Changes in Rome?

Rocco Palma | 8-22-2005

[Angelas]

Catholic blogs are reporting rumors of a shake up...has anybody heard anything specific? Here's a quote from Rocco Palma:

"Monday, August 22, 2005 Whole Lotta Shakeup Goin' On.... Last night, I reported this:

The more discreet types in Roman life have been breathing sighs of relief that the first summer of the pontificate had WYD as a "buffer." If it didn't, so the argument goes, the curial reshuffle would've been the dominant item on everyone's mind and there would've been much more anxiety and spatting than there's been. Now, with a successful jaunt in Cologne under the Pope's belt, August winding down and the Curia getting ready to reopen for business, center stage at the Vatican belongs to the Pope's internal agenda -- what he wants and who will end up where.... As one operative said it, "Things could get rather kooky over here." This afternoon, Papabile enters the fray: "The first ten days of September will leave everyone's head spinning. Combine those with reports from three continents that certain prelates have already been given happy news and are preparing for new assignments in Rome, and you can see -- again -- that something BIG is afoot. The strategy at work here is to have it done early and done quickly, lest everyone get too comfortable at their desks coming back from vacation....

What's more, as the dicastery heads are all ex officio members of the Synod of Bishops, it just makes better sense for the New Curia to be appointed prior to the 2 October opening of the Synod on the Eucharist, so the incoming prefects and presidents can take their seats in the Hall and be able to mix it up the bishop-delegates coming to town from around the world. Encouraging good working relationships is what you do when you want your bureaucracy to be a collegial one, and the Pope has explicitly given his commitment to that.

When the boom gets lowered, don't say I didn't tell you. I've been talking about it for months now."

[annalex]

was had been -> what has been

[NYer]

From 'Whispers in the Loggia' blogspot ......

From an astute reader in Rio, we get this from O Globo: Translation:

"Cardinal in Rome. It is considered as certain in the Vatican. Eusébio Oscar Scheid [...] will be transferred to Rome."

I was actually tipped to this earlier in the week and have discussed it at length with some Brazilian operatives; the reports on-the-ground in Latin America are said to be of the same intensity which preceded the appointment of Lucas Neves as prefect of Bishops in 1998 -- a flurry of advance buzz not seen before or since.

Scheid taught dogmatic theology and liturgy before his appointment as a bishop, which would make him a prime candidate for either Divine Worship or Catholic Education. But, considering the conjoined role of the prefect of Bishops with the presidency of the Commission for Latin America, this too is a distinct possibility.

Then again, who said the two functions would stay united once the curial reform is complete? It was specifically pointed out to me that Scheid is particularly appealing due to his background, both as a religious (he's a priest of the Sacred Heart Fathers) and his ethnic upbringing. He, along with Hummes, continues the long-standing tradition of Brazilian cardinals of German heritage -- both speak fluent German and are well-accustomed to the ways of the Pope's native country. Given that context, experience with both the institutional present and future of global Catholicism can be found, which is a rare and priceless commodity these days considering the exigencies of a rapidly changing international situation. Not to mention the shared cultural milieu providing a base for a solid relationship with the Boss....

Even closer to home, the word's been floating that another American prelate has gotten happy words and been asked to board the Mothership..... More on that as the secrets allow.

Catholic Ping
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[Straight Vermonter]

People need to think about the effect that homosexuals in these orders have on recruitment.

What good young man is going to want to join up with a group of men who are not someone he respects and looks up to?

Our sons and daughters need to see role models in religious life not perverts.

[Straight Vermonter]

On the positive side a family friend who has a son in the Priesthood said that the diocese warned him to date in college or they would not consider him for the seminary.

[Straight Vermonter]

Thanks, great info!

BTW, Bishop Kenneth Angell of the Diocese of Burlington (VT) has submitted his resignation this month. His apparent successor, coadjutant Bishop Salvatore Matano, was ordained on the same day Benedict XVI became Pope. Bishop Matano is an awesome homilist and has thus far shown himself to be eager to repair some of what has gone wrong in this Diocese.

[8mmMauser]

We keep watch.....

[Tantumergo]

"Whispers from DownUnder that Cardinal George Pell may well be in line for the Pontiff's former role!"

How could that be possible - he has only just appointed Levada to head the CDF? Have you got any source for these whispers?

