ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION AND BEING IGNORED, A PRINCE OF THE CHURCH DIES SUDDENLY IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE DISMISSAL OF ANOTHER GERMAN CARDINAL--ANY CONNECTION?

Being called a prince of the Church need not be something to be avoided. This cardinal was a real prince of a man, prince of the Church and principled.

He died suddenly today, July 5th with His Eminence questions answered only indirectly, especially with the sacking of Cardinal Mueller.

UPDATE: 1Peterfive is reporting the following (I must be clairvoyant, but I felt there had to be a connection):

In the wake of the sudden and sad death of Cardinal Joachim Meisner, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has just revealed in a new 5 July interview that he spoke with Cardinal Meisner the night before he died. As the Passauer Neue Presse reports:

Müller had spoken over the phone with the former Archbishop of Cologne [Cardinal Meisner] the previous night [before he died the next morning]; and they also had spoken about the non-renewal of his former position. Meisner had shown himself to be “deeply saddened” by this dismissal. “That moved him personally and wounded him – and he considered it to be a form of damage for the Church,” as the Curial Cardinal [Müller] himself described the reaction of Meisner.

 Cardinal Müller also commented and sharply criticized in this new interview the conduct of Pope Francis with regard to his dismissal from the CDF. According to the Passauer Neue Presse:

In the interview with the PNP [Passauer Neue Presse], he explained that Pope Francis “communicated his decision” not to renew his term “within one minute” on the last work day of his five-year-term as Prefect of the Congregation for the Faith. Additionally, he [Müller] was not given any reasons for it. “This style [sic] I cannot accept,” as Müller stressed, clearly distancing himself from the procedure of the pope. In dealing with employees, also in Rome “the Church’s social teaching should be applied.”

Pope Francis sends telegramme on death of Cardinal Meisner

This file photo taken on March 11, 2013 shows German cardinal Joachim Meisner arriving at the Vatican - AFP

05/07/2017 15:58

 

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has sent a telegramme upon the death of Cardinal Joachim Meisner, Archbishop emeritus of Cologne, who died on Wednesday at the age of 83.

“With profound emotion I learned that, suddenly and unexpectedly, Cardinal Joachim Meisner was called from this earth by the God of mercy,” the Pope wrote.

The Pope addressed his telegramme to Cardinal Rainer Woelki, current Archbishop of Cologne.
He said Cardinal Meisner was “dedicated to the proclamation of the Good News” with “profound faith and sincere love for the Church”.

“May Christ the Lord reward him for his faithful and intrepid efforts in favour of the good of people of East and West.”

Pope Francis closed the telegramme by imparting his Apostolic Blessing on all who “commemorate the late Pastor with prayers and sacrifices”.

With the death of Cardinal Joachim Meisner, the College of Cardinals stands at 224, 121 of whom are Cardinal electors.

I HAVE SAID IT BEFORE AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN AND AGAIN, BECAUSE ALL GOOD THINGS ARE WORTH REPEATING, KNEELING FOR HOLY COMMUNION IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT LITURGICAL PRACTICE TO RECOVER FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE ORDINARY FORM MASS--BAR NONE!

Playing Monday morning quarterback, and reflecting on the EF High Mass I celebrated yesterday at the Cathedral (which I now do about once a month), the single most important liturgical practice that the powers that be must restore to the Ordinary Form Mass is kneeling for Holy Communion, bar none!

It is more important than Latin! It is more important than ad orientem! It is more important than ornate Roman vestments! It is more important that all male altar boys! It is more important that elaborate rubrics and choreography.

I ain't saying that the other things aren't important or shouldn't be recovered, because at least in the more liberal allowance of the EF Mass, these things are recovered, I am just saying that kneeling for Holy Communion is the most important restoration or recovery of the baby that was thrown out with the so-called bath water.

I do think, though, short of mandating ad orientem, the powers that be should mandate the so-called "Benedictine altar arrangement" as Pope Francis has continued to use even in his pilgrimages. I think what I have at St. Anne's in Richmond Hill and my former parish of St. Joseph in Macon are both sober, unobtrusive and quite elegant on the altar--mandate it in the Name of God and all that is Holy!

