This was at this evening’s Solemn Sung Vespers with Pope Francis. Please note the placement and size of the candlesticks and crucifix. Too bad it isn’t kept this way for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass:
This was Solemn Exposition and Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament on Saturday at Saint Anne Church in Richmond Hill, Georgia:
I am now a legal resident of South Carolina since 2016.
However, southerners who taught me, especially in public schools throughout the 1960’s and early 70’s, using southern biased text books, made clear that the “War Between the States” was not about slavery but about states rights.
I did not buy that even as a child as I could not see the logic between the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution that said all men were created equal. To me, slavery was a grave evil and those moving to outlaw it were on the right path, which included not just Northerners but Southerners.
Unfortunately, the southern economy had become totally dependent upon slavery and the culture that revolved around it, corrupt as it was, developed nonetheless.
Prior to the Civil War, there were southern efforts to free slaves from slavery in a way codified in law. The freed slaves were called “freeman”. One of the oldest communities of freemen is found in downtown Augusta at the African American Springfield Baptist Church, still in operation. This all occurred prior to the Civil War.
While slavery was the flashpoint, southerners insisted that the war was about states’ rights and the ability of a state to secede from the Union.
A war was fought over states’ rights in this regard, but slavery was the flashpoint. The states that seceded from the union lost the war.
Slavery ended as a result, as it should have but much earlier and without a war.
And while the Union said states could not legally secede from the Union, all the states that did, had to fulfill certain requirements before they could be readmitted to the Union.
So from the Northern point of view, why was it required for states, fulfilling certain obligations, to then be readmitted to the Union?
So, yes, slavery was the reason for the Civil War but as a flashpoint for states rights. The south lost and that proved that this southern premise was wrong.
States rights is still a mantra, but the flashpoint has shifted from slavery to abortion, guns, marijuana, and who can be on a presidential ballot. The later could end up in a civil war if the Democrats keep pushing that political ideology to exclude an opponent that might well win the presidential election if not for this election interference.
Before FS, I have never been approached by two homosexual people, male, female or whatever they say they are, for a special blessing as a couple. If I had been, I would not have interrogated them, but simply offered a simple blessing, not blessing any aspect of their relationship, but blessing them.
I am not sure how I would have worded that blessing if, for example, they told me they had just gotten civilly married and now would like me to bless them. Now, because of FS, I have to figure that out in a planned out way before I am asked for the first time.
Usually, people will ask me for special blessings after Mass when I am greeting people. I am still vested in chasuble and stole. Sometimes it is to bless them on the anniversary of their marriage or for some other special marital event. I do not interrogate them if they were married in the Church or their marriage is recognized by the Church. I bless them and their marriage. Should I interrogate in that setting?
It seems to me if a couple has a beef with the Church’s teaching on sex or on marriage as a Sacrament between one man and one woman and for a lifetime, and they ask me to bless a union that isn’t a Sacrament and not recognized by the Church, if they are doing so to poke the Church in the eye, but I don’t know that and I bless them, they are the ones guilty of the mortal sin of deceiving a priest and using him for their own purposes. I am not guilty of anything that is considered a mortal sin in that blessing.
As it concerns people living in sin, today most couples who plan to be married in the Church and are engaged, are living together in sin. That doesn’t stop any priest from an official blessing of an engaged couple. We know that the official blessing prayer for engaged couples which is found in the Liturgical Rite of Marriage Book, isn’t blessing any type of sin they may be committing.
In fact, at my other parishes, we offered deanery-wide marriage preparation workshops and at the end of that day-long workshop, as a group the attended the Saturday Vigil Mass at which I would offer the Blessing for Engaged Couples over all the couples at one time, at the end of the General Intercessions of the Mass. We also gave them a religious article as an “engagement” gift.
The same is true of the Nuptial Blessing at a Nuptial Liturgy within or outside of Mass. The couple may well have been living in sin prior to the Nuptial Liturgy and their sex lives might well include elements of sodomy. They plan to continue their sex life in that manner and will use artificial contraception to prevent pregnancy when normal sex is used.
Do we exclude the Nuptial Blessing from the Nuptial Liturgy? Of course not and I have never interrogated a couple about to be married about the type of sex they prefer. I hope no priest or deacon or bishop does.
