New Prefect of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments

Pope Francis has appointed Robert Card. Sarah, 69, as the new Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments.

Hitherto, Card. Sarah, from Guinea, has been the head of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”.

Not long ago, I posted here about Card. Sarah’s remarks concerning the poor.

Cardinal Sarah, citing Benedict XVI, told CNA that “charity is very linked with the proclamation of the Gospel, and doing charity is not only giving food, giving material things, but giving God too. Because the main lack of man is not having God.

Also, he seems to have seen through the machinations of a certain element active during the recent Synod of Bishops on the family regarding homosexuality.

Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, emphasized to CNA Oct. 16 that “what has been published by the media about homosexual unions is an attempt to push the Church (to change) her doctrine.”

“The Church has never judged homosexual persons, but homosexual behavior and homosexual unions are grave deviations of sexuality,” the cardinal, who is from the west African nation of Guinea, added.

Card. Sarah wasn’t happy about the manipulation of the Synod.  HERE

I think it was precisely this sort of input from Africans that Card. Kasper feared during the Synod.

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65 Comments

  1. He sounds like a good egg – and by all accounts sympathetic to the Latin Mass.

  2. Jim of Bowie says:

    Thanks be to God. Many were predicting Pietro Marini.

  3. mamajen says:

    Is this the position that the “wrong Marini” was rumored (in some quarters) to be getting? Hehehe. People think they have Pope Francis pegged, and they just don’t.

    This sounds like a very good choice.

  4. CradleRevert says:

    Given some of the rumors that were floating around about this appointment, this was some great news to wake up to this morning. *whew*

  5. JenniO says:

    I was worried about this. What a relief! We dodged a bullet.

  6. Elizabeth D says:

    Fairly brilliant choice.

  7. Traductora says:

    Sounds positive! According to one account, he had a meeting with representatives of one or several Old Rite groups in October, so at least he’s willing to talk about the matter.

  8. cpttom says:

    Wow! I think prayers of thanksgiving are in order! Considering the alternatives in rumor (P. Marini). Maybe this will slow down or stop the resurging hippy / Progressive forces. The Holy Spirit moves in wonderous ways.

  9. TNCath says:

    Hmmmm. Sounds like Pope Francis might be playing a balancing act with this appointment. Perhaps he took the advice of his Master of Ceremonies, Msgr. Marini, who seems to be trying to hold the line as best he can as far as papal ceremonies are concerned. One thing I did notice watching the Mass for Christ the King in St. Peter’s Square yesterday: priests giving Holy Communion are now concelebrating in albs and stoles rather than in attendance in cassocks and surplices. The priests looked sloppy. I hope perhaps the new Prefect is able to tighten things up a bit.

  10. govmatt says:

    This is clearly a savvy move on the part of Pope Francis. It demonstrates that he may be open to suggestions on putting the right people in the right positions.

    I wonder if this decision had been made before the Synod (and, consequently, emboldened the Cardinal to speak up) or was a result of the Synod (Pope Francis: I like that guy’s willingness to speak out and speak up, he’d be a good voice at the head of a dicastry ). Either way, it seems that he will resist “innovation” (but, does this translate into ratcheting back nonsense? Time will tell).

    The appointment certainly raises the papability of Cardinal Sarah (a fact clearly not lost on Francis).

  11. alanphipps says:

    Sounds like a good choice. Friends don’t let friends rely on gossip blogs.

  12. SimonDodd says:

    What do we know of his eminence’s liturgical views?

  13. FranzJosf says:

    Some random observations:

    1. Now that he no longer heads Cor Unum . . .
    a. Caritas International no longer has to answer to him. The were some problems with them under Benedict XVI.
    b. He insisted on evangelism along with the other charitable works of Cor Unum. Didn’t Pope Francis say that conversion wasn’t the goal in certain charitable situations?

    2. He spoke at the recent Summorum Pontificum event in Rome. I wonder what he had to say?

    3. African presence in the highest reaches of the Curia, especially after Cardinal Kaspar’s remarks.

    4. Don’t you suppose that the Holy Father has discussed with him some priorities, expects him to be a team player, and has, in turn, listened to Card. Sarah’s concerns? Only time will reveal the direction of the CDW under his leadership.

