“The accusations belong to the use of a historical-social analysis of facts for many years by the anticlerical left to attack the church and must be rejected decisively.”
Father Lombardi speaking for the Vatican about criticism of the stance taken by the new pope with regard to the Argentinian military dictatorship(New York Times, March 16)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/16/world/europe/pope-francis-praises-benedict-urges-cardinals-to-spread-gospel.html?_r=0
I don’t know the full facts about Francis and his stance against the military regime, and there are probably few who do. But what I am sure about is that light should be, and will be, shone on what happened, and the truth will be excavated. The fact is that the Catholic Church has always supported the powers that be. That is why Constantine was enamoured with it in the first place, and why it became the single most powerful institution in the Middle Ages. It is naive to imagine that anything has fundamentally changed. The Catholic hierarchy had a good example before its eyes if they were tempted to go against a powerful king: Henry VIII and his reformation. The loss of revenue and land! Don’t make that mistake twice, Brother!
What he is saying is, “we are always right. The facts are irrelevant and probably made up by the anti-clerical left”. Think about that. Those who oppose some of the activities of the Catholic Church are lefties, by definition. That will surprise many who oppose Vatican policies who are simply believers in justice and equality.