Curia floats

There is, these days in the Vatican, something like a hesitation. And for good reason: three weeks after the entry into force of the new Constitution of the Curia, which largely reorganizes the functioning of the apparatus of government of the universal Church, Pope Francis has not, for the time being, to no appointment. This produces, in the corridors of the dicasteries, a rather strange atmosphere. Questioned by his troops, a cardinal at the head of a dicastery said that he was » obviously « still in place. Another says that on the contrary he knows nothing and that everything is in the hands of the pope.

We even saw, this week in the press room, a prelate coming to present a message from the pope without a precise title. This is how Bishop Rino Fisichella, until June 4 president of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, was presented to the press as « Titular Bishop of Voghenza ». An honorary title, since Bishop Fisichella exercises his functions in the Curia.

And for good reason: since the entry into force of the new Constitution, the Council over which he presided has simply disappeared, to be attached to what was until then the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. A Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples whose prefect, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, said on May 24 on KTO television that he did not know what would become of him.

« It’s been three weeks and no one really knows who’s doing what »observes, annoyed, an Italian layman who has worked in the Vatican for years. “The superiors don’t know if they will stay, if they will go elsewhere. Everything is a bit at a standstill”, he continues. Another, whose dicastery has changed its name, laments a lack of anticipation: “We don’t even have any more letterhead…”, he said. As for the organs that are supposed to be merged, in none of them has the board been started, everyone awaiting orders from superiors who have not yet been named. “People would like us to change everything overnight, observes a cardinal close to the pope. It is not possible. Or if so, it will be a long night. »