On June 14, 2017, Andrea Tornielli published on the Blog Vatican Insider, la Stampa, an article against the Heralds of the Gospel. Two days later, on June 16, the Heralds responded with a manifesto that turned around the world, being published by various media outlets. In the intention of offering, in one place, the important documents that have gone public since the Heralds became the target of attacks in the media, we believe it is appropriate to record here the arguments offered at the time.
Who reads the articles and books of the prestigious Vaticanist, Mr. Andrea Tornielli, you can rejoice in remembering the picturesque figure of a chameleon. Thus, his publications record an arguta ability to adapt to the environment in which he is, to develop his activity: he knew how to smile to John Paul II, afagate the pontificate of Benedict XVI and, at the same time, deprecating him discreetly, when he was already walking arm-in-arms with Francisco…
Recently, Mr. Tornielli published a controversial article on the Vatican Insider blog of La Stampa newspaper: "Heralds, the secret doctrine: 'Correa encourages the death of the Pope'". Considering the well-known chameleonic characteristic of the writer, two questions emerge from this publication: what are their claims? What environment does he anticipate an adaptation for?
It is interesting to note that the author resurrects, through the aforementioned article, old, very old, complaints against Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, concerning the veneration that many gave him in life, as well as to the private devotion to his mother, D. Lucília. Now, Mons. John Scognamiglio Clá Dias, founder of the Heralds of the Gospel, is the target of the same attacks. These are obsolete accusations, all answered and duly refuted according to the dictates of the strictest Catholic doctrine.
Timeo hominem united libri. That is quite what readers of the Catholic press are inclined to conclude in these moments, about Mr. Tornielli on the subject of his article: scholar of a single book causes fear. Which doesn't look good for a writer of this size… Let's see why.
First of all, we could suggest to Mr. Tornielli to return a little to the institution's past, so vehemently attacked by him, and to pay some attention to a work published in 1985 – Servitudo ex Caritate – with the opinion of the eminent theologian Pe. Victorino Rodríguez y Rodríguez, OP. In this study, never replicated, the subject of Sacred Slavery to Jesus, by the hands of Mary, as well as the spiritual bonds between the Professor. Plinio and his disciples, which he mentions in his article, were completely enlightened for the past, for the present and for the future.
And why not read, too, the book Dona Lucilia, from 1995, with laudatory preface of Fr. Antonio Royo Marín, OP, reissued in partnership with Libreria Editrice Vaticana in 2013, also in Italian language? His reading would have been enough to understand that the foundations of devotion to this great Brazilian lady are based on her life of clear virtue and the custom bimilenar of the Holy Church. Allow us to tell you, mr. Tornielli, who may be appropriate to review his notes of catechism time, because even before someone is canonized, asks the Holy Mother Church to recognize her reputation for holiness.
What about devotion to Dr. Plinio? If you're interested in more current data, we'll invite mr. Tornielli to do a dedicated study of a very recent work, 2016, published in five volumes also by libreria Editrice Vaticana, with more than 100,000 collections printed, under the title The gift of wisdom in the mind, life and work of Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. In this work, the historical origins and theological basis of this theme are detailed, treated so biased in his article.
It is true that it arose, however, before Mr. Tornielli, a large and unusual novelty: a private video, disseminated out of context and overcome by time, because he is old for a year and a half. He was, however, illegally obtained by a man in love with the disaffection of tfp and the Heralds – himself a former member of the TFP – married to a lady, former member of Opus Dei, who occupy weighted part of his time in attacking the enti to which they belonged. In this source that the influential Mr. Tornielli went to seek his impartial information…
This is the registration of a meeting of clerics, reserved, which did not imply any change of course in the Heralds of the Gospel, either in their relationship to the Sacred Hierarchy and civil society, or in action with the immense amount of adherents of the Movement. The purpose of the recorded meeting was simply to exchange impressions about certain preternatural phenomena, in an environment of mild and distendid intimacy. Criminal hands, still unknown, decided to disseminate their content in a malevolent and inconsequential way to an audience that does not have, for the most part, enough theological knowledge to make about their content an in-depth judgment. It wasn't hard, like, to create confusion in their minds. On the other hand, these same hands were not interested, of course, in disclosing the conclusions of these analyses.
Why do Mr. Tornielli didn't look for the Heralds for clarification? Well, we could say: timeo hominem united factionis, we fear the men of half true, the partial men, those who do not know and do not want to hear the two parts.
Mr. Andrea Tornielli acting alone? We don't know that.
But we can say, analyzed the article of the renowned Vaticanist and the circumstances mentioned, the blind contribution he is offering in order to destroy that much dreamed unity that the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council wanted to carry forward and that three great men came to fruition: St John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Mons. John Claudia. This is a way to ruin the doctrine of an Ecumenical Council, and the dedicated action of two popes – one still alive and among us – and a Founder, of whom a Prefect of the Congregation for Religious, Cardinal Franc Rodé, said to be the debtor Church!
Cui prodest? Who do you take advantage of this attitude? The Catholic world is certainly perplexed: this time the chameleon has tones so surreal that, asked the proper considerations, still raises questions about its varied new colors:
To whom mr. Andrea Tornielli?
" Does he intend to provoke a schism in the Church?
What intentions?
Finally, enlightened the untruths and distortions, we make an invitation to return to the roads of a cultured, serious and ethical journalism. The Heralds of the Gospel consecrate to St Joseph, patron saint of the Church, their own defense, in the certainty that they are not helpless by the virginfather of Jesus and mary's chastised husband. Without prejudice to their own rights, they are willing to always welcome the retraction of slanderers and forgive them sincerely, because they do not hold any resentment.