    5. I never thought he’d appoint the ‘wrong Marini’; he has better manners than that.

  14. Riddley says:

    Very good stuff!

    The question of who was going to fill this role next has been bubbling away uncomfortably at the back of my mind, so it’s a great relief to read that the liturgy is in sound hands.

    Am I right in thinking that he gave an address to the Summorum Pontificum pilgrims? That can only be a good sign (assuming his address wasn’t “I don’t like you, go away”).

  15. marcelus says:

    mamajen says:
    24 November 2014 at 8:01 am
    Is this the position that the “wrong Marini” was rumored (in some quarters) to be getting? Hehehe. People think they have Pope Francis pegged, and they just don’t.

    This sounds like a very good choice.

    Well it seems that PF, the scarecrow of trads, has been saying and doing a lot lately more openly:

    In the last 3 weeks he has:

    1:Definately blasted euthanasia and abortion, for those in doubt, few I hope

    2:Chose a bishop (officaly) to speak on his belhaf at the Family and communion for divorced (just days ago) and asked him to base his lecture on the work of the Pope of the Family as he called him St JP2. this bishop definately closed the door on adultery and any other options. Speaking FOR the Pope.

    3:Spoke at this same conference on family and the complementarity of man and woman in marriage,

    4. A few days ago, also speaking somewhere,he blasted all modern versions of family, saying as I recall: family today in under attack or siege, and what is being proposed today or painted as , is not a family.,

    5.Appointing Crld Sarah.

    Those just may be clever moves in order to set his position clear, reallyclear, for the world.

    A different seto statements at different times. either from him of someboby he officially appointed.

    Leaving aside the charisma and all, I’m glad

  16. Kathleen10 says:

    Sounds like a good man was put in this position and that is wonderful news.
    But, this is what would be expected. There are going to be a few such “bones” thrown our way. The criticisms have surely been duly noted. The pressure is on to create an image of balance, so appointments like this really have to be made. It really seems that keeping people off-balance is part of the idea. “What is he up to now?” or “What could he mean by that?”. I find the whole thing nothing but annoying, unnecessary, and unfair to do to the flock, who are just trying to survive this world and make it to the next, intact. God help us.

  17. CharlesG says:

    It’s a relief to have some good news out of Rome for a change these days. I hope this means the Liturgiam authenticam faithful liturgical translations policy won’t be radically reversed. Not completely out of the woods on liturgical issues yet, however, as the new secretary of CDW is a bad Marini protege, and there is the spectre of devolution of liturgical innovation to the bishops’ conferences. Hopefully at least the liturgical status quo can be maintained, without a return to radical 1970s style endless liturgical innovations, and with maintenance of Summorum Pontificum, the coexistence and mutual enrichment of OF and EF and improvement of liturgical music on the ground.

  18. CharlesG says:

    It’s a relief to have some good news out of Rome for a change these days. I hope this means the Liturgiam authenticam faithful liturgical translations policy won’t be radically reversed. Not completely out of the woods on liturgical issues yet, however, as the new secretary of CDW is a bad Marini protege, and there is the spectre of devolution of liturgical innovation to the bishops’ conferences. Hopefully at least the liturgical status quo can be maintained, without a return to radical 1970s style endless liturgical innovations, and with maintenance of Summorum Pontificum, the coexistence and mutual enrichment of OF and EF and improvement of liturgical music on the ground.

  19. CharlesG says:

    It’s a relief to have some good news out of Rome for a change these days. I hope this means the Liturgiam authenticam faithful liturgical translations policy won’t be radically reversed. Not completely out of the woods on liturgical issues yet, however, as the new secretary of CDW is a bad Marini protege, and there is the spectre of devolution of liturgical innovation to the bishops’ conferences. Hopefully at least the liturgical status quo can be maintained, without a return to radical 1970s style endless liturgical innovations, and with maintenance of Summorum Pontificum, the coexistence and mutual enrichment of OF and EF and improvement of liturgical music on the ground.

  20. CharlesG says:

    Sorry for the triple post.

