Bergoglio's Cat

Mark Lambert points out that the explanation of Schrödinger's Cat is easier to understand than the smoke and mirrors spin being put on QA by the Vatican.

From De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

By Mark Lambert

Life-size cat figure in the garden of Huttenstrasse 9, Zurich, where Erwin Schrödinger lived 1921–1926. Depending on the light conditions, the cat appears either alive or dead.

Schrödinger's famous thought experiment poses the question, "when does a quantum system stop existing as a superposition of states and become one or the other?"

Schrödinger wanted people to imagine that a cat, poison, a geiger counter, radioactive material, and a hammer were inside of a sealed container. The amount of radioactive material was minuscule enough that it only had a 50/50 shot of being detected over the course of an hour. If the geiger counter detected radiation, the hammer would smash the poison, killing the cat. Until someone opened the container and observed the system, it was impossible to predict if the cat’s outcome. Thus, until the system collapsed into one configuration, the cat would exist in some superposition zombie state of being both alive and dead.

Of course, Schrödinger claimed, that was ridiculous. Quantum superposition could not work with large objects such as cats, because it is impossible for an organism to be simultaneously alive and dead. Thus, he reasoned that the Copenhagen Interpretation must be inherently flawed. While many people incorrectly assume Schrödinger supported the premise behind the thought experiment, he really didn’t. His entire point was that it was impossible.

All of this is MUCH EASIER TO UNDERSTAND THAN WHAT THE POPE HAS DONE WITH QUERIDA AMAZONIA!

Yesterday, Vatican Spokesman Matteo Bruni answered questions about the Magisterial weight of the synod’s final document, which received a two-thirds majority from bishops at the conclusion of the October 6-27 Vatican assembly and proposed ordaining married men to the priesthood in order to make the Eucharist more widely available to Catholics in the Amazon region (n. 111).

Bruni faced a chorus of often discordant voices united in expressing their common confusion over Pope Francis’s introduction to Querida Amazonia, in which he states his intention to “officially present the [synod’s] final document,” encourage “everyone to read it,” and “strive to apply it” according to their vocation in the Church.

After the apostolic exhortation failed to deliver the goods, numerous papal confidants and supporters went on a rampage pushing the idea that women's ordination & viri probati were still very much on the table because of the final document.

Despite the "cat" being killed in Querida Amazonia, this discussion about it still being alive - a zombie cat teaching proposal discussion point - whatever it is - is bolstered by the apostolic constitution Episcopalis Communio which Pope Francis promulgated in 2018 article 17 of which states: 

"If it is expressly approved by the Roman Pontiff, the Final Document participates in the ordinary Magisterium of the Successor of Peter.
If the Roman Pontiff has granted deliberative power to the Synod Assembly, according to the norm of canon 343 of the Code of Canon Law, the Final Document participates in the ordinary Magisterium of the Successor of Peter once it has been ratified and promulgated by him."

It seems they've tried to invoke this to mean the Final Document forms part of the Magisterium.

HOWEVER - whilst the Pope's Apostolic Exhortation clearly forms part of the Ordinary Papal Magisterium, the conditions set by the Pope in Episcopalis Communio by which the Final Report of the Synod could be considered to form part of the Ordinary Papal Magisterium are not met - a point that Cardinal Baldisseri made in correcting Cardina Czerny's remarks. I never thought I would see Baldesseri as a good guy! But he did say that the Final Document has "moral authority but does not have magisterial authority".

So the cat is dead. I think.

After trying to defend the pope for some time amid growing consternation (this blog serves as a record of my initial defence of him) I had to eventually admit that this pope is simply spreading confusion. If the purpose of the pope is to act as a point of unity - he is not doing that! If the pope is supposed to be the guarantor of clarity, the teacher par excellence of doctrine - he is not doing that!

Moreover In the 7 years since Pope Benedict XVI stepped down, 10 million have left the Catholic Church in Americans alone.

If there is a silver lining to all this, it is that despite the protestations of Ivereigh, Raho, Spidero & the like ze Germanz are not happy at all and are loudly complaining - this can only be a very good sign!