I have seen advice the state of Georgia includes in the packet that has their marriage license that I must sign and return to the judge probate. It has illustrations on safe sex when doing unhealthy and STD spreading acts that some call sex. To be honest with you, some of it grosses me out. But that’s another story.
The question, though, that FS raises in my mind is something else altogether different.
Do we allow couples publicly living in sin to be acolytes, lectors, and Communion Ministers too? Does the new ideology of inclusivity extend to formal Church ministries and let’s say too, Holy Orders?
And what about paid jobs as Catholic school teachers and administrators.
Of course, for “lesser” jobs, like cooks, janitors, teaching assistants, secretaries, bookkeepers and the like, can we allow for a variety of public sins in these Church jobs? Is is wrong to call them “lesser” Church jobs?
That is the bigger issue no one is touching.
I’ve been through it with international news in Macon, Georgia, about nine years ago where our private Catholic school fired a young man about to be civilly married during the summer to his male partner and many of the school’s teachers were throwing him an engagement party to which I received an invitation to attend.
He and his partner were not Catholic. Should the Catholic school administrator and teachers celebrate his marriage by throwing parties and should his contract be renewed to continue to teach rather than firing him and under pressure to do so by the bishop?
That’s the conundrum that isn’t being addressed and more serious, I think, than private blessings offered by priests, deacons and bishops.
What say you?
Now, this is how you do an excommunication. No wimpy, feminized priesthood here:
This interview will clear up any confusion that one or two who post here, about Pope Benedict’s thoughts about the current papacy within the context of unconditional obedience to defined, orthodox truth…
And please note what Peter Seewald says about Cardinal Pizzaballa! Odd that I post about Pizzaballa today only to have Seewald confirm for me that he might make a great corrective pope compared to what we have experienced for almost 11 years!
Gay couples, Latin Mass, sexual abuse, purging of the men most closely associated with Benedict, the appointment of Fernández: Pope Francis has done everything he could to destroy what his predecessor had built. One year after the death of Benedict XVI, his biographer and friend Peter Seewald speaks out.
Will the next pope recover the splendor of the papal liturgy at St. Peter’s or keep it bland and ho hum? Time will tell!
I am on the Diocese of Tortona’s Facebook page that really highlights the pontifical pastoral ministry of Bishop Marini. He goes everywhere and is with the people, not aloof or backwards looking.
But he has a sense of style and the ability to celebrate the Novus Ordo with flair, good taste, reverently and with a sense of piety, mystery and awe.
These two photos are from a Pontifical Mass for Christmas at a Marian Shrine in Tortona. I just love the Italian sensibilities and where the Nativity Crèche is place and how it is highlighted!
Please note too, the pontifical deacon’s dalmatic the good bishop is wearing under the chasuble, with his ornate alb, one of his trademarks:
But his liturgical abilities and sensibilities are far from the drab ones of Pope Francis.
1. The good Cardinal wears ornate vestments with a bejeweled mitre!
2. The Mass is in Latin and the Cardinal chants in Latin the Epiclesis through the two consecrations!
3. The bells are rung at the elevations but again, as the cardinal genuflects, modeled after the TLM’s bell ringing.
4. There is a sense of beauty, mystery and awe.
Thus where o where should the manger be placed. It is best placed in a side chapel or by a side altar, like the tabernacle is in so many places.
St. Joseph in Macon as well as Savannah’s cathedral have large side chapels and that is where the manger, very elaborate for the Cathedral, is placed.
St. Anne in Richmond Hill, places it along a side wall where there is plenty of room to walk.
However, I like what some places do, like Saint Peter’s Basilica. There is a Gospel platform where the Baby Jesus is placed and revealed before Mass and then after Mass the Baby Jesus is processed to the manger scene. St. Peter’s has an elaborate one in a side chapel toward the left entrance of the basilica.
Crux is reporting this:
Saint Peter’s Square seconds before the entrance of Pope Francis to St. Peter’s loggia for the Christmas Urbi et Orbi Blessing:
I don’t think we can say that Pope Francis’ missionary outreach and evangelization in any measure can compare to Pope Benedict’s missionary outreach and evangelization.
