Palliums are now to be given in the home diocese of Metropolitans by the Nuncio rather than received directly from the Supreme Pontiff who had taken them from the tomb of the Apostle Peter where they had lain over night.
I seem to remember notes about pre-Reformation English Metropolitans receiving the Pallium at Evesham or Ripon or some such place, and even the red hat was occasionally delivered (as in the case of St John Fisher) rather than got directly from the hands of the Pope. When changes are made it is always worth asking why things developed as they are in first place.
My initial reaction is that it will give the Nuncii something to do, and also enhance their status as Papal go-between, or Legates, and do a little to dispel stories of walls of ice between Nunciatures and Metropolitan Cathedrals.
The problem is that it distances the Metropolitan from Papacy by imposing a middleman, another level of bureaucracy, which we had all hoped the Holy Father intended to dispel but actually seems to be creating. Vatican Monday has an interesting over-view of the diplomatic service. With such illustrious names as Mgr Giovanni Battista Ricca and Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski one must ask if the Diplomatic Corps is really in a healthier state than other members of what Pope Francis himself describes as the "leprous court". In England and Wales the consensus among the clergy seems to be that we have not been served well by previous Nuncii.
8 comments:
Pass the pallium to the back of the queue, please.
Was it only a 8 short years ago that Cardinal Giacomo Biffi thundered-out a warning during a papal (Benedict XVI) retreat about the characteristics of the Antichrist and his likely imminent appearance?
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/retreatants-hear-of-guises-of-the-antichrist
Incidentally, in his 2004 book ‘On the Road toward Christ Jesus’ (referring directly to Soloviev’s ‘A Short Tale of the Antichrist’), then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger commented on the second temptation of Jesus thus:
“And a phrase of Soloviev’s is illuminating: The Antichrist believes in God, but in the depths of his heart he prefers himself.”
I'm surprised "himself" doesn't just fax them a picture of one, or an email attachment of a picture, or drone one over,.
Apparently the Metropolitans are still all going to go to Rome for the blessing of the Palliums and will then be given them by the Bishop of Rome to take home so that they can give them to the Nuncio to impose.
I thought 'airport bishops' were much frowned upon!
Another manifestation of the 'National (Catholic) Church' syndrome?
BTW: the SSPX media web-sites are opining, with some credence, that +++Kasper's, with his Conference cohorts, motivation for change is to stem the flight of their congregations from German 'church tax'. Being the embodiment of the National Church syndrome.
The third Archbishop of Westminster, Herbert Vaughan, received the pallium in England (at the London Oratory on 16 August 1892). This was to put one over on the Anglicans, since the last time the pallium was conferred in England was on Reginald Pole, the last real Archbishop of Canterbury.
Early in his pontificate, Pope Francis addressed the assembled nuncios and reminded them of the importance of their role. At the same time Abp Mueller reminded Bishops' Conferences that they were consultative and not authoritative. Can we expect to see bishops taking more responsibility for running their own dioceses, and nuncios acting as papal legates?
let's remember that prior to Vatican II and St. John Paul II the majority of Metropolitian's received their palliums is this manner. This seems like a reform of the reform here and going back to the way it was.
Do you not think that the encouragement of the local Church may be necessary when things fall apart? The remnant Church may not have access to Rome.
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