AED mentioned St. John Fisher in relation to Cardinal Zen in another thread, and how Cardinal Zen's situation is unprecedented. So very true...and very sad. My own thoughts have turned lately to St. Thomas More. A layman, in a position of authority, who literally lost his head when his sovereign demanded he accede to something he could not. He lost his head over the king's request for a divorce. In the end, St. Thomas said "The king's good servant, but God's first". Notice he said "but God's first"; he did not say "but the pope's first". (the pope refused the annulment request) There's something in that for us, as laypersons. On twitter the other day a priest mentioned that he couldn't understand where people got the idea that agreeing with the pope is a guarantee of orthodoxy. He mentioned the Petrine Office is a guarantor of communion; to be in communion with him is to be certain of one's communion with the Church, but not necessarily a guarantor of orthodoxy. I find some comfort in this.