We have seen dramatically, I mean, dramatically, smaller and smaller numbers of faithful and tourists at Pope Francis’ papal events, even major ones, like the Vatican II opening-like opening of the Synod on Synodality as well as the installation of new cardinals. These crowds were quite embarrassing.
And thus it is with today’s Christmas Urbi et Orbi Christmas message of Pope Francis.
This is what St. Peter’s Square looked like for Pope Benedict’s Christmas blessing:
This is what St. Peter’s Square looked like this morning for Pope Francis’ blessing and a day very similar to one above with Pope Benedict’s blessing that includes, todas, todas, todas, Pope Francis, not at all:
The Christmas Vigil Mass for the Nativity of our Lord at Holy Family Church, Hilton Head Island. It was at 4 pm and it was packed, standing room only in a church that seats 1,300!
Well, well, well. Today it is the Mass of default for the elderly and everyone else who wants to enjoy Sunday without the hassle of going the Mass. And in some places the Vigil can be at 2 pm on Saturday. Most allow for 4 pm.
This changed our Christmas traditions in many unfortunate ways. The majority of Catholics now celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December to get it over with. In my parishes, I had a 4 pm Children’s Vigil, 6pm for others, 8 pm for some strange reason. Christmas Day only at two Masses, 12 Midnight and 10 AM the Day of and it was sparsely attended.
That’s how a virus works and corrupts and we can certainly apply it to other things in the Church to this day with new Covid-like viruses being unleashed on the sacraments.
My successor at St. Anne’s Church in Richmond Hill is bucking the trend. When I was there, because the Church seats about 1,200, I had two Vigil Mass, both packed, one at 5 PM, billed the children’s Mass and the other at 8 PM to take the place of the Midnight Mass and then one on Christmas Day at 10 AM.
The “new” pastor this year is only having Christmas Midnight Mass at midnight—how novel and one Mass on Christmas Day. I wonder how that will work and how many families with small children will go elsewhere. But it is a sea change that won’t be uncontroversial but a good change in my mind. I think, though, if one does this, there should be two or more Christmas Day Masses in the morning.
The least bishops could do is the set what time the first Vigil Mass can take place as is done for the Easter Vigil. I would suggest that it be a 9 PM on the 24th. Or, be bold, say there can be no vigil Masses anymore. Sunday and Holy Day Masses can start at 12 midnight and all day, if one wants to, on Sunday and the actual Holy Day.
What do you think?
Many in the Church bitterly complained about how poor the prayers of blessing are in this official Book of Blessings. The wording is often horrid and for the most part, no blessing with the “Sign of the Cross” is indicated in the blessing. Usually there is a rubric of a cross in red (+) indicating where the cleric makes the Sign of the Cross over the person, animal or object being blessed. Some of the prayers have this + but the vast majority don’t.
It turns out now that the perceived flaws in the Book of Blessings is a blessing for clerics blessing two or more people, who might be in sinful public unions, who ask for a “casual” “unofficial” blessing!
FS requires that no liturgical gestures be used in blessing a couple in a sinful union. Isn’t the “Sign of the Cross” used as a blessing from a cleric a liturgical action?
Thus, it would be a prudent recommendation that bishops, priests and deacons be forbidden to used the Liturgical “Sign of the Cross” when unofficially blessing a couple in a sinful union! The Book of Blessings leads the way in the manner of “blessing”! Thank God for this Book of Blessings!!!!!
I did not see a question about the papal flip-flop from one document to the next from the DDF. The first stated that there could be no blessing for couples in immoral and sinful relationships which are publicly known and are asked for by the couple. So one day no and the next day yes. That is a major problem.
The day before the declaration, I had never had same sex couples come up to me to ask for a blessing, although individuals in all kinds of situations opposed by the Church have. And even beyond that, for example, they are sick, maybe dying, where I would hear their confession, anoint and offer Holy Communion.
