In the headlights...

Let a parish priest ignore a letter asking him to clarify something from just one bishop, let alone four cardinals.

Let a bishop or cardinal ignore a letter asking him to clarify something from the Pope or even a brother bishop or Cardinal.

Why then, or rather by what justification, can a Pope ignore a letter from FOUR cardinals?

Because 'I'm the Pope' so 'stuff you, I can do what I please'?

Ah yes, now we see the ambition. Not sure about the humility though!

The Pope has been lecturing traditional Catholics on true love and excessive rigidity. 

I'm not sure what justification Pope Francis is using to ignore his Cardinals' letter, but I'm not sure it has much to do with love, more perhaps with rigidity, much like how rabbits appear in the headlights.

Of course, the rabbit might just get out of the way in time before he is squashed, and evade the oncoming car, but nobody can say that the rabbit wasn't there.

The Church will record this letter.

History will record this letter.

And at some point, this letter, answered or unanswered, will judge and give a verdict on either the authenticity or magisterial content of this papacy. Perhaps both.

In future, it could well even serve as evidence in deciding whether this pontificate had 

any validity at all.

PRAY.