(Rome / Madrid) Tomorrow, Saturday, it will be made known in Rome that Pope Francis will appoint Cardinal Cañizares Llovera Antonio as the new Archbishop of Madrid. This was reported by the Spanish Church Historian and well-known blogger Francisco de la Cigoña. The appointment means he will be transferred from Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and removed from Rome. "They tell me that the appointment of Cañizares as Archbishop of Madrid will be announced on Saturday," said de la Cigoña. "On Saturday we will see if these rumors are confirmed," said the personal informant of the most well-informed Spaniards.
The appointment of Cardinal Cañizares as Archbishop of Madrid would be a classic case of ecclesiastical "path clearning" and would confirm the rumors that Pope Francis is removing those cardinals like the Prefect of the Roman Curia, who were especially close to Pope Benedict XVI. and his understanding of the Churches and liturgy. Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, a student of Cardinal Siri, has already been replaced as prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy and appointed last September as Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary. Benedict XVI. had asked him after the failed attempt to put him at the top of the Congregation for the Clergy, to raise the Cure of Ars as patron and model of priests. A strengthening of the sacramental priesthood, which came within the church and also in the Curia met some violent resistance and led to the removal of the Cardinal from his office in the new pontificate.
Cardinal Piacenza represented the priest image of Benedict XVI., as Cardinal Cañizares Llovera supported the liturgical renewal of the German Pope, which received no less hostility. Due to several signals observers have expected for months then that even the Spanish Cardinal would be removed by Pope Francis from his post as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Unclear is also the future of Kardinl Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. Cardinal Cañizares was raised to the Prefect in 2009, Cardinal Ouellet, like Cardinal Piacenza, in 2010. If Cardinal Cañizares is actually replaced, an intention by Pope Francis of a change in direction from areas that were practically important to Pope Benedict XVI will be confirmed. Each pope is to appoint his own employees; however, each appointment is also a choice of direction, which will be slowed down, which positions reversed or which to be promoted.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: ACI Prensa
image: ACI Prensa
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMGD
The Pope can appoint whomever he wants, yes. But wow, it would be a loathsome thing if he demoted Cardinal Ouellet, as he surely received more votes in the conclave than any other member of the Curia. What's more, there is reason to believe that Ouellet may have shifted his supporters toward Bergoglio in a decisive way.
ReplyDeletePiacenza was strike one. Canizares-Llovera is strike two. Ouellet would be strike three. As in, three strikes, and we can no longer pretend there is continuity between this Pope's vision of the Church and his most immediate predecessors (as if we still could!).
A pope's "vision" of the Church is irrelevant. He doesn't get to have a "vision". Christ established the Church and it is HIS vision that the popes are to maintain.
Delete9:05am EST. 3:05pm in Rome.
DeleteI won't be today, Deo gratias.
Don't be silly C.J. These types of appointments fall well within the ambit of papal discretion, discretion that is exercised according to where the Pope wants to lead the Church, for better or worse.
DeletePope Francis' time is running out. He was ill in November with a cold. This Wednesday, Dec. 4th, it was not widely picked up, but apparently Pope Francis became extremely fatigued, and cancelled the rest of his appointments on Wednesday, after the General Audience had been concluded. He hasn't sounded well for afew weeks when talking....out of breath and gasping.
ReplyDeleteI suspect he has a big problem developing, and it will be hidden because he has not been in office even a year yet. He will be 77 in one week.
If he makes it to celebrate 2 years as Pope , I will be surprised.
His time is running out. I hope he hesitates long enough with his sinister plans for the Church so that he passes and the Catholic Church will escape the damage he and his cohorts would have done.
...then whom does this leftist cabal of Cardinals elect...Dolan? O'Malley?
DeleteMany blogs are full of hatred to the Holy Father. Both comentators and writers agree on the 'damage' that Pope Francis is doing to the Church. There seems to be a great sign of disunity among Catholics. We need to pray for St Michael's help. Lets pray to our Lady tonight and for Pope Francis!
ReplyDeleteHear Hear!
ReplyDeletePraying for the Pope is fine. But to bend to his changes and his agenda just because he is Pope is a violation of valid judgement, and certainly if he were to do something such as destroy the restoration of the Mass that Benedict XVI had so carefully started, or to appoint a woman to head a Curial office rather than a Cardinal, or to appoint a woman or layman as a Cardinal as has been rumored, I sincerely hope that all faithful Catholics would rise to condemn both Pope Francis and his agenda.
ReplyDeleteNot to do so would be to join in the destruction of the Church. And I am sure that is not what Our Lord wanted in His successor...someone who would single handedly destroy tradition of the Church.
Take a look at the picture published yesterday of Pope Francis with a large group he had received in audience. The Pope looked either angry, bored to death, or just plain ill. The two bishops on either side don't look happy either.
ReplyDeleteIf the Pope were either annoyed, angry, or bored because he had to receive a group in audience and act like a Pope instead of sneaking out of the Vatican to visit the poor as he is rumored to do....then he should just resign, because he obviously hates his job.
But if he is simply not feeling well (and he doesn't look good), then that is unfortunate.
Rather than death, I have another, preferable, scenario.
ReplyDeleteFrancis makes his opinions, um, officially, obviously, and inescapably manifest.
Papa Poncho returns to the Pampas.
The cardinals meet. The white smoke goes up, and the Fisherman's Shoes are offered to someone for whom they already fit. The demand is made, the "Accepto" given, and Joseph Ratzinger returns to finish the job he began.
At Anon, if only!
ReplyDelete