  21. JesusFreak84 says:

    But this Cardinal will force a Eurocentric view of Liturgy—oh wait… ^_~ =-p Precisely the “sort” of African that Cardinal Kasper fears :D

  22. RobS says:

    “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” – St. Pio of Pietrelcina

  23. wolfeken says:

    To those dismissing the Marini possibility, perhaps the voices of the faithful were heard on this one. There was no shortage of opposition to Marini, from laymen and clergy (including high-ranking) alike. Prayer and elbow grease, remember?

  24. Nancy D. says:

    “People think they have Pope Francis pegged, and they don’t.”

    A lack of consistency is a lack of consistency.
    The appointment of Cardinal Sarah is good news as The Catholic Church proclaims that Christ does not discriminate; Christ desires that all persons desire to overcome their disordered inclinations and become transformed through Salvational Love, God’s Gift of Grace and Mercy.

    The Word of God is consistent.

  25. jfk03 says:

    I don’t perceive Cdl. Sarah’s appointment as a “bone” thrown toward Tradistanis. I agree with RobS and St. Pio: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”

  26. Fr. Thomas Kocik says:

    His Eminence was present at last Friday’s presentation in Rome of the published proceedings (English and Italian) of the Sacra Liturgia 2013 conference. That’s encouraging.

  27. donato2 says:

    What a pleasant surprise.

  28. TomG says:

    I could have sworn that Fr. Z or somebody hereabouts hoped for just this appointment last week!

  29. aviva meriam says:

    Ok. Another Cardinal to place on my list to pray for ….
    Very glad he spoke up and spoke out.

  30. amenamen says:

    So, they wanted a female cardinal?
    And Sarah laughed.

  31. Suburbanbanshee says:

    amenamen – That’s clever and funny!

    Re: Cardinal Sarah, here’s an interesting article in French about his days at home in Guinea. They say he’s from a town near the border of Guinea and Senegal, 15 hours by car from the nearest city, and his people are a little ethnic group called “coniaguis” who fought both the Fulani and the French. He became a priest at the time when Guinea’s native dictator was trying to make himself head of all the churches, and expelled all foreign missionaries. So there were only 9 Catholic priests left. He helped his bishop fight this off, and then he became bishop himself at the age of 34. He’s not known for mincing words against any of Guinea’s dictators. When the country became more democratic, he said that what they needed to get ahead as a people was democracy, rights, and no more corruption. He’s also an experienced guy, since he’s been serving in the Curia since 2001.

  32. sourdough says:

    ““The Church has never judged homosexual persons, but homosexual behavior and homosexual unions are grave deviations of sexuality,” the cardinal, who is from the west African nation of Guinea, added”

    That sounds promising.. penetrating all the clutter on the issue.. that has pemeated the press and politics in the West.

  33. Grateful to be Catholic says:

    A few weeks ago Fr. Z tipped us about a conference on religious and economic freedom sponsored by the Acton Institute at Catholic University. I went and Card. Sarah was one of the speakers . He is a very serious man, well-informed about the American experiment. In October in Rome he stepped in when Card. Pell was ill and celebrated the TLM for the meeting of Una Voce.

    Maybe this is just a bone, but it is a meaty and juicy one. We will have to see how he handles the CDW secretary (apparently a disciple of Bugnini and P. Marini), already appointed. That’s what is is worrying Fr. Hunwicke:
    “I know that the position of Cardinal Prefect is technically a promotion, but I wonder if, just conceivably, the Holy Father does not necessarily see it as much of a promotion in this case. This Pope is not someone fascinated by ‘Liturgy as a subject’. Readers with Anglican Previous will remember the (true) story about ‘Gloomy’ Dean Inge, of S Paul’s, who, being asked at a dinner party whether he was interested in Liturgy, replied “No, neither do I collect postage stamps”. Has Cardinal Sarah, in effect, been put in a position where he can do neither harm nor good, and where his Secretary, who has been there just long enough to get his feet under the table, sets the tone? ” http://liturgicalnotes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/cdw.html

  34. Grateful to be Catholic says:

    One more thing: the Pope might not think that liturgy is important and so considers this appointment to be a throwaway where Card. Sarah can do no harm, but that should not concern us. Many of us know differently and should be smiling.

