Tuesday 15 January 2008

Lost in translation…

I found this plaque pinned to the front of the Patriarchate building right next to St Mark's:
Mm: how to translate la vastitá ecumenica e i fermenti innovatori?

I can only think 'the ecumenical enormity and the innovatory ferments of his glorious pontificate' just about sums it up.

Though I have to confess a sneaking yet considerable affection for old Bd Pope John XIII.

Please don't try and post any comments about him being a Freemason, a Rosicrucian, a Protestant, whatever—I've heard them all, and I won't dignify them by publishing them on my blog. Imprudent, maybe, he was, even catastrophically so.

9 comments:

Ttony said...

How about "(w)hol(l)y innocent"?

Paulinus said...

A good and kind man.

His last act to the Church, however, was akin to entering a pub and shouting "The drinks are on me!" and then leaving.

Unfortunately it has taken until his current successor to pay the bill.

Fr Justin said...

I don't think we've paid the bill yet; we're only now acknowledging that there is a bill to be paid at all, and realizing that there was very little nutrition in the meal we have just eaten.

Dr. Peter H. Wright said...

"Ecumenical enormity and innovatory ferment" !

In this context, I really don't think I can improve on that translation !

Adulio said...

I remember reading an interview with Alice Von Hildebrand and she quoted Cardinal Silvio Oddi as saying that John XXIII confided in him saying: "Silvio, Silvio; my pontificate has been a failure. All the things I wanted to accomplish have not been done; what I did not want to take place is being realized."

Quite sad and in many ways like Paul VI.

Cathy said...

Father,

I don't know about Bl Pope John XIII.

;)

(Just kidding. I knew what you meant.)

Anonymous said...

Quoting Cardinal Spellman:

"Spellman held his tongue in Rome, where it would be unwise to be indiscreet about the new pope (Pope John XXIII). But when he returned home, the Cardinal announced his disdain. 'He's no Pope,' Spellman scoffed to his aides. 'He should be selling bananas.'"

WhiteStoneNameSeeker said...

Father I have awarded you-with marmite. Come and see :)

Jeffrey Smith said...

John: If you knew much about Cardinal Spellman you'd realize that his obvious contempt speaks well for Bl. John XXIII.