THIS IS CRYSTAL CLEAR IN 2014! BUT IS IT ON 2017?????

The new prefect Ladaria responded in 2014 to a direct question on communion to divorcees CL / ReL 2 July 2017  The new prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Luis Ladaria , SI, responded three years ago, just after the extraordinary assembly of the Synod on the family and therefore before the publication of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia , A direct question about the possibility that divorced persons who live in an objective situation of adulterymay receive communion.  His answer was formulated, to questions of a French priest, as secretary of the congregation he now leads, and was made known by Father Claude Barthe in L'Homme Nouveau on November 12, 2014. Here is the answer in full:  Full answer signed by Monsignor Ladaria as secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith  To the question of a French priest: "Can a confessor give absolution to a penitent who, having married religiously, contracted a second union after divorce?", The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith responded on October 22, 2014 : A priori divorced faithful remarried from a penitential process that leads to sacramental reconciliation with God and therefore also in Eucharistic communion can not be excluded a priori. Pope John Paul II, in the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (n. 84), took this possibility into account, specifying the conditions: "Reconciliation in the sacrament of penance, which would open the way to the Eucharistic sacrament, can be given Only those who, repentant of having violated the sign of the Covenant and of fidelity to Christ, are sincerely disposed to a way of life that does not contradict the indissolubility of marriage . Serious reasons-such as the education of children-can not fulfill the obligation of separation, "assume the commitment to live in full continence , or to abstain from the acts of the spouses" (John Paul II, Homily for the closing of the Fifth Synod of Bishops ) "(see also Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis , n.29 ).  The penitential process to follow should take into account the following elements:  1. Verify the validity of religious marriage with respect to the truth, avoiding giving the impression of a form of "Catholic divorce".  2. Eventually, see if people, with the help of grace, can separate from their new partner and reconcile with those from which they separated .  3. Invite remarried divorced persons who, for serious reasons (for example, children) can not separate from their partner, to live as "brother and sister . "  In any case, absolution can only be granted on the condition of being sure of a genuine contrition , that is, "a pain of the soul and detestation of the sin committed, with the purpose of not sinning from now on" (Council of Trent, Doctrine on the Sacrament Of penance , chapter 4, Denz. 897). In this line, it is not possible to validly absolve a remarried divorcee who does not adopt the firm resolution of "not to sin from now on" and therefore to abstain from the acts of a couple , making in this sense everything that is in his hand".  Signed: Luis F. Ladaria, SI, titular Archbishop of Thibica, secretary.

YOURS TRULY, PRESIDER, NO, I MEAN, CELEBRANT FOR TODAY'S WEEKLY EF CATHEDRAL MASS

We are celebrating today the External Feast of Saints Peter and Paul which you can download HERE.

Be there or be square, Lafayette Square that is! 

THE PECULIAR TIME OF TWO POPES AND TRUTH TELLING: IN THE END THE LORD WINS!

By the looks of things, Pope Benedict looks very healthy for 90!

VATICAN, June 29, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had a brief message for the Church's five new cardinals: "The Lord wins in the end."

The pope emeritus received the new cardinals along with Pope Francis. Pope Benedict removed his white zucchetto (papal skullcap) when Pope Francis entered. These sorts of appearances in front of media cameras are rare for the retired pope.

Is Pope Benedict suggesting the Lord isn't winning right now?

FINALLY PRAY TELL HAS A DECENT POST!

Yes! Praytell from The annals od "Believe it or not!"

« Wedding Officiating for “Nones”

“Good Morning!”

JUL1

Posted by Anthony Ruff, OSB in Eucharist, Presiding | 3 Comments

Did you see that Cardinal Tagle recently admonished his priests not to say “Good morning” to the congregation?

Couldn’t agree more. As the cardinal points out:

“Is not the expression ‘The Lord be with you’ more than enough?”

Exactly right. There is no good reason to detract from the power of that hallowed liturgical greeting with your petty conviviality.

And while we’re on the topic of liturgical unnecessities, here’s another one:

“May the Body and Blood of Christ bring us all to everlasting life,”

said out loud by the priest before reception of Communion. This is to, you know, involve everyone in the priest’s preparation.

