For the record: On Curial reform and Church decentralizationSecretariat of State and Congregation for Divine Worship face reform

NB: "G-9" and "C-9" are both used to refer to the Council of Cardinals.

***

Amidst everything that has been happening in the Church and the outside world, the latest meeting of the Council of Cardinals from February 8 to 9 went almost unnoticed. However this may yet prove to be one of the most important of the Council's meetings so far.

The Vatican Bollettino for February 9 carried a brief report by Fr. Lombardi on this meeting, while on the same day News.Va carried a fuller report (G-9 meeting: Decentralization and the new dicasteries). The short meeting had a full agenda. As previously announced it involved discussions about decentralizing the Church. 

La Croix: Second phase of Curia Reform to be discussed on Monday

Deckchairs in the Titanic (Promenade deck)

As reported on La Croix a few days ago and echoed on Periodista Digital the Pope has summoned the heads of Curial dicasteries to a meeting on Monday, where the second phase of Curial reform will discussed. Apparently this phase will consist of the consolidation of at least some of the Pontifical Councils. (The first phase is the reshaping of the  Holy See's economic and financial services, whose most significant chapter so far has been the establishment of the "Secretariat for the Economy" now headed by Cardinal Pell.)

Pope's Close Advisor & Member of Council of Nine Cardinals "Excommunicates" Faithful who go to SSPX Masses - Full Text

- Double standards.

- Selective "mercy".

- Good cop, bad cop.

All very Machiavellian. Not Christian at all, though. But it could be "divine", if we are dealing with "the God of Surprises"... 

Original note in Italian below, with full translation:

First great change in Roman Curia:Pope establishes Secretariat of Economic AffairsCardinal Pell to head Secretariat Text of Motu Proprio Fidelis Dispensator et Prudens

The first major change made by Pope Francis in the permanent structure of the Roman Curia is the establishment of a Segreteria per l'Economia (Secretariat for the Economy) to oversee and assemble all financial and economic operations of all administrative affairs of the Holy See - details to be known shortly in a motu proprio published this afternoon in the Tuesday edition of L'Osservatore Romano.

This Economy Secretariat, under an overseeing Council (8 prelates, 7 laymen), will be headed by a Prefect, Cardinal George Pell, up to now Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, and one of the eight members of the Council of Cardinals. [Update: Pell will leave his position in Sydney in March.]

Updates throughout the day.

_____________________

First Update (1300 GMT): Press release of the Holy See Press Office:

Socci: Ratzinger is the true target of the New Inquisitors The Self-Demolition of the Church bemoaned by Paul VI begins anew

THE NEW INQUISITORS AGAINST RATZINGER

The Self- Demolition of the Church recommences

Antonio Socci

January 26, 2014

There have been some great popes whose pontificates have been practically discarded by the errors of the clerics in their entourage. This risk is also present for the pontificate of Pope Francis.

In fact, there have been episodes, decisions and “bizarre outbursts” by some prelates that have been quite disturbing. I am thinking of Cardinal Maradiaga and Cardinal Braz de Aviz, who feel they are so powerful in the Vatican that they can ‘use the club’ on both the Prefect of the former Holy Office, Müller, as well as on the ‘Franciscans of the Immaculate.’

AGAINST BENEDICT

The targets of their “club-beatings” (given obviously in the name of mercy) are those who, for different reasons, have been targeted as paladins of Catholic orthodoxy and have had dealings with Pope Benedict XVI.

The real target in fact, appears actually to be him: “guilty” of so many things: from his historical condemnation of Liberation Theology and the defense of correct doctrine, to the Motu Proprio on the liturgy.

Cardinal O'Malley's Methodist reaffirmation

Less than a year and a half ago, Sean Cardinal O'Malley traveled from Boston to Washington, D.C. to attend a traditional Latin Requiem High Mass for U.S. pro-life leader Nellie Gray, and spoke from the pulpit after the funeral.  Also during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, Cardinal O'Malley, archbishop of Boston, administered the sacrament of confirmation using the traditional Latin books at his cathedral.

Fast-forward to the current pontificate, when Cardinal O'Malley is, as one secular publication observed, "the only North American member of the Cabinet that Francis formed to advise him."  The charity toward traditional Catholics quickly changed.