After the decision, I can see same sex and heterosexuals living in public sin calling me for an appointment for a blessing together. It is clear they seek a blessing not just to be nicer to each other, but to get ecclesial recognition of their union even if unofficial. Do I have to interrogate them if they are using the casual blessing I give to advertise to the world that the Church blesses their union? Isn’t that what Fr. James Martin narcissistically did when he asked the New York Times to cover his first public blessing of two homosexual men in an actively homosexual union? Did Martin use the new document to further his agenda towards the Church officially blessing immoral unions of all kinds and recognizing same sex “marriages” in an official, unofficial way?
At any rate, the uproar and schismatic seeds that this document has sown has caused Cardinal Fernandez to do damage control and that is good and there are some clarifications, especially what the pope will do about Germany and its schismatic way. It is odd that he cracks downs on traditionalists and progressives about the Liturgy, one ban for the TLM the other the ban on celebrating an Eastern Rite Liturgy facing the people. Very strange that the bishops of a country heading for full schism are treated with kid papal pontifical gloves.
Press for interview:
In an interview with 'The Pillar,' the DDF's prefect discusses 'Fiducia supplicans'
I JUST TURNED 70, LIVED THROUGH VATICAN II’S AFTERMATH, A WISHY-WASHY PROGRESSIVE SEMINARY, A GREAT 44 YEARS OF MINISTRY, THE SEX ABUSE CRISIS AND NOW THIS.
THAT THE CHURCH SURVIVES POPES, BISHOPS, PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS AND LAITY FOR 2000 YEARS IS A MYSTERY OF GOD MERCY AND DIVINE PROTECTION. THAT CONTINUES TOO!
Here’s the good Archbishop’s best money byte:
Over the past decade ambiguity on certain matters of Catholic doctrine and practice has become a pattern for the current pontificate. The pope’s criticism of American Catholics has too often been unjust and uninformed. Much of the German Church is effectively in schism, yet Rome first unwisely tolerated Germany’s “synodal path,” and then reacted too slowly to preclude the negative results. At a time when fatherhood and male Christian spiritual leadership are in crisis, the Holy Father has asked his International Theological Commission to work on “de-masculinizing” the Church. The most urgent challenge that Christians face in today’s world is anthropological: who and what a human being is; whether we have some higher purpose that warrants our special dignity as a species; whether we’re anything more than unusually smart animals who can invent and reinvent ourselves. And yet our focus for 2024 is a synod on synodality.
Here is an excerpt:
The pastoral conversion of which the Pope speaks is not a cosmetic operation, a simple adjustment of schedules, a few minor adjustments to structures. It is something deeper, which engages the responsibility of everyone, and first and foremost that of ordained ministers. The etymological meaning of the word “conversion” is “to move from one place to another”, “to turn towards someone or something”, “to change direction”. The pastoral conversion Francis speaks of is the invitation to a radical change of outlook and mentality, not in the sense of somehow conforming to worldly thinking by watering down the Christian proclamation, but exactly the opposite. It is an invitation to revitalize the proclamation of the Gospel, concentrating on the essential, on the kerygma, knowing that we are increasingly dealing with interlocutors who no longer know it. Knowing that we must go out, take risks, meet others without prejudice, listen before judging, and not wait for people to come looking for us. The image of the Church as a “field hospital”, so dear to the Successor of Peter, is a powerful example. The root of pastoral conversion is profoundly evangelical: Jesus invited us not to judge lest we be judged, not to focus on the mote in the eye of those before us while ignoring the beam stuck in our own. Jesus overturned the religious logic and norms of His time by going first to untouchables and public sinners.
The purpose of pastoral conversion is one only, and it is the one that gives meaning to the Church’s existence: mission. That is, the witness of the infinite love of a merciful God Who embraces before judging and Who comes to meet us to lift us up if only we allow Him to do so, even if we only desire it.
MY COMMENTS: The problems with the commentary that I highlight in red are that Pope Francis has done nothing but to judge the Church, meaning Catholics of whatever rank. He categorizes a wide swath of Catholics as mentally ill, rigid, backwards and obstinate, all outside of his mandate and competence as the Supreme Pontiff and Bishop of Rome. This name calling and judgmentalism is meant to divide and conquer, polarize and make angry and is far from what Jesus would do as explained in red above. How this pope has treated those clergy and laity who followed what Pope Benedict XVI allowed for the TLM is breathtaking. He has exacerbated the negative feelings he already created by calling them backwards, rigid, ignorant, and mentally ill, and which by implication, included Pope Benedict. That wasn’t and isn’t helpful, but catastrophic.
