Curious Curial Moves, including Pont. Comm. “Ecclesia Dei” and Cong. Divine Worship

Interesting news.

American Archbishop Augustine DiNoia, O.P., is moving from the Congregation for Divine Worship to be the Vice President of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei“.

I am not sure where the present Secretary Msgr. Pozzo is going… or if he is staying.  He could stay, as well, for the sake of continuity. It could be that he will be moved up somewhere else.  There is a lot of voltage at the bottom of the ticket, to use American political terms.

My take on this move of Archbp. DiNoia to the PCED is that the rapprochement between the Holy See and the SSPX is going to take place.

Archbp. DiNoia worked for a long time in the CDF. He knows his way around over there. The Commission, already part of the CDF, needed to be beefed up so that it will be better able stand the impact should some bishop out there try to run them over.

In other news, Bishop Arthur Roche, head of ICEL, has been named Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship.  He remains for the nonce Administrator in Leeds. I don’t know what this means.  The cynical part of my id tells me that, since there are quite a few sees in Blighty opening up in the near future, this might be part of a larger plan to adjust the balance in the episcopate of the region.

The Secretary of the Congregation for Religious Archbp. Jean-Louis Bruguès, O.P. is moving to be Holy See’s Librarian, which will bring a red hat. Now that that position is open, I suspect that the Salesian Bp. Enrico Dal Colovo, Rettore Magnifico of on of my old schools the Pontifical Lateran University, will be moved by the Salesian Secretary of State Card. Bertone to the Secretary position at Religious.

And to think that this is Supreme Court Week in the USA!

What’s next, the new Prefect of the CDF? That would be the next step.

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32 Comments

  1. Timbones says:

    Rorate Caeli is reporting that Williamson has been removed by Fellay, AND that Fellay is preparing to REJECT Rome’s latest offer: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2012/06/for-record-confidentiality-like-water.html?m=1&fb_source=message

  2. dans0622 says:

    I didn’t know there was a “Vice President” position at Ecclesia Dei. At their “profile” page, it lists Archb. DiNoia and his position but in describing the Commission, it only mentions the President, Secretary and “officials.” My question, then, is who was the Vice President before today? http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/ced_documents/rc_con_cfaith_20090930_ecclesia-dei_en.html

  3. TNCath says:

    DiNoia’s rank as an archbishop will bring more prominence to the PCED. As for the opening at the Congregation for Religious is concerned, I’m wondering if, in light of recent events, there is a growing “Salesian fatigue” in the Curia.

  4. Legisperitus says:

    Following up on Timbones: And the latest from Cardinal Levada is apparently a reversion to substantially the language of last September’s doctrinal preamble, defeating the recent progress toward an agreement.

    As for Bishop Roche, then: promoveatur ut amoveatur?

  5. Andrew says:

    It has been reported in Vatican Insider and other places, that the money on succeeding Cardinal William Levada as Prefect of the CDF, is Bishop Gerhard Mueller of Regensburg, Bavaria.

    Reading his biography on Wikipedia is less than flattering, and I certainly do not like his take on a number of Catholic teachings.

    This is a very important position, and it must go to the right person. My prayer is that just as an American is about to leave this post, another American cardinal in the Vatican might take it. Let us all pray that we get the right person, and the one God wants. If, as reported there are holes in the reconciliaton between Rome and the SSPX, this is a climate of opportunity which might not appear again for some time. That is why the Prefect of the Holy Office has to be better than good.

  6. Legisperitus says:

    Andrew: And certainly better than not good.

  7. chironomo says:

    The language given in the VIS blurb this morning is curious as well:

    “As a respected Dominican theologian, Archbishop Di Noia has devoted much attention to these doctrinal issues, as well as to the priority of the hermeneutic of continuity and reform in the right interpretation of Vatican Council II – a critically important area in the dialogue between the Holy See and the Priestly Fraternity.

    It sounds as though he is being brought in to do some heavy lifting maybe? I’m also intrigued that the HOC is being referred to as a priority now…

  8. Tim Ferguson says:

    there has not, up-to-now, been a Vice President for Ecclesia Dei, so this is a substantial announcement. It raises the stature of the Commission.

    I’m starting a rumor that a certain Finigan will be going to Leeds…

  9. Timbones says:

    Legisperitus, Roche has been anything but friendly to Summorum Pontificum. Is there hope for a reform of the reform with him in Rome?
    http://college-ethics.blogspot.com/2008/08/bishop-to-close-latin-mass-parish.html

  10. Pastor Bonus says:

    On Arthur Roche; All I can think of is that he was head of ICEL at a time when they had to work closely with the Holy See over the new translation and became a good spokesman for it, given that it was highly controversial. Interestingly Roch’s name had been banded about as the most likely successor to Kelly in Liverpoool, Britains largest diocese, and if so it would appear he is now out of the running for that position, step up Bishop Mark Davies?

