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Cardinals Slam Isolated Pope's 'Errors'

Recent decisions fuel rare discord

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 22, 2009 9:35 AM CST

(Newser) – In an unusual public display of church disharmony, cardinals are pushing back against the pope for being out of touch as controversies swirl over recent decisions, the Times of London reports. The pope spends too much of his day in solitude with his books, critics charge. “People feel that the pope is governing in a very monarchical way,” said a Vatican analyst. “He fails to consult bishops and he has isolated himself by ignoring advice.”

Benedict XVI recently sparked an uproar by revoking the excommunication of a bishop who has denied that Nazi gas chambers existed. The move prompted a German cardinal to cite “misunderstandings and management errors” in the Vatican. Dissatisfied after a meeting with the pope, an Austrian cardinal called a gathering of bishops who urged “scrupulousness” and “sensitivity” from the Vatican.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Pope Benedict XVI, center, meets cardinals in the Clementine hall at the Vatican yesterday. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano)

Pope Benedict XVI gestures from his popemobile as he is driven around St. Peter's Square during the weekly general audience at the Vatican last week. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

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The Pope believes he doesn’t need to take account of public opinion. The atmosphere around him is that he mustn’t be disturbed by criticism
or visitors. - Vatican analyst Marco Politi

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 6 comments

mak

Feb 23, 2009 6:41 AM CST

I agree. I think he's unravelling a lot of the good that JPII did.

Shannonals

Feb 23, 2009 12:11 AM CST

Not one Pope has been uptodate with todays problems. You have to change with the time, but the Church isn't willing to do that

Guest

Feb 21, 2009 11:59 PM CST

I'm not Catholic, but I respect Catholic's right to organization and to their pope. That said, I cannot believe that most Catholics are in agreement with this man. He's a huge step down from the last pope and is bringing Catholocism into the spotlight in a totally negative way.

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Cardinals Slam Isolated Pope's 'Errors'