Rumored curial appointment of Cardinal Pell seen a major shift
May 10, 2010
Vatican-watcher John Allen writes that the appointment of Cardinal George Pell as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops would mark an important shift in the direction of the Roman Curia. While cautioning that the appointment has not been announced, and the rumors may still be false, Allen notes several reasons why it would be especially significant. For instance:
First, the appointment would be widely seen as a victory for the conservative wing of the church, since Pell has long been an outspoken voice for conservative positions on virtually every issue in Catholic life. He’s a classic example of “evangelical Catholicism,” meaning that fostering a strong sense of traditional Catholic identity in contrast to secularism is his top concern.
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Posted by: R. Spanier (Catholic Canadian) -
May. 11, 2010 8:01 PM ET USA
Who? They who choose to: "They are fully incorporated in the society of the Church who, possessing the Spirit of Christ accept her entire system and all the means of salvation given to her, and are united with her as part of her visible bodily structure and through her with Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. The bonds which bind men to the Church in a visible way are profession of faith, the sacraments, and ecclesiastical government and communion."Lumen Gentium 14
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Posted by: LCRich -
May. 11, 2010 1:29 PM ET USA
Re: comment R. Spanier Okay, I'll take the bait...when you define the "faithful" as cited in the Catechism, who do you suppose we might find to be accepting ALL the teachings of the Church? Would that be likely to be someone whom we see as being more liberal in their views? Or, might it likely be someone whom we see as more conservative in their views? Likewise, I doubt that most who profess Catholicism and hold a more liberal world view would appreciate being called "the unfaithful," do you?
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Posted by: R. Spanier (Catholic Canadian) -
May. 11, 2010 2:17 AM ET USA
There is no "conservative wing of the church" because the word "conservative" isn’t in the Catechism. Even "catholics" is mentioned only once – re. those in the Church who are divorced (CCC 1650). So if liberals and conservatives aren’t mentioned, then who is? The "faithful" (CCC 87), i.e., those "receive with docility the teachings and directives that their pastors (bishops in communion with the Holy Father) give them in different forms." Please get with the program John.
