Cardinal Must Learn that Authority is a Two-Way Street

The refusal of Cardinals, Bishops, Priest and Laity to listen to the Church has a cost. Taken Cardinal Murphy O Connor’s public stand against Pope Benedict’s Motu Proprio. The Pope asked for the liberalization of the Latin Mass. And among the many affirmations, the Pope also heard many no’s -even publicly. This kind of thing has effects such as this letter concerning the Church’s stance on immigrants from the The Yorkshire Evening Post:

Just a quick point, it is the Church of England as well as the Catholic Church that seem to be dictating to us how we should welcome immigrants with open arms. Mr Selby and some Yorkshire Catholics who do not wish to embrace this option should follow the example of Bishop Arthur Roche and Cardinal Murphy O’Connor himself.

When Benedict XVI, whom many readers of this paper regard as Our Beloved Holy Father, issued the Motu Proprio regarding the freedom to celebrate the traditional Latin mass, our Bishop, Arthur Roche, and Cardinal Murphy O’Connor produced letters refuting this. I suggest Mr Selby follow their example and ignore them as they seem to be doing to their superior in religion and certainly in intelligence.

So while Cardinal Murphy O’ Connor receives plaudits for standing up to the Pope from his liberal buddies, he should know that his own authority is lessened by his act of rebellion.