  35. Rich says:

    THANKS. BE. TO. GOD.

  36. mysticalrose says:

    Can somebody pinch me? Because I must be dreaming!

  37. cathgrl says:

    Not to throw a wet blanket on things, but wasn’t Bugnini secretary under “good” cardinals in his time, but the pope didn’t listen to the cardinals, but to Bugnini instead? Is my recollection faulty on this?

  38. RobS says:

    Glad you caught my meaning, jfk03, and I agree that this is not a token appointment.

    My perspective is that Papa F. has his focus other than on the liturgy — which he celebrates ably nonetheless — and is happy to hand off responsibility for that to someone with deeper knowledge/passion for it.

    I’m not happy to see Geisinger headed to Rome, nor do I endorse Archbishop Cupich starting out his reign to the strains of the non-hymn “All Are Welcome,” but the Pope is a good man who is emphasizing what he sees as the healing a broken world needs.

  39. St. Rafael says:

    People think they have Pope Francis pegged, and they just don’t.

    Actually the more we learn of Francis, the more this kind of appointment should not be surprising. Francis is the ultimate politician. Here’s a good article on the mind of Bergoglio from an Argentine source:

    Argentinian: “If You Try to Understand Francis, You Will Lose Your Reason”
    http://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/fetzen-fliegen/item/1290-argentinian-if-you-try-to-understand-francis-you-will-lose-your-reason

    “Bergoglio wants to be loved by everyone and please everyone. In this sense one day he will talk on TV against abortion and the next day he will bless the pro abortionist in the Plaza de Mayo; he could give a marvelous talk against the Masons (Masonic Order) and, an hour later, eat and drink with them at the Rotary Club…….this is the Cardinal Bergoglio whom I know close up…”

  40. frjim4321 says:

    ““The Church has never judged homosexual persons, but homosexual behavior and homosexual unions are grave deviations of sexuality,” the cardinal, who is from the west African nation of Guinea, added”

    Good that he’s not buying into the sloppy, dehumanizing, demeaning “SSA” (sic) nomenclature.

  41. Edprocoat says:

    I see here the idea that this may be just a bone and the value of said bone, to me it sounds like Pope Francis is just trying to please everybody ….

  42. Allan S. says:

    I have a home-made Holy Card of Cardinal Sarah, with his Episcopal Coat of Arms on the reverse side of his photo. I have prayed ofeten for him to become Pope. His motto – Your Grace is Sufficient for Me” [in Latin of course] strikes me as a mandatory guidance for Popes.

    As for trying to read deeply into the appointment, if such a thing is possible, I would guess it’s some combination of clean-up from Kasper’s mess (imagine the never ending uproar if Burke had said that!) and that the liberal wing of the Church doesn’t give two figs about liturgy, so for them this is an unimportant position. Of course, they’re wrong and I also hope for good things from the Cardinal.

  43. tcreek says:

    Following in the footsteps of Cardinal Arinze in that position, Hopefully.

  44. Traductora says:

    I’m also worried about the bad Marini’s close friend being the secretary. He was appointed a couple of months ago, so he’s had time to work his magic.

    I hope Cdl Sarah is able to stand up to the attacks and undermining that will no doubt occur. He seems very good, and I hope some of the theories up thread – which was that he was appointed here to get him out of the way – are just that, theories not based on any real information but just on suspicions. Definitely time to start praying for Cdl Sarah, because I think like his mentor, BXVI, he will be pursued by the “wolves.”

  45. robtbrown says:

    1. I am told that Cardinal Sarah two years ago did the ordinations of the Communaute’ Saint Martin, a Latin but not exclusively TLM community.

    This is a much better appointment than was Cardinal Cañizares,

    2. It is not the CDW Secretary (Abp Roche) who is a Bugnini/Marini disciple but rather the Undersecretary, Fr Corrado Maggioni.

    3. The relationship between Prefect and Secretary is not always the same. With a weak or uninterested Prefect, the Secretary can have a lot of power. A strong, interested Prefect will be the force in the Congregation, no matter who the Secretary is.

