Falls Under the Category of 'Unfinished Bidness'

Remember the movie "The Godfather II," when Al Pacino's character Michael Corleone finally assumes the mantle of leadership? The first thing he does is to clean up all unfinished family business, by wiping out all the leaders of the rival families that have done his family ill in the past.

Well, welcome to the wonderful world of the Vatican today.

Today, Pope Benedict XVI ordered the Jesuit head of "America" magazine to resign, for being consistently 'too liberal' and 'off topic' on the issue of condoms. Father Thomas Reese promptly complied, in accordance with the will of the Holy Father.

This caps a long-running feud between the Office of Holy Doctrine (that's the FREAKING INQUISITION, folks) and the Jesuits, long known as "God's Own Heretics" for their thirst for knowledge, understanding, and scientific endeavor. It was not the Jesuits who persecuted Galileo and Michelangelo - it was the Inquisition.

Pope Benedict was the former head of the Inquisition when he was a Cardinal, but he lacked the political capital to take on the Jesuits head-on - they're too powerful. No longer true.

Father Kolvenbach, head of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) had no sooner issued a warm welcome and promise of obedience to the new pope when he got this papal punch in the proboscis. As far as the Jesuits are concerned, it's on, baby. The Vatican does NOT want to piss off the Jesuits - it just doesn't pay.

Life as a Catholic in America is about to get more interesting.

Pax,

Wiggy