BENEDICT XVI: NEWS, PAPAL TEXTS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY

Thank you, Teresa, for translating and including that article by Mons. Bruno Forte, Abp. of Chieti-Vasto. What a warm and heartfelt tribute to Benedict XVI it is!

It is especially gratifying to see it coming from Abp. Forte, who, on some occasions in the past, has let his opposition to Benedict's initiatives be known, especially regarding Summorum Pontificum. Because of this, and because I have heard it speculated that this Holy Father would not have given consideration to Abp. Forte's translation to either Milan or Venice, since he does not hold him in high regard as a theologian, I have wondered how the relationship between the two stood. Surely Abp. Forte cannot be unaware of what others have said about him and the Pope.

Well, here is our answer. He lays blame squarely on the journalists who have failed in their responsibilities. He highlights how strongly the faithful are rallying to support the Holy Father, and most incisively, he gives a keen assessment of the Pope's strength, evangelical wisdom, and holy reliance on the divine assistance, such as we could have hoped would have been forthcoming from some of the Pope's closer associates in the Curia. Instead, we have Abp. Forte to thank for saying what needed to be said. God bless him.



Dear 'Fieschi-Adorno",

Welcome to the Forum! I must say I was struck by the nick, which sounds like it came out of 'Simone Boccanegra' (almost), but anyway, thank you for taking note of Mons. Forte's tribute. I confess that I debated whether to say anything in the post about his reported objections to Summorum Pontificum back when, because I would have had to research it (I generally prefer to forget negative actions and reacions against Benedict XVI) to get it right, and I did not have the time. Nor do I have the time just now to research Mons. Forte's theological positions. But I was very glad he wrote that editorial for Il Sole 24 Ore. Before him, only Cardinal Bagnasco had publicly expressed his support of the Pope over the Vatileaks furor (first as CEI president, in his opening remarks to the CEI spring assembly, and then as Archbishop of Genoa in his Corpus Domini homily); the often-overlooked Cardinal Angelo Comastri, Arch-Priest of St. Peter's Basilica who, in all these years, has been as prompt as Cardinal Bagnasco in publicly speaking up for the Pope during these intermittent media crises; and Cardinal Antonio Canizares, who writes his tributes for Spanish newspapers. (I don't count the 'duty interviews' with Cardinals Sodano and Bertone, and Mons. Becciu, because they were not spontaneous initiatives.)

TERESA