Now we have learned Cardinal O'Malley proactively asked a female Methodist minister to "re-affirm" his baptism with an "anointing" at a Protestant church this month in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

During a special ecumenical worship service in Sudbury, Cardinal Sean O'Malley asked the Rev. Anne Robertson of Plymouth to administer a baptism reaffirmation ritual to him. (George Martell/Pilot New Media)

The local newspaper, the Patriot-Ledger, reported on the female Methodist minister's "completely unexpected" request from the cardinal here:

Council of Cardinals discusses reform of the Curial DicasteriesFirst to be discussed: the Congregation for Divine Worship

As previously announced by the Vatican, the Council of Cardinals is meeting formally for the second time since its establishment earlier this year. The meeting is taking place from December 3 to 5, the first meeting having been on October 1 to 3. 

The October meeting had revolved largely around the drafting of a new Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia to replace Pastor Bonus; the role of a strengthened Synod of Bishops; the role of the Vatican Secretariat of State and coordination among the various departments of the Roman Curia, with proposals for a "Moderator Curiae" being floated (among other things).

According to today's press briefing, today's discussion revolved around an examination of the various departments of the Roman Curia, and the very first to be discussed was the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. 

For the record - Pell on Fellay's criticism: "Absolute rubbish!"

From an interview granted by Cardinal Pell, Abp. of Sydney and one of the 8 members of the Pope's Council, to Gerard O'Connell for La Stampa:

Q. Bishop Fellay has denounced Pope Francis as “a genuine modernist”, and charged that while the Church was “a disaster” before he was elected, he is making it “10,000 times worse”. What do you say to this?

A. To put it politely, I think that’s absolute rubbish! Francis said he’s a loyal son of the Church, and his record shows that. He’s very, very concerned for the day-to-day life of the people, and for those who are suffering, those not well off and those in difficult situations. He’s a completely faithful exponent of Christ’s teaching and the Church’s tradition.

Q. So people like Fellay have completely misread Pope Francis?

A. Yes, it is a gigantic misreading! In actual fact, the Lefebvrists – many of them - have misread the situation for decades. It was to Benedict’s great credit that he tried to reconcile with them, but they didn’t respond. Now the Church today accepts the Second Vatican Council. You don’t have to accept every jot and tittle of it, but it is part of Church’s life now, there’s no way around that.

"Council of Cardinals" officially instituted

Chirograph "Tra i suggerimenti"

by which a Council of Cardinals is instituted to aid the Holy Father in the Government of the Universal Church and to study a project of revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus on the Roman Curia

Among the suggestions appearing in the course of the General Congregations of Cardinals preceding the Conclave was the convenience of establishing a small group of members of the Episcopate from the different parts of the world that the Holy Father could consult, individually or collectively, on particular matters. Once elected to the Roman See, I have had the occasion of reflecting often on this matter, believing that such an initiative would be of notable aid for carrying out the pastoral ministry of the Successor of Peter that the brothers Cardinals had wished to entrust me.

For this reason, on the past April 13, I announced the constitution of the aforementioned group, indicating at the same time the names of those who were called to take part in it. Now, upon mature reflection, I consider appropriate that this group, by way of the present Chirograph, be instituted as a "Council of Cardinals", with the competence of aiding me in the government of the universal Church and to study a project of revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus on the Roman Curia. It will be composed of the same persons indicated before, which may be consulted, as Council or individually, on the maters that I consider from time to time worthy of attention. The aforesaid Council, whose number of components I reserve the right to configurate in the manner that will prove to be more adequate, will be an ulterior expression of the episcopal communion and of the aid to the munus petrinum that the Episcopate spread throughout the world may offer."

Given in Rome, at Saint Peter's, on September 28, 2013, first of the Pontificate

FRANCIS 

The end of the second paragraph, especially in the form in which an advisory council constitutes by itself an "ulterior expression of the episcopal communion and of the aid to the munus petrinum that the Episcopate spread throughout the world may offer", seems to be, probably, the first "Denzinger moment" of Pope Francis.

