POPE FRANCIS: THOMAS AQUINAS’ THOUGHT MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER

St. Thomas Aquinas died on this day 750 years ago in 1274. There are some great photos and a video on this CNA story about St. Thomas Aquinas: Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas unveiled for 700th anniversary of his canonization | Catholic News Agency

His skull is in the cathedral of Priverno which is near the town of Fossanova where Aquinas died 750 years ago:  https://twitter.com/i/status/1765467377142038903

St. Thomas is buried in the Jacobin church, Toulouse, France: Thomas Aquinas Tomb at Toulouse – Pilgrim Stays

And if you have time (or want to make time) to learn Thomas Aquinas’ 5 Proofs for the Existence of God: St. Thomas Aquinas’ Five Proofs for God’s Existence – PHILO-notes (philonotes.com)

POPE FRANCIS: THOMAS AQUINAS’ THOUGHT MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER

On the 750th anniversary of Thomas Aquinas’ death, Pope Francis praises the thinker’s “fresh and valid insights about our globalised world, dominated by legal positivism and casuistry.”

By Alessandro De Carolis

What does the thought of one of the most distinguished theologians in the history of the Church have to do with the development of social sciences? The work of a philosopher with the ways in which human relationships are articulated and grow?

More than you might think, as the Pope has pointed out in a letter to the participants in a workshop organised by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

Taking place from Thursday to Friday of this week, the conference is considering the theme “Aquinas’ Social Ontology and Natural Law in Perspective”.

Faith and reason: a contradiction?

“To be sure, Saint Thomas did not cultivate the social sciences as we know them today,” Pope Francis remarks. Nevertheless, he was a precursor to the modern discipline, because for him it was evident, as he affirmed in the Summa, that the human person, as a creature of God, represents “the most perfect thing in all nature.”

Since Aquinas maintained, moreover, that God is “the truth and the light that illuminates every understanding,” it followed, for him, that there can be “no fundamental contradiction between revealed truth and that discovered through reason.”

Humanity’s “innate capacity” to discern the good

Pope Francis also stresses the attention that the Angelic Doctor dedicates to issues of justice, especially in his Commentaries. These demonstrate, the Pope said, “his influence in shaping modern moral and legal thought.”

Aquinas, the Pope recalls, affirms “the intrinsic dignity and unity of the human person” – both the virtues of the body and those “of the rational soul” – which enable us to distinguish between true and false and between good and evil.

This is what Saint Thomas calls the “innate capacity” of human beings “to discern and to order or dispose acts to their ultimate end through love,” otherwise known as “natural law.”

A vision that is always relevant.

And here lies Aquinas’ modernity.

Today, Pope Francis asserts, it is essential to consider anew what Thomas calls our “natural inclination to know the truth about God, and to live in society,” in order to “shape social thought and policies in ways that promote, rather than hinder, the authentic human development of individuals and peoples.”

Aquinas’ trust in the natural law inscribed in humanity’s heart can offer, the Pope insists, “fresh and valid insights to our globalised world” which is “dominated by legal positivism and casuistry,” even though – he acknowledges – it “continues to seek solid foundations for a just and humane social order.”

The birth of Catholic Social Teaching

As a Christian thinker, Thomas Aquinas recognizes the action of the “redeeming grace” brought by Jesus in human action, which possesses, Pope Francis notes, “rich implications” for understanding the dynamics of “a solid social order based on reconciliation, solidarity, justice, and mutual care.”

Here the Pope cites Benedict XVI, who, in Caritas in Veritate, affirmed that men and women, as objects of God’s love, become in turn subjects of charity, called to reflect such charity in service of justice and the common good.

This is a dynamic of “charity received and given” which – the Pope observes – gave rise to the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Pope Francis concludes with a Lenten thought: alongside reflection, practical demonstrations of Christian love are always necessary.

“In these years of my pontificate,” the Pope writes, “I have sought to emphasise the gesture of washing the feet,” which is “undoubtedly an eloquent symbol of the Beatitudes” and “their concrete expression in works of mercy.”

Because “Jesus knew that when it comes to inspiring human action, examples are more important than a flood of words.”

 

VATICAN INSIDER: ANSWERING THE CALL TO PRIESTHOOD

VATICAN INSIDER: ANSWERING THE CALL TO PRIESTHOOD

You must tune in this weekend to listen to my two special guests in the interview segment as they talk of their call to the priesthood – what they feel, what they expect but most importantly, the very joy they feel at the mere idea of being a priest!

