Reforming pope's dilemma: Using the center to deliver decentralization

Crux ^ | June 9, 2021 | John Allen

[Marchmain]

ROME – Before St. John Paul II, the old joke used to go that being pope meant never having to say you’re sorry. Since John Paul actually apologized for various failures and sins of the church well in excess of 100 times, that bit of papal humor no longer really applied.

However, here’s another old papal saw that’s still highly relevant: “Do as I say, not as I do.”

The thought comes to mind in light of news that the Vatican under Pope Francis, for the very first time in history, is carrying out a financial audit of the Diocese of Rome. A pope, of course, is the Bishop of Rome, and theoretically always has the right to inspect the books of his own diocese, but heretofore it’s been considered good manners for a pope to defer such matters to his chosen Vicar of Rome and the local leadership under him.

Such a hands-off approach has been seen as consistent with the values of collegiality and decentralization associated with the Second Vatican Council, values which Pope Francis has extolled repeatedly, including calling for a “healthy decentralization” in the Church during a 2015 ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops.

Yet in most respects, this has been anything but a decentralizing papacy. Instead, we’ve seen sweeping assertions of papal authority and central control on multiple fronts, especially when it comes to clerical sexual abuse and finances.

All of which illustrates a keen irony about the papacy: The more a given pope sees himself as a reformer, the more inclined he is to act like an old-school absolute monarch to advance that agenda.

[Marchmain]

Pope acting as dictator to enforce collegiality?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Maybe he intends to audit the Vatican Bank, like John Paul I?

[MurphsLaw]

Bigger dilemma.... trying to be happy sitting in St. Peter’s chair....