FTR#559—The Opus Dei Code: The Vatican Rag, Part III—(Two 30-minute
segments) (Sources are noted in parentheses.) (Recorded on 6/18/2006.)
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NOTE: TWO
LECTURES PRESENTING MR. EMORY’S VIEWS OF WHAT WE CAN EXPECT IN THE FUTURE ARE
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BOTH REAL AUDIO AND MP3. These lectures are:
L-1: ‘The Political Implications of the UFO Phenomenon and the ‘ET’ Myth’; and
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Descriptions are available in the Lecture Series section.
NEW!! A number of
vitally important books are now available for download for FREE. The books are:
Martin Bormann: Nazi in
Exile by Paul Manning; The Nazis Go Underground
by Curt Reiss; and All Honorable Men (parts 1 and 2) by James
Stewart Martin. Taken together, these books will provide a significant
understanding of the concept and reality of The Underground Reich, and they can
be downloaded with a modem Internet connection. They are available at: Spitfirelist.com/Books. In addition, we have added Cairo to Damascus by John Roy Carlson [1951], Germany Plots with the Kremlin by T.H. Tetens [1953], and Armies of Spies by Joseph Golomb [1939].
Yet another recent addition is Germany’s
Master Plan by Joseph Borkin and Charles Welsh. (Borkin is the author of
the 1979 classic The Crime and Punishment
of I.G. Farben.) Another anti-fascist classic about I.G. Farben supplements
the Borkin and Welsh text—Treason’s Peace
by Howard Watson Ambruster. Two more recently-posted gems are The Thousand-Year Conspiracy by Paul
Winkler and Falange by Alan Chase,
both published in 1943. The Winkler text documents the evolution of militant
Pan-Germanism from the Teutonic Knights to the Nazis and Falange documents the Third Reich’s geopolitical goals in the
Spanish-speaking world. By the time many of you read this description, more of
the long-out-of-print anti-fascist books that are more than 50 years old will
have been added to the Spitfirelist.com/Books URL. The Manning text’s URL also features a discussion of
Paul Manning’s career and professional credentials. Martin Bormann: Nazi in Exile is also available in html. Note also that FTR#305
has a synoptic overview of the Bormann organization. An understanding of the
Bormann organization is essential for an in-depth grasp of the arguments
presented on For The Record.
Note also that U.S. Government documents proving Prescott
Bush Sr.’s Money-Laundering on behalf of the Third Reich before and after World
War II are available at a linked website, along with commentary by John
Buchanan, who located the documentation. This material is discussed in FTR#435.
The website containing the documents is www.debatecomics.org/BushFamilyFortune/.
Summary of FTR#559—(Note: The massive
volume of ‘For The Record’ programs about 9/11 and related topics is summarized
and analyzed in the periodically-updated description for FTR#391.
FTR#’s 454,
455, 456 are compilations of
much of the key documentation culled from Mr. Emory’s investigation into 9/11.
Along with FTR#391, they should give
listeners/readers a substantive grasp of this momentous event. It is
recommended that listeners use this description and e-mail it to others.) The movie “The Da Vinci Code” has focused
public attention on the Opus Dei order, a reactionary Catholic organization
with strong historical links to fascism. Highlighting its influence on the
current pope and his predecessor, this program sets forth some of the areas of
influence of this secretive organization. Playing a significant role in the
rise of John Paul II through the Vatican hierarchy, Opus Dei was accorded
special stature by the Pope once he was in office. Likewise, Opus Dei appears
to have heavily influenced the elevation of Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy
and appears to be wielding great influence over access to the Pope. In addition
to reviewing Opus Dei’s collaboration with international fascism, the broadcast
sets forth the significant influence of Opus Dei on the U.S. Senate debate on
the same-sex marriage bill. An area of speculation concerns the Opus Dei role
in the Vatican Banking scandals of the early 1980’s, and the possible influence
of P-2 Lodge Grand Master Licio Gelli on the “investigation” of the shooting of
John Paul II. Opus Dei was apparently involved in the maneuvering around the
collapse of the Banco Ambrosiano. The re-opening of the investigation into the
murder of Ambrosiano chairman and P-2 Lodge member Roberto Calvi has featured
the indictment of Lico Gelli. Shortly after Gelli’s testimony in the Calvi
case, the would-be assassin of the Pope was released from prison, and Italy and
Poland resurrected the discredited “Bulgarian Connection,” alleging that the
former Soviet Union shot the Pope.
