Pope picking bishops from outside the lists - II

See first post on the matter here.

The largest Argentinian newspaper, Clarín, has several interesting news on the crisis between the Holy See and the "ultra-progressive" Argentinian Conference of Bishops on the nomination, by the Holy Father, of so-called "conservative" bishops to the Archdioceses of Rosario and Resistencia, whose names had not been included in the ternas (the lists of three names sent by the local nuncio, in agreement with the local episcopal conference, to the Pope through the Congregation for Bishops) .

Some excerpts of the three articles published today show the amazing insolence of the local bishops. Fortunately, the Holy Father has shown even greater determination in this showdown with the Argentinian Episcopate by naming another "conservative" bishop to the Diocese of Zárate-Campana, while Cardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires and President of the Episcopal Conference, is in Rome to voice these pathetic "concerns" of his colleagues.

From the first article:

"The most serious case is that of conservative bishop José Luiz Mollaghan, named new archbishop of Rosario, of the most important sees of Argentina. Most Argentinian bishops had preferred bishop Agustín Radrizzani, who had also been elected vice-president of the Argentinian episcopal conference, in a clear sign to Rome."

"The other case is that of bishop Fabriciano Sigampa, new bishop of Resistencia, also seen as 'very conservative'."

From the second article:

"The last nominations of bishops in the Argentinian Church have not reflected the majoritarian preferences of the Argentinian episcopate. ... Finally, the bishopric of Santiago del Estero is also vacant, since its titular bishop, Juan Carlos Maccarone, resigned in August, after being involved in a sex scandal. It is said that the only recent nomination which has reflected the wishes of the leadership of the episcopate was that of Jorge Lozano -- up to December an immediate collaborator of Cardinal Bergoglio -- to Gualeuguaychú. Even so, his nomination was not the product of a rapid process, but [of a] labor-intensive one."

Do you all remember who Maccarone was? He was the bishop who was forced to resign last August because of a video portraying his sexual acts with a young man -- a resignation which the pope immediately accepted (of course), as he was on his way to the World Youth Day in Germany. And the Argentinian bishops want the Pope to accept their choices?

The third article explains that the conference of bishops wishes to minimize the clear battle between the Roman Curia and the national episcopate. Well, too late for that, now.

(Just to clarify the information published in the Italian press, as reported here, the Argentinian articles make clear that the Pope has actually not granted the audience requested by Cardinal Bergoglio to voice his concerns -- at least not until now.)