Catholic Church
Pope appoints new cardinals – Busy days in the Vatican
Pope Francis wants to make 20 men cardinals next weekend. photo
© Domenico Stinellis/AP/dpa
Curious appointments, a mysterious journey and a meeting of all cardinals in Rome: a sensational weekend is just around the corner at the Vatican. Pope Francis wanted it that way, because it is also about his successor.
At the end of May, like every Sunday, Pope Francis stands at the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace and speaks to the faithful who are sweating in the heat on St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Everything seems the same until he suddenly announces: “There will be a meeting of all cardinals on August 29th and 30th.” No sooner had the 85-year-old’s words faded away than the rumor mill began to churn in the Vatican. What is the Pope up to?
The head of the Catholic Church wants to make 20 men cardinals next weekend. The gentlemen with the crimson caps elect the popes. A pope can arrange his succession with such appointments because he has a free hand in the selection of the college and can therefore choose those who represent his view of the church. 16 of the new members chosen by Francis are allowed to vote in a conclave – the papal election – the other 4 have already passed the voting age of 80 years.
Cardinals’ selection raises eyebrows
Francis has already self-appointed a large proportion of the more than 200 cardinals, of whom a little less than 120 are currently allowed to vote. The rest date from the times of Benedict XVI. and John Paul II. This year’s selection of Francis for the creation of a cardinal – as the appointment is called – caused some to frown. The list includes the Italian Giorgio Marengo, the apostolic prefect of the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator. The archbishop of Singapore, William Goh, is also set to become a cardinal.
Both come from parts of the world where hardly any Catholics live. Marengo has just 1,300 believers in its parish, explains church historian Johannes Grohe. “In recent decades, the College of Cardinals has become increasingly international,” notes the scholar from the Pontifical University of Santa Croce. Bishops from cities like Milan or Venice, who traditionally became cardinals at some point, are being passed over this time. To this end, the college opens up to the fringes of the world.
“Distinct Taste of a Pre-Conclave”
On Sunday there is another curious date on the papal calendar: Francis wants to fly to the Italian city of L’Aquila, east of Rome, by helicopter. And from Monday to Tuesday he will meet cardinals from all over the world in the Vatican to talk about the Holy See’s constitution, which has been in force since June, as the Argentine announced. So far, however, the exact agenda has been a closely guarded secret. The stringing together of appointments, including a cardinal assembly (consistory) at this point in the year, leaves Vatican connoisseurs with many question marks. “Everyone is surprised about the consistory in the hottest month in Rome, which is not convenient for many in terms of time and health,” says German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller.
Perhaps Francis wants more than just talking? Some observers suspect that the successor to the throne of Peter is planning his resignation. “It has the distinct flavor of a pre-conclave,” wrote La Repubblica newspaper. Since he meets the cardinals together in Rome, he could get an overview of the situation. Others think the pope may want to change the conclave and make it more widely available. But none of this has been confirmed. Because symbolism must not be missing in the church, the visit to L’Aquila also fits perfectly into the theory of those who see a conclave on the horizon. Because Pope Celestine V is buried there, the first pontiff who voluntarily resigned during his lifetime. After that, only Benedict XVI followed. 2013
Resignation unlikely, at least for now
Most rule out Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s resignation at this point in time. He still has too many trips ahead of him, such as to Kazakhstan, Ukraine or Africa. In addition, he would put his worldwide church reform process on hold, so to speak. Another problem is the current cancellation policy. Only Canon 332 Paragraph 2 would regulate that, as canon law expert Markus Graulich explains. “If the Pope should resign from his office, it is required for validity that the resignation be made freely and sufficiently publicized, but not that it be accepted by anyone,” it says. It doesn’t get any more specific.
It’s no secret that Francis could resign one day. He’s already considered it himself. The tango and soccer fan would then be “Bishop Emeritus of Rome” and wouldn’t live in the Vatican, he explained in a TV interview in July. Francis could so the status of the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI. just has, and avoid the sometimes problematic possibility of a co-existence of two popes.
“For theological reasons, I am against the resignation of the Pope,” says Cardinal Müller. Such a thing is only responsible in an extreme borderline case. “The fact that one faction fears his resignation because that would mean losing their own power, and the other faction longs for him because that would end the confusion of the teaching profession shows in both cases a serious deficit in theological thinking and in the ecclesiastical attitude.”