RE-ARRANGING THE DECK CHAIRS ON THE TITANIC OR PORTENT OF IMPENDING CHANGE

With a rescript dated 26 June 2018, Pope Francis has named four Cardinals to the Order of Bishops within the College of Cardinals. 

The rescript, signed by Cardinal-elect Angelo Becciu, the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, says the new Cardinal Bishops will be equal “in all respects to the Cardinals holding the title of a suburbicarian Church.”

Traditionally, the Order of Bishops within the College is composed of six Bishops who are given the “title” of Bishops of the suburbicarian sees – that is, dioceses in the immediate vicinity of Rome. 

The new Cardinal Bishops are Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State; Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches; Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; and Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for Peoples.

From the moment the rescript enters into force on 28 June, the new Cardinal Bishops will be equivalent in all respects to their confreres who hold the title of suburbicarian churches.

“The Roman Pontiffs have always looked with fraternal predilection to the College of Cardinals,” the rescript says. “Indeed, they offer special support to the mission of the Successor of Peter, bringing the precious contribution of their experience and service to the particular Churches dispersed throughout the world and effectively enriching the bond of communion with the Church of Rome.”

Except by special permission of the Pope, all Cardinals of the Roman Church must be Bishops. 

However, within the College itself there are three “Orders” or ranks of Cardinals: Cardinal Bishops, Cardinal Priests, and Cardinal Deacons. The titles are related to the historical connection of cardinals to positions within the Church of Rome. 

According to canon law, Eastern Patriarchs who are made Cardinals are also in the episcopal order; they have their own Patriarchal See as their title.

The rescript notes that although the numbers of Cardinals who belong to the Orders of Priests and Deacons have increased with the growth of the College, the number of Cardinal Bishops “has remained constant and unchanged over time.” 

The elevation of new Cardinals to the Order of Bishops is intended to meet “the need to enlarge the current composition” of the Order. 

There are two possible interpretations of this story.

First, the Church is going down in flames and the Holy See directs its attention to such meaningless, archane and aristocratic nonsense such as this?


Talk about re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic!

Or....

All the present Cardinal Bishops are over the age of 80 years of age and are thereby excluded from voting in a Conclave should the Holy Father retire from the Petrine Office, as did Pope Benedict XVI, or die.

Perhaps, Pope Francis thinks it somehow unfitting that a future Conclave might convene without the presence of any Cardinal Bishops as electors.

While that may seem trivial to some, perhaps the more rigorous and traditional advisers to Pope Francis have called this to his attention.

Now, the question is:  is this gesture on the part of the Holy Father a waste of time and energy or is it the harbinger of change in the Papacy itself?

What thinkest you?