Pope to CLAR, part 2: "Yes, there is a 'gay lobby' in the Curia. We need to see what we can do about it"

[First part: Pope on Traditional groups]
[Third part: Full transcript]

Pope meets CLAR Presiding board (June 6, 2013, image: L'Osservatore Romano)

Among many other things said by His Holiness in his audience to the Presiding Board of CLAR (the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious Men and Women - Confederación Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Religiosos y Religiosas) on June 6, 2013, according to the transcript provided by those present to Chilean ultra-progressive website Reflexión y Liberación (Reflection and Liberation), was a reference to a supposed "gay lobby" inside the Roman Curia. Just a note: the words below, not at all happy from a progressive perspective, are a strong indication of the likeliness that the transcript is accurate - or as accurate as it is possible in the setting of a non-public audience.

And, yes... it is difficult. In the Curia, there are also holy people, really, there are holy people. But there also is a stream of corruption, there is that as well, it is true... The "gay lobby" is mentioned, and it is true, it is there... We need to see what we can do...

The reform of the Roman Curia is something that almost all Cardinals asked for in the Congregations preceding the Conclave. I also asked for it. I cannot promote the reform myself, these matters of administration... I am very disorganized, I have never been good at this. But the cardinals of the Commission will move it forward. There is Rodríguez Maradiaga, who is Latin American, who is in front of it, there is Errázuriz, they are very organized. The one from Munich is also very organized. They will move it forward.

Pray for me... that I make mistakes the least possible...

[All ellipses from the original transcript. Source: Reflexion y Liberacion]

Uh-oh, undue pressure on the Pope begins again.

Now, on the new Pope. It seems merely changing the Pope really does not solve the matter of undue pressures, now apparently coming from those close to him.

Italian gossip website Dagospia (it is a terribly classless page, but widely read in Italy because a small part of its items actually turn out to be true) mentioned yesterday that the Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone, has already tendered his resignation to the Pope (of course), and that the Pope is being pressured to accept it immediately - mostly, Dagospia claims, by the Super-Cardinals of his advisory Council.

It seems hard to believe that much of the situation will change before people return from the August summer vacation - and Father Lombardi, Holy See spokesman, denied the rumors today: "Cardinal Bertone works peacfully, holds his audiences with the Pope, they speak often regarding work matters: we saw him today [yesterday] in the Vatican Basilica along with Pope Francis and will travel with him to Rio de Janeiro in July."(Globalist.it)

The Abortion-friendly Taoiseach comes, the Super-Cardinal leaves

"Hmmm... Should I trust this smile?..."

BOSTON COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT STATEMENT

Cardinal Sean

May 10, 2013

Because the Gospel of Life is the centerpiece of the Church’s social doctrine and because we consider abortion a crime against humanity, the Catholic Bishops of the United States have asked that Catholic institutions not honor government officials or politicians who promote abortion with their laws and policies.

Recently I learned that the Prime Minister of Ireland, the Hon. Mr. Enda Kenny was slated to receive an honorary degree at Boston College’s graduation this year. I am sure that the invitation was made in good faith, long before it came to the attention of the leadership of Boston College that Mr. Kenny is aggressively promoting abortion legislation. The Irish Bishops have responded to that development by affirming the Church’s teaching that “the deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human being of life is always morally wrong” and expressed serious concern that the proposed legislation “represents a dramatic and morally unacceptable change to Irish law.”

Since the university has not withdrawn the invitation and because the Taoiseach has not seen fit to decline, I shall not attend the graduation. It is my ardent hope that Boston College will work to redress the confusion, disappointment and harm caused by not adhering to the Bishops’ directives. Although I shall not be present to impart the final benediction, I assure the graduates that they are in my prayers on this important day in their lives, and I pray that their studies will prepare them to be heralds of the Church’s Social Gospel and “men and women for others,” especially for the most vulnerable in our midst.

Abortion-happy Enda is a stain on the whole history of Ireland. After being advised by the Church, this is what he said:

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion here but as explained to the Cardinal and members of the church my book is the constitution and the constitution is determined by the people. That’s the people’s book. We live in a Republic and I have a duty and responsibility as head of Government to legislate in respect of what the people’s wishes are.”

