The April 7 meeting of the Pope with the heads of dicasteries

various ^ | April 6, 2006

[NYer]

What will this Friday's meeting of the Pope with the heads of dicasteries look like?

In fact, nobody outside of the most exclusive papal circles knows for sure.

From what we gathered and published in the past, this is what the meeting could look like.

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First option: a meeting for the ratification of a Papal decision:

One of the possibilities is that His Holiness, with the results of the first consultative meeting (of February 13), and emboldened by the "free pass" (the "via libera") garnered at the pre-consistory meeting (of March 23), will announce some strong decisions regarding the Traditional Rites of the Latin Church.

If that is truly the case, then the result may either be announced in a short time or could be delayed until sometime in the near future. Could it be announced to the general public immediately? This possibility should not be entirely discarded.

Second option: the meeting will be of a merely consultative nature:

As the meeting of February 13, the meeting of April 7 could include only a convergence of opinions among the dicasteries, under the guidance of the Pope (considering the final opinions issued by the dicasteries involved in the process, as determined in the February meeting), before a more definitive move is decided by His Holiness. The meeting will nevertheless be guided by him -- unlike the February and pre-consistory meetings, in which he mostly listened.

Third option: the meeting will include only the discussion of matters unrelated to the Traditional Rites of the Latin Church. (This could well be the case; nothing is completely certain in the modus operandi of Pope Benedict, "the Serene"...)

In any case, it is certain, as we first reported here in March, that this second meeting will include (perhaps as its main topic) discussions on the new structure of the Roman Curia.

Finally, we call your attention to some of our February advices, which still hold true.

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Update 1 (April 7, 1100 GMT): (a) The Bollettino simply confirms that the meeting took place, with no information of the matters discussed (exactly as it happened in February -- though differently from what took place after the pre-consistory meeting with the College of Cardinals).

(b) The Thursday edition of La Croix (the semi-official "progressive" Catholic French daily) mentions that the moment for the publication of a Papal "Motu Proprio" on the "rite of the Mass" is close. This is the first time the nature of the hypothetical document is mentioned in a reliable source.

(c) Le Salon Beige reports that Radio Vaticana (in its Italian feed) also mentioned that a "Motu Proprio" for the "liberalization" of the Traditional Missal could be issued shortly (in days?... weeks?... ). We have not been able to verify if Radio Vaticana has actually broadcast this information.

(d) Le Forum Catholique links to the final conclusions of this week's Assembly of the French Episcopal Conference (PDF file) in which the bishops reject a structure which is separate from the Diocesan Churches (Well... Is it really their decision?...); but they recognize that, regarding the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX/SSPX), the Pope "has a concern" and that "in the weeks or months ahead, [the pope] shall lay down the directives to facilitate the way to a possible return to full communion".

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Update 2 (April 7, 1900 GMT): We have never witnessed this kind of silence before. Utter and complete silence. ACI Prensa (the Spanish original version of the Catholic News Agency), reports that "according to Vatican sources, the reform of the Roman Curia and a liberalization of the Missal of Saint Pius V would have been discussed".

As we suggested yesterday as our second option, ACI (i.e. Alejandro Bermúdez) reports that:

"In this second meeting with the Roman Curia, celebrated in the Bologna Hall of the Vatican, Benedict XVI would have collected the opinions of the heads of the dicasteries to take decisions regarding the liturgical reform in the line willed by John Paul II in his encyclical letter 'Ecclesia de Eucharistia'...

"According to the same cources, the most important announcement which would follow this meeting would be the liberalization of the Missal of 1962, a decision which is part of the liturgical reform set in motion by Pope Benedict XVI, but which could have a significant impact in the reconciliation process with the Lefebvrist schism."

Much of what is reported seems to be recycled news, though nonetheless encouraging.

[NYer]

Additional background information from Rocco Palmo

Tomorrow morning, Benedict XVI will hold his second meeting with his "cabinet" -- the heads of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

For weeks, between rumors of some kind of movement involving relations with the followers of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and the Pope's plans for the "renovation" of the church's central administration, the meeting has been hotly anticipated.

Seemingly as a run-up to tomorrow's session, Benedict received four of his curial heads in audience today:

• Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
• Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Councils for Justice and Peace and Migrants and Refugees
• Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops
• and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the head of the Vatican library, who was received with an entourage

After he listened intently at his last sit-down with the superiors, held on 13 February, it's expected that this one will involve more words from the Pope. And, so it's said, the long-anticipated changes in the dicasteries could be publicly announced shortly thereafter.

[sitetest]

Dear seamole,

Who are the "Pietines"?

Thanks,


sitetest

[B Knotts]

I was just thinking ...if there really is a Motu Proprio waiting in the wings...perhaps that explains the announcement that there will be no Holy Thursday letter to priests.

[Straight Vermonter]

The problem with these stories out of the Vatican is that it takes forever to read them since I have to look up all of the terminology. LOL

Thanks for posting.

[Ad Orientam]

It is now almost 5 PM here on the left coast (8 on the right). And the silence from Rome is deafening. I can not recall a major meeting of this nature occurring in recent memory where there was so much silence surrounding it. Usually there are at least a few discreet leaks. All of the usual sources for Vatican news and gossip are utterly empty of substantive comment. It's like a blackout on news. In some ways its building the expectation that something fairly big is in the works. UGGG!