[old and tired]

I'm hopeful the pope will do something about the sorry state of the Church in Central America. I've got grandchildren from Guatemala and my children tell me 30 percent of that country in now Evangelical Christian. Apparently, the only mission work being done by Catholics focuses on political solutions to the misery and poverty down there. The only people teaching about Jesus are the Evangelicals, so it's easy to see why so many have converted.

[cardinal4]

I just noted a thread about a new nuncio in Arab countries.

Interesting. We used to attend Mass at the Belgian Ambassador's residence in Jeddah in the early 80's. I heard after we left, the Saudis shut it down..

[COBOL2Java]

The Vatican has developed an A-bomb and will declare war on Iran and Syria.

Well, the Church has been at war for almost 2,000 years, although not in the human sense...

[COBOL2Java]

The row erupted when Israel complained that Pope Benedict XVI had left Israel off a list of countries recently hit by terrorist attacks.

The Vatican then accused Israel of trying to "distort" the Pope's words.

First I'd heard of this. Does anyone have details?

[maryz]

There have been numerous FR threads on it. (I searched "Israel" and "Vatican" and the first dozen are on that kerfuffle!)

[Dominick]

One thing I did think about before may be coming true. We are going to see something new after this Synod, if he really is going to finally make the appointments. Expect to see a lot of non-promotions as well, that is, removing an ineffective or "problem" Bishop, by giving them an "important" job in Rome. Like reviewing reports on the counting of tiles in the Churches.

A lot is going to happen, and I expect there are a lot of surprises in store.

I hope I hear, "Cardinal Mahoney, you are in charge of extra-terrestrial evangelizing, take Bishop Lynch as a secretary..."

[NeoCaveman]

I hope I hear, "Cardinal Mahoney, you are in charge of extra-terrestrial evangelizing, take Bishop Lynch as a secretary..."

And hopefully Bishop Pilla can nice a gig evangelizing the penguins of Antarctica.

[AliVeritas]

I thought Levada just flew over to replace him (which I thought was strange anyway).

[BIRDS]

That's it, exactly: persons being admitted to Seminaries who reject the teachings of the Church and persist in seeking the Priesthood. Not all, thank God, but it's the heart of the problem.

What I learned/was told/read as to the biggest challenge facing the Church from years ago forward (somewhat recognized now and being reckoned with, at least, I hope) was/is that a network, a community, so to speak, of homosexualities in the Priesthood and affiliated with Seminaries were proliferating the same interests and personality issues by whom they admitted.

Thus, a larger number of homosexuals in the Priesthood and the Priesthood itself modified to gradually reject the Church's teachings on this issue. It leads to where many Protestant groups are today and that is the slow humanistic changes in their concepts of what is holy and what is not and next thing you know, what is not holy stands where what is holy used to be.

I know this is a big issue for many of us Catholics. I'm glad about that, too.

About lesbians in religious orders, I was surprised to naively realize that that was so. It is not necessarily as predatory, perhaps, in nature as male homosexuals but it's still the same problem and issue (and challenge) and that is that some who reject the teachings of the Church are allowed to be admitted into Orders.

[BIRDS]

That's it, exactly: persons being admitted to Seminaries who reject the teachings of the Church and persist in seeking the Priesthood. Not all, thank God, but it's the heart of the problem.

What I learned/was told/read as to the biggest challenge facing the Church from years ago forward (somewhat recognized now and being reckoned with, at least, I hope) was/is that a network, a community, so to speak, of homosexualities in the Priesthood and affiliated with Seminaries were proliferating the same interests and personality issues by whom they admitted.

Thus, a larger number of homosexuals in the Priesthood and the Priesthood itself modified to gradually reject the Church's teachings on this issue. It leads to where many Protestant groups are today and that is the slow humanistic changes in their concepts of what is holy and what is not and next thing you know, what is not holy stands where what is holy used to be.

I know this is a big issue for many of us Catholics. I'm glad about that, too.

About lesbians in religious orders, I was surprised to naively realize that that was so. It is not necessarily as predatory, perhaps, in nature as male homosexuals but it's still the same problem and issue (and challenge) and that is that some who reject the teachings of the Church are allowed to be admitted into Orders.

[AliVeritas]

Maybe they give more food.

[BIRDS]

I do not undestand why my comments get posted twice. I post, no comments. Refresh browser, no comments. I copy and save, return later, no comments. So I return and post them again and then see two copies of the same comments.

It's either two copies or none, it looks like. Sorry.

[AliVeritas]

As well as some in Africa and Central and South America who enter the process to escape their situations; He addressed this shortly after he became pope.