This absolutely would've backfired (and did). But it's also easy to understand why they don't realize why it would backfire. These people don't believe in anything and think nobody else believes in anything either. But the cardinals are men of God and they believe in God. - ThreadSky

annenotation.bsky.social • 6 days ago

This absolutely would've backfired (and did). But it's also easy to understand why they don't realize why it would backfire. These people don't believe in anything and think nobody else believes in anything either. But the cardinals are men of God and they believe in God.

Reposted from Olga Nesterova

As Vatican mourned Pope Francis, US cons Catholics, led by Napa Inst, tried to influence next election by hosting events in Rome, offering $1B in donations for electing favorable pope
Their efforts, incl past attempts like the 2018 “Red Hat Report” targeting progressive cardinals, may have backfired

Comments

kvizitor.bsky.social•6 days ago

The funniest thing is that they tried to bribe with posh wine the officials of a church whose annual wine consumption volume is in a bunch of Olympic swimming pools ... 😶

annenotation.bsky.social•6 days ago

And like Cardinals individually are usually not very wealthy, but for God sakes they get invited to nice parties

boomies-n-zoomies.bsky.social•5 days ago

I don’t know how a cardinal could possibly spend anywhere close to that much money without it becoming a big issue for them.

walterwrona.bsky.social•6 days ago

I am honestly shocked. I know con Catholics do like to pal around with other US cons. But to try to pull crap like this?? And yes I'm sure it has happened before in the long history of the Church. Just didn't expect to see it done in modern times.

soexecutioner.bsky.social•6 days ago

There is corruption in the Catholic Church, but it is all pedophilia coverups being done by people who really believe they are defending the one true church, not the regular kind of corruption that’s just about getting kickbacks or a make work job for your nephew.

williameburns.bsky.social•6 days ago

No. There have been numerous scandals associated with the Vatican Bank.

rhysneedham.bsky.social•5 days ago

Scandals galore and a whole suite of conspiracy theories, too?

charlesxavier.bsky.social•6 days ago

This was one of Francis’ primary projects, trying to fix the finances of the Church. Though I think the majority of it has been gross incompetency instead of corruption.

soexecutioner.bsky.social•6 days ago

In big institutions, like churches and universities, the Pentagon it’s famously hard to keep track of the finances. In these cases it’s not unheard of for someone to get around to add up the finances, discover there’s no money, and that it was pure mismanagement

soexecutioner.bsky.social•6 days ago

I’m agreeing with you. When the institution is big enough, it’s kinda easy to lose all the money without someone having stolen it

charlesxavier.bsky.social•6 days ago

Especially since the people in charge of these institutions are not money people, and have no way to judge if someone is doing a good job.

annenotation.bsky.social•6 days ago

Benedict was more theologically conservative, but he was not elected because he did a lot of gladhanding; a big part of why he was elected was for the most traditional reason: by all accounts, he really didn't want it, but would serve if called to do it.

kanexan.bsky.social•6 days ago

He was also presenting in a more conservative way and appreciated/supported a lot of more conservative elements, like the Latin Mass, but in a number of ways - especially re: the abuse scandal - he was a significant improvement over JPII. But above all, he was a theologian.

kanexan.bsky.social•6 days ago

Benedict XVI had a lot of problems and we gotta acknowledge that, but he also had the unfortunate luck to be an introverted German theologian who didn't like the job, stuck between the two popes with the best press and most activity in the secular world as pope in centuries.

nairnmcnuel.bsky.social•6 days ago

He wouldn't have even been much of a Papabile if he hadn't accepted being the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Inquisition 2.0 Electric Boogaloo), which he wouldn't have of JPII hadn't asked him repeatedly for years.

nairnmcnuel.bsky.social•6 days ago

(I was about to write 'begged' but let's be serious John Paul II que the sin of hubris incarnate, he would've never begged anyone for anything.)

annenotation.bsky.social•6 days ago

Half of you went "riiiight, sure he didn't want it". Even though he's one of the only popes in history that ever stepped down.

grizwald.bsky.social•6 days ago

Wasn't that due to his direct implication in covering for and furthering an international child-fucking conspiracy? No matter how badly he wanted to stay in the top job, it would have rapidly become untenable.

annenotation.bsky.social•6 days ago

No. You never have to step down and it is never, EVER expected of a pope. Period.

annenotation.bsky.social•6 days ago

John Paul II was so unabashedly senile at the end they weren't even pretending he wasn't and this is absolutely still understood to be a status a pope can be in because it is not a "head of state" type position, you are assumed to be there because of God's direct blessing.

grizwald.bsky.social•6 days ago

I understand the theory, but I think you're underestimating what a relentless PR disaster it would have been for the Church for God's direct blessing to be perceived to continue to be bestowed on somebody personally responsible for misconduct in the handling of child molestation cases.

annenotation.bsky.social•6 days ago

Matthew 23:11

moodogpress.com•5 days ago

Matthew 23:11.

neilpostman.bsky.social•6 days ago

It's really really REALLY hard to imagine someone spending their entire life in the service of a cause far greater than themselves and NOT believe it. These men take this EXTREMELY seriously and that's not saying that there's corruption, it's just not the secular kind I'd imagine.

annenotation.bsky.social•6 days ago

It's not the kind of thing where (these days) you'll be able to offer scratch like in secular politics.

snootacamund.bsky.social•6 days ago

also the ones who are susceptible to secular corruption via worldly goods weed themselves out earlier
https://www.occrp.org/en/news/germany-bishop-of-bling-resigns-over-extravagant-spending

trejon.bsky.social•6 days ago

Especially nowadays when you aren’t forcing third sons into the church to make a bit of money, and the church doesn’t have that much political power. If you’re going in, it’s from a genuine belief.

boomies-n-zoomies.bsky.social•5 days ago

It’s basically a soft requirement that you have a relevant PhD in order to become a bishop, let alone the pope. You don’t get a doctorate in canon law because you’re in it for the money.

annenotation.bsky.social•6 days ago

Right, and the numbers are such that it would be pretty obvious if anybody had gone in *expecting* via delusional, narcissistic belief, to be pope. Whether everybody agrees with the service, it is a service organization.

djsoubise.bsky.social•6 days ago

the American Church doesn't quite realize that the rest of the world finds all their throwing money around gauche and tiresome esp since it's at odds with so much of the global church's humanitarian and environmental work

croatsky.bsky.social•6 days ago

Especially as Vatican is furious about USAID being gutted!

A lot of Vatican connected organisations got a lot of funding trough that.

It is very damaging to Vatican's humanitarian efforts.

jmaamieas.bsky.social•6 days ago

They thought they were dealing with Supreme Court justices.

viscountbosham.bsky.social•6 days ago

Wait wait--Simony! This is Simony! Right? THANK YOU CONCLAVE MOVIE

kezme.bsky.social•5 days ago

I mean I'm no doctor of theology, but it seems pretty easy to answer the question "Conditional on God and Satan existing, who is more likely to try to buy a Papacy?"

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