The Last Pope-King -- Pope Bergolio’s “New Course” is Not Yet Deciphered

(Rome) "With Francis the papacy came into the shade. The light is all alone for him, the Pope. Not for the institution, but Sfor the person.” With these words, the Vatican expert Sandro Magister begins his recent article in the weekly magazine L'Espresso , the Italian Mirror for Double Saints last Sunday.

"From the Church canons he feels free. He feels himself free from the canonical norms. In just one year he has already suspended six times the ironclad rule that demands a new miracle before a blessed may be proclaimed a saint. John XXIII is the last of the six. Francis wanted at all costs that John Paul II should be canonized not on his own but balanced by another pope with a different profile, less combative, more merciful. "

Francis Wanted to Avoid the  Exclusive Canonization of John Paul II at all Costs

Last Sunday the double canonization was intended by Francis  because he ascended the Chair of Peter too late to slow down the canonization of John Paul II.  "The Congregation for the Causes of Saints, bent its knees his will and pretended it had asked Francis for an exception that was benevolnetly  granted immediately."

A simulated perversion of facts, which was accepted, thus, because the Pope demanded. "In addition Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, who still figures as president of the Italian episcopal conference, has asked Francis that it be he, the pope, who delivers the inaugural discourse to the plenary assembly of the bishops to be held in May, something no pontiff has ever done."

Francis Sets Will Through

At the Cardinal's request is what was said in the official press release, it  then came to the prompt readiness of the Holy Father, who announced to have harbored the same intention’. Really. For over a month we knew that Francis had already decided to make the speech.

Since he is pope, which is Italian Episcopal Conference solidifies and falls silent. Francis asked the Italian bishops that they notify him whether they want to continue to have the Pope as nominal president of the Bishops Conference or would like to choose these freely from their ranks, as in the other countries. In reality,  the Pope’s engagement  of the Italian Bishops' Conference is the living contradiction of the decentralization and “democratization” of the Church allegedly pursued by Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

Francis Holds the Italian Episcopal Conference More Firmly Than Previous Popes

Pope Francis has the Italian Bishops’ Conference more  firmly in his grasp  than all the popes before him. The real authority in the bishops' conference is now its general secretary Bishop Nunzio Galatino Cassano all'Jonio. But the real authority behind this is Pope Francis, who raised Galatino into office and monitors each of his decisions.

The Galatino's first official act after his audience with Pope Francis was the dismissal of the former media officer of the Italian Bishops' Conference , Dino Boffo, who  had been hired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini. Boffo was chief editor of the daily newspaper of the Episcopal Conference "Avvenire" and for three years editor of TV2000, the television station of the bishops with a significantly increasing number of spectators. [Sorry, you’re too successful.?]

Media Work of the Bishops' Conference for Months without Leadership

That was on the 14th of February, so for more than two months. Since then, the entire communication channel of the Episcopal Conference was not controlled without giving word for  a reason for the dismissal of Boffo.

If on instead focuses attention within the Vatican walls, one finds there are still figures with full honors in the saddle that would have been sealed in every  other company long ago.

Advisor to the Pope and the Vatican Bank

These include the members of the Supervisory Board of the Vatican Bank IOR, in other words, the Gang of Four, which brutally sacked the then President of the Vatican Bank, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi  on 24 May 2012.

Not only that Pope Francis followed the advice of the four and ensured the continued existence of the Vatican Bank, although he had repeatedly indicated its dissolution in the previous months. The Pope leaves the Vatican Bank to work as the four want.

The new course of Pope Bergoglio is still not deciphered yet.

Translation: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Settimo Cielo
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches…
AMGD

Pope Francis Like a "Steam Roller and Decides Everything Himself" --- Curious Request for "Forgiveness"

(Rome) Pope Francis appointed a new Secretary General of the Italian Episcopal Conference on the day before Christmas Eve. Even in the first month of his pontificate, the pope had asked the Italian bishops to draw up new statutes for the Episcopal Conference. While the bishops' conferences choose their own president and even determine their term of office (an exception is Belgium), in Italy the Pope as Bishop of Rome is also automatically chairman of the Bishops' Conference. However, this office, since its introduction by Pius XII, was never exercised by the reigning pope. He appoints a delegate that represents him as chairman. The right of appointment for the Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference is to also exercised by the Pope. The Italian bishops called on the new Pope to inform him whether the Chair and the Secretary General should continue to be appointed by the Pope, or whether they want to occupy these offices by election itself. Despite this request, the Pope goes "forward like a steam roller and decides everything himself," said Vaticanist Sandro Magister.