Bad idea. The Church gives us a really powerful, really beautiful line before Communion (and by the way, it got better with the new missal translation):

“Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”

After a stunning line like that, there is no reason to tack on the other thing.

Okay, one more. You sometimes get this before the dismissal:

“Thanks, everyone, for coming out to worship today, and for your great participation in this Mass.”

Memo to presiders: They didn’t come on your account – it’s not your liturgy – and it’s not your place to thank them for having worshiped their God.

Have a blessed Lord’s day, everyone.

awr

A THOUGHT PROVOKING CONVERSATION WITH A ROAMING CATHOLIC ON THE PERCEPTION OF WORHSIP AS ENTERTAINMENT

I recently had a conversation with a lapsed Catholic who desired to return to the true Church. In the conversation, she stated she had been to many denominations and so many of them it seem to her that the worship was in reality entertainment or it came across that way.

To be frank, I've had many Catholics tell me that a sung Mass seems like entertainment to them.

And yes, there is a fine line in the liturgy between the perception of entertainment and worship. We are trying to make the Liturgy beautiful through good chanting, instrumentation and quality.

But prior to Vatican II, even when a complicated setting of the Mass was sung, written by one of the masters, no one thought of it being entertainment, although there were/are elements of it. And certainly with Gregorian Chant and Polyphony, that fine line existed too, but no one saw the sung Mass as entertainment.

Today, some do. Why is that?

Because the priest when chanting faces the people and the horrible novelty of moving the choir to the front of the church, right next to the altar with the choir confrontationally facing the congregation, it appears that the priest and choir are entertaining, not praying.

This is not true with  the ad orientem style of Mass either in the EF or OF and with the choir in the choir loft where they should be!

I was at a priest's funeral recently and the choir was good but they sat next to the altar and priest on the same level, confrontationally facing the congregation--a horrible arrangement to say the least on many, many levels, not the least of which is the distraction that they present that moves one's eyes away from the altar to the entertaining choir!

LIMBO REDUX AND ORIGINAL SIN, PATER IGNOTUS TAKE NOTE!

Your appointment did not please the traditionalist world. In Spain the theologian Don José María Iraburu accused your Theology of original sin and grace of not conforming to the doctrine of the Church, while the periodical Sì sì No no even wrote that your book Theological Anthropology “is completely outside the Catholic dogmatic tradition”. Are you concerned about these judgments? 
 
LADARIA FERRER: Everyone is free to criticize and make the judgments they want. If you ask me if I’m concerned I have to say that these opinions don’t concern me too much. Besides, if I was appointed to this office, I must presume that my works do not deserve these judgments. 
 
You gained a certain notoriety when the Theological Commission published the document on the salvation of children who died before baptism. In it Limbo was finally thrown out of the Magisterium? 
 
LADARIA FERRER: The International Theological Commission has no power to throw anything or anybody out. Although it is formed not by private theologians but ones appointed by the Pope, its conclusions do not have magisterial value. The document in question reiterates that the doctrine of Limbo, which for centuries was accepted by the majority and dominant in theological reflection, was never defined dogmatically and therefore was never a part of the infallible magisterium. And it does not mean that those who still want to continue to speak of Limbo are outside the Catholic Church because of it. That said, however, the Theological Commission, considering together the revealed data and the universal salvific will of God and the universal mediation of Christ, wrote that there are more appropriate ways to address the issue of the fate of children who die without having received baptism, for whom a hope of salvation cannot be ruled out. These conclusions are not new to tell the truth, they originated around the time of the Council, but bring together the fruits of a very broad theological consensus today.

A 2008 INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW PREFECT!

There are also those who described you as a moderate conservative and theologically centrist. Do you recognize yourself in those decriptions? 

LADARIA FERRER: I must say that I don’t like extremisms, either progressive, or traditionalist ones. I believe that there is a via media, which is taken by the majority of professors of Theology in Rome and in the Church in general, which I think is the correct path to take, even if each of us has his own peculiarities, because, thanks be to God, we do not repeat, we are not clones. 

By the way I dislike extremes too!