I also read an excerpt from the New York Times where a man who ministers to the LGBTQ+++ community told the reporter that Pope Francis told him “Out of the blue, he said, ‘You know, what gets me most upset are priests who chastise people in the confessional, who reprimand them,’” Mr. DeBernardo recalled. It is that instinct, to emphasize pastoral welcoming over “giving litmus tests for orthodoxy,” that he sees as key to the new document. Once again, the pope throws priests under the bus based upon some anecdotal evidence of some priests some where. My question is, just how many laity actually go to Confession to hear a rigid priest scold them like this pope scolds the clergy over and over and over? And of those few who do go to Confession, how many of them are of the LGBTQ+++ community of sinners? Just wondering.
The other problem is that what the pope is doing is meant to soften the ground for a complete change in the anthropology of the sacraments of the Church and her sexual morality which will embrace gender ideology. The commentary does not recognize how much many in the clergy and laity distrust the pope and his stealthy way of getting what he wants which is worldly rather than not. That should be addressed first and foremost and no smoke screens to say things to the contrary. No one would have dreamed in 2013 that a new pope would eventually publicly demand that priests in an unpriestly fashion bless couples in immoral public unions. It does not take a leap of logic to think that more will come which now seems unimagiable!
This is in part what the Deacon wrote:
What was most notable to me, however, was that the priest prayed the vernacular text of the Mass as if it were Latin. What I mean by this is that he did not speak the words as if he had any expectation of communication taking place with the assembly, but as if they were sacred words that were an element in a ritual incantation. Even the words addressed to the assembly were said with no eye contact or other indication that we were the ones being spoken to. Yes, I could understand what he said; but the words were uttered in a way that mainly communicated the message, “these words are not for you.” This became particularly striking during the canon, when he lowered his voice so that, while just barely audible, the effect of the Latin “silent canon” was approximated.
I think Deacon Fritz hits the nail on the head. The reform of the Mass, whether Sacrosanctum Concilium anticipated this aspect or not and I don’t think it did explicitly, was to better highlight in the Mass the dogma of the real presence of Jesus, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, Incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Blessed Virgin Mary who became Man. Jesus Christ in the Flesh is one Divine Being with two natures, human and divine.
The Mass should equally show forth the majesty of the divinity of the Crucified and Risen Lord, but also show forth the intimacy of the Divinity that is equally Human in the same Christ. That is an art not a science, of course, for both the clergy and the laity at specific Masses.
If the 1962 Roman Missal Liturgies were heavy on majesty, formality that flows from it, and transcendence, otherness, the 1970 Roman Missal and subsequent reformed versions of it was/is heavy on banality, folksiness, informality and affectivity as it concerns warmness and hospitality, eye contact and smiley faces. It is imminence gone wild to the exclusion of majesty, formality and transcendence.
The art for the clergy and laity is to make sure the Mass is celebrated in a formal way, but with human warmth and dignity, not that of a party, but that of a very human but divine celebration. When the priest or deacon speak to the laity, be it in greetings, Scripture or homily, he should turn to them, establish eye contact and communicate in a normal way but in a public, formal setting. That does mean eye contact, not eyes cast downwards, and liturgical arm gestures should be natural not robotic as should all liturgical movement and choreography.
But prayers directed to God should be clear, audible, distinct but without eye contact and preferably toward the altar either when the priest is also facing the nave or preferably ad orientem.
I think a case can be made for the Canon of the Mass being in Latin and in a quiet voice. This captures the Latin Rite’s version of the iconostasis and is a form of transcendent spirituality, that of the grand silence while actual formal prayer is said/prayed in a liturgical setting—it is a grand low voice silence filled with mystery and awe. All the rubrics of the Roman Canon’s 1962 version fit well into this spirituality of awe and transcendence and the other canons could use some more ritual movement similar to the 1962 Roman Canon. The words leading to the consecrations should be identical in all the canons, which they are not now with all the “signs of the cross” (sign language) as the Roman Canon has in the 1962 Missal version.
Mixing transcendence and immanence is an art not a science.
