Romanita in the Denver Register

Cdl. McCarrick was, explicitly, a "middle-of-the-roader." He told a story about JPII which seemed to justify his position, doctrinally. He was wrong, of course. It became clear that Rome had had enough of this guy when McCarrick reported the contents of a letter from Cdl. Ratzinger ONE way--and the actual letter was "mysteriously" released through the Italian press, showing that McCarrick had, ah, lied about its actual contents.

Well. Now comes George Weigel, who writes a clearly unflattering column about the Cardinal, which is published in the Denver (Catholic) Register. (HT Gerald)

This, Cardinal McCarrick suggested, was how priests and bishops ought to act — sticking to the “middle,” in order to be in touch with everyone. Or, as he told National Public Radio, “the job of a priest always forces you to the middle...We’ve got to be in the middle so that we don’t let those on the left or the right get lost.”

...Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ of God or he isn’t; Mohammed is the final Prophet or he isn’t; you can’t split the difference at the fifty-yard line. Is the “ancient dogmatic formula” which attests to “Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord” true? Or is it false? To stand in the center of the aisle and claim to be in communion of mind and heart with people who both affirm and deny that formula is to confess to severe intellectual confusion.

This column was published in a Diocesan newspaper, meaning that the approval of the Bishop was expressed or implied.

This is one form of Romanita; an indirect but clear rebuke. Well-deserved, I will add.