Briefing press Saturday the Holy See Press Office Director, Fr. Federico Lombardi, noted that the communiqué comes exactly one month since Pope’ Francis election to the Pontificate and shows that the Holy Father “listens attentively” to the suggestions of the College of Cardinals – his closest collaborators.
He also noted that the Group will have no legislative power and that its main function is to “help” and “advise” the Pope. Fr. Lombardi added that the Group will not in any way interfere in the normal functions of the Roman Curia, which helps the Pope in the daily governance of the Church.
POPE FRANCIS APPOINTS GROUP OF CARDINALS TO ADVISE HIM ON CHURCH GOVERNMENT AND REVISION PLAN OF APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION ON ROMAN CURIA
Vatican City, 13 April 2013 (VIS) – Following is the full text of a communique issued today by the Secretariat of State.
“The Holy Father Francis, taking up a suggestion that emerged during the General Congregations preceding the Conclave, has established a group of cardinals to advise him in the government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, 'Pastor Bonus'. The group of Cardinals will be coordinated by Card. Oscar Andrés Maradiaga Rodríguez and is drawn from across the Universal Church.
The group consists of:
Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State;
Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, archbishop emeritus of Santiago de Chile, Chile;
Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, India;
Cardinal Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich and Freising, Germany;
Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo;
Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley O.F.M., archbishop of Boston, USA;
Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney, Australia;
Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, S.D.B., archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in the role of coordinator; and
Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, Italy, in the role of secretary.
The group's first meeting has been scheduled for 1-3 October 2013. His Holiness is, however, currently in contact with the aforementioned cardinals.”
7 comments:
Good to see Pell there. Don't know much about the others, apart from Madariaga. Given the wide geographical spread, will they be able to meet often enough to form an effective cabinet? Here lies the rub - cabinet government might be worth considering, but to work the members of the cabinet would have to based in Rome and therefore become part of the Curia.
I will be in Rome living at the North American College for my sabbatical, September through November and will certainly sacrifice any time I have to lend my expertise! :)
A commission to reform commissions, how VERY Curial!
At first blush, this seems to be a smokescreen, but then again, I'm still not convinced about the "way" of Pope Francis. It sure seems that he hasn't separated Bergoglio from Francis yet. That to me, is a problem, considering that the consensus prior was that Ratzinger should separate himself from Benedict.
I think that there is a personality emerging in this papacy which echoes a sentiment which seems to be growing. Pope Francis is an enigma.
Fr. McD, you nail it there is a paradox...I think that this doesn't help, I think that it continues the confusion after Vatican Council II.
A couple of key questions;
1. How is this advisory committee "collegial?" It isn't. Not how Vatican Council II intended it to be.
2. How is Francis furthering the Council Father's views on the liturgical action?
3. How is Vatican Council II finding any concrete footing?
I'm going to write about the third. This pontificate is living proof that there is no objectivity with Vatican Council II. The interpretation of the Popes is wildly different and that has never happened with another Council. What we MUST question now, is the Magisterium of Vatican Council II. I'm not saying it's invalid, but I am questioning it's veracity. Bottom line, there has never in the history of any other Council such a subjective wavering. As the old saying goes: "Houston, we have a problem."
I think it is a way to PREVENT contaminating or frustrating the efforts of the reform if they were actually located in Rome. This is a Maoist tactic, which is not a bad thing depending on what it is you want to do.
Looks like Pell is the token trad amongst a slew of modernists. God help us.
At first blush the whole concept of yet more bureaucracy makes me roll my eyes. It sounds vaguely like the completely moribund US Government that I work with. Don't confuse motion with progress.
As for the particular members of the "council"...I am willing to wait and see but I see nothing impressive in the list. Pell is solid, but no Lion. Maradiage is down right frightening. O'Malley? Really? Of all the Cardinals in the US you pick that one? Will he also adopt the Obama way and start calling these Cardinals his Czars? LOL
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