[Straight Vermonter]

Here's the news from Zenit... Unfortunately it is in Italian only. Any Paisans out there that can give us a freeplation?

http://www.zenit.org/italian/

Codice: ZI06040706

Data pubblicazione: 2006-04-07

Seconda riunione di Benedetto XVI con i capi dei dicasteri della Curia romana

CITTA’ DEL VATICANO; venerdì, 7 aprile 2006 (ZENIT.org).- Questo venerdì mattina, nel Palazzo Apostolico vaticano, Benedetto XVI ha presieduto una riunione con i capi dei dicasteri della Curia romana.

La Sala Stampa della Santa Sede ha confermato che l’incontro si è svolto nella Sala Bologna senza offrire dettagli sugli argomenti trattati.

E’ la seconda riunione con queste caratteristiche convocata dal Papa, dopo quella celebrata il 13 febbraio in cui, tra le altre questioni, si è affrontato il tema della riconciliazione con la Fraternità di San Pio X, fondata dall’Arcivescovo Marcel Lefebvre.

Successivamente, il Papa ha chiesto che questo argomento fosse affrontato anche nella riunione di tutti i Cardinali del mondo svoltasi alla vigilia del Concistoro, il 23 marzo.

Dopo quell’incontro, il Cardinale Darío Castrillón Hoyos, prefetto della Congregazione vaticana per il Clero e della Commissione Pontificia “Ecclesia Dei”, ha riassunto le conclusioni affermando che la Chiesa “attende a braccia aperte” i seguaci di monsignor Lefebvre.

“Ora si studia il miglior modo”, ha aggiunto il porporato colombiano in risposta alla domanda sulla possibilità di concedere loro una “prelatura” dipendente dal Papa.

Nel corso di quella riunione, il Papa ha incaricato il Cardinale Francis Arinze, prefetto della Congregazione per il Culto Divino e la Disciplina dei Sacramenti, di presentare la questione della riforma liturgica post-conciliare e l’utilizzo del Messale di San Pio V, anteriore alla riforma liturgica del Concilio Vaticano II, richiesto dai cosiddetti “tradizionalisti”.

La Conferenza Episcopale francese ha pubblicato questo venerdì un comunicato al termine della sua Assemblea Plenaria in cui rivela che “nelle settimane o nei mesi futuri” il Papa “dovrebbe dare direttive per facilitare il cammino verso un possibile ritorno ad una piena comunione”.

Il 2 luglio 1988, Giovanni Paolo II ha constatato nella lettera apostolica Ecclesia Dei che l’“illegittima” ordinazione di quattro Vescovi in seno alla Fraternità da parte di monsignor Lefebvre (30 giugno 1988) costituiva “un atto scismatico”.

Quell’ordinazione ha stroncato i tentativi di accordo tra la Santa Sede e la Fraternità, portati avanti dal Cardinale Joseph Ratzinger, allora prefetto della Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede, a nome di Giovanni Paolo II.

Monsignor Lefebvre è morto il 25 marzo 1991. Il suo successore alla guida della Fraternità è uno dei Vescovi ordinati, monsignor Bernard Fellay, che Benedetto XVI ha ricevuto in udienza privata il 29 agosto 2005.

[Ad Orientam]

I am embarrassed to admit this, but I lived in Italy for 2 years while in the Navy, and I left there with a passable grasp of the language. Today I would have a hard time ordering dinner in an Italian restaurant.

[Straight Vermonter]

This translation was on The New Liturgical Movement blog:

http://thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com/

Second meeting between Benedict XVI and the heads of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia

This Friday morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Benedict XVI presided over a meeting with the heads of the dicateries of the Roman Curia.

The Press Office of the Holy See has confirmed that the encounter took place in the Sala Bologna, without offering details on the arguments treated.

It's the second meeting of such character called by the Pope, after the one on 13 February in which, among other questions, they discussed the topic of the reconcilition with the Fraternity of St Pius X, founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Thereafter, the Pope has asked that this topic be again discussed at the meeting of all the cardinals of the world gathered on the eve of the concistory of 23 March.

After that meeting, Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Clergy and of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", has given the conclusion, affirming that the Church "waits with open arms" the followers of Mgr Lefebvre.

"At present one is studying the best way", the Colombian prelate added in response to the question on the possibility of conceding them a "prelature" dependent on the Pope.

During that meeting, the Pope has charged Francis Cardinal Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, with presenting the question of the postconciliar liturgical reform and the use of the Missal of the St Pius V, in use before the Second Vatican Council, requested by the so-called "traditionalists".

The French Episcopal Conference published this Friday a statement at the end of their Plenary Assembly in which it reveals that "'these coming weeks or months" the Pope "should give instructions to ease the path towards a possible return to full communion".

On 2 July 1988, John Paull II stated in his apostolic letter Ecclesia Dei that the illegitimate ordinations, on the part of Mgr Lefebvre, of four bishops from the Fraternity constituted (30 June 1988) a "schismatic act".

This ordination has ruptured the attempts at an agreement between the Holy See and the Fraternity, brought forward by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, then prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in the name of John Paul II.

Mgr Lefebvre died 25 March 1991. His successor at the helm of the Fraternity is one of the ordained bishops, Mgr Bernard Fellay, whom Benedict XVI received in a private audience on 29 August 2005.

[NYer]

Well ... it says a lot and it says nothing. The suspense builds.

[Ad Orientam]

This story could have been accurately covered in one sentence. "The Pope met with the cardinals today and we don't know what was discussed or what decisions were made."