Program Highlights Include: John Paul II’s beatification of the founder of Opus Dei, as well as
Archbishop Stepinac (a member of the fascist Croatian parliament during World
War II); the influence of Opus Dei on reactionary governments in Latin America;
the influence of Opus Dei on Princeton University; the striking influence of
Benedict XVI’s personal assistant Georg Ganswein (an Opus Dei professor) on the
papacy. Be
sure to check out the influence of Opus Dei on the family of Maria Shriver,
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s wife. This is documented in FTR#422.
1.
The program begins
with discussion of Ratzinger’s close relationship with his papal predecessor.
The broadcast notes their strong affinity through reactionary theological
principles. As we shall see, both John Paul II and Benedict XVI have been
greatly influenced by Opus Dei. Note the nickname ‘Panzerkardinal’ bestowed on
Ratzinger by fellow priests. “ . . . The Pole and
the German have been called intellectual bedfellows. For almost 20 years, the
two met at least once a week, usually Fridays, for a 90-minute discussion of
doctrine and discipline. A working lunch followed, lasting often until late in
the afternoon. A theological liberal of sorts in his youth, Ratzinger was later
nicknamed the ‘Panzerkardinal’ for his iron hand in bringing Marxist priests in
Latin America and clerics with mushy views on sexual ethics to heel. . .” (“Analysis:
Ratzinger in the Ascendance” by Uwe Siemon-Netto; [United Press International];
The Washington Times; http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050401-033437-4653r.htm;
4/1/2005; p. 2.)
2.
The broadcast
reviews some of the fascist connections of Opus Dei. “But it was not only the inevitable intrigue in Rome that left its mark.
Back in Spain, Opus Dei members were making rapid advances in the Franco
government under Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, an Opus Dei sympathizer who, as
premier, virtually ran the country. Until Carrero’s assassination in 1973, Opus
Dei leaders were arguably the strongest conservative political influence in Spain.”
(People of God; by Penny Lernoux; Copyright 1989 by Penny
Lernoux; [HC] Viking [Viking Penguin Publishing Inc.]; ISNB 0-670-81529-2; p.
314.)
3.
As mentioned above,
John Paul II was profoundly influenced by Opus Dei. More about John Paul II’s
intimate relationship with Opus Dei can be found in paragraph #10. “Matters changed radically when John Paul became pope. Opus
Dei had courted the pope since his days as archbishop of Krakow. He had been
invited to speak at various Opus Dei centers in Europe and at an event in Rome.
The speeches were later made into a book, copies of which were sent by Wojtyla
to the Vatican Secretariat of State. In 1978, when he was in Rome for the
funeral of John Paul I, Wojtyla visited Opus Dei’s mansion to pray at the black
marble crypt of ‘El Padre,’ who had died three years earlier. Monsignor
Portillo, his successor and, by some accounts, the brains of Opus Dei, was
welcomed at the Vatican by the new pope, who in turn was invited to visit Opus
Dei’s house and centers.” (Ibid.; p. 315.)
4.
Among the many
shores upon which the waters of Opus Dei have lapped is that of the Banco
Ambrosiano scandal and the P-2 Lodge. As will be seen below, the Banco
Ambrosiano scandal and the other Vatican banking scandals are on the front
burner once again, with a murder trial now underway for the killers of Roberto
Calvi. (For more about the Banco Ambrosiano scandal, see—among other programs—AFA#’s
17-21, 32, 34, and Miscellaneous Archive Shows M60, M61, available
from Spitfire, as well as FTR#’s #'s 43, 59, 70, 71, 80, 81, 98, 185, 213, 217, 221, 229, 237. For discussion of the
intersection of the P-2 milieu with that of Al Qaeda, see FTR#’s 342, 359, 360, 377.) “Opus Dei was drawn into that imbroglio [the P-2 lodge
scandal] by assertions that it had been negotiating with Roberto Calvi, head of
Milan’s Ambrosiano Bank and a key figure in P-2, regarding a possible bailout
for Ambrosiano that would save the Vatican Bank financial losses and
embarrassment arising from its dealings with Calvi. The banker’s body, either
murdered or a suicide, was later found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London.
His widow maintained that he had been in touch with Cardinal Palazzini, the
Opus Dei sympathizer in charge of Escriva’s beatification process, about the
rescue operation, presumably to be carried out with the help of Opus Dei
members who owned or controlled banks in Spain. The trade-off, according to
Vatican observers, was to have been a takeover by Opus Dei members of the
Vatican Bank and the Vatican Radio controlled by the more progressive Jesuits.
Letters were found on Calvi from Francesco Pazienza, a Calvi aide with links to
Italian and U.S. intelligence, in which Pazienza referred to contacts between
Palazzini and Calvi.” (Ibid.; pp. 317-318.)
