Father Bux: ‘There Is Turmoil in the College of Cardinals’

Edward Pentin, veteran Rome correspondent, has published an interview he had with Father Nicola Bux, a respected theologian and former consultor to both the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Mgsr Bux is a priest of the Archdiocese of Bari and a professor of eastern liturgy and sacramental theology.

The purpose of this interview is to assess the seriousness of the existential crisis in the Catholic Church at present and to examine what it potentially means for all of us going forward.

Mgsr Bux' assessment is, unsurprisngly, not particularly comforting. Although, there are, perhaps, glimmers of hope.

Father Bux says. “Half of the cardinal electors and many bishops are convinced we cannot go on this way and change is needed to put the Church in order if she is to remain Catholic — there is turmoil in the College of Cardinals, as there is among the priests,” he explains, and adds: “The ecclesial body is waking up from a state of anesthesia.”

Father Bux makes it clear that the forces that influenced Pope Benedict XVI's abdication are still in play and, indeed, are stronger today than ever.

Any assessment of the way forward requires an analysis of who would support a Catholic candidate for the papacy and who would support a progressive candidate. A proper assessment needs to take into account the reality that the institutions that until recently knew and could influence such an event today (Opus Dei, Communion and Liberation) have been downsized.

Similarly, Mgsr Bux notes: "one cannot imagine how a new pontiff will be able to rely on the current hierarchy and curia, or on all those who have roles in Church structures (think only of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences) that will not be easily changed any time soon." - this is an important acknowledgement of the real structural damage that has been done by Jorge Bergoglio perhaps most obvious in the Pontifical Acamdemy for Marriage and Family Life.

Evidence of the changes is put into stark relief by Mgsr Bux's remark that a consultant to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, he recognised that in Pope Francis’ apostolic letter, he created a new category of saints and blesseds, and secularised the calendar. This is nothing short of "sanctification of political or economic ideologies considered exemplary".

This coincides with a general drift under Francis to promote secular ideas over Catholic ones.

Father Bux puts it like this:

"the Church has ceased to primarily defend traditional values (life, family, birth, heroic virtues…) but rather ecology, sustainable development, migration, etc., creating a system of umbilical relations with those advocating these values. This has changed the structure of international foreign relations. It will not be child’s play for the new pontificate to deal with this."

Is there any hope of a restoration?

"...the Church is riddled with apostasy, the precursor to schism: from the German synodical way, “lacking a coherent ecclesiological vision,” to the appointment of bishops who make puzzling statements because they often do not even have a theological bachelor’s degree, there is a disdain for theology and philosophy, not least because on more than one occasion the pope has directed very harsh words toward academia and professors of theology, especially toward those considered too anchored in tradition (coining for them the term “indietrists” and “indietrism”). Thus, for example in the liturgical sphere, they took him for a ride, “some professors of the Ateneo Sant’Anselmo” who “manipulated” the data of the survey of bishops about the implementation of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum."

A factual statement about the motu proprio which any thinking Catholic recognises as self-harming to the Church and utterly unjust. Interesting to hear this particular comment from Father Bux!

Despite all this, Francis claims Pope Benedict XVI supported everything he did! Father Bux says "rather than lending faith to Francis’ statements, it is better to stick to the facts." - in other words, Pope Francis is a liar! 

He continues...

"Francis said that he loves criticism from those who speak to his face. This is not true. In fact, he does not respond to those who speak to him, even politely, as seen with the Dubia of the four cardinals, to which, in any case, sooner or later, he or his successor will have to respond. Thus, Müller can rightly observe, “anyone who raises constructive criticism is accused of making opposition, of being an enemy of Francis.”

I do not believe that Bergoglio is swayed by “fraudulent” advisers, but by “courtiers” who pander to him in what he thinks and likes to hear. Notice how, as quickly as he becomes infatuated with a bishop and appoints him a cardinal [i.e. Cardinal Giorgio Marengo whom he first met only a few days before announcing his elevation to the Sacred College], he becomes disenchanted with him and casts him out [i.e. Cardinal Angelo Becciu whom he elevated to cardinal and two years later dismissed him because of unproven allegations of corruption]. Not to mention former associates of Francis, such as Enzo Bianchi, who came out with broken bones."

Can it be resolved?

"Certainly half of the cardinal electors and many bishops are convinced we cannot go on this way and change is needed to put the Church in order if she is to remain Catholic. There is turmoil in the College of Cardinals, as there is among the priests: the ecclesial body is waking up from a state of anaesthesia."

Let's hope so!