  11. Dominicanes says:

    Those who know Archbishop DiNoia, those who have been his students, will tell you that he will bring amazing theological thought, charity and clarity to the Ecclesia Dei. It is a surprising appointment but well, nothing is surprising anymore!

  12. Imrahil says:

    All things being as they may, the Bishop in Regensburg has been, in Regensburg, appeared as a stalwart defender of Catholic orthodoxy, was willing to be the “bad guy” against We-are-Church and such-like groups, enthroned the pastor as chairman of the Pastoral Council with reducing the first layman to an office duly called speaker (a measure called by the Central Committee of Catholics a “massive breach of law”, but the Apostolic Signature [or was it the Congregation for Clerics] was of different opinion and sent praises), and preaches in a now-rare way that lets one think of the Ecclesia militans. I have no insight but as to what I do see, the Diocese of Regensburg is among the most flourishingly Catholic dioceses in Germany. It may seem strange that this is so about a promovend of Cardinal Lehmann (by which I mean no invective against the Cardinal, holding myself back from giving an opinion about him), but it is still so.

    In the meantime, there’s no point in denying that describing stand of the Bishop of Regensburg towards the SSPX as “unfriendly” is friendly.

  13. irishgirl says:

    @ Timbones: Oh, I hope that is not the case! What a tragedy it would be if Bishop Fellay rejected Rome’s latest offer of reconciliation! I would be glad if he removed Bishop Williamson, though; that guy is a loose cannon.
    Wow, sure looks like there are some big changes ahead in the Curia. Time will tell how they will turn out….

  14. Pingback: Opus Dei St. Josemaria Escriva Maccabees SSPX Same-Sex Attraction | Big Pulpit

  15. Supertradmum says:

    I have no knowledge of Vatican politics, but there seems to be a large leadership crisis. Great Britain has several empty or soon to be empty bishoprics, (although some of the priests have said sub rosa, “and a good thing, too”), while there seems to be a lack of brilliance in the Vatican, except for one, I can think of from the States.

    It would be nice to see some younger, conservative, even traditional types in Ecclesia Dei and in the CDW. But, where these men are, I do not know. I can think of two in the States who worked in Rome for awhile….but, what criteria causes one to be chosen?

  16. Geoffrey says:

    Meanwhile, Andrea Tornielli is reporting that Fellay will not accept the revised doctrinal preamble…

    http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/the-vatican/detail/articolo/lefebvriani-lefebvrians-lefebvrianos-16311/

  17. asperges says:

    I concur that Bp Roche is no friend to the Extraordinary Form or that he is particularly traditional. Can’t see how he could be considered for Liverpool and keep the new appointment, but I can’t imagine he was much in the running anyway.

    Bp Davies on the other hand would be a vast improvement all round. There are few bishops in England and Wales who make much of an impression, alas.

  18. AnnAsher says:

    It sounds fortuitous to me in light of all things – SSPX, the continuing implementation (and enforcement) of the New Corrected NOM, the women religious issue in the US) that the CDW Bishop moves to PCED and the ICEL Bishop goes to the CDW. It seems a logical means also to continue the work begun with them at their former assignments.
    Now if they move the Great Cardinal Burke – to where does he go?

  19. William Tighe says:

    As I wrote to a friend yesterday, FWIW:

    “The trads” don’t much like Müller because he has been indifferent at best to the EF Mass, but I like him a lot, not least because he is an outspoken and dogmatic opponent of WO, and he believes that the “ordination” of women to “the diaconate” is as much an impossibility as to the presbyterate and episcopate, cf. his book (2002):

    http://www.amazon.com/Priesthood-Diaconate-Recipient-Perspective-Christology/dp/0898708923/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340632655&sr=1-1&keywords=muller+priesthood+and+diaconate

    Phyllis Zagano will have a fit; another reason to support his appointment.

  20. jhayes says:

    I am not sure where the present Secretary Msgr. Pozzo is going… or if he is staying.

    CNS says he is staying

    U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada remains president of the commission and Msgr. Guido Pozzo continues as the commission’s secretary.

  21. jhayes says:

    LInk for last post: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1202720.htm

    Also from the same link:

    Archbishop Di Noia told Catholic News Service June 26 the Vatican needed to help people who have strong objections to the council see “that these disagreements don’t have to be dividing or keep us from the same Communion table.”

    “It is possible to have theological disagreements while remaining in communion with the see of Peter,” he said.