5.
Opus Dei wields
great influence in Latin America. “At the start of
1983, Opus seemed poised for a major expansion based on papal favor and its new
status as a prelature. Its main base remained in Spain, where it raised the
largest contributions and enjoyed the most substantial political and economic
influence, but the movement also gained members and influence in Italy . . .It
was also strong in Latin America, particularly in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and
Chile. Opus Dei members and sympathizers supported the CIA-backed coup that
overthrew Chilean president Allende, and one of them Hernan Cubillos, became
General Pinochet’s foreign minister. Cubillos, who founded Que Pasa, a
magazine under Opus Dei influence, was later identified as an ‘important’ CIA
agent by the Los Angeles Times.” (Ibid.; p. 318.)
6.
“In
Chile, Peru, and El Salvador, Opus Dei provides invaluable support to
right-wing political groups through its religious courses and schools, and
through newspapers, magazines, and television outlets influenced or owned by
members. ‘It serves a function for the political right and power holders,’ said
a student of Opus Dei activities in Latin America. . . .A Spanish priest made a
similar observation about the influence of Opus Dei bankers and industrialists
in Europe: ‘They want to stop the growth of socialism and pacify the labor
movement through religion.” (Ibid.; p.
319.)
7.
One of the
indications that the late Pope John Paul II’s alleged anti-Nazi sentiments are
mythological is the fact that he beatified Archbishop Alois Stepinac (a member
of the fascist Ustachi parliament in Croatia during World War II), as well as Father
Escriva de Balaguer, the founder of the Opus Dei sect. (For more about the
fascist connections of Opus Dei, see—among other programs—FTR#422.) As discussed in FTR#422,
Opus Dei was involved with the aforementioned Banco Ambrosiano scandal as well.
“Pope John Paul II has created a record number of
saints during the 22 years he has reigned as head of the Catholic Church. He
has bestowed sainthood on almost 300 respected figures from the Church’s long
history who displayed ‘heroic virtue’ during their lives. He has beatified
about 800 more, putting them on the road to becoming saints.” (‘Removing the Politics from Sainthood’ by David
Lloyd; Vision: Foundation for a New World; 3/9/2000; p. 1; accessed at: http://www.vision.org/trdl/2000/trdlooo309.html.)
8.
“Often
his choices have been controversial and viewed as political statements. In
1998, his decision to beatify the Croatian Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac received
much criticism from Orthodox Serbs and Jews. Stepinac was archbishop for Zagreb
during World War II and afterwards was accused of collaborating with the Nazis
in their massacre of Serbs, Jews and Gypsies in Croatia. In 1992, he beatified
Josemaria Escriva, the Spanish founder of the ultra-conservative Opus Dei—a
movement widely viewed with suspicion as a secret society. . . .” (Idem.)
9.
Opus Dei, whose
founder, Father Escriva de Balaguer, praised Hitler and was an ardent admirer
of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, appears to have been a major player in
the election of Ratzinger. “ . . . Several
European cardinals are sympathetic to Opus Dei, among the Cardinal Camillo
Ruini, the Italian prelate who runs the Diocese of Rome on behalf of the pope,
and a contender to succeed John Paul. Ruini last year opened proceedings to
declare Opus Dei’s Del Portillo a saint. But recently, several Italian
newspapers breathlessly reported that the two Opus Dei cardinals were throwing
their support behind the candidacy of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a German-born
traditionalist who has served as chief enforcer of church doctrine for two
decades.” (‘Controversial Opus Dei
Has Stake in Papal Vote’ by Larry B. Stammer and Tracy Wilkinson; The Los
Angeles Times; 4/19/2005; p. 2; accessed at: http://www.latimes.com.)
10.
Ratzinger/Benedict’s
friend and predecessor John Paul II elevated opus Dei. More about John Paul
II’s close relationship to Opus Dei is contained in paragraph #3. “Opus Dei flourished during John Paul’s pontificate. In
1982, he took the unprecedented step of making Opus Dei a personal prelature of
the church, answerable not to local bishops in the dioceses where it operated,
but to the pope alone. In another sign of the group’s influence, the pope
placed Opus Dei’s founder, the Spanish priest Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, on
the fast track to sainthood in 1992, leapfrogging over Pope John XXIII. In
2002, Escriva was canonized before a crowd of 300,000 in St. Peter’s Square,
becoming St. Josemaria a mere 27 years after he died. . . .” (Idem.)
11.
