The Road from Hyperpapalism to Catholicism: Rethinking the Papacy in a Time of Ecclesial Disintegration
By Peter A. Kwasniewski
2 Vols.
(Arouca Press, Waterloo, ON, 2022)
It’s remarkable that a book from an author on the Traditionalist spectrum features a title contrasting “hyperpapalism” and “Catholicism” – implying a conflict between at least some aspects of the Church’s governing structure and the Christian religion itself. Such titles have been almost innumerable on the progressive side since the 1960’s – e.g., Infallible?: An Inquiry (1971) and Can we save the Catholic Church? (2014) (both by Hans Kueng). Yet those on the right were until recently perceived as being necessarily staunch supporters of the Church’s post-1870 constitution. For example, Peter Kwasniewski quotes the “ultramontanist” Cardinal Antonio Bacci on the papacy, in a remarkable passage originally published in 1959:
There is in the world… one man in whom the greatness of God is reflected in the most outstanding way of all. He participates in the authority and in a certain sense in the personality of Christ. This man is the vicar of Jesus Christ, the Pope….. His power extends to the ends of the world and is under the protection of God, who has promised to confirm and heaven whatever he will decree upon earth. His dignity and authority, then, are almost divine. Let us bow humbly before such greatness. Let us promise to obey the Pope as we would Christ…. We cannot dispute or murmur against anything which he teaches or decrees. To disobey the Pope is to disobey God. To argue or murmur against the Pope is to argue or murmur against Jesus himself. When we are confronted with his commands, we have only one choice – absolute obedience and complete surrender. (Hyperpapalism Vol. 1 at 24)
Now perhaps we could dismiss some of these statements as quaint exaggerations emanating from the pen of a professional Latinist and curial courtier undoubtedly inspired by the panegyrics that past ages addressed to emperors, rulers and, yes, popes. Yet I think there is a declining but still not inconsiderable Catholic population that accepts these statements as literally true. I am not sure, however, whether Cardinal Bacci was accurately describing the situation of the Catholic Church even in 1959. And as it later transpired, Cardinal Bacci himself, like the arch-ultramontane Cardinal Louis Billot, SJ, before him, was unable to support all the twists and turns directed by papal authority. (Bacci, on the promulgation of the Novus Ordo; Billot, on the condemnation of Action Francaise). So, a potential conflict between the ultramontane papacy and, not just so-called “dissenters,” but also the defenders of orthodoxy themselves has been long present.
But with the advent of Pope Francis a much wider section of Catholics has become aware of this calamitous dilemma – the possibility (the reality?) that the highest ecclesiastical authority, claiming direct divine authorization, may no longer be proclaiming the Faith. For the present pontiff has directly linked progressive political ideology and theology with an unprecedented assertion of papal power. Since July 2021 Traditionalists have been designated as the official adversaries of the Vatican. But, as Philip Lawler points out, conservative and even “orthodox” Catholics now find themselves the targets of Francis and his team – indeed, they had become “enemies of the Pope” and even “tools of the devil” even earlier than the traditionalists. (“The Pope indicts ‘restorationism.’ I plead guilty.” Catholic Culture, 6/23/2022)
In Hyperpapalism, Dr. Kwasniewski squarely confronts the situation of the Church today. Hyperpapalism is a major addition to the ever-growing critical literature now appearing on the crisis in the Church. (I should mention that I have known Dr. Kwasniewski for some years and have collaborated with him on several projects. Indeed, works familiar to me are cited in the first footnote of this book (Hyperpapalism, Vol 1 at xi).
The work is divided into two volumes. Volume 1 (“Theological Reflections on the Rock of the Church”) deals with the papacy itself. It defines the nature – and limits – of the pope’s authority. A historical review shows how exaggerations and abuses crept into the governance of the Church. The author addresses various objections raised by conservatives still troubled by any discussion of papal authority. He rebuts the sedevacantist “temptation,” that seems to emerge in any such discussion. Dr. Kwasniewski’s prose is clear and understandable but also forthright and direct. I’m sure those qualities will be appreciated by the ecclesiastics (including Pope Francis) whose drastic statements have so exacerbated the crisis.
The second volume (“Chronological Responses to an Unfolding Pontificate”) is a review of the papacy of Pope Francis from the year 2013 onward. It depicts the conflicts between Catholic tradition – including the Scripture itself – and the words and deeds of the Pope that have squarely raised the issue of the scope of papal authority discussed in the first volume. Dr. Kwasniewski emphasizes the theological and moral aspects of the Francis pontificate. But a cursory review of the same period in a source like Sandro Magister’s Settimo Cielo blog, which concentrates more on administrative, governance and personnel issues would produce an additional, even lengthier list of abuses! Indeed, Magister recently has published an article on this very subject. This illustrates the depth of the problem. The second volume is largely a chronological arrangement of material previously published online. As I wrote regarding another book, this has the advantage of capturing the immediacy of the flow of events.
Let me single out two passages that particularly struck me. In Vol. 1 Dr. Kwasniewski describes his personal journey from “ultramontanism to Catholicism” quoting his own youthful writings on the subject. (Hyperpapalism, Vol 1 at 6-7) They reveal the revived pro-papal enthusiasm promoted in conservative circles during the reign of John Paul II. Tragically, those who had climbed on the papal bandwagon found themselves disowned, not just later by Pope Francis but in part even under John Paul II himself (the Assisi conferences, the Legion of Christ scandals….).
In volume 2 the author takes to task The Pillar online news service. Now The Pillar has featured incisive reporting of uncomfortable facts extremely damaging to the reputation of the Vatican, individual American bishops and the American Catholic establishment in general. At the same time, however, regarding matters of policy its writers often affect an obsequious, deferential attitude to ecclesiastical authority. In Is the Pope the Vicar of Christ or the CEO of Vatican, Inc. Dr. Kwasniewski castigates The Pillar for its article on the arbitrary deposition of the bishop of Arecibo in Puerto Rico. In that article, , after enumerating at length the theological difficulties connected with this action, The Pillar nevertheless concluded that, after all, the pope has the power to do whatever he wants. (Hyperpapalism, Vol 2 at 266-71)
What will be the outcome of all this? That we cannot predict. Any “restructuring” of the Church and the Papacy will be the product of future events – but is not the course of history is the hands of Divine Will? In the meantime, this book will serve as a resource for the afflicted Catholic. It will help him maintain confidence in his faith and tradition in the face of official persecution. It will provide a wealth of arguments aginst his adversaries. And perhaps it will give him hope for better days – for he will realize the current state of the Church is not the final “end of history.”
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