shakes the very foundation of the faith. It is a time when we must know that Jesus is still the head of his church, still the rock on which the foundation is built, and that he will not allow the gates of Hades to prevail. We must pray and be faithful to the authentic faith and look up because redemption draws near.
It can only be the devil that pretends that faithful clerics are pitted against the Pope.
Every faithful Catholic knows that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ.
He is mis-characterized, mis-quoted, quoted out of context, and just plain lied about.
To accuse Ab. Chaput of being a coward is to know nothing about the man. Chaput’s teaching the faith has been clear, consistent, and unambiguous. And when he had to call out people he did so. Like Pope Benedict he has been God’s light in the world. The greatest honour paid to Chaput was, ironically, paid by Pope Francis, when he told Ab Vigano, “We don’t need any more bishops like Chaput”. Regarding Ab Chaput’s article – I would say that he was wrong in not thinking Card. Muller, remains the last high ranking Prelate capable of taking on the woke generation of bishops including the Bishop of Rome. Let us pray for Muller.