Next, the program
accesses an article that indicates that Opus Dei wields a profound influence on
Benedict XVI. His personal secretary—who appears to be something of a gatekeeper
or “gray eminence”—is a teacher at an Opus Dei theological college. Georg
Ganswein appears to effectively control access to Benedict XVI. Note the
“Aryan” looks of Ganswein. Is he “Underground Reich”? (For information
indicating that Benedict/Ratzinger may very well be Underground Reich, see FTR#508. For an overview
of the fascist/Vatican connection, see FTR#532.) “As Benedict XVI
trundled through the narrow streets of Cologne last week, many of his admirers
found themselves distracted by the extravagantly handsome man sitting in the
back of the Popemobile. The thousands of adoring young Catholics had come to
Germany to get a glimpse of the new Pope, visiting his native country on his
first trip abroad as pontiff. But they couldn't help noticing the Pope's new -
and rather dishy - private secretary, Monsignor Georg Gänswein. ‘As he jumped
on to the Popemobile for the first time,’ one German magazine remarked, ‘we
women held our breath. There, where for the past 27 years the grim and pale
Stanislaw Dziwisz had sat behind the Pope, a tall, blond, athletic young man
had taken his place.’” (“Thou Shalt Not Drool” by Luke Harding and Barbara McMahon; The
Guardian; 8/23/2005; http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5268354-110881,00.htm.)
12.
“Over the past four months, the Italian press has also
swooned over the 49-year-old German priest, who is known in Italy as Don
Georgio. In the gray and elderly world of the Vatican, it is hardly surprising
that Gänswein - a keen tennis player and excellent skier who even has a pilot's
license - has become the center of attention. Last month, the Italian edition
of Vanity Fair compared Gänswein to the actor George Clooney, while the
magazine Chi opened that he was ‘as fascinating as Hugh Grant’. The
Italian president's wife Franca was very taken with him when she first met him.
‘He's very, very young. And he speaks excellent Italian,’ she was reported as
saying. Another woman living close to the Vatican recently told Germany's ARD
TV that Gänswein was ‘an interesting man with a deep gaze’, adding: ‘Shame that
he is taboo for us women.’” (Idem.)
13.
“Some Vatican-watchers, however, are already muttering about
Gänswein's influence over Pope Benedict, the first German to sit on the chair
of St Peter for nearly 500 years. Born on July 30 1956, Gänswein grew up in
Riedern am Wald, a tiny Bavarian village. He was ordained in 1984 and is a
doctor of canon law from Munich University. He came to Rome in 1995 and was
quickly on the Vatican fast track. In 1996, the then Cardinal Ratzinger
asked him to join his staff, and he became a professor of canon law at the Pontifical
University of the Holy Cross, an institution affiliated to the secretive
Catholic movement Opus Dei. [Italics are Mr. Emory’s.]” (Idem.)
14.
“Those who know him praise his efficiency and analytical
ability. ‘He understands complicated issues within about 10 seconds and can
give a clear and immediate answer,’ one Vatican source said. Gänswein is,
though, more than just an impressive theologian. He is, like the man he serves,
extremely conservative. ‘I think he is very dangerous,’ Daniel Deckers, the author
of a biography of Germany's leading liberal cardinal, Karl Lehmann, said. ‘He's
part of a small but very powerful group within the Catholic church. He will use
his power to push Ratzinger in a certain direction.’ Deckers recalls travelling
to Rome to meet Gänswein. ‘He's a good guy. He's very eloquent and can be very
charming. But he came right up to me and said: 'Oh, you don't like us.' He
referred to himself and Ratzinger as 'us', as if the two of them were an
institution.’”
(Idem.)
15.
“With Gänswein as private secretary, there seems little
hope that Benedict XVI will offer concessions on issues that alienate many from
the Catholic church - the use of condoms, gay relationships or pre-marital sex.
‘You can forget it,’ one religious affairs writer said bluntly. A trusted
confidant of the last Pope, who made him a chaplain in 2000, Gänswein has
worked as Ratzinger's secretary since 2003, and was one of the few aides
allowed to give out press statements on John Paul's condition. In the Vatican,
Gänswein and Ratzinger dine together, recently entertaining Princess Gloria von
Thurn und Taxis, the German socialite, according to reports in the Italian
press. In Cologne last week, Gänswein was never far away from his boss -
handing the 78-year-old Pope his reading glasses, or traveling with him on a
cruise down the Rhine. He was there, too, when the Pope appeared on a hill
beneath a flying saucer-shaped dome, for a vast open-air mass. (In his address
to nearly 1 million pilgrims who had spent the night camped out in a muddy
field, the Pope reminded the young Catholics that they had to obey all of the
church's rules - not just the bits they liked. ‘That basically means no sex,
doesn't it?’ German pilgrim Malte Schuburt, 19, pointed out.)” (Idem.)
