As of this Sunday, the new Constitution is officially in effect in the Vatican. It is called “Praedicate evangelium” (preach the gospel) and repeals the norms written in the “Pastor Bonus” (Good Shepherd) concluded in 1988 by the then Pope John Paul II. The change of names in itself well reflects the meaning of the reform that Francis wants to carry out: the Pope wants the Church to be turned outward and be able to carry out its evangelical mission not only on itself. He will not hesitate to end “careerism,” as he calls it, by limiting the years in each position, reducing the number of governing bodies in the Church, and also opening the door for laymen – and women – to reach the top of the Vatican hierarchy.
The revolution came to Rome after nine years of the pontificate of Francis and the same number of years of work by a special group appointed by the Pope to reform the Curia. The diagnosis was made immediately upon arrival in Rome, when, before the bishops and cardinals, Francis insisted on listing 15 sins or serious illnesses that struck the heart of the Catholic Church. From “spiritual Alzheimer’s” to “gossip terrorism”, through “exhibitionism”, “bureaucracy” or “lubrication of superiors”, the Pope was not shy about words to show the state of shock in which he was confronted with the first impressions that the Curia had caused him.
Now, with the new Constitution in hand, the organizational structure of the Roman Curia now consists of the Secretariat of State, 16 dicasteries, 3 courts and economic bodies and other ecclesiastical institutions. The Pope makes it clear in the preamble that the structure of the Church cannot be seen as a center of power. “The Roman curia does not stand between the pope and the bishops, but serves them both,” says Francis, for whom “all Christians by virtue of baptism are missionary disciples,” which is sufficient reason for the reform of the church. “should include the involvement of non-professionals and non-professionals, as well as in the role of government and responsibility.”
As a sign that times are changing, the first dicastery (a designation that includes the old congregations and papal councils) becomes an evangelistic dicastery, which will be led by Pope Francis himself. Second in the hierarchical list is the Dicastery of the Doctrine of Faith, which integrates the Commission for the Protection of Minors into its own governing body, a clear sign of the importance Francis attaches to the fight against abuse. .
Giant musical chairs
Francis, who wants to reform the Church and make evangelism “the first ministry that can be given to every person and to all mankind in the modern world.” The task that the pope knows best cannot be solved by a single decree. And even more so it will be impossible to make a revolution with a curia suspicious of the proposed path and compliant,
decades (if not centuries) in the comfort of the luxurious four walls of the Holy See.
But there is a solution for this in the new Constitution. The decree now sets a period of five years for each high office in the Vatican (with the possibility of renewal only once), which serves to prevent the possibility of perpetuating a bad choice beyond the desired one. This, combined with the 75-year tenures of cardinals and archbishops, allows for an unprecedented refresh of the history of the Curia.
In the near future we should expect a giant dance of chairs between the main buildings of the Vatican. Francis now has carte blanche to, for example, renew more than two-thirds of the senior officers in the current Congregations. This is because six of the current nine mayors are over 75 years of age and thus have all the legal framework to replace them. These are the Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouelle (Congregation of Bishops), the Argentine Leonardo Saudi (Oriental Churches), the Italians Beniamino Stella (clergy) and Giuseppi Versaldi (Catholic education), the Spaniard Luis Ladaria (Doctrine of Faith) and the Brazilian. Joao Braz de Avis (Religious Institutes). By joining this group, the Pope can also recall Robert Sarah, the Guinean cardinal head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, who, despite not reaching the age limit, has been in office for more than five years. Sarah is one of the most prominent cardinals among Vatican conservatives and has openly expressed her dissatisfaction with many of Pope Francis’ attempts at reform.
Die is cast. Francis now has the legal instrument to complete the reform of the Curia, as well as the means to clear the sand from the web of the Vatican government. Your revolution begins now.
