Thursday, January 14, 2010

Breaking the cardinal rules of ecclesial courtesy: His Eminence Christoph Schonborn visits Medjugorge without informing the local bishop

This is the subject of my next post which will follow later this evening or tomorrow morning. It has little to do with his, my or your attitude to the Medjugorge phenonenon and everything to do with simple good manners, which for some reason Cardinal Schonborn decided he needn't observe. Why? Surely not because the Pope asked him to go and have a private 'look'. Even if he had, I doubt he would have wanted statements made during a homily given at Mass, which would exacerbate the present sensitive situation. In any case I read somewhere that Cardinal Ruini had been put in charge of 'looking into' the matter. Even the Holy Father himself does not, and would not, go anywhere without first being invited or expressing a desire to go, and this is as much the result of the innate courtesy of Pope Benedict, as it is of his observance of an unwritten ecclesial code of conduct.

More later as promised.

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