  46. Landless Laborer says:

    I fear this might lull the orthodox back to sleep.

  47. Allan S. says:

    Fr. Jim, I always took the ‘Same Sex Attraction Disorder’ language to have been a vehicle to assist, firstly, those who carry this particular type if sinful burden with seeing themselves as people first, separate from their condition; and, second, as a means to more easily lay the groundwork for the persons-as-distinct-from-behaviour paradigm [in opposition to the broadly accepted reasoning that any rejection of homosexual activity is a de facto rejection of homosexual persons].

    Both of these reasons seem appropriate to me. May I ask what you find objectionable about the language? Especially if it actually helps our brothers and sisters so afflicted?

  48. Mike says:

    Landless Laborer says: I fear this might lull the orthodox back to sleep.

    We should be consoled but not lulled, though the Evil One and his minions would be happy for us to relax our stand for whatever reason. One need only attend a few random Novus Ordo Masses, or peruse a self-styled “mainstream” publication such as Crux, to perceive that enough damage is still being inflicted by the damnable, specious “Spirit of Vatican II” inside the Church that even the appointment of a faithful prelate such as Cardinal Sarah should give no cause for complacency. Every faithful Catholic must be prepared to continue to defend, to transmit, and to suffer for the timeless Truth.

  49. Traductora says:

    robtBrown, yes, I agree – this is going to depend on Cdl Sarah’s being interested in and committed to the matter. Thank you for pointing out that Corrado Magioni is only a subsecretary (although apparently the secretary is sort of inactive). Posters on some of the things that I read are concerned about him because he is, in addition to being a friend of the bad Marini, a close friend of the current Pope.

  50. Andrew says:

    By all accounts, a wonderful choice. And a refutation for the appalling scuttlebutt that takes place on traditionalist blogs. I don’t know how much at different times, I heard the dreaded Archbishop Piero Marini was to get the post. Thank you Fr Z, for not going down the path of so many of these other ones, who seem to delight in all this intrigue.

    Thank you very much suburban banshee, for your wonderful take on Cardinal Sarah’s background, in Guinea. We would never have known those things except for you taking the trouble to recount the French article. It reminds me somewhat of Cardinal Arinze (ironically a previous holder of the prefecture of the CDW and an African to boot!) when he was archbishop of Ontisha in Nigeria and for two years was on the run, when the country was experiencing a brutal civil war, in the late 60’s. I am far more interested in learning facts about a person (particularly if they are of a heroic nature) than people’s opinions. Contrary to what Cardinal Kasper thinks, I relish the participation of more Africans at the highest levels of the Church, because so often they have experienced things that we Westerners only have at the most, a television grasp of.

    A question. When Cardinal Burke recently celebrated a traditional Mass in Rome in Santissima dei Pellegrini (during the SP conference) , Cardinal Pell and Cardinal Sarah were going to attend, but both pulled out at the last minute. I know that Pell was suffering from a bout of bronchitis, which may have been consequence of all the Synod drama. What was Cardinal Sarah’s reason?

    Also, I am a bit disappointed to hear he is friendly in the Acton Institute crowd, as I am a distributist in the manner of G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc. To me this philosophy is far more illustrative of the Church’s social teaching, then being so enamoured with Western capitalism.

    I am so happy to hear of Cardinal Sarah’s appointment and pray he will do a lot of good here.

  51. Andrew says:

    By all accounts, a wonderful choice. And a refutation for the appalling scuttlebutt that takes place on traditionalist blogs. I don’t know how much at different times, I heard the dreaded Archbishop Piero Marini was to get the post. Thank you Fr Z, for not going down the path of so many of these other ones, who seem to delight in all this intrigue.

    Thank you very much suburban banshee, for your wonderful take on Cardinal Sarah’s background, in Guinea. We would never have known those things except for you taking the trouble to recount the French article. It reminds me somewhat of Cardinal Arinze (ironically a previous holder of the prefecture of the CDW and an African to boot!) when he was archbishop of Ontisha in Nigeria and for two years was on the run, when the country was experiencing a brutal civil war, in the late 60’s. I am far more interested in learning facts about a person (particularly if they are of a heroic nature) than idle speculation. Contrary to what Cardinal Kasper thinks, I relish the participation of more Africans at the highest levels of the Church, because so often they have experienced things that we Westerners only have at the most, a television grasp of.