My guests are two remarkable young men, seminarians at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Nicholas Monnin and Patrick Ernst, both of the diocese of Fort Wayne -South Bend.

Nicholas (l) and Patrick (r)

We met during the October 2023 synod on synodality when I invited to dinner Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne, Patrick and Nicholas and two Fort Wayne priests studying at NAC,  Fathers Zane Langenbrunner and Samuel Anderson.

Patrick and Nicholas will enthral you with their vocation stories and you’ll have a very positive feeling about the future of the Church!

The logical conclusion to a great conversation was to continue talking over dinner at La Vittoria!|

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: go to https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive and write the name of the guest whom you are searching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

 

VATICAN INSIDER: (PART II) DISCOVERY AT BIBLICAL INSTITUTE SHOWS HOW CATHOLIC CONVENTS HID JEWS IN ROME IN WWII

VATICAN INSIDER: (PART II) DISCOVERY AT BIBLICAL INSTITUTE SHOWS HOW CATHOLIC CONVENTS HID JEWS IN ROME IN WWII

ALERT: As I post this, there are considerable technical issues at EWTN in Irondale that people are working on and everyone hopes they will be resolved in time to air all radio programs as usual.  I will check things out in a few hours. Here’s hoping “Vatican Insider” airs as usual!

My guest this week is the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” is Jesuit Fr. Dominik Markl of the Pontifical Biblical Institute at Rome’s Gregorian University, He’s also Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies at Innsbruck University, Austria. This is Part II of our conversation.

We met to talk about some astonishing documentation rediscovered in the archives of the Biblical Institute, documentation that basically consists of lists of refugees given shelter from the Nazi persecution by Catholic Institutions in Rome. Our focus was the collaboration over the years between Catholic and Jewish institutions in this research.  So stay tuned for that conversation after the News and a Q&A!

My other guest was to have been Iael Nidam-Orvieto, Director of the International Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem but she was unable to come to Rome for the conference on these new documents after the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel.

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive –  write the name of the guest for whom you are searching in the SEARCH box.

POPE FRANCIS RESTING, ON LIQUID DIET, RECEIVED THE EUCHARIST

POPE FRANCIS RESTING, ON LIQUID DIET, RECEIVED THE EUCHARIST

Papal health update from Holy See Press Office (7:15 pm Rome):

“His Holiness Pope Francis had a restful day.

“The medical staff following the Pope’s post-operative course said he is on a diet of water. The hemodynamic and respiratory parameters are stable. The postoperative course is regular.

“This afternoon, Solemnity of Corpus Domini, he received the Eucharist.

“Among the many messages expressing closeness, he was struck by the affection of the family of little Miguel Angel, baptized by Pope Francis last March 31 during a visit to the pediatric oncology and child neurosurgery departments of the hospital, who sent him a greeting poster speedy recovery. The Holy Father wanted to personally thank the mother with a short phone call.”

VATICAN INSIDER: FR HANS ZOLLNER AND THE SAFEGUARDING INSTITUTE (PART II)

My friend Jan and I waited for one hour on her sundeck for the traditional Hawaii National Guard Missing Man formation flyover on Veteran’s Day, intended to start, we had been informed at 10 am. The planes usually start this formation at Punchbowl cemetery and fly to and over Pearl Harbor before landing – the single “missing man” plane landing first, followed by the others. I wanted to post a FB live but that did not work out as planned. In fact the “missing man” plane separates from the others in flight closer to Punchbowl and not where we were waiting.

I have amazing photos of Punchbowl from my first visit but they are on my external hard drive in Rome so perhaps I’ll post another day! Here’s a link: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Punchbowl Hawaii | Pearl Harbor Tours

If I find a good video of today’s flyover, I will post it.

Wishing all Veterans a very special and beautiful Veteran’s Day – may it be bright and filled with friends, family and love! Know you are in my prayers!

I leave Hawaii tomorrow night, flying to San Francisco, then Newark and then Rome! Until next time, have a splendid weekend!

VATICAN INSIDER: FR HANS ZOLLNER AND THE SAFEGUARDING INSTITUTE (PART II)

Welcome to another, new edition of Vatican Insider. My very special guest in the interview segment – Fr. Hans Zollner, a German Jesuit, theologian and psychologist, returns this weekend for Part II of our conversation.

