Posts Tagged roman curia
The Vatican’s #LifeofWomen video project: the bad, the ugly and the good / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Voice of the Faithful, Women in Catholic Church on January 7, 2015
On the fifth day of Christmas, the Vatican seemingly gave a gift to Catholic women across the world.
“No, it wasn’t five golden rings, but rather, the chance to make a one-minute video for the Pontifical Council for Culture.
“The Pontifical Council for Culture, which is one of the ‘dicasteries’ or departments of the Roman Curia, announced that its February assembly would be dedicated to the theme of ‘Women’s Cultures.’
“The Dicastery invited all Catholic women (or at least those who were paying attention to the Vatican website in the days after Christmas) to upload a brief video response to questions that seem better suited to an adolescent youth group: ‘Who are you?’ and ‘What do you think about your being a woman?’ and ‘What do you think about your strengths, your difficulties, your body, and your spiritual life?’”
By Jamie Manson, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this article.
Curia reform: Congregation of the Laity / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Future of the Church, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on December 5, 2014
The creation of a new Vatican Congregation for the Laity appears to be a likely first step in the reform of the Roman Curia. Many are welcoming this as a recognition that the laity have just as important a role in the church as bishops, clergy and religious, each of which has a congregation dedicated to their concerns.
“Reform of the Curia has been a major item of the agenda of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals.
“Currently, there is a Council for the Laity, but in the Vatican pecking order, councils are ranked below congregations. For example, a cardinal must head the nine Vatican congregations, but the 12 councils can make do with an archbishop. Not only would the laity council be upgraded, it would be merged into a larger entity that could take over the functions of the Council for the Family, the Council for Health Care Workers, and the Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.”
By Thomas Reese, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
The makeup of Synod of Bishops on the Family is disappointing / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Future of the Church, Pope Francis, Vatican on September 10, 2014
The list of those attending the Synod of Bishops on the family is a disappointment to those hoping for reform of the Curia and for those who hope that the laity will be heard at the synod.
“The appointment of 25 curial officials to the synod on the family is a sign that Pope Francis still does not understand what real reform of the Roman Curia requires. It makes me fear that when all is said and done, he may close or merge some offices, rearrange some responsibilities, but not really shake things up.”
By Thomas Reese, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this article.
The Italian Job / Commonweal
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Future of the Church, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on June 6, 2014
Can Pope Francis manage his local opposition as he attempts Church reforms?
A few weeks after Benedict XVI announced his resignation, the political philosopher Giorgio Agamben published a short book called “The Mystery of Evil: Benedict XVI and the End of Times.” In that volume, Agamben calls the pope’s resignation a prophetic moment, and argues that it highlights the crisis of institutional legitimacy … As the cardinals assembled in Rome to elect a new pope, curial reform became the conclave’s watchword. That is Francis’s mandate. It is also one of his greatest challenges. Whether he is able to rouse the church from its institutional coma depends entirely on his ability to manage his opposition …
“According to Bishop Fernández (Víctor Manuel Fernández, rector of the Catholic University of Argentina, whom Franics appointed bishop in May 2013), Francis believes in the participation of the people of God (bishops, priests, and laity) in the church’s decision-making processes. The pope is interested in reforming more than the Curia. That is important, but it won’t solve all the church’s structural problems. The church needs more ‘synodality.’ That is, the church must develop processes through which all Catholics ‘can feel represented and listened to…giving more autonomy to the local churches.’ In this sense, it is time for ‘more listening to the people of God.’
“But listening entails risk. If the pope really does want to allow all Catholics a place at the table, then he’ll have to listen to a lot of people who aren’t especially pleased with his leadership so far.”
By Massimo Faggioli, Commonweal magazine — Click here to read the rest of this article.