    A question. When Cardinal Burke recently celebrated a traditional Mass in Rome in Santissima dei Pellegrini (during the SP conference) , Cardinal Pell and Cardinal Sarah were going to attend, but both pulled out at the last minute. I know that Pell was suffering from a bout of bronchitis, which may have been consequence of all the Synod drama. What was Cardinal Sarah’s reason?

    Also, I am a bit disappointed to hear he is friendly in the Acton Institute crowd, as I am a distributist in the manner of G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc. To me this philosophy is far more illustrative of the Church’s social teaching, then being so enamoured with Western capitalism.

    I am so happy to hear of Cardinal Sarah’s appointment and pray he will do a lot of good here.

  52. helgothjb says:

    As always, Pope Francis picks those who are in love with the Lord and bringing others to him. He couldn’t care less about all this pretty in fighting that happens amongst the liturgical police. He loves beautiful liturgy because it is an expression of beautiful hearts in love with the Lord. The reason so many don’t “get” him is that they think Catholicism is an intellectual or a social idea. Pope Francis knows its about discipleship and so her has chosen a disciple!

  53. Kathleen10 says:

    Are “incompatible” appointments typical, I wonder. For the sake of efficiency, isn’t it far better to have like-minded people when assigning anyone to posts? Maybe the church operates in a different manner than the world, but, it seems a recipe for friction to have opposing viewpoints, unless they differ on minor points.
    I can’t think of anything more fraught with peril than being appointed to something and having the secretary be “besties” with the boss, especially if those two are coming from the same camp. God bless and help the good Cardinal. Maybe I worry too much.

  54. marcelus says:

    Traductora says:
    24 November 2014 at 4:34 pm
    I’m also worried about the bad Marini’s close friend being the secretary. He was appointed a couple of months ago, so he’s had time to work his magic.

    I hope Cdl Sarah is able to stand up to the attacks and undermining that will no doubt occur. He seems very good, and I hope some of the theories up thread – which was that he was appointed here to get him out of the way – are just that, theories not based on any real information but just on suspicions. Definitely time to start praying for Cdl Sarah, because I think like his mentor, BXVI, he will be pursued by the “wolves

    Mi amiga, me parece que no hay nada que le venga bien a ud.!

    Alllll this just to have a secretary chew the good Cardinal up?

    Not realistic I’m afraid.

    St. Rafael says:
    24 November 2014 at 3:32 pm
    People think they have Pope Francis pegged, and they just don’t.

    Actually the more we learn of Francis, the more this kind of appointment should not be surprising. Francis is the ultimate politician. Here’s a good article on the mind of Bergoglio from an Argentine source:
    “Bergoglio wants to be loved by everyone and please everyone. In this sense one day he will talk on TV against abortion and the next day he will bless the pro abortionist in the Plaza de Mayo; he could give a marvelous talk against the Masons (Masonic Order) and, an hour later, eat and drink with them at the Rotary Club…….this is the Cardinal Bergoglio whom I know close up…”

    My fried, two or three thing if I may.

    I’m in Argentina, so, please when looking for sources on Bergoglio stay away, if I may be allowed to suggest , from the remnant & rorate. Itis in a way like asking Der Sturmer for advice on jewdaism. They have little idea about Sout America and not to mention Argentina. Not their fault though, they never thought they would need to look down.

    WHen they proudly mention”here is one argentinian who says Bergoglio is the devil and turns into a werewolf on a full moon…” Well I can tell the are other 39.000.000 argentines , give and take, who will speak quite differently about PF.

