SJB's surprise was undoubtedly tongue-in-cheek, since we all know this is a typical Cekada ploy to boost his own leprous image. He pats Abbot Giardina on the head for being "a kind priest who had many virtues," for resisting the
novus ordo brainwashing and for establishing a traditional Catholic monastery.
He then excoriates this kind priest for failing to publicly state his position on the question of the current occupants of the Vatican and for failing to have his monks properly trained in theology and Latin. Therefore,
it was Abbot Giardina's fault that his monastery was handed over by his own monks to the
novus ordo wolves.
Perhaps there is some truth in this judgment, but Cekada exploits the situation by boasting (modestly, of course) about his personal efforts to rectify the educational inadequacies of the monks, and lamenting that Abbot Giardina did not follow through on Cekada's generous offer.
As to hypocrisy - WOW! Cekada heaps a mountain of scorn on Abbot Giardina for the financial success of the monastery which "drew extensive financial support from all varieties of traditionalists throughout the U.S." He says:
Father’s caginess on the pope question and his repeated “We’re-too-spiritual-for-controversies” protests, though, struck me as nothing more than a clever two-pronged fundraising ploy:
(1) Say absolutely nothing about the pope, so you can hit up all categories of traditionalists for donations: sedevacantists, SSPX-ers, independents, and Motu types.
(2) Play up the “I’m-only-a-humble-unworldly-monk” routine.
On the latter point, having spent some time as a monk myself, I am well aware how some of the sons of St. Benedict ham up the “humble monk” shtick whenever they sniff the scent of a potential big benefactor.
The double formula was a gold mine for Christ the King Abbey. Fr. Giardina played it to the hilt, and the bucks rolled in.
Talk about hypocrisy! Get the puke bucket! Cekada, his boss and friend Dolan, and his enabler Sanborn, have proven themselves MASTERS at fleecing the sheep through the most base duplicity, lies and manipulation. They purport themselves to be the only
really real traditional clergy, with the only
really real expertise in theology, liturgy, ecclesiology and Canon law. They totally condemn all other traditional clergy and groups outside their own domain, and terrify their own blind sheep into supporting them lavishly.
Bottom line of Cekada's clever exposé of the tragedy at Christ the King Abbey: Just count on Cekada to give you the real lowdown on everything Catholic - no matter that he has repeatedly proven himself a total liar and abuser of his own parishioners and brother clergy.
:smoke-pot: