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I think the Libya security imbroglio has that potential: it could be an open feud between Obama, blaming State, and the Clintons fighting back by blaming Obama. Or an open feud between Obama and the intelligence community. It looks as though that is the way it is headed.
If it looks as though Obama is going down anyway, there'll be no reason to take the fall for him, and every reason to try to dump it all on him.
All hell could break loose, in campaign terms.
If it looks as though Obama is going down anyway, there'll be no reason to take the fall for him, and every reason to try to dump it all on him.
All hell could break loose, in campaign terms.
5 comments:
What is depressing about Catholic response is we hold Obama responsible for actions of lower levels of his administration but when lower levels of a Pope's administration fail, we tell the world subsidiarity excuses him in every case you can bring up. Imagine if Obama kissed a Koran. Bill Donahue types would never stop talking. John Paul does it and the Catholic pundits are silent.
There is a reason why this is legitimate, Bill. Unlike Obama, the Pope does not have the power to fire anybody, at least outside Vatican City. His influence over the Church is purely moral, not legal, and cannot be legally enforced.
As this is true, it is a great miracle that the Catholic Church holds together as well as it does.
Steve,
Read canon law. His power is total. They simply do not use it because if they did there would be more SSPX's.
But there must be a middle ground.
Can. 331 The bishop of the Roman Church, in whom continues the office given by the Lord uniquely to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, is the head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the pastor of the universal Church on earth. By virtue of his office he possesses supreme, full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church, which he is always able to exercise freely.
Can. 332 §1. The Roman Pontiff obtains full and supreme power in the Church by his acceptance of legitimate election together with episcopal consecration. Therefore, a person elected to the supreme pontificate who is marked with episcopal character obtains this power from the moment of acceptance. If the person elected lacks episcopal character, however, he is to be ordained a bishop immediately.
§2. If it happens that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested but not that it is accepted by anyone.
Can. 333 §1. By virtue of his office, the Roman Pontiff not only possesses power offer the universal Church but also obtains the primacy of ordinary power offer all particular churches and groups of them. Moreover, this primacy strengthens and protects the proper, ordinary, and immediate power which bishops possess in the particular churches entrusted to their care.
§2. In fulfilling the office of supreme pastor of the Church, the Roman Pontiff is always joined in communion with the other bishops and with the universal Church. He nevertheless has the right, according to the needs of the Church, to determine the manner, whether personal or collegial, of exercising this office.
§3. No appeal or recourse is permitted against a sentence or decree of the Roman Pontiff.
Steve,
Enter the phrase "Pope removes" in google. You'll see firings alright.
It is his MORAL authority that it total. This does not change the fact that canon law cannot be enforced, at least in this world. As you yourself admit--all anyone has to do is say no, as with the SSPX. The Pope can excommunicate them; they excommunicate the Pope. And then they go ahead and do it. Nobody goes to prison, nobody pays any fines, nobody has to do anything.
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