Give up your dreams of glory, Pope tells warring Vatican officials

A Vatican clerk has appeared anonymously on an Italian TV show as one of the 20 leakers. He claimed that the “Vatileaks” had taken place because of the kidnap of a girl, Emanuela Orlandi, 30 years ago and because of the 1998 Swiss Guard murders. He was talking through his hat. Everyone knows the leaks are being driven by a war between Vatican officials.

I have already said I would like to see the back of these leakers, but I am just an angry lay man. The Holy Father has shown a better attitude towards the problem. This attitude is summarised in his request for prayer: “Pray also for me, that I may continually offer to the People of God the witness of sound doctrine and guide holy Church with a firm and humble hand.” Let us see how this sound doctrine and his firm and humble hand apply to this internal war.

Talking to the new cardinals he commented on the “scene of the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, who are still pursuing dreams of glory beside Jesus. They ask him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory” (Mk 10:37)”. And he shows how this “erroneous logic” conquers the 12, who “began to be indignant at James and John” (Mk 10:41). Two thousand years ago the war had already begun.

Jesus’s answer is very clear: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” (Mk 10:43-44). Is the Pope talking to his bishops, showing them in the Gospel the way to stop this internal war? If so, there is a reason the Pope said: “These words shed light upon today’s public consistory with a particular intensity. They resound in the depths of the soul and represent an invitation and a reminder, a commission and an encouragement.”

Once again the Pope has subtly answered his critics. We have the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Father. And thank God they are on the same page.