"Steamroller" Francis - Surprise Dismissal of General Secretary

Pope Francis unceremoniously dismissed the previous Secretary General of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Mariano Crociata and has appointed him as the bishop of the small Diocese of Latina-Terracina-Sezze-Priveno, which is th equivalent to the pushing him off to an insignificant place off the tracks. Bishop Crociata was appointed in 2008 by Benedict XVI. as Secretary General after he had previously been appointed as the Bishop of Nota.

On 28 December the announcement of the new Secretary-General was accomplished in an "entirely uncharacteristic way," said Magister. To appoint him instead of being in accordance with current regulations, that is, on the Bureau's proposal and after consulting the Permanent Council of the Bishops' Conference, Pope Francis appointed him arbitrarily and without consultation. But he did so with an unusual accessory, as if he were "asking permission" of the priests and faithful of the Diocese of the new Secretary General, the Pope literally said he would "took away" the bishop. This "request for permission" was of course rhetorical, formulated by the Pope in a "daring rhetorical construct" (Sandro Magister) in an open letter to the diocese. Clearly part of the current leadership of the Italian Bishops' Conference, consisting of Archbishop Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa and the Archbishops of Perugia, Potenza and Turin (the General Secretary, also a member of the Presidium, already being discharged), are not among of the most important interlocutors of the Pope.

Pope Asked the Diocese for "Permission" to be able to Appoint the Bishop to General Secretary

The newly appointed Secretary General is Bishop Nunzio Galatino Cassano all'Jonio. The 65-year-old bishop comes from Puglia. His diocese is located in Calabria and, with nearly 100,000 faithful to the smallest of the Apennine Peninsula. It's also unusual in the appointment is that it takes place only after an interim. It seems unclear whether it served as the removal of Bishop Crociata, or whether the did not anticipate Pope making a possible amendment of statutes of the Episcopal Conference, if he wants the bishops to appoint the Secretary-General themselves in the future. In this case, the question remains, why a change was made ​​at this time. Secretary Galatino will remain at his own request a bishop of his diocese.

In his published letter to the diocese, the Pope asked the priests and faithful to permit their bishop "at least for a certain time for an important mission for the Italian Church" to go to Rome. He will, however, continue to be their bishop as the Pope declared that he would spend "a few days on a regular basis" in the diocese.

Pope Francis: "I Ask You to Understand Me ... and to Forgive Me"

"I ask you to understand me ... and to forgive me," the Pope wrote this at the end of the letter, dated 28 December, but it came into force immediately without waiting for a response from them even though the matter was raised in a rhetorical effort to priests and faithful.

The Bishops' Conference noted the unilateral action of the pope with two tight, cool press releases.

Msgr, Galatino was consecrated a bishop on 25 February and took over the management of his diocese. He is Professor of Anthropology at the Faculty of Theology for Southern Italy. In the Episcopal Conference, he was previously responsible for higher theological studies.

Upon his appointment ad interim, Bishop Galatino will undertake the rights, duties and responsibilities of the office of General Secretary, of the Italian Episcopal Conference, yet it is unknown how long the term of office will be, however. Pope Benedict XVI. had appointed Archbishop Bagnasco of Genoa as as his delegate and President of the Bishops Conference in 2007. He chose Bishop Crociata as Secretary General.

With the appointment of the new Secretary-General, a similar pattern can be determined in the Pope's approach in personnel decisions, that were repeatedly employed already in the Roman Curia. Also, the unexpected dismissal of Cardinal Bagnasco's General Secretary appears to be an indicator that the President of the Bishops' Conference may also be dismissed.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
 image: Settimo Cielo
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
AMGD