In 2012 at Rome’s Jesuit-run Gregorian University, he founded and was president of the Center For Child Protection. In April 2021 that became the Institute of Anthropology, Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and care (IADC) that he now directs.

Father Zollner is a licensed psychotherapist and is regarded as one of the leading ecclesiastical experts in the field of safeguarding from sexual abuse, especially in the Catholic Church.  We talk about the Institute, also known as the Safeguarding Institute, the courses and degrees it offers and how dioceses around the world are adopting similar programs. Don’t miss a word of this conversation!

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: go to https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive and write the name of the guest for whom you are searching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

 

ALOHA FROM HONOLULU, DAY 4: THE SERVANT OF GOD JOSEPH DUTTON GALA

ALOHA FROM HONOLULU, DAY 4:  THE SERVANT OF GOD JOSEPH DUTTON GALA

For reasons beyond my control, I had to do my Joan’s Rome column on Facebook today. So, for the story and photos, go to facebook.com/joan.lewis.10420

Mahalo!  Thanks!

VATICAN INSIDER: TAKING A LOOK AT A PONTIFICAL ACADEMY

VATICAN INSIDER: TAKING A LOOK AT A PONTIFICAL ACADEMY

As you may be aware, as I wrote yesterday in this very spot, there has been much consternation in Catholic circles – hierarchy and faithful – about Pope Francis’ recent nomination of a pro-abortion member to the Pontifical Academy for Life. I have prepared a Special for the interview segment of “Vatican Insider,” on this nomination and related issues.

I look at how the academy has changed from its original makeup and focus under its founder, Pope St. John Paul, when it was re-tooled by Pope Francis, and how Francis also re-instituted his predecessor’s John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family to the point where it is unrecognizable for original members.

I ask: Why would a Pope appoint as an academician someone who is pro-abortion. Abortion is the taking of an innocent human life. The academy is FOR life. Now, people are asking: Is it truly the Pontifical Academy for Life?

The bottom line of my piece is: What are we to make of the remarkable dichotomy between the Church’s Magisterium and Pope Francis’ pronouncements on protecting and defending all life from conception to natural death and the appointment of people to Church institutes and academies who do not defend and protect that life?

So tune in this weekend for that analysis.

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: go to https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive and write the name of the guest for whom you are searching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear

 

THE MIDDLE EAST TO BE CONSECRATED TO HOLY FAMILY DURING YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH

As I looked for an image of St Joseph and the Holy Family, I chanced across this one on Pinterest! If this does not make you smile, perhaps even laugh, nothing will!

THE MIDDLE EAST TO BE CONSECRATED TO HOLY FAMILY DURING YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH

Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, announced in a letter to Catholic bishops, priests, men and women religious and the lay faithful of the Middle East that, in this special year dedicated to St. Joseph, the Middle East will be consecrated to the Holy Family.

Prepared by the “Justice and Peace” committee of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in the Middle East, the consecration will take place during Mass for the annual “Peace Day for the East” on Sunday, June 27.

Patriarch Pizzaballa wrote that, “a Mass should be celebrated in each one of the countries belonging to the Council of the Catholic Patriarchs in the Middle East, and thus all the patriarchs and bishops are invited to participate in this intense prayer, and to be in a profound Communion of prayer together during this blessed day.

“On the occasion of the Year of Saint Joseph,” he added, “we will also proceed in the consecration of our beloved Middle East to the Holy Family, and for this reason, a special gesture will be included in the Mass which will be celebrated in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth on Sunday, June 27, 2021, at 10:00 am, with the participation of all the Ordinaries of the Holy Land.” (picture NC Register)

“We will bless a specially painted Icon of the Holy Family inlaid with relics from the same Basilica of the Annunciation. The icon represents the painting of the Holy Family of Nazareth, which rests above the altar of St Joseph Church, in Nazareth, where, according to tradition, the Carpenter’s house was.

“Once blessed,” noted Patriarch Pizzaballa, “the Icon will go on a pilgrimage, starting from Lebanon, to the countries of the East, until its arrival to Rome towards the end of the year of St. Joseph, on December 8, 2021. From Rome, the Icon will travel back to the Holy Land where it will remain. In Rome as well, the Holy Father Pope Francis will give his special Apostolic Blessing for the ‘Peace Day for the East’.”

 

DEAR BISHOPS: CLEAR YOUR MINDS OF CANT – AND CAN’T

Unless it has become part of the ‘cancel culture,’ today is Flag Day in America!

