Pope Francis

We carry two interesting articles about the proposed review of ‘Liturgiam Authenticam’, the Vatican’s official guide for liturgical translations.

“The New Zealand bishops are delighted with the news that Pope Francis is arranging for a review of the 2001 document Liturgiam Authenticam.”

“Why haven’t the American bishops or the other English-speaking conferences joined the New Zealanders in welcoming the review? Have they so bought into Liturgiam authenticam that they now oppose Pope Francis’s plan to review and revise it?”

We could well ask what do our Irish bishops think about this issue?

Following the resignation of Marie Collins ‘We Are Church International’ has issued a call for Cardinal Muller to be replaced at the CDF:

Brendan Hoban writing in the Western People wonders what would happen if Francis was more like Trump in his approach to change; “It would be interesting to imagine, for a moment, what might happen to the Catholic Church if Francis was to adopt Trump’s more robust approach.”
He concludes “But clearly that’s not Francis’ way. Because he believes that how you do something is just as important as what you do.”

Last Friday Pope Francis also had other matters on his mind along with the ‘Ad limina’ visit of the Irish bishops. He gave hour and a quarter long interview with the Spanish Newspaper El País.
A lot of what he says will sound familiar.
“Talk, please. A fraternal conversation, if you feel up to it, or at least in a civilized way. Don’t throw insults at each other. Don’t condemn before talking.”
“Too much order. When you read the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Paul’s epistles, it was a mess, there were troubles, people moved. There was movement and contact with people. An anesthetized person is not in touch with people. He protects himself against reality.”

It used to be said that once one became an Irish bishop the new bishop would never have a bad dinner and never again hear the truth.
Going on comments made by Leonardo Boff it would seem that some in the Vatican are trying to ensure the second half of that theory becomes reality for the bishop of Rome by controlling what mail gets through to Pope Francis. “The pope told Boff not to send the materials directly to him, however, because Vatican underlings would grab it and it wouldn’t get to him. He advised Boff to send the materials to the Argentinian ambassador.”
Praytellblog carried a report of an interview with Leonardo Boff that appeared on Christmas Day in the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Cologne.
‘Asked about the lack of concrete church reforms under Pope Francis, Boff maintains that “Pope Francis is more interested in the survival of humanity and the future of the earth than he is in the church and its inner workings. He wants above all that Christianity make a contribution to these overarching problems”. ‘

Statement by ‘We are Church, Ireland’ in response to Pope Francis’ address to the curia.

Gerard O’Connell in Americamagazine reports on the address of Pope Francis to the curia.

Michael Sean Winters writes in the National Catholic Reporter about the fact that “Cardinals Brandmüller, Burke, Caffarra and Meisner decided to publish their letter …….. openly challenging the pope to clarify parts of Amoris Laetitia that they find to be a source of confusion.”
He concludes with the strong opinion that ‘to publicly voice doubts about the magisterial teaching of the church is not something a cardinal should be doing or, if he does, he should have the decency to include his red hat with the submission of his dubia.”

Pádraig McCarthy directs our attention to a meeting held on 24 October between Pope Francis and Jesuits who had gathered in Rome for their 36th General Congregation. Pope Francis conducted a “cordial dialogue” with delegates who asked him questions which Francis did not want to see beforehand.

Chris McDonnell in his recent article in the Catholic Times offers his opinion on comments made by Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput about the benefits of having a “smaller, lighter Church if her members are also more faithful, more zealous, more missionary and more committed to holiness”.
Chris sees the comments as a backlash by some in the context of the “interesting change taking place in the United States as the conservative nature of the US hierarchy is gradually being eroded by the appointment of bishops more in tune with the openness of Francis.”
He further states that “To advocate a smaller, purer church challenges the very nature of a pilgrim Church, where the open arms of a Christian welcome demands that we offer what we have and accept others who might wish to share the journey.
It all smacks of religious sectionalism that takes no account of the bumps and difficulties that we all experience.”