    ” In this sense one day he will talk on TV against abortion and the next day he will bless the pro abortionist in the Plaza de Mayo;” You can not seriously believe this.. The things Bergoglio did as a cardinal in order to , like Quijote , make a stand againt the windmills on this issue in Argentina, either they do not know them or left them deliverately out. Summoning pregnant women to the Buenos Aires Cathedral, blessing their wombs and their babies too , those who already had kids, and all of this after making sure the TV cameras were present as clear defiance of the Kirchner governament, who by the way called him “medieval”. And so many more things escape my memory now,. Stay away from those sites

  55. robtbrown says:

    Traductora

    It is news to me that the Fr Corrado Maggioni is a close friend of the pope. Besides, Jesuits have been trained not to have close friends–esp. of non Jesuits.

    Naming Cardinal Sarah is an interesting move, esp. because Bux et al, whose opinions are close to Sarah’s, were removed from the SCDW. It’s possible that the pope wants differing opinions in that Congregation. It’s also possible that after the Synod he stopped listening to certain people.

  56. Chris Garton-Zavesky says:

    “the liberal wing of the Church doesn’t give two figs about liturgy”

    I’m sorry to be so blunt, but this (above quotation) is utter nonsense. Of course the so-called liberal wing of the Church cares passionately about the liturgy. For this reason, precisely, the so-called liberals spend every waking hour trying to prevent a resurgence of the older form, and are for ever trying to find new ways to make the liturgy “relevant”. Add Latin, except in the tolerated seasons of Advent and Lent, and these people begin to (figuratively) froth at the mouth.

    Fortunately, there are ways of overcoming the programming, as I’m discovering by reading St. Francis de Sales.

  57. SimonDodd says:

    Andrew says: “And a refutation for the appalling scuttlebutt that takes place on traditionalist blogs.” Appalling scuttlebutt such as “Cardinal Burke will be removed from the Signatura and sent to the Knights of Malta”? That kind of scuttlebutt?

    I mean, really. How in the world is this a refutation of anything, except the rumors about Marini, which it of course directly contradicts?

  58. Peter Stuart says:

    Allan S.: From what I’ve heard Card. Sarah’s attitude sounds like it agrees with “‘Same Sex Attraction Disorder’ language . . . as a means to more easily lay the groundwork for the persons-as-distinct-from-behaviour paradigm” but that probably doesn’t fit the “communitarian” agenda.

    Also note where CNA report on 10/17 quotes Card. Sarah “Let us pray for those pastors who leave the Lord’s sheep to the wolves of decadent and secularized society, far from God and nature.”

  59. Pastor Bonus says:

    I hope this is good news and Card. Sarah seems good but let’s not be naïve. Pope Francis has already taken steps to remove more ‘conservative’ officials of this congregation and replaced then with people associated with the Bugnini era, it is not what it was even under the days of Canizares. Furthermore it should be clear to most now that Pope Francis doesn’t pay a whole lot of attention to what Vatican disasteries do. The CDF is all but sidelined now and the Congrgation of Bishops role in proposing candidates for the episcopacy has been much rescued as the Pope appoints bishops often without consulting them. Also a recent number of new beatifications and canonisations have taken place without the normal input for the congregation of Saints, so forgive me if I don’t get too excited here.

  60. Joseph-Mary says:

    Nice to have some encouraging word and the appointment of someone other than a ‘liberal progressive’ who wants to dialogue about sinful things and how to be pastoral in ignoring sin.

  61. Unwilling says:

    amenamen Gn 18:10 Sarra risit — clever indeed! But negavit Sarra dicens “Non risi” timore perterrita. But you et coram timore courageous. The humour I was too shy to post would Palin comparison.

  62. phlogiston says:

    *plausible*

  63. Dundonianski says:

    Phlogiston, I suspect the cynics and cautious among us will tend to share your concerns; your attached reference to the sarmaticusblog is more than reasonably plausible in my opinion. The Cardinal Sarah appointment will in no way redress the heavy losses suffered by tradition under this papacy, the FFI for instance are unlikely to be reprieved from brutal suppression, nor will the redoubtable Cardinal Burke be re-instated to any meaningful role.

  64. juergensen says:

    Two “surprise” appointments of Pope Francis since the disastrous October synod: Cardinal Napier to the leadership of the 2015 synod, and Cardinal Sarah to head the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. Is there a pattern here?

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