Curial Reform

Sandro Magister has a piece on one of the unexpected developments of B16’s pontificate–the fact that he hasn’t substantially reformed the Roman Curia.

Before being elected, Cardinal Ratzinger was openly critical of the way the curia operates. As an outsider who had spent years working in the curia and learning how it operates–and fails to operate–he was widely expected to initiate a thorough reform.

Early moves in his reign seemed to indicate that that was happening, only he was doing it in a piece-by-piece fashion.

Yet we’re now in the third year of his pontificate, and there is a notable absence of signs that a big reform is coming.

GET THE STORY.

Here’s a hopeful sign though:

Much more than curia appointments, Benedict XVI has at heart the appointment of bishops.

He dedicates much greater attention to these than John Paul II did. Before giving his permission, the pope keeps the dossiers of the designates on his desk for up to two or three weeks. And sometimes he rejects them, without giving an explanation to the competent curia dicastery presided over by cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

Pope Ratzinger is very demanding; he wants bishops of quality, and doesn’t always find them. The pace of episcopal appointments has fallen by a quarter with him, in comparison with the previous pontificate.

Note that that’s by a quarter, not to a quarter.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

33 thoughts on “Curial Reform”

  1. I don’t follow the Vatinista’s. Can someone give a hint as to the area’s most needing improvement. I’ve been left with the idea that the main problem is a culture of, “we were here before this pope and we will be here after the next.” I don’t know how you truely change culture. A tupperware party?

  2. Ed “Bogey” Peters: “Hmmm.”
    Blog “the Colonel” readers: “What’s that mean?”
    Ed “Bogey” Peters: “It means, Hmmm.”

  3. B16 was part of the Curia for 30+ years. He knows how it works. He knows that at the end of the day, patience wins out, so he is taking his time.
    I am heartened by the care he is taking with regards to the Bishops.
    God Bless Pope Benedict XVI

  4. Ok, slightly off topic here, but why does the article sometimes refer to the Pope as “Benedict XVI” and sometimes as “Pope Ratzinger”? Sometimes it sounds like they’re slurring the Pope, and sometimes it just sounds like ignorance. Or is their a valid reason for doing this?
    Not ranting here – just curious if anyone else noticed this, and if there is a valid reason for it or not.

  5. I was struck by the use of “Pope Ratzinger” as well. Coming from Sandro Magister it is certainly not ignorance. What IS the reasoning?

  6. I have heard people use “Papa Ratzinger” which is used affectionately in a way. Could “Pope Ratzinger” come through as a translation of that?

  7. Regarding calling Benedict XIV “Pope Ratzinger”, I think it’s more of an Italian journalism cultural thing than disrespect. I recall reading other news articles from Italy about John Paul I and John Paul II in which they were both called “Papa [Pope] Luciani” and “Papa Wojtyla”.

  8. It really is a hopeful sign that he seems to take greater care in choosing bishops. That’s what we’ve been waiting for and it seems that’s what we’re getting.

  9. Did you see the George Weigel piece talking about how in America we are going to need a new bishop every three weeks until 2025 to keep up with the losses?

  10. “Much more than curia appointments, Benedict XVI has at heart the appointment of bishops.”
    Magister is living in la-la land. Look at the bishops appointed here in the US: Noonan, Wuerl, Niedherauer, etc.
    (Yeah, I know I spelled a couplea those wrong . . .)
    The same spineless Modernists we’ve had from the John Paul pontificate:
    http://www.riteofsodomy.com
    It looks more and more that Pope Ratzinger is a traditionalst; but the Tradition he’s devoted to is not orthodox Catholicism . . .

  11. Pope Benedict is the John Kerry of the papacy; maybe the Rudy Giuliani.
    He’s “personally opposed” to heterodoxy and bad liturgy, but he will do nothing to correct church abuses, will not impose orthodoxy on those who would represent the Church in a public capacity, and will in fact promote those who embrace Modernism.
    Very much like pro-abort politicians who personally oppose abortion yet freely give to Planned Parenthood.

  12. I challenge anyone on this blog to refute a single assertion I have made. The fact that, without warning and without having violated a single one of DA RULZ, I have been banned would seem to indicate that no such rational challenge is forthcoming, perhaps not even possible.
    You know what I say is true, and it scares you.
    Pathetic . . .