The greater problem for those who like the English vernacular is priests for whom English is a second language, heavily accented and mispronounced. The next problem are Masses with a mix of vernaculars, in our country mostly a mix of English and Spanish. That can be very frustrating for those who don’t speak or understand the language that is used. Latin, with the laity using their own vernacular missal would even-out the playing field in those situations.
Your Excellencies, Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences,
On December 18, 2024, the Dicastery for Doctrine and Faith published the Declaration "Fiducia Supplicans" on the pastoral meaning of blessings, in which is mentioned, among other things, the blessing of "couples of the same sex". The ambiguity of this declaration, which lends itself to numerous interpretations and manipulations, arouses much perplexity among the faithful and I believe that, as pastors of the Church in Africa, we must express ourselves clearly on this issue in order to give clear direction to our Christians.
Thus, in the context of the synodal process that the Church is currently going through, and with particular reference to chapter 19 of the "Synthesis of the first session of the Synod on synodality", which underlines the crucial role of Episcopal Conferences and Continental organizations in the safeguarding of the faith and culture of peoples, in order to avoid the risk of uniformity and centralism: "The first phase of the synodal process highlighted the decisive role of the Bishops' Conferences and highlighted the need for a body of synodality and collegiality at the continental level. The organizations working at these levels contribute to the exercise of synodality while respecting local realities and inculturation processes.
The Assembly is convinced that the risk of uniformity and centralism in the governance of the Church could thus be avoided” (Summary report of the first session of the Synod on synodality, chap. 19, d), I write to you, Excellencies My Lords, to ask your opinion on the aforementioned Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, so that we can draft a single synodal declaration, valid for the entire Church from Africa. Once received the opinions of all Episcopal Conferences, SECAM will be able to issue a pastoral statement on the subject, which will serve as a general guideline for all local Churches on our continent.
To this end, I would be grateful if you would send the SECAM General Secretariat your opinion before the start of the secondfortnight of January. May the Yes of Mary, who merited the gift of salvation for the whole world, teach us to welcome the Word of God, the Word made flesh, so that we too can bring salvation to themen of our time. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2024.
Faithfully yours in Christ Jesus.
Fridolin Cardinal AMBONGO
Archbishop of Kinshasa
President of SECAM
Fast forward to the reforming pope, Pope Francis and the Holy Father creating a different Church. To a certain extent some of his pastoral initiatives are sustainable, but others, like blessing same sex and other illicit sexual unions will have a cascade effect, either intended or unintended, leading to a break with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
It could happen in two ways. The next pope cancels the pastoral initiatives of Pope Francis, like Pope Francis has canceled so much of Benedict XVI and John Paul II’s papacies. But in this case, those yearning for a different Church will create it without the pope and the cascade effect will be similar to what Martin Luther began. There will be all kinds of new neo-Protestant denominations coming from Pope Francis’ initial reforms and not resembling in any way the Catholic Church as she is on December 21, 2023.
Or, the next Pope will take Pope Francis’ pastoral initiatives to their logical conclusion and there will be a major break with the Pope in another Great Schism, but Apostolic Succession and the truths of the Catholic Church’s moral teachings and Sacramental life will be preserved but in Schism like the Eastern Orthodox Churches. These new groupings may well be national as is the Eastern Orthodox Schism.
No telling what the Catholic Church under a Pope that takes Pope Francis’ initiatives to their logical conclusion will look like, but it will be headed by the Bishop of Rome, whoever he, she, it, they, them is.
And just as the Eastern Orthodox Church say that Rome is in schism, not them, so too will the new Schism have those who don’t accept the Bishop of Rome as the Head of the Universal Church will say about that different Church the Bishop of Rome heads. History repeats itself.
WOW! WHAT A CLEAR COMMENTARY. MUELLER TELLS IT LIKE IT IS, THE NEW CATEGORY OF PASTORAL BLESSINGS COULD ENCOURAGE A PRIEST TO BLESS THE MAFIA, ABORTION CLINICS AND THE PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE ABORTIONS AS LONG AS THE GOOD THAT THEY DO IS BEING BLESSED! AND THUS THE DIFFERENT CHURCH OF ABSURDITY AND RELEVANCE HAS BEEN CREATED OUT IF THIN AIR BY POPE FRANCIS!