ENCOUNTERS. The new Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 

A Jesuit at the former Holy Office 

After two Salesians, now a son of Saint Ignatius will be second in command of the first of the Congregations of the Roman Curia. An interview with Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer 

Interview with Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer by Gianni Cardinale 

After two Salesians, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has a Jesuit as its new secretary. On 9 July in fact Benedict XVI appointed as number two in the Department, that he himself directed from 1981 to 2005, the Spaniard Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, 64 years old, originally from Manacor, the second city, after Palma, of the island of Majorca in the Balearic Islands. 
Ladaria takes the place of the Salesian Angelo Amato, promoted Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, who in turn succeeded another son of Don Bosco, the then Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, who as Cardinal Secretary of State consecrated Ladaria bishop in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran on July 26. 
30Days met the new secretary, in the Palace of the Holy Office, on his return from vacation, passed mostly in his homeland. In answer to the observation that he didn’t look very tanned, Monsignor Ladaria smilingly said: “That comes of the fact that I love the sea, much less the sun...”. Before the interview Ladaria spoke of his origins, explaining that, although his family has been rooted for generations in the Balearic Islands, perhaps his ancestors came from the Kingdom of Naples, and more specifically from the Gulf of Policastro. But the pleasantries end there. And the questions begin. 

Benedict XVI receiving Monsignor Ladaria Ferrer in audience at Castel Gandolfo, 10 September 2008 [© Osservatore Romano]

