Cardinal Caffarra Dies -- 2nd Dubia Signatory Called

(Rome) As the Press Office of the Archdiocese of Bologna announced, Carlo Cardinal Caffarra, the emeritus archbishop of Bologna, died today at the age of 79 years. With him, the second signatory of the Dubia (doubts) of the controversial post-synodal letter Amoris laetitia has just been recalled from this world within two months .

Born on June 1, 1938, at Parma in Italy, he was one of the most prestigious representatives of the Catholic Church. His pastoral work was based on solid legal and moral theology. For John Paul II, he prepared the foundation of the Pontifical Institute for the Study of Marriage and Family, of which he was the first president from 1981 to 1995. In 1983, he became Consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and in 1995 he became Bishop of Ferrara-Comacchio. In 2003, he was appointed archbishop of Bologna, the center of the "Red Belt", once the Communist, now left-democratic region of Italy.

The opponents of the Church, as well as his personal enemies, had to respect him, since they found in him a serious opponent, who intellectually knew how to represent the cause of the Church brilliantly and wisely, and did so without fear.

This fearlessness prompted him, in September 2016, together with three other cardinals, to convey his doubts about the post-synodal letter on marriage and the family of Amoris laetitia. The doubts were formulated as questions, and asked the Pope for an answer, which has remained unanswered to this day.

Last April, in the name of the four signatories, he had asked the Pope to give an audience in order to discuss the open questions. The Cardinals did not receive any reply.

On the 16th of September, as the highlight of this year's international pilgrimage of tradition to the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle, he was to celebrate a pontifical High Mass in St. Peter's. This pilgrimage was held for the 10 years of the Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum.

In the press release of the Archdiocese, which Cardinal Caffarra led for 20 years until his age-related retirement by Pope Francis in 2015, it is said that he "faithfully served his Lord throughout his life" with "love, generosity and intelligence." Since his retirement, the Cardinal lived in the archdiocesan seminary. In the last few years, Katholisches.info reported extensively on the Cardinal's work.

Starting tomorrow, 4 pm, Cardinal Caffarra will be laid out in the Sala Bedetti in the Archbishop's Palace. On Friday, September 8 at 9 pm, the late Cardinal will be prayed for in the cathedral.  The funeral takes place in the Cathedral of Bologna on Saturday, 9 September at 11 am and is to be celebrated by his successor as Archbishop of Bologna, Matteo Cardinal Zuppi.

Cardinal Caffarra will be buried at his own request in the crypt of his episcopal church.

Requiescat in pace

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Photo: Corrispondenza Romana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG