If you have ever wondered why opposition to Pope Francis, especially from the United States, is so intense, look no further-but bring a spare highlighter. Laying bare the ideological corruption and political ambition of the 'theocons,' Massimo Borghesi has given us a masterly account of Francis's discernment of the church's mission to the contemporary world, and the resentment of those it dethrones. Thrilling in its breadth and depth, beautifully translated, and crammed with insights, Catholic Discordance is the definitive analysis of the choices and tensions the church faces in a post-Christendom world.
Austen Ivereigh, author of Wounded Shepherd and co-author of Pope Francis's Let Us Dream
This is an essential book as Borghesi does not write a history of the pontificate of Pope Francis, but a genealogy of a tradition: his most influential intellectual opponents on the Rome-Washington axis. Borghesi draws a picture of the ideological, 'America first', neo-conservative, and turbo-capitalist deviations in the Catholic Church in the USA since the 1980s. He thus offers an indispensable contribution to understanding a broader season in the history of Catholicism that precedes Francis's pontificate and probably will continue for a long time.
Massimo Faggioli, Professor of Historical Theology, Villanova University With this splendidly researched volume, Borghesi further establishes his place in the first rank of interpreters of the Francis papacy and the challenges it faces. Building upon his previous scholarship on the thought of Pope Francis, Borghesi here analyzes the fault lines on display in the stalwart resistance by Catholic Neoconservatives and traditionalist culture warriors to the ecclesiological commitments of the first Jesuit pope. Profound insights into the tensions within twenty-first century Catholicism jump off every page. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the forces behind contemporary struggles for the renewal of church life.
Thomas Massaro, SJ, Professor of Moral Theology at Fordham UniversityExpanding his earlier defense of Pope Francis from critics who consider the pope a theological and intellectual 'lightweight,' Massimo Borghesi leads us through a very readable analysis of the neo-conservative, largely American, detractors of the magisterium of Francis. It is not too surprising that the first Latin American pope, who prefers the peripheries to the centers of power, would generate resistance from the defenders of capitalism and whose vision of the church as a field hospital for sinners would be rejected by traditionalists who overly identify the faith with its moral teachings. Borghesi describes how Bergoglio's insistence on discernment charts an ecclesial course which rejects both extremes of fundamentalism and relativism.
Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv, Diocese of LexingtonCatholic Discordance is an essential read to comprehending the Catholic Church in America and a neoconservative trend within it that rejects certain magisterial teachings.
Where Peter Is Blog
A must-read for anyone serious about studying the estuary where religion and politics intersect.
National Catholic ReporterBorghesi tackles the puzzling truth that the pope's most persistently aggressive challengers are fellow believers. He offers an explanation rooted in America's postcommunist triumphalism, and describes how Catholic neoconservatives, who cut their teeth in the Ronald Reagan era, willfully undermined Catholic social teaching under both John Paul II and Benedict XVI to project a procapitalist Christianity on, and through, the church.
Victor Gaetan, Los Angeles Review of BooksCatholic Discordance is an indispensable book for a changed era. No one knows the thought of Pope Francis better than Borghesi. His compelling framing of it as an intentional alternative to Catho-capitalism' and 'theo-populism' should be part of courses and faculty discussions on Catholic social teaching and the thought of Pope Francis. Highly recommended.
Horizons