Vicar of the Zeitgeist Revisited
By Christopher Ferrara
Recently I was informed that one reader of my article “Vicar of the Zeitgeist” has denounced it as “an uneducated rant.” The word “rant” is commonly abused by critics of a point of view who are unable to marshal rational arguments against it and so resort to mischaracterizing its rhetorical tenor. Words like “uneducated” add a gratuitous ad hominem element to the charge. But to present hard facts about the conduct of this pontificate thus far is not to engage in ranting, and neither is appropriately mordant commentary on the same stupefying facts. The ranting, rather, is on the part of those who are infuriated by the messenger. The accusation of ranting is itself a rant.
That said, a deeper dive into what Pope Leo said during his airborne press conference—the immediate provocation for what I wrote—seems useful for demonstrating the gravity of our situation beyond all caviling objections. For if words have meaning, we can see clearly in these remarks that Leo intends to advance to the bitter end the “legacy of Vatican II,” which in practice has proven to be nothing other than a continuation of what Paul VI lamented too late in his December 7, 1968 address to the Pontifical Lombard Seminary at Rome: “The Church is in a disturbed period of self-criticism, or what would better be called self-demolition. It is an acute and complicated upheaval which nobody could have expected after the Council.” But not even Paul VI could have envisioned the degree of “self-demolition” we are witnessing today.
What Leo Said
Let us first recall what Leo, ridiculous microphone in hand, extemporized on his return to Rome from Africa:
First of all, I think it’s very important to understand that the unity or division of the Church should not revolve around sexual matters. We tend to think that when the Church is talking about morality, that the only issue of morality is sexual. And in reality, I believe there are much greater, more important issues, such as justice, equality, freedom of men and women, freedom of religion, that would all take priority before that particular issue. The Holy See has already spoken to the German bishops.
The Holy See has made it clear that we do not agree with the formalized blessing of couples, in this case, homosexual couples, as you asked, or couples in irregular situations, beyond what was specifically, if you will, allowed for by Pope Francis in saying all people receive blessings.
When a priest gives a blessing at the end of Mass, when the Pope gives a blessing at the end of a large celebration like the one we had today, they are blessings for all people. Francis’ well-known expression ‘Tutti, tutti, tutti’ is an expression of the Church’s belief that all are welcome; all are invited; all are invited to follow Jesus, and all are invited to look for conversion in their lives.
To go beyond that today, I think that the topic can cause more disunity than unity, and that we should look for ways to build our unity upon Jesus Christ and what Jesus Christ teaches. So that’s how I would respond to that question.
A Congeries of Confusion
One could write an entire book on this mixture of category confusion, the fallacy of the false dichotomy, and just plain pandering to popular sentiment typical of a politician rather than a Vicar of Christ. Sexual morality is obviously intimately bound up with justice, equality, and true freedom in society, all of which are radically compromised by sexual license, whose effects on both individuals and social order are devastating. That a Vicar of Christ would cabin off “sexual matters” from “much greater, more important issues” is nothing short of horrifying. Indeed, it is a sign that the ecclesial crisis must have reached its terminal phase when a Roman Pontiff is apparently unable to see the implications for justice and freedom of the sexual depravity of an entire civilization. And this we can say without any suggestion of malice on the part of the Pope.
