A Plot Against Pope Francis Not Wholly Implausible?

Or so says Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith in the Catholic Herald.
I suppose that could mean many different things, mostly depending on how the good father would inflect the word "wholly" were he to speak his headline aloud.
One of the main intents of my partial Facebook/Twitter fast is to not comment on the Holy Father's words or actions, and more, to put a pause on my arrogant advice giving. I should say this up front, and I will avoid it, I hope.
But this struck me as wrong -

The fact that this “plot” has leaked could mean one of two things. It could be that the feeling the Pope should retire is now so widespread, that it cannot be kept secret – in other words there are too many people in on the plot. But it could mean something else entirely, namely that the plotters are very few in number and are airing their idea to see if it gains traction. Their idea might be to launch a snowball that then turns into an avalanche in the way of which nothing can stand.

I can think of a third possibility.
Could it not have been brought out in the open by one who does not wish its success, to make it less likely to happen?
I read somewhere once that Alan Sheperd was the first American astronaut because John Glenn had been selected to be.
What? you ask.
Apparently, President Johnson, who had some say in the matter, was so furious at the news having been leaked that he chose to rub the noses of the leakers or the media in it by making them wrong, even if it meant not doing what he had wanted to do in the first place. (Another axiomatic "nose" comes to mind, something about cutting and spiting, but I digress.)
And there is also the shining of light on cockroaches, who then freeze, in the hope that if they make no further moves they will remain unnoticed and safe.
Hmmm... I do not mean to insult those who might wish to compass the Holy Father's resignation, so instead of insects, let me instead compare them to valiant French partisans engaged in near-suicidal espionage against the Nazis under cover of darkness.
Shhhh... ne bougez pas un muscle. Le gardien vient de faire ses rondes, il va éteindre la lumière dans un moment et aller pour le café.
And even the "near-suicidal" may not bee so far-fetched... Guam, anyone?

Drat. I said I wasn't going to do that.

On the other hand, how do we know which "mafia" Chaouqui meant? I'm told they come in various shades

The monsignor said-

that when the Vatican Commission concluded its work, he felt pressured by a disappointed [pr woman], who had left her job to work on the commission, thinking that she would have a new job in the Holy See.

He was scared mostly because she had access to confidential information and had hinted that she was the number-two of the Italian secret service.

The most severe statement came from her in December 2014: "Here we have to seek help, and the only possible way is with the mafia.”

Really?
This person --

-- who tweeted lies, nonsense inaccurate claims about a pope having a deadly disease; and thought Twitter was also an appropriate forum to air corruption accusations against an on-his-way-out curial cardinal; turned out not to be a good fit at the Vatican?

Who'd a thunk....

Spoken by the....I mean, Speak of the Devil - Top Catholic Catechist on "Disordered" Inclinations

Speaking of how the Church uses the term "disordered," it seems that "the head of the Curia’s secretariat for catechesis"* has a little trouble with that bothersome need, "sentire cum ecclesia."
To whit: 

The Catholic Church’s doctrine still refers to homosexuality in terms of it being an illness or a disorder.... Speaking like that in today’s society is simply nonsensical.

Oh, well, then....
I make no claim whatever as to the prudence of a Maltese prelate asking for, or promulgating a position paper on a civil law, I know none of the particulars.
That said, the fact that he simply disagrees with what the Church teaches on a subject calls his objectivity on whether the Church ought to speak on said subject into question, no?

It reminds me of that lame "What If We Just said Wait?" movement.

If a single person, one single person who had publicly supported the the implementation of the new translation had opined that nonetheless, it should be postponed, I would have thought the reasons at least worth looking into, the position might have had some credibility.

As it was?

Not a jot.
--------------------
*Not sure the news outlet reporting this has the guy's dicastery or his position in it even close to correct.
Edit - I wonder if there is a "Maltese Curia," and this priest has nothing to do with the Vatican at all.

Come, let us contrive a plot against this man.
It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests,
nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets.
And so, let us destroy him by his own expense account report;
let us carefully note his every penny spent.
 

A Cynic is One Who Knows the Price of Everything, and the Value of Nothing

Curia-ser and curia-ser.
As much as it alarms me to find myself defending the actions of a purported climate-change denier, I really have to laugh at combox blather of those who are shocked, shocked...

Gambling???... at Rick's????

... at the supposed lavish spending of Cardinal Pell.

Take, (and I am playing the cynic here,) the outrageous sum thrown away on vestments to use in the chapel at the offices of the new post.

Let's break that down.
We'll assume he's got his own cardinatial cassock, little red cap, one of those cool sashes...

But even a curial official is first and foremost a priest whose duty is to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
So -
You can get an "Everyday Chasuble",   for 200 bucks. That's about 185 Euros.
Of course it's 100% polyester, devoid of any beauty;at less than four feet long in the back will look pretty damned goofy on a man of 6'3", (I know this from recent experience of Twin Tower priest and deacon visiting,) which at least one of the priests* who will likely be using the garment is; and looks pretty much like a tablecloth with a hole in it.

Oh, but who cares, anything's good enough for ceremonies worshipping God, right? 'cause He doesn't really care.
So let's get those, 4 liturgical colors, (no black,) two per, (probably sufficient for concelebrations, not all the time, but we're going economy class here.)
Inexpensive albs, also polyester, about 125 Euros, they come in 5 sizes, but we're aiming at frugality, so let's just get 2 each in small, large and XXL - that's 750 Euros.

So we're at 2230.
We won't get dalmatics, a deacon if present can just
About 440 more Euros for cheapie stoles, 2 in each liturgical color but black.
I'm don't know if there's any reason deacons, if present, can't wear priest's stoles, surely the buttons and loops  or whatever can be McGyvered?
So this is pretty barebones.

No humeral veil? no cope? no amices, cinctures?
Nope. (and CERTAINLY no maniples.)
So, "the allegations, contained in leaked figures published by Italian magazine L'Espresso on Friday, suggest Cardinal Pell also spent €2508 on religious robes at a tailor" are pretty dang innocuous, along the lines of "leaked details suggest Pell had a second cup of coffee at dinner!"

Oh, the extravagance!!!!!!!

Since the sum of my knowledge about Roman apartment rentals is from House Hunters International I won't embarrass myself by claiming to know anything about that aspect of the "expose", but I'm going to jump to the assumption that those figures are equally ludicrous as evidence of profligacy as part of a smear campaign.

Anyway, I sincerely hope with that €2508 figure Cdl Pell didn't buy anywhere near the number of pieces I enumerated above, I hope that was spent on a single gorgeous chasuble.
And I hope there will be many more.

 *

Pell used to be 6'4", I'm assuming he has shrunk a bit