  13. Jimmy’s blog, Jimmy’s decision. It’s a pretty big mistake to assume that on a private server the person paying for it can’t tell you take a hike.
    And, for my $.02, I think BXVI’s done a great job of walking the tightrope of trying to reconcile as many into the faith as possible while maintaining the Holy Church. If he really was all about forcing modernism, you sure wouldn’t see the upcoming declaration on the Tridentine Mass.

  14. “Jimmy’s blog, Jimmy’s decision. It’s a pretty big mistake to assume that on a private server the person paying for it can’t tell you take a hike.”
    A legal perrogative is one thing; a moral one is another.

  15. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with criticizing the Holy Father on curial and episcopal selections, or other disciplinary matters as long as we do so in a charitable and respectful way. There is no reason for making such unsupported and uncharitable accusations as Eric has. Catholics are obligated to love the Holy Father as our own father.
    We’ll pray for you Eric, perhaps in awhile if you demonstrate remorse Jimmy will reinstate you.
    God Bless,
    Matt

  16. I am not even sure that was even Jimmy. He usually gives a warning first, but what you said was extremely disrespectful to the pope.

  17. It is me, and I have warned Eric G before. A few days ago he posted an inflammatory screed and I warned him at that time.
    The issue is not disagreeing with the pope or even criticizing the pope’s actions. I don’t ban people because they disagree with me about the pope. I ban them when they show themselves unwilling to keep it polite.
    Eric G’s recent remarks have been offensive and inflammatory and he has not corrected them.
    Eric G is not to post further on this blog, including on this thread. He is now banned.

  18. I love the Holy Father; I pray for him daily.
    Do I LIKE the Holy Father? Less and less every day.
    Do tell how I was disrespectful. I mad an analogy, and I defended it.

  19. Jimmy:
    You warning was with regard to my referring to the Holy See as a harlot.
    Biblically speaking, the Church today is as much as harlot as Israel was in the Old Testament,
    Was Hosea anti-Semitic? Was he a disrespecter of Israel?!

  20. I’m giving Eric G a pass on the last two posts, since they went up within two minutes of my escalating his disinvitation to a ban.
    If he’s still posting half an hour from now, the ban will escalate further.

  21. >Did you see the George Weigel piece talking about how in America we are going to need a new bishop every three weeks until 2025 to keep up with the losses?>
    Ian, I didn’t see Mr. Weigel’s article – forgive my ignorance but could you explain your comment or direct me to the article? Thank you! (First time (ever) blogging – let me know if I’m not dotting my ‘i’s or crossing my ‘t’s properly.

  22. BillHW,
    I can’t defend the Holy Father’s decision to elevate the well-known homosexual apologist to San Francisco, I haven’t the foggiest idea why he did that. Of course, this man was already a bishop, and so moving him from one place to another is not necessarily as problematic as elevating such a man to the episcopate. Perhaps he is putting all the bad eggs in one basket on the looney left coast, with some future plan to excise them, or is it exorcise? (no offense to the good Californians here, you do live amongst the heathen though).
    God Bless,
    Matt

  23. Matt,
    Do you think His Holiness knows that the Bishop of San Francisco supports homosexuals?
    If so, I am thouroughly confused.
    Viva Cristo Rey!

  24. Well, I suspect that part of the homosexual priest scandal (and perhaps the greatest part) arose from the selection of bishops who were oriented more towards career than pastoral care. For this reason, I think it’s better that Papa Ben is taking more care than has previously been the case.
    And I see it as another example of patience and the long view: he’s trying to reform the Church at the seed-bed of its leadership.

  25. Look at who Our Holy Father is choosing or moving around in Canada!
    My Canadian landscape is a-changin’!
    My own diocese has (the Great) Archbishop Thomas Collins – remember his name!!
    Pax Christi,
    Teresa B.

  26. Dan,

    Do you think His Holiness knows that the Bishop of San Francisco supports homosexuals?
    If so, I am thouroughly confused.
    Viva Cristo Rey!

    I haven’t the foggiest idea. If he doesn’t he might be one of the 3 or 4 Catholics who don’t, I’ve heard that it’s possible there are more, but I don’t imagine there could be (his comments about Broke Back Mountain are a subtle hint).
    I am thoroughly confused also, but I trust in the Lord, and pray for the Holy Father, that he will have the courage to fight off the wolves, as he has requested.
    God Bless,
    Matt

  27. Maybe you are not seeing changes of faces yet.
    But I assure you my friends, there are changes in the faces.
    New orders, new directives, and all in the line of supporting certain groups that were attacked or silenced before.

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