But Ireland is not just any Republic; it is founded upon this, a constitution determined by a people recognizing the superior position of Almighty God: "In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred, we, the people of Éire, humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial ... ." (Constitution, Preamble). If the Republic is not to be a Commonwealth founded on Catholic mores, what on earth did the Irish fight for? The euro?

Cardinal Pell explains the new Papal Consultation Group

In an exclusive interview to the USCCB's Catholic News Service, the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal Pell, explains the new group of Super-Cardinals and its relationship with the notion of "collegiality".

Just to recall: the word "collegiality" is not mentioned in a single document of the Second Vatican Council, even if the concept might arguably be found in the endless references to the College (of Apostles, of Bishops) and its relationship with the Successor of Peter in the Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) - to use a word loved by the new Pope, probably the most "self-referential" document in the history of the Church -; and, most importantly, in the Nota that accompanies it. 

[Tip and source: CNS]

The College of Super-Cardinals

It would be hard to overstate the importance of the new body gathered by the Pope - the one that, due to its characteristics and direct dependence on the Pontiff, we chose to name the Pope's "Privy Council".

It is a characteristic of bureaucracies to expand indefinitely: "Parkinson's Law works everywhere," as Mikhail Gorbachev once wryly remarked. If it is confirmed, as it seems likely, as a permanent feature of the reorganized structure of the auxiliary organs of the papacy, after the approval of the reform this new organ itself will study, then its position will depend on what exactly the new arrangement of the Curia will be. Will most existing organs be extinguished, or will they linger on as merely or mostly decorative positions, as so many curial offices once relevant?

It is very likely this new Council will subsist - it was obviously something very much in the mind of the voting Cardinals in the past conclave. Was its establishment part of the electoral negotiations?... A future and more detailed history of the conclave will probably one day reveal it.

To understand what structure mostly inspired the creation of the new Council, one does not have to look further than the Society of Jesus itself. As it is currently constituted, the "Jesuit Curia" is composed of "general counsellors" the majority of whom are Regional Assistants:

When Father General is in Rome, he begins every day meeting with his “General Counsellors”.

The election of those counsellors shows a balance of power between the newly elected Superior General and the General Congregation who has elected him.

Fr. General is the one who appoints (now nine) Regional Assistants, and several other General Counsellors.

The General Congregation elects four Assistants “ad providentiam”. Their function is to assist the Superior General on behalf of the whole Society. The assistance called for deals with external matters “such as clothing, food and any expenditure touching upon the General’s person”, preventing him “from going beyond measure in labours or excessive severity”, and attending “to his soul in case necessity might arise”.

Among the General Counsellors there is a Counsellor for Formation and Fr. General’s Delegate, responsible for the governance of the international Jesuit houses in Rome.

One curiosity? While some form of continental representation was obviously on the Pope's mind as he assembled his Privy Council, as it happens in the Jesuit Curia, the three nations with the largest number of (nominal) Catholics  - Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines - are not represented in this group of Super-Cardinals.

[Note: image just a (not very) artistic rendition.]

BREAKING - RELEVANT: The Pope's Privy CouncilPope establishes committee to counsel him in the Government of the universal Church and to study reform of the Roman Curia

COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE

The Holy Father Francis, taking up a suggestion that emerged in the course of the General Congregations before the Conclave, has established a group of Cardinals to counsel him in the government of the universal Church and to study a project of revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor bonus [of Pope John Paul II] on the Roman Curia.

This group is made up of:

- Card. Giuseppe Bertello, President of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State;

- Card. Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, Archbishop emeritus of Santiago de Chile (Chile);

- Card. Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay (India);

- Card. Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising (Germany);

- Card. Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, Archbishop of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo);

- Card. Sean Patrick O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Boston (U.S.A.);

- Card. George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney (Australia);

- Card. Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B., Archbishop of Tegucigalpa (Honduras), functioning as Coordinator;

- H.E. Bp. Marcello Semeraro, Bishop of Albano [Italy], functioning as Secretary.

The first collective meeting of the group is scheduled for October 1-3, 2013; nevertheless, His Holiness is henceforth in contact with the mentioned Cardinals.

[Bollettino. As always, unless otherwise indicated, translation by Rorate. This is our 5000th post: thank you so much for your readership!]

See also: The College of Super-Cardinals