A Consistory for Inconsistent Cardinals (2)

The first article showed that Pope Francis's choice of cardinals focused on the appointment of rather bland or characterless personalities. The new batch does not outshine those who have already received the red biretta since the start of his pontificate.

The Remnant Newspaper's Australian correspondent Kathy Clubb also laments Francis' criteria for cardinal appointments, citing specific examples:

“The only African bishop to receive the red hat this time [Jean-Paul Vesco, 62, Archbishop of Algiers] is one who broke ranks with his brother bishops to endorse the blessings of same-sex couples.

“Thus the largely pro life and pro family African bishops will suffer the same fate as their western counterparts who, while far more liberal, are missing the elusive status of victimhood which only the pontiff can discern. [Editor’s note: There is another African bishop on the list of new cardinals: Ignace Bessi Dogbo, 63, Archbishop of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire.]

“While some of the appointments, like that of Timothy Radcliffe, show an obvious pro-gay bias, others appear to be random favours bestowed by a capricious monarch: the Syro-Malabar travel agent [the journalist is referring to George Jacob Koovakad, 51, an official in the Secretariat of State who organizes papal trips]; the environmental activist from Tehran [Dominique Mathieu, 61]; the Indonesian Moslem apologist [Paskalis Bruno Syukur, already resigned]; the elderly nuncio who will never vote in Conclave and who is so sick that he may not live to receive his red biretta [Angelo Acerbi, 99].”

Cleaning Up Fr. Radcliffe's Biography

On LifeSiteNews on October 7, Michael Haynes reports that the biographical sketch of future Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe O.P. has undergone some serious cleaning up, particularly with regard to his statements in favor of homosexuals in the Church.

The American journalist writes: “For Catholics surprised by the inclusion of the English Dominican among the College of Cardinals and keen to find out more about him, the priest’s Wikipedia entry will prove insufficient due to its judicious pruning over the last two years.

“This editing notably occurred while Radcliffe rose to a renewed prominence in the Church, due to Francis having appointing him as a member of, and retreat preacher for, the Synod on Synodality. [...]

“The article has been edited a significant number of times since August 2022, which was when the last entry documenting Radcliffe’s promotion of LGBT issues was posted. The now-archived web listing notes that Radcliffe was a celebrant at the notorious LGBT Masses in Soho, London; this is absent in the current listing. [...]

“In contrast, the current listing for Radcliffe presents – on the subject of homosexuality – an isolated quotation from a 2012 article in which he stated that the Catholic Church ‘does not oppose gay marriage. It considers it to be impossible.’ While this line appears to defend Catholic teaching, Radcliffe argued in the same article that:

“‘This is not to denigrate committed love of people of the same sex. This too should be cherished and supported, which is why church leaders are slowly coming to support same-sex civil unions. The God of love can be present in every true love.’”

Michael Haynes further notes, “Prior to the exhortation’s publication [Amoris Laetitia], Radcliffe wrote in 2013 that he had ‘two profound hopes.’ They were: ‘That a way will be found to welcome divorced and remarried people back to communion. And, most important, that women will be given real authority and voice in the church.

“The pope expresses his desire that this may happen, but what concrete form can it take? He believes that the ordination of women to the ministerial priesthood is not possible, but decision-making in the church has become ever more closely linked to ordination in recent years. Can that bond be loosened? Let us hope that women may be ordained to the diaconate and so have a place in preaching at the Eucharist. [...]’”

It was with these ideas that Fr. Radcliffe preached, at the Pope's request, the two preparatory retreats for the Synod sessions of 2023 and 2024. And it was with such ideas that this British Dominican was created a Cardinal by Francis on December 7.