On the Feast of the Epiphany, by ancient English Tradition the Sovereign's representative offers in the Chapel Royal (Catharine of Aragon's Tudor Chapel right inside the Palace of S James, where the Chapel Royal functions in the Winter months; not in Henrietta Maria's Inigo Jones masterpiece whither the Capella Regia migrates at Easter) gifts of GOLD, Incense, and Myrrh
In 2018, Cardinal Mueller said in an Interview:
"The biggest danger to the Pope these days are those opportunists, careerists, and false friends who are concerned not for the good of the Church, but for their own financial interests and self-advancement."
Nod nod ... ... hint hint ... ...
Then there were the episodes which took place when Cardinal Pell was tasked with having a look at the Vatican finances. I remember being told by a friendly curial insider that there had been dicasteries which had not been on talking terms for decades, but were brought together in amity by their shared detestation of Pell.
Money! There's money, Cardinal Mueller revealed to us, in being a Bergoglian! I had thought the naughty fellows were disinterestedly clustered in the Bergogliosphere simply out of mere pravitas innata haeretica. What an ex-Anglican simpleton I was!! They were after Money!!
Gold! How does one secure a share in it? Does one get in touch with the Papal Almoner? Would he provide me with a nice golden chalice and paten ... baroque ... putti crawling all over it ... you know the sort of thing ...
What a magnificent pontificate this has been in terms of skilful PR! Remember the story (too ben trovato to be true?) of Cardinal Hoummous, after the successful ballot, saying to Bergoglio "Don't forget the poor". And PF deftly assumed the name of the Poverello ... to show that he still ... had not forgotten the poor.
The Peripheries!! That must be where they keep the money!
In hindsight, it seems curiously coincidental that Cardinal Pell's attempt to reform the Church's finances was followed by a) non-cooperation from the Curia b) attacks on Pell c) the Pope insisting Pell must retire because he was 'too old' (though five years younger than the Pope), and then d) the scurrilous accusation of child abuse.
ReplyDelete