Your Excellency, how did your vocation come about and why did you choose the Society of Jesus? 
Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer: Perhaps the word “choose” is not correct. It was not I who chose but I saw a road in front of me and set out on it. A road, that of vocation, that I began to see when I attended the Jesuit College in Palma de Mallorca and then while studying Law in Madrid. I studied law but I realized that was not what I wanted. I wanted to become a priest and I liked the Society of Jesus which I knew. And so it was a path open before me that I set out on almost naturally. 
Was your family very religious? 
LADARIA FERRER: Fairly. 
Was there some priest figure who particularly influenced you? 
LADARIA FERRER: Certainly, I have before me the faces of the fathers of the College I attended, the old College of Mount Zion, founded in 1561, but it was rather the whole environment, the air one breathed, that brought me to devote myself entirely to God. 
You took your religious vows in 1968. What memory do you have of that year, so turbulent at least outside Spain? 
LADARIA FERRER: It was a turbulent year in Spain also. But I quietly took my vows, without paying too much attention to the the turbulence. I liked studying and I studied. 
Did you ever feel the fascination of ’68? 
LADARIA FERRER: Maybe we are all a little conditioned by ’68, but in my case not in any special way. 
Who were your teachers? 
LADARIA FERRER: I am pleased to remember a few. In Frankfurt in Germany, where I studied theology, I had as professors Father Grillmeier, who then became a cardinal, who was a great scholar of Dogma, Father Otto Semmelroth and Father Herman Josef Sieben, at the beginning of his academic career, who would then become one of the world’s greatest experts on the concept of Council. In Rome I did my graduate thesis with Father Antonio Orbe, a great patrologist, and I had as professors Fathers Juan Alfaro and Zoltan Alszeghy. 
You also studied in Germany. Did you ever meet Professor Ratzinger? 
LADARIA FERRER: Not personally. But I knew his writings. In particular his Introduction to Christianity which was his best known work, but also his book on the People of God. I remember that even in our faculty lecture notes of some of the courses of the then Professor Ratzinger circulated. 
And when did you personally come to know the current Pontiff? 
LADARIA FERRER: In 1992 when I became a member of the International Theological Commission. I recall with pleasure the detailed discussions that took place on the subject of relations between Christianity and other religions. The intervention of Cardinal Ratzinger was always very precise and profound and the discussion was always at a very high level. The work of that Commission is very interesting both for the topics dealt with, always of great importance, and for the international and Catholic air, that one breathes there. 
Did you have a role in the drafting of Dominus Iesus? 
LADARIA FERRER: No. 
Your degree at the Gregorian was on Saint Hilary of Poitiers. Why that choice and what attracted you to that saint? 
LADARIA FERRER: The topic was proposed by Fr Orbe who was interested in that Father of the Church. I was lucky because there was not a great bibliography on Saint Hilary, so I could better devote myself to reading his original texts directly. Saint Hilary was not studied enough at the time, but since then many works about him and many translations have appeared, especially in France. And yet he is the demonstration that the Patristic era in the Latin Church did not begin with St. Augustine, who indeed knew, and often cited, Saint Hilary. 
What is the relevance of Saint Hilary? 
LADARIA FERRER: It doesn’t take much effort to find out the relevance of the Fathers of the Church. We have to read and savor them to be better able to approach the freshness of the Gospel message, Jesus, and that is of permanent value rather than something tied to what is topical, which by its nature is variable, changing minute by minute. The Fathers of the Church are a source that springs in an era closer to the apostolic one. That’s what makes them always relevant. 
Father Orbe was an expert on Saint Irenaeus and Gnosticism ... 
LADARIA FERRER: In effect, he was one of the greatest experts on the subject. He wrote many books on these subjects, to be honest often complicated because the material is difficult. 
For many years you were a teacher at the Gregorian and vice-rector. What did you learn in all these years? 
LADARIA FERRER: The fact that I was vice-rector for eight years is not very important. What is important was the teaching, the supervision of the theses. The Gregorian taught me to live in an international environment with students from over one hundred countries, of different languages, races and cultures. All united by the love of study, but above all of the Lord and His Church. In a real university students not only learn from professors, but also the reverse occurs. And I learned a lot from my students. 
When your appointment was made public, John Allen Jr. of the National Catholic Reportercollected some opinions on you from your colleagues. Some have called you gentle and affable ... 
LADARIA FERRER: I must say that I try to be, but it must be up to others to say whether I succeed ... 
There are also those who described you as a moderate conservative and theologically centrist. Do you recognize yourself in those decriptions? 
LADARIA FERRER: I must say that I don’t like extremisms, either progressive, or traditionalist ones. I believe that there is a via media, which is taken by the majority of professors of Theology in Rome and in the Church in general, which I think is the correct path to take, even if each of us has his own peculiarities, because, thanks be to God, we do not repeat, we are not clones. 
Your appointment did not please the traditionalist world. In Spain the theologian Don José María Iraburu accused your Theology of original sin and grace of not conforming to the doctrine of the Church, while the periodical Sì sì No no even wrote that your book Theological Anthropology “is completely outside the Catholic dogmatic tradition”. Are you concerned about these judgments? 
LADARIA FERRER: Everyone is free to criticize and make the judgments they want. If you ask me if I’m concerned I have to say that these opinions don’t concern me too much. Besides, if I was appointed to this office, I must presume that my works do not deserve these judgments. 
You gained a certain notoriety when the Theological Commission published the document on the salvation of children who died before baptism. In it Limbo was finally thrown out of the Magisterium? 
LADARIA FERRER: The International Theological Commission has no power to throw anything or anybody out. Although it is formed not by private theologians but ones appointed by the Pope, its conclusions do not have magisterial value. The document in question reiterates that the doctrine of Limbo, which for centuries was accepted by the majority and dominant in theological reflection, was never defined dogmatically and therefore was never a part of the infallible magisterium. And it does not mean that those who still want to continue to speak of Limbo are outside the Catholic Church because of it. That said, however, the Theological Commission, considering together the revealed data and the universal salvific will of God and the universal mediation of Christ, wrote that there are more appropriate ways to address the issue of the fate of children who die without having received baptism, for whom a hope of salvation cannot be ruled out. These conclusions are not new to tell the truth, they originated around the time of the Council, but bring together the fruits of a very broad theological consensus today. 
How do you feel about being the first Jesuit to hold this position? 
LADARIA FERRER: I must say that I didn’t pose myself the problem. Even if it’s true that it seems no Jesuit has ever held the position. I believe that the Holy Father chose me not as a Jesuit but because, I imagine, I seemed to him the best person. 

