The Adventures of Dawn Eden Goldstein, Part 1

I love Dawn.  She is smart.  She is well-educated.  She is devoted to Jesus Christ in his Church.  And she has guts.  Here she is, taking on the Trump-adoring, Francis-hating Right Wing Freak Show on Twitter.  She does such a thorough job that I am going to let her speak for herself for the next few days.  If you want to go to her Twitter feed, just click on through to the other side.

[Thread:]

I tweeted that Cardinal Burke, speaking to @Patrick_Coffin, floated the idea that Francis's election was invalid.

Burke's press secretary denies this: https://t.co/KWC5hJao2W.

What's needed is a fuller transcript. Since no one's provided this, I've made one. …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Before sharing the transcript, a quick note on why I care about this:

There's evidence that the @EWTN empire — the main news source for Catholics who value doctrinal orthodoxy (it owns @cnalive & @NCRegister) — treats Francis with a persistent hermeneutic of suspicion. …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

I've written of the EWTN empire's anti-papal bias, e.g. here: https://t.co/Bgxt8z8wW5. Others have noted it too: https://t.co/VXUGxkoIJl. There are many good people at EWTN and its affiliates; my concern, as I've said, is not with them but with a certain attitude at the top. …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

At @NCRegister, the antipapal bias comes largely via @EdwardPentin. Pentin's close to @StephenBannon & has given him much positive press: https://t.co/RNXAR4G1gA. And he wrote a book claiming the Synod on the Family was "rigged." Yet he's @NCRegister's Rome correspondent. …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

It's clear from Pentin's coverage that he, along with his translator @dianemontagna of @LifeSite, is close to Cardinal Burke and Abp. Viganò. When anti-Francis "manifestos" are released, they typically launch simultaneously in Pentin's @NCRegister column and in LifeSite. …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Which brings us back to Burke and why I'm concerned about what I perceive as his designs vs. Francis.

In June, Pentin and LifeSite broke the "Declaration of Truths" that Burke wrote with four other prelates: https://t.co/EEKjxQ1QSZ. One significant item in it escaped notice. …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Those reporting on the Declaration accurately conveyed that Burke, with his co-authors, clearly purported to teach not _with_ the pope but in _correction_ of what he perceived the pope to be saying. But they overlooked a disturbing section of the document's "Explanatory Note."…

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Burke said "each bishop, priest, and lay faithful [had] the moral duty" to declare truths — the implication being that they should declare _his_ "truths," over and against Francis's teaching authority. And he called for a "movement" to make "private & public" declarations. … pic.twitter.com/4XyVX52Wcl

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Yes, that is my reading; others may differ. See the full Explanatory Note here: https://t.co/Bho4mjKuvW.

But there's a wealth of evidence Burke is waging an active campaign — complete with press secretary — to position himself as a teacher of the faith _against_ the pope. …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

This brings me to Burke's interview for @Patrick_Coffin.

It's well known that Coffin is "red-pilled" on Francis, as he told @TaylorRMarshall: https://t.co/kn9DwUTwtA.

(Marshall's own "red-pilled" views on Francis are published by an EWTN affiliate: https://t.co/CQgwb7Zapw.) …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Coffin's previous guests on his show include Milo and E. Michael Jones, who found in Coffin a sympathetic ear for his views on what he called @PeteButtigieg's " Jewish mentality." (See commentary here, https://t.co/jsK01hwmw0, and here, https://t.co/uMzCJsljPM.) …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Suffice it to say that in appearing on Coffin's show, Cardinal Burke knew or should have known that he was addressing an audience primed for traditionalist conspiracy theories. And if he didn't know, the questions that Coffin posed to him should have alerted him to that fact. …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Now, what is the responsible thing for a cardinal to do when asked to comment on theories that the pope isn't the pope?

Should he say, "The conclave was valid"?

Should he say, "It's not prudent to speculate"?

Should he say, "I'm just here to speak on the faith"?…

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Or should he say, "I don’t think that I have at hand the facts" & muse that certain "indications" give reason for "great suspicion" of the last conclave?

That's the course Burke took — seemingly oblivious that his words might push listeners to schism.

Now for the transcript…

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Since some complained that my earlier tweets quoted Cardinal Burke out of context, I've transcribed several large sections of his interview for @Patrick_Coffin (source: https://t.co/CAAVGY1Alf). It's important to read Coffin's questions to see what Burke is responding to. …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

At 18:11 (https://t.co/4zsquvYiQT), Coffin calls Francis's papacy a "wincefest," says he has elevated "homosexualist bishops," and asks "whether or not the whole election of Pope Francis might be invalid."

Will Burke, in replying, try to correct any of Coffin's slanders? Nope… pic.twitter.com/SmNHsxcDuW

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Cardinal Burke accepts the anti-Francis premises in Coffin's question. And he gives an _inconclusive_ reply on whether Francis's election was invalid: "I don’t know. I don’t think that I have at hand the facts — and they have to be facts, demonstrable facts — to prove that."… pic.twitter.com/VQKI7zNo53

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Coffin follows up suggesting the election was invalid due to pre-conclave politicking (https://t.co/Qusvcqhn6M). @canonlaw said such an argument shows "inexcusable ignorance": https://t.co/RONkPwBpeX. Surely Burke too will reassure the faithful that Francis is pope?

Nope. … pic.twitter.com/JLzpd9Z0PM

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Instead of seeking to save listeners from schism, Burke offers "indications" against the validity of the conclave, which, while not conclusive, amount to "a great suspicion" against it. He just "[doesn't] know" if the pope could be proven not to be pope. The jury is still out … pic.twitter.com/2JIm94Hsw3

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Coffin then repeats a traditionalist bishop's call for a synod to "resolve" whether the last conclave was valid. And he asks Burke about Antonio Socci's book claiming Benedict is still pope.

Surely Burke will assure listeners that Socci is wrong? Well, almost, but not quite… pic.twitter.com/7dEC43H3Wq

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

Burke reluctantly admits that Socci's claim that the papacy is split between two popes "won't hold water." But as for whether Benedict is still the pope, "the whole matter is a bit confused." And Socci is "an outstanding, … saintly man," Burke adds; "it merits to read him." … pic.twitter.com/eepEzmt5SW

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

That's enough to show Burke is too close to the schismatic rails. Given that @NCRegister, @cnalive, and @EWTN often run stories portraying him as a guardian of orthodoxy (though @cnalive wisely ignored his Declaration of Truths), they owe it to their readers to report on this …

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

But will they? @EWTN shares boardmembers with @NapaInstitute, which just gave Burke a platform for his "Declaration of Truths": https://t.co/AJmDt56FwL@RaymondArroyo's whole narrative depends on Burke being right & Francis being wrong.

Pray for Francis. Pray for the Church.

— Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D. (@DawnofMercy) August 15, 2019

More to come tomorrow!

By the way, if you are interested in learning more about (and supporting) Dawn, check out her books: