VATICAN INSIDER: FR. JOHN PAUL ON THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
My guest this week in the interview segment of Vatican Insider is once again EWTN’s chaplain to staff, Fr. John Paul. He spends several weeks each year with the Rome bureau staff and last week he spoke about that visit and being a Missionary of Mercy. This week in Part II, he has especially meaningful words on being a confessor that will give you a new and wonderful idea about confession.
Here are some photos from Fr. John Paul’s May visit in case you missed them last week:
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POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN AMERICA
Paraphrasing Clint Eastwood, I’m going to “make your day!”
Here is a wonderful analysis – totally right on! – of Pope Francis’ remarks in an interview with editors of the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, where he comments on the “staggering” (the word used by Vatican News in its summary of the interview) number of “restorationists” in the United States, that is, people who do not believe in or follow Vatican Council II.
As we say in Italy, fammi un piacere! Give me a break!
Is the Pope being badly misled on all things American (including the Catholic Church in America!) by one of the people – perhaps the only person – he really listens to, Fr. Antonio Spadaro? Read on….
Pope Francis Does Not Understand the American Church | Jayd Henricks | First Things
CARDINALS-DESIGNATE AND CANON LAW
The interesting fact of the Belgian bishop who asked the Holy Father to withdraw his nomination to the cardinalate brings up the question of Canon Law in regard to cardinals. Bishop emeritus Van Looy of Ghent, Belgium was one of the 21 future red hats to be named by Pope Francis at the May 29th Regina Coeli.
The Vatican News story yesterday said: “Pope Francis accepts Belgian Bishop Lucas Van Looy’s request not to be made a cardinal after the announcement provoked criticism that he did not always react decisively enough against abuse allegations.”
Cardinals-designate are just that, designate. They become cardinals the day of the consistory of creation as you can see in Canon 351 of the Code of Canon Law:
Can. 351 §1. The Roman Pontiff freely selects men to be promoted as cardinals, who have been ordained at least into the order of the presbyterate and are especially outstanding in doctrine, morals, piety, and prudence in action; those who are not yet bishops must receive episcopal consecration.
§2. Cardinals are created by a decree of the Roman Pontiff which is made public in the presence of the college of cardinals. From the moment of the announcement they are bound by the duties and possess the rights defined by law.
There have been a few exceptions made where cardinals were created who were not ordained as bishops.
I have been asked: What if something happens to a Pope before a consistory? The answer seems to be that the cardinals-designate only fully become cardinals when a Pope proclaims that in the presence of the College of Cardinals (§2).
Joan's Rome 