by Anura Guruge
on April 14, 204
The legality and ‘properness’ of this French verdict means didly.
This is getting publicity and it hurts his image, reputation & credibility.
Two key factors also at play here. TOO CLOSE to the conclave & just as he is turning 80.
It is conceivable that he might have been able to overcome this setback IF it had happened 4 years ago.
France is a MAJOR Catholic country and we cannot have a new pope who has been FINED by a French court.
This is ALSO a major blow to I — though I appreciate that none of you care about that.
Ouellet was one of my TOP papabili picks (just like he had been in 2011).
Now I had to go and redo the WHOLE list.
But, it is good for another of my favorites, U.S. Cardinal Wilton Gregory. He is now at #3! Wow. O’Malley is another favorite.
I do feel bad for Ouellet. He always seemed to be so much in control. Getting involved in this seems like a mistake. I can’t say I understand all the nuances, but it would appear that he was outside of his jurisdiction.
The French government (do note that Ouellet is French CANADIAN and not French) has been adversarial to the Catholic Church since the 18th century when it confiscated all church real estate…the secular state likes being bossy.
Meanwhile,Cardinal Rubiano Saenz died today…and checking his predecessors and successors in the see,it turns out that for all his indifference to precedent in Venice,Turin,and the like,Pope Francis has kept up the streak that every Archbishop of Bogota since 1950 has gotten the red hat (the incumbent got one in September despite having two living predecessors).
I told you before, PLEASE don’t bother to tell me about the deaths of non-electors. I don’t give a monkey’s. Non electors hold NO interest to I, whatsoever. Just a bunch of impotent, old men. Please. I have real work to do.
Oh… Francis gets paid drug money from Bogota. Any other questions?