00 24/02/2015 14:44


Two days ago, Beatrice posted an alert on her website, benoit-et-moi.fr, about a new book by Cardinal Robert Sarah published in France entitled Dieu ou rien {God or nothing), and posted an image of the book cover that came with the publisher's blurb.

The cover said the Preface to the book was written by Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. To her surprise, she got a note from a Fayard editor claiming that the published book does not contain any such
Preface and provided the photo of the new (and actual) book cover...
(See banner above for the two cover versions.]

Obviously, a preface had been written by Benedict XVI and had been planned to be used in the book, otherwise, the book cover sayign so would never have been designed or used for pre-publicity. Why the Preface was withdrawn is a mystery. What 'politically correct' thinking at Fayard prevailed that deemed it would be unwise to use a Preface by the Pope emeritus on a new book?

One hopes Cardinal Sarah will thresh this out with his publishers - and more importantly, allow the public to see the Preface that Benedict XVI had written.

Rorate caeli had this item about the book:

Cardinal Sarah:
'To detach doctrine from pastoral practice is heresy'
and the African Church will firmly oppose it
RORATE CAELI
February 21, 2015

French publishing house Fayard is publishing a book-length interview with one of the most impressive Cardinals in the College, the ecently-named Prefect for Divine Worship, Cardinal Robert Sarah. ng"

Dieu ou rien has the very interesting subtitle "Entretien sur la foi" (Conversation on faith), which certainly calls to mind the groundbreaking book-interview of another Cardinal published three decades ago -- ]g]Rapporto sulla fede with Vittorio Messori, published in English as The Ratzinger Report and published in French as Entretiens sur la foi.

From its presentation by French magazine Famille Chrétienne, we find the following remarkable extract of Cardinal Sarah's words on a concept that is absolutely central in the current debate initiated from the very top of the hierarchy that is shredding the Church in pieces:
The idea that would consist in placing the Magisterium in a nice box by detaching it from pastoral practice -- which could evolve according to the circumstances, fads, and passions -- is a form of heresy, a dangerous schizophrenic pathology. I affirm solemnly that the Church of Africa will firmly oppose every rebellion against the teaching of Christ and the Magisterium.
The item ends with the note that French blogger Yves Daoudal had commented on the book cover ?F abracadabra.

I do not know if Cardinal Sarah gave the inerview before he was named to head the CDW , but since he came from being president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, he gave it as a ranking Curial official. One must salute Cardinal Sarah for saying what he did in no uncertain terms, even if he does not name any 'villains'. The reference is nonetheless obvious to the current trend in what some critical websites have started to call the 'FrancisChurch' and which I have been calling 'the church of Bergoglio' (because I do not want to associate the name Francis with an ersatz church that seeks to replace the Church of Christ faithfully loved, served and upheld by the great saints Francis of Assisi, Francis Xavier, and Francis de Sales).

One can only pray that, for speaking truth to pwoer, Cardinal Sarah will not get the Burke treatment from the Pope, the rest of the Vatican and the FOF media.

Father Z blogged earlier more extensively on what Cardinal Sarah says in the book regarding the overall thinking in the African Church regarding the current attempt to 'detach' doctrine from pastoral practice.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 24/02/2015 14:57]