WHY HAVEN'T THE POPE'S PROMISED REFORMS BEEN FULFILLED?

The Pope has shown he is serious about reforming the Curia, so why has so little actually happened?

That question was the headline of an article which appeared on the Catholic Herald blog.

The author, Ed Condon, went on to chronicle the initiatives which Pope Francis has undertaken to bring reform to the Curia, reforms which have been thwarted at every turn by an entrenched Roman bureaucracy which has survived long after Pontificates have come and gone.

Why has so little been accomplished?

I can answer that question.  

Pope Francis is not Roman.  He is an “outsider” to the Roman way of doing things.

And what is the Roman way?

Swift assassination followed by the bestowal of the grandest posthumous honors imaginable.

No, I am not suggesting the literal assassination of Curial members, but rather their summary removal from office and then gracing them with lofty titles which are meaningless and powerless.  Rome loves titles and honors!

Pope Francis is a remarkable Shepherd of souls, sensitive and caring, whose warm and welcoming spirit has garnered the attention of millions of people of good will, Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Sadly, however, he -- as many a Bishop  -- lacks management skills that would serve him and the Church well.

I have always held to the principle that when a newly-assigned Bishop takes possession of his diocese, the first thing he should do is request the resignation of every department and agency head under his supervision.  

Those resignations should not become effective for at least 90 days.  

In the interim, the Bishop should meet individually with every Pastor and Priest (his supposed collaborators and brothers in the ministry) and listen to their collective counsel and wisdom about who and what department and agency is truly serving the interest of the local church, who should go, who should stay and what agencies should be eliminated.

Then the Bishop should have the wisdom and courage to heed that advice and follow through with it.

I suggest the Holy Father should have done the same thing.  But it's not too late.

Every Prefect of every Congregation and every President or Chairperson of every Vatican agency should immediately present letters of resignation to the Pope.  

By now, if Pope Francis doesn’t know who needs to go, he never will.

The old intractable guard which frustrates every initiative aimed at reform should be removed.  Pope Francis needs to accomplish this immediately and blow away the dust and grime that has permeated the Roman Curia for centuries.  

Pope Francis can do this.  

The question is will he finally understand that this is the only way reform is possible and simply do it.

Then and only then will he have at least a real chance of fulfilling the promises he has made to the People of God.