Vatican Pendulum Swings from Theater to Substance / The Boston Globe
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Future of the Church, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on April 29, 2014
In Rome the pendulum is swinging from public theater to behind-the-scenes substance this week, as two closed-door meetings tackle two of the most serious challenges facing Pope Francis: Vatican reform and the child sexual abuse scandals.
“Following Sunday’s (Apr. 27) massive canonization ceremony for Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, the pope’s “G8” council of cardinal advisors from around the world is meeting April 28-30 to ponder a reorganization of the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s central administrative bureaucracy.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., The Boston Globe — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Conservative Cardinal Dropped from Key Vatican Post
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on December 17, 2013
Cardinal Raymond Burke Removed from the Congregation of Bishops
Pope Francis’ plan to reform the Roman Curia is primarily a two-pronged approach: changing the bureaucratic structures and changing the members of Vatican agencies. Today (Dec. 16) we saw yet another sign that the new pope wants people in synch with his more pastoral vision of the church, and in particular with his views on what makes a good bishop. U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke has been dropped from the Congregation for Bishops, an office that wields tremendous influence in shaping the world’s hierarchy.” By John Thavis from Vatican City on usanews.com — Click here to read the rest of Thavis’ article.
Council of Cardinals; Pope Interviews; Assisi; Francis the Mystic; and War on Christians / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on October 4, 2013
As veteran Vatican watcher and journalist John L. Allen, Jr., points out, this has been quite a week for news coming from Rome.
I’ve been covering the Vatican for almost 20 years, and aside from the two conclaves during that span, I’d be hard-pressed to recall many weeks with more breaking news than what we experienced the last seven days. After giving a talk for the Cushwa Center at the University of Notre Dame on Monday night, I’ve been in Rome following events. Here’s a tick-tock of what we’ve seen …”
Allen then lists about a dozen news items that show the direction that Pope Francis’ papacy is taking and changes that are being considered in the way Catholic Church is run. He says much more in the article, but if you don’t have time to read it entirely, read the bullet points. They’re worth your time. Click here to go to the article.
Francis: Papal Court is ‘Leprosy of Papacy’ / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on October 1, 2013
Francis and eight cardinals from around the world are holding three days of closed-door meetings to discuss the Vatican’s troubled administration and to map out possible changes in the worldwide church.
“As the talks begin with the cardinals, Italian newspaper ‘La Repubblica’ published a long interview conducted by its atheist editor last week in which the Argentine pope spoke frankly about the problems facing the Vatican administration, known as the Curia.
“He reportedly said too many previous popes in the church’s long history had been “narcissists” who let themselves be flattered by “courtier” aides in the Curia instead of concentrating on the wider mission of the universal church.
“‘The (papal) court is the leprosy of the papacy,’ Francis is reported to have said.'” By Thomas C. Fox, National Catholic Reporter
Read the rest of the story by clicking here.
Pope Francis Appoints Advisory Commission on the Curia
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on April 13, 2013
Pope Francis has appointed a group of nine cardinals to advise him on church government, as announced today in the following from the Vatican Information Service:
POPE FRANCIS APPOINTS GROUP OF CARDINALS TO ADVISE HIM ON CHURCH GOVERNMENT AND REVISION PLAN OF APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION ON ROMAN CURIA
Vatican City, 13 April 2013 (VIS) – Following is the full text of a communique issued today by the Secretariat of State.
“The Holy Father Francis, taking up a suggestion that emerged during the General Congregations preceding the Conclave, has established a group of cardinals to advise him in the government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, ‘Pastor Bonus’.
The group consists of:
Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State;
Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, archbishop emeritus of Santiago de Chile, Chile;
Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, India;
Cardinal Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich and Freising, Germany;
Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo;
Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley O.F.M., archbishop of Boston, USA;
Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney, Australia;
Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, S.D.B., archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in the role of coordinator; and
Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, Italy, in the role of secretary.
The group’s first meeting has been scheduled for 1-3 October 2013. His Holiness is, however, currently in contact with the aforementioned cardinals.”
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
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