Suppose We Had a "Liberal" Pope

Fr. Schall does it again -- in this recent article he asks the question, just what would happen if the Church was led by a "liberal" [heterodox] Pope, and did not have the protection of the Holy Spirit to prevent contradiction with the established deposit of faith?

Such people do not understand that the only claim the Church has to our belief is its faithful consistency to the deposit of faith, which it did not somehow "make up" by itself. Once this position is internally and intrinsically undermined–as it would be if the Church approved these things–it would have absolutely no claim to anyone’s belief, or even anyone’s taking it seriously.

Under the rubric of the advent of a "liberal" pope, we have, in fact, the desire that the authority of the papacy to credibility be itself eliminated. This is what is at stake in the election of a pope. We should not doubt it.

Really, I agree that Schall's words are right on, but I think they point to something even deeper in the psyche of the liberals clammoring for "change" -- those whose deepest desire is to make the Church "liberal" don't want a Church at all. They could care less about the Church losing it's claim on our belief, no matter what twaddle they screech at us about their supposed "love" for the Church.

But then again, that's the kicker ain't it? It is an utter contradiction for most of them to try to be both Catholic and anti-Catholic. For all logical purposes, these people should want nothing to do with the Church. And yet they still want Her. The Holy Spirit calls each soul to Himself, no matter who they are or what they profess... for all their earthly pilgrimage, He never gives up hope for their return to His Love.

And so, perhaps deep down, in the hidden recesses of the heart, even deeper than the hatred of the Truth the Church proclaims, is a tiny voice crying out for God. It is this, perhaps, that senses the need for the Church, but is so buried in disordered decisions and desires that it twists its understanding of its need for the Church into incoherence.

Our hearts are restless, until they rest in Thee
~St. Augustine