BOMBSHELL! POPE HOLDS UP AS A MODEL CURIALISTS OF PRE-VCII CHURCH AND HOW THEY FUNCTIONED!

Southern Orders ^ | December 20, 2013 | Fr. Allan J. McDonald

[NYer]

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis issued his Christmas greetings to the Roman Curia on Saturday. In his message, the Pope expressed the three hallmarks of a Curial official: professionalism, service and holiness of life. He urged the Curia to be "conscientious objectors to gossip" and expressed his gratitude for the dedicated service of the retiring members of the Curia.

Read his full message below:

Your Eminences,
Dear Brother Bishops and Priests,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Once again the Lord has enabled us to journey through Advent, and all too quickly we have come to these final days before Christmas. They are days marked by a unique spiritual climate made up of emotions, memories and signs, both liturgical and otherwise, such as the crèche. It is in this climate that this traditional meeting takes place with you, the superiors and officials of the Roman Curia, who cooperate daily in the service of the Church. I greet all of you with affection. Allow me to extend a special greeting to Archbishop Pietro Parolin, who recently began his service as Secretary of State, and who needs our prayers!

While our hearts are full of gratitude to God, who so loved us that he gave us his only-begotten Son, it is also good to make room for gratitude to one another. In this, my first Christmas as the Bishop of Rome, I also feel the need to offer sincere thanks to all of you as a community of service, and to each of you individually. I thank you for the work which you do each day: for the care, diligence and creativity which you display; and for your effort – I know it is not always easy – to work together in the office, both to listen to and to challenge one another, and to bring out the best in all your different personalities and gifts, in a spirit of mutual respect.

In a particular way, I want to express my gratitude to those now concluding their service and approaching retirement. As priests and bishops, we know full well that we never really retire, but we do leave the office, and rightly so, not least to devote ourselves more fully to prayer and the care of souls, starting with our own! So a very special and heartfelt “thank you” goes to those of you who have worked here for so many years with immense dedication, hidden from the eyes of the world. This is something truly admirable. I have such high regard for these “Monsignori” who are cut from the same mould as the curiales of olden times, exemplary persons. We need them today, too! People who work with competence, precision and self-sacrifice in the fulfilment of their daily duties. Here I would like to mention some of them by name, as a way of expressing my esteem and my gratitude, but we know that, in any list, the first names people notice are the ones that are missing! Besides, I would also risk overlooking someone and thus committing an injustice and a lack of charity. But I want to say to these brothers of ours that they offer a very important witness in the Church’s journey through history.
This mould and this witness make me think of two hallmarks of the curial official, and even more of curial superiors, which I would like to emphasize: professionalism and service.

Professionalism, by which I mean competence, study, keeping abreast of things. This is a basic requisite for working in the Curia. Naturally, professionalism is something which develops and is in part acquired; but I think that, precisely for it to develop and to be acquired, there has to be a good foundation from the outset.

The second hallmark is service: service to the Pope and to the bishops, to the universal Church and to the particular Churches. In the Roman Curia, one learns – in a real way, “one breathes in” – this twofold aspect of the Church, this interplay of the universal and the particular. I think that this is one of the finest experiences of those who live and work in Rome: “to sense” the Church in this way. When professionalism is lacking, there is a slow drift downwards towards mediocrity.

Dossiers become full of trite and lifeless information and incapable of opening up lofty perspectives. Then, too, when the attitude is no longer one of service to the particular Churches and their bishops, the structure of the Curia turns into a ponderous, bureaucratic customs house, constantly inspecting and questioning, hindering the working of the Holy Spirit and the growth of God’s people.

To these two qualities of professionalism and service, I would also like to add a third, which is holiness of life. We know very well that, in the hierarchy of values, this is the most important.
Indeed, it is basic for the quality of our work, our service. And I want to say here that in the Roman Curia, there have been and there are saints; I have said this in public more than once, to thank the Lord. Holiness means a life immersed in the Spirit, a heart open to God, constant prayer, deep humility and fraternal charity in our relationships with our fellow workers. It also means apostleship, discreet and faithful pastoral service, zealously carried out in direct contact with God’s people. For priests, this is indispensable.

Holiness in the Curia also means conscientious objection to gossip! We rightfully insist on the importance of conscientious objection but perhaps we, too, need to exercise it as a means of defending ourselves from an unwritten law of our surroundings, which unfortunately is that of gossip. So let us all be conscientious objectors; and mind you, I am not simply preaching! Gossip is harmful to people, our work and our surroundings.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us feel close to one another on this final stretch of the road to Bethlehem. We would do well to meditate on Saint Joseph, who was so silent yet so necessary at the side of Our Lady. Let us think about him and his loving concern for his Spouse and for the Baby Jesus. This can tell us a lot about our own service to the Church! So let us experience this Christmas in spiritual closeness to Saint Joseph.

