Smear Campaign Against Cardinal Pell?

Catholics disappointed over the thwarted plans regarding Cardinal Pell - as illustrated by some of our recent news links...

Cardinal Pell expected to be named prefect of the Congregation for Bishops [5/5]

Cardinal Pell rumored to have declined Congregation for Bishops position [6/11]

Fears of negative publicity resulting from false allegations against Cardinal Pell by a career criminal in 2002 may have thwarted plans for a position in the Congregation for Bishops [6/14]

...may be interested to know that Telegraph Blogs Editor, Damian Thompson, believes Cardinal Pell has been the victim of "a smear campaign endorsed by certain bishops, especially Italian ones, who are desperate to stop Pell cleaning up what are in effect the 'rotten boroughs' of their dioceses." Writing "with some urgency", Mr. Thompson has found fault with both reasons provided (ill health, a false abuse allegation), claiming that the real reason is that "Cardinal Pell’s message to the bishops would be: 'Sorry, gentlemen, but this is not a job for life. You must exhibit evangelical dynamism and obedience to the Holy Father - and, if you don’t, then there are holy priests ready to take your place.' Hence this foul campaign." He also claims that "Not since the election of Benedict XVI has an appointment so horrified the smug, lazy, liberal establishment in the Vatican and the dioceses."

[6/16]

A "sneaky campaign"?

Damian Thompson, Telegraph Blogs Editor, says there is a "sneaky campaign in liberal circles (especially in America and in parts of Europe)" to associate the TLM with cases of abuse by priests. He says he has "been aware of it for some time" and says that the "heyday" of abuse "genuinely did coincide with a period when the Tridentine Mass was effectively banned." In support of his assertion of a 'sneaky campaign', he mentions the "appalling letter" of Cardinal Hoyos and a subsequent attempt to make an association between the Cardinal's "liturgical style and his attitude towards paedophilia" as well as a case involving a deacon in France who is "well known in English traditionalist circles." He even insinuates that Pope Benedict might not have been as well defended as he should have been because of the Holy Father's traditional liturgical preferences. Mr. Thompson closes by pointing out that "some of the most notorious abusers in recent Catholic history have been diehard liturgical trendies whose crimes coincided with a period when if it felt good, you just did it, and that included monkeying around with the Mass"

Related: The Traditional Latin ('Tridentine') Mass vs. the New (Novus Ordo) Mass

[5/25]

Various parties come to Pope Benedict's defense

In the wake of recent articles attempting to vilify Pope Benedict in abuse scandals, various parties have come to the Holy Father's defense. For example...

* Damian Thompson speaks of a "hit job" and says "[Cardinal] Ratzinger was part of the solution, not the problem". Mr. Thompson also indicated that he smells something "fishy" about the NY Times story concerning the Wisconsin priest, Fr. Lawrence Murphy. He states: "Murphy? Guilty as hell. Various bishops? Likewise. But the fact that in 1996 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger may have approved the decision not to pursue complex canonical procedures against Murphy on the grounds that the guy was dying anyway doesn’t strike me as much of a smoking gun. I do, however, get the very strong feeling that the Pope’s enemies, including his enemies in the Church, are trying desperately hard to discover serious complicity on his part in a child abuse case. Because that would be just so convenient, wouldn’t it?"

* Archbishop Vincent Nichols said: "What of the role of Pope Benedict? When he was in charge of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith he led important changes made in church law: the inclusion in canon law of internet offences against children, the extension of child abuse offences to include the [abuse] of all under 18, the case by case waiving of the statue of limitation and the establishment of a fast-track dismissal from the clerical state for offenders. He is not an idle observer. His actions speak as well as his words."

* Catholic League president Bill Donohue said: "I am taking advantage of every TV opportunity to set the record straight. The pope is a great man, and the Catholic League is proud to stand by him."

[3/26]

Scottish Bishops "Secretly Wish" Pope Wasn't Coming?

The Blogs Editor of the Telegraph Media Group suspects that Scottish bishops may "secretly wish" the Holy Father wasn't visiting. Although he admits it may seem "a crazy suspicion to harbour", he cites one "church source" that says "They want an easy life, and Benedict spells trouble for them. They are wedded to the outdated and discredited liturgical practices of the 70s and all that spurious inclusiveness." The source says to "Expect a polyester-style folk liturgy which will put Scotland to shame after what happens south of the border."

[1/13]

USCCB's website: Some good news

The Blogs Editor of the Telegraph Media Group recently did a "little experiment" when he was bored. He searched the website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales for the keywords "environment" and "sin". He found 28 matches for "environment" and only six for "sin". Repeating his experiment on the U.S. bishops' (USCCB) website...

"Results for: environment Document count: environment (2757)"

"Results for: sin Document count: sin (3935)"

Now there's some good news, huh?

[12/18]

Stinging review of new album featuring the Pope's voice

Damian Thompson, Blogs Editor of the Telegraph Media Group, has published a stinging review of the new album featuring the Pope's voice. He calls the album "the worst CD I’ve heard for many years" and says it "transcends is every consideration of good taste." He claims it "seems like the most terrible indignity to visit on the Successor of Peter, to say nothing of the Blessed Virgin Mary" and says the "prevailing musical flavour of the album" is "Catholicism as imagined by Hollywood." He closes his article with the following criticism: "The Catholic Church may have abolished the Inquisition, but it still knows the meaning of torture."

Although observers have praised the Pope's voice, the album has generated some controversy over its label and over its use of "composers, producers and musicians includ[ing] (so-called) Christians of various denominations, a Muslim and nonbelievers" in songs to Our Lady. The album is scheduled to be released on November 30.

[11/16]