    “Part of what we’re saying is that when you read the documents (of Vatican II), you can’t read them from the point of view of some liberal bishops who may have been participants (at the council), you have to read them at face value,” Archbishop Di Noia told CNS. “Given that the Holy Spirit is guiding the church, the documents cannot be in discontinuity with tradition….”

    In a June 25 letter to SSPX bishops and priests published on the Internet, the society’s secretary general, Father Christian Thouvenot, wrote that Bishop Fellay considered the Vatican’s latest version of the preamble to be “clearly unacceptable.”

    Archbishop Di Noia said his task will be to help resolve the impasse over the terms of an agreement.

    “The theological dialogue has gone on for three years but now (the pope) is hoping to find the language or the modality for a reconciliation,” Archbishop Di Noia told CNS. “We’re at the stage of finessing, to help them find a formula which respects their own theological integrity.”

    “It seems to everyone that (a reconciliation) is close, but now it needs a kind of push,” he said.

  22. Fr. Augustine Thompson O.P. says:

    Very interesting, indeed. I will offer to my episcopal Dominican brother of the Eastern Province free tuition to enroll in my Dominican Rite Practicum class to be taught this spring (as it regularly is) at Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, the studentate of the Western Dominican Province. Auguri, fratello mio!

  23. robtbrown says:

    The move of DiNoia is to get some theological horsepower in the latest negotiations–Morerod is now the ordinary in Fribourg. And DiNoia is also an archbishop. BXVI needs someone he can trust between himself and Bp Fellay. There are still forces in the Vatican who are trying to torpedo the SSPX reunion with Rome.

    It wouldn’t surprise me if Abp DiNoia succeeds Cardinal Levada.

  24. robtbrown says:

    Fr. Augustine Thompson O.P. says:

    Very interesting, indeed. I will offer to my episcopal Dominican brother of the Eastern Province free tuition to enroll in my Dominican Rite Practicum class to be taught this spring

    Does that include carte blanche with Dreyer’s Ice Cream?

  25. robtbrown says:

    NB: I just received an email from Germany saying that the Abp DiNoia appointment is to counteract Msgr Pozzo.

  26. Chatto says:

    As expected, there’s been a bit of Roche bashing on here. As for me, I’m sorry to see him go. He’s genuinely beloved of us youthful types in the diocese, and he got the biggest cheer besides the Pope for His Holiness’ visit to England last year.

    Regarding his view on Summorum, it seems his handling of the situation at Allerton Bywater was poor, but I wouldn’t take this one incident, as much pain as it caused those involved, to mean that he’s some sort of ‘enemy of tradition’. As a matter of fact, he’ll be in choir for a Solemn Pontifical Mass (EF) this Saturday at Immaculate Heart church in Leeds, celebrated by a visiting bishop, and served (somewhat nervously) by me! Likewise, the chaplains to both Leeds and Bradford universities are learning the Extraordinary. None of that smacks of the diocese being a ‘hostile environment’ to tradition, does it?

  27. acardnal says:

    Interestingly, Vice President of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei“ is a newly created position.

  28. Ambrose Jnr says:

    Is there any serious possibility of Cardinal Burke becoming the new CDF head? With all these moves in the curia,
    how come Cardinal Ranjith does not seem to fit in the plans yet?

  29. Ambrose Jnr says:

    In fairness, I think we should give Bishop Mueller the benefit of the doubt if he becomes CDF head…our Pope has known him for ages and Mueller seems to be forceful, which may be a good thing in the war on all spirit of Vatican II heretics, who have and continue to wreck Mother Church…

    Maybe traditionalist would be appeased if Cardinal Burke became the new Secretary of State, together with Di Noia as Vice-President of Ecclesia Dei…personally, I think Charles Chaput would be the best possible Secretary of State, since Msgr Chaput has amazing media skills, beside his many other talents…

  30. robtbrown says:

    Ambrose Jnr says:

    Is there any serious possibility of Cardinal Burke becoming the new CDF head? With all these moves in the curia,

    I doubt it.

    how come Cardinal Ranjith does not seem to fit in the plans yet?

    He didn’t like working in the Vatican.

  31. robtbrown says:

    acardnal says:

    Interestingly, Vice President of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei“ is a newly created position.

    Originally, the Prez was a Cardinal, then BXVI put the Commission under Cardinal Levada, who is its Prez. It seems to me that the pope realized that a) Levada doesn’t have the wherewithal to pull this off, b) the Commission needs a certain independence from the SCDF (nb: an archbishop), and a theologian running it.

  32. I can always dram of a promotion for Bp Schneider…

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