I thank you most heartily for your work and especially for your prayers. Truly I feel “borne aloft” by your prayers and I ask you to continue to support me in this way. I, too, remember you before the Lord, and I impart my blessing as I offer my best wishes for a Christmas filled with light and peace for each of you and for all your dear ones. Happy Christmas!


Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/21/pope_extends_christmas_greetings_to_curia/en1-757655
of the Vatican Radio website

[NYer]

Liberal? Conservative? Catholic! Ping

[ZULU]

???

[ebb tide]

I have such high regard for these “Monsignori” who are cut from the same mould as the curiales of olden times, exemplary persons, Pope Francis.

He's a hypocrite.

Report: Pope stops naming monsignors

[piusv]

Yeah, I’m going to need someone to translate this.

[NYer]

He's a hypocrite.

How so? According to the information posted at your link ...

Pope Francis has stopped granting priests the honorary title of "monsignor" in advance of an October meeting ...

Some have criticized the practice, saying it leads to an air of careerism in the church.

The title is honorific and the pope suspended granting it in advance of an October meeting.

Why is this issue so important to you?

[hondact200]

So I read up on the Roman Curia (Court) whenever a Pope dies or in the case of Pope Benedict retires the entire Curia except the Cardinal Camerlengo and Major Penitentiary resign their office (sede vacante)

I think Pope Francis is utilizing what he knows of serving his entire life in South America. The Pontificial Commission for Latin America is a dicastery of the Roman Curia. Established by Pope Pius XII on April 19, 1958, it is charged with providing assistance to and examining matters pertaining to the Church in Latin America.

I am not Catholic, but what does the Catholic Church in Latin America believe. It was established prior to Vatican Council II in the 1960s.

Just maybe the church will return to its Conservative roots. i will try to dig a little more information.

[RichInOC]

I commented on this that if Pope Francis felt the need to say this to the Curia, secular political folks need it even more. Especially American political folks, on both sides of the aisle.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"Pope sends out his blessing and thanks to people who did necessary, but often thankless and seemingly meaningless, work for The Church."

I'm floored!

[NYer]

Just maybe the church will return to its Conservative roots.

Before attributing the label conservative, may I suggest you visit this thread.

TWO WORDS THAT CATHOLICS NEED TO STOP USING…LIKE NOW

[ebb tide]

Why is this issue so important to you?

The issue is not what is important to me. The issue is why does the pope now praise those who hold an "honorific" title, the same title he has suspended granting.

[SuziQ]

I am not Catholic, but what does the Catholic Church in Latin America believe. It was established prior to Vatican Council II in the 1960s.

The Catholic Church is universal, and has been in place since soon after Jesus's Death and Resurrection. What the Church teaches in Rome, she teaches in Latin America, and in North America, Asia, Europe and Africa. If Bishops in one place seem to disregard some teaching or other, it doesn't mean the Church in that area is different.

Each Catholic is responsible to God for his or her own soul, and needs to learn what the teachings are, in addition to what they may have learned in Sunday School. It is very easy to get a Catechism of the Catholic Church and read up on what the Church teaches on any subject, and the Scripture on which the teaching is based.

[piusv]

I see your point. I don’t think that’s hypocrisy. I think it comes off as being disingenuous.

[GeronL]

Gossip is, of course, the biting issue of our time.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Well, you are pretty quick on the trigger with the word "hypocrite."

He can say he admires the monsigniori of old, but refrain from giving anyone that title, just as he could say he admires the pious kings and emperors of old, but refrain from giving anyone courtly rank today.

In other words, he could admire those men but judge that the title or office is not appropriate or not needed. Or would you have him crown a new Holy Roman Emperor?

Saying he's a hypocrite is uncalled-for, and shows a hastiness which is truly wince-worthy.

[AceMineral]

Being a Monarchist, I would say “yes”.

[ebb tide]

You’re throwing out a bunch of suppositions. I’ve merely stated facts. And the facts point to hypocrisy.

[Mrs. Don-o]

+{{{|:o)

[ebb tide]

He can say he admires the monsigniori of old, ...

I really don't think this pope admires anything of "old", especially the traditional Latin Mass, the Holy Crusaders, etc.

[irish guard]

So let’s get this straight for a minute. The current Pope no longer confers the title of Monsignor to priest as an honorary title because he feels it’s an unnecessary honor. ,But when he thanks retiring clergy for years of dedicated service they deserve, and another Pope conferred the title, he’s a hypocrite? You guys need to take a step back and think about this a bit more. He’s trying to simplify the church, eliminating the title of Monsignor, but isn’t supposed to thank the old monsignori for their life’s devotion. I’d say you need to find another fault with this guy. This isn’t hypocrisy or disingenuousness.