'The only blessing of Mother Church is the truth' writes Cardinal Gerhard Müller
Cardinal Becciu's jail sentence stuns Roman Curia
Some Vatican officials see the conviction of their former high-ranking confrère Angelo Becciu to be the act of an authoritarian pope
By Loup Besmond de Senneville | Vatican City
December 21, 2023
Cardinals and bishops await Francis at the Vatican, before his annual wishes to the Curia, 2019. (Photo by ANDREW MEDICHINI / AP)
The French Embassy to the Holy See held a reception on the evening of September 24, 2020 that, typical of ecclesial life in Rome, brought together foreign diplomats, journalists and members of the Roman Curia.
Then, just after 8 pm, a murmur ran through the gathering. People began pulling out their cell phones and, one-by-one, the screens all displayed the same news: Pope Francis had just dismissed Cardinal Angelo Becciu from his post as prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints and stripped him of all his privileges as a cardinal.
In the hushed atmosphere of Villa Bonaparte, disbelief was absolute. And now, three years later, after the cardinal was sentenced on December 17 to five and a half years in prison for fraud and embezzlement, it is clear that this impression has never really dissipated.
Indeed, the sentence the Vatican tribunal handed down last Saturday has triggered what some Church officials call "shock waves" throughout the Curia.
"I didn't expect such a decision," said one of them who had instead expected a "symbolic" condemnation.
On the eve of the verdict, few Curia officials could have imagined that a cardinal would be put behind bars, even though the Holy See's former Number 3 remains free while he appeals the verdict.
"Sacrificed as an example"
Of course, it's difficult to paint a true picture of the Vatican in just a few lines, a highly complex place where 3,000 people work in its various offices. Most of them are bound by the pontifical secret, a rule that was imposed on them as soon as they signed their contracts. Few are willing to talk. But within the Secretariat of State, even among priests who feel close to Francis, the sentence Becciu received has not gone down well.
"He seems to have been sacrificed for the sake of being made an example," said one of them.
The same official also expressed regret that "the Vatican's failings have been exposed to the public eye". While condemning the misappropriation of funds, he deplored the publicity that surrounded the trial.
"People have discovered that St. Peter's money could be used to buy palaces in London. It's catastrophic for the Church's image," he added.
The fact remains that this priest, like other sources interviewed by La Croix, "didn't follow much" of the 600 hours and 86 hearings of the interminable trial, during which Vatican magistrates tried to untangle the threads of a case of bad real estate investment.
Reawakening longstanding criticism
Of course, Francis also has his supporters, including those at the top of the hierarchy, such as this senior official who says he now expects the pope to draw the consequences of the Vatican court's judgment by removing Angelo Becciu from the College of Cardinals.
"What sense would it have made to condemn him to a one-year sentence after such a trial, which lasted two and a half years?" wondered an official of another Vatican dicastery.
In fact, beyond the cardinal's case, the sentence has reawakened long-standing criticism within the curial apparatus against a pope deemed to be too authoritarian. The judges' decision is just another sign of this.
"It's the last straw," lamented a veteran employee of one of the dicasteries.
Many see the severe sentence that was handed down to Becciu as yet another sign of the Argentine pope's desire to weaken the Roman Curia, like a dentist doing a root canal.
"Apart from his diplomats, he trusts no one," said one of his regular visitors a few months ago.
It's true that Francis has constantly bypassed his Vatican aides since the beginning of his pontificate and has relied on an outside parallel network of friends and advisors.
For instance, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, who just came to Rome this past September to head the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, was for many years one of the pope's unofficial ghostwriters. And the pope uses Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, a fellow Jesuit, to edit many of his motu proprios.
The latest example of this is the recent apostolic exhortation on the environment, Laudate Deum, which was never submitted to review by the Secretariat of State before its publication. That was a circumvention that left its officials deeply stunned and dismayed. Such practices not only provoke criticism, but also a kind of listlessness.
Read more at: https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/cardinal-beccius-jail-sentence-stuns-roman-curia/18897?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Mailjet_22Dec23N1&cmid=fb7cc1ae-a8a8-4295-a91e-93f71ab628cf