(from eagleflag.com)

Are you flying the flag at your home or wearing a flag pin? Here’s some history from Flag Day Celebrated (americaslibrary.gov)

On June 14, 1777, John Adams spoke about the flag at a meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. He said, “Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.” There have been twenty-seven official versions of the flag so far; stars have been added to it as states have entered the Union. The current version dates to July 4, 1960, when Hawaii became the 50th state.

On May 30, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14.

According to American legend, in June 1776, George Washington commissioned Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, to create a flag for the new nation in anticipation of a declaration of its independence. (Flag Day Celebrated (americaslibrary.gov)

DEAR BISHOPS: CLEAR YOUR MINDS OF CANT – AND CAN’T

Robert Royal

Monday, June 14

The American bishops will begin their regular June meeting (virtually) the day after tomorrow. High on the agenda: a “Catholic” president who not only flouts teachings on abortion, sex, and marriage but whose administration is hell-bent on curtailing religious liberty when it resists the sexual revolution. Or in formal language: the question of “Eucharistic coherence.” For the uninitiated, this abstract term raises a simple question: Should persons like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi and hundreds of others who promote the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of innocents yearly, and give grave public scandal, present themselves to receive Communion?

The answer is: No.

The term “Eucharistic coherence” was first used in a 2007 document issued by the Latin American bishops at Aparecida, Brazil. The chair of the drafting committee: Jorge Bergoglio, then cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, now Pope Francis. The Aparecida Document (click here) says clearly and forcefully:

We hope that legislators, heads of government, and health professionals, conscious of the dignity of human life and of the rootedness of the family in our peoples, will defend and protect it from the abominable crimes of abortion and euthanasia; that is their responsibility. Hence, in response to government laws and provisions that are unjust in the light of faith and reason, conscientious objection should be encouraged. We must adhere to “eucharistic coherence,” that is, be conscious that they cannot receive holy communion and at the same time act with deeds or words against the commandments, particularly when abortion, euthanasia, and other grave crimes against life and family are encouraged. This responsibility weighs particularly over legislators, heads of governments, and health professionals. (¶ 436)

What answer will our bishops give to this very question? Ironically, certain members of the American episcopate (Cardinals Cupich and Tobin notably), who have not been elected by their fellow bishops to positions of authority, have gone to Rome to try to block the American bishops from saying precisely what Cardinal Bergoglio and the Latin American bishops’ conference said.

Those who are in authority at the bishops’ conference decided, through regular procedures, to look into this question again, given our current president and speaker of the house. It’s remarkable that controversies have already erupted over the mere fact that this meeting will discuss the Communion question. Any statement – if one does appear – will be issued only after a second round of discussion and voting at the bishops’ annual meeting in November.

Some American prelates seem in a near panic that the Church will actually do something about wayward brothers and sisters who have put partisan politics above their faith. And who promote a false view of what Catholics can and cannot do in a pluralistic country like ours.

Why that’s happened is a question for another day. But some 67 bishops signed a letter (here) to USCCB President Archbishop Gómez opposing not only discussion among the bishops but committee work to draft texts. Cardinal Dolan, initially a signer, withdrew his name when he was later sent the actual text. And there are rumors that other bishops were misled into signing before they saw what it proposed.

But the discussion is going ahead. So herewith, some brief suggestions for how the bishops should proceed, if they’re really serious.

The great Dr. Samuel Johnson once advised his brilliant biographer James Boswell: “My dear friend, clear your mind of cant. You may talk as other people do. . . .it is a mode of talking in Society: but don’t think foolishly.”

Relevant instances of cant:

Dialogue. Some bishops try to delay or even prevent action against anti-Catholic Catholics by saying that we need to be “in dialogue” with them about mutual interests. To be sure. But that’s beside the point. Everyone, for example, wants a clean environment, help for the poor, proper treatment of authentic refugees. But who needs “dialogue” for that? A serious Catholic may think that the slaughter of nearly 1 million human beings in the womb every year, which is going on right now, might be more urgent than, say long-term domestic and foreign policy positions.

Calling for “dialogue” on abortion is classic “cant”; it has gone nowhere, is going nowhere, and will go nowhere with political offenders. We know that to a moral certainty. Continue talking with the wayward for the sake of their souls, but please don’t think – or try to convince the rest of us – that such dialogue will produce public results. Conversion is what’s needed here, and it won’t come by political “dialogue.”