16.
“Gänswein's critics even accuse him of turning the Pope
into a fashion victim. This summer, Ratzinger and his secretary went on holiday
to the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, as well as to the Italian
Alps at Valle D'Aosta. While both men were hiking in the hills, the Pope
appeared in public wearing a Nike hat, designer Serengeti sunglasses and a
Cartier watch. ‘This is Gänswein's style. It's his handwriting,’ one religious
affairs writer said. ‘This is something I don't understand.’ Gänswein's power
derives partly from his place in the Pope's very small personal staff.
Benedict's long-time assistant is Ingrid Stampa and he has four women -
Carmela, Loredana, Emanuela and Cristina - who do domestic duties. They have
taken nun's vows but do not wear habits. Pope Benedict writes everything in
German in very small script, and Gänswein is one of the few who can read his
writing.”
(Idem.)
17.
It appears that Ganswein embodies the reactionary ideology of Opus Dei
and that he will use his influence with Benedict XVI to further that ideology. “So far, Gänswein does not enjoy the same power as Stanislaw
Dziwisz, who spent 40 years at Pope John Paul II's side. Some have even
dismissed him as the ‘Black Forest Adonis’. Yet it is Gänswein who decides
who gets to see the Pope, and who doesn't. [Italics are Mr. Emory’s.] He
also protects his boss from the mound of papers on Benedict's desk. ‘He is the
Pope's gatekeeper. This makes him a very powerful man,’ Deckers said. It is not
surprising, then, that the Pope's private secretary is already beginning to
inspire dread in liberal Catholic circles. In Germany, the Catholic Church is
divided more or less between two figures - the liberal-conservative Cardinal
Lehmann, the head of the German archbishop's conference, and the ultra-conservative
Cardinal Joachim Meisner, the Archbishop of Cologne. Both men were with the
Pope last week. But it is no secret as to which Bishop the Vatican favours.
‘Gänswein is an opponent of Lehmann,’ one source in the German Catholic Church
said. ‘One of Ratzinger's great weaknesses is that his judgment of people isn't
always sufficient. He has a small out-reach.’ Last week's papal tour of Germany
was an undoubted success for the Bavarian Benedict. A far less flamboyant
figure than his predecessor, Benedict was often embarrassed by the euphoric
crowds. But he is a formidable intellectual, able to deliver his ideas with
fluency and rigor in numerous languages. The question remains though - how long
will he last? The Pope has already suffered two strokes - one of which slightly
impaired his eyesight - and he has a
heart condition. Don Georgio is said to be very protective of the Pope,
particularly about his health. But if there is bad news to transmit, it will be
Gänswein, the priest with the film-star looks, who will be there to deliver
it.” (Idem.)
18.
Next, the program accesses information about Opus Dei influence on the
recent U.S. Senate debate about a Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Opus
Dei convert Senator Sam Brownback (Republican from Kansas), introduced into
Senate debate on same-sex marriage some talking points from a paper crafted by
an Opus Dei affiliate at Princeton University. “The
United States Senate is often called ‘the greatest deliberative body in the
world’ which usually raises the bar on the tenor and intellectual content of
speeches given on the floor and for the official record. Not so for Senator Sam
Brownback (R-KS) who took to the Senate floor last week to deliver a strident
push for the bigoted Marriage Protection Amendment, with massive
distortions of the issue and an argument that was based almost solely on the
opinion of a little-known, conservative think tank affiliated with the Roman
Catholic organization, Opus Dei .” (“Is
Brownback Bringing Opus Dei Into The Senate?” By Bob Geiger; http://www.democrats.com/node/9220.)
19.
“‘The problem we have in front of us is the institution of
marriage has been weakened, and the effort to redefine it on this vast social
experiment that we have going on, redefining marriage differently than it has
ever been defined before,’ the Kansas Senator grimly intoned last week. ‘This
effort of this vast social experiment, the early data that we see from other
places, harms the institution of the family, the raising of the next
generation. And it is harmful to the future of the Republic.’ Brownback then
went on to give figures for how various states have shown their hatred of gay
people with their own prohibitions on same-sex marriage and used that as his
rationale for a similar amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But Brownback
really hit his stride when he described a paper, called ‘Ten Principles on Marriage and the Public Good,’
published by a fairly new and extremely conservative group at Princeton
University. According to Brownback, the paper is an ‘… important statement of
principles from top American scholars [to] be considered carefully by my
colleagues.’ He then added that the sentiments expressed in the non-scientific
treatise were so vital to our national dialog that they should ‘. . . help
guide our debate on this issue.’ The paper, sponsored by the Witherspoon
Institute at Princeton, makes a case for banning same-sex marriage
altogether. What's extraordinary, is the idea of a United States Senator
attempting to sway opinion on an amendment that would have altered our
Constitution (had it not been defeated last Wednesday) by using a paper from an
organization linked to Opus Dei, a strict, religious group that some former
members have described as a cult.’” (Idem.)