Monsignor Ladaria Ferrer [© Osservatore Romano]

How did you learn of the appointment? 
LADARIA FERRER: That was very surprising. I would never have thought of ending up here. And not just me, seeing that my name was never mentioned in the newspapers ... Until the evening of June 24, when I was told that the Holy See was considering giving me this job. For my part I explained my state of mind about this prospect and I indicated that in any case I accepted the decision of the Holy Father. 
As a Jesuit did you have to ask permission of the Provost General first? 
LADARIA FERRER: Yes, we Jesuits have a vow that prevents us from receiving episcopal appointments if not out of obedience. And the Provost General told me that I should accept the will of the Pope. 
Adolfo Nicolás, Provost General since January, Spanish like you. Do you know him well? 
LADARIA FERRER: I had heard of him, I knew him by name, but not personally. I met him for the first time only the day after his election, January 20. Then I went to visit him on the issue of my nomination. 
Another well-known Spanish Jesuit is Antonio Martínez Camino, who became the first follower of St. Ignatius to be made bishop in Spain as auxiliary of Madrid. Do you know him? 
LADARIA FERRER: Absolutely. He was my student and so I know him well. And we are good friends. 
You have practically lived in Rome since 1979. What do you think of Spain today? Do you identify with it? 
LADARIA FERRER: Certainly Spain has changed a lot: in the political, religious, cultural, economic spheres. But I must say that when I return to my country to relax I do not deal with major issues of doctrine or policy. I visit my family, my friends, my background again, and I don’t find my background of always much changed. 
Recently, your superior, Cardinal Levada, in Spain for a conference, issued a cry of pain at the measures announced by the Zapatero Government about the extension of the right to abortion ... 
LADARIA FERRER: At present Spain is undergoing a worrying drift on ethical issues. 
Do you have any hobbies apart from books of theology? 
LADARIA FERRER: I like to listen to music. Classical, preferably. Johann Sebastian Bach in particular, but without undervaluing the others. 
Enthusiasm for sport? 
LADARIA FERRER: No, I follow the major events a little, but from very far off. 
You, along with Cardinal Levada, were received in audience by the Pope in Castel Gandolfo on September 10. It was the first audience as Secretary of the Congregation. What can you tell us about it? 
LADARIA FERRER: It was a beautiful experience. The Holy Father, as always, was very welcoming and kind. 
What are the main issues that the Congregation finds itself facing? 
LADARIA FERRER: I can say that our Congregation is concerned with promoting and protecting the Catholic faith. First promoting and then, if necessary, protecting. But I can’t go into details. Our Congregation always moves with discretion and speaks exclusively through its acts. 

READ BETWEEN THE LINES: THIS IS ONE UNHAPPY LEFTIST PROGRESSIVE

I watch both CNN and FOX. CNN reporters are dour, so serious, quite snarky and have to act at having a sense of humor.

Not so at FOX. They make the news fun, but also serious. They don't take themselves as though some kind of above criticism profession like CNN does.

The point of my comparison leads to the National Chismatic Reporter's (NCR) commentary on the new Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.

Sean Winters feigns approving Pope Francis' new choice from within. But read between the lines at the names of a possible replacement that Winters would have preferred. That is Winter's Freudian slip and shows how miffed  and disillusioned he is at Pope Francis' actual choice!

And need I remind Winters that Cardinal Robert Sarah was completely Pope Francis choice, not made by Pope Benedict in any way whatsoever. Liberal liturgists were apoplectic at the time, of happy memory!

Cardinal Muller departs the CDF: What does it mean?

Michael Sean Winters   |  Jul. 1, 2017

My colleague Josh McElwee reports this morning on the decision by Pope Francis not to reconfirm Cardinal Gerhard Muller for a second five-year term as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Holy Father has selected the longtime #2 at the congregation, Archbishop Luis Francisco Ledaria Ferrer, S.J. to move up to the top spot.

The fact that Cardinal Muller was sacked should not come as a surprise. Conservatives within the curia and more progressive types beyond have both long complained that the man, though very gifted intellectually, could not organize a one man parade. He couldn't run the office. This had become increasingly apparent in the CDF's continued wrong notes on the subject of clergy sex abuse. Those who see this as an ideological purge on account of Muller's increasingly confused position on Amoris Laetitia haven't been paying attention. And, it is more than a little ironic that the same arch-conservatives who are floating the narrative that Muller has been sacked because he stood athwart Francis' supposedly heterodox agenda were the same people griping about Muller when he was appointed. (See, for example, here and here.) Then, the objection was that Muller was too sympathetic with liberation theology. Now he is the paragon of orthodoxy. These lay faithful who think they embody the papal magisterium are not exactly consistent. 