Weaponization of the Eucharist. The bishop of San Diego, Robert McElroy, has said that sanctions against Biden-like politicians would be “weaponization of the Eucharist.” I agree, in the sense that it’s employing the Eucharist against the wickedness and snares of the devil. I disagree that it’s an attempt to beat the dissenters into submission. That’s pure cant. Does anyone think Joe or Nancy or others will feel threatened by the withholding of Communion, or will change their ways? I wish they would, but they’ve talked themselves out of this part of Catholicism long ago. And are even proud of it.

 “What about. . .?” When people in the Church try to highlight the massacres of innocents in abortion, we’re accused of not caring about women, the poor, the environment, refugees, etc., which are also Catholic concerns. Indeed, they are. But they’re normal political questions with multiple possible responses. How, say, do we best fight poverty – antipoverty programs or economic growth? The answer will always be a mix, and the mix will change over time, as does the problem.

 Dialogue, weaponization, other concerns – it’s all cant, and we shouldn’t take our eyes off the real issue. A Catholic in public life can’t hide behind these dodges when you’re vigorously promoting policies that Aparecida called “unjust in the light of faith and reason.”

The death of the innocents is the pre-eminent issue in Catholic social concerns today. Our bishops, singly and together, must say so and act like they believe it.

LINK TO ARTICLE IN THE CATHOLIC THING: Dear Bishops: Clear Your Minds of Cant – and Can’t – The Catholic Thing

VATICAN INSIDER – AND ROME! – WELCOME TERESA TOMEO – KOREAN BISHOP LAZARUS YOU HEUNG-SIK IS THE NEW PREFECT OF THE CLERGY

A remarkable appointment was made by Pope Francis today who named a Korean bishop as the new head of the Congregation for Clergy, accepting the resignation of Cardinal Beniamino Stella who turns 80 in August. Cardinal Stella is five years over the mandatory age of 75 for a prelate to present his resignation to the Pope, although, as can be seen in Stella’s case, the Pope does not always accept resignations immediately. That story is below.

Link to the English weekly edition of L’Osservatore Romano: ING_2021_024_1106.pdf (osservatoreromano.va)

VATICAN INSIDER – AND ROME! – WELCOME TERESA TOMEO

My special guest this week in the interview segment of Vatican Insider is the indomitable, ever knowledgeable and enthusiastic Teresa Tomeo. I’ve turned the tables on her. I’m her guest on Catholic Connection on EWTN and Ave Maria radio on Wednesdays but now she is in Rome and is my guest for Vatican Insider. For years we’ve wanted to do her show and mine live and together and this week we had the chance to do both. So don’t miss a minute of our fun conversation.

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: go to https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive and write the name of the guest for whom you are serarching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

KOREAN BISHOP LAZARUS YOU HEUNG-SIK IS THE NEW PREFECT OF THE CLERGY

Vatican News
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Beniamino Stella and appointed 69-year-old Lazarus You Heung-sik, bishop of Daejeon, Korea, as Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. The new Prefect knows the Pope and welcomed him to his diocese during the Pope’s trip to Korea in August 2014.

Born in 1951 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Daejeon, Lazarus You Heung-sik became a coadjutor in the same diocese in 2003 and two years later assumed full responsibility. The new Prefect was the head of the Korean Bishops’ Conference’s Peace Committee and traveled to North Korea four times.

The appointment of a Korean bishop to the Congregation for the Clergy follows that of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle at the head of Propaganda Fide and testifies to Pope Francis’ attention to the Asian continent.

In recent days, the bishop of Mondovi, Egidio Miragoli, wrote a letter to the clergy of his diocese to inform them that he had received from the Pontiff the task of “making a visit, on his behalf, to the Congregation for the Clergy,” on the eve of the announcement of the change in the leadership of the Dicastery.

The visit follows the one made by Archbishop Claudio Maniago to the Congregation for Divine Worship, after the acceptance of the resignation of Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah. It is very likely that this from now on will be the practice adopted by Pope Francis also for the other Dicasteries on the occasion of the turnover of the person in charge.

The appointment to the Clergy was long overdue: the current Prefect, Cardinal Beniamino Stella, is in fact about to turn eighty years old next August 18. An apostolic nuncio and then president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, Stella had been appointed to the Clergy in September 2013, a few months after the new Pope was elected.

Francis ruled that Cardinal Stella “remain in charge” of the Congregation “until the new Prefect takes office.”