20.
Brownback accessed information from a paper issued by the Witherspoon
Institute, whose president (Luis Tellez) is the head of Opus Dei at Princeton. “Brownback spent a good part of his lengthy Senate speech
last week citing the study and attributing it to ‘this Princeton group of
scholars’ while never mentioning that all of the findings were based on the
ultraconservative Witherspoon Institute bolstered by the involvement --
directly or indirectly -- of a nonprofit, tax-exempt religious organization in
Opus Dei. So what exactly is the Witherspoon Institute, whose paper formed the
foundation of Brownback's anti-gay argument? The Institute, which has only been
around since 2003, has close ties to Tony Perkins and the Family
Research Council , but is also tightly aligned with Opus Dei.
Indeed, Luis Tellez, the president of the Witherspoon
Institute is also the director and lead cleric of Opus Dei
in Princeton. Since its founding in 1928, Opus Dei has been known for its
traditionalist values and right-wing political stances. And critics in academia
-- which include former members who sometimes go through ‘deprogramming’ upon exiting
Opus Dei -- charge that organizations like the Witherspoon Institute are just
veiled attempts by Opus Dei to spread its influence in top-tier academic
circles. So why then, is a U.S. Senator offering to Congress ‘research’ linked
to Opus Dei on something as vital as amending the Constitution? It turns out
that Brownback, who was formerly an evangelical Protestant, converted to
Catholicism by way of Opus Dei in 2002 and was sponsored in that conversion by Senator
Rick Santorum (R-PA), a vocal Opus Dei advocate.” (Idem.)
21.
Tellez--the head of Opus Dei at Princeton—is among that reactionary
organization’s most conservative members. “Tellez,
the leader of Opus Dei in Princeton, is a ‘numerary,’ considered the most
conservative of the sect's members -- they are unmarried, celibate, devote
every aspect of their lives to their spiritual beliefs and turn over their
salaries from secular jobs to Opus Dei. Again, it bears repeating that Tellez
is also the head of the Witherspoon Institute, the group Brownback cited at
great length as his primary argument against gay marriage. And remember also,
it is Brownback, as an Opus Dei convert, who also leads the charge on Capitol Hill
against abortion and stem cell research and who, along with Santorum, is seen
by the Religious Right's as a point man on ‘culture war’ issues. The other
central figure in the Witherspoon orbit is Dr. Robert George, a Princeton
professor and a board member in the Institute who, not coincidentally, helped draft the federal gay-marriage
ban that was just defeated in the Senate. George chaired a meeting
of religious leaders in late 2005, which included Dr. James Dobson and other
members of the extreme Religious Right. In fact, in addition to his pivotal
role in the Witherspoon Institute, George is also a board member at Perkins' Family Research Council , a group known for its
bigoted positions on the gay community. And, via Brownback, all of this is
ultimately finding its way into the halls of Congress.” (Idem.)
22.
“While it may not be technically illegal for Brownback to be
so clearly mixing hard-right religious ideology -- and faux-academic papers
promoted by religious organizations like Opus Dei -- with debate on the Senate
floor, it should certainly raise some eyebrows. In a country where strict
separation of church and state is mandated, it seems Brownback is freely
blending the two, attempting to use religious dogma to influence public policy
-- all the while not disclosing to his Senate colleagues the background sources
of the research he is citing. But this should not be surprising coming from
Brownback. In a January 2006 Rolling Stone article ,
‘God's Senator,’ Brownback is described as a religious zealot with a view for
America's future that could almost be described as medieval. ‘In
his dream America, the one he believes both the Bible and the Constitution
promise, the state will simply wither away. In its place will be a country so
suffused with God and the free market that the social fabric of the last
hundred years -- schools, Social Security, welfare -- will be privatized or
simply done away with,’ reads the article. ‘There will be no abortions; sex
will be confined to heterosexual marriage. Men will lead families, mothers will
tend children, and big business and the church will take care of all.’ After
all, it was Brownback, who came to Congress in 1994 and refused to sign Newt
Gingrich's ‘Contract With America’ because
he felt it wasn't conservative enough. Even then, as a newcomer to the
House of Representatives, Brownback believed that the vast majority of what he
saw as Big Government should simply be eliminated, including the departments of
education, energy and commerce.” (Idem.)