The second principal takeaway is that Pope Francis is completely unafraid to do what is best for the Church. Earlier this week, the Australian authorities brought charges against another high ranking Vatican official, Cardinal George Pell, who was put on a temporary leave of absence to return to his native country and have his day in court. The official statement from the Vatican was deeply ambivalent. Some leaders might think twice before removing a second high ranking official, worried that it would suggest a chaotic situation. Not Francis. He is not someone who cares how things appear so much as how things are. Indeed, this may be the most challenging part of the reform of the curia, getting an organization designed to promote those who work there to remember that its job it to help the pope govern the universal church. Concern with how things look is characteristic of the courtier mentality of year's past, not the missionary mentality to which the Second Vatican Council and ALL subsequent popes have called the Church. 

(And it is here that Winters shows in a Freudian way how upset he is with Pope Francis' choice since the ones Winters wished the pope had chosen are so much more to his liking:) Third, by hiring from within, Pope Francis has shown he is not declaring war on the congregation and its staff. If he had wanted to do that, he could have brought in someone from outside, such as Argentine Archbishop Victor Fernandez. Or, he could have selected someone who worked at the CDF, but a long time ago, like Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, now the Archbishop of Vienna. I thought he might tap former CDF official and now Archbishop of Malta, Charles Scicluna. By promoting Archbishop Ladaria, Francis is indicating that he needs a change in management not a change in overall structure or constitution. 

I have not been able to confirm Andrea Tornielli's report that Pope Francis offered Muller a different curial post and that Muller declined, saying such a post was "beneath his dignity." If this is true, it is outrageous. Curial officials serve at the pleasure of the pope. Their entire job is to help him. Cardinals take a special vow of obedience to the Holy Father. They pledge to support Jesus and His vicar even to the shedding of their blood, hence their red robes. Does Muller think his blood is less costly than his pride? I know this: If Pope Francis called Cardinal Sean O'Malley and told him he wanted him to go back to being the Bishop of the Virgin Islands or director of the Centro Catolico in Washington, O'Malley would be thrilled. I hope Cardinal Muller finds a job in which he can learn to cultivate the virtue of humility.

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The right wing is already offering histrionic and hysterical interpretations about what this morning's announcement means. My favorite so far comes from LifeSiteNews' John-Henry Westenwhich shows just how elaborate the conspiracy theories are. You can google the rest. 

There is enormous continuity in the life of the Church. For all the flashy headlines about Pope Francis making changes, and he is making changes, the people to whom he entrusts the work were largely selected for positions of responsibility by Pope Benedict XVI or Pope John Paul II. The idea that a prefect of the CDF is entitled to keep the job for life died this morning and good riddance to it. But, the new prefect is a man chosen by Pope Benedict four years before the selection of Muller. That said, I hope Cardinal Robert Sarah read this morning's Bollettino with care. Ditto for Cardinal Marc Ouellet. They need to make sure their dicasteries are not loci of obstruction to the Holy Father but function as intended, as adjuncts to his office. Pope Francis has gone out of his way to work with the team he inherited, but if they are found wanting, it is time to let them go.

NOW THE DISSECTING TAKES PLACE: HE'S A JESUIT

One sign of hope is that Pope BENedict worked closely with him and named him to work in the CDF, thus he is not new to it.

Abp Ladaria to succeed Card. Müller as Prefect of CDF

Archbishop Luis Ladaria, SJ, file photo - AP

01/07/2017 12:59

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday named Archbishop Luis Ladaria, SJ, to replace Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, at the end of Cardinal Müller's five-year term.

Archbishop Ladaria is a Spanish Jesuit and theologian who spent many years teaching at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, before being called to serve as Secretary of CDF in 2008.

A note from the Press Office of the Holy See released Saturday says the Holy Father thanks Cardinal Müller at the end his quinquennial mandate as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, the Pontifical Biblical Commission and the International Theological Commission, and now calls the former Secretary, Archbishop Ladaria, to take on those roles.

Cardinal Müller’s term as Prefect officially expires on July 2nd.

01/07/2017 12:59

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