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Catholic-Hierarchy News: Cardinal Group to study government of the universal Church

Here are the names of the Cardinals that Pope Francis has chosen as advisers in governing the universal Church, with particular emphasis on developing a plan for reforming the Curia. It`s an interesting group of names who should produce an interesting plan. It`s pretty inclusive of the panoply of popular Catholic theologies without sacrificing the outside objective view point needed to some needed reforms. It`s also indicative of Pope Francis implementing structures that reflect those within each of the dioceses around the world where Canon Law mandates similar such bodies to advise the local Ordinary. Put another way, this seems to reflect Francis` decision to see his pontifical mission as truly being a `first among equals`among his brother bishops. More `Bishop of Rome`rather than Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. 

If nothing else, it demonstrates a commitment to substantive consultation from other bishops (a Vatican II directive) and an acknowledgement that something has gone wrong within the bureaucracy of the Vatican that needs to be fixed. These are both GOOD things!

Catholic-Hierarchy News: Cardinal Group to study government of the universal Church

Comments

  1. A commitment to 'substantive' consultation from other bishops is good thing?
    Don't you think that Jesus trusts poor women much more than He trusts rich men?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Larry: There's nothing wrong. Women are the top administraors in a number of the dicastories (Vatiican departments). In fact, over 60% of all the day to day supervisors are women there. The official heads are always Cardinals - but they are mostly figureheads. B16 appointed almost exclusively women as the defacto CEO's of many departments. Their voices are already when represented when it comes to determining and implementing policy for the Church.

    BTW, these figures hold true in many dioceses, especially in North America where the overwhelming majority of diocese have women as their chancellor.

    Women still have a way to go, but they have made INCREDIBLE progress where it counts, especially in the pastb 15-20 years.

    Fr. Tim

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Fr. Tim
    The use of the subjective term “INCREDIBLE” (caps or no caps) serves only to make you’re argument appear disingenuous and perhaps dishonest..
    The facts are that Jesus said “ call no one on earth father.” Jesus did not have good things to say about ‘priests (who were men only).’ There were no “Christian priests” until at least 1 century after His death and there was no such office as “Bishop of Rome” until at the very least 400 years later.
    The facts are that Jesus’ closest and most loyal disciples were women . That the first person He revealed His real name to was a woman .That the first person Jesus appeared to ,after He rose up from hell, was a woman.
    For me what’s incredible in all of this is that while myself , my neighbour, my family, and society in general know intuitively now what people like Aristotle , Plato , Socrates, and so many other ’wise’ prophets knew in the fact that gender is an ‘accident’ (or in other words a very superficial attribute) NOT as the primitive men thought- an essential property- that renders one human more human than another by any means and that is precisely is one message that Jesus -within the culture of his day and place in the world- was committed to deliver.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @Fr. Tim
    The use of the subjective term “INCREDIBLE” (caps or no caps) serves only to make you’re argument appear disingenuous and perhaps dishonest..
    The facts are that Jesus said “ call no one on earth father.” Jesus did not have good things to say about ‘priests (who were men only).’ There were no “Christian priests” until at least 1 century after His death and there was no such office as “Bishop of Rome” until at the very least 400 years later.
    The facts are that Jesus’ closest and most loyal disciples were women . That the first person He revealed His real name to was a woman .That the first person Jesus appeared to ,after He rose up from hell, was a woman.
    For me what’s incredible in all of this is that while myself , my neighbour, my family, and society in general know intuitively now what people like Aristotle , Plato , Socrates, and so many other ’wise’ prophets knew in the fact that gender is an ‘accident’ (or in other words a very superficial attribute) NOT as the primitive men thought- an essential property- that renders one human more human than another by any means and that is precisely is one message that Jesus -within the culture of his day and place in the world- was committed to deliver.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Larry: You seem to possess the spiritual gift of being able to read souls! At least you think that you do if you can read my mind by reading and noting the capitalization of words. Sr. Mildred used to remind me when I did the same that almost all mistaken disagreements between people occur when they concern themselves with the perceived `motives`of another. This would seem to be the case here.

    May I also recommend to you a couple of history books of the Catholic Church. You will find that the Bishop of Rome was called by that title as early as 120 AD. Further, the position was seen to be the first among equals even then as evidenced by various other bishops (Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Symrma to name two) who wrote to Rome to ask for clarification on points of doctrine at the start of that same 2nd century. I have no problem at all with you holding to your own opinions about how women are treated in the Church... but you`re not entitled to your own set of incorrect facts.

    So lets summarize: The Church doesn`t denigrate women. Neither do I. Just because they cannot be priests (who appear at the same time as bishops - read the Shepherd of Hermes c.100 AD to see this) does not mean they have a lesser role in salvation history or in the Church. Further, just as society in general has in the past 100 years, so too has the Church, albeit a little behind the societal changes.

    Fr. Tim

    P.S. It`s STILL snowing up here today for the 3rd day in a row! (sigh) Hopefully Spring is having more success taking root down there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I obviously need my morning coffee. The last sentence of the comment should read:

      Further, just as society in general has in the past 100 years changed its understanding as to the essential equality of women, so too has the Church, albeit a little behind the societal changes.

      Fr. Tim

      Delete

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