From this Sunday, the Vatican officially has the new constitution. This is called the “Progressive Evangelism”, and repeals the rules engraved on the “pastor bonus” (good shepherd) completed by then-Pope John Paul II in 1988. The change of titles reflects well the meaning of the reform that Francis wants to undertake: the Pope wants the ability of a church to transform outwardly and carry out its evangelical mission, rather than centering itself. He does not hesitate to put an end to “career”, he calls it, restricting the term of office in each post, reducing the number of leadership organizations in the church and opening the door to lay people and women. Reach the top of the Vatican Hierarchy.
The revolution came to Rome after nine years of Pope Francis and several years of work by a special committee appointed by the Pope to carry out Curia’s reform. When Francis insisted before the bishops and cardinals to list the 15 sins or serious diseases that afflicted the heart of the Catholic Church, the diagnosis was made as soon as he arrived in Rome. From “spiritual Alzheimer’s” to “rumored terrorism” to “exhibitionism”, “bureaucracy” or “grease on bosses”, there are no words to describe the state of shock that the Pope faced. Curia caused him.
Now, with the new constitution in hand, the organization of the Roman Curia is now made up of the State Secretariat, 16 decimals, 3 courts and economic institutions and other church institutions. In his preface, the Pope makes it clear that the structure of the Church cannot be seen as a center of power. “Roman Curia did not place itself between the pope and the bishops, but in the service of both,” says Francis, adding that “all Christians, by baptism, are missionary disciples”, are sufficient cause for the reform of the Church. “The roles of government and responsibility should include the involvement of the laity and the laity”.
As a sign of the changing times, the first decadent (the body that includes the old churches and the Pontifical Councils) becomes the Gospel, which will be led by Pope Francis. Second on the hierarchy is the Decadence for the Doctrine of the Faith, a clear sign of Francis’ emphasis on the fight against abuse and the integration of the Commission for the Protection of Children into its own governing body. .
Giant musical chairs
Francis wanted to reform the church and make the gospel “the first service that can be rendered to every person and to all mankind in this world.” A mission known to the Pope, more than anyone else, cannot be done by decree alone. It would be even less likely to carry out a revolution with a skeptical and accommodating curia in the proposed path.
The comfort that lies within the luxurious four walls of the Holy See for decades (if not centuries).
But the solution lies in the new constitution. By order, a five-year time limit has now been established for each high-ranking official in the Vatican (renewable only once) which helps to stop the possibility of a bad choice lasting beyond what is desirable. This, combined with the 75-year limit for holding the positions of cardinals and archbishops, allows for an unprecedented renaissance in the history of Curia.
In the future, a grand dance of chairs is expected between the main institutions of the Vatican. For example, Francis now has Carde Blanche to renew two-thirds of the current congregations. This is because six of the current nine mayors are over the age of 75, so there are all the legal frameworks to be replaced. They are Canadian Cardinal Marc Olet (Council for Bishops), Argentina’s Leonardo Saudi (Eastern Churches), Italians Beniamino Stella (Priests) and Giuseppe Versaldi (Catholic Education), Spaniard Louis Lataria (Faith Doctrine). João Braz de Aviz (Religious Institutions). By joining this group, the pope can also recall Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, who has been in office for more than five years and heads the Council for the Regulation of Divine Worship and Ritual, even though he has not reached the age limit. Sarah, one of the most important cardinals in the Vatican’s Conservative group, has openly expressed her dissatisfaction with many of Pope Francis’ reform efforts.
The dice are rolled. Francis now has the legal instrument to complete Curia’s reform, as well as the Vatican government’s mechanism to clean up the sand nets. Your revolution begins now.
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