23.
Opus Dei convert Brownback has been leading the charge on “family
values” in the Senate. “And, yes, it was also
Brownback who was so outraged at the split-second glimpse of Janet Jackson's
nipple during the 2004 Super Bowl, that he introduced the Broadcast Decency
Enforcement Act, which substantially raised fines for such simple on-air
displays of nudity. Finally, in addition to being brought into Catholicism by
the likes of Opus Dei and using laundered research by an affiliated group on
the Senate floor, Brownback chairs a meeting every Tuesday night with the
‘Values Action Team,’ consisting of religious leaders like Dobson who help the
Senator formulate his thoughts on public policy issues. According to Time magazine , Opus Dei
has assets in the neighborhood of $2.8 billion and, with John McCain unlikely
to significantly rouse the Religious Right in 2008, look for Brownback to be
the guy that Opus Dei, Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council turn
to as their presidential candidate. . . .” (Idem.)
24.
Updating a story Mr.
Emory has covered for more than two decades, the program notes that P-2 Lodge
grand master Licio Gelli has been indicted for the murder of Roberto Calvi, the
head of the Banco Ambrosiano. For more about the P-2 Lodge, the Vatican banking
scandals and the Vatican/fascist connection, use the search function on this
page, taking particular note of AFA#’s 17-21—available from Spitfire—as
well as FTR#’s 504, 508.) In paragraph , we
noted the alleged role of Opus Dei in the Banco Ambrosiano scandal.
What influence might Gelli’s testimony have had on subsequent events? Might
the resurrection of the Bulgarian hypothesis have had something to do with
Gelli’s testimony? (The Bulgarian hypothesis—long discredited but
resurrected in Italy and Poland earlier this year—alleges that the Soviet Union
had the pope shot, in order to negate his activism on behalf of the Solidarity
Union in Poland.) “Magistrates investigating the
death of the Italian banker Roberto Calvi under Blackfriars Bridge in London in
1982 are focusing on Licio Gelli the former ‘grand master’ of the illegal P2
Masonic lodge that plotted against Italian democracy in the 1970s. Mr Gelli
denies he was involved but has acknowledged that the financier, known as ‘God's
banker’ because of his links with the Vatican, was murdered. He said the
killing was commissioned in Poland.” (“Mason Indicted over Murder of
‘God's Banker’” By John Phillips; The Independent; 7/22/05;
accessed at: http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article300322.ece.)
25.
In the aftermath of Gelli’s testimony about the Banco Ambrosiano
scandal, Mehmet Ali Agca—convicted would-be assassin of the Pope –was released
from prison. Agca was a member of the Pan-Turkist fascist group the Grey
Wolves. (For more about the fascist influence on the Pan-Turkist movement, see FTR#549.) “After 25 years behind bars for trying to assassinate Pope
John Paul II and fatally gunning down a journalist, Mehmet Ali Agca was
released from prison — and promptly gave his supporters and his enemies the
slip. Within hours of tasting freedom Thursday for the first time since
wounding John Paul in 1981, Agca disappeared out the back door of a military
hospital. He left behind hordes of journalists, along with questions about
whether he will be forced to complete the mandatory military service he dodged
as a young man. Scores of ultranationalist right-wing supporters cheered his
release and tossed flowers at the sedan that whisked him through the gates of a
high-security prison. But many Turks expressed dismay that Agca, 48, served
just five years for the slaying of newspaper columnist Abdi Ipekci in 1979,
during a time of street violence between rightists and leftists. Justice
Minister Cemil Cicek ordered a review to see whether any errors were committed
in releasing him. He said Agca would remain free until an appeals court
reviewed the case. ‘If there is an error, that would damage Turkey's image’ as
the nation pushes to join the European Union, said Ilter Turan, a political
scientist at Istanbul's Bilgi University.” (“Turk
Who Shot Pope John Paul II is Released from Prison” [AP]; USA Today;
1/12/2006; accessed at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-01-12-pope-gunman_x.htm.)
26.
“‘Day of shame,’ headlined the daily Milliyet, Ipekci's
newspaper. Cicek said Agca's release was not ‘a guaranteed right,’ noting there
have been several cases in which convicts freed by mistake were returned to
prison. He said Agca benefited from amnesties, passed by previous governments,
which have freed tens of thousands of criminals over the past decades. Agca,
white-haired and wearing a bright blue sweater and jeans, was freed five years
after he was pardoned by Italy and extradited to Turkey. He had served 20 years
in Italy, where John Paul forgave him in a visit to his prison cell in 1983. .
