The new Papal Almoner, His Excellency Most Reverend Konrad Krajewski was consecrated bishop at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica by His Eminence Giuseppe Bertello, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, presided as consecrator with the two co-consecrators, Archbishop Piero Marini, President of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses, and Władysław Ziólek, Bishop emeritus of Łódź. 10 cardinals, 45 bishops, 300 priests were there.
So was the Pope.
The Holy Father also imposed hands on the new bishop. He wasn’t one of the consecrators.
He remained in his street cloths and just put on a stole.
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Congratulations to Archbishop Konrad Krajewski!
He will do justice to his position as Papal Almoner.
Like… like what… like presiding from the Throne without actually celebrating?
No, I do not suppose that our Holy Father actually used a throne or accepted the honorifics which would have been usually back then… but still it is somewhat a liturgical equivalent.
Applause from my part for a truly retrogressive action (I mean that as a compliment).
Coming to think of it: He probably did use a Throne, if perhaps without laying much effort on the fact that it was one.
I’m wonder if the Pope will be getting his old black suit out of mothballs someday soon and reserve the white simar for ceremonial occasions.
I find the new Almoner’s choice of Archbishop Marini as a co-consecrator to be interesting as well.
Unless I’m mistaken, the new Papal Almoner was, up until present, one of the Papal Masters of Ceremonies. He has been serving in that capacity since the time of Abp. Marini, so presumably the two are friends.
“I find the new Almoner’s choice of Archbishop Marini as a co-consecrator to be interesting as well.”
It doesn’t necessarily mean anything other than the fact that Fr. Krajewski worked for eight years as a Papal Master of Ceremonies under Piero Marini and asked his old boss to be a co-consecrator. (He also worked under Guido Marini for six years, but could hardly have asked him to be a co-consecrator as Guido Marini is not a bishop – at least not yet!)
http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/romancuria/d61.htm
O tempora! O mores!
This actually makes sense to me.
Had this Holy Father, who is quite openly enthusiastic about the charitable works of Holy Church, himself served as principal consecrator, it could be read as a show of favoritism to Abp. Krajewski and a token of careerism. On the other hand, Abp. Krajewski could feel slighted if His Holiness completely absented himself. Splitting the difference avoids either of those and simultaneously draws attention to an imporant, but often overlooked Vatican job – notably one of very few filled before the report of the “super-Cardinals”.
Ignorant question:
What is the Almoner’s position?
Chris G-Z:
What’s his postion on what? Alms? He’s for ’em.
Street Clothes… or Choir Dress? [No, that’s not the Pope’s choir dress. It is not the choir dress of any cleric.]
The Pope has always had the right to chose his own choir dress, [True, he can violate liturgical decorum with impunity.] and Francis has went simply with the Ecclesiastical Habit. Up to him, he is the pontiff. At least he isn’t concelebrating!
I miss the Red. But; Fiat Voluntas Tua, Domine.
Read about the new archbishop and why is may have been chosen as Papal Almoner here:
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/almoner-konrad-krajewski-27019/
“Congratulations to Archbishop Konrad Krajewski! He will do justice to his position as Papal Almoner.”
I second the congratulations. He has been helping the poor around the Vatican for many years and did so quietly and it is said discretely. I am happy with Papa Francis’s choice in Archbishop Krajewski. May many benefit from his position as Papal Almoner.
Proud to say ?ód? is my home city, although I’m based in Kraków nowadays. Regarding the choice of Archbishbp Marini as co-consecrator, back in the day he was the new Archbishop’s supervisor when the latter was preparing a doctoral thesis.
His Holiness is no stranger to choir dress…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh5CZtfPUTQ
Fr. Z, do we still consecrate priests to be bishops? Or are they ordained? Back in Australia, you are hard pressed to hear of a priest to be consecrated bishop. More likely “he was ordained a bishop on the XY of Z ,MMXIII…etc”.
Perhaps it was casual Friday.
What’s an almoner?
Granted, I was catechized post Vatican II, but I was taught that deacons, presbyters (priests), and bishops were ordained, and that this word has special significance as they received the sacrament of Holy Orders. Many people and things can be consecrated (made holy), e.g. a church, a relic, a paten, a chalice, an altar, a virgin, a nun, and, of course, a bishop, a priest, a cardinal, a deacon, but we reserve the word ordained specifically to describe those men made holy by Holy Orders.
The Pope could ordain his own Curia. They work for him. I remember the way Benedict ordained Georg Gänswein not so long ago. Rituals are a good thing to keep.
yatzer, I had to Google it as I didn’t know what it was either. Apparently he is responsible for giving out alms or charity in the Pope’s name. The Deacon’s Bench blog on the Patheos site has a good description.
Hopefully it is a sign of movement towarsd the next step — ceasing to advance men to the episcopacy for the purpose of being a church bureaucrat rather than the shepard of a portion of God’s faithful. We hear a lot about excessive use of special ministers of the eucharist. How abotu curtialing the extraordinary use of bishops?
Even Obama doesn’t show up at Congress without a tie. But who am I to judge a liturgically-adventurous Bishop of Rome: “God has given us papacy, let us enjoy it!” :)
All,
The most visible duty of the office of Papal Almoner is granting the Apostolic Blessing certificates for families. If you have one in your house, it is signed, “Eleemosynarius Summi Pontificis.” On the one in my house, it is Archbishop Antonius Travia.