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Church Politics Are Stupid

I just saw a headline from one of those "real" Catholic sites that said, "Cardinal Who Backs Progressives..." to present such-and-such. It's Cardinal Schonborn. You could present me with pages and pages of his most troubling statements, and I wouldn't care. That is, I wouldn't worry. Ratzinger was known as a liberal once. Wojtyla, too. "But what about..." Blah, blah, blah. If you know the truth, and love the truth, you don't have to worry about what someone else does, or doesn't do. Make yourself useful, and share your life and words with someone who has no idea. We have bad bishops in every single country, in every century. What else is new?

What I will say to you about beloved Cardinal Schonborn is that his Christology, called "God Sent His Son," is beautiful. You should read it. I dare you to think a bad thought after reading that, but don't. All that is to say, you may not know what you think you know, about him, or anyone. And even if the worst of what you think you know is true, he needs your prayers more than anything else.

What is the utility of treating the Church like a presidential campaign? When all is said and done, we won't have the time to be "concerned" about whatever is supposed to represent the triumph of the evil modernists, or whomever. If I can imagine the worst heretic drowning in the blessing of God, enjoying perfect happiness, and I can pray for that, I have done the best thing. You want to get militant? Do that.

I will say that it concerns me more that separated brethren view the prominence of certain "progressives" as some sort of indicator, whether they welcome or mourn it. Anything that persuades a Protestant that they should stay where they are is a bad thing. This is the Church Christ founded. If you love Jesus, you can count on the fact that He is calling you to be visibly and sacramentally one with us. That's politics of a better sort.
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