From Paolo Rodari’s Palazzo Apostolico comes this analysis of the CDW, Archbishop Ranjith situation, about which so many rumors are going around.
As you know, there are those who say that Archbishop Ranjith, a favorite of WDTPRS, may be moved to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Also, Cardinal Arinze will be 76 soon. It is rumored that Cardinal Canizares LLovera might be moved from Toledo to the Prefect’s spot.
It will be hard to change them both Ranjith and Arinze in a short time for reasons of continuity. One will have to stay for a while after the other is moved. Which ever one is moved first, the other will be the one who stays a bit longer.
Here is part of the piece by Rodari:
Benedict XVI put Ranjith in the place of Domenico Sorrentino, who was promoted as Bishop of Assisi, and whose ideas were probably, liturgically speaking, not consonant with those of the Pontiff. In fact, the Pope asked Ranjith one thing above all: to help with the implementation and understanding of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum dedicated to the Mass in Latin according to the old rite. But then something changed. Ranjith, in effect, set himself several times again the so-called "rebellion" of some world episcopates which were resisting to implement in their own dioceses a correct application of the Motu Proprio. But there are those who sustain that this continual denunciation was forwarded with too much emphases, so much so that it seemed that, behind the promuglation of Summorum Pontificum, there was a desire to discredit what followed the old rite: the post-Conciliar liturgical reform and therefore the Novus Ordo. From this, still according to some, the distancing of Ranjith, which could in some way be a life-line for those who, in the Church, don’t love the Motu Proprio and the consequent return of the old rite. But, in reality, it seems that things are still in another path. Benedict XVI is very worried about the lot of Christians in Asia and in particular in south east Asia. Sri Lanka, like India, is a theater of violence forwarded by Buddhist traditionalists against Christians guilty of ruining the "millennial harmony of the country". Sending Ranjith to a prestigious diocese such as Colombo, which would guarantee him a Cardinal’s hat, is a way of responding to this offensive. Concerning the liturgy and the old Mass in Latin, now derestricted – for the Pope the rite is only one rite celebrated but in two uses, old and new – someone else will have to take care of it.
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It sure would be nice to get Abp. Ranjith a red hat.
Wholly,
I’m not sure being abp of Columbo will do that though, as the recent historical past would argue against that. That Columbo is called a “prestigious” diocese is a stretch.
Has there been any chatter about Abp. Ranjith moving over to Ecclesia Dei? Is nobody talking about the retirement of the current president?
I find it interesting that there has been little chatter about who the new secretary of CDW will be. Have there been any rumors to this effect?
Vincent: Very scary topic.
“Domenico Sorrentino, who was promoted as Bishop of Assisi, and whose ideas were probably, liturgically speaking, not consonant with those of the Pontiff”
This is what confuses me the most about the decisions coming from the Vatican. Why promote someone who does not share the same viewpoint? While it removes such men from Rome, they are now controlling a diocese and are in charge of thousands of souls and they oversee how the liturgy in their diocese– this is equally dangerous to me.
IMHO, let’s let leave all this decision to our venerable Holy Father. I’m very sure he has a marshall plan for the Church and the least we could do as the faithfull is to pray for him. And pray for him, we must.
If Abp. Ranjith is indeed heading back to help his native country, Godspeed. I think Bishop Athanasius Schneider (Aux. in Kazakhztan) would be a worthy successor as CDW secretary. He’s a holy man and attune to the vision of the Holy Father.
We’ll see the Holy Father’s cards when he chooses to play them. :)
“Sri Lanka, like India, is a theater of violence forwarded by Buddhist traditionalists…”
That doesn’t sound at all traditionally Bhuddist to me.
I agree Alan.
The main problem in Sri Lanka are ethnic tensions between Tamils and Sinhalese.
The make-up of these ethnic groups is not defined on religious lines. There are Buddhists (who are the majority) and Catholics in both groups.
Archbishop Ranjith is a highly respected person among Catholics in Sri Lanka whatever their ethnicity, (he was on television there during the recent liturgical conference for Asia) and by being given the see of Colombo, can use his position to facilitate unity towards people who so often are fighting each other.
We tend in this blog, to be so concerned about liturgical questions (which are very important!) that we can’t see there may be other factors at play here.
In the comfortable West, we often forget about the conditions our brothers and sisters in the Third World are forced to endure, like ethnic tensions. They have as much right as any to have a highly capable person like Archbishop Ranjith administer their spiritual affairs.
While I agree Benedict’s liturgical plan will suffer if Ranjith is removed from the Vatican again like he was in 2004 to be a papal nuncio, I would be delighted for the people of Sri Lanka. (I have a good friend of mine here in Australia whose mother is actually Ranjith’s first cousin. She is not well and John has gone to visit her there. Keep Mary Sybil in your prayers!)
Has anyone thought, perhaps Archbishop Ranjith might be happier there too, to be back among his own people?