. .” (Idem.)
27.
Shortly after Agca’s release from prison, an Italian parliamentary body
endorsed the long-discredited Bulgarian hypothesis. Note that the commission
was headed by an ally of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi
was a former member of the P-2 Lodge, headed by Licio Gelli. “It has persisted as one of the most mysterious cases of
international intrigue in recent times: Who shot the pope? A committee of
Italy’s Parliament investigating the 1981 attempt to assassinate John Paul II
released its conclusion Thursday that ‘beyond any reasonable doubt’ the Soviet
Union ordered the attack that seriously wounded the pope as he greeted crowds
in St. Peter’s Square. The Turkish gunman, Mehmet Ali Agca, was long ago
condemned in the shooting and served 19 years in jail. But for whom he worked
has never been definitely established. His own confessions have been all over
the map; he has variously implicated the Soviets, the Bulgarians and others.” (“Soviets
Behind Pope’s Shooting, Italy Panel Says” by Tracy Wilkinson; Los Angeles
Times; 3/3/2006.)
28.
“Rumors about the intellectual authors of the attack have
circulated for years, but pinning it directly and finally on the Soviet Union
would be a first. Sen. Paolo Guzzanti, president of the parliamentary
committee, told reporters that the Soviet military intelligence agency, the
GRU, ‘took the initiative to eliminate’ the pope. According to Italian media,
the report says the Soviets had decided that Jon Paul, a fervent
anti-communist, had become dangerous in his outspoken support for the
Solidarity protest movement in his native Poland. Solidarity’s activities
eventually helped precipitate the fall of communism there in 1989. In those
Cold War years of intrigue and deception, the shooting of the pope was tangled
in a web of secret agents, proxy gunmen and the life-or-death struggle who
would dominate the world.” (Idem.)
29.
It is alleged that the interrogation of Carlos the Jackal yielded some
information about the shooting of the Pope. Carlos the Jackal—as discussed in FTR#453—is a protégé of
Nazi operative Francois Genoud. Might the far right have influenced this
resurrection of the Bulgarian hypothesis, utilizing the milieu of Carlos?
(Genoud died in 1996.) Note also that the head of this commission—Mr.
Guzzanti—is a political ally of former P-2 member Silvio Berlusconi. “Committee staff members said the report was based on
evidence presented at a host of Italian trials through the years connected with
the shooting, including one that probed the Turkish mafia and another the
purported involvement of the Bulgarian secret service. In addition, France’s
noted anti-terrorism judge, Jean-Louis Bruguiere, reportedly shared evidence
with the Italians that sprang from the prosecution of Ilich Ramirez Sanchez,
alias Carlos the Jackal, the notorious terrorist held in France since his
capture in Africa in 1994. . . . Guzzanti, a member of Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing Forza Italia (Go, Italy) party, said he
launched the new investigation after John Paul’s last book before his death
spoke of the assassination attempt and his conviction that someone beyond Agca
had ‘masterminded and commissioned’ the attack. [Italics are Mr. Emory’s.]” (Idem.)
30.
Shortly after the Italian investigation, a Polish inquiry headed in the
same direction. Again, what influence might Licio Gelli’s testimony have had
on the resurrection of the Bulgarian hypothesis? What might Gelli –dubbed the
“Puppet Master” by the Italian media—have disclosed or threatened to disclose?
If anyone could be said to know “where the bodies are buried”—literally in this
case—it is Gelli. “Investigators in Poland said
Monday they have opened an inquiry into a suspected plot behind an
assassination attempt on late Polish-born Pope John Paul II in 1981. ‘The
inquiry is not into the attack itself but into a plot by communist (secret)
services,’ said Ewa Koj of Poland's National Remembrance Institute (IPN), which
is charged with prosecuting Communist and Nazi crimes. Koj, head of the IPN's
investigative department in the southern city of Katowice, told the PAP news
agency the inquiry aimed to probe suspected involvement by several countries in
planning the assassination attempt on the pope. The IPN has previously said
that it does not have direct proof that Polish Communist-era secret police took
part in the attack. Charges that the Soviet Union and then-communist Bulgaria
organized the attack over John Paul's support for the Solidarity trade union
movement in his native Poland were never proved. In March, the head of an
Italian parliamentary commission accused leaders of the former Soviet Union of
ordering the assassination bid.” (“Poland Opens Inquiry into 1981
John Paul II Death Plot”; TurkishPress.com; 6/12/2006; http://archive.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=128171.)